Six Months

It's hard for me to comprehend that Grayson is already a half a year old!  Every month that goes by, I find myself saying "I can't believe he is xx months old!"  Time really has gone by so fast since February 6th.  This month, Grayson is 16 pounds, 14 ounces and measures 27 inches long.  He's in the 55th percentile for weight and 70th percentile for height.  His doctor thinks that he is developing just fine.

We officially started Grayson on "solids" about three weeks ago.  So far, he has tried sweet potato, squash, carrots, and avocado.  The only vegetable that he really didn't care for was avocado.  Everything else he does really well with.  His pediatrician suggested staying with vegetables for a few more weeks and then start introducing fruits as well.  He suggested that at 8 months to start with protein (just in time for Thanksgiving!).

I've already posted on Facebook about making his baby food.  Truly, it was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be.  I read a couple articles online about how to do it and then started prepping.  I spent about two hours one Friday and made his food for two weeks!  It was definitely worth it.  Not only did we save a ton of money, but I know exactly what he's eating.  Here is a link to the blog post that I found most helpful.

This kid really enjoys his food!

Breastfeeding is totally over.  During the move (July 15th-ish), it took two days for me to even produce 2 ounces of milk.  It was getting to be more trouble than it was worth.  It was a sad day, but also a strangely liberating day.  We didn't quite make it to six months, but we had a good five month run.

We are officially somewhat settled in the new place.  It has been bittersweet to leave the home we brought Grayson home from the hospital, but we are surely going to be making many more memories at the new house.  We finally unpacked our last box this week, so it's really just a matter of hanging pictures, sorting through miscellaneous crap, and finding a place for everything.  We did paint Grayson's room, and his room is officially the first room to be completely done.   Hard day of work:

I was actually really surprised that he fell asleep in the picture above without being swaddled, but I guess if you're tired enough... We still swear by our Swaddle blanket at during naps and overnight for sleeping.  He hasn't been fighting it as much lately.  He pretty much sleeps through the night, unless he's sick.

Speaking of being sick, we are going on our second ear infection.  I'm guessing he picks up the germs at daycare.  It's either that or from the students that I am in contact with.  But, you can always tell when he's getting sick because he has problems sleeping through the night.  We are so spoiled because he's been sleeping overnight since about three months old.  So when we doesn't sleep overnight, we don't know what to do!

Marathon training is also in full effect as well!  It is so hot, y'all!  Plus, when it's not 100 degrees it has been raining so a lot of the trails are either flooded or damaged.  It is nice to be back at the long runs (when they are over!).  The distances that we are up to now are the longest since before Grayson.  So certainly I'm sore!  This is my favorite meme to send to my training buddies:

That is all for now - until next month!

B&G&L

FIVE months! Lots o' changes!

2015 is turning in to quite a year for the Raposa family!

First, in February we welcomed Mr. Grayson James.  Things haven't been the same since!

 Secondly, on July 15th we are so excited to announce that we are closing on our very first home together.  Most of our friends and family know that we have been searching for a home for the past couple of months.  Our current situation in the townhouse we rent was/is starting to get a little cramped.  Also, the stairs...  Coming home from the hospital was not a great time with the stairs.  And the kitchen here is pretty much a nightmare.  I would say that it is next to impossible for both Ben and I to be in the kitchen at the same time.

Our new home is in Lutz (pictures coming soon after we get settled)! The school district is amazing, the neighborhood is super close to Grayson's daycare, and there is a park within walking distance.  Also, we weren't exactly looking for a house with a pool but it just so happens that we will now have a pool!  And a fireplace!  Homeownership is super scary, but we are also very excited to have a place for Grayson to grow up, a yard for him to play in, and something that we can make our own.

Finally, if all those changes weren't enough, I'm starting a new position at PHSC on July 20th as well!  I've been in advising for the past 7ish years and will now be the new Coordinator of Student Activities at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.  I've been going through the process of applying and interviewing for some time, but have been keeping everything private just in case things did not work out.

I'm very excited to get started, but it appears that everything is going to be getting under way at about the same time.  Needless to say, life is a little hectic right now.  But, we wouldn't have it any other way and will be very happy once we are all settled.

Here is the latest and greatest to get everyone up to speed on our little man.  Grayson has been taking a "Water Babies" class at Seal Swim School for the past couple of weeks.  The program is free for babies 0-6 months.  The first class didn't go very well, but he has since gotten a lot more comfortable in the water and seems to be enjoying swim class (and just generally being in the water) a lot more.  Here's a shot from before and during the second class:

Pool parties:

True love:

New trick - super flexibility 

What are you doing, Mom?!?

Riding a cow on Father's Day - YEE HAW!

These days breastfeeding is not going so hot.  I'm still pumping as much as I can, but it's certainly not enough to keep up with demand.  Nursing has completely stopped unless Grayson is really sleeping and doesn't realize what is going on.  So we are supplementing with formula when necessary.  I feel like as long as he's getting a little bit of breastmilk, it's better than nothing.

Grayson does still sleep through the night.  He goes to bed around 8:30 and typically wakes up between 5 and 6.  He has his routine down pretty well in the evening now.  His swaddle and a story from Daddy typically lead him to sleep very quickly.  We've been swaddling Grayson since about two-three weeks and it really helps to calm him.  He really does know that when his hands are taken away, it's time to sleep.

Ben and I often talk about how lucky we are to have such a good baby.  There are times when we feel like failures as parents or feel like we have been pushed to the limit and then we are rewarded with a sweet smile or squeal.  This has been quite the journey so far and it's hard to believe someone so small has been able to teach me so much humility, patience and unconditional love in such a short time period.

Next month, we go back to the pediatrician so we will have some updated stats on Grayson's growth and development.  Also, next month, our pediatrician recommends that we start incorporating some solids in to his routine.  Grayson has been drooling like crazy and I think those teeth will be here soon, but nothing yet on tooth watch so far.

That is all for now - until next time!

B&L&G

Four Months!

True confession time!  I'm a huge slacker and have been writing this particular blog posting since BEFORE Grayson turned four months.  Time just gets away from me most days.  Plus I've been working 4-10 hour days this summer and the long days are REALLY taking their toll on me this year.  So here are some of the happenings from the past month:

Grayson turned four months old on June 6th and he's really been moving and shaking, as usual! He weighed in at 14 pounds, 6 ounces and measured 25.6 inches long. He got more vaccines this month and handled them really well. He seems to do much better with one particular nurse. His pediatrician is very happy with how he is growing and developing.

I did read online that once babies double their birth weight that it could be okay to introduce other foods.  I wanted to ask the pediatrician before attempting anything, and it's a good thing I did.  He said absolutely not to give him any solid foods until at least six months.  I know several people have told me that they started their children on rice cereal or baby food at around four months, but we decided to wait for now.

Our entire household also went down with cold/flu this month.  Because I come in contact with so many people at work, I can count on getting sick basically every summer.  I think that combined with Grayson being exposed to more germs in daycare was the perfect combination.  Grayson had a double ear infection (fun!), but really handled it like a trooper.  But, we did a really good job of passing it to one another and both Ben and I got colds and it was pretty miserable in the Raposa house for about a week.  Luckily, once the doctor got Grayson on antibiotics and ear drops, he started to improve very quickly.

Grayson did get to spend an entire week at Granny's house this past month as well (which he absolutely loved!) due to a family emergency at his daycare.  We are so grateful that Granny is willing and able to watch our little guy in a pinch, but more importantly, we are so happy that he is healthy and happy.  There are moments when I really miss sleeping, or taking a long shower, or going out for a nice meal but seeing Grayson's sweet face immediately makes me forget about everything else.

Here are some of the photo highlights from the past month:

The dinosaur feet pajamas.  I can't even handle the cuteness

Baby Pool Party! 

Josie, Hailey, Ronan, Liam, Grayson, and Graham (in birth order!)

 Lailah and Grayson (their faces make them look guilty)

First Mate

Stop moving!

 Getting ready to party

 First Water Babies class with Daddy (we weren't a huge fan)

My angry chick magnet

Grayson's "Daddy's coming home?" face

I promise to write more next month.  Big things are coming for the Raposa family very soon - stay tuned!

B&L&G

Three Months!

Grayson is growing so fast!  It would be nice if he could stop for a week or two.  I could literally watch his sweet face for hours.  He really has been a good baby - as long as he's fed on time.  We don't have a doctor's appointment again until June so we attempted to do measurements at our house this month.  We don't own a scale, so we have no idea how much our little turkey weighs, but he was measuring 24 1/4 inches long.  That means he is over two feet long!

Big things this month - I went back to work on May 4th.  Luckily, Ben was able to take off the entire week from work to be with Grayson at home.  We were hoping that would make his transition a little easier, and it really seemed to help.  The week of May 11th, I started a four day work week with Friday's off for the remainder of the summer.  Our plan for summer is for Grayson to stay with Granny on Monday's when I work a later shift and on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday Grayson will be at a daycare center (Kiddie Campus University in Lutz).

Leaving Grayson at Granny's house was a breeze!  I knew he was in super capable hands and would probably be getting more attention than I typically give him.  But, I'd be lying if I said that I haven't been having nightmares about Grayson being at daycare.  Part of me is so scared that he won't do well or get enough attention and the other part really wants him to be independent and socialize with other babies.  The first dropoff was pretty rough.  I cried when I left the house and again after I left the daycare.

The first day went pretty well (I only called twice).  The second day was a little more difficult.  Grayson only took one nap all day, so he was really grouchy and clearly exhausted when I picked him up.  I brought his swaddle blanket for the third day, and he did much better with napping and was in a much better mood when I got there.  Like anything, it's going to take a couple of weeks for him to get used to his new routine.  But, the daycare is well staffed and has been super patient with all my questions and phone calls.

Here are some photo highlights of the month:

Clean baby fox:

Friday morning shenanigans:

Having fun on a run:

Today is Mother's Day?!?

Foxy pajamas

Oh SNAP!

Happy boy

Grayson's very first race medal

Dinner with the big kids (Emily, Ruud, and Alex)

Who me?!?

Sticking my tongue out is my favorite past time!

We are still trucking along with breastfeeding.  I've been pumping at work, first thing in the morning, and right before bed.  Nursing is a little more difficult now that Grayson is used to taking a bottle during the day.  The initial plan was to make it to six months and then he will start eating and taking less milk, but I'm trying to keep my plan flexible.  (Y'all saw how great my birth plan went, right?!?)

Grayson also started sleeping through the night nearly every night the Sunday before I went back to work.  It was the strangest thing, as if he knew that things were going to be changing and we all needed to get a good nights sleep.  Typically, he goes to bed at about 8:30 now and will sleep until 6:30 or so.  He has gotten up at 1 am one night and 4:45 this morning.  Typically after waking he goes right back to bed after he's done eating/diaper change.

He's also been drooling up a storm.  It seems pretty early for teeth to be coming in, but it is possible that he could be breaking a few teeth.  (My online research says anywhere from 3 months to 18 months - that's a pretty big window..)  I've felt around his gums, but haven't felt anything just yet. 

That is all for now - I've tried several times to write this particular blog and have gotten sidetracked, so I had to go back and re-write certain things.  But this is pretty much all of the happenings as of recently.  Until next time!

B&L&G

Two Months

Once again, Grayson has already turned two months old (on April 6th) at the time of this blog posting.  However, our appointment for his two month well visit was not until today (April 17th) because of the timing of his vaccinations.  He weighed in at 12 pounds 5 ounces and measured 23 1/2 inches long.  His weight is now in the 53rd percentile (up from 13th percentile at birth) and his height is now in the 60th percentile (up from the 25th percentile at birth).

Needless to say, he is a growing boy!  In the last month he has gained over two pounds and grew two more inches.  The pediatrician thinks that Grayson will be long/tall (like Daddy) and is very happy with his development so far.  We won't have to go back to see the doctor again until June for his four month well visit.

Grayson did get two injected vaccinations today as well as an oral vaccination.  He did really well with the oral vaccine.  The nurse said it was sweet tasting, so he was all about that.  The leg injections weren't too bad.  I had been reading that you should nurse your child immediately following the shots and that's what I did.  It seemed to work until we got home.  We thought he was really tired, but he wouldn't stop fussing, so we put him in a warm bath which calmed him down.

Since the last posting, Grayson has really been moving and shaking!  I've come to the realization that I only have a few more weeks of maternity leave left, and it's time to get out there.  The first month, Grayson only went to the doctor's office.  I'm getting a little more confident taking him out by myself and learning how to manage his schedule.  Basically, as long as he is fed and changed, he's good to go for about two hours.

But he has gone to his first birthday party (our nephew, Alex's), went to cheer at Daddy at his first race since Grayson's arrival, celebrated his first Easter, attended his first ball game, and even visited Plant City.  Here are some photos (some have already been posted on Facebook or Instagram) that will catch y'all up on the day to day happenings.

Here are two shots after his morning feeding.  He typically eats around 7 and then comes in the kitchen with me to "help" me make my breakfast:

Coming soon to the PHSC marketing department:

First date with Owen.  Owen and Grayson share not only the same birthday, but also the same middle name. Owen's mom, Kristen and I have known each other since elementary school!  We were both due on the same day, but delivered early on the same day!

First ball game at Steinbrenner Field.  PHSC played HCC at Steinbrenner, which just happened to be right around the corner.  Grayson LOVED it!  He was so good and just sat quietly checking out all the sights and sounds.

Sneak peak of a photo shoot that we did in some outfits before he grew out of his newborn sized clothing.  This suit is compliments of Donna Reid, and it's just WAY too cute.  (Still a little big, but he's growing in to it)

Just hamming it up for the camera after eating (best time to snap a photo of Happy Baby!)

Chillin' on Easter (one of my favorite photos!)

Snoozing at Dad's first trail race (super boring!)

Weekly walk date with Liam (and Michelle).  This is from the week that Grayson didn't fuss half the walk..

This is very typical Grayson (moving so much that pictures are blurry)

Ready to run in his Nike onesie, sneaker socks and game face:

Typically my view during a weekday run:

The newest thing!  Riverdance kicks!

At the office with Daddy!  Grayson was so good when we visited Daddy at work.  He especially liked all the pretty ladies and fluorescent lighting in the ceiling:

We are still breastfeeding and it seems to be going very well so far. I've been pumping to store up a stash for when I go back to work (May 4th).  He has had formula when in a pinch and once at the hospital when his weight was dropping.  But, he really isn't picky about taking pumped milk or formula from a bottle.  (I actually think he prefers from the bottle because it is less work for him)  Just so long as it's milk, he's good.

Grayson is also a pretty good sleeper at night.  He typically goes to bed around 7:30-8:00 and then will eat again at 2 or 3 am.  After his early morning feeding, it's hard to get him back to bed for a long period of time.  He tends to get very gassy and that keeps him up.  However, he sleeps for about 7 solid hours, so it could definitely be worse.  

He does take naps during the day, but they typically aren't for very long.  Based off the schedule I've been following, he should eat every three hours and take a nap for an hour and a half and then repeat the cycle.  Some days it feels like I spent the entire hour and a half trying to get him to go back to bed.

Grayson is officially out of newborn sized clothing. He wears either a 3 month or 0-3 month size, depending on the manufacturer.  I was able to pass along the majority of his newborn sized clothing to other moms and was also gifted with a huge box of hand-me-downs the same day.  He has so many clothes!

Next weekend, Grayson will be participating in his very first 5k, so he and I have been training during the day.  Pushing the jogging stroller really isn't that bad, but running without the stroller seems so much easier!  Grayson is a good motivator for running :)

That is all for now - until next month, y'all!

B&L&G 

One month!

Technically, Grayson turned one month old on March 6th.  However, I wanted to wait until we had his one month check up with the pediatrician before posting an update.  We just went to the pediatrician on Monday (March 16th) in order to have more time in between Grayson's hepatitis B shots.  Grayson weighed in at 9 pounds, 15 ounces (so close to 10 pounds!) and measured 21.25 inches long.  He is really moving up in his weight and height percentiles since birth and the doctor is very happy with his weight gain and development.  He is just about done with all of his newborn sized clothing now.

After his second hepatitis B shot this week, Grayson was unusually cranky.  He wasn't running a fever and the spot on his leg where he got the shot wasn't red or tender.  Ben and I tried our best to figure out what was wrong, but couldn't figure it out.  We ended up taking him back to pediatrician just to make sure everything was okay (because we are first time parents and still trying to figure everything out).

I was thinking that maybe it was reflux, which I read is more common in breech and c-section babies.  But that doctor thinks that it's just colic/gas/upset stomach probably from something that I've been eating or drinking that is making his upset.  So he recommended that I eliminate dairy, caffeine, and alcohol (can you hear me sobbing from where you are?!?!)  Since his appointment, I have made adjustments in my diet and that seems to help.

He has been sleeping quite a bit this past week, so we are thinking Grayson is also going through a growth spurt now.  It's strange when you wake up in the middle of night because he hasn't woken you up yet..(when this happens, I sneak in to his room and just make sure that he is still breathing).

Other happenings -

My dad broke his ankle on March 1st.  It was a slip and fall accident at their home (on the third level of their house, y'all!) which required two surgeries.  Dr. Kardashian (did not have a big butt) did an excellent job, but my dad did have to stay in the hospital for five days.  There was a lot of back and forth between Tampa and New Port Richey that week, but Grayson did get to spend a lot of time with his cousins.

Ben also agreed to fill in as coach and pitcher for my nephew's baseball team while my brother-in-law was visiting family in Ohio this month.  I will have to admit there is pretty much nothing more attractive than watching your husband coaching an entire baseball team filled with little kiddos

Here are some photos from the past couple of weeks (that I haven't already shared on Facebook or Instagram) for you to enjoy:

Even though Florida didn't make it to March Madness this year:

And, I did have my follow up postpartum appointment.  The doctor said that everything looks good and I can resume all normal activities.  I'm very excited to get back to running, but it truly is like starting all over again.  Last week, Grayson and I started incorporating running (jogging) in to our walks.  He and I logged 22 miles together last week!  (Grayson logged a few more with Daddy as well).  He does pretty well in the stroller.  Some days he gets a little fussy (either from being overstimulated, warm, or hungry).  I'm learning that timing is key to keeping him happy and as long we plan appropriately, he's good to go.

With that being said, Ben and I decided to enter the lottery for both the Marine Corps Marathon and the Chicago Marathon. We are only going to do one (assuming that we get in to the same one), but both are in October.  Marathon training in the summer with an infant is going to be interesting (to say the least), but both marathons are bucket list marathons for me.  We will know the decisions for Marine Corps next week (first choice for us) and the Chicago decision will not come until April.

Finally, if we didn't have enough fun/exciting stuff happening - Ben and I are starting the process of looking for our first home together.  We have been renting a townhouse in Carrollwood/Citrus Park for four years now.  And the location is great for both of us, but it really isn't enough space for all three of us (Grayson has so much stuff!)

Our landlord is a real estate broker and has agreed to work with us on our lease.  He will either let us out of the lease early if we find something before June 30th or let us rent month to month if we don't find something acceptable by the end of June.  Our neighbors are sad to see us leave, but we are extremely excited to have something to call our own and not keep moving every couple of years.

That is all for now!

B-L-G