Trends

July 2008 - Sarah & Scott get married

September 2009- Kaleb is born

August 2009 - Katie & Christ get married

August 2010 - Baby Quick is due

December 2010 - Maggie & John get married

???

Such good news to end the year with! We found out earlier this month that Maggie is getting married! She and John are planning a December wedding! Scott & I were married in 2008, the Katie in 2009, and Maggie in 2010! Wonder if that trend will continue?

This morning we found out that Katie and Chris are expecting a new addition to their family! As you can see... there seems to be another trend! Guess we'll have to wait for Maggie to become Dr. Maggie before we get a little one from them, though!

I'm particularly excited because it was always so much fun having cousins the same age when we were all growing up. Now Breyer, Kaleb, and Katie's new little one will be able to grow up and play the same way!

Childcare update:

We are still on the waiting list at First Presbyterian, but it'll be several months before we can get in there. We have an appointment Saturday with a lady who does in home care that might watch him until something comes open at the daycare. Hopefully all goes well!

Hope you all enjoy your new years eve... until next year...

SG

First

You sure do have a lot of 'firsts' when you're way too young to remember them! In the past week or so, Kaleb has had his first applesauce, his first Christmas, and his first massage! (yes... you read that right... Kaleb got a massage... after I had mine Monday the masseuse asked if she could do a baby massage)-

Scott and I are venturing into a first of our own as well... our first business. Since it's something we both love to do, we've decided to start a very small photography business. Nothing on a grand scale, just thought we could make a little money with the money we invested in Kaleb photography central!

Scott just got his first professional level camera which he loves... and we have several jobs lined up already. Just hoping that all the money we have invested will eventually become lucrative... well... at least enough to justify all the purchases associated with this!

Wednesday we are going back to Kaleb's masseuse friend to take some shot for her website and then Friday we are doing a wedding. I am also working on a website... which will be ksg2photography.com if I can ever get it up and running! I am certainly not wonderful with HTML... but thanks to DreamWeaver I'm hoping I can set up a little something!

So spread the word... if you known anyone who needs any photography, we're here! Next stop... getting a studio set up!

SG

Rice

Little man has started eating rice cereal! About a week ago, we began to notice that Kaleb was hungry even after finishing a 6 oz. bottle. He's not quite the 4 months they recommend, but he was doing well holding his head up and could sit up supported, so we decided to give it a go! So Kaleb has now had his first solid food!

At first I'm not sure he knew what was going on... he was hungry and we were shoving something besides his bottle in his mouth! Plus, just like he did when he was learning to drink from a bottle, he kept putting his tongue in the roof of his mouth- but he eventually figured it out and is doing pretty well with it now!

Now for the things Scott and I need to learn... I'm not sure what in the world we're going to do when we move from rice at night to rice throughout the day... because although Kaleb tries to be clean... he's not! Every time we put rice in his mouth he takes his ever present diaper and wipes his mouth! Good try... too bad it just smears rice all over everything! Just about always needs a bath!

SG

Baby Jesus

I told people Kaleb was going to be Jesus for the Christmas cantata & Scott and I were Mary & Joseph. Scott told everyone we were portraying the of-Nazareth family.

Either way you wanna look at it, the annual Ronnie cantata was this weekend. Scott, Kaleb and I were in the finale where Jeff Cummings always holds Jesus up for the church to see. Kaleb did a very good job... no crying!

Unfortunately it made it hard for me to watch, but Sheila video taped it and I'm going to ask to see her copy! As usual, it went over well and everyone loved it! Next year I'll be able to watch it much easier since Kaleb will be too big to be baby Jesus!

Mary of Nazareth (at least if you ask Scott)

Stuff

It's Christmas time, although I cannot believe it! My shopping is done... actually it's been done since Thanksgiving. I'm sure there will be something I remember I need to get at the last minute, though! And I'm still working on Christmas cards. That always takes forever, but I love to get them, so I try to send them too!

People keep asking me what we're going to get Kaleb for Christmas, but I've decided the better question is what I'm getting. See, I'm starting to think I need a helmet and some shin guards. So I've added those things to my list for Santa. It seems Kaleb already has SO much stuff, that he doesn't need much more! Plus, his current stuff is out to get me! We have baby swings, and rockers, and bouncy seats, and a billion other goodies which are wonderful... but very hazardous!

I was doing laundry and carrying it through the kitchen to put it down and fold it... and completely forgot that the baby swing was in the middle of the kitchen floor. So I tripped over it, knocked it down, dropped the laundry, dropped the phone (I was on the phone too...), and hit the floor! Thank goodness the baby wasn't in the swing, that would have been bad! Scared Scott pretty bad... he though the house was crashing down, but I was okay. Just need to remember where I put Kaleb's stuff from now on before I go through the house on the phone with an armful of laundry.

Next time I'll know!

Clumsy Sarah

Pointless

I cannot believe that Kaleb is 3 months old! He celebrated that milestone Wednesday! Feels like we JUST found out we were having a baby, and now he's here and growing like a weed!

Speaking of those pregnant days... it was about that time that Italics made his departure from the land of air conditioning and landed in the yard... where he has spent many days since enjoying the sunshine, killing Scott's blue birds, finches, and cardinals, and whining at the door for attention. All, of course, being much to Scott's dismay. Although he is doing pretty well outside, I've started to worry a little about his first winter outdoors. Since the weather forecast called for chances of snow flurries tomorrow, I thought it might be nice if Italics had a place to get out of the elements.... somewhere to stay warm. So I went on a quest to find a dog house for my cat. Turns out dogs are usually bigger than cats, so it took a while to find one of a semi-appropriate size, but I prevailed. 37 dollars and some odd change later I have a dog house that my cat (so far) doesn't want to go in. Maybe he'll warm up to the idea when it starts snowing!

Kaleb went to the doctor today... he is such a good boy and hardly ever cries... except today! Scott stayed home with him since it was his day off, and Kaleb cried ALL day! Since it was such a break from the norm, we decided to have his ears checked... just in case! Luckily, they were fine and he was perfectly healthy. Unfortunately, we don't know what's wrong. He has seemed to calm down in the past few hours, though, and is sleeping snugly for the night!

At 3 months, Kaleb weighs 11 lbs 14 oz. Doesn't sound like a whole lot until you try to carry his car seat with him aboard for a bit... then you realize how heavy he is getting! He's getting long too... he's already starting to outgrow some of his smaller 0-3 mth clothes!

Speaking of clothes... I thought baby clothes would be easy... just buy the right "age/size" and go for it. Turns out that it is just as annoying to buy baby clothes as it is to buy adult clothes. Apparently there is NO standard for size! I have some 3 mth stuff he can hardly fit in and other outfits claiming the same "size" that look like they'd fit me! (OK, not really... but they are big!) I had 2 Thanksgiving onesies... both made by Carters... and both very cute! Strangely enough, one was about an inch narrower than the other and about 2 inches longer. So strange! Although it is better than diapers... Kaleb outgrew the Newborn diapers at about 12 weeks... but the size one diapers are HUGE! They need a half size... like shoes!

Guess I better get to bed... I have a long day of house cleaning and gift wrapping tomorrow! Hoping Kaleb is feeling better than he did today so I can get some of this stuff accomplished! Until the next time...

Sarah

Catch-Up

Kaleb wanted Turkey!

I've been bad, I'm falling behind on the blog. Turns out being a full time wife, mom, and teacher takes a lot of time!

Where to start... Kaleb celebrated his first Thanksgiving... and had tons of fun visiting family. We went to Grandma's for lunch and Aunt Kathy's for dinner. Yummy Thanksgiving milk for Kaleb. Unfortunately Scott had to work, but he got to enjoy dinner and we took him a plate full of goodies for dinner!

Rebekah and I went shopping on Black Friday, and Scott as I said was working. Although I usually cart Kaleb around wherever I go, I thought Black Friday shopping at 3am might not be the best idea in the world for him. So he spent his first night away from home at Nana and Grandpa's. Unfortunately I don't think the experience was quite as exciting for them as they had hoped! They got home late, put him to bed, he slept all night and awoke in time to take a bottle and go to Grandma's for the day. Not as much cuddling time as they had hoped... guess next time it'll need to be a longer stay!

Speaking of Grandma, she finally got better and was able to keep Kaleb for almost 2 weeks, and he back started acting up again. No fun, but we're doing the best we can until she gets better. Hoping she is able to get back to normal and continue to spoil our little one! He certainly loves being there... she can make him smile no matter what!

Other things that make him smile? Blondes! Scott says he could have all kind of dates if he wanted them... every time he takes Kaleb out he gets mobbed by women who want to see the baby! And he smiles much more for the blondes! At first I thought it was a little less Kaleb turning his head to see the blondes and a little more his daddy... but it turns out Scott was right... Kaleb's got a thing for blondes! Maybe if we need a little extra money we could rent Kaleb out to single men looking for a date! We could put Kaleb in a t-shirt that says "Almost as cute as my baby sitter" and make tons of money off of him!

I'm all done with my Christmas shopping... at least that's the plan! I'm sure a few more stocking stuffers will be chosen before the holiday arrives, but I'm glad I have the bulk of it done. I'm also particularly excited that we have less than 3 weeks left of school before we're out for the holidays. All I want for Christmas is a new set of students! Isn't that horrible? Oh well... such is life.

Tomorrow Kaleb will be 3 months old. Maybe I'll be back with some of his most recent milestones and some snapshots. Until then...
Sarah

#3

Poor Kaleb still has thrush. It doesn't seem to bother him, but the medicine he has to take to get rid of it is getting a little ridiculous! First we tried the prescription stuff... made him sick! Then we tried the purple stuff... made it not so bad, but died everything purple and didn't get rid of it completely. We've finally gone to a systematic med that will hopefully get rid of this stuff for good! Lets hope this try is lucky #3!

Speaking of 3... Kaleb is about out of his newborn clothes! He can still wear some of the onesies, but he's getting too long for about everything else! So it's on to 0-3 for real now...

More in the world of 3's... I get 3 days off this week for Thanksgiving! Definitely something to be thankful for! Also, Kaleb is almost 3 months old! We're just about a week and a half away from that milestone! Can't believe how fast he's growing!

Thinking of taking him for 3 month pictures at a studio somewhere... any suggestions? Fill me in on the world of child photographers!

SG

Dedication

Today was Kaleb's baby dedication at church. It was such a nice day, lots of family and friends were there to support us and take part! Also, beautiful weather! After a week of rain, it was nice to have sun and warmth.

Kaleb looked so cute in his little outfit! Momma wanted him to wear a bubble suit... not my style! Not a fan of the bubble suit. Instead he wore grey corduroys and a white button down with a little red/grey/white striped sweater vest. Much more manly than a white dress with pleats.... even Grandpa agreed! Joy took pictures.... I'll post them whenever she sends them to me!

Thank you to everyone who was there in body or spirit! I'm so grateful to have such a supportive family, and am so glad that Kaleb will too!

Thank you thank you,

Sarah

Belated

I had a hard time finding good and cheap maternity clothes! Everyone always recommends you go to those stores in the mall like Motherhood or Pea in a Pod, but these people clearly have more money than I do, because I find them expensive! Anyway, the point is... I was grateful for hand me downs because maternity clothes were few and far between where I could afford to shop.

In the past two months, since I've gotten out of maternity clothes and back into much more confining pants with zippers and buttons rather than elastic, maternity clothes have turned up EVERYWHERE!

Pregnant people of the world.... Target has tons of clearance maternity. Also, Kohls in Cary has stocked up AND the Belks in Cary has a big clearance rack. Who knew? Hope this info comes in handy for you... because it seems to have come a little late for my use! Not that I'm buying clothes for me... its much cheaper and more fun to buy them for Kaleb!

To bed now so that I can get up and get ready for Kaleb's dedication service at church Sunday... lunch for lots of people to follow! Must get ready to cook...

Sarah

Growing

Ashley, Aron and Ashton came over last night to visit! Seeing Ashton at a month old reminded me just how big Kaleb is getting! Even though they are close to the same size, it is amazing how much development happens in one month!

Thursday was Kaleb's 2 month doctors appointment. He weighed 10 lbs & 13 oz and was 22 1/2" long! That said, he threw up so much after the oral medication that he probably would have only weighed 7 or 8 lbs had they waited until after the meds to weigh him!

The shots were not that bad. Of course they didn't stick those three needles in my leg... but Kaleb only cried for a little while. Scott calmed him down pretty quickly and he was okay. The oral medication was the worst! It gagged him, and he threw up all of the medicine and the 6 oz. bottle he had just before the appointment!

Rebekah babysat the day after his shots, and according to Scott (who was around part of the day) it was Kaleb's fussiest day every! I guess it was due to the shots and medicine, but I kinda felt bad that the first time Bekah kept him he was a fussy pants! Maybe next time he'll be back to his old self again.

So growing Kaleb is in the 40th percentile (I think... that's what I remember them telling us, Scott thought they said 45%... clearly we should jot this stuff down!). Guess that means he's pretty average in size... but I think we all know he's above average in every other way!

2 Months

Two months ago today... Kaleb was on his way. Actually, he will officially be 2 months old in about an hour and a half. This time 2 months ago the Dr. came in and told me it was time to push. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to back track for the sake of Kaleb... but I'd rather have that pain again than to go back to school. I officially want to be a stay at home mom. Or a work somewhere else mom. Or a work 3 blocks a day and go home before my last class mom...

Anyway... enough of my complaining. Thursday Kaleb goes for his 2 month checkup. I'm super excited because Kaleb is going to get his 2 month shots. I know everyone else thinks I'm crazy... what cold hearted mother wants their child to get shots and hurt... but I look at it a little differently. I want him to be protected, and that's the only way for me to be sure he's safe from those diseases! So I'll deal with a little crying and he'll deal with a little pain and in the long run he'll be much better off. Plus... it's kinda cool that he'll get the vaccine that his daddy makes at work everyday! Scott spends all day, and sometimes all night, making Prevnar... the very medicine that will keep his little one safe!

Now if I can just keep ME safe... I think blood pressure meds may be called for before this semester is over!

sg

Pepper

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Left

I'm quite unsure where he got this characteristic... genetics aren't really my thing... but my child is incredibly hardheaded! Maybe traits like that skip a generation... hmmm...

Kaleb is a big fan of laying on the left side of his head. So much so that when you turn him to his right side, he rotates his body so that he's back on his left side. I keep trying to tell my little flat head that if he doesn't try out the right side he's gonna be in a helmet way before he's old enough to play football! In all seriousness, we are having to be creative to try to fix this because he really DOES NOT like laying on the right side and I'm worried it may end up causing problems. His 2 month check up is Thursday, maybe the Dr. can talk some sense into him!

Anyway- Kaleb, I believe, may be left handed. He seems to use his left side more, kicking and grabbing at things, holding his passie... etc. This, much like the hardheadedness, also must have skipped a generation. If he is left handed, that came from Grandpa. Genetics are so strange...

SG

Hot Potato

Thank heavens for good family! My 84 year old grandmother is in perfect health. She's in better shape than most people half her age. She walks daily, eats healthily, and has no health issues. At least she didn't until the day before I went back to work!

I think I shared with you previously that my grandmother is keeping Kaleb. Unfortunately this first week has not gone exactly as planned! Grandma has somehow thrown out her back. She has been to the doctor and they have assured her it is just a muscle strain... but I'm not so sure how well I like the word 'just' in that sentence! Muscle strains hurt, especially in your back... and they take a while to get over! So although all plans point to grandma keeping Kaleb at some point, for now she is out of commission!

This is very sad for grandma, because not only is her back sore, but she really wants to keep Kaleb! It's also very sad for the Griffin clan, because we are sad she's hurt and we're without childcare! I used up all of my time on maternity leave. Scott still has a few days he can take off, but we're hesitant to use too many of those if we don't have too because you never know when an emergency might come up last minute! So it's fabulous family to the rescue! Even Kaleb's cheering them on!

Scott has been wonderful! Since he works every other weekend he has 2-3 days each week off (strange schedule sucks, but can come in handy at times like these!). I have him on the weekends, of course. So that just leaves 2-3 days a week to find childcare. Momma has taken a few days, Betsy watched him today, and Amie is coming to the rescue the end of this week. Kaleb is enjoying all the attention and the different entertainment... but it will certainly be easier when we have a routine rather than bouncing around town.

Bouncing or not, we have wonderful family who has gone above and beyond to help us with this "bend" in our plans. You are all appreciated more than you know! You've preserved the bend and prevented the break!

Now to get grandma better...

SG

The best medicine...

This is Aunt Bekah again! Excuse me if this post doesn't make a lot of sense, but thanks to the wonderful world of vicodin I'm feeling well enough to post this. That, and the fact that I got the best medicine ever today! Momma came up last night, brought me flowers, cooked me dinner and spent the night. Phillip came over after work this morning and he and Momma took me in for my surgery this morning. Oh, which was wisdom teeth removal, the kind where they have to dig into your jaw bone to get them out... ugh! Anyway, this evening Sarah, Scott and little Kaleb came to visit me too. Momma and Phillip were still here, and I talked to Daddy and a lot of other family and friends on the phone a couple of times throughout the night. Sarah, Scott and Kaleb brought me flowers which were beautiful, and we have had a good visit (thanks to the vicodin, otherwise I would have been miserable!) Makes me realize how wonderful family is... I couldn't have done it without them! So look at what you have to look forward to Kaleb... a great family who will be there when you need them... even when you are high on drugs and acting silly :) But no worries, they will make fun of you about it later, Kal :)

Love you all!
Aunt Bekah

Shine

Kaleb is smiling! He's been doing it for a few weeks now... laughing even! He just usually stops when the camera comes out! Scott has caught him a few times now, however; so I thought I'd share those shots with you.

He's actually been smiling since he was born, but these are more intentional smiles. He laughs when you walk in the room, he follows with his eyes as you walk out. Such personality shining through! Cute little fella, my Kaleb.

Swap Shop

Scott makes fun of me, because I tend to leave my radio set on 680 am. During the week its good! Lots of quality programing to listen to on the way to and from work or running errands around town. On the weekends, however, they often play this swap shop show where people call in and try to sell their stuff. It's always entertaining to me, because people want to sell absolutely ridiculous stuff... and even funnier they want to trade their broken stuff for something that is in perfect condition! Scott hates it, but his impressions of the people who call in always make the whining that goes along with it worth while! "I have an old broken lawn mower... it doesn't cut grass, but it's still got a pretty good paint job if it were washed... I'd like to trade it for a new lawn mower that works because my grass needs to be cut... oh, and I'd like one I can ride on... that's always sounded like fun and this one I've got has to be pushed."

Anyways, I've been reminded of that show as I have recently returned to work. I feel like one of those ridiculous swap shop callers who is hoping to make a completely unfair trade. In my case, however, the trade took hold even though I wish it didn't have to! I've traded in a perfectly good little Griffin boy for 80 rude 9th graders that belong to other people.

Although it seems strange to pay someone to watch my child while the state pays me to watch other peoples children... going back to work has not been that bad. I'm very luck that I don't have to take my son to daycare. Of course I don't want to leave him, but since he's staying with people I trust it's not too bad. I'm also pretty lucky that my co-workers are so great. They have made my transition back to work very smooth! My sub left things in pretty good order, and aside from some (expected) behavior problems when returning to a class that's had a sub for 7 weeks, things have been pretty good!

Something else I've swapped... attitudes! I can still be nice to Kaleb. I have to be evil at school. At least until I reign in the crazies :)

Enjoying my weekend, sad Monday will come so soon, but grateful for the rest I've gotten today.

Sarah

Violet

They call this stuff Gentian Violet... but I swear it's purple! So purple it's almost black... there is nothing "violet" about it!

Kaleb had thrush, and we treated him with the Nystatin the pediatrician prescribed. Turns out that made his tummy hurt so bad that he spit up nearly ever ounce he ate! So we went to the drugstore and bought this violet stuff which is supposed to be a wonder cure... it's a wonder it doesn't ruin everything in your house!

Everything this stuff touches becomes died purple! The bottle actually has a warning about putting it on open ulcers... it apparently acts as a tattooing agent (I swear it says tattooing on the bottle!). So my beautiful baby has a purple mouth, purple lips, and a purple drool line down the side of his mouth. Sounds bad, but it matches nicely with the purple fingers he refuses to keep out of his mouth and the purple burp cloth and t-shirt ensemble he's got going on!

Anyways... today is my first day back at work and his first day with Grandma! The doctor cleared me yesterday! Momma is coming over to take him to Grandma's for me today so I can get to work early this morning. Hopefully all goes well (With me, not Kaleb. He'll be perfectly happy being spoiled rotten! No worries there.)

I'll return eventually...
Sarah

0-3

Kaleb is getting so big! I have officially had to retire some of his newborn clothes... he is took long for a couple of his footy sleepers. I really didn't want to put them away, but I started to feel bad about putting him in clothes that restricted his legs to the point the he couldn't straiten them out! Figured that was kinda bad. Seems like he might be tall... the sleepers still fit in every way except length. Now he's moving on to the next size... 0-3mths.

We had to go back to the doctor the end of last week because Kaleb has thrush... which from what I understand isn't really that big of a deal- you can let it go away naturally or give them medicine to speed up the process. We went for the medicine, which is a sticky, gross, and apparently disgustingly flavored mess of a medicine! He is supposed to get 2ml each time, but he spits out at least 99% of it. We have to give him a bath nearly every time he takes it! On to my point... while we were at the doctors office we had Kaleb weighed, and he is now 9lbs 1oz. That's 2lbs heaver than at his smallest!

Wednesday Kaleb will be 6 weeks old... which wouldn't be so bad if it didn't mean the end of my maternity leave :( and time for me to go back to other peoples kids. They just aren't as cute as mine! It's going to be a big change, but I'm grateful I got the time off that I did. Just say a prayer that I don't kill a freshman...

I'll be back after my appointment Wednesday... if there is anything to share. Until then-

SG

Sunday

It's Sunday morning... and I've been breaking one of my home-made rules for a few weeks now. Today I'm getting back on the wagon!

I have always been a firm believer that there is a time and place for people to have screaming babies... and 11 o'clock worship is definitely NOT one of them! It kind of falls along the lines of bringing an infant to a movie or hanging out with them on the 18th hole of the local golf course. There are just some places that are not meant for screaming children!

Then Kaleb was born... and although I am still adamantly opposed... my mother is equally opposed to putting newborns in the nursery before they've had their 2 month shots. She says it exposes them to other children, and potentially sickness.

For a few weeks I went along with it... and took Kaleb into the service. My only other option was not to go... so I sucked it up. Kaleb did great the first week... slept the whole service (He was only 2 1/2 weeks old, of course, so he slept all the time period!) The next week he started stirring about 10 minutes until 12:00 because he got hungry. Scott took him out (before he started crying, thankfully) and fed him. Last week I got up and got us ready for church, then used my last 30 minutes before time to leave to lay down and rest. It was a mistake... I rested longer than 30 minutes! We never made it to church.

So it's Sunday morning again... Kaleb is 5 1/2 weeks old now. He is getting so much more playful and is awake a lot more often. He is making lots of little baby noises, which is cute when you're not in a church service... but kinda makes me cringe to think about during church. So we are working under the assumption this morning that if Kaleb can handle shopping in a public area (which he has clearly proven he can!) then he can handle an hour in the nursery. Where do you think there are more germs... Walmart or the Church nursery??? I'm playing the odds... and quite possibly warning the other children not to touch the baby!

SG

Trends

I went back looking at old blogs tonight, and was (for some unknown reason) surprised when I went back and looked at our 19 week ultrasounds. We didn't know at the time, but apparently he was going to have his hand by his head ALL the time... and you can even see it in those early pictures! We had ultrasounds taken 4 times during the course of my pregnancy with Kaleb; the first 2 looked like a bean, but the later two both showed him with his hand to his face. Apparently this has become a trend for him! For goodness sakes he was born with his hand by his head (literally). Wonder how this trend will manifest itself as he gets older?

Grandpa

I have to tell a funny story on my dad:

Scott and I went to my parents for dinner Sunday night. Afterwards, Scott Momma and I had some errands to run. Scott left to meet David, and Momma and I went to Walmart. None of us were gone very long... and we left Kaleb with Daddy.

Daddy loves to watch Kaleb, so he didn't mind volunteering... but as Momma and I were getting into the car to come home, Mommas cell phone rang. Daddy was calling to say that we had better start heading home because he was pretty sure Kaleb had a dirty diaper!

Momma keeps telling Daddy he'll have to change a dirty diaper eventually, but I'm pretty sure he'll find someone else around to do it as often as possible! I guess the beauty of being a grandparent is you can always hand the kid over when something comes up you don't want to handle!

I was reminded of this tonight when at 4am I changed Kaleb's diaper, and before I could get him back into his crib... guess what? That's right... time to change it again! Whoever invented pampers must be one rich fella... cause you sure go through those things! To all those pregnant people out there... STOCK UP!

SG

Cousins

Kaleb, Nana and I went to visit the Pierce family tonight. It was SO cute, because (with No planning) Kaleb and Ashton were wearing the same outfit! We got lots of cute pictures of the two of them. Looking at them together made me realize how much Kaleb had grown though, Kaleb was 1 lb. smaller than Ashton at his smallest point, about 7 lbs. Now look how big! He's closing in on 9 lbs! Ashton and his mommy are doing well... Ashley is a good mommy! Can't wait to visit them again!

Aunt Sarah

Ashton

Kaleb has a new little cousin! Ashley gave birth to a beautiful baby boy at 12:54 am Saturday October 3rd. Ashton Kole Pierce was born 8 lbs. 3 oz. and is 1 month and 1 day younger than Kaleb. We are going to have tons of fun with two little boys running around together! Congratulations Ashley and Aron... he is precious!

1 Month

As unbelievable as it is, Kaleb will be 1 month old tomorrow! Our lives have been so engrossed in Kaleb of late, it seems in many ways that it's been ages since I was awaiting his arrival... but thinking about in terms of his age, it feels like time is flying by already! I can't believe I've been a mommy for a month now!

In the last week Kaleb has changed so much! He is becoming much more active! So active, in fact, that he is officially not allowed to sleep in the bassinet anymore, as he has started to untie the bows holding the cover on. Since I'd prefer he not strangle himself... it's the crib from now on! He is following us with his eyes now, and stays awake a lot more often during the day. He's also getting much more playful... at least as playful as you can expect a 1 month old to be. Also... good news... his umbilical cord finally fell off today! I'm so glad I can finally give him a good bath. It has not been easy to bathe him without getting that cord wet!

In sad news, he is also getting awfully close to outgrowing his newborn clothes :( and weighs 8 lbs. 14 oz. as of today! I went through his clothes yesterday and pulled out the 0-3 month clothes so I'd have them ready! I forgot how cute they are... such a well dressed little man thanks to all the gifts and hand me downs! We have certainly been very blessed with help from all of our friends and family! THANK YOU!!!

Monday Grandma kept him for a few hours... preparing for the time coming WAY too soon when I go back to work. I can already tell he is going to be one spoiled little man... I think she rocked him the whole time! She spoiled me when I was little though, so I guess he deserves that too!

Less than 2 weeks now until I go back to work, and I'm a little depressed about it! I'm awful spoiled staying home... still waiting on Ed McMann, but alas, no luck as of yet!

I hear a baby crying for his dinner...

SG

Time

We are quickly approaching October... which means several things in the Griffin household:

1) My birthday! I'm going to be 28 years old! We had homecoming at church today and some family friends I haven't seen in quite some time came. They brought us a gift hearkening back to the day I was born... they had kept the "It's a girl" cigar that my dad had given Anthony nearly 28 years ago now! Quite impressive, mainly because I have a hard time remembering where my keys are, and I only put them down a few hours ago. Remembering where you put something 28 years ago? Wow! Thank you to the Bright family~

2) Kaleb will be 1 month old! Time is flying by... we've already departed from counting his age in days and have moved onto weeks. In no time it'll be months and then years! Meanwhile... as I know how many weeks old Kaleb is, I had to do a little math to remember how old I was going to be this year...

3) I have to go back to work :( which is very sad! I'm not worried about leaving Kaleb, as he'll be with Grandma and probably happier there than he would be most anywhere else. I spent many of my childhood days with her and always said I wanted her to keep my kids if I ever had them... I'm just glad she is able and willing! The sad part is the part about me having to do any kind of work outside of my house. Too bad we aren't wealthy enough for me to stay home... but I am working on it, as I have started cutting coupons. Hey... one step at a time, right?

4) Ashley's due date! I cannot wait for Ashton to be born... firstly for Ashley, because the misery of the last few weeks of pregnancy is still fresh in my mind; but also because I'm excited to have a nephew. It's interesting to experience someone close to me having a baby so close behind Kaleb being born. I'm now getting to experience what everyone else experienced while waiting for Kaleb~

5) Halloween- I get to go trick or treating again! Granted this year we'll probably just go to Nana & Grandpas, GG's, and Grandmas... but still... it'll be fun taking our little chili pepper trick or treating~

So it should be a busy month. Full of lots of good stuff, some stuff that'll be a little more difficult, and plenty of stuff we don't even know to expect. Regardless... time is flying and we're just trying to enjoy it as it goes by.

SG

3 weeks

Kaleb will be three weeks old tomorrow. It's amazing how much can happen and how much can change in 3 weeks. Kaleb looks different now than he did when he was born. When he was first born he was puffy and swollen. Now his face is thinning out (even though he still has my chubby cheeks) and his body is growing!

We went to the doctor last week, and Kaleb is above birth weight and growing fast! This was very good news, as it took him just a little bit longer to get there than usual. My guess now is that he is about 8 1/2 lbs!

When he stays awake, Scott is playing lots of music for him and I'm reading to him everyday. As the days go by he is getting more and more responsive... his favorite thing to do right now is lay on his changing table and watch himself in the mirror!

Unfortunately our little guy is confused about days and nights. I guess he's confused since I sleep at night and Scott sleeps during the day. He's not sure what he's supposed to do! He's a perfect little angel during the day, and a perfectly little sleepless angel at night! I'll be excited when he figures out that he is supposed to sleep when it's dark... it'll certainly make mine and Scott's life easier!

I have 3 more weeks at home with him, and then I have to go back to work. I'm hoping the time passes slowly... as I'm not ready to go back yet! I'm also hoping Kaleb learns to sleep at night a little better by then!

For now, I'm enjoying watching him rock in his chair... perfectly content. I'll post more picture soon.

SG

Regressing... a good thing!

I used to wake up every morning to say; "hey honey... is my tummy any bigger today?".

Now it has become; "hey honey... has my tummy gotten any smaller?".

Takes 9 months to grow that big... I gained 21 lbs. I lost 11 of those lbs overnight after Kaleb was born. 10 left to go... let's hope those 10 don't take the 9 months it took me to gain them!

Life with Kaleb

Its been a week since Kaleb was born. He'll officially be a week old in about 20 minutes... and it seems hard to believe! After such a long wait, we finally have our little guy, and he is (of course) just perfect.

I had all intentions of giving more updates, but as those of you who have kids probably could have told me before I figured it out for myself, there is little time left in the day when you have a little one to care for.

Kaleb did not want to make his grand entrance easy... there is that hard headed nature again! But he made it here safe after just over 12 hours of labor. Scott and I were very lucky to have WONDERFUL nursing staff and a phenomenal midwife. They made what could have been a very stressful situation easy (relatively, of course) on us.

Kaleb decided that he did not want to turn into the correct position. He was supposed to be facing up or down, but instead he was facing sideways. Turns out he cannot fit out sideways! Made for extra work on the part of himself, his mommy, as well as his medical team, but he finally straitened out. We also had a little scare of a dropped heart rate, but again the nursing and midwife team handled it without a word and got our little guy here safe. No worries besides some stitches for mommy (ouch) and he was in the world safe and sound. I don't think I've ever seen Scott Griffin as happy as he was when Kaleb arrived. Biggest smile I've ever seen on that mans face... watching his little boy be born and knowing we were all healthy!

Kaleb Scott Griffin was born at 6:30, Wednesday September 2, 2009. He weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz, had a big ol' 13 3/4 inches head, and was right about 20 inches long.

We spent a few days in the hospital and then came home Friday afternoon. My mom came and spent the rest of the week with us, which was a God-send. Amidst visitors, doctors appointments, phone calls about paternity leave for Scott, setting up Kaleb's insurance and trips to the hospital... we tried to learn how to care for a baby. Luckily my mom was there to help and Scott was an old pro from the days of being a big brother to 3! They've been very patient with me as I learned to change diapers, feed a baby, and do all those other little things that need to be taken care of.

We did have a little setback as Kaleb was jaundice. He spent a good 4 days or so on a bili blanket to get rid of his yellow color... something to do with his liver processing things that I used to do for him?!?!? Not really sure, I just know that the doctor called today and said his latest blood work showed he was better! So after 5 trips to the hospital to have his heel pricked for blood work, he's home for good!

After a week I'm starting to heal. Moving around is getting easier, although I'm still slow. Scott and I are doing our best to nap when we can... but we still look like the walking dead! We are getting better and better at taking care of our little guy. And we love him more than we ever could have thought possible!

I am continually amazed at how much more God knows than I do! I can't imagine not wanting this little man in our lives. In a week he has already enhanced our lives more that I'd ever have thought possible. How anyone could watch their tummy grown for 9 months... see pictures on ultrasounds that look like nothing more than a bean... and then give birth to a perfect little baby and not believe there is a God is beyond me. Only He could have done this... this is no accident of nature!

So with a sleepy 1 week old cuddled in my lap, I'll leave you for now. As I learn my new routine as a mom and find some extra time, I'll be back to share more. In the meantime, I'll leave you with a picture of our precious Kaleb.

Sarah

Happy Birthday Daddy Griffin!

I'm back... and as promised I have news! Turns out I didn't even have to ask... the offered to induce. An idea with which, of course, I did not argue!

Scott and I spent his birthday morning at the doctor's office. After they checked me they said they felt like if I was ready to have this baby they were ready for me to! So the midwife offered to schedule an induction, and we're to be at the hospital at 5:30 AM tomorrow!

I don't know how long it'll take me to get back to a computer with pictures and news, but I'll be sure to share as soon as I can.

Say lots of prayers for us all... although we are excited it is also a nervous time for us! Prayers for a happy healthy baby, and safe delivery, and a well rested family would be wonderful! Thank you to all of you for all of your support, and I look forward to coming back to share more once baby Griffin has arrived!

SG

Checking In...

It's been a while since I've blogged, but we've really had no news to share. Other than, of course, the fact that our child clearly takes after his father and has begun his life's work of annoying me before he's even joined us! Hopefully once he gets here he'll realize I have enough to deal with from his dad and he'll be nice!

In all seriousness though, Scott and I are very excited and quite anxious to meet our little guy. We bought his Halloween costume this week... Scott picked it out and I think it's pretty perfect. I'm showing you a picture of another baby in it, because of course our baby refuses to make an appearance! Scott was a little confused at first as to why an infant needed to go trick or treating, but I told him Grandma and Nana/Grandpa would want to see him all dressed up!

We go back to the doctor's office Tuesday morning, which is (coincidentally) Scott's birthday! I'm hoping we'll have a double celebration and they'll just send us on across the street to Labor and Delivery and Scott will get a wonderful birthday present. I plan on asking even if they don't offer... you never know... they might be willing to help us out!

Either way, our due date is less than a week and a half away, and I figure at some point he has to join us. (although to be honest I'm starting to think I'm not actually pregnant, but that I just got fat really fast... Kaleb needs to prove otherwise)

Til we know more...

Sarah

No Progress... Go Home

About 10 o'clock last night I started having some pain with my contractions (which, by the way, I've been having for a week now). It wasn't horrible pain, and certainly not that of rumor... but enough that I felt like it was time to start checking things out. So Scott started timing for me.

The rule, as it was explained to us, was a ratio of 1:5:1 - It was time to head to the hospital when I was having contractions lasting at least a minute, when a new contraction started every 5 minutes, and when this had been going on for an hour.

At about 10 we started timing, and by 10:45 they were a pretty steady 6 minutes apart and lasting over a minute each time... so we decided to start watching for them to stay that way until 11:45. As the hour passed, the continued to get stronger and closer together... and we began to feel like we may be headed to the hospital!

Once the hour was up, we called Labor and Delivery to ask their opinion on things. The nurse that answered the phone told us to wait one more hour... drink a half liter of water, lay down on my left side, and rest. Continue counting contractions and call back at 12:45. So we did... and after an hour the contractions were a pretty steady 3 minutes apart. When we called back with the news... we were told to come on in! Exciting~

So we grabbed our bags, threw on clothes, fed the cat (much to Scott's dismay), and headed to the hospital. We got all checked in and they came to pick us up and take us to Labor and Delivery. At this point I was strapped up to all sorts of monitors and found out that I was right... I was actually having contractions and that they were about 3 minutes apart! I was right (I was worried I was gonna screw this part up, but hey... the machine said the same thing!).

The good news is the baby's heartbeat sounded great and he seems to be doing well. The bad news is after I stayed there for about 30-45 minutes my contractions started to slow down. So they had me get up and walk... 30 minutes up and down a rather short hall which Scott and I now know well. They rechecked me and they had picked up a little, but not a ton. And after being there an hour and walking for 30 minutes I had not dilated any more.

No progress? You go home! So we grabbed our goods (including our parents and my sister who had driven in from Raleigh... oops) and headed to the car.

Now that sill 1:5:1 rule is out the window and I pretty much have to wait until I'm hurting pretty bad to go in. So now rather than having a hard fast rule (which I was already scared I'd screw up...) I have a vague subjective idea of when it might be time to go back. Great.

Anyway, life goes on. I go back to the doctor this afternoon and am hoping to know more... but let's face it... it seems this baby is going to take after his daddy. Stubborn, hard headed, eager to annoy me...

I'll check back this afternoon and I hope (cross those fingers and say some prayers) we have some news better than... no progress, go home.

Sarah

Grrrr

I've decided that it is incredibly unfair for the doctors/midwives to tell you the baby could come "any day now" when they don't actually know. I worked my behind off to get all of my stuff ready at school quickly so that I'd be ready if he came "any day now" and he didn't! It's a week later and still no news. I am quite sure, however, that if I had taken my time and not given much thought to rushing through my school plans he would have been here already! It's the way of the world I guess. So I'm off to my anxiety... doctor's appointment Monday if "any day now" is still not here by then. KALEB... IT'S TIME FOR YOUR ARRIVAL... HURRY UP!

Control

So I've discovered a few very frustrating things about maternity leave:

1) It has to be planned down to the minute, only you have no clue when it's going to start! It's like God's way of saying... get prepared... you'll never be in control again! This is hard for me, I've worked really hard to have things ready for when Kaleb gets here, it sure would help me put the final touches on things if I knew when his arrival is scheduled!

2) Even though I'm the size of the side of a barn, paperwork is necessary to prove that I am indeed pregnant. Not that big of a deal... but it turns out that they (CO) also need to know the exact moment that I go into labor so they are sure to start my maternity leave at the appropriate time. I guess I'm supposed to run by CO on the way to the hospital so that they can see that I actually am in labor? Scott says I should just swallow a paper and pen so Kaleb can go ahead and fill out whatever paperwork they'll want from him the moment he arrives in the world. Again, it's very frustrating to need everything in order and not be able to take care of it until this little guy decides to make his appearance.

3) Scheduling a month and a half of lesson plans for a class I've never met (and therefore have no idea what they like/are capable of doing/etc.) is already difficult. Add to that that I have no idea who my sub is, if he/she knows how to use a computer, or if I'll even have the same sub in my room everyday.... ahhhh. Scream worthy. Thankfully I have good co-workers who are looking after me and my classes, because otherwise there is no telling what would happen to my poor classes!

4) And last but not least, I think Rebekah is going to die if I don't have this baby soon. She may not make it until September 8th even if Kaleb does!

Basically, it sure would be easier if the due date was anything other than a guess... or if the doctors could give you some sort of a timeline... anything other than... it'll be sometime between right this exact moment and 3 weeks! I'm sure it'll be fine once he gets here, but for now waiting is slightly maddening. (Falling slightly behind the madness the itchy tummy is driving me to... that still comes first!)

SG

Progress...

Went back to the doctors... and we're making progress! Last week there was not measurable progress... then there was this week! We are now 3 centimeters dilated and 80% effaced. If you're like me and you don't really know what that means... it means things could happen fast OR Kaleb could take his time and it might still be a few weeks. So we don't know a lot other than we're headed in the right direction. Just say a prayer that he gives us at least another week.... I'm supposed to be going back to work! Annette took us on a tour of the birthing center today... so we got to see where we'll be spending a few days. Time is flying and he's going to be here before we know it! I'm not sure if I'm excited or nervous or both... but I do know it's all a little overwhelming! Let's just hope the next few weeks go smoothly. Baby shower Sunday, Doctors appointment Wednesday... I'll be back soon!

SG

JHBC Shower

Today was our JHBC shower... and Scott and I were blown away by the outpouring we saw! It's unbelievable how much people at church are willing to do for us. We are certainly blessed, and Kaleb will be blessed to grow up in the church as well!

Momma, Bekah, and Elizabeth came over to help me put everything away. After a little while we got everything put in it's place, and the nursery is starting to feel much more homey! Now we just need the baby to put in it!

Momma and I also chose some clothes to pack for Kaleb's hospital stay and washed them so that they'd be ready. That was not an easy task as there are so many cute things to choose from! I'm sure we've packed way too much, but it's so cute I couldn't narrow it down any more!

Speaking of washing... way more baby clothes fit into one load than adult clothes... especially adult maternity clothes! I think I used the 'small load' button on my washer for the first time every today! That probably won't last for long, since when he gets here he'll be dirtying clothes quickly!

Tomorrow marks 26 weeks... 4 weeks left. One month from yesterday. It won't be long at all until Kaleb's arrival! Wonder if he'll be a timely baby or if he's more likely to be early or late. Hopefully he's not too late... but I figure he'll be hard headed (thanks to his daddy) and will come when he's ready! Gotta make mom and dad wait and wonder, I guess!

Thanks to everyone for all of the baby goodies. You'll never know how much you all mean to us! LOVE

Sarah

4 weeks and 2 days to go...

Until recently I was not ready for Kaleb to get here. Now it's not so much that I'm ready for him (because I probably won't ever be until I have no choice)... but it's more that I'm getting tired of being pregnant. It's not bad at all during the day... but I'm tired of being tired and not being able to get comfortable enough to sleep! Oh well... at least I'm still doing well during the day, right?

We went to the doctor today... everything is still looking good. I had an exam (ouch... hate those) and the midwife says that things are starting to progress... although not enough to measure yet.

I go back again next Friday... so we'll see what they say then I guess.

It looks to be a nice weekend... Ashley's shower is planned for tomorrow and mine is Sunday. A weekend full of cleanliness, if you ask Scott! I'm sure I'll be back to let you know how everything goes there!

Until then....

SG

Time...

Scott and I took Kaleb swimming tonight... thanks to Kathryn, Annette, and Brad sharing their pool! It was nice to relax and enjoy the water, but it is amazing how fast you forget how much you weigh! Floating around in the pool for an hour and a half is nice, but when you get out if feels like you weigh a ton (probably because at the moment I do!).

This weekend is full of baby showers! Saturday is Ashley's shower (which I'm very excited about!) here, so I've been planning that! We are having a rubber ducky theme... so I think it'll be cute! Sunday afternoon some friends are having a shower for me (or I guess I should say us) at church! I'm excited about that one too... and although this sounds way worse that I mean for it too... I'm excited about presents. I'm starting to feel like I don't have anything for the baby... but people keep telling me not to buy anything until after my showers. I feel very unprepared, and I'm hoping that shower gifts will 1) help me to feel a little more prepared and 2) help me to know what I still need to buy myself.

I went by work today to turn in my maternity leave paperwork and ran into several people that I haven't seen all summer. They were amazed at how much I've grown. I guess its fairly gradual (all things considered) when you see me regularly, but these people haven't seen me since June, so to them I've gotten huge!

We go back to the doctor again Friday and they'll do an exam. I guess (and I really am guessing) that means they can tell me if we have started to progress at all... but it's still a little bit early so that might not be happening yet. Today marks 35 weeks and 1 day... leaving less than 5 weeks to go. Let's hope Kaleb makes it that long (but not longer!).

Silver Lining

I have gotten to the uncomfortable point! I guess I should be grateful, since we are only 5 weeks from our due date and it has been a very good pregnancy so far... but for the last few day's the uncomfortable pregnancy I've heard so much about has set in!

I do pretty good during the day, it's night time and sleepy time that is getting difficult! It is getting harder and harder to find a comfy position... lots of pillows and Scott rubbing my feet is about the only way I can fall asleep! Then within 2 hours I'm back awake because Kaleb is headbutting my bladder... and it starts all over! Right now it is annoying, but not the end of the world since I'm not working, but I hope I manage to figure something out before I go back to work!

Last night I woke up about 2:30 with my stomach itching me to death! It's maddening! First I tried lotion... to no avail. Then I tried Benadryl cream... that didn't work either. Then I tried a hairbrush (not so much to relieve the itching but to relieve my poor warn down fingernails from being overworked). Eventually I decided that if I numbed my stomach then I couldn't feel the itch... so I went for a zip-lock of ice wrapped in a towel... and I fell asleep! Two hours later I woke up frozen and soaking wet! You'd think I would have learned my lesson from the last time I fell asleep with a bag of ice and woke up frozen and soaking wet... but let me remind you... the itching was maddening!

Hey... change PJ's, find a dry blanket... and if you hurry you can fall back asleep before the numbness wears off and you start itching all over again! There is always a silver lining!

Now for an actual update... Scott and I went to the doctor yesterday to learn that in the last 2 weeks I've gained 3 lbs. Guess I better make an attempt to slow down since I'm only supposed to gain 1 lb per week... oh well. We are down to the short rows now! Go back to the Dr. next Friday... every week now! Monday will be 35 weeks... and at 37 weeks they consider you full term. Guess that means if all goes well we will have a baby here sometime between 2 and 5 weeks from now! AH

My Lists...

Things I will not miss when this pregnancy is over:

1. No one lets me do anything...

2. Running to the bathroom 4-5 times a night.

3. Outgrowing clothes that just fit yesterday.

4. Not being able to bend over to pick up what I dropped in the floorboard of the car.

5. Avoiding Advil (I love Advil!)

6. Having Scott look at Italics with murder in his eyes when Italics' claws get within 20 feet of me. (although to be honest, I'm not sure this will actually go away)

7. Incessant trips to the doctor.

8. Avoiding strawberries... they are so yummy and give me such bad heartburn right now!

9. A constant inability to get comfortable to sleep at any time other than during the day.

Things I will miss when this pregnancy is over:

1. No one lets me do anything...

2. Having people tell me I look great even though I'm huge.

3. Having a good excuse to wear Scott's XL tee-shirts on Wal-mart trips.

4. Having a good excuse NOT to eat sushi.

I'm sure there are a ton of other things I"ll think of as soon as I post this... but it's a start. I guess it's a good thing list 1 outweighs list 2 by quite a bit, since there is actually no way to stop the pregnancy from ending! We are 5 weeks and 5 days away from our due date... so It'll be over soon whether we're ready or not!

:(

My poor Scott has another kidney stone... no fun! You know, people compare the pain to childbirth... and I'll grant you I have not experienced it yet... but at least after I go through that pain we get to bring home a baby. Once he passes that stone it just gets flushed down the potty. At least my pain will be worth something when it's said and done! Sorry baby... hope you feel better soon.

The Countdown Continues...

Yesterday was a very busy day, marking 1 week until Katie's wedding! It was so much fun I almost didn't realize it marked another date... 1 month until kids come back to school! I go back August 18th, but we have a week of workdays first... which are usually a bit easier as I can spend more time sitting down! Scott believes with all of his heart that it will be about the time the kids come back (that's that one month from yesterday marker) that I'll go into labor. This triggers several thoughts for me:

1- Holy cow... I'm having a baby somewhere in the next 4-6 weeks! Where did the time go?

2- I really need to finish my lesson plans!

3- I hope my water does not break at school... gross and embarrassing!

4- How early can they start the epidural?

5- Wonder if anyone will notice if I take a nap at work... it's become a big part of my day?!?!

As the time grows closer I realize I still have a lot to get ready for! My bag for the hospital is not packed... I don't have any baby bottles... I'm sure I don't have a million other things that I'm not even aware I need... the list goes on and on.

I'm going to start making a list for Rebekah so she'll know who to call or text when the day comes and Kaleb gets here. With my brain so full worries such as "will I have time to make a peanut butter sandwich before we leave for the hospital" and other such necessities I'm pretty sure I won't remember to call everyone! My plan is if I can remember to call Rebekah she can take care of letting everyone else know! Let me know if you want your name on the Rebekah list... and I'll see that she lets you know!

By the way... in case you were wondering, Target makes superiorly strong cribs! Scott said that since he paid for it and he put it together, he should be able to try it out and see if it's comfortable. So he helped himself to climb on in! It was hilarious! I ran to get the camera but he got out before I could snap a picture. Crazy boy... and to think there are about to be two of them! The good news is that the crib should hold a child newborn to 260 lbs.

Bathroom Diaries

I've been spending more and more time in public restrooms these days, as I have to pee approximately every 12 minutes. It seems impractical, unfortunately, to come home (or find another clean potty at someone elses home) to use the bathroom that often. So, as I said, I'm becoming well aware of the state of most public bathrooms in the area. For example, the bathroom in the back of Walmart (by the toys) is always cleaner for some reason that the one at the front of the store!

As I've made it further into my pregnancy and grown exponentially larger... I've come to realize something. All bathroom doors at public restrooms swing inward. WHY? You open the door, you walk in, and then... where are you supposed to go while you close the door? You get in your own way! You have to climb behind the toilet to make enough room for you, the toilet paper holder, and the door to swing shut. So impractical. Clearly the person who designed those stalls was either male, tiny, or stupid.

People keep asking me if I'm ready for Kaleb to get here... and I'm not. Not yet, anyways... give me another 7 weeks. What I am ready for (what I've been ready for for a couple of months now) is to go back to a regular potty schedule... one that allows me to make it through a meal without getting up to run to the bathroom!

Potty Girl

7-19

Today is Scott and my 1st Wedding Anniversary! He has officially put up with me as his wife for 52 weeks! For 33 of those weeks we have been joined by Kaleb. In about 7 more our family of 2 will become 3. If you had asked me if a year ago today if I'd be able to say that... I would have laughed at you! Guess God got the last laugh there... but we're banking on the fact that he knows what he's doing.

Scott is working 3rd shift right now so he is gone at night and comes home early in the morning. This morning I woke up at 6:00, about the time he was clocking out of Wyeth and headed home to see me. Normally Kaleb is fairly calm when I first wake up, but today he was turning somersaults or something in my tummy... definitely going crazy!

Scott came in before too long, anniversary card in hand. So I sat up in bed to open and read my card. I was telling Scott that Kaleb must have been excited for daddy to get home because he was so topsy-turvy... and Scott wanted to know what kind of shenanigans he had been up to waking up so early. Knowing Scott and his love for using words such as shenanigans, I just figured it was an open opportunity to do such, and didn't think much about it. Now remember.... my husband is weird (I love him, but he is)... Scott asked for my pillow... who knows... I just handed it to him. At this point he starts pointing to the former location of my pillow and saying "what's that?". I turn and look and there is a (rather crumpled) card which has apparently been under my pillow all night. The card was from "Kaleb".

Happy Anniversary Mommy & Daddy... Love Kaleb (misspelled, poor handwriting, little drawings... cute!)

He may be weird, but he is certainly a sweetie! Good husband for a year today... good daddy already... many more good years to come. I'm a lucky girl!

Success

I found a dress! Now let's just hope I still fit into it in 2 1/2 weeks because "all sales are final!"

Never did find a maternity dress... just bought one that was 3 sizes larger than I'd normally wear and I'm putting momma's sewing fingers to work taking up the parts that are too big!

I'm just curious if I'm the first pregnant person to ever look for a formal dress... because no one seemed have any! Oh well... the search is over as long as Kaleb and I don't grow too terribly much in the next few weeks! (A girl can hope)

Sarah

Dressing for Two

My cousin Katie is getting married in a matter or weeks... August 1st is her big day! I'm so excited for her, I remember how crazy these last few weeks before my wedding were. Last minute details and lots of extra hands helping get everything done! It's a fun time (as long as you don't ask the mother or the rest of the family, who are the ones really doing the hard work while the bride just gets to be excited!). Scott and I have been asked to do the registry at the wedding, which I am very excited about... even a month from my due date it should be fun! I had no worries about this at all from the first time she asked up until just a few days ago. That's when I realized that my usual attire (Stretchy gym pants and one of Scotts old T-Shirts) would probably not be appropriate for such an occasion!

So I set out on a mission to find a dress for the wedding. And I found one fairly quickly which is really cute... but it is also short. For those of you who know me, you know I would be a distraction from the bride if I wore a short dress with no panty-hose! Betsy calls me Elmer's for a reason... I am very white! Under normal circumstances... no worries... put on hose. But just in case you've never tried to put them on over your pregnant tummy... let me just tell you it is not fun and it is certainly not comfy.

So the search continued for a long dress! And I found tons of them! The problem was I was not willing to take out a second mortgage on the house to buy them. Who can afford $250 maternity formal wear? Maybe some folks out there... but not his little school teacher!

At this point momma and I decided to get inventive. We went online and did a google search for "maternity formal wear on .sale" and found tons of options! Looked great! Then we realized that buying dresses online is hard enough without being pregnant, but when your size changes virtually by the moment, it adds an extra kink! The solution? We ordered 2! Figured one of them had to fit, and we'd return the other one. Smart huh?

The first one came in the mail today. It already doesn't fit. Let's hope the other works out! I'm thinking another trip to the online sale sites might be in order for today, just in case! So I'm off to re-pack and return a beautiful dress and continue my mission to find another beautiful dress... this time in size whale.

Regardless of what I find, and I'm sure I'll find something, Katie is going to look beautiful! That's the good thing about weddings... everyone will be looking at the bride, and maybe nobody will notice me!

Elmer's (Sarah)

Kaleb 4D

Scott took me to have 4D ultrasounds done today! Momma went with us too... and what an incredible experience! It is amazing how much you can see while he's still two months away and in my tummy.

This is our little sleepy Kaleb. He was not extremely happy with us because we woke him up to have his picture taken! The ultrasound lady said he was turned with his back to us, so she had to poke and prod at my tummy get get him to turn around. He must have been sleepy because he kept his hands in his face and was rubbing his eyes!

This is Kaleb sucking his thumb. You'll also notice he has hair! Lots of it, according to the technician. She said her guess from the pictures is one of two things: really dark hair or really thick and curly hair! Either way very possible with daddy's curly locks! Speaking of daddy... Kaleb is apparently going to take after him! He's gonna be a long baby she says... growing fast! Her best guess was around 4.5 lbs so far. With 8 more weeks to grow, we are apparently going to have a big baby boy! Let's just hope that means he's nice and healthy!

Kaleb clearly did not want his picture taken! That might be a problem since Daddy loves to take pictures! Sorry Kaleb... you might have to get used to it!

Our chubby little guy. She said his nose looks squished because he's pushing it up against my tummy. Notice how he likes to chew on his bottom lip! He did that almost the whole time we were there!

I wasn't kidding when I told you he was big! Look how squished he is already. I'm pretty sure this is the only time in life you could ever ball up that tiny! She said he's already folded in half and stretching from the top to the bottom of my uterus. Guess from now on he'll be growing out... and so will I!

We also have a 30 minute video of him moving around in there! I'm going to work on posting part of that as well. Until then... Bye Kaleb... see you again in a few weeks!

Sarah

Daddy-To-Be

Yesterday Scott and I went to Ronald and Crystals wedding. Scott spent half the time playing with, feeding, walking... etc... their little girl, Karsyn. So cute! He quickly returned her when she needed changing though! It's a good thing he's good with kids, because someone is gonna have to teach me! Such a cute daddy-to-be!

SG

Impending

Summer seems to be such a busy time of the year... especially this year! Weddings, Showers, Quick Vacations, Babies-to-be... there seems to be something all the time!

This time last year Scott and I, with the help of our families, were putting final touches on wedding plans! That said, we are quickly approaching our very 1st anniversary! Sounds exciting, however I am beginning to wonder if I'll even get to see him that day! :( There is always something going on... I'm teaching Sunday School that morning, Katie has a shower that afternoon, and Scott is working night shift and goes in at 6pm that evening. Plus, Crystal reminded me today that we need to eat the top of our wedding cake sometime that day too! So much to do...

So as last summer was full of wedding stuff for the two of us, this summer is being consumed as the summer of Kaleb. It struck me yesterday that he is just 2 months away! When I shared this tidbit with Scott, he told me he thinks Kaleb will come sooner! He feels like once I go back to work Kaleb's arrival will be come eminent. Something about my kids stressing me out and being on my feet all day... at any rate I thought 2 months was soon... he's thinking less than that!

Along with all of this ruckus there are weddings of family and friends, birthday parties, baby showers, and a nephew on the way! So much going on.

Scott says next summer we need to slow it down... I think we can probably count on having busy summers (as well as fall, spring, and winters) from now on though! We'll have a little one to entertain!

Tuesday Scott is taking me to have 4D ultra-sounds which will hopefully result in some fantastic Kaleb shots. I'll be back then to share about the experience... and hopefully to share the pictures as well! Until then...

Sarah