All about Grall

First Steps!!!

2009-07-09T20:55:00.002-05:00

Today Addyson and I went to story time today at the library. We had a wonderful time and Addyson sat through the whole 30 mins with no squirming. At the end of class several of the little ones were playing with the toys, including Addyson, and all of the sudden she just lets go and takes two steps towards another little girl playing there. I couldn't even believe it happened at first!!! Thank goodness so many friends were there so I know I didn't imagine it. A few minutes later I was holding her hands and let go and she did two steps again! Tonight she stood and played with toys and then walked to me several times. Its so exciting!!! I feel like I've been holding my breath waiting and now that its happened I'm completely amazed! Being a mommy is so wonderful!

First Birthday!

2009-06-06T18:17:00.002-05:00

Well we had Addyson's first birthday party today! Sorry everyone I decided to just have a small get together because there would be a lot of family in town and I knew it would be a huge undertaking (I'm kind of a spaz) to try to do a big party especially when Addyson won't remember it.
How did it go? I've never known Addyson to really get upset about much and that all changed this weekend. Apparently she is not big on having a house full of people. She was moody and didn't even take a nap today until 4 after everyone left. She certainly let us know that she is now a toddler. We also found out that she is allergic to eggs this morning, which was pretty scary. There were some fun times though and she had a ton of fun tearing off the wrapping paper. Hopefully her actual birthday on Wednesday will go better.

First Words

2009-05-19T19:20:00.002-05:00

On Saturday Addyson gave me a shock right around her bed time. I had just finished reading her bed time stories to her when she took the bottle out of her mouth, looked at the cat and said cat all of the sudden. I was so shocked that I didn't even realize what she had done at first. On Sunday she also said dog while Josh was holding her at the back window. She has said dog plenty of other times since then, but she's only said cat once more. I just can't believe it! First an intentional mama on Mother's Day and more new words so soon. I'm so hesitant about her growing up, but its so much fun to watch her accomplish new milestones and discover new things. I just love being a mom!

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-11T20:16:00.002-05:00

Mother's Day weekend was pretty eventful at the Grall house. On Saturday Josh and Addy gave me some wonderful gifts and took me out to a wonderful lunch at Cracker Barrell. Then on Sunday Josh's mother came over and Josh made us a tasty lunch. It was also Addyson's 11 month birthday and she surprised us by saying Momma purposefully for the first time. I loved all of the other gifts, but that one tops them all.
I hope all of the Mom's out there had a wonderful Mother's Day!

10 Months Old

2009-04-27T19:05:00.009-05:00

I can't believe my sweet, little girl is 10 months old! Her personality is blossoming every day. She's started walking with her push toy and goes all over the house. Its so funny when she gets to a wall she scoots it back and forth and talks to it until we come and turn it around.
In the last few weeks she has also started table foods at daycare and really seems to like it. It does make for a few more messes, but its so much fun watching her experiment with new things.
Every day is filled with more changes and excitement. Speaking of changes here are a few of the portraits we had made a couple of weeks ago.

This weekend we also took our second camping trip as a family. Last time Addyson was only four months old, so this time was quite a bit different. There were a couple of rough patches seeing as Addyson is not a big fan of naps at the moment, but it was a really great tip over all. Hopefully we'll be able to go at least one more time this year.

Easter Dress Blunder

2009-04-11T17:10:00.002-05:00

I was so wound up about getting Addyson a super cute dress for tomorrow that I bought one a couple of weeks ago. It was white with pastel, embroidered polka dots. better yet it was from Wal-Mart so I didn't have to spend a ton. I finally tried it on her this morning only to find that we had hit yet another growth spurt and it was too short and too snug. Off to the store we went only to find that the dress was available in sizes smaller and larger than what was needed. I'm very thankful to have found another dress with coordinating accessories at another store, but I will definitely be more proactive about checking the size next time.

First Big Boo Boo

2009-03-30T22:34:00.002-05:00

I've been paranoid about falls ever since she started pulling up, but I knew it was bound to happen. Yesterday afternoon Addyson was holding on to the couch cushion and lost her grip and banged her head against the coffee table leg. She screamed and cried, but I was still paranoid even though I knew that was a good sign. About 15 mins afterwards she got sick and then around midnight it happened again. Off to the ER we went. I think Addyson must have inherited my balance to be going to the ER at nine and a half months old. The nurses and doctors quickly assessed her and reassured us that she was doing fine. Then at 3:00AM we were on our way home with our little girl. Just as a precaution the ER doctor had us go to see our pediatrician this morning and she was given a clean bill of health again. We were very lucky, but the coffee table will be relocated until a later date just in case. I'm sure this is one of many exciting nights we will have as new parents.

Busy, busy, busy!!!

2009-03-09T21:45:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe its March! My sweet girl will be nine months old tomorrow. She's learned so much within the last month. She started out just barely crawling and now she's not only an expert crawler, but she's also learned to pull up and cruising. She's had her ups and downs but thankfully no serious spills. These new developments have made me a little anxious, but its so wonderful to see her grow both developmentally and physically.

As long as the weather doesn't turn bad we'll be making our first trip to the Tulsa zoo as a family. It should be interesting to see how Addyson likes though I know she won't pay any attention to the animals. There will be plenty of picture opportunities though. Hopefully I'll be able to post those before April.

Eventful Week

2009-01-31T23:25:00.003-06:00

This week has certainly been interesting with the ice storm that came through Northwest Arkansas. We were fortunate in that we never lost power & it was certainly nice to have a few days at home.
Separate from that Addyson had a couple of big events this week. About Wednesday she leaned back while playing with Daddy and revealed that her third tooth is coming in. Thankfully she is taking it in stride as usual except for a few moments here and there. Then this afternoon, while I was at work, Josh called me and Addyson crawled forward for the first time. I was so bummed that I missed it, but thankfully Josh quickly grabbed the camera. She still tries to push too hard and ends up on her toes. Its just too cute!

Warning! For Female Eyes Only!

2009-01-22T22:08:00.005-06:00

Okay. I just have to tell this story, because it is too funny!

Sunday night we were at life groups and Monty was holding Addyson. Monty commented on a little gas that she had passed. A few minutes later we all realized that Addyson has decided to get Monty ready for fatherhood in her own special way. Her little toot was actually a big blowout all over his leg. So off to the bedroom to change the diaper only to discover there are none to be had. I of course panic and start tearing through the bag for anything to keep her and the brand new car seat dry the five miles home. Then at the deepest, darkest corner of the bag I found it! There was one last ginormous hospital issued maxi pad from when I had Addyson. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would be thankful to see one of those again, but that night it was our ticket to a dry ride home. So ladies the moral of the story is always double check your bags before leaving the house and don't be afraid to raid your stash in an emergency.

Seven Months Old!

2009-01-11T21:36:00.002-06:00

I can't believe my little sweet heart is seven months old! Its strange to think that in five short months she'll be a year old. Addyson's six month flew by, but there was so much that happened. She started eating baby food, standing up, cutting teeth and crinkinling her little nose (which is the cutest thing ever). She brings so much joy into our lives! I can't wait to see what the next several months will bring.

Swim Class!

2009-01-07T22:35:00.003-06:00

Tuesday night Addyson and I participated in our first Baby & Me swim class at the gym along with several others in the 2008 group. All of the kids did great and I don't remember even a whimper coming from anyone. Addyson did inhale a little bit of water a couple of times, but she just coughed a couple of times and went right back to playing. Its such a blessing to have programs like this available and such great friends to enjoy them with!

Addy Stands!

2008-12-28T22:12:00.002-06:00

6 Months Old!!!

2008-12-20T19:38:00.003-06:00

Wow! I am super far behind on posting this, but I'm so excited about Addy turning 6 months old!!! I had been waiting for months for this time to come so that we could start on level 1 foods, but unfortunately she ended up with a double ear infection/cold that week, so we've been waiting it out. After another trip to the doctor and a change of medication and the addition of an inhaler we finally decided to start on Friday. So far so good. Its so much fun watching her try out new things. Speaking of which she has recently been working on crawling, and so far she is doing pretty good in reverse. I'm sure she'll be crawling around the house (and after the cat) in no time.

Last Saturday we braved the crowds to get Addyson's Christmas/6 months pics. They turned out really cute, but it was so rushed that our heads were spinning by the time we were done. Next year we'll be taking Christmas pics in October or early November.

Our first family portrait

So sweet!

You really can't see Josh's hands in the print, but it was cute not to post.

More Big News & Pics!

2008-11-06T19:45:00.006-06:00

On Tuesday Addyson began setting up without support at daycare! She is still a little wobbly and she can't do it all of the time but she does do it several times a day. And if you hadn't guessed I'm a very proud Momma!

Now without further delay pictures!

Addyson's first try at rice cereal! 10/20/08

Got Cereal?

Addyson's First Halloween!!! 10/31/08

Daycare outfit.

(Way fun booties provided by Grandma Rose.)

Our little honey bunny! So sweet!

Halloween party group photo!

(Not our brightest idea. I think we can relate to Jon & Kate now.)

Rolling Over!!!! (Warning-Way long post)

2008-10-30T18:50:00.003-05:00

We've been waiting for weeks and it finally happened!!! Addyson rolled over for the first time tonight! Josh was playing with her on the floor and he was holding her bunny toy on the other side of the blanket, so she did the foot pushing head dragging thing that she seems to have perfected and I thought ok tonight isn't the night. Then she started pushing with her foot and before we knew it she was on her back. I know its just the first time and she may not do it again for a while, but I'm just glad to see her accomplishing what I knew she could do. As a mother it can be so hard to not worry yourself crazy when you see other children hitting milestones and your's isn't there yet even if she is still within the window for that milestone.
Its been a while since I've posted, so a lot of things have happened since my last update. Here is a quick run down of whats happened. On Oct 10th Addyson turned 4 months old!!! I can't believe my little girl has changed so much! The following Tuesday, the 14th, I got a call from daycare that she had a fever of 101 so she ended up with her first ear infection. By that Friday we found out that she is allergic to Amoxicillin which means all Penicillin products are off limits. That weekend we went to see Great Grandma & Grandpa so that the boys could go to the OU game. Monday the 20th we started rice cereal which has gone well and Tuesday was her four month well check at which she weighed 15 lbs 14 oz and is in the 90% for weight & the 33% for height. If she had to get one thing from me I don't know why it had to be the short and chunky gene. By that Thursday she had her first case of Thrush which has since cleared up. Its been a month of trips to the doctor, but she'll have one strong immune system when she goes to school. Tomorrow is Halloween and I can't wait to see how cute she looks in her little bunny costume!!! Hopefully I can catch some time to load all of the pics tomorrow night.

My Little Camper!

2008-10-04T22:25:00.002-05:00

I'm so proud of my little girl! She took to the outdoors like it was no big deal at all. On Friday we took Addyson to daycare and went back to pack up our camping gear. Around one that afternoon we picked up Addyson and she was sound asleep before we left Bentonville. She slept the entire way to Branson and she sat calmly in her stroller while I set up camp. That evening we went to a devotional and cooked dinner around the campfire and Addyson did great! Then came the point I was dreading, bedtime. Addyson took her bedtime bottle and went to sleep as usual, however at 3 AM I woke up and it was pretty cold in our tent. I moved Addyson to her carrier and tucked in a blanket around her which I figured would wake her up, but she snoozed right through. The next evening went pretty much the same, but Addyson was so stuffed up that I had to wake her at 4 AM to give her saline drops, but after that she did great the rest of the evening.
I also enjoyed proving my teammates wrong when I returned to work on Monday as they were sure we'd end up getting a room somewhere. I can't wait until Spring when we can do it again, but I'm certain that camping with a mobile child will bring its own set of challenges.

Little laughs!

2008-09-23T21:05:00.002-05:00

Addyson started chuckling this weekend! I'm so excited! She's only done it a couple of times, but I'm sure it will be no time until we are cracking up together.
This weekend Addyson will get to go on her first real camping trip! We are going to Branson to our annual family church campout. We were going to stay in a hotel, but we figured she was laid back enough to go tent camping. Worse come to worse we get a hotel if things go poorly. Wish us luck!!!!

2 month portraits

2008-09-08T14:29:00.006-05:00

We got Addyson's 2 month old pictures taken a few weeks ago and we are just now getting a chance to post them.

It's so hard being a baby.

Our Little Cheeser!

Oooh... what are these shinny things?

Oh No! Did I get caught playing dress up?!?!

First Hotel Stay & Stroller Ride

2008-09-08T08:51:00.004-05:00

Yesterday between class and church we received the call that my stepdad was going to have a proceedure on his heart today in OKC, so after lunch we headed out on the five hour trip to Enid, OK. While we were getting things ready at the house Addyson napped in her carrier and then she napped pretty much all the way through the trip. Needless to say I was sure that she would be up all night, especially with it being an unfamiliar environment with strange noises. Thankfully she was somehow still tired when we arrived so she had her night time bottle and off to sleep she went for the entire night. WooHooo!!!!
This morning we were going up to the hotel lobby (where I am posting from now) to get some of the wonderful contenental breakfast, and we decided to roll her up here in her stroller. I was feeling a little on the lazy side(nothing new there) and decided to see how she did in just the stroller rather than fussing with her carrier. She sat up and looked like such a big girl. Hopefully we'll be allowed to take the stroller into the hospital today so that we don't have to lug her around in the carrier all day long.
It feels like she's growing up so fast!

Happy Girl!

2008-08-28T22:46:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday we finally caught Addyson in a smiling mood when we had the camera around. Her smiles are coming much more often now and everytime I see her grinning at me I just want to burst.

She was just a little bit excited.

Note: Tomorrow night we are going to attempt putting Addy to bed without the swaddle. Wish us luck! She is such a good sleeper so I don't anticipate that it will be a problem, but thank goodness for long weekends just in case. Have a happy & safe Labor Day!!!

Pictures finally!

2008-08-28T22:28:00.003-05:00

I was finally able to get a little time to post pics tonight! Enjoy.

First trip to Great Grandma & Grandpa's

Meeting Uncle Andy

Meeting Great Grandpa Morton, Great Aunt Kathy & Great Aunt Mary A Sunday afternoon nap with Daddy
Just too cute not to post

2 Month Checkup

2008-08-21T22:48:00.002-05:00

We had Addyson's two month checkup on Tuesday, so here are her latest stats along with the percentiles.

Weight 12 lbs. 2 oz. 73%
Length 22.5 in 45%

After we had the fun of finding out how big she had grown her first set of immunizations had to be administered. Of course I was all worked up and stressed out expecting the worst. To my surprise Addy did great! She only cried for a couple of minutes and then she pretty much slept the rest of the day. No fever, no fussiness just sleep. Trust me I'm not disappointed, but I wouldn't have handled getting three shots as well as Addy did. She's still been a little extra sleepy the last couple of days, but the ladies at daycare said that it can take several days for them to bounce back all the way.
We did end up putting Addy back on Zantac, but I know she'll eventually grow out of the reflux. If that is the worst of our problems then we are really lucky.
I promise I will get pics loaded soon! Josh and I have both been sick this week, but as soon as we're in tip top shape again I'm going to go on a picture taking rampage!

Big Move

2008-08-18T23:20:00.002-05:00

This weekend Josh finally "convinced" me to let Addyson move to her own room. The thought of her being all the way across the house made me extremely anxious so I slept on the couch until about 3 am. Then on Saturday night I was a little more comfortable so I went to bed at the usual time in our bedroom and all still went well. Then last evening for some reason I was anxious all over again & I kept going to check to see if the door was shut and the cat was not in her room. I'm still not completely comfortable with being so far away, but I'm sure that it will get better soon.
Tomorrow we have Addy's two month checkup. I can't wait to see where she is tracking on her weight! I'm not looking forward to her first set of immunizations, but its one of those necessary parts of life. I'll be saying a little prayer tomorrow that all goes well.

2 Months Old

2008-08-11T20:59:00.002-05:00

Addyson was two months old yesterday! Josh's grandfather and aunts on his mother's side were up to visit and we had a wonderful time getting reaquainted. Hopefully it won't be another 7 years before we all get together again. Josh did take a few pics so hopefully I'll remember to post those sometime this week.
The last week has been pretty busy for us. On Saturday the 2nd the three of us packed up and headed for Oklahoma to take Addy on her first sleepover at Great Grandma & Grandpa's house. My mom & stepdad came down and all hung out there and at my aunt and uncle's new place in between Henryetta & Wilson. The trip went really well, but I don't even want to know what our mileage was with all of that baby gear. After we returned from that trip I ended taking Addy to the pediatrician on Monday due to some congestion she'd had for about a week. The doctor told me that she seemed fine and even took her off of the Zantac. Then on Wednesday the ear, nose & throat doctor confirmed that she had congenital torticollus which was expected. We then wrapped up the week with the visit from Josh's family.
So whats on our agenda next? Family time. I'm hoping the three of us can just catch some time next weekend to enjoy each other's company. We may even be able to catch a little smile with the camera.

First Smile!!!!!

2008-07-27T21:17:00.002-05:00

Today during church Addyson smiled at me for the first time. Sure there have been gas smiles, but this one was definitely intentional. I had her setting on my lap facing me and I was smiling & making faces at her then all of the sudden her little face just lit up in the cutest little grin. I had felt like she was getting close, but this completely caught me off gaurd and I thought I was going to bounce out of my seat. Josh and I were also playing with her tonight and she smiled at both of us several times. I'm just so excited to know that our little girl knows who we are and is actually excited to be around us. I'll make sure that pics are posted just as soon as we are able to catch her in the act. What a wonderful way to end a weekend!

Back at Work

2008-07-24T20:26:00.002-05:00

Well today was my first day back. It was pretty much what I expected tons of e-mail and a big to do list. The hard part was looking down and realizing it was only 2:30 when I figured it was about 4:00. I was so jittery by the end of the day waiting to go pick her up. Hopefully it will get easier, but I imagine that the next few weeks are going to be pretty tough.
Addy is doing pretty well in daycare. She didn't nap this morning so now we're having a little bit of a challenge getting her to sleep, but I'm sure once she drifts off she'll be fine. I guess its going to be a few weeks of adjustment for all of us.

Daycare

2008-07-21T08:18:00.004-05:00

Today is Addyson's first day at daycare. She was not phased at all of course, but so far I've had two pretty decent meltdowns and I'm just overall bummed. I don't doubt that she will be very well taken care of, but I'm jealous that someone else is going to get to spend the day with her while she gurgles & coos at them. I know its incredibly selfish on my part, but still she is my little girl. I just have to keep telling myself that millions of children go to daycare everyday and they still love & know their parents.

Thankfully I gave myself an objective for the day. I'm going to scour Northwest Arkansas for work clothes for my now much more abundant girth. Hopefully I will be able to keep myself mildly distracted until at least lunch time, because I've told myself that I can go see her after I have lunch with Josh. We'll see how long I hold out though.

I did just hear some good news. Josh just called me to tell me that he was just promoted to Systems Engineer!!! I'm so incredibly proud of him! Too bad that I won't be able to find Addyson a shirt that says my daddy is a Systems Engineer on such short notice, because I know that would crack him up. Of course I asked if I could go pull Addy from daycare and give my notice, but he said no. So I guess Thursday I'll still have to go back to work. Oh well I'll keep trying to persuade him.

Below is a pic of Addy just before we loaded her up to go to daycare. I was rushing because the camera batteries were about to give out so she sort of looks like she is glowing red. I guess that will teach me to check the camera more often.

Growth Spurt or Just Off Kilter????

2008-07-18T16:49:00.002-05:00

Last week we were in a pretty good groove of and then napping for an hour or so. The last couple of days there has been a definite change in her sleeping pattern. Yesterday afternoon/evening she just wanted to sleep, but we did a pretty decent job of keeping her up. I was afraid she would stay up all night, but thankfully I was only up once. Today she stayed up for almost the full three hours after her 6:30 feeding, but everyone since then has been a sleep-a-thon. I'm really hoping this doesn't mean she is going to be up all night tonight, but we'll see. I thought I had her in a pretty good pattern going into daycare, but it looks like we might be back at square one. Oh well if thats the worst thing thats going on then life isn't so bad.

Checkup

2008-07-17T13:32:00.003-05:00

We went to the pediatrician this morning for a checkup on Addy's neck. The doctor did believe that the knot has gone down, but she referred us to an ear, nose, and throat specialist just in case as it feels a little bit firmer than normal. I'm not too terribly worried as the massage has loosened it up and she is now turning her head from side to side with no problems.
The part of the check up that I was really looking forward to was the weight check. Addy has gained another 2 lbs in the last two weeks!!! That puts her at 9.5 now and the doctor said that we don't have to wake her up any more in the middle of the night!!! We also got the go ahead to switch her to Member's Mark formula, which is going to save us a bundle.
Other than that we are just eating, playing, napping and well you know the rest. Life is great!!!

Fun!!!

2008-07-14T10:50:00.003-05:00

On Saturday we took Addyson to Portrait Innovations in Fayetteville to have her one month portraits taken. After all of the horror stories about infants and portrait sessions I was more than a little nervous. We did have one meltdown, because they were running behind and she became hungry, but after she had lunch all was well. Below are a few of my favorite pics. Enjoy!!!

New Slideshow

2008-07-12T10:13:00.002-05:00

The July slideshow has been added! The application that we used usually takes a while to make the album available for posting, but this one didn't show up until this morning.

We are going to Portrait Innovations today in Fayetteville to get her one month portraits. I'm pretty excited, but I'm afraid that she is either going to be fussy or sleepy. Wish us luck! Enjoy the new pics.

One Month Old!!!

2008-07-11T13:56:00.002-05:00

Wow!!! I can't believe we made it through our first month. I didn't post this yesterday because technically we hadn't made it through the first full month until after midnight last night. Okay it was actually because I got caught up in playing with Addyson and establishing a routine, but the other reason sounded more official.
Just in the last several days Addyson has become so much more aware and interactive. Last week she started gurgling & cooing and this week she has started paying a little bit of attention to her toys. Its just so amazing to she how much she has changed & grown just in the last four weeks.
It looks like her neck has really improved. The knot is still there, but she moves her head from side to side more easily and will hold it up in her car seat rather than just letting it fall to the right (other than when she is really sleepy, but who doesn't do that). We have a checkup for that on Thursday so I'm hoping that we get a good report from her doctor.
I will load pics later on today when I catch her wide eyed and bushy tailed. I had to make a run to my doctors office this morning for some minor complications so I missed her really active period this morning, but hopefully I can get some good shots this afternoon.

Itsy Bitsy Girl

2008-06-28T13:25:00.004-05:00

I knew Addyson was tiny, but diapers are a little bit of a challenge. I had purchased several different types before she arrived to see what would fit her best once she arrived. I had heard different diapers fit different ways, but I never thought there would be such a difference. We'd had her in Pampers Swaddlers as that was what the hospital had used, but we ran out last night. I tried three or four different types on her last night to see what would work and they all just swallowed her. The Huggies were large on her, but not too terribly bad so we used those overnight with no problems. This morning when I changed her clothes she rolled over to the side and before I knew it the changing pad & Addy were soaked with barely a drop on the diaper. I guess Pampers it is for now. I'm hoping that in a couple of weeks the others fit. If not hopefully some of the other little ones can use what we can't.
Also ladies if anyone needs any powdered Enfamil I have tons of samples. Addy is on Similac so we won't be using it and there is no sense in holding on to it if someone else can put it to use. Call me and I can either bring it to church or bring it to you.
Here is a cute little random picture. I think Josh must have had the TV up too loud.

2008-06-25T21:41:00.002-05:00

We had a little bit of a scare last night. Great Grandma is here helping out and just before dinner she noticed a kidney bean sized knot on the right side of Addy's neck. It was in the same area of the lymph gland, so of course I became concerned and called everyone under the sun to determine what to do. Long story short we took her into the pediatrician today and the ligament in the right side of her neck was torn most likely during delivery & its calcifying and shrinking as it heals. This is quite common among infants & the Dr. said that it was good that we caught it as this typically not caught until much later. Thankfully the treatment is just neck massages about 5-6 times a day. The funny thing is I had just read about this a couple of days ago, and it crossed my mind but of course I think its the worst possible scenario. Either way I'm so thankfull that Great Grandma was here to find it and to help out the last couple of weeks. She is heading out tomorrow, and I know Addy & I will really miss her. Hopefully we can make our way over to her place before going back to work.

Giving Up

2008-06-21T13:50:00.002-05:00

Well last night I finally gave up on breastfeeding. All three of us were miserable so Josh and I talked it over and decided that with my supply issues the best thing for our family was to go with formula. Things have been so much better since making that decision. Josh can now help out more, Addyson isn't going hungry, and I'm not going crazy with guilt. I really think this was the best thing we could have done.

The one week old & the crazy daddy!

2008-06-17T10:14:00.003-05:00

We've made it through the first week give or take 12 hours. Its strange to think this time last week I was just starting to feel contractions and the thought of Addyson coming into this world was still just slightly hard to grasp. Now its hard to think of a time without her. Its been a week of ups & downs, but we're slowly getting the hang of things.
Last night was definently interesting. Addyson did great! She slept all four hours in between feedings and didn't even raise too much of a fuss when I changed her. Daddy on the otherhand was a handful.
(Warning: Long story ahead. I'm having way too much fun reliving this!)
About 3:40 this morning I noticed Josh getting out of bed. Addyson wasn't fussy so I figured he was going to the bathroom, but I became concerned when he started patting around on the bed. When I asked what he was up to he said he needed to put Addyson back in bed. I explained to him that she was still in there he insisted that he had taken her out and proceeded to try to swaddle my foot. It was then I realized that he must be sleepwalking. I convinced him to turn on the light while I checked on our daughter. He then accused me of not trusting him and proceeded to open up our bedroom door to welcome in any visitors that were waiting to see Addy. Finally after trying to reason with him for some time he came back to bed. This morning he remembers portions of it, but I had to fill him in between bouts of uncontrollable giggling. Thankfully he seems to find it almost as funny as I do.

Good News

2008-06-16T20:55:00.002-05:00

So we've been home for a few days now and everything is going fairly well. On Saturday Addy finally started to nurse very well and she has continued since. She is consistantly getting 20 - 40 min feedings every 2 hours during the day and every 4 hours over night. She is also sleeping very well, we've only really had to get up to feed her at 1 and 5 AM.

Also, we went to the Dr's office this morning and found out her jaundice levels have started to come down so we won't have to use a light or anything to treat it. *YAY!* Looks like sunlight really does help.

The food everyone has brought so far has been AWESOME! We really appreciate not have to worry about what to do for dinner each night.

We Made it!

2008-06-13T14:19:00.002-05:00

Well, we finally made it home around 11:00. Mom, Dad, and Addy are all doing well and the family has all headed out. See the new home coming pictures I added to the slide show. We are all tried and are going down for a nap.

Almost Home

2008-06-13T08:25:00.004-05:00

Dr . Jewell came by on her morning rounds. Addy's jaundice level was a little elevated, but not enough to put her under the lamps. We'll be going into Mercy's after hours clinic tomorrow for another jaundice & weight check, but that is a welcome inconvenience. The only thing we are waiting on now is one more white blood count, and as long as it is good we are home free!!! Hopefully the next thing we post is from the convenience of our own couch snuggling with our little one.

Waiting for the Doc

2008-06-13T08:06:00.002-05:00

Last night went really well. We were able to sleep until about 4 this morning and then again until 6:30. Addyson is currently in the nursery getting her morning assessment. Dr. Jewell should be by soon to let us know about her jaundice levels. I was hoping that Addy and I could get a little window time to help speed things up, but as luck would have it the clouds have rolled in. Oh well thankfully we can always put her under the lights(hopefully at home). I'll post more once we have an update.

Waiting to come home

2008-06-12T09:52:00.005-05:00

We had a fairly good night last night. Only really had to get up from about 1 - 2 am and again at about 5 am. Other than that Tracie and I got some well needed sleep. Also, Addyson finished up her IV at about 8 am this morning so now we don't have to follow her around with the pole or worry about getting the IV line tangled up. *YAY!*

Dr. Jewel, the pediatrician, came and gave us an update on Addyson's progress. The white blood cell count is all good now, I don't think I mentioned earlier she had some earlier tests that showed them a little low. The Zantec seems to be taking care of the reflux very well as she hasn't had any spit up since. The only thing we are really waiting on is the jaundice and sodium test results to see how we need to proceed with that. Visibily, she doesn't have any jaundice that we can tell. As far as the sodium is concerned, they think this is a little low because of being on the IV. Because of all this Addyson won't be released until later tonight or possibly tomorrow. Fortunately, the hospital has room available to offer us as a courtesy so we can stay, without charge, while Addyson is still here! The other good thing about this setup is that Tracie can leave if she needs to but she still get's the other benefits of the room other than meds.

Also, I wanted to mention that the staff here has been AWESOME! Everyone we've had treat us been great! To top it all off, the nurse that was treating us on Tuesday came in this morning to apologize about the false alarm on Tuesday night. She felt bad because she was the one supervising the nurse that was training that made the incorrect call. We told her it was no problem at all and we fully understood. Her and Tracie had a good hug and some tears.

One Day Old!

2008-06-11T21:47:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to drop a quick picture of Addyson at one day old.

Doing good

2008-06-11T18:33:00.002-05:00

Well Addy just had about an hour long feeding and she's doing great. We're praying that she continues to do well.

Addy News

2008-06-11T15:55:00.002-05:00

According to the Dr. the x-rays show that the problems are just coming from reflux. They are going to give Addy some Zantec and have us try to nurse again. Hopefully that will take care of the spit up problems.

Visitors and Addy update.

2008-06-11T13:31:00.002-05:00

Well we've had a lot a visitors so far this morning. Between all the grand parents, great grand parents, friends and co-workers we've probably had close to 20 visitors. Addyson, Tracie, and I all appreciate everyone coming by.

As far as Addyson is going, the grunting is all cleared up as Tracie mentioned but she started to have a little bit of bloody spit-up. They think it's just left from the delivery but they are running an upper gi track test just to make sure. They are doing another x-ray 2:40 so hopefully we will have some information around then.

FYI

2008-06-11T11:44:00.001-05:00

I forgot my phone at the house when I went by this morning. If you want to get a hold of us you can call Tracie's cell at 531-0652.

Good news!!!

2008-06-11T07:40:00.002-05:00

Addy was all cleared up by about 4 am, so she joined us in our room for a couple of hours. We were able to feed her for the first time and I got the joy of changing the first diaper, but it wasn't as bad as I figured it would be. Josh and I are now in room 517 on the pediatric ward so if any one would like to visit please feel free to do so.

Also while I'm thinking about it here are a couple of tips for my girls with pending arrivals.
1. Go ahead and ask for your epidural when your water is broken. (Trust me I asked when I started just to barely feel things and the anesthesiologist was running behind. It was not for the best.)
2. During labor feel free to clear the room to get you and your husband some naptime. (Yesterday afternoon my grandmother kicked everyone out for that purpose and I'm so thankful she did. I don't know if I would've fared as well if not for her.)
3. Read up on what to expect during recovery. There were times last night that were rather interesting and I feel that it would not have been nearly as frightening/unnerving had I better researched this topic.

Thank you all for the comments and support! They have been a real encouragement to Josh and I.

Tracie

First Small Scare

2008-06-11T00:20:00.002-05:00

So when she first came out she wasn't quite breathing completely right and she was making these small grunting noises. First they tried laying her on Tracie's chest and this helped some but not fully. Then they took her back to the ICN just to make sure everything was ok. They took a x-ray and the nurse in the ICN told us it appears to be clearing up normally. Currently they have her on a small amount of oxygen, mainly just for the pressure to help loosen the stuff out of her lungs. The nurse was very encouraged by her progress and expected it to be clear up with in the night.

Also, I added a few more pictures on the arrival slide show of her all cleaned up.

Welcome Addyson Grace Grall!

2008-06-10T22:00:00.002-05:00

She's here! She was delivered at 9:24 PM and she weighed 6 lbs 10 oz. Still getting the official length, but they think she's about 18 1/2 inches. Mom and baby are doing are doing well. We should be available for visitation tomorrow. As soon as we know the new room we will post it here.

Showtime!

2008-06-10T20:19:00.002-05:00

Ok, we are fully dilated for sure now! We are getting ready to push! Next post should be with Addy!

False Alarm

2008-06-10T19:29:00.003-05:00

We're not quite as far along as we thought. They had a new nurse in training do the last check and she was a little off. She's been great all day though! Just a small mistake. All good! (c:

The night shift nurse checked and she thinks we are still at an 8 but it should still be very soon.

The nurse just talked to Dr. Smith and he requested to have the pitosion cranked up to really get the delivery started.

Almost....

2008-06-10T18:48:00.002-05:00

It could happen any moment now. She's fully dilated and we are getting ready to have a baby. Next post should be with pics of Addy!

Getting there!

2008-06-10T17:45:00.002-05:00

We're up to 8 cm and station 0! Also, they can tell Addy definitely has some hair. We're getting ready to have a baby!

Naps are good....

2008-06-10T16:41:00.004-05:00

Just a little after 3:00 Tracie and I kicked everyone else out of the room an laid down for a good hour long nap.

Nurses just came in and did another check. They are saying she is at 7 cm by now and almost to station 0.

One of the nurses guessed the arrival would be about 6:30 or 7:00.

They had her sit up for a few minutes and apparently there were some good signs so they will be checking again in 15 minutes.

BTW, Adding a few more photo's soon.

More Progress...

2008-06-10T14:10:00.002-05:00

Tracie is reseting now. They came in a little while ago and said she was up to 5 cm and station -1.

The pictures finally updated on the slide show. Notice that the last two pics are before and after epidural shots.

It's amazing how well the epidural works because on the machine that tracks the strength of the contractions she was peaking up to 78 and she could barely stand it. After the epidural we saw some contractions as high as 105 and she said she didn't even feel a twitch!

Yay!

2008-06-10T11:59:00.007-05:00

Epidural has finally been applied and Tracie says it is AWESOME!!!! It's really good because the contractions were starting to get pretty bad.

I've added a few pics on the side and will likely add some more to show how she's feeling better after the epi.

Waiting....

2008-06-10T10:45:00.001-05:00

The contractions are getting stronger and we are waiting on the epidural guy to show up. Other than that, no more news.

BTW, watch the slides show on the right, I'll be updating pictures through out the day.

Progress...

2008-06-10T08:59:00.000-05:00

Well the water has been broken and everything seems to be progressing well. She's having a lot of small contractions but nothing bad so far. Since they have broken the water, the heart montiors that go on the belly are gone and they have replaced them with new a internal heart monitor. So now instead of the heart beat sounding like a washing machine, it sounds like an Atari era video game.

We're Here!

2008-06-10T07:58:00.001-05:00

Hi! This is Josh. We are current checked in the room at Mercy. They have Tracie all situated and the pitocin started. Just sitting around waiting on Dr. Smith to show up to get the water broke. I'll make another post later if I get a chance!

39-week appt

2008-06-04T20:35:00.000-05:00

Its official! Our induction is scheduled for Tuesday the 10th at 6AM. Today we were 2cm dialated, so I don't anticipate any surprises this weekend. We'll be spending the next few days getting the last few things done & trying not to go stir crazy. We were given the option to induce tonight, but we want the family to be there, so we're waiting. Any way the next time I post will be pics of Addy!

7 days to go!!!

2008-06-02T19:12:00.000-05:00

Well it looks like our little girl will be here soon! The Dr. is going out of town next Tuesday the 11th, so we'll most likely have an induction before then. I'm still holding out a small shred of hope that I'll go into labor on my own, but I know its doubtful. As long as Addyson is healthy thats the only thing that matters. Its a little hard to believe that I'll be a mother in a little over a week, but I'm excited!!! Hopefully my next post will be pictures of Addy!

38 week appt

2008-05-29T20:38:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our 38 week checkup which also means another dialation check. We are between 1-2 cm now and she's dropped a little bit more, but not enough to say she is in station -2 yet. I have to admit I was a little bit upset that we hadn't progressed further, but she'll come when its time. The doctor did mention that he is going out of town on June 11. I prefer going into labor naturally over an induction, but I would much rather have Dr. Smith than someone I've never met. We'll see how it goes. Hopefully we'll have better news next week.

37 week appt

2008-05-21T18:32:00.000-05:00

Josh and I went in today for our 37 week appt, which also means we had our first dilation check!!! I was on pins and needles all day trying not to get my hopes up, but to my surprise my usual pessimism was not needed. We are dilated to a 1, 50% effaced, and between a -3 & -2 station. I know everyone says being dilated to a 1 is nothing, but Dr. Smith actually said to be where we are at 37 weeks is actually pretty good. I'm just happy to know that things are going well and Addyson is healthy. Hopefully more good news will come at next Wednesday's appt as well!

Weekly Appts

2008-05-14T18:46:00.000-05:00

We started our weekly appointments today and we had our group B strep test. Hopefully it will come back fine.
We asked Dr. Smith when he will start to check to see which way she is oriented and at first he'd said next week, but he did poke around a little bit to see today. I'd been feeling what I thought was a head really low in my abdomen and he confirmed that it was her head!!! Hopefully we're not to far away from meeting our little one! I know of course that it could still be up to 6 weeks before she comes, but a girl can hope.
Well off to church.

Hey there!

2008-05-07T17:58:00.000-05:00

Yes it has been 42 days since I've posted! Thats me pocrastinator extrodinaire! Its been really busy around here. Along with trying to get Addyson's room ready Josh and I have had two awesome baby showers. I'll try to post pics of the church shower in the next couple of days. Angela and Rebecca you all did an awesome job!!!! I'll be brining out all of the tricks when its your turn. Well off to church we go! Hopefully I'll be a little bit better about posting going forward.

2008-03-26T22:29:00.000-05:00

Wow! Only 75 more days! Its going to be kind of strange to not be pregnant. I have to admit I will love for her to be here finally, but I'll miss feeling her little kicks all day. All good things must come to an end, but at least in this situation its for the better.
I'm so excited about this weekend! My family is coming down this weekend for the shower on Sunday and Josh and I are planning a little cookout/game night on Saturday. It will be a good opportunity to spend some family time before the big day. Anyway we'll see how it goes.

2008-03-23T21:19:00.000-05:00

Well its been almost a month since I've last posted. I can't believe we only have 78 more days until our due date! I've been feeling pretty good overall lately, but I get tired pretty quickly. Josh and I went in for our 28 week check up and 4-D ultrasound this week and things look great! I've included two of my favorite pics below. I think she's just the most precious little girl ever, however I my opinion could possibly be a little biased.

Introducing-Addyson Grace Grall

Its hard to tell, but I'm pretty sure thats Daddy's nose.

Here she is blowing kisses!
Isn't she sweet!!!

Deja Vu

2008-02-26T18:34:00.000-06:00

If anyone tells you that fatigue, mood swings & a neverending appettite end in the first trimester they were wrong. At 25 weeks I'm tired, weepy and eating everything in site. I wussed out on going to the gym with the girls because I felt and looked like I'd been up all night. Now all that I can think of is Josh getting home so that I can eat. I'm going to weigh 300lbs before Addyson makes her arrival. Its all worth it though. Feeling her little kicks and turns is the most wonderful thing in the world. I thank God every day for entrusting us with one of his children; I just hope as parents we can make Him proud.

Tubby & Lovin' It,
Tracie

Busy Weekend

2008-02-24T08:43:00.000-06:00

Whoo!!! What a great weekend! On Saturday I got up early and went to the church kitchen where several of us ladies did some batch cooking. Yes I know it sounds riveting, but we really did have a great time plus I made 5 dishes for $35.
Josh and I then went over to visit the Lamps & their precious new son, Ethan. I'm so glad that mommy and baby came through delivery safe & sound. He's absolutely adorable!!!
Finally, we wrapped up the evening with some shopping and dinner. We picked up a hutch for all of my scrapbooking supplies to help clear out Addyson's room. My sweet hubby stayed up late putting it together so that I could move into it on Sunday. Its going to be great having everything easily accessable. Hopefully I'll actually do something with it now. Anyways I'm off to do some chores & possibly some scrapbooking.