the grandstaff gang

Sweet Maisy

2011-03-08T13:02:00.011-05:00

Maisy has experienced so many "firsts" and I've done an awful job of documenting them. She will be ONE next month! My goodness time goes way too fast with the second child. Maisy has the sweetest disposition- never demanding. She loves to give hugs and cuddle and be nursed to sleep. Brogan makes her laugh like no one's business and she loves to torment him by playing with his toys. She has eight teeth and uses them to eat anything she can find on the floor (including playdough, Brogan's poptart crumbs, and crayons.) Here are just a few pictures of those "firsts"...

First Halloween (in Brogan's first halloween costume)

First Thanksgiving (in Brogan's first thanksgiving onesie)

First Disney trip! (November 2010)

First Christmas!

First Cabbage Patch Doll!

First Ponytail :)

First Superbowl Party

First Valentines Day

First Pigtails! (February 2011)

Brogan's ABCs

2011-03-04T13:03:00.006-05:00

Because there is SO much I've failed to blog about in the past 5 months, I'm going to try to get caught up by "borrowing" my friend Shanda's cute idea.

The ABC's according to Brogan:

A- Alex and Anna Claire (his friends)
B- Baby (what he usually calls Maisy), Buzz Lightyear, Baths
C- Cars (the movie), Curious George, Church
D- Daddy, Dancing
E- Elf (the movie)
F- Fruit snacks
G- GiGi and Grandad
H- Hates having his Hair washed
I- Ice cream
J- "Jesus Loves Me", Jimmie Johnson #48
K- Ketchup
L- Lovies, Larry the Cucumber and all his silly songs
M- Maisy, Mommy, Milk
N- being Naked (such a male haha)
O- "Our God" by Chris Tomlin, Organizing his toys and movies Over and Over
P- PapPap and PuhPuh, Puzzles, Mr. Potato Heads, Pizza, Popcorn, Poptarts
Q- asking lots and lots of Questions
R- Running away when it's time to get dressed..
S- Stevie, School- he LOVES it!, Spiderman and Superman
T- Tacos, Tarheels
U- Underweight (still 25lbs...but cute as can be) :)
V- Vacuuming (weird, right?), Vinegar and salt on cucumbers (like his mommy)
W- Woody and all the Toy Story characters
X- being X-tra silly- lots of personality!
Y- Yogurt
Z- story and song of Zacchaeus

And here is is...my wild little man

My baby girl

2010-10-28T22:29:00.004-04:00

...is SIX months old! Well, actually she'll be 7 months in less than two weeks. Time has flown by so much faster with Maisy than it did with Brogan. People have told me it's normal, but it still makes me so sad. My little May-May (can you tell I love nicknames?) is just the most happy, content, easy-going baby I've ever met. She smiles all the time and only cries when she's ready to eat or she's ready for bed. I am so in love with her and the sweet personality God gave her. A few facts about Miss Maisy:
-she usually goes to sleep for the night around 8pm and gets up to nurse once
-we (okay, me) are working on switching her to her own room. She's still in the pack 'n play in our room and she's definitely ready for her bigger crib. Buuuttt, it's so hard to let go :( I'm working on it!!
-She has a green frog lovey that used to be Brogan's. I still want to buy her a pink lovey though
-Maisy loves her paci! She sucks the thing like Maggie Simpson :)
-She weighs 17.something lbs.
-She thinks Brogan is the funniest person in the whole world
-Maisy has 2 bottom teeth
-When she wants to be picked up, she lifts her chubby arms up in the air towards me
-She's still working on eating solid foods. Her little tongue is still getting used to the new textures. She seems to like sweet potatoes and bananas the best so far.
-We switched Maisy's car seat to the convertible seat. This means, no infant seat to carry her into the stores. She's been sitting in the front of grocery carts, but she's still a little wobbly :)

Dear Brogan,

2010-10-17T21:23:00.000-04:00

It's so hard to believe that you are now a 2 year old. It really does seem like just a few months ago, I got to hold you for the first time. I fell madly in love with you the very second I saw you. From the day you were born, you have kept me on my toes 24/7. You weren't the easiest baby and definitely high-maintenance but oh you're such a momma's boy...and I love it. Now, you are gaining independence, wanting to do things for yourself. It's a little difficult for me to let go- I catch myself doing things for you that I know you are capable of doing- just because I want to keep thinking you're my little baby. You are so incredible. I love to just sit and watch you play. Your mind goes a million miles a minute and you move from one activity to the next. You are a jumping bean and a dare-devil. You are an artist and a master at puzzles. You enjoy making me vacuum and read the same books over and over. I love all these things about you- even though most days I go to bed exhausted :)

Here are a few other things that I love about you:
-the way you say "noooo" (cute now, maybe not later haha)
-how you suck your teeth when you're concentrating on puzzles
-when you accomplish anything, you say, "There, I did it!" in your cute little way
-every time I change your diaper, you yell "wee-wee!" :)
-you stick your tongue out when you "jaw jaw" (draw)
-the way you say my name to get my attention when you're about to do something you know is a no-no...and then smile at me
-you call Maisy, "my beh-beh" (baby) and want to kiss her goodnight before bed
-you are an awesome sleeper (knock on wood!!)
-when anyone around you laughs, you join in with a (very) fake laugh
-you'd rather eat broccoli than macaroni and cheese (unlike mommy and daddy!)
-how you'll sit and line things up- cars, markers, crayons, etc.
-the way you say "choooo choooo" when you play with your trains
-you like to sing and dance to Barney and Elmo

One year old Brogan

Two year old Brogan

I'm back...hopefully :)

2010-10-17T14:35:00.004-04:00

So much has happened since I last posted. Brogan and Maisy are growing up way too fast and it seems like the only time I have to sit down and type is at night after they have gone to bed. And that's when the couch, TV, and popcorn call my name :) I hope to be better, but no promises! Survivor and Grey's Anatomy are pretty tough to compete with haha

Here's a silly picture for the heck of it :P

Can you tell?

2010-06-09T13:26:00.003-04:00

Brogan and Maisy's baby pictures look so much alike! Can you tell who's who?
FYI- Tadd guessed wrong!! haha :)

Give up? The top picture is Maisy and the bottom is of Brogan. Two cutie patooties!!

Life is Crazy...

2010-06-04T12:31:00.007-04:00

...but good! Sorry it has been so long since I last posted. Finding the time to get on the computer is a challenge. Brogan and Maisy are both doing great...I can't believe how much faster time is flying with two kids. It's like I blink and another week has come and gone.

Brogan will be TWO YEARS OLD on the 28th of this month. That is just mind-blowing. People told me that I would notice how big he was once Maisy got here and they were right! I never noticed how his legs and feet hang off his changing pad. I never noticed how big his hands have gotten. And I never noticed how much he looks like a boy and not a baby. He is starting to really talk now too! He FINALLY started saying my name regularly and WOW does he say it all.the.time!!! Sometimes it's "Momma", other times it's "Mommy", and once in a while he throws in a French accent and says "ma-MA". He is very observant and listens to adult conversations. When I'm telling Tadd something Brogan has done, he starts doing it then. He's also started calling Tadd by his first name. It's hilarious. He'll ask me, "Weh da-da?" and I'll say work or church. Then he'll yell, "Taaaa!" (Tadd). If I ask him what my name is, he says "Beck-Beck". :) Brogan is getting better about being gentle with Maisy. He likes to put her passy in her mouth, give her high 5, and kiss her head. Right now, he loves popcicles, poptarts, finding bugs to squish, looking for American flags ("fag-fag") while we're in the car or on a walk, coloring on his easel ("jaw-jaw"), watching for hummingbirds out the playroom window, and dancing/singing to the Veggie Tales theme song.

Little Maisy turned TWO MONTHS OLD today. God surely knew what type of baby we needed this second time around. Brogan has ALWAYS been high maintenance and full of energy. We love him and his personality so much, but I would lose my mind if I had two "Brogans" running around the house :) So, instead of another wild child, God blessed us with a chilled-out baby girl~ (thank you Lord!) Maisy LOVES to be cuddled. Up until this week, she has slept on my chest all night. I adore the bonding that comes with co-sleeping, but DANG I hate sleeping on my back. This week, Maisy has slept in her bassinet for most of the night, waking up 2-3 times to nurse. Last night she slept six hours straight- woohoo! She is becoming more alert, noticing things around the room. She seems to enjoy being outside, taking baths, and being cuddled next to me in the Moby Wrap.

Here is a typical night in the Grandstaff house...lots of cuddles and giggles :)
(sorry it's so dark!)

Brogan sings VeggieTales from Becki Grandstaff on Vimeo.

Welcome to the world Miss Maisy!

2010-04-14T12:35:00.012-04:00

She's here!

Maisy Lauren Grandstaff was born Friday April 9th at 11:48am. Her birth story is pretty crazy (to me anyway). Thursday night I began feeling very crampy and had braxton hicks with some backache. It wasn't anything I was worried about and slept off and on all night. Friday morning I woke up and noticed I was bleeding very lightly so I called the doctor and they told me to go to Labor and Delivery to be checked and make sure nothing was wrong. The minute I got off the phone (it was 9am), the first real contraction hit me. Still not horrible, but it made me stop in my tracks. I woke Tadd up and told him to get in the shower. I quickly got ready and got Brogan fed. By 10:00am, I was super worried because the contractions hurt really bad. Tadd ran Brogan across the street to stay with Brandon until my dad could pick him up. My contractions continued to pick up in intensity and were about 4 minutes apart.

When we got to the hospital, I was checked and SHOCKED that I had already dilated 8cm!! (It took 15 hours to dilate that much with Brogan!) The nurse also noticed that the head was not the presenting body part so they did an ultrasound and discovered that Miss Maisy was breech. Since I was already so far into labor, they quickly rushed me into the surgery room for a C-section. Thank goodness for the spinal block because my contractions were beyond painful at this point.

I never in 9 months expected to have a C-section. I'm not sure why...it just never crossed my mind. I hadn't read about it or anything so I wasn't sure what to expect. With the spinal, I didn't feel too much pain, just that they were doing "something" to me and it caused a lot of pressure. I kept asking for more medicine though because I didn't want to run the risk of actually feeling it more that I should.

Apparently (and I didn't learn this until the next morning), the doctors performing the C-section had some difficulty getting Maisy out because I had a "Contraction Ring". The doctor explained it as my uterus had a "ring" or a grip around her head. It is very rare and can cause uterine rupture and life threatening complications to the baby. It is undetectable until labor begins and had we not known Maisy was Breech and we went ahead with vaginal delivery, her body would have gone through the birth canal and her head would have been stuck. Very scary. God was definitely watching over us!

Thankfully, Maisy is healthy and thriving! She was born 6lbs. even and 19.25in. long. Super tiny! Even though she wasn't a preemie (born only one day early), she's in preemie clothes. She came home from the hospital weighing 5lbs.10oz. and is already back up to 6lbs.2oz! She nurses like a champ and practically sleeps all day long. She wakes up 2-3 times during the night to eat and goes right back to sleep. This is all new to us because Mr. Brogan was quite the opposite!! Here are just a few pictures of the newest member of the Grandstaff family! She is so loved!!

My first time seeing my sweet baby girl

Sweetest little lips

Big brother Brogan and an unhappy little sister

Super tiny!

Brogan thinks Maisy is funny :)

Safe in Daddy's arms

Unsure of her first doctor's visit

39 Weeks!

2010-04-05T21:27:00.003-04:00

*How far along?: 39 weeks 2 days

*Weight gain: still 23lbs.

*Sleep: between the pelvic pain and braxton hicks, not so much

*Stretch marks: none

*Best moment of this week: I have two:
1. Easter Sunday. It was so awesome worshiping in the NEW Pine Ridge Church building and listening to Tadd speak. There were 20 decisions for Christ!
2. Also, we went to Lowe's today to look at Swing sets for our back yard. Tadd told me that he wanted to use the money he's been saving for a new TV to buy Brogan this swing set. How awesome of a daddy is he?? This is why Brogan adores his Da-Da and says his name at least 300 times a day :)

*Movement: We like to think she's dancing to Funky Town...we start singing it when she starts moving :)

*Labor Signs: LOTS of braxton hicks and other lovely end of labor signs that are WAY TMI for a blog ;)

*Food cravings: Easter candy of course...and deviled eggs. I usually don't like them but for some reason they sounded (and tasted) SO good this week. Pregnancy is so strange sometimes. And Chickfila lemondade!

*What I miss most: just feeling "normal"...I feel so big and tired all the time

*What I'm looking forward to: (trying to look PAST the delivery)...seeing her for the first time, holding the tiny hands and feet that have kicked me for the past few months, dressing her in little pink dresses, seeing how much she weighs, comparing her features to Brogan's, announcing her name to the world, and introducing her to her big brother.

*Measuring: 34cm. as of last Wednesday (I go for my 39 week checkup tomorrow). The doctor said she's definitely dropped, which my bladder told me several weeks ago!

*Milestones: Your baby's waiting to greet the world! She continues to build a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth, but it's likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of her skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.(babycenter.com)

Brogan and Anna Claire

2010-03-29T20:57:00.007-04:00

Brogan and Anna Claire had a play date two days in a row! They are so cute together...and only one week apart in age. Shanda and I took them to play at the BCA playground and told them to hold hands while we walked on the sidewalk. They listened and didn't let go until they got to the gate. Aren't they so sweet together? :)

Holding hands...so sweet!

Don't they look so BIG drinking water from the fountain?

Saying goodbye :)

Just like Daddy!

2010-03-29T20:35:00.006-04:00

We had some sweet friends from church graciously lend us their crib (since Brogan doesn't want to give his up yet). Brogan has never really played with a toy tool set so I never expected him to be so obsessed with helping Tadd. It was so cute watching him copy everything Daddy did. It must just come natural for boys to love their tools. Brogan "worked" the whole time Tadd did and never got bored :) Here are some cute pictures of Brogan working alongside his hero...

Springtime fun at the park!

2010-03-29T11:57:00.009-04:00

I have been in desperate need of warmer weather and thankfully it's here for the most part. Tadd and I took Brogan to the city park to play and have a picnic lunch. It was beautiful- I sat on the bench and soaked up the sun while Tadd chased Brogan all over the playground :)

38 Weeks!

2010-03-28T16:01:00.005-04:00

*How far along?: 38 weeks 1 day

*Weight gain: up 2lbs. so 23lbs.

*Sleep: the last couple of nights have been tolerable, it's the turning over and getting out of bed that kill me- seriously, the pelvic pain is torture.

*Stretch marks: none

*Best moment of this week: Just being with Brogan. I have been so emotional lately thinking that these are the last few days of it being just Brogan and Mommy during the day. Everything is about to change in his mind and it makes me so sad for him. I'm sure he'll adjust and it may be easier since he's so young, but I feel like I'm letting him down.

*Movement: She likes to stick her butt out...so sassy already :)

*Labor Signs: More cramping and Braxton Hicks...nothing painful, just annoying

*Food cravings: I have eaten my weight in turkey sandwiches this week. We went through two loaves of bread and two packs of deli turkey in one short week! I ate one every day at lunch and one every night for a snack. Nothing special to it- turkey, bread, mayonnaise, and salt. This might be why I gained 2lbs. this week! :)

*What I miss most: Brogan sitting comfortably in my lap while we read. I have to sit him over to the side on a pillow now :(

*What I'm looking forward to: seeing our baby girl!! AND WE HAVE A NAME!!! I woke up with a peace about it yesterday morning. Now we're just deciding between two spellings. Oh, and still no middle name.

*Measuring: 35cm. I think the way they measure is pretty stupid. I had a student observing my midwife this week and she measured me and got 38cm. I was like "whoa- I grew 4cm this week!" The midwife did it and said she had to stretch the tape to get the 35cm. None the less, no ultrasound.

*Milestones: Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long. She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. (babycenter.com)

Future NBA star?

2010-03-23T13:00:00.007-04:00

I love having a son! He is 100% boy and it tickles me to death when I see him get excited over a ball...or a rock...or a bug. Tadd and I took him to feed the ducks a few weeks ago and I stopped to show him a daffodil. He said "oooh" and then proceeded to stomp on it. All boy :)

Playing basketball with PapPap

Even a ball player needs his lovey :)

Taking a Cheeto/Dorito break

Brogan and Daddy

Brogan and Mommy

Brogan- 20 months

37 Weeks!

2010-03-21T21:19:00.002-04:00

*How far along?: 37 weeks 1 day

*Weight gain: no change this week...still up 21 lbs.

*Sleep: this question just annoys me

*Stretch marks: none but I am starting to swell just a tiny bit. I never had any swelling with Brogan- even at the end of June. I can still see my ankles and knuckles, but my rings will hardly come off and my socks leave an imprint on my legs. Hopefully it won't get much worse.

*Best moment of this week: Taking Brogan to the City Park to ride the rides. He rode them last summer but it wasn't the same. This year he was SO excited to ride the "shoo-shoo" (train) and the carousel. He thought he was so big riding the other rides with his cousin "Tee" (Stevie).

Saturday morning Tadd and I got brave (and desperate) and cleaned out the closet in baby girl's room. It is amazing how much stuff winds up in there. We moved the twin bed around and took the mirror off my old dresser to make it look more like a changing table. We still have to pick up a crib from some sweet friends who are letting us borrow theirs.

*Movement: I love the daily hiccups...they are so soft and fast. I'm trying to love the other movements since I know I'll miss them once she's born. But the headbutts to the cervix?? I could do without those.

*Labor Signs: Last night was a little scary...at 2am I woke up with Braxton Hicks every five minutes for about 2 hours. I didn't call the doctor since they weren't painful- just drank a bottle of water and ate a granola bar. After the 2 hours, the contractions finally eased off. I'm telling you- I HATE the thought of going into labor at night. It scares me to death. Weird, right?

*Food cravings: Grilled zucchini and pineapple with Hawaiian marinade. We ate this several times this week- thanks to Tadd :) Also, Subway roasted chicken subs with an enormous amount of lettuce. Andddd, I had my first milkshake of this entire pregnancy on Friday. Banana milkshake from Cook-Out- my favorite!

*What I miss most: walking like a normal person and not a penguin

*What I'm looking forward to: finishing up the nursery (painting, cleaning out the dresser drawers, filling them back up with baby girl clothes, opening a pack of NEWBORN diapers haha!)

*Measuring: 34 cm. Yes, I am still measuring behind and I didn't get the u/s I wanted :( I saw a new doctor at my practice and I can't say that I'm a big fan. She was not friendly and when I told her what the midwife said last week about possibly needing an u/s, she said "Why? You're a small girl...you'll probably have a small baby." Gee thanks lady. Granted, I'm sure she's right but dang it- I want another u/s!!!

*Milestones: Your baby is now considered FULL TERM even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel. Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long.
(babycenter.com)

36 Weeks!

2010-03-14T12:34:00.003-04:00

*How far along?: 36 weeks 1 day

*Weight gain: +1 lb so 21 lbs total

*Sleep: Bad week of sleep for Brogan = REALLLLLY bad week of sleep for me

*Stretch marks: none

*Best moment of this week: Some super sweet ladies at church threw me a Baby Sprinkle and I got some of the CUTEST outfits, blankets, and other PINK baby items. I feel so blessed and loved.

I went shopping with my mom and Brogan after the Sprinkle and picked out GIRL BEDDING! Woohoo!

*Movement: oh yeah...and she wants OUT :)

*Labor Signs: nothing serious, just some cramping at night

*Food cravings: still Ocean Spray cranberry-grape juice (2 bottles this week), fresh pineapple, key lime pie...I guess tangy stuff

*What I miss most: when my maternity clothes fit lol! My tops are getting pretty snug

*What I'm looking forward to: finally getting the nursery together

*Measuring: Ok...I was 33 1/2 cm. at my 34 week checkup. The midwife measured me on Friday and I was 31 cm. She measured again and said she could MAYBE get 33 cm. if she really stretched. She said that if my measurements aren't up by my next appt. this Friday that they would schedule a growth ultrasound. Obviously, I hope baby girl is doing great and that she's just on the teeny side, but oh how I PRAY I get another u/s! I had two 3D u/s with Brogan and I've only had one this pregnancy. I like things to be fair :)

*Milestones: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. (babycenter.com)

**Sooo, about having that perfect name picked out...I'm more confused now than EVER. It's so frustrating. I thought I had decided (since Tadd is pretty much okay with all of our final choices) but I just can't commit. I guess we will take a list with us to the hospital and wait until we see her to choose her name.

36 weeks at my Sprinkle...I love these tulips!!

35 Weeks

2010-03-06T17:17:00.004-05:00

*How far along?: 35 weeks

*Weight gain: +5lbs so 20lbs total. I have officially gained more weight w/ this pregnancy than with Brogan. I blame it on the pop tarts, dunkin' sticks, and cinnamon toast crunch that were calling my name at the grocery store

*Sleep: way too little

*Stretch marks: none

*Best moment of this week: I have really enjoyed playing with Brogan here lately. It's like you can see the light bulbs turn on over his head when he figures things out. He's gotten very good with puzzles and enjoys playing with his cars and basketball hoop. He's also talking more, although Tadd and I are probably the only ones who can understand him :)

Also, the "nesting" instinct has slightly hit me. Let me just say that I never felt the need to "nest" before Brogan was born. So WOOHOO for me haha :) We finally painted and redecorated the hall/kid's bathroom and it looks so fun. I'm dying to work on the nursery but I'm still trying to pick out pink bedding. I've found a couple online that I can't choose between.

*Movement: not many kicks...more like she's trying to stretch out and get comfy but is having a hard time finding room

*Labor Signs: more and more braxton hicks...some are more uncomfortable than others

*Food cravings: Pretty much anything unhealthy and also Ocean Spray cranberry-grape juice- I've gone through 4 bottles in 2 weeks!

*What I miss most: the days where I didn't have to pop Tums like candy...seriously, why does a peanut butter sandwich cause such insane heartburn??

*What I'm looking forward to: watching Brogan interact with his baby sister...I know it's gonna be a little hard on him but I can't wait to see him kiss her! :)

*Measuring: 33 1/2 cm. Now I'm back to being a little behind.

*Milestones: 35/35!! 35 weeks down and 35 days (hopefully less) until she's born!!

Also, I **think** we may have decided on the first name. We aren't going to tell anyone before she's born because we want to see her first and make sure she "looks" like the name we've chosen. No definite middle name either :(

33 weeks!

2010-02-21T18:19:00.005-05:00

*How far along?: 33 weeks 1 day

*Weight gain: +2lbs. so back up to 15lbs.

*Sleep: it's never been worse. Brogan is back to sleeping through the night (thank GOODNESS!) but every time I get a Braxton Hicks contraction, it must press on my bladder and I wake up. Every stinkin' time. Tadd downloaded this app onto our phones that monitors your sleep at night. It graphs when you are awake, dreaming, and in a deep sleep. It's kinda hilarious how little sleep I actually get.

*Stretch marks: still none, but I keep looking. Could I just be so pale that they don't show up? :)

*Best moment of this week: baby wise- hearing the heartbeat again and knowing that she's doing great. Me wise- going out with three sweet friends Thursday night. I could have seriously sat and talked to them all night long. I really miss the adult interaction that comes with working. But of course I would miss BroBro even more if I was working so...

*Movement: yes and right on my sciatic nerve. I'll be walking in a store and BAM! my buttcheek feels like it's been electrocuted. It's all I can do to not grab it and yell.

*Labor Signs: no, and it scares me to death to think about going into labor again. I think I'm more afraid this time b/c I know what to expect :(

*Food cravings: This week I really REALLY wanted a steak and got my wish granted last night. Tadd and I celebrated Valentines Day a week late and went to the Texas Roadhouse where I got the Filet (ooh lala) and dipped each piece in butter. Glorious beef! And since my iron is low, I didn't feel bad about eating it all :)

*What I miss most: same ol' answers here: sleep, energy, being able to see my feet

*What I'm looking forward to: seeing what our baby girl looks like. I wonder how much she'll look like Brogan?

*Measuring: According to my 32 week checkup, I'm now measuring at 33 weeks (right on track!) but that means that my belly grew 5cm. in 2 weeks??? I mean, I do feel like I've grown a lot lately but sheesh! I asked the doctor and he said that this was a normal "growth spurt" time for the baby.

*Milestones: Baby's kidneys are fully developed and she weighs around 4.5-5lbs. (justmommies.com)

32 weeks with my friend Shanda

We were trying to re-create this picture from our first pregnancies. I look the same size and I'm 38 weeks here! I have a feeling this baby is gonna be bigger than BroBro's little 6lb.7oz. self. Oh boy.

Lesson Learned

2010-02-15T17:15:00.003-05:00

I previously mentioned that we were getting ready to transition Brogan's crib to a toddler bed. That was last Monday. Tadd took off the front of the crib and put up a half rail...everything else stayed exactly the same. When the time came for Brogan to go to bed, he cried for 10 minutes and then slept through the night. Woohoo! The next day, he fell asleep during his nap like nothing had ever changed. YES! Success!

YEAH RIGHT!

That little stinker decided on Tuesday night that the toddler bed was evil. Tadd and I tried everything we could think of to get him to stay in his bed. I even crawled in the tiny little bed (totally expecting it to break.) He kept waking up like he was fearful of being alone. His cries were pitiful, scared cries and it was breaking my heart. However, we pressed on. Wednesday and Thursday...no sleep for anyone. On Thursday night, Brogan climbed onto his glider and ottoman and fell asleep from pure exhaustion. He looked so uncomfortable but we didn't dare touch him. He slept like that for six hours.

Everyone kept telling us to not give up, that he would get used to his new bed. But we did give up. Friday night, I begged Tadd to put the crib back together. It was killing me to think my baby was scared to sleep. I thought *MAYBE* Brogan would go right back to normal (falling asleep right away with his door shut and no night-light and sleep the whole night through) but I think I've scarred him for life. :( He still acted like he was terrified for us to leave him. We kept his door open, night-light on, and sat beside his bed until he fell asleep. It would take him an hour to fall asleep and then sleep for an hour. On and off all night long.

::SIGH::

Saturday night and Sunday night were a little better. Brogan still cries for a while when we put him in his crib, but not for long. His night-light is off but he still wants his door open. We haven't had to sit in his room since the first night back in his crib. Maybe things WILL get better.

I regret trying the toddler bed 100 percent. The only reason we did it was so that our baby girl could use the crib after she outgrows the bassinet. Brogan wasn't ready and I should have known better. I guess it is one of those mistakes that parents learn from. We had also planned to move Brogan's room to the guest room since it's bigger than his nursery- and that is SOOO not happening now. When Brogan asks why his little sister has a bigger room than he does, I will definitely have my answer. :)

Here's a video (really long, sorry!) of Brogan checking out his bed before the first night.

Brogan and his new bed from Becki Grandstaff on Vimeo.

31 weeks

2010-02-07T15:23:00.003-05:00

*How far along?: 31 weeks 1 day

*Weight gain: -2lbs. so 13lbs. I have no idea how that happened but I'm sure I made up for it during the super bowl tonight ;)

*Maternity clothes: I'm at the point where my maternity jeans are just too tight on my belly. I'm miserable when I wear them.

*Sleep: my bladder is not my friend right now

*Stretch marks: none

*Best moment of this week: Hearing the heartbeat at my 30 week appt.

*Movement: She's been getting the hiccups at least once a day this past week...it's the cutest thing ever

*Food cravings: I need a doughnut...or 5.

*What I miss most: energy again. I don't see that changing.

*What I'm looking forward to: warmer weather! That has nothing to do with the baby, but I'm so over winter.

*Measuring: I'm measuring 28 weeks so only a couple of weeks behind. Brogan was always measuring a little small too so I'm not worried. I prefer birthing smaller babies :)

*Milestones: This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy. (babycenter.com)

Brogan update :)

2010-01-27T16:36:00.011-05:00

DISCLAIMER: May induce eye rolling due to the bragging content of this post :)

The next few paragraphs are very random pieces of our life with Brogan. None of it flows...it's just me posting a couple of reasons why I love my son.

My (big) baby boy turned 19 months and I thought I'd share (brag...whatever) about him. Brogan did so well at his 18 month portraits. We went to Portrait Innovations and we're very pleased with the photographer, price, and how quickly you get the pictures (w/in 20 minutes!) Here's a few that Tadd put on facebook:

While waiting for our pictures to print, we went next door to Cold Stone. Brogan and I shared some Oreo ice cream which he loved. He worked hard for that treat!

Everyone who knows Brogan knows that he is in LOVE with Sesame Street. His favorite character at the moment is Count and instead of saying "Count" he says "ha ha ha" just like Count does. Knowing his Sesame Street characters has really helped him learn his colors too. For example, I'll say to Brogan, "Who is blue?" and he'll say "mmmmmmmm" which is toddler for Cookie Monster. Or I'll say, "Where's the purple crayon?" and he'll find it because he knows that Count is purple. The funniest imitation he does is Elmo's laugh. Hilarious :)

Speaking of coloring, the child would rather color than anything else in the world. DO NOT take him down the crayon aisle at Walmart or Target unless you are ready to buy him a new box of crayons. He will throw a fit and yell "Caa Caa!" Also, he's visited time out quite a few times recently for coloring on the walls, bathroom door, computer desk, kitchen floor, refrigerator, his table and chairs, Elmo chair, and ottoman. He definitely knows it's a "no-no" because he does it and then comes to get us to follow him where he shows us his "art". Poor thing hasn't realized that he's supposed to keep his "no-no's" on the DL ;) We introduced bath crayons last week and his eyes got HUGE when Tadd showed him how to draw on the bathtub walls. This probably confuses the mess out of him since I tell him to only color on paper all day long. We'll see how it goes.

Brogan has been sleeping amazingly well for the past several months. He usually goes to sleep around 9pm and gets up around 8am without waking up during the night. He also still takes two good naps during the day. I'm sure this is the calm before the storm before Baby Sister comes along.

I love our mornings together. When I first open his door, Brogan's in such a good mood- jumping up and down and being silly. He asks for his "mmmmmm" and "cheee" (milk and cheerios). We sit together in the recliner with a blanket, "mmmmmm" and "cheee", watching Curious George or Mickey Mouse. Thirty minutes later, he's ready to play.

While I love Brogan more than words could ever say, I must admit that I am NOT loving his little temper tantrums that just started last week. I thought I had 5 more months until the "terrible two's" started, but I guess not. He wants what he wants and he wants it right NOW. He wants to play in the freezer. He wants a smoothie every time he enters the kitchen. He wants to bang on the keyboard. He doesn't want me to change his diaper. He doesn't want to wear clothes- ever. He doesn't want me to help him stack his cups or help him with puzzles. Ohhhhh boy. I was crossing my fingers that it was because he was sick last week, but I think my boy is just stubborn (like his daddy of course!)

Anyway, I'm sure we'll survive this phase. (It IS a phase, right?) We are just about ready to start the transition from crib to toddler bed. Oh how I'm praying for that!

29 weeks

2010-01-26T12:56:00.003-05:00

*How far along?: 29 weeks 2 days

*Weight gain: 15lbs. The midwife said she thought the weight would start to slow down over the next 10 weeks. Here's to hoping she's correct!

*Maternity clothes: Yes, but I still prefer my non-maternity sweatpants and pajama pants while I'm home.

*Sleep: The fatigue has hit me BIG time this week. I feel okay during the morning but around lunch time and through the evening, I can barely move. It's horrible b/c Brogan is so active and I want to do so much more with him. :( With that said, I could sleep an entire 24 hours and still feel tired.

*Stretch marks: none

*Best moment of this week: This sounds kind of selfish, but it's the honest truth. The best part of this week has been the second my head hits the pillow.

*Movement: loving the kicks!

*Food cravings: none but I WISH I had some!

*What I miss most: energy!!

*What I'm looking forward to: my OB visits are now every 2 weeks and that means I get to hear baby girl's heartbeat more often!

*Words of wisdom: The glucose test wasn't nearly as bad as I remember it being from last pregnancy. I chugged the "bubble-less sunkist" in less than a minute and felt fine. They did have a fruit punch option this time, but I stuck with the orange.

*Milestones: Baby's bones are fully developed!

27 Weeks

2010-01-13T12:08:00.003-05:00

*How far along?: 27 weeks 4 days

*Weight gain: Who knows...I don't get on the scale at home. I figure there's no need to worry. This is a time in my life when I'm free to gain weight and not care (and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the baby weight comes off as easy as it did when Brogan was born.) Breastfeeding = best diet ever :)

*Maternity clothes: Definitely...and they all have dried yogurt, snot, and pieces of chewed up/spit out goldfish stuck to them. I'm looking so fine here lately haha

*Sleep: Baby Girl likes to kick my "bladder/cervix/I really have no clue what" as soon as I lay down at night. It is so uncomfortable and it makes me feel like she's trying to kick her way "out" if you get what I'm saying...so sleep hasn't been too great lately.

*Stretch marks: still none, whew!

*Best moment of this week: Each night I hold Brogan and sing him a few songs before I lay him in his crib. Usually he lays his head on my shoulder and sucks his thumb while I'm singing. Last night, he did this- but mid-song he popped his thumb out and looked at my face and gave me the biggest kiss ever. My heart was a puddle on the floor.

*Movement: getting stronger and stronger

*Food cravings: I wanted (and got) a strawberry ice cream cone after playing with Brogan's play food. Other than that, nothing. Kinda sad about it too.

*What I miss most: not grunting and holding my breath every time I put on shoes and socks

*What I'm **NOT** looking forward to: my next OB appt. in 8 days- yucky 1hr. glucose test- blah!

*Words of wisdom: "Making a decision to have a child--it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." - Elizabeth Stone

*Milestones: This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle. (from babycenter.com)

Pre-Christmas December

2010-01-09T10:31:00.015-05:00

What a wonderful ending to a fabulous 2009! We made some sweet memories as a family.

While I was making one of the MANY peanut butter pies I've made this pregnancy, Brogan was climbing up my legs wanting my atttention. I found some cool whip in the fridge and gave him a spatula and voila! I got my baking done and Brogan got a yummy surprise! I had to take it away when he decided to start painting the floor with it.

When Lynchburg got their 2ft. of snow, we got our *maybe* 2 inches! :) This suited me just fine since I'm not a huge snow person. The anticipation of snow is much more fun than the actual snow in my opinion. Last year, we took Brogan out in the snow but all he could do was crawl around in it. He enjoyed playing in it this year with his cousins, Cobe and Cayden. My sister in law took the last 2 pictures...that's why they're so good :)

We took Brogan to see Santa twice. We went to Four Seasons Mall in Greensboro the first time with Tadd's parents. We stood in line over an hour and Brogan did great while waiting. The minute we sat him on Santa's lap, the smiles turned to screams haha! Poor baby :( I would have bought a picture, but he kicked one of his shoes off. Soooo, off we go again a few days later with Brogan and my parents to University Mall in Chapel Hill. There was no line so it was pretty much instant tears. But I DID get a funny picture! How cruel, I know :) Until I get a scanner, here is the picture from my camera.

Playing Catch-up

2010-01-08T23:47:00.009-05:00

It is getting more and more difficult to find time to blog. Tadd and I have been trying our best to avoid the computer in the evenings and my "me" time during the day is pretty sparse. We had a wonderful December and really got spoiled with Tadd at home all week over Christmas! Here are a few random pictures of my cute baby boy (who really isn't a baby anymore!) There will hopefully be several more posts in the upcoming days...I've got tons of Christmas pictures that I want to share!

Just being his silly self :)

The static in our home is at an all-time high...and so is Brogan's hair!

Oh how I love this boy and his Cookie Monster socks :)

Brogan can get away with pretty much anything with this smile!

Brogan and Anna Claire at their latest play-date

26 Weeks

2010-01-02T10:30:00.002-05:00

*How far along?: 26 weeks

*Weight gain: As of Dec. 23, 10lbs!!! The doctors were happy, but gaining 5lbs in one month stresses me out

*Maternity clothes: I got a bunch of really cute clothes for Christmas as well as a gift card to Motherhood! I'm so ready to go shopping!

*Sleep: I have good nights and not so good ones

*Stretch marks: None

*Best moment of this week: Christmas!

*Movement: Yes! and I'm starting to feel Braxton Hicks...which hurt pretty badly with Brogan.

*Food cravings: Definitely not having cravings like I did with Brogan. I'm actually missing them.

*What I miss most: not having to pee every time I go from sitting to standing (sorry TMI I know!)

*What I'm looking forward to: finding her bedding and NAME! I'm beginning to think she's going to come home from the hospital nameless :(

*Words of wisdom: I got nothing. Feel free to give me some of your wisdom ;)

*Milestones: Baby opens her eyes this week! And she's about 2lbs!

23 Weeks

2009-12-16T17:16:00.002-05:00

*How far along?: 23 weeks 4 days

*Weight gain: I'm not sure...I go back to the dr. in one week. My guess is 7-10lbs. up from pre-pregnancy weight. I only gained 17lbs. total with Brogan so this weight gain is a little unnerving. Darn pizza at 9pm!!!

*Maternity clothes: VENT: It's impossible to find maternity sweatshirts that are not zip-up hoodies. With Brogan, I didn't need cold-weather maternity clothes and plus, I worked so I couldn't dress like a bum during the day. But now that I stay home, can I please just find a stinkin' sweatshirt that is made for pregnant women?? VENT OVER.

*Sleep: I can't get enough. I get about 9 hours each night and it seems like nothing.

*Stretch marks: None

*Best moment of this week: My friend Shanda gave me a pack of hair barrettes for our baby girl! I have no experience with them, but they are soooo cute and tiny!

*Movement: Yes, especially when I drink orange juice and eat chocolate right before bed :)

*Food cravings: nothing too weird- pizza always works! And pink lemonade crystal light (that does count as water, right???) :)

*What I miss most: having a waist

*What I'm looking forward to: still working on that perfect name!!!

*Words of wisdom: Hot dogs are so tasty. :) I didn't eat a single one with Brogan b/c of them being unhealthy. Pssshhh! I've already eaten 3 this pregnancy and enjoyed them tremendously! Don't you feel wiser for knowing that? haha

*Milestones: as of today, baby has developed a hand grip reflex and startle reflex (justmommies.com)

22 Weeks

2009-12-05T21:40:00.004-05:00

*How far along?: 22 weeks

*Weight gain: 5 lbs. up from pre-pregnancy weight

*Maternity clothes: Yes please. I could live in sweatpants my entire pregnancy and be perfectly happy.

*Sleep: Despite getting up countless times because of my insane bladder, I sleep pretty well. This could be due to my slight benadryl addiction. Maybe.

*Stretch marks: None so far. I was blessed that I didn't get any with Brogan. Keeping my fingers crossed for none again!

*Best moment of this week: Going to the Carter's outlet with my mom and browsing the girls clothes. My daughter will definitely be dressed in pink---pink sweatpants heehee :)

*Movement: Lots and lots! I love it. When I switch sides at night, I can feel her switching positions too. It's just adorable :)

*Food cravings: Peanut butter pie for sure (like 2 pies in one week!) and ham sandwiches with tons of shredded lettuce. And orange juice.

*What I miss most: When I was pregnant with Brogan, I could come home from work and put my feet up and watch tv the rest of the night if I wanted. That definitely doesn't happen now.

*What I'm looking forward to: Getting through Christmas and then starting on her nursery

*Milestones: According to babycenter.com, our baby girl is approximately one pound. So little!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-01T17:09:00.008-05:00

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone and it's now December. We had a great time celebrating Thanksgiving this year. Brogan was old enough to enjoy all the yummy food and since I'm pregnant, I didn't feel bad for all the food that I ate :)We had lunch with all of my family at my Nana's house in Durham. Then we traveled to Stokesdale to visit with all of Tadd's family. We have so much to be thankful for this year! Here are a few pictures from our day.

Brogan enjoying his Thanksgiving dessert :)

Brogan and his Uncle Bryan

What a difference a year makes! Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving 2009

20 Weeks

2009-11-24T15:11:00.003-05:00

*How far along?: 20 weeks 3 days

*Total weight gain: I'm up 5lbs. from my pre-pregnancy weight

*Sleep: still awful...thank goodness I can take benadryl!

*Best moment of this week: Finding out the baby is a GIRL! COMPLETE SHOCK!

*Movement: Loving it :) It's the best feeling ever!

*Gender: girl girl girl girl... when will it finally hit me? Maybe I need to go shopping and buy something pink!

*Food cravings: Still nothing specific. Last night at 9:15, I enjoyed some instant mashed potatoes haha :)

*Belly Button in or out: Out and it's not going back in. I need a new question.

*Maternity clothes: I finally wore some maternity tops this week and my belly is thanking me. I still prefer wearing sweat pants to maternity jeans- but that's nothing new. I hate wearing jeans- period.

*What I miss most: hmmm, I'm gonna say nothing. Besides the lack of sleep, being pregnant is just wonderful!

*What I'm looking forward to: thinking of a girl's name. I hadn't even LOOKED at the girl lists- just the boys. Oh, and looking at pink bedding.

*Milestones: the 20 week u/s showed that our baby girl is HEALTHY and everything looked great.

The Results are In!!!

2009-11-23T16:49:00.001-05:00

Tiny fingers, tiny toes,
Little itty bitty clothes.
Dresses, ribbons & hair to curl,
We're tickled PINK we're having a GIRL!

and YES! We are in shock! :)

19 weeks

2009-11-16T16:13:00.004-05:00

The biggest difference between this pregnancy and my first- I don't have any time to THINK about this one. I cannot believe that I am almost halfway to meeting the newest member of our family! With Brogan, each week creeped by and I just longed to get to another week "milestone" so I could be more pregnant. With this baby, I'm wishing time would slow down and that I could actually enjoy being pregnant. I thought I'd give the little one in my tummy some much-deserved attention and talk about him/her.

*How far along?: 19 weeks 2 days

*Total weight gain: as of my appt. 2 weeks ago, I was up 2lbs. from my pre-pregnancy weight. I lost 3lbs. in the first trimester from horrible food aversions. So, I guess I've actually gained 5lbs.

*Sleep: horrible! Of course Brogan is sleeping through the night, but this baby is sitting so low already that my bladder can't go more than 1-2 hours without waking me up. And I so miss sleeping on my stomach.

*Best moment of this week: I was sitting down and Brogan came up to me and pointed to my tummy. He didn't say anything, but I like to think he's noticing something different. I keep telling him "baby" and pointing to my stomach.

*Movement: all the time! I started feeling little flutters around 17 weeks. It lasted about 2 days and then it went into full-fledged bumps and kicks. It's unreal. Tadd can already see and feel the baby move. I don't know if it means my stomach muscles are just lousy from having Brogan and I feel more movement OR that this pregnancy is further along than we all think. Hmmmm...

*Gender: we find out in ONE week! I'm still 90% sure it's a BOY!! :)

*Food cravings: Last week it was cooked squash (thank you Momma!) Nothing too specific this week...seems like I only want "real" food and not snacks. No hot wing craving this time :)

*Belly Button in or out: Out! ALREADY! It didn't pop out with Brogan until the 3rd trimester. It popped out this time in the 1st trimester. What the heck?

*Maternity clothes: I'm horribly in-between these and regular clothes. I got some cute new maternity tops for my birthday and I'm so ready to wear them!

*What I miss most: Enjoying being pregnant...and sleeping on my stomach

*What I'm looking forward to: Finding the perfect name. Nothing is sounding just right. Boy or girl.

*Milestones: Feeling the baby move- I just LOVE when I lay down at night and the baby goes wild!! He/She must think that nighttime equals party time! :)

Well that was a lot of fun! I will have to try to do this more often so Baby Grandstaff #2 gets some more attention! :)

Chef Brogan

2009-11-11T13:54:00.011-05:00

Since it's so yucky and wet outside, Brogan and I decided to whip something up in the kitchen. We were going to make sugar cookies but our eggs were expired. Plan B= vanilla puddin'! This was Brogan's first time really helping me "bake" (I can hardly use that word for pudding) and he seemed really into it.
I let him practice with the bowl and whisk while I got the ingredients ready (all 2 of them).

"YES! I have the whisk!"

"Seriously mommy, I can do this with my eyes closed"

Then Brogan put his mastered whisking skills to use and stirred the mix into the milk.

Really getting into it now

The best thing about pudding is we only had to wait about 5 minutes before it was ready to eat!

Yummm!

October was a busy month!

2009-11-02T11:16:00.018-05:00

We had such a fun October...the pumpkin farm, the NC zoo, the State fair, a quick trip to Lynchburg, and Halloween made the month fly by. Brogan turned 16 months old and just keeps getting cuter, smarter, and funnier every day. Here are some pictures from the past month.

He loved the baby pumpkins the best

Petting the mini-horse

We couldn't see the real buffalo, so this was as good as it got

WOW!!! A leaf!

Brogan's favorite animal- the LIONS! He loves to roar like one :)

Stopping for a goldfish break

Our family at the State fair

The PBS tent was the biggest hit of the day for Brogan

They kept playing the Sesame Street theme song and he just kept dancing! He loves Big Bird!

In Lynchburg at GiGi and Grandad's house- Tyson wanted his bed back

Our ferocious lion! ::roarrrr!::

He picked out his own candy- a dum-dum!

Someone gave him animal crackers and WOW was he happy :)

Making sure that Daddy didn't get scared by all the spooky decorations :)

It won't be like this for long

2009-10-13T16:24:00.002-04:00

I'm sure you've all seen this video or heard the song on the radio. It's always a reminder to me to just stop. Stop the to-do lists. Is it really that big of a deal if my dirty clothes sit in the hamper for one more day? If there are more dishes in the sink than I prefer? If my blog isn't updated on a consistent routine? No, no, no. Is it really a big deal if I miss playing with my son. Yes. To be honest, I've never been the most productive person on the planet. Tadd will agree 110%. I am a procrastinator like you've never seen. I enjoy sitting on the floor with Brogan all day long and playing, reading, and singing with him. BUT, my guilty conscience always starts blabbering away at me. "Go clean the toilet", it nags. "Go throw the wet towels in the dryer before they sour", it continues. "You haven't made the bed in a week!" It's screaming at me now. I guess it's the conflict of being a mommy and staying at home. My job is to take care of Brogan AND our house. But I'm reminding MY annoying conscience that Brogan comes before the toilet, the laundry, and the million other chores that seem to never end. It WON'T be like this for long. Now, who's going to remind me about this post when baby #2 comes along and I'm pulling out my hair?!?

Who's Excited?

2009-10-05T10:03:00.002-04:00

Brogan is!!!

Brogan wants to tell everyone that he's going to be a big brother sometime in April! My due date keeps changing, but as of today I am 13 weeks 2 days pregnant and the baby's due date is April 10th. We are super thrilled about this Easter baby :)

I stink at blogging!

2009-09-22T10:43:00.012-04:00

It just doesn't rank high on my to-do list. Facebook is much easier :) So much has gone on since I last posted. Too much to really remember. I will try to give a re-cap of the last 2 months.

-Early August, I went to Ocean Isle Beach with my family. Tadd had to work and couldn't come with us. It was actually Brogan's third time at the beach, but his first since he's started walking. He loved the sand! Hated the water! After putting his feet in the ocean, he had had enough :)

-We traveled to Florida back in August and had a great time staying with Chad and Michelle and Tim and Tandy. Brogan was in 7th Heaven playing with Cobe and Cayden. The first thing he did every morning was run to their room. Each night, while they were in bed, Brogan kept sneaking into their room to play. It was so hard for him to come home to a house with no playmates.

-While we were in FL, we went to the Magic Kingdom! It was so exciting and Brogan really enjoyed watching Mickey Mouse and all the other characters on stage in front of Cinderella's castle. However, Tadd and I realized it was a little more difficult going to a theme park with a baby. It took us 4 hours before we ever rode a ride. We kind of drifted all over the park without a game plan. Eventually we ended up riding 5 rides and Brogan enjoyed all of ONE of those (Small World). After we met Mickey and Minnie, we gave Brogan his lovey and that was the last time we ever saw it. We spent the next 2 hours re-tracing our steps and going to every lost-and-found station in the park. No luck. Poor baby was not happy without his lovey. FINALLY he took a nap in his stroller. Thankfully, we had a back-up lovey in the car!! It sounds like we didn't have a good time, but we actually really did. Once Brogan took a nap, he was excited to see the parade and dance to the music. And I got a soft pretzel with mustard so I was in my own 7th Heaven :)

-We also visited Disney Hollywood Studios (which I will always call MGM b/c that's how I remember it.) We went with Tim, Tandy, Cobe and Cayden and this time things went much smoother! I'm sure Tim and Tandy know the parks as well as the workers do :) Brogan LOVED the Beauty and the Beast show and the Playhouse Disney show. He did well on all the rides and even fell asleep in my lap on the Great Movie Ride. For lunch, we were so excited to eat at the Sci-Fi drive-in restaurant. All the tables looked like old cars and we watched old movie/cartoon clips while we ate. So fun!

-Brogan said "ma-ma" for the first time on September 5. He still says "da-da" ALL the time but when he needs/wants something RIGHT AWAY, I get to hear "mamamamamamama" and it's music to my ears (for now anyway!) :)

-I have completely weaned Brogan from nursing. Well, actually he pretty much weaned himself from the bedtime/middle of night feeding. I thought I would be devastated, but knowing that he was ready made me feel better. I still get to rock and sing him to sleep every night so I still feel "needed". My goal was a year and we made it to 14 months!

-I took Brogan to his 15 month check up (although he was closer to 14 months) and WOW the kid freaks out at the sight of a nurse/doctor. I hate having to hold him down, but how else can Dr. Bailey look in his nose, ears, mouth? After his shots, he cried all the way to the car. :( Brogan weighed 19lbs.13oz. and was 32in. Dr. Bailey said he wanted us to come back in 6 weeks for a weight check. He said he wasn't worried since Brogan is gaining (verrrrrry gradually) but just wants to play it safe. Hopefully by then he will hit the 20lb. mark! I've been trying to fatten him up a little...some butter here, some cookies there haha :)

And because it's my blog, I'm just gonna brag about my boy now:
-when Brogan wants to go outside, he brings us his shoes and says "sssssssh"
-when we ask, "what does Big Bird say?" he answers: lalalalala (sings it like Big Bird does)
-when we ask, "what does the lion say?" he roars (although it sounds more like he's clearing his throat)
-if we ask him to go get his cup/lovey/ball/book/shoes, he does it
-he moved up to the 1's and 2's classroom at church and only cried for a few minutes...then played with all his friends. MUCH better than the nursery!
-when his Praise Baby or Baby Einstein DVD's start showing the credits, he runs to find the DVD remote
-he still loves to shake his booty! :)

I think that's all for now. Whew! Blogging is exhausting. I need a nap.

Help us win a free gift!

2009-07-23T12:18:00.002-04:00

Please help us win a free gift~ all you have to do is leave a comment on Andrea Halsey's blog (Brogan's pictures)

http://www.andreahalsey.com/index.php

If we get 30 comments on her blog, we win a FREE gift. If we get 40 comments, we get TWO gifts! Woohoo! It will only take a minute. Thank you SOOOO much!

C is for Cookie!

2009-07-14T12:28:00.005-04:00

My mom recently went to Trader Joes down in Chapel Hill and was so sweet to bring Brogan a tub of Cinnamon Schoolbook Cookies. Sadly, Brogan has eaten about 4 of them and I've downed the rest. They are DELICIOUS! They taste kind of like cinnamon bun dough before it's cooked. YUMMMM...raw dough! :) I keep telling myself that they are actually healthy because there's no preservatives or artificial colors/flavors - and avoid looking at the nutrition label. Actually, I just peeked and 15 cookies is 130 calories. That's pretty decent, if you can just eat 15. Me? Never. I just keep on and on. But they are some fun little things...you can spell anything. I didn't actually look to see if every letter is in there, but I did see a 'Q', so I'm guessing all the other "unpopular" letters are in there too. I will have to remember these cute cookies for when Brogan goes to preschool- I can send him a B,R,O,G,A, and a N cookie. That's all. The rest are for mommy :)

The nearly empty container:

Such FUN cookies!

One Year Stats

2009-07-09T11:48:00.007-04:00

We went for Brogan's one year checkup yesterday and everything looked great! Usually Brogan is all calm and happy at his appointments (until time for the shots anyway). However, this visit, he started freaking out the minute Dr. Bailey walked in the room. It was very difficult to hold him still while he had his little exam. I guess Brogan remembered his last visit?!? Anyway, here are his one year stats:
Height: 28.5 inches (10th percentile)
Weight: 19lbs. 11oz. (5-10th percentile)
Brogan's a tiny little thing still...but definitely healthy. He eats great, but must have his daddy's metabolism (LUCKY!)

Brogan in the waiting room...before the meltdown :)

Taking a ride in his new wagon

Sweet boy! :)

Happy 4th of July from Mr. Fun and Independent :)

Happy 1st Birthday to my Baby!

2009-06-28T16:00:00.020-04:00

This has been such a bittersweet day. Feelings of excitement over watching my baby grow up to be a sweet, smart, strong, and hilarious toddler are mixed with feelings of sadness over my baby not being so little anymore. I once read that we eagerly await our child's "firsts", but never really know when their "lasts" will happen. Last time taking a bottle, last time in the baby tub, last time playing with a certain toy, last time being nursed to sleep. The feelings going through my mind are so hard to explain. I'm sure other mommies understand. Since I'm having such a difficult time expressing how I feel, I'll just write my sweet angel a little note and leave some pictures. The tears are already falling. This is so hard!

Dear BroBro,
Happy 1st Birthday baby boy! Words just cannot express how much love I have for you in my heart. The second I laid my eyes on you, I was so in love. I honestly never experienced a love so intense and so instant. You have brought such joy and life into our home. I can't remember a time without your contagious laugh, your head-butting, your blue lovey, watching you suck your thumb, your sweet wave, stinky diapers, and toys all over the house. I treasure our memories we've made this past year, especially nursing and rocking you to sleep every night and singing "our" three songs over and over. I am just so blessed that God has chosen me to be your mommy. I know that He has big plans for you! I love you so much sweet baby!
Love, Mommy

Just minutes old...6lbs.7oz.

So peaceful

Checking out his new world

Our little family :)

Oh how I miss my teeny weeny baby...now he's a wild man! :)

What a difference a year makes!

Birthday cake #1

Birthday cake #2

The birthday boy on the way to church...19lbs.

Relaxing with Daddy on his birthday

Me and my sweet baby!

1st Birthday = 1st Chilly Willy :)

Birthday supper at McDonalds...yum yum :)

Update

2009-06-23T08:11:00.010-04:00

Things have been very busy lately...time is moving too fast! I thought I'd just let everyone in on our last/next couple of weeks:

-June 19th was PRC's 3rd Annual Family Night at the Park and it was a huge success! Last year when I went, it was ONE week from my water breaking and Brogan beginning his SLOW entry into this world. This year, he rode the train, grabbed our pizza and took some bites, and enjoyed Matthew, Emma and Kennedy's snow cones. I think he preferred this year :)

-Tadd just got back from preaching at Revolution Church in Canton, GA (where he used to be on staff). He had a horrible experience trying to get down there. I doubt he'll ever fly US Airways again. His checked bag didn't show up until he went back to the airport to come HOME! I have heard, though, that he did an incredible job on Sunday. God really gave him an excellent message to share with the people of Revolution.

-I found a bakery to bake both of Brogan's birthday cakes. They are reasonably priced and would do exactly what I wanted. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they turn out nicely! :)

-We are getting excited about Brogan's first birthday. Sad, but excited too. Sometimes when I look at him he looks like a kid. Other times he looks like a baby. Of course I'll always picture him as my baby, but he's starting to look older. His hair is growing super fast and he's getting taller and leaner each day.

-I'm getting my hair done on Thursday. WOOHOO! It's been since March and my hair is crazy right now, since I'm still taking prenatal vitamins. Three months is TOO long to go, but it's a good way to save money.

-Tadd was out of town for Father's Day this year...so we celebrated Thursday night at Cracker Barrel. He opened his present from Brogan in the van at the airport before he left. Brogan got him a coffee mug with a collage of pictures on it- all of him and Daddy together. And a bag of Reese's Pieces :)

-We are still deciding what we want to do for vacation this year. Traveling with a one year old kind of limits our options. I'm not sure I want to fly on a plane with him yet. He's not the "calmest" of children, that's for sure. We're looking into the Great Wolf Lodge, the beach, and Orlando as possible options. Any advice? Recommendations?

-Brogan has his one year portraits on the 29th! I am super excited. Andrea Halsey is doing them (andreahalsey.com) and she has her own little cottage. I know they will turn out great...if Brogan cooperates. I'm nervous about that. Brogan will miss having Tandy take his pictures this time, but we can't wait for her to take some more when we visit!

-My best friend, Rachel is visiting us in July! WOOHOO!!!! I can't wait to see her- it's almost been a year since the last time she traveled south to visit.

-Here are a few recent pictures of BroBro. He is hilarious! Always getting into something...just like his daddy and Uncle Bryan (uh-oh!) :)

Playing at the pool like a big boy!

Crawling around on mommy and daddy's bed

Playing with Anna Claire!

First Snow Cone!

Quiet baby=Trouble!

Four Years Ago...

2009-06-11T14:09:00.015-04:00

I married my best friend. It was my idea of what a perfect wedding should be: outdoors in a rose garden, pink and green as our colors, summer time, and of course with the man of my dreams!

Our first kiss!

So excited to be Mrs. Tadd Grandstaff!

On our way to our honeymoon...and the rest of our lives!

On our honeymoon- Sandals Montego Bay

One year anniversary- Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, Bahamas

Two year anniversary- Sandals Ocho Rios

Three year anniversary- we don't have a picture because I was hugely pregnant and not in the mood. We went to see Kung Fu Panda and I was in pain the whole movie...dumb bladder infection. Here's a picture of us a month before our 3 year anniversary

This year- PF Changs while my parents babysat Brogan

I am so blessed to be Tadd's wife. He is an amazing husband. He encourages me when I am down, tells me I'm beautiful when I don't feel it, loves to clean the house, irons his own clothes, will eat leftovers and never complain, encourages me to not work and stay home with Brogan, takes care of the yard, likes holding my hand, takes care of the bills, kills bugs, watches Jon and Kate plus 8 with me, even when a ballgame is on, always takes the trash out, never forgets an important day/holiday, listens to me when I talk about coupons (and acts interested), lets me choose which movie to see and where to eat, keeps quiet when the house is a wreck, lets me vent when I'm frustrated, lets me sleep in every Saturday, gives Brogan a bath almost every night and on and on and on! I am so thankful that God put Tadd in my life. We make a great team...and always have fun together- even when it means going grocery shopping on our anniversary :)

I love you Tadd! Thank you for being an amazing husband to me and awesome daddy to Brogan!

My baby is 11 months...

2009-06-05T10:31:00.007-04:00

When the hay diddle diddle did that happen? I know I say that every month, but goodness! Last year at this time, I was cleaning out my classroom and having early contractions (caused by a UTI). A year later, my BroBro is a toddler! We are busy getting everything ready for his big birthday bash and trying to capture all of his firsts on camera and video. It seems like he does something new everyday.

Brogan...
-can say "dada", "dah" (dog), "babababa" (baby or byebye), and I've heard "mama" twice!
-waves byebye
-can sign "more" and "all done" when he's eating
-has taken a few steps without falling
-claps for himself when we say "Yay!!!!!"
-loves to laugh at our dog
-likes to play in the refrigerator and pantry
-tries to play in the dishwasher and dryer
-plays peekaboo with his lovey
-still nurses 5-6 times a day
-is almost DONE with baby food...give this child some MEAT (just like his daddy!)
-pops his thumb in his mouth the second he grabs his lovey...every single time
-will shake whatever is in his hand if we sing "shake your booty!"
-will bounce if we say "jump jump jump!"
-still suffers from bad eczema- especially on his hands and feet :(
-takes 2-3 naps each day
-weighs about 19lbs.

I really can't imagine our lives without our BroBro. The smile he greets us with each morning just makes getting up in the mornings so worth it. I've already started getting really emotional lately, looking at his newborn pictures, putting away clothes that no longer fit, and toys that he isn't interested in anymore. I can't imagine how I'm going to feel on his actual birthday. It will be very bittersweet I'm sure. Here's to hoping the next 23 days go by slowly.

Latest Obsession

2009-05-12T16:06:00.002-04:00

I wish they would have made these plates when I was little! Aren't they fun? I'm planning on ordering one for Brogan...and maybe one for myself :) They are $10 at www.popdeluxe.net

Yay for Saving Money!

2009-04-29T20:16:00.005-04:00

My mom and I recently started "couponing" and I have quickly gotten hooked! I've always done my main grocery shopping at Walmart because it's cheaper than anywhere else. But I've found that with coupons, I can get things very cheap or even free at Harris Teeter with their double and triple coupons. Now, I've always wanted to use coupons but either forgot to hand them to the cashier or forgot to take them to the store to start with. My mom and I got these notebooks and organized them with dividers and baseball card holders. SO MUCH EASIER! We look like some serious shoppers carrying these notebooks into the store, but it's so worth it.

Today was my best couponing day yet. I bought $45.36 worth of groceries and used 20 triple coupons. I love watching the total go down as the cashier scans the coupons. When I saw how much I owed I seriously just stood there in shock...$4.37!!! YES! Here is what I got for under $5!

I ended up getting both toothpastes, the sour cream, the grillmates marinade packet, and both croutons for FREE! Everything else was just cents. This is a new hobby of mine that Tadd just loves! :)

10 Months Already??

2009-04-28T13:20:00.007-04:00

My baby boy turned 10 months old yesterday! He is so much fun to stay home with! We spend our days playing with all his toys in the living room, running short errands in between his 3 naps/day, pulling out all the tupperware in the cabinet, trying new finger foods, pulling the magnets off the refrigerator, going for walks around the neighborhood, pulling the food out of the pantry, and enjoying lots and lots of cuddle time. Brogan is ALL boy...getting into everything he can find. He's stopped the dinosaur grunting for the most part. He's now moved on to the "scream so high and loud that only a dog can hear me" phase. Hopefully it's a short-lived one. Personally, I think it's hilarious because he isn't mad- just discovering his voice. I'm sure others in restaurants and stores don't find it so humorous. We're still waiting for him to say his first word. He understands Mama, Dada, May May (our dog), more, high five, bye bye, baby, and fish. Here are some recent pictures of my sweet boy!

Growing up too fast!

2009-04-16T16:20:00.002-04:00

Since the last blog entry, Brogan has turned 9 MONTHS OLD! It truly is amazing how fast time is flying by. He is a crawling machine and thinks that he is SOOO big now that he can pull up on anything. Of course, this makes for many more falls and boo-boo's.

Brogan is also doing much better sleeping. After months of me getting up 4-5 times a night to feed him, I had to re-train him. He typically goes to bed at 8pm and wakes up at 7am, getting up once or twice a night. I just change his diaper, give him a hug and put him back down and he's fine. He started sucking his thumb now and rubbing his lovey on his face.

Brogan is also eating just about anything we offer him. Spaghetti, yogurt, grilled cheese, chicken pot pie, and Miss April's lasagna are some of the most recent new foods he's loved. He's still nursing about 5 times a day along with solids at all 3 meals. With all this eating, he's still only in the 10th percentile for weight. At his 9 month check up, he was 17.10lbs and 27 inches long (25th percentile).

We had a great Easter! Brogan and I went to the Saturday night service to hear Tadd's message. (Brogan loves to watch his daddy on the monitor!) On Sunday, we headed to my Nana's house for lunch and an Easter egg hunt. We pushed Brogan around in his red car looking for his eggs, which were filled with cheerios and puffs. He was so adorable!

8 months old!

2009-03-12T10:52:00.008-04:00

I just realized that it's been awhile since I last posted. On February 28th, Brogan turned 8 months! My teeny tiny 6lb. baby is not so little anymore. He has such a funny personality and loves to make us laugh. Here are a few 8 month updates:
-He loves Puffs and MumMums, which are very handy while we're out shopping
-He likes all fruits
-Vegetables that he likes- sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, green beans
-Finger foods- baked chicken, spaghetti noodles, baked sweet potato fries, cooked carrots, cooked broccoli, green beans
-He can crawl, but it sure isn't pretty :)
-He will jump in the jumperoo for 30 minutes straight!
-He enjoys swinging at the park
-He has EIGHT teeth! Four on top and four on the bottom!
-He enjoys getting his teeth brushed with his very own electric toothbrush :)
-He weighs 18.something lbs.
-Yo Gabba Gabba and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse will put him in a trance...this is sometimes a very good thing.
-He wants EVERYTHING that he can't have!

Also, on March 1st, we had him dedicated at church. It was such a special day for our family as Tadd prayed over us. And it was a good excuse to get Brogan all dressed up :)

>

Brogan the Dinosaur

2009-02-24T11:21:00.006-05:00

Brogan is a frightening beast. He actually made a little girl cry! Sunday night, we met my parents for supper at a Mexican restaurant. Brogan was in a fairly good mood and was pretty content chewing on his baked sweet potato fries. After a while, he started to get bored and then the grunting began. He has done this for several months and we are lost as to why he does it. He grunts when he wants something, when he has to poop, when he's hungry, when he's full, when he wants our attention, when he's sleepy, etc. It isn't just a little "Tim the Toolman" grunt either. He sounds like a dinosaur. Anyway, he started to grunt and immediately a little baby girl began crying. She stopped after a few minutes. Brogan grunted again, and she started crying again. This happened all through supper and we couldn't stop laughing. What could we do? Thankfully, the little girl's parents thought it was funny too (or so we think, they spoke Spanish...) How could anyone be scared of such a cutie?

Brogan and Anna Claire's 1st play date

2009-02-16T13:04:00.009-05:00

Anna Claire and her mommy, Shanda came over last week for a play date. Anna Claire is one week younger than Brogan and we've been wanting to get the two together for a while. Here are a few pictures of the sweet babies!

I've been tagged!

2009-02-13T16:27:00.009-05:00

Katy tagged me a while back and I'm just now getting to it :) I'm supposed to post some pictures from my photo album and explain why they're great memories. Here's a few I could find:

This is while Tadd and I were dating. I drove down with his parents to visit him in Atlanta. On this day, we had gone to downtown ATL and visited the Coca Cola museum, Underground Atlanta, ate at the Varsity, and just walked around. It was such a great day. Of course, I was thinking the whole time that Tadd was going to propose...which he didn't. He made me wait 3 more months!

This is a picture of Rachel and I right after we turned in our portfolios and paperwork for graduation. We had stayed up the whole night before working on them and were so stinking glad to be done! I would never had made it through college without this girl...God sent her to me at JUST the right time. Her friendship is so precious to me!

I love this family! The Atkins are a wonderful couple who we met right away when we moved to NC. I taught 3rd grade with April for two years and don't want to go back unless she's still there! :) They're die-hard Carolina fans and I believe we took this picture before some big game last year...can't exactly remember. But I love that we all coordinate. I think I'm around 24 weeks pregnant, but man I just look fat.

This is Shanda and me while we were both pregnant (obviously). We had the same due date (July 1) and were 38 weeks along. I ended up having Brogan 3 days early and she had Anna Claire 4 days late, making the babies one week apart. They just had their first play date so I'll have to post those pictures later.

This was Halloween '07 and does Tadd look Cuban or What? haha! We went to our first Halloween party that night (and probably last...) and I was incredibly emotional the whole time. I found out a couple days later that I was 5 weeks pregnant. Explained a lot!

Me and my baby boy- how can you love someone so intensely and so instantly? I don't know, but I fell in love the moment I met him and can't imagine my life without my Bro Bro.

Ok, there ya go...a few memories. Hope you enjoyed :)
Now, I'm going to tag Missy, Jennifer, and Cristina...can't wait to see the pictures!

What a hoot!

2009-01-30T11:41:00.003-05:00

Brogan cracking-up at his GiGi from Tadd Grandstaff on Vimeo.

Happy 7 month birthday Brogan!

2009-01-28T14:29:00.012-05:00

My baby boy is getting SO big! Here are a few things that he can do now:

-sit in the front of a grocery cart
-sit in a high chair at restaurants
-drink from a sippy cup
-put his toes in his mouth
-take a bath in his ducky tub
-eat baby food- so far he likes: carrots, applesauce, pears, bananas, sweet potatoes, and squash
-eat green peas- NOT the baby food kind, just the real ones
-eat slightly soggy puffs- yes, I suck on them first...I know it's gross

Isn't he a cutie in the tub? :)

Watching his daddy preach

Finding a better use for the jarred peas :)

Me and my baby boy

Daddy and his best buddy

Check out his bottom teeth- there's four more on top!

Sweet Brogan :)

Brogan's first snow day!

2009-01-25T14:52:00.008-05:00

Last Tuesday, we woke up to a beautiful snowfall- about 3 inches- which is pretty good for us here in NC! Tadd took the day off and we waited until the snow quit falling to take Brogan outside to "play". He was so bundled up that Tadd called him Randy from the Christmas Story :) I tried to make a snowball for him to hold but the snow was too powdery and wouldn't stick together. I put some in his lap and he just stared at it like, "What the heck is this?" We don't have a sled so we put Brogan in his little red car and rolled him down the driveway. He loved it and thought he was such a stud! We only stayed out about 20 minutes since the wind was blowing and then we went back inside and stayed in our pajamas the rest of the day. Perfect!

Peas and ZZZzzzzzzzzz.....

2009-01-16T11:50:00.011-05:00

So much for starting with vegetables!! I really wanted to get Brogan loving his veggies before starting fruit but the green peas RUINED this kid!

Before we tried the peas, Brogan loved his oatmeal and we couldn't feed it to him fast enough. Then came the peas. After that, he refused to open his mouth at all- even for oatmeal. After four days of trying, I finally opened a jar of applesauce and tried it. Same thing. He gagged. However, after four days this time, he finally seemed to like it. Well, at least tolerate it. I discovered that if I put him in his exersaucer when I want to feed him, his toys distract him and he laughs and I plop some applesauce in his mouth. Now, after 8 days of apples, he actually opens his little mouth! YAY!

Today while I was eating lunch, Brogan seemed very interested so I decided to try out some bananas...they were a HIT! He kept opening his mouth on his own- so cute! I think I'll put some in his oatmeal and see if he'll eat it that way. Next on the menu: CARROTS!

Also, two nights ago, Tadd and I decided it was time to "Ferberize" our son . We placed him in his crib and he fell right to sleep. Three hours later he wanted his Momma and I let him cry 5 minutes, then 10, then 15, etc. After an hour, he was back to sleep! I ended up feeding him once the first night and pumped. That was a huge improvement from his usual 3-4 feedings a night.

Last night, we put him to sleep at 8:30 and he didn't wake up until 5:00 this morning! I was ecstatic! I nursed him and he slept for 3 more hours. Can you believe it? I really hope I'm not jinxing myself here, but it was just wonderful. Although, I do find myself missing our many late night/early morning bonding sessions. That's why I'm perfectly fine with still nursing once during the night.

Brogan is really getting close to crawling. He kind of pushes himself backwards instead. His latest favorite thing to do is look out the back door at the birds. He smiles when they fly away. Also, we've been keeping our family dog, Maddy this week. Brogan is infatuated with her! He follows her with his eyes and loves to put his hands on her. It's so cute!

Brogan Update :)

2009-01-06T14:25:00.008-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years! We had an awesome time playing Santa- Brogan even "helped" me bake cookies for Santa. He was actually really interested in his presents. My parents gave him his first car :) and he LOVES to ride in it. The minute we put him in it, he grabbed the steering wheel and didn't let go. Tadd's parents gave Brogan an exersaucer that keeps him entertained while I get ready in the mornings. How I went six months without one of these is amazing to me. Brogan received lots and lots of other toys from family members and we are so thankful! Since we play practically all day long (the boy does not like to sleep!) the new toys keep ME from going crazy haha! Some of his other favorite toys are his new toothbrush and some spoons...anything he can chew on!

Brogan is such a fun baby! He has mastered rolling over both ways now and loves to sit up by himself. He even sleeps in his OWN ROOM now!! Yep, on January 1st, my New Years resolution was to move my baby from the pack n play right beside our bed to his own crib. He still gets up 3 times to eat (err...cuddle with mommy) but it's a start. My next job is to let him start crying longer and longer until he realizes that he doesn't need me to go back to sleep. It's a bad habit that I've got to break.

We took Brogan to the doctor today for his six month check up and Dr. Bailey said everything looked great! Brogan weighs 17.7lbs and was 26 3/4 in. long- which is the 50th percentile for both. His head circumference is off the charts...but that isn't surprising! :) Dr. Bailey gave us the go-ahead to start other solids besides cereal and to introduce a sippy cup with water or breastmilk in it. I can't wait to give Brogan some peas! I want him to love vegetables like I do and hope he's not a veggie-hater like his daddy!! Also, he has SIX teeth now- 2 on the bottom and four on the top. I know that they have to hurt! With his teeth coming in at this rate, Brogan will be eating a T-bone by the time he's 9 months!

Just Had to Have it!

2008-12-17T10:13:00.004-05:00

Tadd, Brogan, and I were in Target the other day shopping for Brogan and I was looking up and down every aisle looking for baby stocking stuffers. As I was looking, I saw a movie display and THERE IT WAS...

I have been talking to Tadd about this movie for years! He didn't remember it and I only remembered bits and pieces of it so it was a little difficult trying to describe it to him. As a kid, I LOVED this movie! Usually when I want something, I will wait a day or so and go back and buy it if I still want it. Not this time! I snatched it up and bought it right then! Good thing it was only $5.50! I couldn't wait to get home and watch it...and I have to say that it was just as good as I remembered it. I hope that Brogan will get just as much enjoyment out of it as I did as a child.

Santa Baby has Hives

2008-12-14T13:37:00.009-05:00

My poor baby boy has somehow inherited very, very sensitive skin from someone...not me. Not Tadd. He has "severe eczema" (doctor's words) that just won't go away. We use soap, shampoo, detergent, and wipes made for sensitive skin. We use 2 different medicated creams. We put Vaseline on Brogan's body after his baths to lock in moisture. I don't wear any perfume. And if we miss ONE day of this, his skin breaks out with teeny little bumps and red patches. It's pitiful. Now if that isn't enough to make you feel for the little guy, he's now got a weird hives thing going on.

This is where I admit to being stupid and ignoring all the baby books I've read just for a cute picture.

Last Friday night, Tadd, Brogan, and I were out with some friends at Cold Stone. We got vanilla ice cream with oreos and thought we'd give Brogan just a taste. Well, he loved it (of course) so we gave him a couple little tastes. Stupid Stupid Stupid!!! I know. While I was busy taking pictures of his cute little "oooh it's cold" faces, my friend mentioned that he had some red spots on his face. I thought it was just where he scratched himself. I looked again and there were several red spots with white bumps in the center- all around his mouth, by his eyes, and on his right fist that he sucks on. I freaked out on the inside, thinking, "Okay, the ER is only one exit away" and "Where's the doctor's phone number?" Within minutes, the hives were gone. Whew!!!! I was so thankful it didn't get any worse. I figured that either a) the milk in the ice cream caused the hives or b) he has a nut allergy and the ice cream must have touched a nut. I don't know.

Fast forward 36 hours later to Sunday morning. I was busy getting ready in the bathroom and Brogan was playing in his bouncy seat beside me. I glanced down at him and he had more Hives on him. There was NO ice cream involved this time. Nothing! They were scattered on his face, behind his ears, on the back of his head, but none on his body. Again, they went away in about 5 minutes. This has gone on for 10 days now. It never gets too bad, but it's just WEIRD to me. This morning while I was nursing Brogan, he broke out severely around his mouth again. I am going to call the doctor tomorrow because it's gone on long enough. I'm scared he's going to have to be tested for allergies at some point. It won't surprise me if he has some food allergies (I'm allergic to pecans and walnuts) since the doctor thinks Brogan MIGHT have asthma. If you have any words of wisdom (besides the obvious "Don't give a baby ice cream") let me hear it! :)

Hives around Brogan's mouth

The red blanket that I thought was cute for pictures...

Red blanket = BAD IDEA!!!

We've been Elfed!

2008-12-05T11:00:00.002-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I saw this on Jennifer's blog and thought it was hilarious so of course I had to make one of my own! I love Brogan's face! :)

Gobble! Gobble!

2008-12-01T13:43:00.008-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week. We started off at my Nana's house for a yummy lunch with my family. Then we headed up to Lynchburg to see Tadd's parents and eat a yummy supper. I love living so close to both sets of parents. It makes the holidays so much fun. Brogan did great- he is such a happy baby and loves to be passed around to everyone! He turned 5 months old the day after Thanksgiving- so hard to believe! He's had a horrible cold lately and last Tuesday, he started to really wheeze. I took him to the doctor and they think he could have asthma. They don't want to diagnose him this early, but since I have it, he's got a good chance. We've been giving him breathing treatments a couple times a day and he's actually gotten used to it. We put him in front of the TV and just cuddle with him while he does the treatments. Here are some pictures of Thanksgiving, our trip to Lynchburg, and my sweet baby Brogan. :)

Oh minty chocolate- how I love thee!

2008-11-25T13:36:00.005-05:00

I have been craving Christmas candy lately- not that it tastes any different, but it just looks so festive and cute. I went to Walmart last night to indulge and I saw these. I love Andes mints so I figured I'd try these:

They are a piece of HEAVEN! If you like mint-y chocolate- you gotta try these bad boys! There are three varieties: mint milk chocolate, mint sweet chocolate, and mint white creme with candy bits:

I have to say they're all delicious, but the white chocolate with red and green sprinkles just rocks my world! I love to put mine in the refrigerator and eat them cold. But here's an interesting fact for ya- I don't like mint chocolate chip ice cream. So, I hope I've inspired you to go buy a bag of pure bliss to enjoy during this holiday season! ONE MONTH TIL CHRISTMAS! WooHoo!

November has been crazy!

2008-11-20T16:56:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I last posted, but life has been crazy lately! On Nov. 2, Tadd, my mother in law, and I drove down to Douglasville, GA to stay with my sister-in-law and her family. Tadd and his brother left on the 3rd (my birthday) to go to Burkina Faso, Africa for 10 days. It was nice to have some help with Brogan while Tadd was out of town, but we really missed him. While we were there, Brogan decided to have several "firsts". He started teething! :) I can't believe my baby has 2 teeth coming in! He's also gotten very interested in watching us eat- so I let him try some cereal on a spoon- and he LOVED it! He opens his mouth like a baby bird and lets me put the spoon right in. I thought all was well until he didn't poop for 5 days because the cereal was "clogging" him up. So, I gave him some pear juice and it did the trick! He's also gotten very good at rolling from his tummy to back and is getting close to rolling from his back to tummy! We came home Nov. 15 and now we're trying to get back into our routine. I told myself that I would transition Brogan to his crib when we got back, but every night I say the same thing: "Just one more night in our room..." I didn't think it would be this hard! Maybe I'll do it by the time he's 5 months (that's 8 days away!)
I can't find the cord that downloads pictures from my camera to the computer, so I'll have to post pictures of our trip later. But here is a gorgeous picture of my baby that my sister-in-law, Tandy, took while we were there. I love that she captured him sucking on his fist.

Brogan's First Halloween

2008-11-01T11:23:00.008-04:00

Poor baby boy...had to get his 4 month shots on Halloween. Tadd and I took Brogan to the doctor Friday morning for his check up. He weighed 15lbs. and was 25 inches long. While the doctor was talking to us, Brogan stared at him and started laughing really hard and loud. It was too funny! Bless his heart, he had no idea that a set of shots was right around the corner :(
Since Tadd was home yesterday, I was able to fix a fun Halloween supper. My parents came and brought Stevie so we all enjoyed mummy hot dogs, tator tots, caramel apple dip with apples, and ghost cookies.

After we ate, Stevie got dressed up like a Carolina football player and we put Brogan into his pumpkin costume. (Just my opinion- I feel like all babies should be pumpkins for their first Halloween since they'll probably never actually choose to be one). Anyway, we had a great time and ate lots of yummy candy. Maybe Brogan can have a taste next year :)

Happy AND Sad

2008-10-29T13:15:00.010-04:00

Yesterday, Brogan turned FOUR MONTHS OLD! All day long, I went back and forth between being so excited about him growing up and being so sad that it's happening way too fast. It really does seem like just a few weeks ago that he was placed in my arms at the hospital. I mean, every time I get off the Huffman Mill exit, I get tears in my eyes because it's the hospital exit. Honestly, I've been struggling with the thought of my little Brogy Bear (heehee- he'll so hate that one day) getting older. I usually can't WAIT for Christmas to come...this year is no different, except that I don't want it to come either. Brogan will be SIX months then and that's half way to one year. Ohhh, I need someone to shut off my brain.

God, please help me to focus on the positive- Brogan is a happy, healthy baby and I have so much to be thankful for. Thank you for his sweet smile and laugh. Thank you for the joy he brings me every day. Thank you for allowing me to stay home with him and witness all of his "firsts". Thank you for the four months we've had with our baby and I pray that you'll continue to keep him safe and healthy. Amen.

Brogan's big boy outfit :)

Facing "out" in his stroller...and loving his fist :)

My little stud muffin :)

Yummy date night!

2008-10-24T22:56:00.010-04:00

The State Fair has come to NC! And for the first year in a long time, I decided not to go. Yes, I gave up my usual funnel cake, cotton candy, corn dog, ice cream with sprinkles, and kettle corn. (I know- that's a mammoth amount of food- but it's once a year!) I decided that I would rather spend our money (and calories) on a date night with Tadd.
Last night, my mom and aunt came over and watched Brogan for us. We started off with the Cheesecake Factory (where I did NOT get cheesecake- ickkk.) Tadd got a gigantic burger and cleaned his plate.

I got the romano chicken and it looked like I barely touched my food (even though I ate until I was stuffed!) The leftovers will definitely be eaten tomorrow!

Then we went to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory where I got the most delicious MONSTER apple! I wish I had taken a picture of my actual apple but I had to hide it in my purse until the lights went down in the movie. Sneaky sneaky, I know :)

We went to see Eagle Eye- which is SOOO good and suspensful. I was gnawing on my fingernails the whole time- oops.

It was so wonderful to get out of the house and spend time with Tadd. I have to admit, though, that we talked about Brogan most of the night, but that's okay- neither of us minded :)

Could it possibly be???

2008-10-22T11:51:00.007-04:00

Last night, Brogan did the unthinkable- he only woke up to eat ONCE! YAY YAY YAY! This may not seem like such an amazing accomplishment to most moms of 4 month olds. However, most 4 month olds don't get up 4-5 times to eat each night. This comes after two horrible nights of Brogan waking up and screaming like he's in pain and Tadd and I trying our hardest to figure out what is wrong. Last night, he fell asleep at 9:45, woke up at 3:45am to eat, and finally woke up for good at 8:00 this morning! I was actually waiting for him to wake up! We hope this isn't a little fluke, but that Brogan finally realizes he doesn't need to eat 5 times during the night. :) Here are some pictures of our little man...just because he's a cutie :)

Uncle Bryan brought Brogan his first drum set!

Looking like a little man on our way to a family cookout!

Brogan and his cousin Chloe with MaMa on her birthday!

Brogan and his Gammie at the cookout

Poor Little Guy!

2008-10-13T14:04:00.008-04:00

I haven't posted in a while because Brogan has had a horrible cold. It started Wednesday night with a fever, runny nose, and some projectile vomiting (yikes!) The fever went away and since then, he's been struggling with sneezing, coughing, and so much snot in his head it's crazy! Tadd had to go to Atlanta Wednesday night for the Catalyst Conference and I was so nervous to be by myself with a sick baby! But I found out that a sick baby is actually a very easy baby to entertain. In fact, he didn't want to play, just snuggle and sleep. I rocked him and he buried his sweet face in my neck and sucked his little fist. He does this all the time now- so cute!

Besides feeling yucky, Brogan has gotten very good at sitting in his Bumbo chair! At first, he could stand it for only a few seconds. Now, he'll stay in it for 10 minutes! He looks adorable in it.

Brogan is also starting to enjoy tummy time more. He can now pick his head up and look around and smile! It won't be long before he rolls from his tummy to his back.

He's Amazing...

2008-10-04T11:05:00.007-04:00

On June 28, 2008, our lives were changed when our son, Brogan Timothy Grandstaff entered this world. He is my baby boy and I love him more than my words could ever explain. I've never known a love so instant. I love this line from the song: "You came blazing, right into my heart." I knew I would love my son, but never knew just how much. He is our amazing gift, given by God. My sister in law, Tandy (www.photosbysugarsnap.com), took these pictures of Brogan when he was a little over a month old. Enjoy the slideshow and listen to the words of the song, as they echo my heart. I sing the words to this song every night as I rock my baby to sleep.

Smiling and Laughing!

2008-10-02T09:08:00.003-04:00

Brogan laughed for the first time on Monday- four times in a row...but not since then! It was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. It made my heart so happy to know that my son was happy. It made me think: I bet God feels the same way when He hears us laugh...really, truly laugh with joy in our hearts. Just as I am trying to get Brogan to laugh again, I picture God waiting to hear me laugh too!

Apple Core Baltimore

2008-10-01T10:09:00.007-04:00

While we were in the mountains, we went to Hillcrest Apple Orchard. We didn't get to pick any apples off the trees, but at least we got fresh apples! I held an apple up to Brogan so he could see it, and he started sucking on it!

While we were driving home from the orchard, I was eating an apple and I said to Tadd: "Apple Core, Baltimore, Who's your friend, Me!" He had no idea what I was talking about. Every time I eat an apple, I either say this aloud or in my head. It's from an old Donald Duck cartoon with Chip and Dale. It goes like this:
Chip/Dale: Apple Core
Donald Duck: Baltimore
Chip/Dale: Who's your friend?
Donald Duck: Me! (and then he's hit with an apple core)
Here it is for you to enjoy!

Amicalola Falls State Park

2008-10-01T09:45:00.014-04:00

Last week, we went to the North Georgia mountains and enjoyed a relaxing 5 days in a beautiful cabin. My two requests for the week were to go hiking and to go to an apple orchard. So, we went to the Amicalola Falls State Park. It was a beautiful and easy hike (which is good since Tadd had to carry Brogan!) It was so nice to be outside. Brogan really enjoyed it- for the hike up, he was wide awake, just staring at the world around him. On the way back down, he was fast asleep!

Go Heels!

2008-10-01T09:36:00.004-04:00

It's that time of the year...football season! Tadd is super excited to have his own Little Tarheel now!

Triple-Layer Peanut Butter Brownies

2008-09-17T14:07:00.005-04:00

I love Kraft's Food and Family magazine. Mainly because it's free, but also because the recipes are pretty simple and definitely yummy. This is one that my mom decided to bake and I got to be the guinea pig and try them. They're heavenly! If you like chocolate and peanut butter, you'll love these!

Triple-Layer Peanut Butter Brownies

Prep Time:
40 min

Total Time:
2 hr 10 min

Makes:
Makes 32 servings.

What You Need

1 pkg. (19 to 21 oz.) brownie mix(13x9-inch pan size)

1 cup cold milk

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (Do not thaw.)

3 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

1/2 cup PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts, coarsely chopped

Make It:
PREPARE and bake brownies in 13x9-inch pan as directed on package; cool. Meanwhile, beat milk and pudding mix with whisk 2 min. Add peanut butter and sugar; mix well. Refrigerate until brownies are completely cooled.

SPREAD pudding mixture over brownies.

MICROWAVE COOL WHIP and chocolate on HIGH 1 min., stirring every 30 sec. Spread over pudding; sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate 1 hour.

I got a blog- yayay!!!

2008-09-17T14:07:00.002-04:00

I finally did it. I made a blog! I feel so cool and computer savvy- we shall see how long it lasts! Mainly, I just wanted another way to show off my baby boy haha! I will try to blog during Brogan's 20 minute naps (yes- really only 20 minutes grrr!)

Ok, so last night my mom and I went to this humongous baby consignment sale at a mall in Raleigh. It was unreal how much stuff they had! We were in baby heaven! Brogan was a trooper and slept most of the time (2 hours- Praise Jesus!) I found a travel swing, some toys with flashing lights (his favorite right now), and lots of clothes. As we were paying, we heard the lady say to another woman, "probably six months". We turned around and she asked us if Brogan was six months. My mom and I just looked at each other and laughed and said, "noooo- he's 11 weeks!" My baby is a CHUNK! I love it!