Photo Shoots :)

I have done a few photo shoots with Grayce. I’m sure I am partial but I think she is the most beautiful photogenic baby!

Arkansas Trip

When Grayce was 3 1/2 weeks old my dad, Grayce, and I traveled to Arkansas to visit my grandmother, Honey. Grayce made it 9 1/2 hours there and back in the car without crying one time. I was completely blown away. If you have ever made a long trip with me you know that she is a better car rider than I am :) We loved the time we got to spend with Honey and the rest of the family. I hope that Grayce will feel like Arkansas is her second home the way I do. A huge part of my heart definitely lives there.

 I love this picture. Honey loves this sweet girl, and everytime we put Grayce in her arms she would snuggle in and go to sleep.

 Avery is 6 months and 18 pounds and Grayce is 1 month and 9 pounds. 

 Sweet cousins. I am so glad these girls have each other. 

 This picture pretty much sums up Grayce’s mood in the car!

First Few Weeks

The first few weeks were filled with wonderful family and lots of great “firsts!"

Maddie could not wait to get her hands on you. She is going to be such a great cousin! 

Your first shopping trip. Nini and I took you to Target of course :)

 Your first roadtrip to Destin when you were 1 week old. Visiting Gigi and Papa!

 Aunt Megan loves you!

Avery kept giving you the sweetest slobbery kisses. The two of you will be best friends i’m sure!

 Pop flew down and back two days later just to meet you. You must be something special!

 You went to church for the first time when you were 9 days old. Daddy and I want you to grow up knowing that we love you more than life but that God loves you even more. We want you to always seek Him first and love Him with all of your heart.

Your first spongebath. You did not love it, but you did not cry. You are such a wonderful baby. 

You went to your first wedding when you were 2 weeks old. Again you were the perfect baby!

Your first lunch date with Daddy. He works so hard so that mommy can stay home with you!

Your belly button plug fell off when you were 16 days old and you got your first bath! 

The first few weeks we were a little sleep deprived but we enjoyed every minute with you. You truly are the best baby. We joke that we will be spoiled to how great you are and any future brothers and sisters might seem like a handful compared to you. We don’t know what we did to deserve how wonderful you are. We love you so very much!

The Best Day of our Life!

One of the reasons I wanted to start this blog is so that I can have it printed each year to keep for Grayce and us to be able to look back on. Sort of a picture album and journal all in one! Since I got kind of behind due to 2 surgeries, family in town, traveling, etc. I am going to back track a little to write about her birth and first month!

Daddy and I left for the hospital at 11:00 pm on Thursday July 28th. They started my IV and gave me a pill that started the induction process. Daddy then went to sleep but I was much to anxious to get any good rest.

The next morning Papa, Gigi, Grandaddio, Momma Dear, Nana,  all three of your Aunts, and your cousins: Molly, Maddie, and Avery came to the hospital and hunkered down for a long day of waiting for you to arrive!

Dr. Duke came in that morning and started the pitiocin which  made mommy start contracting. Around 4p.m. not much progress had been made so Dr. Duke broke my water which made my contractions much more intense and closer together. Around 3 hours later I got an epidural and was checked for progress. You still had not dropped (which you should have done weeks earlier) and you didn’t seem to want to come out! At around 9:30 we decided to go ahead with a C-Section because it seemed like the safest option for you and mommy, and mommy was exhausted! Daddy suited up in his scrubs and the whole family came in to pray for you and me. It was so special and we were so excited we were about to finally meet you!!

At 10:55 p.m. we heard your first cry and were told by Dr. Duke that you were more the size of your daddy than mommy! This made us laugh because we expected you to be smaller judging by the way my belly measured throughou the pregnancy.

 Immediately they wrapped you up and brought you to me and I gave you your first kiss. This was the best moment of my life. 

                                           You were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen!

 When they weighed you we were shocked to hear you were 8’7’’. Much bigger than the Dr. had predicted but perfectly chubby just like I had hoped!

While they fixed Mommy all up, they gave you to Daddy and he got to hold you for around 20 minutes (mommy was so jealous.)  It was funny to hear him talk about this later on. He said “they just gave her to me and she was crying and I didn’t know what to do.” He quickly figured it out and I’m 100% positive you had him wrapped around your little finger from that very first second he held you.

Finally it was Mommy’s turn to hold you. You were so alert and just stared right at me like you knew me. It was so amazing to finally have you in my arms after feeling your loving kicks and jabs inside me for the last 9 months!

                                                      Our first picture as a family of 3!

After mommy fed you(you came out starving), your family finally got to come meet you! They had been at the hospital around 19 hours waiting for you to come. They love you so much! 

      

                                                                 

                                                                         

                                                                   

                                                 

 After everyone got to hold you, they took you to the nursery to get cleaned up and check you out. I was so sad you had to leave me and was very anxious for you to be brought back! They brought you to us around 3:30 a.m. and mommy got some much needed snuggle time. 

Then you decided to make a dirty diaper and mommy was still numb from all of the medicine, so daddy got to change his first diaper ever! This was very funny to watch because he used about 10 wipes, ran to the trash can after each wipe to throw it away, got some on your foot,  etc. All in all he did a good job and you broke him in very well! 

From the beginning, Mommy really wanted a baby girl and I was so excited that I could finally dress you in cute clothes. I asked the nurse if I could change you and she quickly reminded me that you were my baby and I could do whatever I wanted. So your first outfit was a bright pink leopard gown that Nini found for you. You were the hit of the hospital in that gown. All of the nurses and Dr’s could not get over how cute you were! 

So many people came to visit that day. You are one very loved baby! Around 2pm Nini arrived from Arkansas and got to hold you for the first time! 

                               

The next morning I got you dressed and ready for more visitors!

 Then Dr. Duke came by and asked if we wanted to go home a day early because you and I were doing so well. We were very excited to take you home and we got you all ready.  You looked so precious and tiny in your car seat!

When we got home, Papa got to hold you for the first time. He was there the night you were born but was not feeling too well so he didn’t want to get you sick! 

                                                  We were so happy to have you home!