Rolling Over

This is just a quick update as we would normally send this out via email but the video is a pretty big file so we figured uploading it would be easier.  Grady started rolling over last week but until today they were few and far between.  Now he just won't stop even though he still doesn't like be on his stomach!

First Thanksgiving

We had originally planned to stay in Asheville for Thanksgiving and go to Buckhannon for Christmas, but Justin's Grandma Goodfellow decided to come down from Connecticut, so we happily changed our plans! Grandma, Uncle Dave and Aunt Pat drove down together to join us for a full Hunter Thanksgiving! At Grandma and Pop Pop's, there were 12 adults, 4 grandchildren, 8 dogs and 2 cats. It was a hectic but great time.

We both happened to have some extra vacation days to use up, so we took off on Wendesday and drove up then. It really made it less stressful because we drove on Wednesday, had all day Thursday and Friday to visit with both families and friends, and then drove home on Saturday (with a stop through Mt Airy, NC).

Grady met his Great Grandma Goodfellow on Wednesday! We had a nice visit that evening, then went to Grandma and Grandpa Loftis' to stay, and also visit with them and Great Grandma Purbaugh. Catherine had to work so she wasn't able to come up, but we did get to see her on Saturday. We skyped with Uncle John and Aunt Julie in Tacoma, Washington and had Thanksgiving lunch there.

Mid-afternoon we headed over to Grandma and Pop Pop's for turkey dinner #2 (which was just as delicious as dinner #1!). It was great to see all 4 cousins together.

Friday morning Grandma and Grandpa Loftis were getting ready to drive to Mt Airy, and I had Grady lying on their bed, playing. He had gotten close to rolling over before but hadn't been able to make it over his arm. Well gravity was on his side, and he rolled onto his tummy for the first time! Grandpa got to see it, and we called Grandma in and he did it again for her. I was so happy they got to see that milestone!

On Friday we had Jack's 3rd birthday party - it was the first birthday party Grady has attended! We had a very nice Italian lunch complete with birthday cake and ice cream. Jack is all about cars right now (the movie Cars 2 is about to come out) so he got lots of toys on wheels. Grandma and Pop Pop got him a racetrack, which I think his dad and uncles had just as much fun playing with!

That evening Justin and I met Matt and Carrie for dinner and left the kids with the grandparents. West is almost 1 year old now! They are living just outside NYC while Matt does a short-term contract for his company. We met them at CJ Maggie's - we noted how different our conversations have become! We talked mostly about baby poop. After that we picked up Grady and visited Amy and Andy, who are about to have their son (Owen we think) around January 1st. Since we came up for Thanksgiving, we will probably not be coming in for Christmas so the next time we see them Owen will be born!

Saturday morning we got all packed up (no small feat with us, Grady and the dogs) and drove to Mt Airy to visit with my Loftis family - aunts, uncles and 2nd cousins. They were all very nice and we had a great visit. Then we headed home. It was really nice to have all day Sunday to recoup before the work week. We also picked up our Christmas tree!

In putting together this post, I started looking back on some photos and videos from the past months and it is incredible how much Grady has grown already. He was so skinny and now he's a chunk! His smiles and giggles really feel like we are connected with him. He has been rolling over more consistently now - did it 5 times in a row this morning! However, he can only roll right and when he gets to his belly his arm is stuck under him and he gets frustrated so we roll him back over, then he does it all over again.

Milestones!

Wow I didn't realize it had been a month since my last post! Time flies... Grady's 3 month birthday was yesterday. He has grown so much and is becoming really interactive now. He smiles and giggles a lot, and enjoys his play mat and other toys with lights. He loves his changing table and the giraffe that plays "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and moves. He smiles at it and tries to put it in his mouth!

Justin has always loved penguins. Not only the Pittsburgh Penguins, but also real penguins - we always spend lots of time at the penguin exhibit at zoos and aquariums. For Halloween, I did some online searching and found a baby penguin costume for Grady! I couldn't resist. We told our friend Caleb, and he happened to have an adult penguin costume from a couple of years ago! Chris and Sarah had a halloween party so we dressed up for it - was a big hit! On Sunday, Jonathan and Lesley came over with Lily for football and we dressed them up together. One of the cutest pics ever! 

The last Asheville Affiliates event of 2010 was a couple of weeks ago, and Justin was a good sport and brought Grady for a while. He did great! We carry him around in the front pack carriers a lot and he is quite content - plus it give us free hands. The Affiliates event was at Highland Brewery in their new tasting room and worked out really well. I had to do a speech since I'm the president (just thanking everyone for the year etc) so I had to stay late.

The next morning we got up and drove to Buckhannon - Amy's baby shower was on Saturday and we got Grady baptized on Sunday. It was a great weekend! I helped Sue get set up for the shower, and my mom (Grandma Loftis) brought Grady with her. Then we went out to Grandma and Pop Pop Hunter's for the evening, and had Grady's baptism on Sunday morning at First United Methodist Church. The pastor is pretty new and had not done a baptism there before so we were not sure what to expect. It was REALLY sweet - they had his photo printed on the front page of the bulletin, and the baptism was close to the beginning of the service. He called us all up - Justin, Grady and I, both sets of grandparents, Great Grandma Purbaugh, Great Aunt Becky and Great Uncle Keith, and Kevin, Carolyn and Katelyn. We did a little response, then the pastor held Grady and walked him around the church - then the choir sang a song with his name in it! The chorus was "Grady, Grady, God made you. He helps to protect you and loves you too."

After church we went to my parents' house and had lunch, then headed back home to Asheville.

Everything else is going pretty well. We have good days and bad days at work. Sometimes Grady is content sitting on his own for long periods, and other days he wants to be held and walked around all day. I feel like I don't get much accomplished on those days which can be frustrating, but I think overall I am keeping caught up with everything. Catherine has offered to watch him periodically when she is off work, so I'm trying to save up some milk so we can maybe try that one day this week - meet for lunch and her take him in the afternoon.

We have a really nice swing, and a bouncey seat, and a play mat... and Grady's favorite place to sit??? In the small rocking chair Grandma Loftis bought for $3 at a yard sale. Whatever works! He has gotten more tolerant of the other contraptions - he will sleep in the swing in the morning so dad can get a little more sleep in the morning. I think the play mat is going to be great soon. He will lay on it for a little while now, and likes to watch the lights and watch if I shake the rattle on it.

2 Months Old!

It's been 3 weeks since our WV trip. If you are wondering why I haven't blogged in the meantime, it's because I've been back to work for 2 weeks and our lives have been a bit hectic. Work is going pretty well so far - we have the Pack and Play set up and I took the bouncey seat and have it by my desk... of course Grady hates both of those and wants me to carry him in the front pack all day! I am working to get him on a semi-set schedule, which will help with my sanity, and help me get more done at work.

Last weekend we went for a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway to see the leaves and went for a little hike. The weather has been great for October - still in the 60s and 70s during the day! Grady loves looking up and the sky, leaves, etc. He really does better when we are out and about. I guess there's more to distract him and keep him entertained, so he only gets fussy when he really needs something (hungry, super sleepy, etc).

This past Monday, Grady had his 2 month pediatrician appointment - which included two shots! He has grown to 12lb 6oz and 23.75 inches long. The Doc says we are doing great and he is meeting all the guidelines for his age. Grady made it through the shots ok (there were some tears but nothing too horrific), but he was MISERABLE the rest of the day! We were at work, and he slept for about an hour but when he woke up he was absolutely inconsolable. It was the first time I couldn't make him happy by feeding him. He wouldn't eat or sleep or calm down at all. I called the doctor's office and they said I could give him baby Tylenol. While I was calling them I went outside to walk around and he did end up going to sleep then so I let him sleep and as soon as he woke we ran over to Walgreens for the "magic elixer" baby tylenol. It worked pretty well, but he was still a bit fussy the rest of the day.

Yesterday we went to a football game - Appalachian State (Aaron's alma mater) versus Western Carolina (Caleb's alma mater). It was at Western which is about 1 hour west of Asheville in Cullowhee. It was a beautiful drive, and we tailgated for a couple of hours before the game. Western is a relatively small school, and on the way to our seats we walked right along the edge of the end zone! We ended up sitting there for most of the game. We had a great view and were out of the sun. Western got beaten pretty bad - apparently it's a bit like the WVU/Marshall rivalry... one-sided.  Western isn't exactly known for it's football team, but their band was excellent!

Grady was wonderful all day - had a great time tailgating and at the game. He didn't however love the band... I think it was just too loud. We were sitting in the 3rd row and their band had at least 200 members! Justin let me stay to watch the field show and he took Grady away to get him calmed down.

We had a couple of milestones this week - we took out the infant insert in Grady's car seat, and I put away the first of his newborn clothes that don't fit anymore. It was a bit tough but I made it through okay! I'm going to have to get used to it - he's going to be growing out of clothes for the next 16+ years!

He is smiling a lot more now, and more responsively to our actions than just randomly. He likes to be rocked in his car seat, but pretty much hates his swing. We think it's because that would give US a break!

Take Me Home, Country Roads

Grady had his first trip to WV to meet his Great Grandma Purbaugh! Catherine, Grady and I (Jessica) drove into Buckhannon, which happened to also be Wesleyan's homecoming so it worked out great. Grady did much better in the car than we expected. He slept a couple hours, then we'd stop and feed him then get back on the road. He cried some at first but then fell right to sleep.

Since when I first found out I was pregnant, one thing in the back of my mind was wanting to introduce my grandma (last living grandparent) to her first great grandchild. It's almost felt like a mission!

We drove in on Friday (why Justin couldn't come - he could not get off work) and got to grandma and grandpa Loftis' just in time for grandma to arrive with great grandma Purbaugh! It was a wonderful introduction. She had such a great time holding him and kept commenting how she hadn't seen a baby that small in SO many years!

After that Grady and I went to meet his "aunt" Amy, who is going to be having her baby boy around January 1st! It is really exciting knowing how close in age our boys will be - I know they'll be great friends! Amy and Andy are working to get their house ready for the little one, and we'll be headed back in for Amy's baby shower in early November.

On Saturday, we went to the Wesleyan homecoming football game with aunt Catherine and grandpa Loftis, then went out to grandma and pop pop Hunter's for a visit, and so they could show off the newest grandchild to their friends in for homecoming. It was a really nice afternoon. Burton had put together a slideshow of old college photos... mixed in with photos of the family. It was great!

On Sunday, we went to church in the morning and Grady was definitely a big hit there. We sat in the balcony and Catherine noticed everyone in the congregation kept glancing up at us! That afternoon Tab came for a visit, and she, Grady, Amy and I met at Allburghers for dinner so Grady got to meet Mike too!

Overall it was a busy but really fun weekend. It was the last trip before I start back work full time so a little bitter-sweet, but I'm so glad we got to make the journey north!

Fall in Asheville

 The weather is changing fast - and so is Grady! The time has flown by. He can hold his head up on his own now and only headbuts us sometimes. He is awake more every day, and is making solid eye contact. We have even seen some smiles! Not at anything in particular, but it is still so great to see.

Justin scored a ticket to the BrewGrass festival thanks to Chris and Sarah, so Grady and mommy went to Weaverville for the afternoon and went to an art festival with Sarah and Lucille. We had a great time! The Moby wrap is great - he will sleep in it for about 2 hours. BUT when he's ready to get out he is REALLY ready to get out. And he means now!

Aunt Catherine was our first ever babysitter, for my birthday dinner. Justin took me to Green Tea Sushi - it was great! We were only gone for about 1.5 hours, and Catherine's exact words were "easiest babysitting job ever" - he slept the whole time! I am definitely happy for that - we will be using her services in the future. :)

Jonathan and Leslie told us about an apple picking place in Hendersonville called Granddad's, so we checked it out on the Saturday after my birthday. It will be great when Grady is older - they had a corn maze, pumpkins, llamas and goats to pet, and of course apple orchards. We got a peck of apples. I didn't realize how many apples that was until we got them home! They were great though, and I made my first apple pie (without my mom's assistance). We shared it with Chris, Sarah, Lucille and John at Chris and Sarah's house. They just finished their addition and it's awesome!

The following week was my first try at taking Grady to work. I went in for a few hours on Tuesday and Thursday just to start to get acclimated and see how it went. We got the Pack & Play set up, and Mary took turns with me in taking care of Grady. I am SO grateful she is allowing me to bring him to work - I am not ready to be apart from him! I think it will work out ok once we get a schedule down. Molly has offered to keep him during the day, in case it doesn't work for me to keep him there or if I need!

All in all we are doing great! Thank goodness Justin and I have each other. I can't imagine being a single parent! Grady is a great baby but it is certainly a lot of work and it's good to have each other to take turns with him when he's fussy, and get to enjoy him together!

A Growing Boy!

It's been almost 2 weeks since my last post - not becuase there's nothing to report, we just have been too busy for me to get the time to write it!

Grady had his 1 month doctor appointment last week, and he's up to 9lb 6oz and the pediatrician says to keep up the good work! Next appointment at 2 months.

I got a call last Saturday from my Aunt Elizabeth - she and her husband Jeff had spent a week in Myrtle Beach and wanted to stop through Asheville on their way back to Wheeling!

Sunday was the first Steelers game of the season (we won!), and they came by after it. Elizabeth had a great time holding Grady, and they brought us lots of great clothes for him! Catherine and I took Elizabeth and Jeff on a "Tour of Asheville" that evening while Justin stayed home with Grady. We ate at Mellow Mushroom - it was so good, and a great evening!

I've taken Grady to the park and walking a few times - he seems to really like it! Catherine has come along so she and I can get some exercise. Grady mainly sleeps in the stroller - the pathway is paved, and I discovered that if he gets fussy, I will take the stroller "off-roading" through the grass and it calms him right down! He likes the bumpy ride.

Grady had his first tub-bath this week! I have been sponge bathing him in a travel bath foam thing we have. It works pretty well, but he looked big enough for the tub now so I decided to give it a try. He really liked it! And by "he really liked it", I mean he did not cry, which to  me means he liked it! He got very wide-eyed and excited. So cute!

This Friday was Grandpa Loftis' birthday! I decided to get him a picture frame with some photos of Grady (Specifically this one with him in the I Love Grandpa outfit). Unfortunately, I didn't have the picture frame or the ability to print the photos because our printer is out of ink... SO I did some online research and discovered you can order photos online through CVS and pick them up in an hour! It worked great and hopefully the frame will look nice on grandpa's desk.

One Great Weekend

We had 14 people at our house on Saturday! It's Labor Day weekend, and both families decided it would be a great time for a visit. John, Bonnie, Anna and Jack had been planning to go camping in Cherokee so we knew they'd be coming, then Grandma and Pop Pop Hunter, Laura and even Aunt Pat were able to come also, and since Catherine had just moved here (and because of the 3 day weekend) my parents were able to come too! We were nervous beforehand it might be too hectic, but it went really well and we all had a wonderful time.

Aunt Pat definitely gets the award for travelling the farthest - we got an e-mail from Pop Pop on Wednesday that he had talked her into flying in for the weekend, and also Nana Goodfellow! Justin called me with the great news, then read the e-mail again and realized there was more at the bottom... specifically the line saying "NOT!!"... Turns out, Aunt Pat WAS coming, but Nana couldn't be talked into it (she isn't too keen on flying). Justin felt like Anna - not a funny joke Pop Pop!

Most of the family arrived at different times on Friday, so we were able to have quiet visits that evening. Aunt Laura and Great Aunt Pat got to meet Grady for some one-on-one time before the crowd came on Saturday.

We made 2 crock pots full of Chicken Taco Soup, so we wouldn't need to cook with everyone here. It made it much easier! We had such a great afternoon - watched the first WVU football game of the season, John, Pat and Catherine went on a Geocaching adventure, and just had a great visit.

One of the highlights of the afternoon was Jack finding a pacifier - we told him it was Grady's. He picked it up and walked over to where Grandpa Loftis was holding a sleeping Grady and proceeded to try to stick the paci in his mouth! Then later in the afternoon Justin saw him pick up another paci, look it over, apparently decide it was NOT his, and put it on Grady's lap when he was in his swing! What a great cousin - he knows it's no fun to be without your paci!

Sunday was the LAAFF (Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival) downtown, so we all trekked out to enjoy the party. It's an art and music festival - all local, and very... eclectic! It was perfect to show everyone (especially Pat who had never been here) the true Asheville scene. We took Grady, and Justin carried him in a backpack carrier for a while and then we traded and I put him in the Moby wrap. It worked great for about 2 hours, then started to get a bit hot.

Catherine, Grandma and Grandpa Loftis went with us downtown and then we met up with the Hunter family there. Aunt Pat had a great time - Justin was trying to organize everyone, and each time he turned around she had run off with someone to do something different! We all got some kettle corn and headed home for naps around 5pm.

Later that evening we met at Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company for an informal dinner in the game room. It was a nice calm end to a hectic day and fun weekend!

On My Own

Napping

Justin went back to work this week, so it was just me and Grady during the day! I was a little nervous, mainly about where to PUT the baby when I needed to eat, shower, etc. It ended up just fine - we have the Pack n Play set up in the living room along with the swing, and I put the bouncey seat in the bedroom.

On Tuesday, I had a doctor's appointment and it was the first time Grady and I went out and about on our own. He did great! We had to wait at the doctor's office for almost an hour for a 2 minute visit for her to check my incision (which is healing fine), but he was very calm and relaxed in the car seat. We stopped by Babies R Us for a couple of items. He got a little upset, but I made it out of there quickly without too much trouble.

We met Justin for lunch at 2 Guys Hoagies on Thursday - it was nice to get out of the house a bit and enjoy a nice lunch together!

Video!

Wardrobe Malfunction

Grady got to meet his aunt Catherine on Wednesday! She got into town around 5pm, emptied her car at her new house, and came right over. We had a great visit - it's fun teaching her to hold him, swaddle him and change his diaper. It's great that she is so close by now!

On Thursday Grady had his doctor's checkup - weighed in at 7lb 2oz! The doctor said "You guys are making this look easy" - lets hope we can keep it that way! His next appointment is in 1 month.

After the doctor's appt we stopped by ImageSmith to pick up Grady's birth announcements, which look GREAT! Mary had told Tricia (her daughter and one of our customers) we were coming by and she bought lunch for everyone from Iannucci's! Everyone was so excited to meet Grady - they all say he looks just like Justin.

Kevin, Molly, Elliot and Kam brought us lasagna on Friday, and we had a really nice visit! The house seemed really full with 2 mobile children running around. We definitely need to do some baby-proofing soon! They will be coming over pretty often once football season starts, so we are going to rearrange the living room and baby-proof in the next week.

This week was full of visitors - on Saturday, Matt, Carrie and West came by and brought us lunch! It was really fun to introduce the "future best friends" Grady and West. I am really happy they will be so close in age! Matt and Carrie are getting ready to move to NYC for a couple of years - we will miss them, but hopefully can go visit!

Now the reason for the title of this post "Wardrobe Malfunction" - Friday night, Justin changed Grady's diaper and his outfit into a sleeper and brought him in for his midnight feeding. Within 30 seconds, he pooped. And this was not any normal poop - it shot out the back of his diaper and up his back, onto his outfit! I called Justin back in and he changed his diaper AND outfit again, and brought him back to me. A few minutes later I felt a warm sensation on my stomach... this time he had peed and it somehow escaped the diaper and got on his outfit AND me! Yet again, Justin changed his diaper and clothes, and I changed clothes as well. I do need to note, this is not a reflection of Justin's diapering ability! I think Grady may be close to growing out of the newborn diapers.

Week 2

It sure has been great having Justin home these 2 weeks. It's given us a great time to bond, and he has made it much less stressful for me, since I can't do much around the house. I am feeling better and can do more every day!

Grady got his first bath early in the week. His umbilical cord is pretty much healed up, so we had our first sponge bath. He didn't cry at all! I think he liked the feel of the warm water on his skin. I am excited for him to be big enough to take a real bath in his tub, but the sponge bath works for now! Here is a photo of him after the bath - so cute in his towel! Looks a little like King Tut...

Our favorite outfit!

My mission this week was to get some good photos of Grady to use for his birth announcement. It has been tricky, especially since he doesn't fit into many of his clothes! His skin is still peeling some so it was also a bit tough to get him in the right light. He just doesn't look nearly as adorable in photos as he does in person! In the end I was able to get some satisfactory ones, to send in to John at my office to design the announcement. I'm so excited to see how they turn out!

On Monday, we took Grady for a visit to Festiva. Debbie had been hounding Justin to bring him in, so we stopped in for a while. Everyone made a big deal about him, and it felt really good for everyone to be oohing and aahing over our baby boy! He did pretty good, only crying a little once. He cries when we put him in the car seat, but once he's in it he falls right to sleep. I'm sure we'll be taking full advantage of that in the future when we are having trouble getting him to sleep!

Grady's aunt Catherine is moving to Asheville today! I am so excited for her to meet him, and glad she will be around to see him grow every day. She is moving in with my friend Sara Shuster with the Affiliates, and is looking for a job. I hope it goes well so she can stay!

We are getting our sleeping schedule down now - Grady has been great about being more alert during the day, and sleeping longer periods at night. He has been sleeping about 4 hours at a time at night - sometimes I have to wake HIM up! He also wants to eat more during the day, so hopefully he is gaining as much weight as he should. We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow (Thursday), so we'll know for sure then! Justin has been weighing him on the Wii Fit, but I'm not too sure how accurate it is. 

We are also going to pick up his birth announcements tomorrow and do our first ImageSmith visit. I got a text from Mary yesterday saying "I have been through 2 reams of pink paper and am ready to kill DS" - meaning they are VERY busy. At least when I go back I know I will be appreciated!

First Week Home

Our first week home with Grady has been easier than expected! Justin is taking 2 weeks off from work to help me recover - it has been great to spend quality time as a new family! Grady sleeps about 3 hours at a time, so we trade off sleeping schedules and Justin is handling the shopping and houswork, while I learn to nurse. It was tough at first but is getting easier now.

We have had lots of great friends thinking about us this week! Sarah and Lucille stopped by on Tuesday and brought us burritos and salad, Lesley, Jonathan and Lillian came by Wednesday with Chicken Caccitore, and Katie and Davis brought us Quiche on Friday! Caleb and Aaron, Scott and Ilsa stopped by on Thursday, and Aaron got Grady a Beatle's onesey. It is adorable!

Grady's first doctor appointment was on Tuesday, to check on his circumsicion. It is doing well. He wasn't getting quite enough food as they'd like, so they had us come back on Thursday to be sure he'd gained weight. He gained over 1/2 pound in 2 days!

The pets are doing great so far. Maya and Achilles don't like being locked out of the bedrooms, but they are getting used to it. Stewie and Geno are very interested in Grady, and want to sniff him and rub their heads on him. We are being very cautious still, but so far it is going really well.

We have had fun getting used to changing diapers and.. er... protecting ourselves! Early in the week I was changing Grady's diaper and felt a warm stream on my hand... luckily it ONLY got on my hand, his onesee, the changing table and the clean diaper! Pop Pop told Justin "it's probably the happiest she'll ever be that someone peed on her hand". So true, so true! Also, we've been putting ointment on his diapers so they don't stick to his circumcision area. Unfortunately, the ointment also prevents the pee from being absorbed into the diaper, causing it to flow freely on his clothes, blankets, and us.

Hospital Stay

The rest of our hospital stay went by pretty quickly! I was able to start eating food again on Saturday and got the IV out, so I was feeling much more human. We had lots of visitors on Saturday - Grandma and Pop Pop Hunter, Grandma and Grandpa Loftis, Nicole, and Kevin, Molly, Elliot and Kam. Fortunately everyone was spread out, so we were able to get some rest (and for me to practice nursing!). We met our pediatrician, and scheduled Grady's circumcision for Sunday morning.

Grady slept really well both nights in the hospital - I kept him in the bed with me, and when he'd wake up I'd feed him. It was really nice and calm. About 6am on Sunday morning, I was up with him and had an incredible moment - it was one of my favorite moments ever. I was just sitting with him and he was so peaceful, and I looked over at Justin asleep on the bench couch, and out our window the sun was coming up over the misty mountains. It was just so perfect and beautiful I wanted it to last forever!

Sunday morning the pediatrician came around 9:30 for Grady's circumsision. He was gone for about 30 minutes, and didn't seem TOO distressed when he returned! We set up an office visit for Tuesday. The pediatrician said Grady was doing great, and as far as he was concerned we could go home that day. The final word would come from my OB/GYN, and when she came in she was pleased with my progress and gave me the go-ahead to go home!

The nurse for the day on Sunday was really great. She was a bit of a "hippie" and said she had 4 kids in 3.5 years! She showed us her swaddling technique she calls the "Straight Jacket" and it works awesome! Grady looks like a little peanut all wrapped up in it.

We had to have a couple more tests and vaccinations that afternoon, but we were discharged and sent on our way about 4pm! Justin had me sit in the backseat so I could check to be sure the baby was OK in the carseat - he did just fine. We stopped by CVS to pick up my prescription, and headed home. Grandma and Pop Pop Hunter were there when we arrived, and helped keep the dogs under control while we got Grady and us in the house. It was a relief to be home but also lots to do to get settled! Grandma, Pop Pop, Chris, Sarah and Lucille took Justin out for dinner (Grandma's birthday) and brought me back some paella. What a big weekend!

Grady's First Day

On Friday morning, we headed to the hospital at 10am. Mom and Dad Loftis (from now on will be referred to as Grandma and Grandpa Loftis) beat us to the hospital! They met us at the emergency room entrance, which was great to see them and know they were there with us. I was getting very nervous - going through surgery was almost as daunting to me as the result of the surgery - having our baby boy!

We got checked in, and Justin was able to be with me through the whole process. I got an IV put in, and then they took me to the operating room to put in the spinal block which made me numb from mid-chest down. Then Justin came in with his scrubs on (looked almost like a doctor!), they put up the blue sheet and within minutes we heard tiny baby cries. They dropped the curtain and held him up Simba-style from the Lion King and said "Here's your baby!". What an incredible experience. The nurses then took baby Grady to a warming table to get him cleaned and dried off - Justin was able to watch and take pictures. He then cut the umbilical cord, and they weighed Grady and took his footprints. I was able to watch from a TV screen by the operating table, so I could see what was going on. Once they had him wrapped up, Justin brought him over to me so I could see him close up and touch his face with the tips of my fingers (I was strapped down so couldn't move too much). I am getting teary-eyed just remembering those first moments. It was simply incredible.

Afte the doctor had me put back together, we were wheeled into the recovery room where we'd stay for what seemed like forever - it was really 3 hours. A nurse came in and helped me to nurse Grady for the first time. No small feat, considering I was lying flat on my back! We made it through, got Justin (now referred to as Dad) a snack, and waited for the numbness to wear off. There were a flurry of texts/e-mails giving all our family and friends the first few shots of Grady's new life. Grandma and Grandpa Loftis were getting very antsy in the waiting room!

We were finally sent off to our private room around 5pm, and the Loftis' were waiting for us there. They were able to hold Grady for the first time as Grandma and Grandpa! We were able to spend a few hours with them that evening, just getting aquainted with our new family member. Grandpa would step out when it was time to work on nursing, and nurses/doctors came and went about every hour.

Our room at the hospital was SO nice! It had the standard hospital bed (which I certainly appreciated, since I had some considerable trouble getting in and out of bed), a small table with chairs, and a long bench seat which doubled as Dad's bed. The view out the windows was beautiful - of the lush green mountains!

Grandma and Grandpa were shoo'd out around 8pm, Chris, Sarah and cousin Lucille stopped by, and my boss Mary also. After that, we had the rest of the night to rest and get to know our baby. The night nurse was very friendly and helpful; she really made the night go very smoothly.

Around 3am they took Grady to get his hearing test. The nurse said it would be 5-20 minutes. After 45 minutes we started to get very nervous! I called for the nurse and she did come back in the next few minutes, assuring us that she hadn't stolen our baby (not what we were worried about anyway), and that they did have to wait to take the test and he did pass just fine. Shew!