DIY Handprint Ornament

     I knew that I wanted to make a Christmas ornament this year with Grayson's handprint on it.  I wanted something a little cuter than the typical homemade salt dough or clay ones.  This is what I came up with:

    

It didn't turn out as cute as I had envisioned in my mind, but I'm still happy with it.  Below are the directions for how I made it.

Materials Needed

Wood Coaster

Black Acrylic Paint
Foam Paint Brush
Permanent Markers
Ribbon
Gorilla Glue

1.  Paint child's hand so it's completely covered in paint.
2. Stick hand on wood and press down firmly.
3.  Pull up hand.  Be careful to pull directly up, so you don't smear the paint!
4.  Let dry and then write name, year, and design.
5.  Put a dot of glue on the back and add ribbon so you can hang it on a tree!

     Pretty easy!  Unless your not artistic and have a wiggly baby (like me.)  Haha.  If I could do it over I would wait until Grayson was asleep or Bryant was home to help me before I painted his hand.  He just wanted to hold onto the paint brush the entire time!
     I would also get a paint pen to use or practice more before writing his name and doing the design before I did it.
     I also wanted to put a bow at the top of the wood and hang the ribbon up there but his handprint was too close to the edge of it. Oh well.
     Like I said, I'm happy with how it turned out and his grandma's loved theirs! What kind of homemade ornaments have you made?

Four Months

     My baby is four months old!  It's been a great month!  His four month well-check is tomorrow so we'll find out how much he weighs then.  He's still my sweet, small, baby boy but I can definitely tell he's gotten bigger.   Especially when he's next to his new born (second) cousin, Chloe...she makes him seem HUGE! Haha.

 He's wearing 3-6 month clothes and in size 2 diapers now.  He loves chewing on his fingers and is so drooly.  He hasn't rolled over or anything yet, but he is a wiggly little guy.  It's not uncommon for me to wake up and have him be in a completely different position in his bed than how I put him to bed.  He always wakes up smiling and is finding his voice.  He always holds onto my fingers when I'm feeding him, it's my favorite.
                                        

     This past month he got to meet the rest of his aunts, uncles, and cousins during Thanksgiving.  All of Bryant's family came here for Thanksgiving so we had a big crowd!  It was so much fun and I love seeing how much our little boy is loved.

 

   I am looking forward to celebrating Christmas with him. Last Christmas I was pregnant and didn't even know it yet. It's crazy that I have a four month old this year! Having a baby makes everything better!  Until next month...

Three Months

     Grayson is three months old today!  I feel like he's grown a lot in this past month.  He had a doctor's appointment last Friday and was up to 11 lbs, 6 oz and I'm sure this week he's gained a few more ounces.  He is still becoming stronger and more aware every day.  I love watching him discover the world around him.  He is still sleeping awesome for the most part (only had one bad night in the last month, he wouldn't sleep unless I was holding him).  He typically will sleep from 8:30/9 - 7:00/8, only waking up once around 4:00 to eat.  He is awesome!!

     He is most smiley for me but becomes very concerned whenever I try to take a picture.

              

     He is getting to be so talkative! Mostly in the morning.

     And dressed up as a shark for Halloween.

     

     I'm just obsessed with him!  He's looking forward to next week and meeting the last of his aunts, uncles, and cousins!  I'm looking for to it too and to celebrating the holiday's with him.  I just love my little man!

Two Months

     As of yesterday, Grayson is now two months old! The day after he turned one month, he was back up to his birth weight (7 lbs, 5 oz).  Two weeks after that, we had another weight check and he was up to 8 lbs, 4 oz and yesterday at his two month appointment he was 9 lbs, 15 oz! He's still really small (7th percentile) but finally gaining weight!  I am so happy and we don't have to go back to the pediatrician until his four month appointment now.  He also had an ultra sound on his stomach, where he cried the whole time.  There was too much gas in his stomach to be able to see anything.  We started him on acid reflex medicine, which seems to be helping.  He usually only wakes up two times during the night to eat, but the last three nights he's slept in 7-8 hour stretches and has only woken up once!  I hope this will become a regular thing!

     This last month G went on his first trip to California.  He had fun meeting new aunts, uncles, cousins, and his great grandma Jo.  Bryant's Grandpa Johansson died a month before G was born, so I'm glad that he got to meet his grandma.   

     Grayson also had a special day at church, where Bryant gave him a blessing.  For those who aren't LDS (Mormon), a baby blessing is just a special blessing in church that we give new babies.  You can bless them with strength, faith, health, or anything else that you would like.  We were so grateful for all for all of the family that traveled near and far to make it!

   Those two things were really it for his second month of life.  He is starting to become more alert, smiley, and strong every day.  When he wakes up for the day, he is the most happy and smiley.  He is starting to become aware of his surroundings, like when we're watching TV or the mobile in his swing.  He usually falls asleep in his carseat whenever we drive anywhere.  He likes baths more and more each time but does not like to be taken out of it.  He still makes the cutest noises and will sometimes laugh in his sleep.

     I love being this little guys mom and love staying home with him!  I'm so grateful for Bryant for working hard so that I can.  I love watching him grow and discover the things around him.  Thanks for letting me be your mom, G!  I love you forever!

                                                                                                                           

 

 

One Month

     How is my baby one month old already?!

 It has gone by so, so fast.  It has been the best, hardest, happiest, tiredest month of my life.  Motherhood is hard.  You have it in your mind how you think your baby will be and how you'll be as a mother.  (Well at least I did.)  Newsflash, its not going to be as you thought.  I should've realized this when my labor and delivery went nothing like I imagined.
     Grayson's first appointment with his pediatrician was six days after he was born.  She was concerned about jaundice so every day for the next week, we had to go back for him to have his heel pricked.  We also had to go to the hospital for his PKU test (another heel prick) and to redo the hearing test, which he failed twice after he was born. (He passed the third time, and Bryant says he can now hear 100% of the time. Haha)  His bilirubin levels went down, but two weeks after he was born he still wasn't up to his birth weight.  I started supplementing formula every other feeding to see if that would help.  Here we are, a month after he's been born, and he still isn't back at his birth weight.  It breaks my heart; I feel like it's my fault. We are working to try a few different things to see if that'll help him gain weight and he's had an x-ray on his abdomen and will also have an ultrasound to see if there's anything going on inside of him that could be preventing him.
     Besides all of these problems, and going to the doctor so often, we still think he's pretty perfect.  He had a great first month meeting his grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, and cousins and is looking forward to the next month when he gets to meet even more! He loves the "Rudy" soundtrack, his swing, and when Bryant sings him Hootie and the Blowfish.  I love watching those two together.  G makes the cutest grunts and noises, I never want to forget them.  Especially when he sneezes and then sighs afterwards.
     Even on the roughest of days, when I put him in to bed, I can't help but smile because one, he's so freaking cute (sorry, Karen!), and two, I still can't believe he's ours and I feel so blessed to be his mom.
   I love you, G! Here's to gaining weight in your second month of life.

 
 

A Baby Story

August 10, 2016
I go to my checkup as usual.  At this point I am 36 weeks, 4 days pregnant.  I've had a pretty good pregnancy, but at this point I am so uncomfortable and swollen.  At my appointment my doctor, Dr. Sauter, was concerned about my blood pressure.  The protein in my urine was also a little high so he was concerned that I might have preeclampsia.  Being pregnant for the first time and the naive girl that I am, I asked my doctor what happens if I do have preeclampsia.  He said, "Then you'll deliver tomorrow." I begin freaking out in my mind, I'm not ready at all!  My diaper bag that I had ordered hadn't even came yet and I wasn't finished washing and cleaning everything!  My doctor told me he was going to send me to the hospital for more testing because they can get the results back faster there.  I left his office, called Bryant to come home from work, and tried to get a hold of my mom.  (I couldn't... freaking out more at this point.)  I called Robyn crying because I might be having a baby tomorrow and have nothing ready, no hospital bag packed, etc.  She calmed me down and reassured me everything would be okay.  I met Bryant at home, packed a bag, and we headed to the hospital not knowing if we would be having a baby the next day or not.  Obviously all of the testing came back good, because I didn't have a baby on August 11.

August 17, 2016
One week later and I was back at the doctor's office for my checkup.  This time my blood pressure was even higher than last week.  There was no question now that my doctor wanted to induce me.  I thought this might be a possibility so I wasn't too shocked.  He called the hospital to see when they wanted me to come in.  He was thinking that night or the next morning.  They told me to come in right then!  I left the office, called Bryant again to come home from work, and got a hold of mom so she could drive down.  We were going to have a baby!!

One last bump pic!  37 weeks, 4 days.

12:00 p.m.:  I got all checked into the hospital.  They checked to see if I was dilated at all and at this point I was 1 cm dilated, 50% effaced.

1:00 p.m.:  They started me on Cervidil, a medicine that is supposed to soften my cervix.  This could potentially dilate me some more, it could not.  Now it's a waiting game for the next 12 hours.

1:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.: Sit, be bored, eat some, drink some, watch movies and the Olympics.  I started getting some mild contractions, but nothing worse than cramps I haven't experienced before.  During this time Bryant's brother Brandon and our nephew Reggie stopped by and Brandon helped Bryant give me a blessing.  My cousin Allison and her husband Mike also stopped by.  It was nice to have some visitors and break up the time a little bit.

August 18, 2016
1:00 a.m.: Cervidil comes out, still only dilated to a 1.  They called my doctor to see if he wanted to start me on another cervix softener or just start Pitocin.  Sure enough, he said just to start Pitocin.

1:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.:  I don't remember much during this time, just the contractions getting gradually stronger.  They checked to see if I dilated more and sure enough, I was still only at a 1-2 cm.  At 11:00 they broke my water and it was awful.

11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. :  Contractions are consistent and painful.  They won't give me an epidural until I am dilated to 3 - 4 cm so I'm basically dying this whole entire time.  They did give me a different pain medicine, but it only lasted about an hour or so.  Once it wore off, contractions started coming every minute or so.  I don't remember what time they checked me again, but I wanted an epidural so bad so I had them check me again and sure enough, I was still only a 1 - 2 cm.  At this point I had been in the hospital over 24 hours, and not progressing at all.  I was in so much pain and so discouraged because I wasn't progressing.  I thought I was never going to have him!  Bryant and I talked about it and I just couldn't imagine waiting another 8-12 hours to see if my body was going to progress anymore and not have anything happen.  We talked with the nurses and doctor and decided to have a c-section.  The c-section was scheduled for 7:30 that night which meant I could get an epidural!  I don't know why actually getting an epidural has a bad rap because compared to getting my water broken and the contractions, the epidural was a piece of cake.  Finally some relief!

4:00 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. :  I was finally able to relax and get some sleep . I don't think I got that much though because I was so anxious, excited, and nervous to finally see the end in sight!  My mom was also getting closer and closer so I was excited to see her.

6:45 p.m.:  My mom made it!  Bryant went down to get her and show her to my room.  They walk in as I'm brushing my teeth, but it wasn't just my mom.  My dad came too!  I was soooo surprised, I immediately started crying like a baby.  I was so happy to have them both there.

So surprised and happy!

6:45 - 7:30 p.m. : Last minute preparation for surgery and then they wheeled me down to the OR.  When I got there I was able to move by myself from my bed to the operating table.  I think this surprised my doctor so he had the anesthesiologist give me more medicine.  I don't know if they had started surgery or what was really going on on the other side of the blue cover, but I could still feel some.  At first it felt like 4 pinches/bee stings and then I could feel a little bit of slicing. (TMI, eek, sorry!) I said something to them again how I can still feel something.  The anesthesiologist put a mask on my face and the next thing I know is I'm being wheeled somewhere.  I feel like a small ant in a giant spinning room.

• • • • • • • • 

I realized that I am out of surgery, but sooooo out of it.  I couldn't open my eyes at all and just kept asking about the baby.  I'm pretty sure I asked at least 10 times how he was and how the surgery was. When I was somewhat able to open my eyes (everything was still so confusing and blurry) but this was the first thing I saw:

My boys! I have a son!

Grayson Alan Johansson, born August 18, 2016 at 7:54 p.m.  7 lbs, 5 oz.

My labor and delivery wasn't at all what I had imagined or expected, but I am happy to have had a safe delivery and a healthy baby.  The next day when my doctor came in he told me he thinks I was dreaming during surgery.  Guess I was making noises and stuff.  Hahah, so embarrassing!  Thank you all for your prayers, texts, well wishes, and congratulations.  I'm so blessed to be Grayson's mom and to be an eternal family with him and Bryant.  Bryant was my rock during all of it, I couldn't have done it without him.