An Apple Already? 15 Weeks

15 weeks 2 days with lil Manna

Excuse my randomly poof hair that never happens to me!

15 weeks 3 days with Blessing; Still not a huge difference between the two pregnancies I think my back is just permanently arched from my first pregnancy or something because that's what is making me look bigger!

So, 15 weeks and 2 days? It is kinda unbelievable that we are this far already! I am trying to relish each moment of this pregnancy because every pregnancy is such a gift! This was about the point in our pregnancy with Addison that Matthew moved to DC so it is excited to be able to share THIS time with him :)

Here is a little info on Manna:

Lil Manna measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs.

I am anxiously awaiting those BIG ole kicks I loved so much when I was pregnant with Addison. I THINK I feel some movement, but I am not sure. I do not remember what the early movement felt like with Addison, I just remember the ones strong enough that you could feel with your hands too.

How am I feeling?

Since the weather here is still back and forth between cool and warm, my allergies have flared up which means I cannot breathe at all through my nose, but I count myself lucky that its the only noteworthy symptom. Other than that---I am peachy and am blessed my pregnancies have been relatively easy thus far.

I am trying my best to stay in shape and find time to continue working out. I really would love to try labor without pain medication and being in shape helps with that. With Addison I did all the hard part without any pain meds (including transition) but after being awake for 30 hours the midwife said...if you dont sleep an hour or two you will NOT be able to push. So, I got an epidural to sleep for two hours. I am hoping this labor is not as long and I can do the whole thing without pain meds. However, I reserve the right to change my mind!!!! I have been walking, doing some cardio (Jillian Micheals 30 day shred minus the ab section) and lots of yoga. I do my best to do at least one of the aforementioned workouts 3-5 times a week, but it is hard to find time.

Prayer this week:

Please continue to protect our little one from harm and I thank you for your protection thus far. Let us cast all our anxieties on you, for you always have everything in your hands. Thank you for your glorious plan for it is always good when mine is always flawed. Please be with us at the next doctor's appointment we have and bless the doctors and midwives with all the knowledge and wisdom they require.

Happy Easter

He Is Risen......Happy Easter! Here are a few photos of Addison on Easter Sunday. We go to church on Saturdays so this was just a random photo op and spring walk. Enjoy!

(the blue dress below was made by her Grandma)

Standing alone, but scared to death!!

She hated the prickly grass!

Addison: "THANK YOU FOR FINISHING THE PHOTOS MOMMY AND DADDY!!"

Mommy's water bottle is much more fun to drink from

Forward Please!

This may not be exciting to many of you, but it was to me! We switched Addison's car seat to be FORWARD FACING!! She is getting so heavy and I will be getting so big soon that it was just going to get too difficult for me to put her in and out of the car seat while rear facing. PLUS she reaches the height, age and weight recommendations (20 pounds, one year, yadayada).

Addison loves looking out the windows and seeing us in the car, so hopefully she will do ok in it. I am interested to see if she will still sleep well in the car seat since she can now see me. I am sure it will take some getting used to but I am excited to see how she does!!

Oh and another benefit...Matthew will actually fit in the passenger seat now! He is too tall and the seat had to be too far forward when the car seat was rear facing. I get CRAZY car sick when I am pregnant so it will be nice to be able to drive HIM around some :)

YAY for our growing girl!!!!

Easter Egg Hunt

I recently joined a local chapter of Mom's Club International and so far, 3 days in, I love it! On Tuesday, April 19 the Mom's Club did an egg hunt at a park nearby. I almost did not attend because I thought "Addison does not even walk, all she is gonna do is watch, BORING". Despite thinking it would be boring, we went along with our neighbors.

Addison had fun watching the egg hunt, shaking her eggs (her eggs were filled with tiny bubble containers, stickers, goldfish, raisins, puffs, etc) and climbing on the playground. The weather turned out great, it was a rare warmish day!!! All in all it was super fun and I am glad we went!!

"shake, shake, shaking" her egg with the encouragement of my friend and neighbor Melissa

Elle (middle), 2 years old and our neighbor with her cousin and Addison.

Elle (middle), 2 years old and our neighbor with her cousin

Happy Easter!

Elle and Addison posing for the Easter picture :)

I dont know why I love this picture!

Early Birthday Date

Sadly, I have no pictures of our date!! I could KICK MYSELF for it because we got all dressed up for it :(

Matthew wanted to surprise me for our date, but because of what we were doing he spilled the beans a few days early. We went into D.C. for dinner, to see a 90 minute rendition of William Shakespeare's King Lear and dessert!!! He shared it with me early so I could re-familiarize myself with the play and trust me I am glad I did!

The Drive: After the babysitter arrived at 6 pm, we dashed out the door thinking we would have at least 1.5 hours to eat before the 8 PM show. We had planned on eating and parking just a block away from the theatre, so we had plenty of time......until......TRAFFIC. Um...we were NORTHBOUND into D.C....what's up with traffic???

The Fun Surprise: After we got into D.C. and saw all the red, white and blue appeal, we knew the reason for the traffic, a Caps game and a playoffs game at that! All the fans and road blocks caused us not to be able to park until about 7:10....that was 50 minutes until the show!!! We walked/jogged around looking for somewhere to eat and just decided to keep it simple and BK it up!!

It sounds silly we were all dressed up and eating at Burger King and I think it bothered Matthew, but I loved it. It was SO us. We had fun sharing french fries and coke and just laughing about the whole situation. I loved it. Loved it. The best part was Matthew bought some food for a homeless lady. He is ALWAYS thinking of others.

The Show: Next...the show!! It was a silent, dark comedic take on King Lear. In fact, everyone was dressed as clowns. Not silly circus clowns, but crazy awesome modern and dark clowns. It was AMAZING!!! I loved that it was silent!! And as with most Shakespeare plays for me, I actually understood more watching than reading. Shakespeare always has characters disguised and it tends to jump around. I still love reading it, but nothing tops seeing it preformed!

Dessert: We stopped by a little cupcake shop and after toasting the cupcakes---we called it an evening. D.C. shuts down at night and so do the suburbs, so there is not much to do past 10 pm. It is very strange to me.

All in all, I loved my date. Every moment. It was perfect and perfect for us. These evenings alone happen once in a blue moon, in fact I think we have only gone out a handful of times since Addison was born so I cherish these evenings. It sure was a fun adventure and I cannot wait to do it again, hopefully soon :)

Shrimp Farming is Fantastic-13 weeks

Our Lil Manna is approximately the size of a medium shrimp now; over 3 inches long and weighs nearly and ounce. This also marks the conclusion of the first trimester!!! No green shirt picture for another couple of weeks....and there is sure to be a BIG difference between week 12 and the next one...yay!

Here is a little info on Manna:

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head -- which makes up just a third of her body size now.

How am I feeling?

Oh the sweet relief...I can breathe again!! I was amazed that my tummy seemed to "pop out" the past few days. I had to go to the doctor for something not really Manna related and I am happy to report I am FINALLY not in a weight deficit anymore! I admit, I am not one to concern myself too much with weight gain during pregnancy because I just want a BIG and HEALTHY baby! Otherwise, feeling pretty great!!!!! I do have the occasional heart burn which is odd---I did not have that with Addison until I was about 36 weeks. I am also feeling THANKFUL as well that we made it through the first trimester because the odds of miscarriage are significantly reduced now (that is why we waited to share news until 11.5 weeks).

What's in a name?

So...as of this moment we plan to not select names until Lil Manna arrives. We have an incredibly long list that I keep adding to. We want to meet Lil Manna before selecting a suitable name. My pen pal did this with her little girl (she also did not find out gender) and I loved it! It was almost as if Isla helped pick her own name!!!

However, we reserve the right to change our minds on this matter :)

Prayer/Praise this week:

Thank you, thank you, thank you and praise you heavenly father for getting us safely through the first trimester. I praise you for this precious little one now, I praise you for all he/she will become one day!! I pray he/she would come into a relationship with you very early. Lord, show us how we can use this baby and pregnancy to glorify your kingdom! I ask you to keep your hand over this baby; protect him/her. Thank you again for the honor of being a parent to not only this little one but my most precious Addison Joy as well. Be with Addison, help us prepare her. We love you and praise you for this and ALL your blessings!

Bye Bye Bottle and Nursing

Just a somewhat quick post here about bottles, nursing and the cup.....

So we started the weaning process from nursing exclusively to cows milk in a cup right at 11 months (I am authoring a special blog about weaning and what went right and wrong soon, so more details on the entire process to come, this is just an excitement blog).

I had in my head we would slowly move to the cup over the course of a month eliminating one of four nursing periods at a time, leaving the bedtime feeding intact until about 13-14 months. Addison's desire to drink milk from a cup has been up and down; she was holding out for that bedtime nursing period. SO...we moved to bottle only with expressed/frozen milk. As soon as we did that----she started taking less and less at night.....two nights ago she only took an ounce.

Last night we gave her the cup and no bottle. She did not even notice. I was totally surprised that she eliminated it pretty much on her own.

AND yesterday she drank about 10 oz of cows milk from her cup---thats a record!!!!!! For everyone reading this, believe me when I tell you she gets PLENTY of dairy and fats in ways other than milk (lentils, cheese, yogurt, avocados, eggs, etc.). She has a diverse lil pallet thanks to Super Baby Food and wholesomebabyfood.com

I admit I was forced to get over my pride a bit since I realized my stockpile of breast milk will not all get used. I plan to use it in cereal, but much of it will go unused. However, I reminded myself that all the pumping allowed me to nurse this long AND nurse while I was pregnant---all with no supply issues.

I am so proud of Addison and all her growing up!!!!! I cannot wait to see what is coming up next!! Stay tuned for a review of the weaning process!

Water Sign

This is Addison's version of the sign "Water". Close enough for me!!! She was already doing it when I started filming because I had the cup in my hand :)

Lil Manna is a Lime-12 Weeks

12 weeks, 1 day with Lil Manna

Approximately 11 weeks with Blessing; not as big a difference in size as I expected honestly maybe if I had my hands the same they would look similar

12 weeks already...I cannot believe we are essentially finished with the first trimester! It flies by, especially when you have a toddler running around AND you did not announce the pregnancy until 11.5 weeks!

Here is a little info on Lil Manna:

The most dramatic development this week: Reflexes. Lil Manna's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. From crown to rump, Lil Manna is just over two inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

How am I feeling?

Honestly? GREAT!!!! Now that I am not battling non pregnancy related issues, I am feeling great! I have some bad congestion in my nose to the point to where no air can even get through sometimes. But afrin nose spray is my savior!! Still a little tired, but maybe that is Addison and not Manna causing that.

I have already felt a tiny of swooshing around in there, which is exciting! I cannot wait for MORE especially since Lil Manna seemed so active during the ultrasound!

And oddly, my ab muscles are a tad sore, but I think thats more from toting around a toddler mixed with pregnancy.

I am attempting to gain weight, purposefully! I was at about an 8 pound deficit after all my non pregnancy related illnesses. Last doc visit I was at about a 4 pound deficit, so I am trying to find time in my busy day to have some healthy snacks...I want another big baby believe it or not!!!

Prayer this week:

Lord, bless this Lil Manna. Keep him/her safe and continue to grow this precious one. Thank you for this honor. Thank you. Even at only 12 weeks, I want to commend this little one to you, for it is yours anyways. May this little one come to know you at a young age and pursue all things that glorify you. Continue to lead Matthew and I to be the parents YOU call us to be, not the world.

Addison's First Birthday

Addison's cupcake themed first birthday was a blast'! Little Joy was all smiles all afternoon. I am so thankful for everyone who joined us in celebrating our Blessing's first birthday. We had adults and children ranging in ages from 1-4. The weather turned out perfect so we were able to spill over onto the deck for space. Matthew manned the grill while I enjoyed watching Addison play with her friends. I still cannot believe how it all came together!

We started the evening with enjoying hamburgers, hot dogs, chips with dips and mac & cheese. Then we all piled into the kitchen to watch Addison try some cake. At first she would not get messy, then Katie helped her get a bit on her face...then she dug in! Afterward we opened a few presents and just hung out. All in all we throughly enjoyed the fellowship and it reminded me how blessed we are with some wonderful people in our lives here in D.C.

The pictures that follow were taken by my dear friend Marquet; she is not professional (yet), but after seeing these I know she would be a quite successful professional photographer if she decides to pursue it. These photos capture a very special day so I am very grateful she took these!! Thanks Marquet!!!!

Enjoy this slideshow of Addison's day!!

We will not be having big parties every birthday, but this was also a time for us to finally have people over to our new home.

Figuring Out the Fork

Mia and Papa gave Addison a fork (among other things) for her first birthday. I admit I have been hesitant to allow her to dabble in self feeding with utensils much because I was fearful we would lose our well mannered baby at the table. Well---you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs!!! Below is a series of videos which document her first experience with the fork..she caught on so fast, which indicates she is ready!

Telling her fork "whats up"

Mommy showing her how it works

Almost there, but she does not look discouraged yet!

YIPPIE!! Success!!

Addison Joy is ONE!

This was the BEST one believe it or not. She is too interested in standing and playing with that Teddy bear!

Happy Birthday to our Blessing Addison!

Here is the official 12 month post and from here out....I won't be posting monthly like this *I THINK*, perhaps every couple of months.

The Stats

• Weight: 21.4 lbs (54%); she has gained about 12 pounds since she was born
• Height: 30.25 inches (85%); she has grown over 8 inches since she was born
• Head: 18.5 inches (93%, giant head, wowzers!)
• Diaper Size: 4
• Clothing Size: 18 Month mostly due to length
• Conclusion: Long and lean just like Daddy. The doctor shared that once solids are the primary food source and thus breastfeeding decreases, genetics related to weight finally kick in. This is why Addison has alway been in the HIGH percentiles in weight until the last few months when we started winding down breastfeeding. Breastfed babies just tend to be chunky :) Now we see that she takes after Daddy even more than we though!

The Milestones

• Talking: She can say---baby, meme (mom), ball, out, up, down, bottle, daddy, dog, hat, piper, bye, duck, Addison. Maybe that's it...but I am not sure I cannot keep up.
• Sign Language: EXPLOSION here! She seems to pick up a new sign after only showing it to her a few times. We have been wokring on more abstract things like---Thank you, please, again and potty.
• Mobility: I still maintain she is far from walking but she is getting a little more gutsy now. She will purposfully stand unassisted but as soon as she has the slightest wobble, she gives up. She will sometimes do a half step dive into you...that is as close as she is to walking. Although, she does cruise along anything and everything as well as crawl FAST---who needs to walk when you can do that??? :)
• Breastfeeding: WHEW!!!! We are DONE!!! I am down to pumping once or twice a day and that is wrapping up to a CLOSE soon. If you had not read from a post titled "Little Manna", we are expecting baby 2 in October so I think the milk machine needs a break. Plus, I cannot keep up with the calories I need to feed me, Addison and Lil Mana--I have been losing weight! Addison still takes a bottle of expressed milk before bed and I believe as soon as that is frozen milk, she will want to drop it. So we are on milk in a cup all day and then she gets water in the evening if she wants it.
• Eating: I am THANKFUL she is SUCH a great eater!!!!! She eats almost anything we offer her and eats TONS. I am not sure where it all goes because she is thinning out.
• Overall Personality: She is so sweet and tries very hard to be obedient. We are currently working on sharing and giving up objects without huge objections. She seems to pick one toy to take around with her everywhere during her wake time and then is reluctant to give it up when it is nap time. I say "let's put XYZ back" she smiles, complies and then realizes the object is gone. She lets out one little cry and is usually over it within 1-2 minutes at most. She LOVES to get people's attention when we go places, wave bye at them and give them a cheese ball smile. She is a JOY. Period. But I know I am partial.
• Routine: Nothing has changed here. I STILL LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Teething: Still waiting on the molars. You can see where there are some bumps back there, but nothing has cut yet.
• Independent Play: We are up to 25-30 minutes each morning and hopefully we will get back into the groove of some IP in the afternoon soon. We have been busy and sick this month!
• Pacifier: I thought I would comment on this here. Ever since we started to wean from breastfeeding, Addison has taken a liking to the pacifier. I think now that she has a cup, her sucking need is not satisfied as it was previously. I am not against the pacifier at all, but we try to be careful when we use it. If she had the choice I think she would have it a lot, but we reserve it for bedtime, the car when it is a long drive and emergencies when her loud crying/fussing is inappropriate and disruptive to others (i.e. church or restaurant).
• ONE: So cute...when you ask how old she is she holds up a ONE with her finger :)

She really is such a sweetie and we are blessed to have this little Joy! Addison is just a generally happy little (dare I say it) toddler. We have our bad days like anyone else, but those are the rarity. We are so thankful for her and so thankful for everyone else in her life that expresses love to her!

See long and lean....check out those skinny legs!

Matching Spongebob PJS :)

She loves sticking her tounge out!

Little Manna

"From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another."

John 1:16

(New Living Translation)

We are thrilled to share that the Grant Gang will get a little bigger around October 20, 2011 with the addition of our Little Manna.

Since we decided not find out gender again with this baby, we wanted to select a nickname for the baby during pregnancy. As many of you may remember, we referred to Addison as "Blessing" the entire time we were pregnant. After sifting through several choices (Agape, Love, Monkey, Little One, etc.), we settled on Little Manna for this baby.

God blessed the Israelites with Manna (or bread of heaven) when they were sojourning in dessert on their way to Canaan. God showed his grace and mercy to his people by blessing and providing them food to sustain their life. For us to refer to the new baby as "Little Manna" reminds us that God has given us this second blessing from heaven and that He will provide for us the means, ability, discernment, knowledge and patience required. We prayed that God would give us a second child in HIS timing, not ours. Which reminds me of a passage in Psalms referring to the Israelites.

"They asked, and he brought quail,

and gave them bread from heaven in abundance."

Psalm 105:40

(English Standard Version)

Please pray for a safe and healthy pregnancy. Also, please pray for the transitions Addison will face adding a second child to the family. Lastly (but not least) please pray for God to continue to prepare Matthew and I for a second baby. I really believe God prepares us in a "Just In Time" fashion (all you Business and Accounting people know what I talking about). We may not feel ready, but when the occasion arises HE never fails us.

We have a BOUNCER on our hands! Lil Manna did NOT stop bouncing during this ultrasound! I KNEW I felt something the other day, now I know why!!

Grant Prison (Not Really)

Addison can climb the stairs (and loves to) so....the Grant Prison has been instated....

Happy First Birthday Addison Joy

One year ago today at 9:16 PM and after 36 hour of labor our "Blessing" Addison Joy Grant was born weighing in at a whopping 9 pounds 7 ounces and 22 inches long (read here about Addison's somewhat dramatic arrival story). I cannot believe it has been one year, during the year it seemed like it would never end, but now that it is here it has flown by!!!

I am not writing her one year post today, just want to wish our precious daughter a happy birthday!

Addison: Happy first birthday! You live up to your middle name so perfectly and we are so thankful for you everyday. You brighten our lives everyday with your smiles, giggles, silliness and crazy little animal faces. We are so proud of you already and love you very much!

3 Days Old

11 Months

11 Months