The Grant Gang Adventures

Friday, June 27, 2014

What's in a Name? {Blythe Juliette Grant}

Names. They are so hard for us because of the gender surprise. I cannot get fully on board with a name until the baby is born! Blythe has been on our list for a long time and I am so happy we were able to finally use it!!!

Blythe: carefree, happy, cheerful. It's an old English name and has been used for both a boy or a girl

Juliette: we just liked how it sounded with Blythe 😁

Her official name selection was sort of like Caleb's. Right after Matthew and I figured out it was a girl--which shocked both of us--Matthew was sending an email to our parents and friend watching the big kids to announce the arrival. He simply said "so Blythe Juliette right?". When I heard him say it, it was as if that was always her name. We never had settled on that as her name but when he said it there was no turning back in my book!

And I tell ya---we had a list a mile long of potential names and especially middle name possibilities to go wih Blythe.

We loved the meaning of Blythe and she really does live up to the cheerful part. When she is around others she is ALL SMILES! We are still waiting to see how true the "carefree" part is 😂

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Happy Birthday Daddy and Grandpa

Since Granma and Granpa came to visit us AND Granpa and Matthew both have June birthdays, Granma and I decided we would celebrate some Birthdays!

We made a GIANT cookie cake and dairy free peach ice cream made with almond milk. I was so impressed with how the dairy free ice cream turned out that I will be doing it again soon; Caleb and I are both low to no dairy so it was perfect! It was a fun celebration!

I do not have good decorating skills when it comes to writing :)

Making ice cream with Granpa

Checking on the ice cream

Checking on the ice cream....again.....

....and again....

All done! We are making him work at his own party!

Yum!

They thought the candles were for them!

Poor Addison always blinks in pictures like her Mommy

Watch the progression of blowing out the candles here!

Ready to blow...

inhale....

Addison is worried about blowing out a candle that isnt hers, LOL

Still worried about it

Caleb got Daddy's blown out....

...Caleb is moving on to the next candle...

...Caleb blew them all out!!

Matthew wastes nothing---licking the frosting off the bowl

Opening his presents

His two mini me's!

Memorial Day 2014

We spent memorial day with our small group---we had a blast but boy it was hot!! We grilled at a friends house and watched the kids play...it was beautiful chaos. This was the first time Blythe did not have a witching hour too, that was huge! Ever since then she has not had much of a witching hour, WOOT!

Some of the kids of the small group

Addison and Caleb chowing down

Caleb cheesing it up

Silly Addison

Blinks for every picture

Waiting for his food

Photogenic brothers!

All boy!

He was a natural!

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Blythe: One Month

I cannot believe this gem has been in our family for a month already!!!!

Weight: at 2 weeks 3 days she was 11 lbs 3 oz and has been growing at a 1 oz per day rate, so she is well into 12 pounds by now I imagine

Height: No clue

Diaper: Size one

Clothes: 3-6 months (WHAT?!?!)

Personality: She has a very very sweet nature. Blythe seems easily contented and very social. She loves to be held and listen to everyone talk and play around her. She is the perfect addition to this family. I think she and big sister are going to be two peas in a pod.

Developments: She has already been doing social smiles and talking (cooing and saying "ah-goo")!! Poor Matthew is surrounded by motor mouths! The smiles are a welcomed gift during that middle of the night feeding!

Schedule: She is not awake for very long by the time she is done eating but---here is where we are at:

7:30 am: Nurse

8:20 am: Nap

10:30 am: Nurse (sometimes this is at 10:00-10:15)

11:20 am: Nap

1:30 pm: Nurse

2:20 pm: Nap

4:30 pm: Nurse

7:15-7:45 pm: Bottle of breast milk straight to bed

10:30 pm: Dream feed

3-6:00 am: Demand feed nurse

Her waketime activities are lacking because by the time I have her fed and changed I need to be checking on the big kids. Some of her activities include: bath, being held by Caleb/Addison, tummy time with Caleb/Addison, blanket time with Caleb/Addison

Reflux: I am sad to report she is taking zantac for reflux---BUT it seems to be helping her a lot! I have also been off dairy for two weeks now and that has made a difference as well. She is content!

Mommy: I am SO ready to work out but the midwife instructed me to wait until after I am seen at 6 weeks to start back to that. I feel awesome honestly---just a little tired :) I will talk more about how I am doing after I finish another blog post I have been working on since the beginning of April!

Blythe darling, You are the perfect addition to this family. You are loved by your siblings more than you will ever know and Daddy and I just adore you. There are so many others that have prayed for you and have loved on you since the day you were born. We are thankful you are here and thankful for each sweet smile and coo. Blythe, you will never ever know how special you are to this family. I am honored God chose ME to be the Mommy to such a sweet little girl.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Blythe's Birth Story {And Video of Big Kids First Meeting}

Blythe's birth story kept with the theme of our pregnancy, whirlwind! Blythe was born 100% natural, no pain meds, no pitocin, not even an I.V. We arrived at the hospital at 12:30am and she was born at 12:56 am---whirlwind! I always said I wanted an exciting labor and dilivery story----I got my wish with our third!!!

My midwife said come to the hospital when I couldn't walk or talk thru the contractions but I didn't know it could happen this fast!

For those fain of heart I would read cautiously.....

Tuesday 4/29

3:30 pm: 41 week midwife appointment. My bp is high for me but within normal range. When checked I am 75% effaced and 3-4 cm. She stripped me.

5:30 pm: Start feeling more pressure. No pain yet.

10:30 pm: When I lay down for bed and finally relax for the day I start having mild cramps that wake me off and on all night but no pain.

Wednesday 4/30

6:00 am: I woke up off and all night with cramps so I decide to wake up with Matthew and tell him about it. When I stand I lose my mucus plug and had small bleeding the whole day.

6:00 am - 5:30 pm: Cramps all day. I tried to keep busy. I mopped. Changed sheets. Vaccumed. Dusted. Played a lot with the kids. Napped. Laundry. I did not think they were contractions all day. They didn't hurt. Calling them uncomfortable was even a stretch. I wasn't sure all day whether they were contractions or just cramps from my stripping.

7:15 pm: Matthew suggests we have my friend Jennifer go ahead and come over to be ready to watch the kids. I disagreed with him and my friend thinking it was nothing but said ok. She came over with her kids and they all went to bed.

8:00 pm - 11:00 pm: We started timing contractions/cramps. They were 2-5 minutes apart but to me very mild. I talked to my friend through all the cramps while bouncing on my yoga ball.

11:00 pm: Cramps finally start to be slightly painful but I can still walk through them. We all try to go to bed.

11:00-11:45 pm: I can't sleep because cramps are so frequent.

11:45 pm: I get up to use the restroom and I almost can't walk through the cramps. I start to consider waking Matthew to go to the hospital.

Thursday 5/1

12:00 am: My water breaks on the couch. Weirdest feeling thing ever. My next few cramps/contractions were very painful. As I clean up in the bathroom and Matthew gets the car ready to go, I feel the urge to push so I know we don't have much time.

12:11 am: leave for hospital and call midwife. My contractions hurt quite a bit but aren't out of control painful.

12:25 am: Arrive at ER. Wheelchair to labor and delivery. Now I am nauseous. When we arrived at l&d they couldn't decide what room to put me in. I was literally about to push the baby out and they couldn't figure out what room!!!! I finally said "if you put me in triage first we will have a baby there." They finally decided on a room.

12:35 am: Arrive in room. They want me in a gown. I can barely do it now I am in so much pain. I told them I needed to push. I get checked and was 9.5 cm. They get me on a monitor and her heart rate is 80--WAY TOO LOW. They start asking me flip one side to the other then to my hands and knees, all while they were smashing the heart rate monitor on me. Now I am screaming in pain. Contractions almost non stop. I yell things like "I can't do it" and "help me" to which the nurses respond it's too late for help baby needs to come now. Oxygen on my face. Yelling from everyone. My midwife still isn't there.

12:54 am: Finally I hear Matthew say "just push" followed by my midwife (who just walked in) "push through the pain". I push and quickly her head emerges. Everyone yells "push and don't stop. Harder." So I push without stopping and it felt like she was spinning coming out. It was horrible pain!!!!!!

12:56 am: She is born, cord wrapped around her neck twice, facing my leg-that's why I felt all the spinning. When she was born she was pink but the shock of such an abrupt arrival made her forget to breathe. She turned blue for a while but after a little help she was fine (same thing happened with Caleb).

I had my eyes closed the entire time I pushed and for a while afterward so I did not know it was a girl for several minutes. I want to remember every tiny detail of her arrival so I am glad I have this blog. My heart is full.

So.......

Blythe Juliette Grant

5.1.14

12:56 pm

9lbs 9oz

21.5 inches long

The Grant Gang is now five.