1 week old

One week down and Rex has done some big things already such as lose his umbilical cord and his little tee tee ring. He did both yesterday, one week on the dot. Another funny thing is that when he was born his ears were stuck flat to his head at the top and didn't curl around like the top of ears do. But now, one week later, they're curled. Weird.

Yesterday, SJ was drawing a picture of Rex for him and she was telling us that she was going to write his name on the paper so he would know the picture was for him and of him. She went into detail about how she knew how to spell Rex, R-E-X, and for R you just make a P with a "slapt down line stick on it" then E, then for X, "two slapt down lines." She never stops talking, but is the sweetest sister. She loves Rex and loves to say, "Aww, look how cute baby Rex is." So sweet.

Rex Hughes Grabham, Our Blue Eyed Boy

January 13th, 2010, 4:58 pm 9lbs 13oz, 22"

He's here! Yay! And he is the sweetest little baby. He is so calm and so quiet and so perfect. He hardly ever makes a peep, loves to be held and seems so content. He has dark brown hair and blue eyes (our first and only blue eyed baby), long, skinny arms and legs and huge hands and feet. He is super cute...

Michael and I went to the hospital at 6am Wednesday. My nurse, Janeicia weighed me and took me straight to my room. They did not waste any time. Michael had gone to park the car and by the time he made it to the room, they already had me in a hospital gown, in the bed and hooked up to the monitors. They gave me an IV and some gel to get labor started and off we went. We took a 30 minute walk after the gel and I felt like I was ready to push. That stuff hurt bad. After the walk, I asked for my epidural, got it and was ecstatic. I didn't realize how much discomfort I had been enduring until I wasn't in pain at all. It really was the first time I wasn't in pain from this big ole baby in like 3 months. Love that epidural!

They didn't start my pitocin until 10:30 or 11:00 and I was really ready to be out of there. I was expecting a fast delivery for number 3, but they weren't in the same hurry I was in. Gigi, Pink and Michael sat in the room with me as we waited and waited for Rex and endured my impatience and repeated requests to have my medicine turned up so we could get the show on the road. Apparently I was stuck at 9.5 centimeters for a while and Rex had his head turned to the side instead of pointing down, so they made us wait and wait for that situation to change. Dr. Hays showed up around 4:30 and we were ready to have our baby. Yay, finally!

The nurses got the room ready and we started to push at 4:55. I only got to do one count to 10, waited for his shoulders to turn, did a little half push, and he was all the way out by 4:58! What?!? I still don't get it. 9lbs 13oz, born in 3 minutes of pushing. It just doesn't seem right.

The Grandparents

Pink

Gigi

Bop

Gabby - Richard Hughes Grabham II

Serious Countdown

Induction is scheduled for Wednesday morning beginning at 6am. The kids are very excited about Rex getting here. I went into the office at Stella's school today and the ladies in the office knew that Rex would be here in 3 days, that his name is Rex and how to spell it. They obviously had a little convo with SJ, proud big sister. Everything we've been doing is our last this or that as a family of 4. We did our last trip to Gattitown this weekend with the Burriss 4. It was only 2 million degrees in there, so yeah that was fun. The babies liked it, had yet another highly nutritious meal and "won" some amazing junk.

S and Y playing in their new tent... with the potty moved in there of course...

While SJ was at school today, Yates and I did some heavy machinery stalking. We followed a garbage truck around and watched him empty about 10 huge dumpsters. That was awesome. We found lots of bulldozers, excavators, backhoes, bobcats, some guys replacing and welding up a new sign outside of a restaurant and even a big ford f350 stuck in the mud up to its running boards right on Lovers Lane. We really wanted to wait to see him get pulled out, but just couldn't wait long enough. All of it was super cool and we followed that up with our Mighty Machines video. "dig, dig, dig, dig, diggy"

Tonight we made our last trip to Houstons has a family of 4... maybe our last trip ever. S and Y could not sit still at all. Having them ricochet around the booth gets old really fast.

The highlight of today was having Lane take my maternity photo. She did an amazing job and I owe her huuuuge! I think they turned out so good and I'm so glad I decided to do these photos on this pregnancy and not the other two. I weighed a good 15-20lbs more at this point the last 2 times. Sick! Anyway, thank you, thank you, thank you Lane!

No more being careful...

Yates and Stella telling Santa what they want for Christmas, a bulldozer and an art desk.

We made it! The holidays are over and I am done being careful trying to keep this baby in. I don't know what I was so worried about. If I didn't feel so crippled and could walk like a normal person, I would be 2000% sure that there was absolutely no chance I would go into labor without medical intervention. So anyway, since nothing happened and I didn't ruin anyone's Christmas or New Years with a trip to L&D I'm trying to do as much as I can to work this baby on out. (As if something can be done. Lord knows I've tried every terrible trick in the book)

Coming down for Christmas morning.

Our Christmas was fun. We did Christmas Eve here with my parents and the babies had a great time. We actually overdid it and had to hide some presents for later. I didn't even realize that could happen. Yates has since found most of his stash and has made me open them. One day he found a wrapped gift hidden in my closet. I didn't think he would even care or be curious about it, but I was very wrong. He told me to come open it while I was getting dressed and I tried to minimize it and just say no thats not for us to open right now and walk off. That didn't work at all. He then told me that it was for him and he needed it open because his name was written on it, right there by Mickey Mouse... not in quite so many words of course. I was so impressed that he recognized his name that I caved. Poor little Yates needed that present opened. He almost had a heart attack when he saw that there were camo rain boots in there from Pink and Bop. There isn't much better than boots.

Christmas Eve afternoon we had my side of the family over for dinner and with the huge blizzard they all ended up staying the night, which was fun. Its always yuck when everyone has to leave. We woke up super early Christmas day, threw the kids in the car and creeped out of icy Dallas at a break neck speed of about 35 mph. We left all of our sleeping family cozy in their beds and made it to Houston around 9. We had another fun Christmas with the Grabhams and loved seeing everyone even for a short visit. Yates got a terrible fever around dinner time which led to a pretty bad night of sleep for us all. I don't know why he always gets sick when we go see Gigi and Gabby. Its so embarrassing.

Yates and Gabby. Yates with his little rosey fever cheeks.

Christmas Eve Eve

Its early in the day to be blogging, but I just got home from my weekly doctor visit and have nothing to report. No progress in the baby having department which is fine with me until we get through the holidays. I did not tell my doctor that we are going to Houston, so shhhh. She is not a fan.

Last night we took S and Y on a Christmas light tour. They didn't get it at first and were wanting their movie on. It took some convincing but we avoided the movie and saw some fun lights. Yates, Mr.-Cant-Stop-Talking, talked the whooooooole time. Every single phrase starts with, "Mommy..." "Mommy, whats that sound? Mommy, who's that man? Mommy, whats he 'doin doin'? Mommy, why? Why? Why? Why? Mommy, 'dook', 'dook' Mommy. Mommy, see bu-do-du. Mommy, see 'ti-ta ligh'. 'Oh MY goodness!!' Mommy, 'mo-o-cyco' go, blpplbblpplb. Mommy, go. Mommy, 'Da-da' cryin'. Mommy, ligh on. Mommy, ligh off. Mommy, 'a-a-gato' go uuuugggghhh. Mommy. 'bindow' down. Mommy, 'bindow' 'opf". Mommy, see 'ai-pane'. Mommy... mommy... mommy... mommy. And that can all be said in about 10 seconds.

So then we saw the horses. Last year we did the carriage ride thing and it was fun. Stella seemed to enjoy it, Yates had no clue. This year, I didn't plan it b/c I wasn't sure if I'd want to be trapped in a buggy behind a horse with 2 kids for an hour. Well that was stupid. The second half of the Christmas light tour was spent horse hunting. Now I'm wishing I had gone ahead and reserved a buggy.

The latest...

Stella, Yates and I went to the doctor this morning for our last 2 week baby appointment. We've advanced to the once a week appointment schedule now. I kind of feel bad for my doctor having to see me Christmas Eve Eve, but I guess pregnancies don't go on holiday vacations. Everything went fine at the doctor and Stella and Yates were the best they've ever been. They even got compliments from strangers for being good. Yay! We'll keep it our little secret that Yates hit Stella for no reason about 40 times in the sono room. Anyway, Rex does not like having his heart beat listened to by that little hand held doppler thing... never has. He scares me every time because it always takes them several minutes to find his heart beat and then he runs from it the whole time they're trying to listen. I casually mentioned that he had been moving a little less, because he has and boy was that smart. I got a surprise sonogram and it was by the sonographer I like. Sounds minor, but its a big deal after the "insert this" fiasco last time. So, she measured Rex to assess his weight and he was approximately 7 lbs. The sonogram can be off one pound plus or minus, so that could mean he weighs 6-8 lbs. Seems grande to me, especially with 4 weeks left. Mind you, during the last 4 weeks the baby is supposed to gain a pound a week. That puts us at 10-12 lbs at delivery. Looooooord help me. I've been dying to post this picture since the day I got pregnant, but never could work it in. Of course Lane has the same one on her blog right now... thats just how we roll.

Thats me and Yates the night they started my induction. Hot huh? Why does pregnancy make my head so fat? Sick! Yates weighed 9lbs when he was born so I have high expections that I'm going to be even more big and fabulous in the next few weeks. Gross! Looks like triplets!

So about Yates. He will not shut up! He is hard to understand but of course we know what he's saying most of the time. Sometimes only Stella understands him but that works too. She's a great interpreter. He seriously chatters constantly and cracks himself up. Its really cute! He knows so much stuff already. I was getting him dressed yesterday and asked him what he wanted to wear without showing him any options. He said, "Ummm, bu-do-du shirt and jeans and geeen crocs." Well if that isn't specific enough. He isn't even 2 yet. He is obsessed with lemonaide (la-lan) and wants nothing else most of the time. He has the strangest eating habits. He loves deserts but not really ice cream and the things he decides to eat are so odd. He won't eat any of the typical kid stuff most of the time but prefers complicated adult food. Like the other day we had Pei Wei. The kids were sharing chicken lo mein and I had extra spicy pad thai. He refused to eat the lo mein and preferred the spicy pad thai with veggies and tofu. Sometimes he won't eat macaroni and cheese, but like last night he ate ricotta and basil ravioli with "adult" spaghetti sauce and green beans. Its pretty much a given that whatever Stella will eat, Yates will not and vice versa. When they are "finished" eating, their plates look like yin and yang.

Here's a 4 generation picture from Thanksgiving. My little mom is in the middle and her parents, Mimi and Papa are on the right.

I almost forgot. We made Christmas cookies yesterday in between folding laundry and catching Stella hanging Yates from the stair rail with a tape measure.

I'm surprised Yates didn't throw up after eating so much cookie dough.

Mr. Precision. Note the bulldozer on his shirt, the excavator on the table and that little red thing under his arm is the tape measure that was used as a noose around his neck only an hour earlier. (Don't tell him, but I accidentally sucked up one of the tracks from his excavator in the vacuum cleaner at the carwash earlier today. SHHHHLLLAAAPPP and it was gone!)

Ta-da

Quoting Stella and Yates #6

Seeing a family in Hawaii on tv, Stella said, "I want to go there, not to eat, but to learn that dance!" Well of course!

All set to color wonder. Her current obession.

Pink told me this about her day today with Yates and I totally see it happening. Yates is super opinionated and bossy! He tells me how to do his zipper on his jacket before his arms are even in or which hat he needs and which way he wants to wear it about breakfast time. He is also particular about which shoes go with certain outfits. Duh!

Pink and Yates were at Sams and he said he was hungry. She offered him the Sams fare of a hot dog or piece of pizza and he chose hot dog. She then asked him if he wanted to eat there at Sams or go somewhere else to eat. He told her "go." She asked him what he wanted to go eat and he told her "ma-ma-owie" (macaroni). So Pink took him to a place to get some. He then had to choose between fish, chicken and steak and the boy chose steak. So after all of that he chose and ate chicken fried steak. What a dude!

Lane let me borrow one of her camera lenses that I am wanting from Ho Ho and I'm in loooove! Yates is a little hard to catch b/c he won't be still. Stella and Sasha are happy to pose. I definitely need more practice but am super excited anyway.

just another manic monday Meredith Wednesday

Here's a little story I forgot to write about from a couple of weeks ago. Its a long one so grab a seat.

Wednesdays are my days and I try not to let anything interfere. Both Stella and Yates have their little Parents' Day Out on Wednesday and I am free from 9:00 until 1:50. I always want to make the best use of my day whether that means I do nothing or everything. Oddly, it seems like someone is either sick on my day, or I have a doctor's appointment, or I get stuck doing something for someone else aaaallll day. This particular Wednesday was not going to be ruined. I hadn't had a good Wednesday in a long, long time and I was overdue. Tuesday Yates had fallen asleep in the car and taken a nap with the car on, so I suspected that the battery was down. Smart me thought ahead and had Michael check it and jump it late that night so that I would be problem free the next morning. Good thing because it was totally dead and he was flying out to... I never know where at 6am. We would be stranded if the car didn't work.

Wednesday comes and we have an easy morning and are hustling to the car. I get everyone all buckled in and hop in to start the car... RrrrRrrrRrrr, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick. Oh no! Dead! No big deal. I am resourceful and can totally handle this. My housekeeper had just arrived so I asked her to pull her car up in the driveway so we could jump my car. (she and I are equally bad at each others' languages btw) Unfortunately my car is in the middle of the garage and would require 100' jumper cables in its position. Again, no big deal. I'll push it! So I did. Me, big-pregnant-always-having-contractions-or-thinking-my-baby-is-falling-out-me, pushed one of the biggest SUVs on the road out of the garage with my babies in it, ran (sprinted) around to keep it from smashing through the fence and got it just right for the jumper cables. My housekeeper appeared to have never opened her hood before and I am no auto mechanic. However, I was highly motivated and handled both cars like I jump cars everyday ; ). We got it jumped and were off! YAY! Not going to mess up my day!

I take everyone to their schools (just a smidge late, but great considering the workout I've already had) and leave the car running just in case. After everyone is situated, I thought, I better run it by the dealership to make sure I don't get stranded again, since Michael is... wherever he is and of course I don't want to ruin my day.

I pull straight in to the service area, no wait. My nice service guy is there ready to help and "it will just take a second." Perfect. I go to look for those cookies they always have and wait, still unphased. I wait and wait, and stare at their terrible little undecorated Christmas tree, then the news comes. "Um ma'am, your car is not safe to drive. We found a problem with the transmission and I really don't think you should take any chances... especially in your condition. Lets go get you a loaner car." Hmmm. OK. Whatever gets me out of here to enjoy my day.

We go in there, fill out all the stuff, sign here and there, and here are the keys... Oh wait, "Can I see your drivers license?" Sure. I dig and I dig and I dig and... finally find it. Weird, why was it so hard to find? Whatever. "Um ma'am, do you have another drivers license?" "No, why?" "This one is expired." Well I'll say! Exp. 2005!!! What on earth? Thats not the one... Where is my drivers license? Weird!!! Still in my unusually happy mood, I think, no big deal. I'll just call the DMV and have them fax something. Surely they can prove that I am legal to operate a motor vehicle, I mean come on, its MY day!!!

I sachet back to the waiting area to call the DMV. I find the number, completely optimistic, ring, ring, ring, "In observance of Veterans Day all facilities will be closed. Please try back during normal business hours." Veterans Day? What? Seriously? Today? Is this a joke? Can anything else go wrong? So I AM stranded afterall. I have an unsafe vehicle, my husband is... gone, I am not legal to drive an alternative vehicle, my kids are stuck at school and its MY DAY!!! Not good, not good. I go back to find my service guy and ask him to just patch the car up because I gotta go! He raises his eyebrows in the I wouldn't do that if I were you face and does it anyway.

Despite it all, I'm still thinking my day isn't a total loss. I have my car, where shall I go, better check the time... oh no... 1:30... just enough time to make it to pick up Stella.

Fabulous! Another Wednesday down the tubes.

thankful

Painting Some Pajamas Pink... not wait, thats Dr. Seuss. Painting Pinecones in Pajamas!

I never ever ever make a Thanksgiving list of things I am thankful for. #1 It never even occurs to me until I am asked the question and totally on the spot. #2 If I ever did make a list, I would probably cry. #3 Any list I make is chore or grocery oriented.

However, this year I am super "thanky." I'll be driving the car and think, "thank goodness ____! or I am so glad that ____!" So I thought I would share a couple to memorialize the one year I was on top of thankfulness.

Yates with his caterpillar. He doesn't "love" bugs. SJ on the other hand LOVES them.

• I am so thankful that my babies are perfect in every way... healthy, smart, safe, loved, happy, sweet, adorable, individuals, determined, decisive, hilarious, entertaining, eager, energetic.
• I am so thankful that I am married to a wonderful husband. Every once in a while I see single people and I think of how much I would hate to be single and dating. Ugh, torture, going out late, getting all snazzed up, spending a bunch of money, having your hair smell like "go out," sifting through losers. Can not imagine! I also don't know how I would survive at home without Michael. He is so good at so many things but is really amazing around the house. I love that he cares about taking care of things and can mow, weed eat, mulch, clean out the garage, wash the cars, chop some wood, pull some weeds, organize the attic, install some stereo equipment and do a load of laundry in the time it takes me to find a pen to start my To Do List.
• I am so thankful to have a dream house as a home. So many people have so little and we truly are blessed to live so comfortably. I went through such a grumpy period trying to get this house completed that I really wasn't able to enjoy it. Now that that part is behind us, I do love my new house.
• I am thankful for my car. Sounds weird, but I am the type of person that "needs" a new car just about the time the new car smell wears off of my current car. For some reason, lately I have been so happy with my car. I can't really explain it b/c I don't even understand it myself. I am just super content with Big Black.
• I am thankful for good cleaning products. This house has so much white in it and we have lots of dirty fingerprint makers.
• I am thankful that Stella loves, loves, loves her school. I've never seen anything like it. Thank you Good Shepherd!
• I am thankful that Yates didn't cry at all when I dropped him off at his school last week. First time ever and it was major!
• I am thankful that I still have this baby number 3 in my belly. Sometimes I feel like he's barely hanging on in there. I recently got a new outlook from a highly unlikely source. An ex-coworker of Michael's reminded me in a conversation that my real and only goal is to make it to the end of the pregnancy. I had been so caught up in my to do's and errands I had lost sight of the real goal. So I'm also thankful for the real-goal-reminder.
• I am thankful that my animals have gotten a handle on their eliminating in the house issues. I have scrubbed rugs and scrubbed rugs and am glad that I am not scrubbing rugs right now!
• Of course I am thankful for my family. I am thankful that my mom will come and drop her life to help me. I am thankful that both of our families are so generous and thoughtful. I am thankful that we will all get to spend Thanksgiving together.

Looking a little manic, but hey, they're hugging.

Ok, so thats good for now. I only cried a little and probably missed some obvious things, but at least I thought about it for once!

blogless

Yates. He always seems to end up with no clothes.

I don't know why I can't keep up with this blog all of a sudden. I have a few good guesses, but really wish I was doing a better job. We've just been super busy and super sleepy I guess.

Yates is getting so big! I always say that, but he is. He has been tee-teeing on the potty really well lately, but absolutely does not want to #2 on the potty. He proved it several days by telling us over and over that he wasn't going to do it and then by holding it for days at a time. No big deal. This is just intense practice in preparation for Baby Rex. I think Yates could potty train all the way right now, but the holidays are impossible and I don't want to torture him and everyone else unnecessarily.

Sweet Yates, just saying "cheese."

He is so into trucks and diggers and most of all jeeps. The boy can spot a jeep at 200 yards, I swear. I never realized how many jeeps are on the road, but am so thankful that they're out there. I don't know what we would do in the car if we weren't jeep spotting. We also go visit some diggers doing a water line replacement a few streets away on a fairly regular basis. Its gotten so bad, that Y knows when we're getting close to the street and starts screaming to go see them. I'm thankful they're there too... and they're actually working and loud and all things cool. We usually go by to visit after ballet. Its only fair. If Y has to sit through ballet, then S can stare at some diggers for a bit.

Stella admiring her makeup before the fashion show.

Stella Jane is hilarious as usual. She's pretty much runs on a steady behavior cycle. She'll be really good and gradually worsen over about 2 months until, bam, she's in big trouble. She gets some serious discipline and we're back on track. We just ended a cycle, so she's being an angel right now. Last weekend she made her runway debut at Nordstrom. They had a children's fashion show and I signed her up. I was feeling a little bit stage mom/pageant-ish, but it turned out great. She has been dying to "be in a fashion show" so there. She did it and she did a great job! Here's a video of her walk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u-GVFR8nM4

Michael and I finished up our Christmas shopping today! YAY! We wanted to get it all taken care of before Thanksgiving and we did it! What a huge relief. Waddling pregnant through the mall is really not fun to me. I did it with Yates and that was plenty. This time around, I'm looking for strategic parking and doing in and out superfast missions. No lolly-gagging around, backtracks or extra steps for Pete's sake.

Quoting Stella #5

Today after picking up Yates from school Stella saw a white Range Rover parked on the side of the street and said, "Mommy is that Hummer?"

"No" I said, "Its a Range Rover."

"Its a what?"

"A Range Rover, just like the one Gigi and Gabby have."

She put her hand over her mouth and gasped and said, "Ooooh, that is the cutest thing I have EVER seen!! There sure are a lot of cute cars around here!"

After a visit to Pink and Bop's she came home with an announcement to make.

"Mommy, I learned a new word!"

"You did? What is it?"

Very carefully she says, "NU-CLE-AR FI-SSION"

"WHAT?!?!?"

"NU-CLE-AR FI-SSION"

"What is Nuclear Fission?"

"Its what makes the sun glow."

skimming the surface

Ready for school

"Princess Butterfly"

Princess Butterfly singing and Caterpillar fussing about a ring with lip gloss in it.

Walking in the neighborhood Halloween Parade with Daddy and Sasha.

Sharing Candy, so sweet...

There are so many things I have just skipped over on the blog. Bad, bad, bad. I skipped the fun trip to the State Fair, my birthday, Halloween, and plenty of good stuff in between.

The trick to keeping up with the blog is simple. First, make sure you have a little bit of time to think and find photos. Second, make sure you aren't too tired or too grumpy to write something coherent and pleasant. Lately I have been failing miserably for those two key reasons.

Today, sick and tired of being 2000 degrees fahrenheit, I ended up spending all day in the same thing I wore yesterday evening and the same thing I slept in. Yes, it was the same "outfit". And yes, I did go out in public, all over the place. SICK! But you know what, I wasn't nearly as hot. I think I'm hotter now at 7+ months pregnant when its 80 out, than when I was only a little pregnant and it was 100 out. blah, blah, blah.

The highlight of my torturous day today was seeing the Bush's housekeeper out walking the Bush puppies, Barney and Miss Beasley.

I was able to enjoy this site only because both babies had fallen asleep in the car after another not-so-fun-for-mommy day. I wasn't about to wake them up b/c I had seriously had enough.

Pregnant Mommy's 31st birthday picture, don't laugh.