Those early days spelled difficulties in nursing, crazy postpartum hormones, sleepless nights, and endless "secretions" for Mommy. For Greysen they spelled LOTS of sleep and snuggling and listening to Mommy weep over how amazingly gorgeous he was and how I couldn't believe he was really mine. I went through some of his baby clothes yesterday during our Konmari "purge" (google it...you won't be sorry...) and I was agape at how teeny tiny some of his clothes were. Greysen was 8 lbs 3 oz at birth and only lost a little before leaving the hospital. Yet he still wore newborn sized onesies for a good month after birth and I squeezed his long lanky body into some of my favorite outfits in that size for long after that (I actually just put away a pair of newborn sized pants a week ago that he was still wearing, and his pilot bomber jacket is newborn and still fits him perfectly). He was unbelievably tiny! I hear moms say all the time that they can't remember their babies being that tiny, but I never truly believed it until just recently. I literally can't believe that Greysen was so itty bitty and fragile!
Nowadays our little tyke weighs in at a petite 14 lbs 2 oz and is 28+" long! He has gained nearly 8 whole inches of length, but only 6 pounds. He is still on the charts but just barely for weight. He is in the 87th percentile for height, but on the 2nd percentile for weight. If he keeps growing at this same rate, it looks as though he will be around 6'2" and 150 pounds. Jonathan is 6'0" and 150. Genetics man...you can't deny them!
Greysen eats fruits and vegetables three times a day and is still nursing 6-8 times a day. Today we got the go ahead to try some meats and other proteins, so he will be having turkey and rice (blended in a jar of course) for the first time tonight. He is not a picky eater at all. He has eaten every single thing we've fed him without fail, but he is particularly fond of blueberry, mango, sweet potatoes, beets, green beans, prunes, and ANYTHING that has apples in it. He likes variety and usually will refuse to eat a full jar of one thing without wanting a different flavor. He is not much of a breakfast eater (neither are Mommy and Daddy), but will eat 6-8 oz at lunch and at dinner. Mama's milk is still his favorite drug of choice, but I definitely feel him beginning to grow out of nursing as his main nutrition source. I never thought I'd be the mother who is sad to see her baby wean, but I definitely am. Nursing has been such an incredible experience for us! It took HARD work in the beginning, but it has been more than worth it. When Greysen starts a nursing session, it still warms my heart like none other to see him snuggle in, loll his eyes back in his head, and go to his happy place. Being able to provide him not only that nutrition specifically designed for him but also that level of comfort and closeness with Mommy makes my heart soar. Nursing is one of my most treasured accomplishments and one I will mourn the loss of when it comes time for Greysen to grow out of it completely...
Greysen is hitting his developmental milestones, on average, about 2-3 weeks early. Right now he is sitting mostly unassisted, rolling tummy to back and back to tummy, *almost* figuring out the crawling thing, and grabbing EVERYTHING. He also says Dada and his version of "more". He signs "all done" when he has finished eating. He is sleeping great at night. Still waking once a night (*sometimes* twice), but when he does, he usually only needs a pacifier and he goes right back to sleep. Mommy is waking rested which is a huge blessing! We have dodged being sick at all in these last 6 months except for a minor 24 hour upper respiratory thing which was not bad (all 3 of us had it...).
Daddy has finished all of his core rotations, and Mommy is only 4 classes away from finishing her coursework for her Master's. The next 6 months will see us moving back to Oklahoma and beginning Jonathan's elective rotations. 2016, like 2015, promises to be exciting with lots of changes and things to look forward to!
We've been commenting a lot lately about how much our lives have changed. I know it's inevitable when you have a baby, but it truly is remarkable how different the world looks once you become a parent. God is working in our lives in such a real and present way right now and it's so amazing to see. Greysen is our daily reminder that He answers prayers and that His plan for our lives is GOOD. Without a doubt Jonathan and I are happier now than we've ever been in our lives. We are content and eagerly pursuing what is next for us. Of course in the meantime we are adoring our little sidekick, taking him everywhere, and showing him off to the world. I mean...with a face like this how could we keep him under wraps???
His latest trick is giving sugars. My cheeks are in a perpetual state of slobbery-ness and I LOVE it!
