Baby Jesus or Baby Mason?

Mason dressed up as Baby Jesus last night while we read him the story of Christmas. Actually we couldnt find his hat so we put a blanket on his head and all the nurses talked about how he looked like little baby Jesus. He is just too cute. :)

Mason is still doing well. He is up to 4 pounds 2 ounces now and is growing like a weed. It is funny how excited I am about him being 4 pounds and yet he still has a long way to go to be the size of a full term baby. They took his food up on calories (fortifying breastmilk) so that he would pack on those ounces faster. The last time they did that is when his tummy got too hard and they had to stop all feeds. My fingers are crossed he will tolerate it this time. He is doing so well and needs his food or he gets cranky. I totally don't blame him.

My favorite time is kangaroo time. This is when Mason and I snuggle skin to skin to keep each other warm. He loves it too and falls asleep very quickly every time. Apparently he can hear my heartbeat and can recognize it from when he was in my tummy. Crazy!! I just love the fact that he has his little hand on my chest in this picture. Love those little hands! :)

Mason Update

Mason is 3 weeks and 2 days old today! I can't believe it!! Time is going by pretty fast, which is good right now. The days are exhausting, but at least they are moving along.

Mason weighs 3 pounds 10.5 ounces as of last night. He had a setback about a week ago and lost some weight due to the fact that they took him completely off of his feedings. Luckily it was nothing major and he was back on his full feeds within a few days. He was able to get off of his high flow canula (nose tube blowing air into his lungs). He had relied on the 5 liter air flow for 2.5 weeks and they could not get him off of it because his heart rate would drop. One day he figured out that he had to breath on his own and dropped from the 5 liter high flow to 2 liter low flow in a matter of a couple of days and is breathing room air. He is also big enough now to be swaddled and dressed in attempt to maintain his own body temperature rather than his bed doing it for him. So far he is a champ. It wont be long until he can be moved to an open crib.

We knew all along he was a wiggle worm. In fact I felt him moving in my tummy at 13-14 weeks for the first time. They always try to put him in the fetal position in his bed and tie him down that way so that it was "womb like"...yeah right. He kicks his legs out of it in no time and hangs them out the sides. On Monday morning when they lifted the blanket from over his bed they found him completely out of his "womb" bed and he had somehow rolled all the way to the edge and was smushed against the plastic with his hiney up in the air. who knows how he did it, but it sure was adorable. His hair was a mess like he had worked REALLY hard to get over there. He'll be walking in no time.

We got to give him his first tub bath on Tuesday night. He just chilled out. I figured he would cry but he was good about it and got so relaxed that he decided to poop in his tub. HA!


For Christmas one of the nurses brought a little sleigh to put the babies in for pictures. Mason was a little small, but we tortured him with pictures anyway. I couldnt believe how HUGE the little outfit is on him (not shown in picture)...it is a preemie size 4-6 pounds and is tiny until you put it on him. Again, such a trooper.

He is doing great right now! Keep praying that he will continue to do so well that we can get him home soon! :)

Happy TWO weeks Mason

Mason is already 2 weeks old! I can't believe it. I REALLY hope that time continues to go this fast while he is in the NICU. After that if it could slow down it'd be great, but I know that wont happen. He now weighs 3 lbs 5 ounces. So he has gained 7 ounces in the past 5-6 days. He's doing great. He is having a few problems with his breathing, but that is normal. He'll get there soon. Just keep him and us in your prayers. I dont feel as if there are enough hours in a day to get everything done...but we'll get there. :)

Welcome to the world little Mason!!

Well, Mason Layne Graham decided to make an early appearance into this world (or my blood pressure decided for him). He is absolutely the most precious baby I have ever seen in my entire life...maybe I am a little biased. He weighed only 3 pounds 2 ounces and was 16 inches long...so a VERY little guy. His birthday is 11/25/08 at 5:25 PM. He has to stay in the NICU in Lewisville for the next 6-10 weeks, but is doing SO well and came out screaming. He came off of the ventilator after just 2 days and is breathing just a tiny bit higher level of oxygen than we breath. He scored an 8 out of 10 on his APGAR test which is really good for a 10 week preemie. What else...he started digesting food as of today so he is getting the good stuff from mommy along with the essentials he needs otherwise at this age. Basically for his age he is doing extremely well and is a good size baby.
The nurses said that a lot of times when moms have high BP the baby senses it in the womb and knows it wont make it to term so it somehow makes them develop faster to make up for being early. Luckily Masons little body took over and did this. :)

First family photo! Pardon my looks...

This was his debut into this world. He came out screaming!! Best sound in the entire world!

Looking up at daddy in his bed.

Baby Boy Update!

Here is the latest photo of our baby boy! He weighed 2 pounds 2 oz. at that time, but that was a couple of weeks ago. He is doing great and is definitely happy as long as he is kicking me in the ribs.

He now has a name...a first name anyway. Mason L. Graham...not sure what the "L" middle name will be yet.

We have done nothing to get ready for him, but our furniture did come in last week. Now to find someone to help haul it upstairs for us. Brady did get the crib upstairs and put it together. I am so glad that he LOVES putting stuff together and doesn't get frustrated. Here he is putting it together and the final product.

My blood pressure got out of hand this past week. I had to break down and get on medication, which I knew would happen sooner or later...I was hoping for later. It makes me really drowsy and I can barely stay awake after about 5:00 in the afternoon and can barely get up in the mornings. Hopefully that will wear off soon. I am starting to swell pretty bad in the evenings! YUCK!

Anyway, that is all...just wanted to give an update.

Two wonderful years!

Yesterday Brady and I celebrated our 2nd WEDDING anniversary. I emphasize wedding because when we went to dinner last night the waitress could not believe we were old enough to be married...she asked what MONTH of our DATING relationship we were celebrating. I then proceeded to tell her that I was barely hanging on to the 20's with my 29th birthday coming up this weekend. She thought we were only 20 or 21. I guess that is a good thing. HA!

We were lucky enough to plan our wedding on a holiday so we are both off work on our anniversary...as long as we keep our current jobs. We had a wonderful day of just hanging out and a fabulous dinner at Simply Fondue in Fort Worth. It is the best location I have been to so far. A little more pricey than the other locations, but the atmosphere is MUCH more intimate.

Looking forward to many more years together! :)

Where's Waldo?

So, for Halloween Brady's office decided to dress up as Where's Waldo. Of course Brady being the tall thin guy, got to...excuse me, HAD TO be Waldo. He wasn't too excited about it, but I think he makes a great Waldo! HAHA! Everyone else is dressed similar, but are not Waldo, and they have the office decorated really cute.

My ever growing belly

Well I started my 24th week today...only 16 to go. It seems in the past 2-3 weeks my belly has really grown a lot. I guess this little boy is getting bigger everyday. He sure can kick hard for a 1 pound baby. I can't believe he will be here in 3.5 months. I just can't wait!! :)

In other news, we have started to register and I THINK this will be our bedding. What do you think? We know we want to do the brown/blue theme.

Our little punkin...

Here are a couple of pictures of Baby Boy Graham...he is just precious! :)

Love the profile shot!

Perfect little footprint.

Day at the Park

Today Brady and I were both off work and it was such a beautiful day that we decided to go the park in Gainesville and have a picnic. We also decided to play on the playground and go to the HUGE zoo while we were there! All of the animals were very sleepy and boring except for one giraffe that followed us around. It was a fun day though! I can't wait to take our little boy there. It brings back so many memories from my childhood! :)

Brady being a monkey!

Me and Baby Graham sliding!
The giraffe on the left followed us around

That's What She Said

Okay okay, I FINALLY watched The Office. Loved it! HAHA!

I missed it...

I didnt get to watch The Office and am dying to know what happens. AHHHHHHH!

The countdown...

Two more days until my favorite show EVER! That's all. If you haven't seen it...watch it. I can not wait to find out what happens with everyone. Anyone else think that Jan is actually carrying Michael's baby, even though she says it isnt his? Guess we'll find out soon. :)

It's a...

BOY!!!! :)

We are so excited!! We didn't care either way, but it is so fun to know. Now to figure out the name for this little guy. He is just the cutest little boy I have ever seen!! He is already mommy's boy and I cant wait to meet him! :)

Today is the day...hopefully!

Today I go to the doctor and hopefully we can see if we are having a boy or a girl. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Baby G uncrosses those little legs. He/she has been REALLY active since about 4:00PM yesterday...even woke me up at 5:00 this morning. So, I am afraid by the time we get to our appointment he/she will be completely worn out. I am going to take a shot of sugary orange juice before we go in and try to wake the baby up again.

Hopefully I will have an update tomorrow. :)

Emma is TWO!

Emma had her 2nd birthday party yesterday...Dora of course! She LOVES LOVES Dora the Explorer. I think I have mentioned that before. She can count to 10 in English and Spanish thanks to "Dor Dor". She was VERY shy at first, but when we started singing "Happy Birthday" she loved the fact that it was all about her! She carefully chose her packages based on what character was on the paper, starting with Dora, then Disney princesses, then Mickey Mouse. From there she went for the biggest packages. She did not like anything to have a bow or card on it...just paper. She is just precious! I have no idea what she will need for Christmas. No one needs that many b-day presents!

Emma would not eat her birthday cake without Dora, Swiper and Boots on her tray.
Emma got a bike and "Dor Dor hat" from her mom and dad and LOVED it! When we started singing Happy Birthday she realized it was all about Emma!

Warning: Political Post- hopefully not offensive :)

Okay, so I am not a very political person. In fact political discussion makes my skin crawl. I grew up in a Republican world so to speak. My parents never really talked politics, but it was understood in my church, etc that you were supposed to be Republican. I never voted until last year…it just didn’t interest me- I know, not a good thing.

Anyway, I tried to become interested this year- as an Independent so to speak. I am not choosing a party, but a person. I have listened intently to Obama and McCain and both of their running mates. I have read what I can about all of them. The only conclusion that I have come to is that both sides just really annoy me. They both stand up there and lie and say what everyone wants them to say and everyone eats it up as if it were true- it’s not. It kills me how one party will argue about the candidate on the other side, apparently not realizing that their candidate is doing the EXACT SAME THING. Oh my gosh!! I REALLY don’t understand how people eat this junk up.

As far as issues are concerned… Yes, I am against abortion personally, but is THAT the thing that will affect most Americans? Is that really what people base their decision on? Is it not anything to do with how the economy needs to improve or any issue that affects EVERY American? Does it not drive anyone else crazy that they get up there and talk about changing America in all of these different ways, but can’t tell exactly HOW they will do it. Just statements like “we are going to cut taxes, we are going to provide better education”---ummmmm, how? Will women really vote based on a VP being a woman and no other reason? I am sure a lot of it is the “unbiased” media speaking.

Sorry, just had to get this off of my chest. Everyone seems SO biased one way or the other and don’t understand where I am coming from. I wish everyone could step back and look at it from the angle of completely not caring which party and really listen to what they are all saying. It blows my mind. Maybe I am just stupid…

Oh and if I hear about McCain being a P.O.W one more time I think my brains will blow up. Not saying I wont vote for him in the end or respect the fact that he served our country, but I am sick of that being the answer he gives even when it isn’t the question.

Went to the Doctor...

We went to the doctor yesterday and heard that precious heartbeat again. This time it was a little over 150 bpm. We also heard the baby moving around. I guess he/she didnt like the doctor pressing on my tummy and woke up. We will find out on September 17th if we need to go buy pink or blue. Hopefully the baby will cooperate because I want to know so badly.

I can feel Baby Graham moving around quite a bit now...especially while I am watching the Olympics. Maybe I will have a little athelete? HA!

Sixteen Weeks

Baby Graham is just about 16 weeks along. He/she sure is growing...or maybe that is just me. I swear I could button my jeans last week...not so much today. Yikes! Here is my issue...I eat everything in sight now. Not that I am hungry, I just NEVER get full. Now that the food is actually staying down the pounds are piling on...too fast I think. I need to go on a baby diet. I am sure this little one is just about sick of chicken fajitas anyway...but not me! HA!

On another note...we go to the doctor next Wednesday. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they dont make me do another 24 hour urine test. That is torture, but I know it is coming. Stupid high blood pressure!!

We will find out the sex in about 4 weeks. I am just SO EXCITED!! Still need a for sure boy name though. I really hope to have one by then.

We are taking Baby Graham to the circus tomorrow night...okay okay, it is for me. Am I weird that I like the circus? I mean I do feel sorry for the animals that are probably beaten and the people that are probably starved and the clowns that probably live in a dumpster...but it is good Saturday night entertainment, right?

Birthday Season...

Well August officially starts birthday season in our family. It won't end until the birth of our sweet baby sometime in January or Feb. 1st if he/she is born on the due date. It is pretty crazy, but almost every one of my family members has a birthday within 7 days of Brady's family members (well except me who gets my b-day to myself, but my anniversary and Thanksgiving are within a week...and Jalie who always has a Spring Break b-day). It makes birthday celebrating just like any other hoilday...we have to figure who goes where and when. Here is the rundown...not that anyone cares...it is just weird.

August 10-Aaron
August 12- Brady and Jeffrey
September 9- Emma
September 16- Lindsay
October 13- Mom Gillum
October 19- Dad Graham
October 20- Jason
November 16- ME :)
December 7- Cody
December 10- Dad Gillum
January 11- Mom Graham
January 18- Jaret
January or February- Baby Graham

This does not include all the aunts and uncles and cousins and friends that SHARE birthdays with one of these dates. This is just immediate family. The party is just getting started and I am already partied out! HA!

13 Weeks!

Well we are now 13 weeks pregnant. My tummy is starting to grow and my pants are getting tighter. I only have a few pairs left that button somewhat comfortably. I love the fact that I can go to the regular sections and find shirts that look more maternity than an actual maternity shirt...and it is cheaper too! I stocked up on those this weekend so that I can wear them now and when I actually start showing without feeling weird about wearing maternity shirts too early. HA!

We went to the doctor last week and apparently I have gained 4 pounds. I really don't see how considering everything I had been eating up until that point made a second appearance not too long later. It is probably because I ate and drank and entire bottle of water about 10 minutes before my appointment.

Baby Graham's heartbeat was 160 bmp. Girl?? I dunno. Every old wives tale we have tested and every quiz I have done says girl. We have ONLY girl names picked out for sure. My parents say she/her when referring to the baby. I have dreamed it is a girl. So guess what...I am pretty confident we are having a little boy. HA! Of course we don't care either way. Some help with a boy name would be appreciated though...any ideas?

Other than that, life is pretty laid back. I have started feeling better the past few days. Thank goodness! I have just done a lot of relaxing and swimming. It is too hot to do anything else.

Updates and such

Well, there is not a lot going on with us right now except me being sick and lazy. Life is pretty uneventful right now since I spend most of my time on the couch and by the toilet. We are at about 11 weeks right now, so hopefully the sickness will start going away soon. Honestly this past week has been much better!

July 4th- We spent time with Brady's parents at my parents pool (they are in Colorado...jerks! ha), cooked some burgers (blah!) and watched some fireworks in Lake Dallas. It was a fabulous show. It was nice to get some fresh air and not be on the couch all day.

We saw the movie Get Smart on Saturday. If it werent for Steve Carrell it wouldnt have been so good probably, but we love him. He just cracks me up. Afterward we bought groceries and I dry heaved my way through the store. I never knew food would be such a turn off for me. HA!

So there you have it....nothingness!

Father's Day

Well this year Father's Day was very special. We broke the news to our parents that we are expecting our first child.

The Graham's don't have any grandchildren so we knew they would be SO EXCITED...not that The Gillum's would not be. It is just different when you already have grandkids. We got Frank a onesie that said "I Love My Grandpa" and it took him a minute to get it. Judy and Lindsay caught on much faster and freaked out! HA! For my dad I made up a time off request sheet since we work together and we put the reason being maternity leave and the approximate due date. Both families are very excited.

Here is a picture of Baby Graham

Well here is the first photo of our baby. You can't really see much of anything because it is still so early. But here he or she is. Cute huh? :)

We are going to be...

a mommy and a daddy! Our little one is due Feb.1, 2009. I am only about 8 weeks pregnant, so I still have a looooong way to go. We are SO excited though!! We got to see the baby and hear the heartbeat on Wednesday! Amazing! :)

It's Pool Time

It is that time of year when it is H-O-T and a dip in the pool hits the spot. Don't worry, I won't scare you with pictures of me in a bathing suit. Instead I will show you the niece and nephew in action.

Jalie doing a back-flip off of the diving board.

Jaret on the slide.

When they were done swimming they ate some watermelon. Perfect for a warm day!

Dr. Elaine Fulmer

This weekend Brady and I flew to Iowa to see his cousin Elaine graduate from medical school. We are very proud of her accomplishment! She will be moving to New Orleans in a couple of weeks to start her residency as a podiatrist. Congrats Elaine!!

Here she is with her husband Chris! I love the shirt!

Here fishy fishy...

Well it's that time of year again, when the men get the boat ready to go to the lake. Time to put out those trot lines and catch enough catfish to feed 100's of people...or sit in the freezer until it goes bad. You can only have so many fish fry's ya know. Anyway, so far, after a couple of days they have caught about 15 catfish. They were most proud of this guy...haha!

Yes, Jaret was so excited he wanted to kiss the fish...10 year old boys are strange creatures.

The Catamaran

Tuesday night we sailed around Lake Lewisville on a catamaran. We had dinner on board and went all around the lake. It was good times. Thanks Graham parents!

Evening at the Lake

Tonight we went to the lake to celebrate Mother's Day on the Gillum side. Now this was not just any picnic...it involved Babe's chicken. Not exactly on the healthy eating plan, but you have to give in once in a while. It was fabulous, not that we expected anything less. We had a great time! It was HOT by the way! WOW! Here are a few pictures from the evening...of the nieces and nephew of course...adults are boring. HAHA!

Emma looked adorable in her hat. I just happened to catch her at the right time to get a cute picture.

Jaret and his Uncle Brady played frisbee while we waited on dinner.

Jalie and I stopped for a quick picture. I took her shopping on Wednesday and now I am suddenly her favorite person ever. HA!

The kiddos looking cute...as always! :)

The Last Lecture

I just finished reading the book that was written by Randy Pausch. I am sure you have heard of him...he is dying of pancreatic cancer and dedicated his last months on this earth to teach his kids the importance of living life to the fullest. I overheard parts of his "last lecture" on Oprah one day. I ignored it like I do most of her shows...HA! Then it sort of became a phenomenon and I wanted to find out more about this man. He seemed sincere so I bought his book. INCREDIBLE! I learned so much from it. He isn't interested in the material things of this world at all. He is just so focused on his family and achieving goals and making dreams happen. It is pretty inspiring and I totally recommend it. WARNING: You might want to have a box of Kleenex near by, especially for the chapter dedicated to his wife and kids!

Sweet Emma...

I kept my niece Emma today and she is just the sweetest little girl and so smart (not that I am biased or anything). She is 1 1/2 years old and so full of energy. It was so cute...she was wearing her red pants and when I would ask her what color they were she would say "Rojo" which is red in Spanish. She LOVES "Dor dor" (Dora the Explorer) and is really learning to speak Spanish from her. Anyway...here are a couple of pictures of sweet Emma.

Here she is with her puppy that she takes EVERYWHERE!

It seems random to have apples, an airplane and and apron in this picture, but I am making her an ABC book and was trying to get a good shot of her and some letter "A" items...she would not cooperate. HA!

Beautiful day!

It was such a beautiful day. While Brady played hockey I went to take some pictures of Jaret and Jalie for my mom. Everything is blooming and the baby animals are playful. Here are some pictures that I snapped while there.

Here is Jaret in the garden that he planted. This kid loves being outside and is capable of doing ANYTHING.


Jaret and Jalie by the rose bush...so sweet!


OR NOT...


The kittens were playing in the boots and I couldnt resist these photos...adorable.


This frog was in the pool sitting on the bottom step like a human...it was the weirdest thing. He is alive too...