Feb1-5, 2010

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February 2010

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February 1, 2010

A LONG, LONG NIGHT OF WAITING

I know the full moon was officially on January 30, but the moon last night sure looked pretty full to me.

I've heard that more babies are born during the full moon than at any other time during the month.

And it also seems, in my experience, that most babies are born during the night.

Last night was a long night of waiting.

While I was waiting for the phone calls and updates from the hospital...

...Rascal waiting all evening for his master to come home.

He kept vigil by the stairs, expecting Kristoffer to walk in the door any moment.

It was really kind of pitiful.

I tried to explain to Rascal that Kristoffer was at the hospital awaiting the birth of his new baby and would not be home this evening...

...but Rascal really wasn't interested in what I had to say.

He plopped his grumpy self at the top of the stairs and kept watching and waiting.

I put Karter to bed and took Rascal outside (yes, in this FRIGID Minnesota weather!) to "go potty." I had gone out with Kristoffer once so he could show me what the potty routine was. Kristoffer told me that Rascal always has to climb over a huge snowbank and potty in someone's yard, so I'd need to climb over as well and scoop it up in a ziplock baggie.

Well, for what it's worth, I asked Rascal to please not make me wade through a snowdrift and, bless his little dog-heart, he pooped right along the side of the road and made it easy for me.

Well, if you call cleaning up frozen dog poop out of the snow in single-digit temperatures "easy." Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be doing that, but I did. That alone should have convinced Rascal that Kristoffer was NOT coming home last night.

Still, he held out hope for awhile longer...

...until eventually he just resigned himself to the fact that he was stuck with me for the night.

Yes, it was a long night of waiting...for ALL of us!!!

Kaden Everett Gray was born at 4:55 this morning! Karter and I are heading to the hospital after breakfast, and you can be sure I'll take a few photos to share...so check back this afternoon!

February 1, 2010

FIRST PHOTOS

I'm tuckered out!

I hardly slept last night, wondering what in the world was happening at the hospital. I catnapped snuggled in my bed, with the light on, the computer running, and my phone, notepad, and pen laying on the bed right at my fingertips.

Then finally, at 5:15 am after an excruciatingly LONG night for a whole lot of people, I got the phone call I'd been longing for.

Kaden Everett Gray had made his long-anticipated arrival into the world.

I've had four babies of my own, but I can tell you right now that birthing your grandchildren is almost as hard. ALMOST.

Every minute that passeswithout the phone ringing, you wonder what must be happening. And then, especially when you're mentally and emotionally exhausted, in the middle of the dark night, your thoughts begin to run away with you and you begin imagining all sorts of unthinkable scenarios.

But when you hear your son's voice cracking with emotion as he announces the birth of his son, all those fears and worries are immediately replaced with a tidal wave of joy, relief, and sheer happiness.

I know my never-ending night can't even compare with Kristoffer and Dana's long, scary night. You can read all about their experiences (and see more photos!) on their website The Growing Gray Family.

But what a happy ending...and beginning...for this growing family!

Karter and I visited when Kaden was only 5 hours old. Here are several photos from our first visit. You can be sure more photos will follow in the coming days!

Welcome to the world, baby Kaden!

February 2, 2010

RANDOM STUFF FROM MINNESOTA

Happy Groundhog Day!

Although I don't think they celebrate Groundhog Day in Minnesota. After all, the prospects of spring even THINKING about coming in 6 weeks up in this frozen tundra are slim to none, so what's the point of getting everyone's hopes up?

A groundhog couldn't begin to get out of his hole...we got another 4" of snow last night to add to the nearly foot of snow that is already on the ground. I could barely make out where the road was on the way home from the hospital last night.

I've found that in the two weeks I've been up here, the weather is always one of two possibilities...very cold, cloudy, and snowing OR frigid (below zero) and sunny. Always cold...that is just a given.

One observation...Minnesotans embrace the winter weather! They seem to really enjoy this time of year. I guess if you choose to live in Minnesota, long snowy winters are part of the deal. In the two weeks I've been to Kristoffer and Dana's church, while the song lyrics are up on the screen, the background pictures have always been of beautiful snowy scenes. I'm pretty sure at our home church we're breaking out the beach and sunshine scenes, if for no other reason than to perk people up from the dreary winter doldrums.

So, to my Hoosier friends...wishing you all a happy Groundhog Day and hoping that furry fella sees his shadow this morning! Ready for a little springtime...

I have a confession to make. Don't tell Kristoffer...

Last night when I reluctantly took Rascal out to do his thing in the midst of heavy snow and bitterly cold temperatures, I didn't pick up Rascal's poop.

I'm feeling like such a wretched soul, right now.

Please forgive me, Lord (and neighbors of Hampton), but I was not willing to risk breaking my ankle to climb over 2 frozen snowbanks and dig his poop out of someone's yard. My theory is as hard as it was snowing, the crime evidence will be covered by the new snow.

So when spring finally does arrive here in June, there'll probably be a clump of particularly green, lush grass in the front yard of some lucky Hamptonite.

And they can thank me...well, and Rascal too, I guess...

I'm missing my man.

A LOT!!!

I think this is the longest time in 30 years that we've ever been away from each other... and I don't like it one tiny bit. I am so thankful that I was able to come up to stay and help out and I know Kim is glad I was able to come too, but I so wish he was up here with me. Then life would be perfect.

But I'm counting the days...he'll be driving up here on Friday afternoon. And I can't wait to see him!

Love and miss you, Kimmie!!!

KEG.

The initials of the Gray men for the past four generations.

Kaden's great-grandpa is Kenneth Edward.

Kenneth had 2 sons...Kim Edward (Kaden's Papaw and my husband) and Kent Edwin.

Kent was blessed with 3 beautiful daughters, but no sons (so far...right, Shellie?) to carry on the Gray name tradition.

Kim and I (hey, I'm giving myself credit here too!) had 3 sons...

...Kristoffer Edward (Kaden's daddy), Kamaron Erik, and Kyler Evan.

Kristoffer is the first of my sons to have children, and he gave his two sons the distinguished "KEG'" monogram as well...

...Karter Edward (the 4th generation of "Edwards") and now, our new little one...

KADEN EVERETT.

Kenny's dad was named Everett...another Gray family connection.

Loving all my K-men!!!

Is there anything in this whole wide world more precious than a sleeping newborn?

What a tiny miracle Kaden is!

Thank you God, for blessing us with our sweet new little one!!!

Now I better head off to the hospital with Karter...I'm sure Kaden is missing Gramaw!!!

February 3, 2010

BIRTHIN' BABIES

Things sure have changed since I had my babies in the 1980s.

What used to be called a Maternity Ward is now a Family Birthing Center.

The hospital room like I knew it is now more like a medical motel.

Back in the "old days," there were visiting hours when the dads and siblings and grandparents were allowed to visit. Not anymore. The couch Kristoffer is sitting on makes into a bed, and he stays there overnight, and family members are free to come and go as they please.

It's pretty comfortable digs for a few days...

...even an entertainment center to keep you from getting bored.

As if you could possibly get bored with this angel sleeping nearby!

There is no nursery. The newborns stay in the rooms with their mamas...you will even see families pushing their baby beds around the hallways when they take a walk.

No "hospital" food. They have a room service menu much like a restaurant's, where you can call in your order for about anything you'd want. But most of the time, Kristoffer and Dana brought snacks from home or ordered food out. We've had Pizza Hut pizza and Jimmy John's sandwiches actually delivered right to the room, and last night Kristoffer picked up some Mexican food from Chipotle.

My, oh my, but the doctors have changed too! My children were delivered by a white-coated older man whose office decorations consisted of mounted heads of big game animals he'd hunted all over the world.

This is Dana's obstetrician, Dr. TT, an energetic jean-wearing mother of 3 young children who comes around to chit-chat...very personable and easy to talk to. She explained the whole circumstances surrounding the birth, what people were doing and saying during the C-section surgery, looking at some terrific photos (medical-journal quality!!!) Kristoffer took of the delivery. She could be your next-door neighbor/best friend. I can certainly see why Dana adores and trusts her!

And one of Dr. TT's good friends and colleagues is Dr. McKenzie, who is Kaden's pediatrician. Ditto all I said about Dr. TT...nice, down-to-earth, very practical and sensible style of doctoring. She came in to talk to Dana and Kristoffer, answer their questions, then whisked Kaden off for 15-minutes to do his circumcision.

But even with all the medical knowledge and advanced technology and facilities, one thing has never changed.

Birthin' babies is HARD!!!

Hard on the mamas laboring, hard on the daddies, and hard on those tiny little babies who are trying to squeeze through impossibly small openings into the world.

Before she resorted to doing the C-section, Dr. TT wanted so badly for Dana to be able to deliver him that she even tried attaching the vacuum (I'm sure it has a real medical term, but I have no idea what it is) to his head to help pull him out. The vacuum itself pulled off, bruising his little scalp and even pulling the skin off in a couple of places.

Baby Kaden was what they call "sunny-side up." In a normal birth, the baby comes out with his face downward, toward the floor. Kaden was facing up, and his little head was tilted in such a way that he was wedged between Dana's tailbone and her pelvis. Had Dana lived 100 years ago or in a third world country today, she or Kaden or both would have died during the birth.

Birthin' babies is hard, but so worth it!!! I know Dana can certainly attest to that!

Been there, done that. Now I get to just show up and enjoy the joy of the baby without all the pain.

And I'm cherishing this time...rocking and talking to my newest little grandson!!!

Can you tell how much I LOVE being Gramaw???!!!

February 4, 2010

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING

How do you prepare a 19-month-old, still practically a baby himself, for a new baby brother?

All during their pregnancy Kristoffer and Dana did their best to talk to him about the baby, but of course he had limited understanding of the whole thing. And when I took him to the hospital just a few hours after Kaden was born, Karter was a little unsure what to think.

He'd never seen his mama quite like that, hooked up to all sorts of gadgets (which he quickly investigated, pushing a few buttons he shouldn't have in the process!) but he soon warmed up to the hospital scene.

Karter was clearly fascinated with his new baby brother...

...and gave him a smooch!

How did Karter grow up so fast? It seems like it was just yesterday that he was a newborn himself, and now compared to Kaden he looks so big!

I think Kaden better get used to lots of big brother attention!

Kisses too!!!

When they got home yesterday, Karter was very excited to help push Kaden in the baby swing.

Karter wanted to hold his new baby brother, but when it came right down to it he was more interested in the Daddy's video camera than he was in Kaden.

But I know big brother Karter will be great help. He notices every little thing and alerts Dana when her phone is ringing or the microwave dings, so I'm sure he'll let everyone know when Kaden is crying and fret until he's happy again.

Kristoffer and Dana are going to have their hands full for awhile (like the next 18 years!), but what a blessing these two boys will be to each other as they grow up.

They'll be the best of buddies and the worst of enemies, all in the span of a few seconds. They'll play together, fight together, be goofy together, laugh together, drive their parents bonkers together. They'll be conspiring to do all sorts of mischief and grow up constantly competing with each other (trust me, I know how Gray boys are!).

But they'll share an special close brotherly bond that will just grow over the years, a connection that only the two of them can share.

What a lucky boy Baby Kaden is! His big brother is watching...