Baby Greyson's Room

As soon as we found out that we were having a boy, I immediately started thinking of how I wanted to decorate the baby’s room. We first picked out the baby bedding, next we researched the furniture/compared prices, & finally found a bedroom suit that we liked. We then chose the wall colors. I didn’t want all blue, so I came up with the idea of installing a chair rail. Brandon did this himself (he’s very handy), with the help of his dad.
The railing allowed us to bring into play the use of two colors, one color on top and the other color on the bottom. We took the lightest shades of blue/brown from the baby bedding & used those as the wall colors.
On the wall where Baby Grey’s crib is, we decorated it with his name & some dark brown dots that match the bedding.

On the opposite wall where the changing table is, I found this lovely prayer that I wanted to have up in the room. It’s an actual stencil, and was really easy to apply.

 Brandon worked really hard to get this room done & we are delighted with how cute it turned out!

Getting Bigger Inch by Inch!

At Baby Greyson’s 1 month check up, he weighed in at 11 lbs./10 oz.(75%), and measured in at 22 in.(50-75%). That’s our boy! He also received his second round of HBV(he was not a happy camper). I couldn’t stand to watch the nurse give him the shot, and I'm glad Brandon was there to monitor!

Some 1 month developments that I’ve noticed Baby Greyson being able to do are: rolling partway to his side from his back, he's able to hold his head up for short/longer periods of time whenever he's on his tummy...he’s a strong fella! He's started clutching at the person holding him, and makes an “ah” sound whenever he sees/hears our voices...it’s so cute! He's been able to calm himself by sucking on a pacifier (only when he wants it), and he has started to bat at the objects that hang overhead on his play mat.

It's amazing how fast babies grow and how their apperance continues to change...

A Whale of a Time

Baby Greyson's first bath time was a little scary, not for him, but me! I was afraid of the little fella sliding out of my wet hands! I was determined that I could do this without anything going wrong...
First I got everything laid out...the towel & wash rag, Johnson's baby wash/lotion, a clean diaper, and an outfit.
I probably could have just given him a bath in the sink, but I just had to bust out the adorable whale tub that his Aunt Kristin got for him! After filling the whale tub with warm water, I gently got him undressed and placed him in the water. It was a shock to his system at first (as you can see in the pic), but he eventually calmed down.

Since then, he enjoys bath time in the sink or in the whale & afterwards he is given a nice massage with some baby lotion.

Brandon has even tried his hand at it a few times!

Hand Quilted with Love

We had several people to make quilts for Baby Greyson. In the first picture, Baby Greyson is laying on a quilt that Grandma Carole had made in memory of Grandma Sharon who passed away of breast cancer back in April. The quilt is made from some of Grandma Sharon’s favorite clothing. This was such a thoughtful idea (that’s our Grandma Carole) & is something that will be treasured forever!

 In the next picture, Baby Greyson is laying on a quilt that was made by his Great-Aunt, my Aunt Debbie. She even drove up from Tennessee to present it to me! I love her so much!

In the last picture, Baby Greyson is laying on a quilt that was made by a lady friend of Brandon’s that he works with.

In Full Bloom!

One week before my due date, we had some prego pictures taken by our kind neighbor Craig. He is an amateur photographer who is hoping to take on photography as a full time gig.
I think he did a great job for it being his first sitting!

The Baby Shower

As soon as I told my close friend Chiaki that we were pregnant, she wanted to be the one to host my Baby shower. She is a very creative person & I knew that it would be the most fabulous shower! She opened her gorgeous home to my other close friends & family. Since it was such a pleasant spring day (very rare in Ohio), we were able to utilize the back porch/ patio area. She & her mother (who is a retired chef) did all the cooking, & let me tell you what a spread we had!

The theme of the party was baby boy colors (blues & browns). On the invites, there was a robin sitting on its nest. Chiaki found someone to make these adorable cupcakes to mimic the invites! These went home with everyone, along with a small goody bag.

It was such a girly time & I enjoyed getting to chat with my gal pals. I’m also very grateful for the fantastic presents that we received!

Welcome Home

Whenever we got home, we were greeted by many friends & family members. It was good to finally be home, after such a long stay in the hospital.

Daddy unloading Baby Greyson from his first car ride...

Grandma Carole & Grandma Karen couldn't wait to hold their Grandbaby again!

My nieces & nephews couldn't wait to hold their new baby cousin!

  More family & friends also visited...

Love At First Sight

 At 36 weeks my doctor discovered that Baby Greyson was fully breeched. We left the doctor's office that day with a scheduled due date of June 1st. Before we knew it, the big day was finally here! We arrived at the hospital at 9 o'clock that morning. As soon as we got there, we were sent to a small room so that the nurses could start my IV. After that, we started our walk to the surgery room. Brandon got to stay with me all the way up until they prepped me for surgery. Once I was prepped & ready, he was allowed to come in. It took about 40 minutes before we heard the most precious cry in the world! We savored every minute! Brandon got to take pictures, & here's a look at what it was like!

 What an amazing experience...we were so happy to finally meet our Baby!

Our Precious Bundle of Joy...

 

Is a bouncing Baby Boy! Life just got a lot sweeter! Greyson Reid Shipley was born on June 1st, 2009. He weighed in at 8 lbs./13 ounces & measured in at 20 1/2 inches. We are so blessed and look forward to the years to come!