Chick-fil-A is Here!!!

Normally Amy writes these posts, but today your going to get some words from David, because something has happened that I just have to write about.   Chick-fil-A has finally opened a store in the Chicago area!     This may not seem like a big deal to those of you who live in the South and are within driving distance of a Chick-fil-A at all times, but we have been living without for some time now.   There are a few in Missouri and a couple in Indiana, but none close enough to drive to until Thursday of this week.    

The store opened on Thursday and Amy, Grayson and I just happened to be in the area doing some shopping.   We took a look at the line and decided that we'd probably better wait a few days because the line was out the door and wrapping around the parking lot.   The line for the drive through had to be at least 50 cars long.     We felt like bad southerners, but we had a baby so we figured that was a decent excuse. 

Well we were back up in the area on Saturday and the line was still out into the parking lot.    We decided that we couldn't pass it up a second time and joined the back of the drive through line that had to be at least 30 cars long still.    They had things pretty well organized so we actually got through the line in about 15-20 minutes, which wasn't to bad all things considered.    The food was just as fantastic as we remembered and it was certainly worth the wait.   

I had some chicken nuggets and Amy had the new spicy chicken sandwich.   The spicy sandwich sure is spicy!   I tried a bite and you sure notice the spice!   We both had a chocolate shake as well, which was a great way to finish a great meal.

   

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Catching Up

In the month since Grayson was born, we have all grown up.  David and I have learned to function on much less sleep, we have learned that walking and bouncing are the keys to calming a screaming infant, we have learned how to take a baby to a store, but mostly we have learned that we still have a ridiculous amount to learn.  We are working on learning how to communicate, how to fit a child into our lives (like we can't go to Wal-Mart at 11pm), and we are learning that love holds us all together and that whatever works for us is the way we should do it, even if our living room now looks like more like a baby factory than a living room. 
It's also been an adventure in graciously losing ourselves, for instance, David was explaining to Grayson today that my real name is Amy and I realized that I haven't heard my real name in quite a long time.  And, I admit, David has heard his name but never without a request at the end of it, like "David can you bring me ..." But that is a luxury we give up readily because it takes one look at Grayson to bring the whole world into focus. 


George and Charlie are having to learn to function with much less Amy and David interaction!  George has learned that Grayson is definitely a pack member and probably outranks him.  He has learned how not to get run over by the stroller when we go on walks.  Charlie has learned that the crib and all the other baby gear, while they appear comfortable, they are not places cats are allowed. 


But the champ at growing up is Grayson.  At his last doctor appointment, on 9-9, he weighed 9 pounds 12 ounces.  By the following Wednesday he had gained 9 more ounces!  He had his first smile on Thursday night for Daddy and then I saw it on Friday morning.  Did anyone else notice the world get a little bit brighter?  He is holding up his head for longer periods of time and his little coos are getting stronger.  All in all he is a happy healthy little guy. 


Today we had Grayson's first music class.  I won a free 9-week session at Cradle Talk a couple of weeks ago.  We had a blast.  Grayson did sleep through part of the class but when we was awake you could tell he loved it.  He even trys to move his body in time with the beat.  I don't know if we have a future Mozart or head banger on our hands!

                                          

                                           

                                          

       

      

                                                   

                                           

Shhh...baby's trying to go sleepies...

                                            

              And he's restin' up for football watchin' with Daddy later today

On Thursday the first Chick-fil-a in Chicagoland opened.  It was a huge success.  We tried to have dinner there but alas we arrived at a madhouse.  There were at least 1000 people there, they had a block party going, the cows were there, and the streets around the mall were packed with cars in the drive through.  Needless to say we did not achieve any chicken but the sight was amazing. 


One other local happening I would like to comment on is the oil spill in Romeoville.  We had a pipe rupture which has caused local gas prices to sky rocket.  But the best thing is that one school was closed and four other schools were put on lock down due to pipe bombs being found taped to the lamp posts in the parking lots.  It wasn't until later that day that the EPA informed the police department that they placed air monitoring devices on the lamp posts of the school which just happen to look like pipe bombs.  Nice..ahhh I love it. And I personally hold the project manager responsible.  Who doesn't realize that you shouldn't notify the local authorities before you place anything that resembles a bomb anywhere..and who doesn't label them!?!?!?  


And now for more random pictures: 

                                          

Fishing with Papa

                                          

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It's a Boy!

After 10 months and many hours of labor, Grayson James Lomax joined our family at 4:43pm on August 9, 2010.  That's 8-9-10 and he weighed 8 pounds 9 ounces.  The nurses all say he should be some kind of numbers man!  Grayson has already been such a blessing in our lives, and I am so thankful that he is here and healthy.

Around 10:30 Sunday August 8, I was feeling contractions and they were coming every three to four minutes.  I let everyone know and decided we would wait it out.  Momma and I continued to work on a sewing project we had all been working on and the contractions continued.  We went to lunch around noon at Chipolte and the contractions just kept coming and were getting stronger.  David and Jean took George and Charlie to the PetsHotel since something happening was seeming inevitable.  Once everyone was back at home David and I went for a walk down to the park where we played on the swings! 

We kept track of the contractions via a iPhone app.  Yes my husband is that dorky, but I will give him credit it was very handy.  Then we watched tv for awhile and around 4pm decided it was time to call the hospital.  The nurses at the hospital said it was time to go in. 

When we got to the hospital the contractions were very strong, and I was 4cm dilated.  They looked something like this: 

Regardless of what I was feeling everyone else seemed quite excited and happy to finally be at the hospital. 

                                          

                                          

OK well maybe David looks scared. 

By the time the hospital determined that I was in labor and moved me to a labor and delivery room the contractions were still coming but the strength had gone away and any progression was gone.  We walked the hospital halls for hours.  Late that night Momma and Jean decided to go home and get some sleep with the promise that we could call if anything started happening.  Let's just say they got a full nights sleep!  By the next morning I was still 4cm.

At 8am our labor and delivery nurse, Dana, came in.  She informed us in her military captain type way that the doctors had decided to go ahead and induce me, which they did around 8am.  I came to love Dana's military presence as the day wore on.  After the induction the contractions started getting stronger.  Around 11:30 my water broke and was the most painful thing I think I have ever experienced.  It was at that time that I informed David it was time for an epidural, which worked like a charm!  I think whoever invented the epidural should be put up for sainthood.  I have always been completely afraid of having one but it was nothing, espeically when compared to the labor pains.  Once the epidural had fully taken effect, David, Momma, and Jean went for lunch and I was able to take a nap.  When they arrived back the doctor came in and checked my progression.  I had finally progressed past 4cm!  Not only that, I was complete and would be ready to push after I "labored down" for another hour.  One of the side effects of the epidural was "the shakes."  They were hilarious.  I would just shake.  I tried to take pictures of David but they turned into just a blur so finally we just had one taken together!

The soon to be proud parents!

Mimi and Nana are furiously calling and texting everyone the good news!

Around 3pm it was time to push.  Doctor Kagan advised that I stay on oxygen through the pushing, which I was highly in favor of.  Dana taught me the basics of pushing.  At first I stumbled through it, but eventually I really got the hang of it.  After about 45 minutes of pushing, Grayson still hadn't moved down the birth canal and I had developed a fever which was rapidly increasing the more I pushed.  I was up to 103.1 when the doctor came back in.  He had called and checked with the cardiologists who cleared me to keep pushing but it was getting us no where.  I was exhausted, extremely thirsty, and the fever and medications were making me very loopy, so we decided it was time to call it and do the c-section.  They wheeled me into the OR and were getting everything ready when one of the nurses accidentally told me it was a girl.  She felt awful for spilling the beans.  When David came in I told him the nurse had told me the sex.  Just like a man who knows how to keep a promise, he asked me not to tell him.  A few minutes later the doctors were joking about what big cheeks my little girl had.  Then, in no time flat, Dr. Kagan said "It's a boy!!!"  To which I promptly replied, "A what?"  David kept saying a boy and I just kept saying but that's not what she told me!  HA!  Dr. Kagan asked if we had a name and I called out Grayson James.  I later realized I had some major apologizing to do because David and I still hadn't agreed on a name.  We were torn between Grayson and Haden.  Well I had just named our child all on my own, oops!

David was able to cut the cord, and they called out that he weighed 8 pounds 9 ounces.  As I laid there soaking in the news, I soon realized I hadn't heard Grayson cry.  I kept asking the doctors why he wasn't crying and noone could answer me.  That is when the terror set in.  I knew something was wrong.  The nurses wrapped him up and let David show him to me and let us pray over him.  Then he was taken away to the NICU.  David followed quickly behind.  Dana was finally able to tell me that he needed to go for observation because of my infection, Grayson had a fever of 103.6, and because he had swallowed a bunch of fluid and was not able to adequately breathe on his own. 

I went to recovery and got a few minutes of sleep.  I had been so drugged and was so loopy.  I had told the staff so many random stories and will probably never know what all I said!  When I woke back up, David came in and told me that Grayson's fever had broken.  Thank God.  But I sent him back for pictures. 


Here is the first picture of Grayson:

Happy Birthday!!!

Mimi and Nana got to meet Grayson once he was stable.

 

                                          

Hi Nana

Nice to meet you Mimi

As I laid there the terror and guilt grew.  Dana was great.  She stood by my bed and did everything in her power to assure me.  She was there for me and showed me care I have never seen before..  She cleared the way for me to take a detour through the NICU and asked the NICU nurses if I could hold him.  She made sure that our pastor would be allowed into the NICU.  (He was able to come the next day and said a beautiful prayer for Grayson.)  I am forever grateful to the work that Dana did that day. 

Here are some pictures of those first moments with Grayson.

A few precious moments later Grayson had to go back under the warming lights, and I needed to go to a room.  The next few days would be an emotional roller coaster.  I was able to go to the NICU whenever I wasn't having something done to me.  The nurses and staff at Edward were so caring and compassionate.  They did everything they could to ease the situation and to teach us how to take care of him.  I am so thankful for the hospital staff. 

And then 48 hours later, Grayson was released from the NICU!  He was very healthy with no signs that he ever developed my infection and his lungs were clear.  He was able to regulate his body temperature and was generally a happy baby.  I videotaped Grayson coming into my room but, alas, I didn't manage to save it!

The first few pictures of Grayson out of NICU. 

The next few days were all about learning to care for and comfort Grayson.  We had a fabulous Mother/Baby nurse Ann who taught us so much.  She always made us feel like we were the only patients she had but of course we weren't.  With all the great things Edward had to offer it still couldn't quench my excitement to go home.  So on Thursday we took Grayson home. 

Let's blow this joint!

We had many challenges those first few days with Grayson and it was incredibly nice to have so many people around to help us.  Nana made sure that food appeared and laundry was always done.  Mimi was great with helping me take care of Grayson and teaching me soothing techniques.  Those days were precious and so very memorable. 

I have had a lot of baby blues since Grayson's birth and to say that every moment this past month has been joyous would be a lie, but it has been an amazing journey.  We are having a great time and learning so much about Grayson and about our relationship with each other.  David and I are blessed beyond words with a gift we didn't know was possible.  Who knew that something only 8 pounds could change everything for the better.  This is a journey I wouldn't have missed for the world. 

Grayson is now one month old and 9 pounds 12 ounces.  In the words of his doctor, ummm wow he's growing like a weed.  He is getting really good at holding up his head and he has started to coo.  We are working through the sleep challenges.  He is now sleeping in a crib and usually only wakes 2 or 3 times during the night.  The sleep sack and sleep positioner have been God sends and have really helped him out.  He loves them! 

The past month has taught me that parenting is about eating words and humble pie.  I have done so many things I swore I would never do.  I have slept with Grayson in my bed, I have slept with Grayson on me, anything to get a few moments of precious sleep.  The latest thing I would never do is resort to baby wearing.  Well here is the proof! 

                                                  

Grayson in his tummy carrier

                                                  

Look at those eyes!

Ok so now I will quit gushing over my amzing little boy and just show you a bunch of pictures from the past month.

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