Sports, Family, and the Fair

I must sound like a broken record but I am amazed at how fast this year is going by! I feel like I blinked in June and now it's October! Obviously for our family, Weston is the main cause of the super sonic speeds but Matt and I are both going through adjustments as work as well. And then, of course, our nation has been dealing with its fair share (namely Syria and the government shutdown). I enjoy hearing about the simple times of the older generations when little kids could safely ride their bicycles as far as they wanted and marriages tended to last until death parted the lovers. What in the world is happening? I feel like I must work doubly hard to make sure Weston becomes a man of character. Sometimes when I get worried about raising Weston with the world the way that it is, I remember that I am not alone. I am married to a strong, wonderful man who will be an amazing example for Weston. Matt will teach West things that only a father can- like how to treat a woman, how to provide for those you love, and the difference between a dry and wet industrial scrubber. I have a fantastic family that showers Weston with more love than I can even comprehend. Yes, I think he will be just fine.

Matt and I had a great time at the Cowboys game. It worked out great as my dad was able to take a last minute trip here so he watched Weston while we went (he hated it I'm sure!). Plus, it was $50 less we had to give Jerry Jones for parking! Win!

We did take Weston to his first (and second) Ranger's game last month too. He is such a trooper. It's interesting to me that some families slow down when they have a baby. I don't know how they do it. Time with Weston is in high demand so we are constantly on the go! I wouldn't have it any other way. It's so very important to me that West knows how many people in this world love him. Plus, showing off the cutest baby in town is always fun. :)

My Dad and Julie came to visit this past weekend! I think we crammed every bit of fun we could into 3.5 days. We tailgated at the Ranger's game and went to the State Fair where we each ate our weight in fried food. It was so worth every pound gained.

Weston is now just shy of 4 months old and weighs about 19.5 pounds. He has found his feet and occasionally stares cross-eyed at them though he can't quite figure out how to get them in his mouth (lack of coordination and a big gut are to blame). He drools at an amazing rate. He is laughing more often and is becoming ticklish. He sleeps 8 or 9 hours overnight without waking (yes, I know I'm lucky). Although he still prefers to sit, he has started to stand with help in small doses.

Upcoming events: Mom and Doug's wedding in COLORADO (first plane ride for booger), 4 month check-up, Halloween!!

Relative

Everything is relative. Before Weston, I was really busy. Or at least I thought I was busy. I really had no idea what busy was until I went back to work after becoming a Mom. Now, its constant. Nurse, pump, change, dress, taxi, bathe, sanitize, label, play, wash, put to bed, work, clean, shower, launder, organize, and cook. Funny thing is, I am sure someday when Weston is at the age of Little League and Pee-Wee football I'll say "I had no idea what busy was when he was a baby!".

Mid-way through August Weston had his 2 month check up. He got his first round of shots and only cried for a short while (still heartbreaking). He weighed 15lbs 7oz, was 24 inches long, and his head was 41.7 cm around. This puts him in the 97th, 90th, and 98th percentiles, respectively. Who knew I gave birth to a giant! Doc said he looks great- chunk and all. 

Giant Baby.

August 24th was Matt's birthday- his last year in which his age starts with a 2. I woke up that morning and put forth my best attempt at making breakfast. I've never cooked a big breakfast (cereal or a bagel suits me fine) so what was intended to be a kind gesture was probably more like torture. I asked Matt what he wanted to do with "his day" and he insisted he wanted to find a garage fridge. After allowing the traffic to work us into crabby moods, we headed home and then went to a nice dinner to relax and celebrate.

I suck at breakfast but I dominate dessert.

Happy Birthday to Mr. G!

The next Monday I started back at work. I struggled with a lot of "working mom guilt" when I dropped Weston off at daycare. His first day was hard on him and it made dropping him off the second day almost impossible. I thank God that Weston had a good second day or that may have been the end of the working mom. It's still hard but visiting on my lunch breaks does help a lot, as do the cameras that allow me to look in on him any time I want (all the time). I do enjoy going to work though, and it's so nice to have adult conversations on a regular basis again. I suppose that's the silver lining.



First day.



This was taken by the daycare and sent to me. It's a book full of different textures for the babes to feel. He looks happy and that's what matters to me. 

Weston's crib poster.

This weekend was our 1st Anniversary. It seems hard to believe. I guess pregnancy and a subsequent baby makes a year fly by. What a great year though! Noni and D-Pa watched Weston while Matt and I went out for the night for dinner and a comedy club show. I drank 5 beers which made me feel like such a badass. Fighting breastfeeding sobriety one beer at a time. (Although it was much less badass getting up multiple times over night to pump and dump to get the 5 beers out of my system). It was nice being husband and wife rather then mom and dad for the first time in a few months.

One year married! Woohoo!

Weston Update: Wes weighs over 17 pounds now and changes daily. His hands are constantly finding their way into his mouth and drool is constantly oozing out of it. He likes ceiling fans, staring at his Momma, "riding the pony", sitting up, rolling onto his side, and helping hold his bottle (shocking- my boy likes to help himself eat). His neck muscles are surprisingly strong but he hasn't shown any interest in lifting his upper body during tummy time. He is in the best mood right after waking up in the morning and just before bed at night. At those times, it's endless smiles for anyone around!

Holding his bottle.

Smiles!

Tell me this smile doesn't go straight to your heart!

Blowing sweet baby bubbles.

Other fun times: Airhogs game with the Phelps Family (Weston wanted to see his girlfriend Hailie again), family date night at the drive-ins, more family photos, sprucing up our fish tank, and having our families over for Labor Day.

Before the Airhogs game.

Too much cuteness in one picture!

Loving how nice our tank looks!

Happy, Happy, Happy Noni.

Upcoming Events: Cowboys game, Weston's first Ranger game, Matt's 10 year reunion.

Life as a Trio

Here we are 7 weeks after welcoming our little man into the world. It's amazing what 8lbs 11oz can do to completely change your world. All my life I've been a daughter. But at 5:06am on June 11th I became a mother. It just sounds strange. When I say "mom" I still think of MY mom. But being a mom is the absolute best thing ever. And the scariest thing ever (this little human is completely dependent on ME?!?!). Weston is endless entertainment. He eats like a pig, moves like a fish out of water, grows like a weed, and farts like a grown man. I adore him.

The second best thing about having a baby is maternity leave. I envy Canadian moms as they get a full YEAR off- paid. I am more than halfway done with my leave and nowhere near ready to go back. Sadly though, in a few weeks I must face the end-of-maternity-leave music and hand my baby over to spend the day with people I dont know. Lets not get started on that though! Maybe we'll just move to Canada.

We have been spending a lot of time with family lately and I love love love it! My dad and brother came to visit soon after Wes was born and it was fantastic to see them. I only wish we were closer so we could see each other more often. Thank goodness for the ability to text pictures with the touch of a button! We also spent several days in Texarkana, and one in Shreveport, with Matt's folks. I had my first alcoholic beverage since becoming pregnant. All the planning it took (when to pump, when to nurse, when does he nap) made it taste just a little sweeter. I savored every sip.

On another note, Matt just accepted a position with a new company. It's a big change for our family but I couldn't be prouder. This sure is a time of transition for us!

Milestones: Weston is now about 13.8 pounds and very solid. The baby bobblehead is starting to fade as his ability to control his head seems to get even better every day. He is really finding his voice so there's a lot of precious baby cooing in our house. I like to think he recognizes Matt and I but he's pretty content with just about anyone that it's hard to tell. I cannot say enough what a good baby he is. I am very blessed.

Upcoming events: Weston's two month check up. Mr. G's birthday. Going back to work.

A Father's Tale by Mr. G

Words cannot describe the feeling of watching your child being born into this world. It is a feeling of overwhelming surprise and astonishment. You feel excited, yet fearful; courageous, yet paranoid.  And any dad that has been there knows that feeling, and also knows that words cannot fully explain the experience of watching your child’s birth. They simply don’t do it justice. It’s a sight that every father must see for himself to fully understand its significance and embrace its beauty. For those of you who read Courtney’s last blog, you know that I was given the honor of writing about our newest adventure for your reading pleasure. Though I am not my wife and may not be able to entertain you as she can, I will do my best. I am going to narrate you through the epic tale of how Weston Howard Gross came to be in this world from Dad’s perspective. It’s an untold story never been heard until now. It’s a story of vivid imagery and graphic detail. It’s a story that I share with you from my point of view. So fasten your seat belts and hang on to your hats. We are about to embark on a journey you will never forget (at least maybe until you fall asleep tonight). Reader’s discretion is advised.

My journey begins on Monday afternoon in downtown Dallas at Energy Plaza on Floor 27. I just started my new position working for the Air Compliance section of the same Environmental Services Department I’ve been working for the last 2 ½ years. The day was crowded with a few meetings and various tasks that I’ve been trying to wrap up so that I feel comfortable leaving the group for a while after the birth of my son. Needless to say, at this point there were still plenty of things left on my “to do” list and they weren’t getting accomplished nearly as fast as I’d like them to. At around 2:15 that afternoon, my wife sends a text to me saying “Nothing critical but call me when you can”. Knowing my wife and how calm she can stay during intense situations, I began to assume things could be getting serious being as we’re less than a week away from our due date. So I gave her a quick call but I had a 2:30 meeting so I could not chat for long. The minute she answered the phone, I knew something was different.  A sense of excitement was laced throughout her usual tired, 2:30 on Monday afternoon, ready to go home type of tone.  She calmly tells me that she has “sprung a leak” (use your imagination folks) and that she was headed home to investigate this issue further. Well at this point, my heart is racing and work is really the last thing on my mind. But I’ve got a pretty important 2:30 meeting that would require my undivided attention, and my brain can only handle 1 major task at a time. I go to the meeting anyhow but I’m texting my wife every few minutes trying to get fresh updates on her condition. At around 3:00pm, she tells me that she had spoken with a doctor and they want her to go to the hospital immediately to confirm if her water had indeed broke. It was at this point that my coworkers and boss were probably a bit confused as to why I abruptly left an important meeting without giving them much indication as to why I was leaving. Sorry about that for those of you who might be reading this. I grabbed my computer, keys, and hit the elevator running.

Fortunately, I drove to work that day instead of riding the commuter train. Actually, I had planned on driving that whole week to ensure I could leave promptly in case this event occurred during the middle of the day. And boy, am I glad that I did. I honestly might have set a new record time forgetting from downtown Dallas to Arlington. I turned my flashers on and drove an average of 90 mph in the HOV lane the whole way making it in roughly 13 to 15 min. I made it home, grabbed our already packed hospital bags, and squealed out the driveway racing towards the hospital. As I’m driving I began to make my calls from our phone tree we had designed. It’s funny how everyone seemed so calm when I told them. As for me, I’m panicking wildly as I weave in and out of traffic like a running back dodging defenders trying to score a touchdown. Thoughts and images of my wife squeezing our little booger out before I get there are all I can think about. I’m really surprised that this entire time I have not run across a cop. I must have broken numerous traffic laws. Laws like speeding, passing in the turning lane, talking on the phone in a school zone,running red lights, and reckless driving were just a few. But alas, I finally make it to the hospital. I fishtail into the parking lot, slide into a spot (or two), and sprint towards the door just praying that I made it in time.

As I enter the automatic doors to the Medical Center of Arlington’s Women’s Center, a sleepy security guard was the first thing I see in my panicked state. I must have scared him half to death as I ask him boldly,“Where’s my wife?” He slowly opens his heavy eyes, peers them in my direction, and calmly says to me, “Sir, there’s a lot of women here giving birth right now. I’m afraid I don’t know which one of them is yours.” As I write this now I realize how comical it was. At that point however, there was no time for jokes.He directed me towards the triage area where the nice receptionist kindly let me into the back where Courtney apparently was. As I entered the door, I spoke with a nurse who led me to where my wife was being checked out. At this point,my heart is racing. My nerves are on edge. I have no idea what I’m about to walk into. She opens the curtain and there I see her. She’s smiling ear to ear, laughing hysterically, and carrying on with the triage nurse’s like an old women’s sewing circle gabbing about their lazy husbands. What a relief! Here I am freaking out about my wife going into labor without me and as it turns out, she’s having as much fun as a group of women crowded inside a Chip N’ Dale's show.

The next several hours are a little blurry. Her amniotic sac had indeed been broken and the process of labor had technically begun. At this point however, she was not having any labor contractions. This could really only mean one thing….it was going to be a long night. They began to give her Pitocin and told us this would speed up the process. Then there’s the waiting. Various family members visited us in the room throughout the evening as we wait in the lonely delivery room just waiting on our boy to get here. They told her she couldn’t eat or drink anything except ice chips until the birth was finished, but it was becoming evident that it was going to be a while. Well as any pregnant women can tell you, not being able to eat or drink anything for possibly 13 to 15 hours straight doesn’t sit too well with them. Good thing for her, she had me to sneak her French fries, gummy bears, and quick gulps of water when she could. Shh…we won’t tell anyone that.

The hours pass by as we get closer and closer to the arrival of our son. The anxiety begins to build again like it did when we first got there. As I watch the nurse begin to prep the room for delivery, my heart rate elevates and my palms begin to get sweaty. The moment was drawing near, I could tell. It’s as if you’re back to your glory days about to take the field for a playoff game against a most formidable opponent.  My wife confirms my suspicion as she begins to feel stronger pressure in and around the holiest of hole’s (if you catch my drift). The lights are down, the stirrups are up, and the “game” is about to begin.

I hold my wife’s arm tightly and we begin the pushing. 3 sets of 10 second pushing intervals at every contraction is the “play” we are running against the tough, stacked defense.  I use this metaphor as it seems appropriate. In my mind, we are giving it to the running back right up the middle for small yardage every play. After 3 downs, progression is apparent, and a first down is given. We line up on the ball and do it again. After several first downs, we seem to be driving the ball very well. In metaphorical terms, I’d say we’re deep in the red zone. It’s time to bring in the goal line offense (the doctor), and put this baby in for 6 points. But hold up! We have to go to a commercial timeout. The doctor is in the middle of delivering another baby in another room close by. Kind of a hard spot to get held up in, don’t you think? All of this progression, all of this momentum, and on the 5 yard line we wait. Ugghhh…. But after a few minutes of waiting, the doctor struts in the door like he was Brad Pitt on the red carpet. Apparently, he had finished his other duties with the other mommy and our game can now continue. On 1^st down we push for a few yards and on 2^nd down we push for a few more. It’s 3^rd and goal on the 1yd line.  The play comes in from the side line. We’re going with a QB sneak and we’re giving it all we got. All or nothing! Right here, right now! Down…set…hut....

………….

Helen Keller once wrote, “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched- they must be felt with the heart.”Now I fully understand what the woman is trying to explain here and undoubtedly she is right. But the origin of the greatest and most beautiful thing that I have ever experienced in my life came from watching by son exiting from a small orifice of my wife’s body and into the hands of a man I met just a few minutes before. The image is not for the faint of heart, though it’s kind of like a train wreck and it just seems impossible to look away. I’m sure glad I didn't. It turned out to the most amazing thing that I’ve ever witnessed. We scored that touchdown on June 11, 2013 at 5:06am. Weston Howard Gross came boldly into this world at 8lbs and 11oz. He was full of life, full of hair, and full of love from his extremely emotional parents. I must admit, I cried like a baby. It was the best thing that has ever happened to me. It hit like a lightning bolt coming from the heavens in an open green pasture. Simply beautiful!

I fast forward now to Wednesday night, June 19, 2013 on our bedroom floor. I’m laying here typing this story from memory with smiles and occasional tears in my eyes. Everybody should have a great story to share with the world-this is mine. A lot has happened in this last week. We’ve had family, neighbors, and coworkers comment on our little guy. It just makes Mommy and Daddy so proud. Raising a child may very well be most rewarding thing I will ever do. A good partner will make that easier. I am lucky to have that very thing. I’m reminded of how good a mother my wife is constantly. Sometimes I’ll catch her crying just holding him tightly to her chest. It makes me realize just how good this kid is going to have it.

I close now with a few words to my son. Weston, from the moment we knew you would join us in this world, you were deeply loved.  From the moment I first held you in my arms, I knew what I was meant to do in this life. You are a the very symbol of innocence (at least for now (: ). I am going to love watching you grow up in front of my eyes, God willing. I will always be there for you, even when you’re being a stinker. You make me proud, son. I love you always!