A Merry Little Christmas...

What a wonderful Christmas we had this year staying in town, enjoying the festivities with the kids, and spending time with our family and friends. The long weekend started off badly with Hayes having ANOTHER ear infection and us missing the Anderson's annual open house, but got a lot better once P and Pop came into town. They gave Gray a toy instrument set as soon as they got there and we had so much fun watching him "parade" around the house all night. We got an even bigger kick out of watching him play with Mal and Big's gift, which was a lifelike dinosaur with moving sensors. He about jumped out of his skin every time the dinosaur moved! Unfortunately, my parents had to head on to Birmingham the next day, as it was Christmas Eve.  We spent the day cozied up in our house cooking, watching Christmas movies, and putting together the kid's toys. Late that afternoon, we braved the rain and cold and went to church so Gray could see "Big Jesus", as he calls him, and then hurried home to bake some cookies for Santa and get snug in our beds for the night. Adam and I had so much fun laying out all of their gifts, eating the cookies Gray left for Santa, and then watching The Family Stone (one of our favorite Christmas movies) after the kids were asleep.Christmas morning was so much fun and it made me even more anxious for next year when the kids will be that much more into the Santa thing. Gray loved his easel chalkboard, guitar, and other gifts, but was just as interested in Hayes' ball popper and babydoll! Uh oh....Santa did good this year!

The Pattersons came over mid-morning and we enjoyed my homemade peppermint hot chocolate and Adam's annual sausage and cheese balls as we exchanged gifts. Again, we spent most of the time laughing at Gray and enjoying his reaction to the gifts he received. Lauren and Andrew gave him "Mater", the tow truck from Cars, and they are now best friends. It is the first thing he talks about in the morning and the last thing he sees at night. He even talks on the phone to him! The best part of it is that we finally have something he cares enough about to take away (or threaten at least) when he's misbehaving. Thanks Uncle Andrew and Aunt Lala!  What a gift!

We wrapped up Christmas by going over to Billy and Linda's for a big dinner with all of the Garrety side of the family. Dinner was sooo yummy (Beef tenderloin, twice baked potato casserole, and more) and it was awesome having so many people who wanted to "take the kids off our hands for a sec". You didn't hear me complain! After dinner, I found Gray in Papa's leather recliner with his shoes off, a blanket pulled up to his chin, making fake snoring sounds. What a comedian! We spent the next 2 days in our pajamas, recovering from all the fun and festivities, but it was so nice not to have anything we HAD to do.

I'm looking forward to having Adam home again this week. It's so much fun to do stuff as a family and I'm already sad about when he and the kids go back and the daily grind begins. The kids are growing up so fast and I just want to stop the clock sometimes. Hayes has discovered her feet and could watch them for 20 minutes! She loves to listen to us singing and watch us dancing and she is just such a happy baby. Thank you Jesus! She loves her solids even more than her bottles and the reflux is FINALLY getting better, poor thing. She's already almost 17 pounds and growing! She's sleeping great, 7-7, and has even stopped fussing on car rides. Now if we can just keep these ear infections away, we'll be good as gold! Gray continues to be a feisty, funny, stubborn, independent little man with so much personality. He can count to 15, say all of his ABC's, knows all of his shapes, and is saying full-fledged sentences. My favorite is "What you doing in there, Mommy?".  Obviously, he hears that question A LOT from us because we never know what he's up to! His teacher says he is smart....too smart, in fact. She says he manipulates all of the other kids until he gets what he wants. I can't imagine where he got that from. He is still unbelievably picky when it comes to food and pretty much likes to control everything. (Again, no idea where that comes from). It just gets better and better and I am looking forward to every second we have ahead of us!

Merry Christmas,
The Pattersons

He knows if you've been bad or good so be good for goodness sake!

It is December and it's officially winter here in Memphis. The temps are in the 20's, people are buzzing about rumors of snow, and Christmas decorations are in full effect.  Since we were in Gulfport for Thanksgiving to visit with my parents, we weren't able to put our tree and decorations up until last weekend. Even though this is Gray's 3rd Christmas, I think it's his 1st "real" Christmas because he is starting to really understand how it works. And by this, I mean that he knows only good boys get toys from Santa. I think we'll have to wait a few years before the whole Baby Jesus thing gets absorbed. So for now we are milking the Santa threat for all that it's worth. The Elf-on-the-shelf has been a HUGE help with this and Gray has started saying "watching you" and looking at the elf whenever he's misbehaved. I only wish the Elf could be here year-round but I have a feeling he loses his effect after awhile. For now, we'll continue to enjoy making Santa the bad guy for a change.

Speaking of Christmas, I absolutely MUST get my Christmas cards out. It gets later and later every year! I am so far behind, I haven't even take a picture of them yet! Last weekend, I took the kids to get their picture taken with Santa in the hope of using it on our card, but as you can see, it's a no-go. Gray was surprisingly keen on Santa and didn't seem frightened by him at all. Maybe we skipped that phase all together or perhaps he is just way too nice to strangers. Note to self.....

Now that the tree is up and we've seen Santa, we're really in the Christmas spirit. Last Sunday when I came home from the grocery store, I found Adam in a sleeping bag with all three kids, listening to Christmas music and admiring the tree. I'm pretty sure they drank the eggnog and have acquired his love for the season. I bought one of those gingerbread train kits for Gray and I to make together but it was difficult to do since every time I put a piece of candy on it, he ate it off and said "mmmmm!".  In the end, he had fun, and that was what counted.

The last month has been frantically busy with Hayes' christening, the appliances giving out, and traveling to the coast for the holidays.  We were also plagued with the ultra-difficult decision to find new homes for the dogs now that the kids have become more mobile and Jackson even more tempermental.  Sweet Pea is now living with her new friend, Prissy, on a farm in Canton, MS and Jackson is in rehab with a foster Mom who is a vet up in Indiana. We will miss them terribly and will have lots of pictures and stories to share with the kids someday, but we know for now that we did the right thing.....for everyone. We will miss you, diggidy dogs!

We're really anticipating some downtime over the holidays, which is why I'm especially happy that we are staying in Memphis. Christmas in Mexico last year was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget, but it sure is nice to have Christmas at home. Can't wait!

Merry Christmas,
The Pattersons

Halloween and other Fall festivities

Fall is officially here! The leaves are falling down, the weather is turning cooler, and the smell of cozy fires is filling the air. I love this time of year.....homemade chili, lazy days with nowhere to go, and warm scarves around my  neck. I used to love Daylight Savings time too, another sign of the season, but with kids, it's hard to appreciate.  Their complete disregard of the "fall backwards" mentality has resulted in a LONG day and lots of crankiness and all-around disarray. They are finally both asleep and I'm rushing around like a madwoman trying to whittle down my to-do list.  So far, I'm hitting roadblocks.

Since my last post we have been busy, busy with the daily grind....Hayes has started Mothers Day Out at Christ Methodist and so far, so good.  It gives me a little bit of time each week to dedicate to the event I'm planning and teaches her flexibility, trust, and social skills that I know will take her far. I completely contribute Gray's demeanor to his early exposure to childcare and hope that it provides Hayes with the same benefits.  She will be 4 months tomorrow and is growing like a weed. At her appointment last Friday, she was 13.5 lbs (55th percentile) and 25.5" long (95th percentile).  She's going to be tall and skinny like her Daddy I suppose. She has started teething, although no teeth are actually visible yet and the doctor says it could be months before they show. She's getting up at night (sometimes 4 and 5 times) due to her discomfort which is making for really long days for all of us. I had forgotten how tough the teething phase was. Hopefully, as with Gray, she'll learn to cope and her teeth will come in back to back and she'll be done quickly. Wishful thinking is key. We attempted to give her rice cereal for the first time about a week ago without much success. Whether it was just bad timing or sheer disgust, she was extremely unhappy about the experience all together. We'll try again this week and see how it goes, but I'm in no rush. She is learning to grab at things and laughing out loud in response to our laughter. I am enjoying every milestone so much and trying to make them last, though I know there are so many more ahead.

As for Gray, he has changed so much over the last few months. This time last year when we first found out that we were pregnant again, it terrified me to think about having two "babies" to care for. Everyone promised that around the age of two, things would get easier with him. The difference from when Hayes was born to now is amazing. At his two year checkup two weeks ago, he was 28 lbs (50th percentile) and 35" tall (75th percentile) and had hit all of the other benchmarks for his age. He's talking so much and doing so many things on his own. He can count to 10, say some of his ABC's, he knows his colors and shapes, and even tries to help with Hayes now. I think I'm starting to actually believe that it might be easier with two so close in age someday.....someday soon even. For now, it's still busy and constant and nearly exhausting, but fun. Oh so fun. And wonderful. Quite wonderful. I am in love with my family.

Two Sundays ago we made a long overdue trip out to Collierville to visit with Gray's Godparents and their kids, Airey and Campbell. It was so much fun to see the boys together and to sneak some adult conversation in and catch up. We had a delicious dinner and so did the kids! 

Last Sunday we met Lauren, Andrew and baby Greer out at the River Arts Fest. It was the most beautiful day here in Memphis and the kids did great in their Double Bob (that thing is a lifesaver!) while we shopped, visited, ate, and listened to some music. Have I said I loved this time of year yet? If not, I do.....especially the festivals!

Friday, the kids and I met Adam at his office's annual Halloween party. It was a blast to see everyone's kids all dressed up, trick or treating from desk to desk, and high on sugar. Gray looked precious in his frog costume, but kept insisting that he was actually a dinosaur. I guess I confused him when I had him try on a dinosaur costume that ended up being too small....hence the frog costume. Whatever he was, he was darn cute! He dressed up again on Saturday to go trick or treating with our friends the Coles and the Thomas'.  This was the second year in a row that we headed over to the Thomas' for Halloween and it has become such a fun tradition that I know the kids will enjoy more and more as they get older.  Even Hayes dressed up as a little ladybug and was a good sport watching her big brother and his friends run from door to door. Gray had really gotten the hang of it by the end of the night and was the first to run up to the door, grabbing handfuls of candy at a time! You would think that after all of that excitement, he would have slept soundly last night. But he was still up at 6:00, or rather 5:00 thanks to Daylight Savings. Someday we'll be able to reap the benefits of it again. But not anytime soon I'm guessing.

Until next time,
The Pattersons

Our little bug is turning two!

Flies and crickets and beetles too, our little bug is turning two! I can't believe it will be two years since I gave birth to our beautiful baby boy this Friday. He has turned into such a handsome, funny, smart, and loving child and we couldn't be more proud of him. He is running everywhere he goes, dancing to every tune he hears, learning his numbers, shapes and colors, and calling everyone by name! I woke up one day and a boy stood before me. I don't know where he came from but it makes me both proud and sad at the same time. And even though I swore I'd keep him in smocked jon-jons until he was four, I am slowly agreeing with Adam on the need to dress him in more "Big Boy" attire (sob!). It's a good thing they make smocked t-shirts and matching shorts because I'm still a Mississippi girl after all.

He is at such a fun stage where he adores playing whether it's by himself or with friends. He has started saying "Hand!" and grabbing us by the hand to lead us to a particular toy he wants to play with (can you say bossy?). He loves to color, play with dinosaurs, build with Megabloks, race cars/trucks, and make up stories as he "reads" his books to himself aloud.

One of his favorite things to play with are bugs so it was an easy choice for the theme for his birthday party last weekend. It was the most beautiful October day here in Memphis and we had about 40 of his friends and family come to help us celebrate his 2nd birthday. After jumping in the bouncer and playing with all of the toys outside (bubbles, sidewalk chalk, the lawnmower, basketball, etc), we went inside to eat cake and ice-cream and sing "Happy Birthday" to Gray. But it wasn't just any old cake....a bug birthday called for a dirt cake and it turned out so cute! I just wish I didn't use such a big pot to make it because we barely put a dent in it and had to throw away two thirds of it! Fortunately for those that weren't brave enough to try the dirt cake, we also had dirt cupcakes. But Gray's favorite was still the ice-cream (just like last year). He is his father's son after all! After the party we had a fun time opening presents with just the family and I have to say that was my favorite part. Watching his expression as he opened each new gift was absolutely priceless. I love this age! His favorite toys have to be the Megabloks firetruck and table and Mr. Potato Head. Who knew an old classic could be such a hit? Gray slept hard after all that excitement and woke up the next morning ready to play hard with his new toys again.

I can't believe that Hayes is already 14 weeks old! She is such a sweet baby, so smiley all the time and she just LOVES to talk, whether to us or to herself. I think with all the noise Gray makes, she feels like she has to try and compete sometimes, but it is so cute I can't take it! She is napping so much better these days, even though the 45 minute nap monster still gets her from time to time. And I am scared to say it out loud in case I'm jinxing myself, but i think she is finally sleeping through the night once and for all. She has been doing it off and on for the past month but has done it 4 nights in a row now, so we're hoping this is it. Woo hoo! Our little Hazey is such a doll and I am enjoying every second of her!

Today has been such a dreary weekend weather-wise but nevertheless, we headed down to Cedar Hills Farm with Lovie to have our first full Fall experience. Gray rode a pony but wasn't nearly as excited about it as he was when we went 6 months ago. I think he's learning to be scared (trust me, this is a good thing for him) of things and got a little spooked. We visited the petting zoo, rode the train around the track, and took a hayride out to the pumpkin patch where Gray chose a little pie pumpkin to take home with him. Both Hayes and Gray were great sports as we tried to fit everything in and get pictures of them at every interval and they are both napping hard right now, tired from all the excitement of the day.

As for me, I am just trying to figure out what is next on my path. I have decided to take a contract position for the next 6 months and am really excited about who I'm working with and what I'll be doing. Plus, it buys me some time to decide what I really want to do whether it's staying at home, going back full-time, or just working part-time. We'll see!



Love,
The Pattersons

A new day

Today is a new day and it's better than yesterday, which is better than the day before and the day before that. But it's been a hard week all together. After seven fun, hardworking, exciting years at my job, the time has come to move on. I am so sad to leave the people that had become like family to me and so scared about the uncertainty I face. But, I am holding on to my faith and hoping that it will all become clear to me. If not today, then someday. For now, I am continuing to stay home with Hayes, who just turned 12 weeks old yesterday, and we are sending Gray to school, which he adores. Until we know if I will go back to work and when, we are going to try and keep his routine as unchanged as possible. Hopefully we will have a new plan by the first of the year. A small, but growing, part of me is excited about whatever the future holds for me....a new full-time job? a part-time job? a special project? Or perhaps this is God's way of telling me that this is my time to be at home with the kids. I am continuing to pray so that these answers will become clear and I can make the right decision for our family. I am thankful for my friends and family who have been so supportive during such a difficult time in my life. I am blessed to have them, if nothing else.

Into the swing of things

Goodness, it has been WAY too long since I posted. Having two under two has been so much crazier than I ever even expected, but so much better too! Since my last post, things have definitely improved and we are getting into a routine and feeling like our old selves again. We've tried really hard to keep doing the things that we always did, mostly so that Gray still gets to do fun things and his life doesn't change....much. Since the last post, we've been busy, busy, busy with the end of summer wrapping up and the Fall season kicking off. We had birthday parties every weekend from July 25th through August 15th and Gray had a big ole time at each one! Here's a pic of him at Campbell's 1st birthday driving Airey's golf cart.

The only one he missed was the most fun of all....ours! Our parents threw us a combined birthday party (or fiesta I should say) to celebrate our big 3-0.

We had so much fun catching up with all of our friends and it was so nice to know that the little ones were in good hands with their favorite babysitter, Ryan. My parents were in town all weekend and we had a great time visiting with them. Gray was super excited when they gave him an early 2nd birthday present...his first tricycle! He can't quite steer it or pedal yet so it's a good thing it has a push handle in back....something to grow into for sure!

We are also thrilled to finally be an aunt and uncle! Miriam Greer Patterson was born on August 28th (just one day before my birthday) to Uncle Andrew and Aunt Lauren and we were so excited to meet Gray and Hayes' baby cousin! I know that Hayes and Greer will have so much fun together and Gray will enjoy terrorizing them I'm sure. She is so sweet and looks just like Andrew. Here is a picture that was taken by Linda's good friend, Susan, as a gift to Lauren. She also took some of Gray and Hayes and they turned out great...can't wait to get them framed and hung! I'm so glad to find out that my good friend Sarah Ella has recently acquired a miter saw....I'm going to have to get her to put it to good use and make me some frames for all of these fabulous pictures with these little cuties! Gray is going to kill me one day with the boots picture but I'm going to see how long I can get away with it in his room...surely it will resurface at his rehearsal dinner if not sooner!



We have been trying to take advantage of these last few weeks of warm, sunny weather by going to the zoo, My Big Backyard, Shelby Farms, and the pool. Before we know it, it will be too cold and cloudy to do anything but hole up in the house with a warm blanket, a hot fire, and some good T.V. I can't wait to enjoy the Fall, my favorite time of the year, but we had to send the summer off with a bang.

I think Elmo Live had to be Gray's favorite. If you had told me that a 23 month old would sit/stand and watch big furry characters dance and sing on stage for an hour and a half, I would have laughed. But it was as if he was in a trance! He loved them....especially the beetle rap guys and their song about "Moving Trash". He still sings it two weeks later!

I can't believe our little baby girl is already almost 11 weeks old and I'm more than halfway through my maternity leave (yikes!)! Where has the time gone? She seems to get bigger and prettier every day. She looks so much like Gray did at that age, yet there is something unique about her....something that makes her our little Hazy! She has blue eyes and light brown/blonde hair but I'm still holding out hope that she'll look like her Daddy. Since about 6 1/2 weeks, she has been getting up only once in the night for a feeding and for that, I'm so thankful. Hopefully it will be an easier road than it was with Gray towards sleeping through the night. She struggles with the 45 minute nap monster, but I just keep hoping that one day she'll push through that cycle and put herself back to sleep on her own. Here's to hoping! At her 8 weeks appointment she weighed almost 11 lbs and she's growing out of her 3 month clothing and size 1 diapers already! She might even beat Gray on the chunk factor, but we'll see. We are so happy that her reflux is finally under control thanks to the Prevacid and Reglan. It makes for a much happier baby, although she still hates the carseat and prefers to be in someone's arms at all times (wouldn't we all?). She is cooing and smiling and her little personality is starting to shine through. I can't wait to see what kind of a little lady she becomes!

Adam has started traveling again (boo!) and I am getting the swing of this "single mom" thing while he's gone. We all miss him terribly while he's gone but it goes by so fast since we are so busy! Yesterday on the way home from picking Gray up, we stopped at Sonic for a wacky pack. I always like to get a treat for Gray when his Daddy is away and anything that comes with french fries does the trick! Then Lovie and Papa surprised us with a visit, which helped with all the chaos and multi-tasking that comes with dinnertime/bathtime/bedtime at our house. Adam returns tonight and so far, I've survived my first night/day without him and with both kids. Wine helps....alot.

I really will try and post more regularly...it's good to keep track of our experiences and the kids' progression as they get older. Until next time, take care!

The Pattersons

Two under two

Life as we know it is over. Not to say that a better life doesn't await....I know that it does, just in the very, very distant future. Right now, with two under the age of two, it is about mere survival. Even with the multitude of multi-tasking gadgets we employ--the baby bjorn, hands-free pumping bra, double jogging stroller, and so on and so forth--it's a challenge to get anything accomplished these days. I don't know how folks did it before they had the latest and greatest must-have child-rearing gadgets that we swear by today. Actually, I do....it's called the nuclear family. They all lived together in one place and everyone helped raise the children. Hence the phrase "It takes a village". You never felt alone or isolated in your insanity because you weren't. And we're not either...not really, anyway. We're lucky to have Adam's parents and brother/sister-in-law, as well as my sister/brother-in-law who have all been amazingly generous with their time and support over the last three weeks. I worry that at some point soon, we will wear out the offer of endless support, but until then, we will gladly and promptly accept it!

Hayes was three weeks old on Thursday and is already over 7 1/2 pounds and 20.5 inches long. She was 6 lbs and 5 oz and only 20 inches long when she arrived, so clearly she is thriving and for that we are thankful. Unfortunately, she is a typical c-section baby and the sibling of another reflux baby, which means she is plagued by the same. Hers is so much worse than Gray's ever was though and it's frightening at times. What started out as spitting up a little after or during every feeding has turned into projectile vomiting almost every time. She's on Prevacid, rice starch to thicken her milk, and prescription gas drops but nothing seems to curb the vomiting. Today was the worst day yet....she was so hopelessly fussy at every feeding and after speaking to the doctor, we were told to take her to have an ultrasound done. Fortunately, no obstructions were shown. Unfortunately, we're back to square one in terms of figuring out how to stop the frequent and massive vomiting she experiences. It is so difficult to watch something so small and helpless struggle so much, so I pray that we figure out a combination of medication, food, etc. that works for her....and soon.

Gray has had a rough week too, coming down with a cold and deciding he is too big for his crib. Much to his dismay, he does not get to make the decision about when he has outgrown his crib, so Adam and I got to work researching ways to keep him contained. We came upon a nifty little contraption called a crib tent which is placed over the crib, made of mesh, and zips up just like a tent. When it arrived, we assembled it in the living room and played with him in it as if it were a new toy. We talked to him about camping and adventures and all sorts of fun things that he could do while in the tent. We then put it on his crib, put him in it, and held our breath to see what he would do. Thankfully, he loved it! He jumped up and down in it and then passed out from exhaustion (he had skipped his nap all together earlier that day). So, as it turns out, it was worth every penny....even the $38 we paid to have it overnighted. Crisis averted and toddler bed delayed for at least another 6-12 months hopefully!

I have also had an unpleasant week, dealing with mastitis and sleep deprivation. But, the antibiotics are FINALLY kicking in and we have come up with a wonderful way to get sleep: buy it. Who knew? We have hired a night nurse to come every other night to relieve us. 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is the biggest luxury I can think of right now. Some things are just worth it, you know?

Until next time...

The Pattersons (finally complete!)

Welcome to the world baby girl!

Today was supposed to be Hayes' due date, but she made her debut 11 days early on Thursday, July 2nd at 3:52 AM. After a long couple of days with contractions, Adam and I finally went to the hospital late Wednesday night and were in the operating room within two hours, meeting our baby girl. She was 6 lbs, 5 oz and 20" long. She looks a lot like Gray but with a smaller head, longer body, and a little different nose. Plus, she has tons of hair and it's a bit lighter than his was. I'm still hoping she'll look like Adam but only time will tell.


We have been home with her now for a little over a week and are starting to get the hang of this two kid thing. We definitely are keeping busy, always changing, feeding, or putting one of them down for a nap, but are realizing that it will only get easier over time. We're sending Gray to school during the day so that his routine stays as consistent and familiar as possible, which gives us a little more time to focus on Hayes during these early days. My mom and Dad came in town for Hayes' arrival and my mom stayed for the next week to help out with errands, bathtime, meals, and Gray. Adam is staying home from work this week to help out and hopefully we'll have a routine down by the next week because he's going on his first overnight trip since Hayes was born and I'm a little nervous. Linda and Billy have offered to keep Gray and I just might have to take them up on that offer since I still can't drive or pick him up.

I still can't believe Hayes is here and finally feel like our little family is complete. Gray is so cute with her....when he comes home from school, he immediately runs to her and "pets" her head or asks to hold her. But, for the most part, he pretty much ignores her and is into his own world.

I don't know if it was being away from him for those days while we were in the hospital or if it was holding a new baby, but he seems absolutely ginormous to me now. He's not even a toddler anymore....he's a little boy! And he's ALL BOY in every way. I just can't take how quickly he's growing up and am trying to remember that with Hayes...especially when I get frustrated at how much she's feeding or how little she's sleeping. These days pass us by in the blink of an eye and I want to remember and relish them all. Until next time, we are sleeplessly and hopelessly in love with our little family...the Pattersons.

A busy two weeks

We were so looking forward to our annual tradition of hanging out on the 17th fairway with our good friends, the Coles, for the St. Jude golf tournament a couple of weeks ago, but Hurrican Elvis #2 had other plansin store. Before Adam could finish his margarita and I could visit with the girls, the officials blew the horn and we all scrambled to get back home to safety. Fortunately, we didn't lose electricity like so many others, but it did throw a wrench in our weekend plans. We left the next afternoon for Oxford to stay at a little B&B called the 512. It's right off the square and the perfect getaway for someone (like me) that can't be traveling too far from home these days. We had dinner at City Grocery, walked around the square, and just enjoyed our 7 year anniversary....alone!

It has been so ridiculously hot here in Memphis, and I don't think it's just me being pregnant. As a result, we've made frequen trips to the pool, which Gray of course loves. He will even run into his bedroom and help me change him into his swim clothes so that he can go to the "poo", as he calls it. He loves hanging around his Dad's neck in the big pool but can play for hours with all the toys and other children in the baby pool, which will be great once Hayes is here.

Speaking of Hayes, she will be here in just two weeks! I'm 37 weeks along now and can't believe how quickly the time has passed. I'm hoping to spend these next days tying up loose ends at work, getting prepared for what I know will be a life-changing event, and relishing every single moment with Gray as an only child. He has no clue what's coming into his world! I know he'll be a great big brother though and he will teach her all sorts of fun and interesting things. I can't wait to see them together! I'm even more curious about what she will look like, but have a hunch it will be her Daddy she resembles.

Speaking of "Dads", we had a great Father's Day weekend, just enjoying the time together, cooking, and staying out of the heat. We gave my Dad a webcam for Father's Day and tried it out for the first time and were so excited to see how well it works! It's like they are in our study when we call them and even though Gray can't quite figure out how it works, he gets really excited when he sees them. I'm looking forward to keeping my parents much more "in the know" with our newly-adopted technology.

This week has been a long one already, mostly because I kicked it off with jury duty on Monday. When I finally got called around noontime, it was for a sequestered case, which would involve at least a week away from home. Fortunately, the attorneys took one look at me and my huge belly and told me to go home. Shew! That was a close one! Our friend Bonnie welcomed her beautiful baby girl, Georgia, last night at only 29 weeks. She is small but strong and healthy and we are so happy for the Shelbys! That's all for now from the Pattersons. Stay tuned for hopefully one more update before Hayes arrives.....it could be any day now!

June already?

I can't believe it's June already and only 4 weeks until Baby Hayes arrives! I know they say that second pregnancies fly by, but these 9 (or is 10?) months have been surreal. Three of my pregnant friends have recently given birth and I'm being reminded how difficult those first few weeks are....the endless nights, the blurry days, the constant feeding, piling laundry, and overall discomfort from the birth itself. I know it's all worth it and it is only temporary, but I am becoming a little anxious at the idea of doing it all over again...with a toddler in tow no less! The first time down that road, you don't have any clue what to expect, so you take things as they come and deal with them along the way. This time, I know all too well...hence the anxiety. For my friends out there who have crossed that bridge already and made it through, please remind me when I'm still in the midst of all of it that I will get through it, it's only temporary, and to try and enjoy it if I can! I may look at you with a blank stare as if I don't believe you, but I need to hear it....it just might save my sanity.

Other than being terrified at the idea of how much my life is about to change, I'm just rolling along with life as a mother, wife, and full-time employee. Gray is getting bigger and crazier by the day, repeating tons of words, learning his colors, counting (even if it's only to 5!), and completely fascinated by the movies "Cars" and "Finding Nemo". We bought a sand/water table for him this weekend and he LOVES playing with that. I so wish we could take him to the beach this summer but I think his trip to Mexico over Christmas will have been his last until next summer. Sigh.

We had a great weekend with beautiful weather here in Memphis. Friday afternoon I took Gray out to the pool while Adam played golf, then we stayed and visited with some friends and their little ones until it was time to go home and get dinner together. I was so looking forward to curling up with Adam and the dogs to watch "Twilight", the next movie in my Netflix queue, but I think I was the only one that enjoyed it even the slightest. Should I be bothered by the fact that I enjoyed a movie that is targeted at 13 year olds? Maybe it's the hormones. Saturday morning we headed out to the Thomases house for Lewis' 2nd birthday party. It was so much fun to see the whole crew and I just cannot stop laughing at the image of Gray and Airey wrestling in the jumpathon. I'm talking head-locking, ear-pulling, all-out wrestling! But boys will be boys! I got some of it on video so I'll have to upload it. Adam and I had Gray's favorite babysitter over on Saturday night so that we could head over to Angie's house for her surprise 30th birthday party. I've been to many a surprise party in my life, but never have I seen someone so genuinely surprised! The look on her face was absolutely priceless. Happy 30th Angie! And Sunday we played it pretty low-key, heading to the pool in the late afternoon and making a yummy goat cheese and spinach lasagna for dinner.

Adam is out of town until late tonight on his last work trip before Hayes' arrival. I've been crossing my fingers (and my legs) hoping that I don't go into preterm labor since everyone I know is out of town right now, leaving me with no one to take me to the hospital or take care of Gray and the dogs. So far, so good. Baby Hover was born last night, so congrats to Lee and Ben on a beautiful, healthy baby boy! I'm sure Katie will be next and then it's our turn!

Until next time, much love from the Pattersons.

May in Memphis

As always, it's been too long since I last posted so I'll try to catch up on what's been going on throughout this crazy month of May! I had a little bit of a scare in the early part of the month and ended up in the hospital to make sure all was right with Hayes. It turns out I had a little virus and Hayes was feeling it too, but we both felt better by the end of the week and learned our lesson about pushing ourselves too hard...or at least I did. The weekend before was Artafactor, our biggest event of the year, so that explains a lot. Aside from the good news that Hayes was growing strong (already over 4 lbs), we got to see her on a 4D ultrasound, which was like nothing I could have imagined! We clearly saw her beautiful red lips, cute little nose (just like Billy P and Uncle Andrew's), and head full of hair. This one definitely doesn't look like me or my side of the family, so I think it will be so much fun to see her when she finally arrives in about 7 weeks!

My second mother's day was so wonderful knowing that I'll soon be a mom to two beautiful little children and was able to share it with my wonderful husband, beautiful son, Adam's parents and his brother and sister-in-law who are also expecting a little girl (Greer). We had a great brunch at "Just for Lunch" and I got the royal treatment all day, thanks to my boys!
I also want to send a big thank you to my friends Sarah Ella and Angie and my sister-in-law, Lauren who gave Hayes a beautiful shower last weekend. It was so fun to catch up with all the girls and Hayes got tons of lovely little girly things.....too much! It was also fun to have my Mom come into town to help us celebrate Hayes' upcoming arrival. Thanks to her and my Dad, we have a brand new double Bob ready to go once she comes! Thanks to everyone for all of their generosity and kindness!There was one person we really missed at the shower for Hayes, but she had a great reason for not being there....she was about to give birth to her own little baby, James Carter Lynch! Congratulations Matt and Amy on your 9 lb baby boy! We can't wait to meet him and are so excited for you guys!

Gray had his 18 month check-up at the doctor's office this month and he is still in the 75% for height and 50% for weight, so I guess the string bean physique he has acquired since his first birthday is here to stay! He also had another parent teacher conference at school to wrap up the year and we were pleased to learn that he has continued to develop and learn at a faster pace than what is average for his age, though he still has a ways to go on the sharing, patience, and problem solving. He also had his first bout of "mommy envy" when my friend Angie brought her two boys over to our house the other day and I fed and held one of them for a little while. I guess we are getting a glimpse of what he will have to endure when his little sister arrives, but I still think it will be easier for him to transition into having another sibling now rather than at an older age. We'll see! He is as wild as ever, hurling himself onto pieces of furniture and jumping right off of them. He looks like an abused child with bruises from head to toe, red marks all over his face, and the lingering remnant of a black eye. He's repeating much of what he hears which has really been an eye opener for us. No more adult talk around the parrot! He loves to call people by their names, especially Adam, and is getting much better about calling the animals by their rightful names instead of the sounds that they make. When we went to the zoo last Sunday, he actually identified a few of his favorites....monkey, bear, duck, etc. Sadly, his favorite "animal" at the zoo is still the only one that isn't breathing....the Carousel horse. But, he enjoys it so much and I adore watching him have that much fun.

Due to what I can only refer to as "Baby Brain" I somehow mixed up my parents anniversary with Jackson (our Boston Terrier)'s birthday and wound up missing the big day. So, I want to send a big congrats to my parents who have been married 31 years! What an amazing accomplishment in this day and age and something I know Adam and I are aspiring for ourselves.

Last night my oldest friend Beverly had her baby girl, Hannah Grace, at 36 weeks. Little Hannah is only 3 lbs 7 oz but going strong. We are all praying that Bev and Hannah get better and come home soon! Love you Bev!

Last night we headed over to Chickasaw for our second family night, which Gray loved so we'll have to make it more of a regular event. He had so much fun watching all of the other kids in the bouncer, eating his favorite foods (fries, chicken fingers and chocolate chip cookies), and riding around the golf course in a cart on his Daddy's lap. I can't think of a better way to spend a Thursday night!

Yea! Today is Friday and the start of a long weekend. So far, the weather is not looking too promising so there may be no pool for Gray and no golf for Adam, but we're looking forward to some fun family time either way. Today I'm catching up with some of my girlfriends over lunch and tomorrow night we're headed over to our friends house, the Higdons, so Gray can play with his girlfriend, Annie. For Memorial Day, we're going to the Wrights' for a cookout where there will be lots of playmates there for Gray too.....Carter, Mary Kate, Ethan and more!

That's all for now but I'll try to do better next time and not let it go so long in between posts. Until then.....

Love,
the Pattersons

It is Monday morning and I am taking a much-needed day off from work after a long couple of weeks of planning for ArtsMemphis' annual Artafactor Affair. God answered our prayers and kept the rain at bay for all but about 15 minutes on Friday night so it turned out to be a lovely evening and a successful event. Since Friday night was such a late one for me, we stayed pretty close to home all day Saturday and then had Lauren and Andrew over for dinner that night...can't beat homemade BBQ and my famous blue cheese potato salad! It was fun to catch up with them and Gray, as always, had a great time showing off all of his newly aquired moves which include hitting the golf ball off the tee with both hands, climbing on top of the furniture and counters (see black eye picture below), spinning in circles until he passes out, and throwing his food across the room when he's had enough....good times. We are working hard to deter the food throwing by introducing the "naughty chair" but it will take lots of patience on all of our parts to get through this phase.


Speaking of phases, he's also going through another teething phase as the poor thing gets all 4 canine teeth at once. No wonder he's not eating well! We went for his 18 month check-up last week and he had lost a pound from the previous week but is still in the 50-75% for height and weight so we're not worried.....for now at least. With a slimmer figure and a new shorter haircut, he's really starting to look like a big boy, unfortunately, and I already miss the chunky little flip-haired baby that seemingly was there just yesterday.

But as he grow come so many other fun things like kisses, hugs, laughter, calling everyone by their names, and interacting with us in more meaningful ways. Still, it will be fun to have another baby around and it looks like it will only be about another 8 weeks until little Hayes makes her debut! I'm 30 weeks today and will have a scheduled section a week early. She's still inside of me but already has her Daddy wrapped around her little finger. Case in point, he hung a chandelier in her nursery all by himself yesterday, almost giving him a heart attack during the installation and surely posing a constant risk of head injury every time he walks into her room in the middle of the night. He says it was for me, but I'm not convinced. Here's a pic of the princesses' new addition.

That's about all that has been going on with the Pattersons over the last week or so. Adam will get back on the road this week, but only for one night, and we're looking forward to spending Mother's Day with his side of the family this weekend. Until next time, take care!

The Pattersons