Twas the Thursday and Friday before Christmas

We have had a BLAST at the Bledsoe house the past couple of days!

On Thursday, one of my clients got sick, so that meant that I got off of work early!  We headed down to Southaven, picked up Ally Bug, and headed out to do some Christmas shopping.  (I won't ruin the surprise of what she bought for her Mommy, Daddy, and baby brother, but I will say that she did an AWESOME job staying under budget!)  We were all pretty tired from fighting the crowds, so we headed home.  We played video games, ate hot dogs and french fries made by Uncle David, and then we had SMORES for dessert.  YUMMY!  It was a really fun night--I cherish times like this with Ally (and so does Grayson).  :)  He is always so happy when she is around!

On Friday, Ally helped me get Grayson up and ready for the day, and then we just hung out for a bit.  We ate breakfast, played some more video games, and laughed, laughed, laughed.

I thought it would be fun for Ally and I to make some Christmas cookies together, so, after we put Grayson down for his nap, we got to work.  I didn't get any pictures of us actually decorating the cookies because it was messy work, but I thought they turned out pretty good!

We headed to the hospital to take Ally to meet her parents around 2:00pm, and I was secretly hoping that it might work out for me to see Jarrett.  Guess what!  I got my Christmas wish!  :)  I didn't get to hold him or see him up close and personal, but I was able to sneak a peek at him through the window while my brother held him up.  That is enough for me!  It's been 23 days since I've held the little guy--can't wait for him to come home!  (And, Becky and Jason told us today that Jarrett has been doing really well at getting the hang of eating milk.  So, according to the doctors, if he continues to do well, he could be coming home in 6-10 days!)  Oh, what a party that will be!  Santa even stopped by to see Jarrett yesterday:

We said our goodbyes to Ally, Jason, Becky, Jarrett, and Becky's mom, and then headed home to get ready for church.  

We were a little nervous about how Grasyon would do at church because there are SOOOO many people there on Christmas Eve (over 25, 500 people were at services on Thursday and Friday), and there is just so much going on.  Well, let me tell you, he did GREAT!  He smiled and laughed at everyone walking by.  When it was time to eat, he ate his bottle, listened to some music, and went right to sleep!  :)  He slept for almost the entire service and woke up in time to say hello to our friend, Lauren, and then head to the truck.  What a big boy!  :)  

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas Eve service is the candlelighting while we sing Silent Night.  

The pastor told us last night to use the song as our prayer for our Christmas...well, sitting there, holding the candle, and singing while Grayson slept in my arms was the most amazing feeling in the whole world.  What an amazing night it must have been when Jesus was born!  Going to church last night really got me into the Christmas spirit (which I hadn't been at all until then).  

We headed home, and got things ready for Santa.  You can't forget the milk and cookies!

David put Grayson to bed.  He was just exhausted, and I can understand why: You will notice that Grayson's cheeks look a little rosy in his pictures.  Well, that's because he got an early Christmas present: his first tooth!  That's right!  We first noticed it was starting to break through his gum on Wednesday night, and it has been sticking out more and more every day!  I am so so so so so proud of Grayson because he has not been fussy at all!  He hasn't cried or anything--his cheeks get rosy and he wants to be loved on a little more than normal (and he is making some HILARIOUS faces), but no teething nightmares here!  I haven't gotten a picture of it yet, but I will do my best to get one soon.  Every time I try to take one, he sticks his tongue over it.  :)

Anyway, Grayson went right to sleep, and Santa went right to work wrapping presents and getting everything ready for Christmas morning.  David and I decided not to exchange gifts this year (since us moving into a new house in the next few months is our gift to each other), so all the gifts under the tree are for out little boy (although, upon closer inspection, you will see that we didn't go as crazy buying gifts as it appears--we left the craziness up to Grandma, Pap Pap, and Gammi)!  :)  

As my dad always says, "Santa was good to us this year."  

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!  We love you!

Wordless Wednesday

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Speechless Saturday

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What a week!

Yesterday was a big day for Jarrett. Around 9:30 in the morning, the doctors discovered that he had developed a hole in his intestine, and fecal matter was leaking into his system. It was a very dangerous situation for Jarrett, so they decided to perform surgery immediately. Jason and Becky (and all of us) had been hoping the doctors would be able to perform the pull-through surgery. However, because of his intestines being weak, their only option was an ostomy.

Jarrett is such an amazing little kid. He made it through surgery with flying colors! Becky said that, once he was back in his room, he was trying so hard to open his eyes...but he was just too medicated. They will monitor him very closely over the next few days to ensure that he doesnt develop an infection due to the amount of fecal matter that leaked. Hopefully, he will get to start drinking milk next week. AND, hopefully, he will get to come home sooner than later.

I can't wait to hold him and kiss on him, and I know David feels the same way. We love Jarrett so so much, and it has been so hard not being able to see him. We are beyond excited that he may be headed home soon!


In other news, yesterday was Davids birthday! We actually celebrated as a family on Wednesday night, and then last night our friends, the Woodalls, came over. On Wednesday, I picked up dinner from Chilis, and then headed home. We ate dinner, and David opened his presents! I got him a power washer (that was actually delivered on Tuesday and the surprise was ruined) and a pair of UT lounge pants, and Grayson and my parents got him the Move system for his Playstation. That thing is sooooooo much fun! Last night, we dressed in our comfies, grilled out, and played Playstation. It was a blast having Brad, Donna, and Whitney celebrate with us! I know David and I both feel very blessed to have such good friends.

And, I just have to share because I'm so excited: David and Grayson got me a NookColor for Christmas! It was supposed to be a surprise, but UPS delivered it last night, and I knew right away what it was. :) If you don't know what a Nook is: its an electonic device that I can use to read books! I can download books, magazines, games, and pictures to it. It even comes with Pandora radio so I can listen to music! I can buy kids books for Grayson that are interactive, so he will be able to use it when he's a little older. It is just the coolest thing! And, I wasn't expecting it at all! I must say that my boys are the best!

I think that's all to update on right now. I really want to thank those of you who have called, texted, emailed, and/or prayed for Jason, Becky, Jarrett, and Ally. You all have shown my entire family what true friendship and love is, and we are so thankful. I know that your prayers are felt each day--and what an amazing feeling it is!

As always, we love you!

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Updates on my 2 favorite boys

One of my favorite boys, Grayson:

We took Grayson to see Dr. Catherine today for his 4 month check-up.  I can't believe he is 4 months old already!  Anyway, he weighs 17lbs 13oz, and is 27 inches long.  He is in the 90th percentile for weight, height, and head circumference!  What a big boy!  At the appointment, Dr. Catherine told us to go back to feeding him cereal (we had stopped when he got sick), and he will start on vegetables in about 4 weeks.  I fed him some rice cereal before he went to bed, and he loved it!  He ate it better than he did when we gave it to him at 3 months, that's for sure.  He definitely likes oatmeal better, but we will stick with rice for a few days.  My boy is growing up way too fast for my liking!

He also got his 4 month shots today.  He did GREAT!  He cried for a few minutes, but he was asleep before we even left the parking lot.  (I think most of that crying was due to the fact that he hadn't gotten his afternoon nap!)  He was in a good mood tonight, and went straight to bed without any fuss.  David and I were VERY proud of him!

My other favorite boy, Jarrett:

Jarrett was scheduled for surgery at 7:30 this morning, but shortly before 7:00am, it got pushed back.  So, around 12:30 this afternoon, he was wheeled into the operating room.  (The picture above is him rgiht before he headed off....he is OUT!)
The plan for surgery was to do a few more biopsies prior to completing the pull-through procedure to ensure that Jarrett does indeed have Hirschsprung's Disease.  They did the biopsies, and then opted not to complete the pull-through procedure today.  Here's an update in Becky's words:

The labwork the surgeons had done during Jarrett's surgery today once again came back inconclusive. The good news- this probably means it is a very small section that is affected by Hirschsprungs. The bad news- we have to wait on more labwork before we can move forward with corrective surgery. It will probably take another week to get these lab results.

So, although today was discouraging (in that it means a longer hospital stay for Jarrett), it was encouraging to know that his intestines may not be as badly affected as the doctors first thought.  As Becky said, they should know more in the week.  Please continue to pray for Jarrett, Jason, Becky, and Ally.  It's been a draining time, and the end isn't in sight quite yet...but, things are looking up.

Thanks for checking in on us.  We love you!!

More 4 month old pictures!

Grayson woke up from his nap feeling a little more like playing in front of the camera.  :)

Hi, Momma!

Right after I took this picture, he spit up and then laid his face in it.  HA!

Why did she put that toy right out of my reach?!?!

I am 4 months old, by Grayson

I am 4 months (or 17 weeks and 3 days) old today!

I look more and more like my daddy every day.  I am long and skinny.  I wear 3-6 month shirts but 9 month pants!  Sometimes, I can wear 6 month pants and shirts, but it depends on the brand.  :)  I wear size 2 diapers, but not for much longer!  I go to see Dr. Catherine for my 4-month check-up tomorrow...I will find out then how much I weigh and how long I am.  

I am really starting to notice what is going on in the world around me.  I like to watch the doggies when they wrestle in the living room, and I like to look at all the colors on the TV.  I asked Santa for some Baby Einstein videos so that I could learn something while I watch!  :)  I also really like when Mommy and Daddy read me books.  I look at all the pictures, and touch every page.  I am going to love to read when I grow up, just like Mommy!

I am doing so well with my sleeping and my eating!  I usually go to bed around 8:00pm (after my last bottle), and then I sleep until around 7:00am the next morning.  I don't wake up at all to eat the whole night!  I usually eat 7 ounces of formula every 3 hours during the day, and I try to take 2-3 naps (although my naps usually aren't very long).  I am such a big boy that I don't even use my pacifier anymore!

I laugh ALL THE TIME.  I am always talking, smiling, cooing, laughing, or being silly.  I only cry when I am hungry or sleepy (which means I'm just like my mommy--she gets grumpy, too, when she's hungry or sleepy).  My daddy can make me laugh like nobody else.  I think it's really really funny when I grab onto his beard.  :)

 I love to go for rides in the car, and I am getting more used to having to be all bundled up for winter.  I absolutely love to go shopping with Mommy and Daddy.  I smile and coo at everyone who walks by--and they usually stop to smile at me, which I love.

I like to play with all of my toys, but I have 2 absolute favorites: my lovies and my lion.  I also like anything that I can put in my mouth.  Usually, when I am laying on my playmat, I put all the rings in my mouth and pull myself up off the floor.  I am strong, just like my Daddy!

I am super mischievous.  I am curious about everything.  When I am really trying to figure something out, I make the funniest concentration face.  I can be very serious.

I will be sitting up all by myself soon!  I can manage to sit for about 7 seconds, if I prop myself up just right.  Daddy has been working with me every day on sitting up, and getting from sitting to my stomach. I like when we do this because it's lots of fun!  

Look at me trying to sit on my own:

I love my grandparents, and my aunts and uncles.  BUT, my most favorite person in the whole world is my cousin, Ally.  I love her so much, and she always makes me smile!  I could watch her for hours.  Mommy and Daddy tell me every day about my new cousin, Jarrett.  We were born exactly 16 weeks apart, and I just know that we are going to be best friends!

The last 4 months have been pretty fun, but I am really looking forward to the next couple of months.  Pretty soon, I will be mobile, and then I will be in to everything!  :)

Thank you for checking in on me!  I love you all!

Christmas Card 2010

I was pretty proud of our Christmas card this year.  And, since they have already been sent out, I figured I would post it here for you all to see:

I took Grayson to get his 3-month pictures made a few weeks ago.  We had planned on getting a family Christmas picture made, but I wanted to see how Grayson would do getting his picture taken first.  I had a coupon for no sitting fee and a free Christmas ornament, so if he didn't do well, it wouldn't be a waste of money.
Well, you've seen the other 3-month pictures in an earlier post--he did GREAT!  He LOVED the photographer, and we got some great shots.  AND, we ended up not going back to get family Christmas shots because this one turned out so well!  :)

We are getting in the Christmas spirit in the Bledsoe house, and we hope you are, too!!!

Click HERE to check out the video of my nephew that my brother posted on his website!!!!

In other news, it looks like Jarrett's surgery will be Monday!  YAY!  That means he is one step closer to going home!

Merry Christmas from the Bledsoe Family!