The Ripley's

Happy Holidays!!

2010-12-14T08:27:00.001-06:00

Time flies...

2010-07-07T13:41:00.003-05:00

Raining

2010-07-06T10:48:00.001-05:00

Man when it rains it pours doesn't it?

Oh Daddy

2010-06-21T13:17:00.004-05:00

HAPPY

FATHERS

DAY

HONEY!

WE LOVE YOU!

Ladybug

2010-06-18T11:16:00.003-05:00

Long time - no write

2010-05-27T12:53:00.013-05:00

Sorry for the wayyy overdue update. Life is a lil' hectic with two kiddos!

So...where to start?!

GRADY UPDATE

Grady had his 3rd and final hypospadia surgery back in March. It was much more difficult this time around 1.) he's more mobile 2.) he knows how to pull out this cathedar. The only issue we had was his dressing fell off the day after surgery. His wound just keep bleeding, so we had to go back up to the hospital, had hold him down so the nurses could tape him back up. IT WAS NOT A PRETTY SIGHT! His 6 week check went very well and Dr. Snodgrass said that he should heal up just fine. It's not 100% cosmetically but at least its functioning properly! Up until the last few weeks he's been a bear to change...I think he was a little traumatized and didn't want anyone changing his diaper. But thankfully that is starting to fade. Here's a pic from his hospital stay.

While I was off on maternity leave I took Lily to my mom's and Grady and I spent several days together just the two of us. I really wanted to spend quality time with him so he didn't start feeling neglected.

Pic from Build-A-Bear

He's been so great with Lily. He'll go up and pat her on the head when she cries, he loves giving her kisses too! I'm so proud of him! Lily update I couldn't ask for a better baby. She's just amazing!! She eats and sleeps great...minus the acid reflux. We put her on Enfamil AR formula but that only does so much.

Jason's ready to have this baby! HAHA

My angel ~ March 8th, 2010 7:57am 7.14 pounds 19 inches

"Hi everyone!"

Here's a pic from her 1st dr appointment.

My big girl is sleeping in her crib and usually only wakes up once during the night! What a big change from Gradybug! Poor lil' guy didn't sleep much the first couple months. She's such a happy baby...she's smiling and cooing all the time. Jason and I are doing great...just trying to stay afloat!!

Lily's here!

2010-03-11T18:12:00.002-06:00

Her first breath took ours away...

We are thrilled to announce the birth of Lily Ripley.

Happy 3rd Anniversary honey!

2010-03-03T13:16:00.002-06:00

I met my best friend in April 2005 at Gilley's Dallas. I still remember that night like it was yesterday. Jason telling me he was a pitcher for the Frisco Rough Riders!
Little did we know that we would be inseperatable from then on, that he would propose 6 months later, that we'd get pregnant 3 months after we got married and that we'd one day have a little girl.
I thank God for sending Jason to me. He's my best friend and my rock. I love you so much daddy.

Last week of pregnancy

2010-02-28T21:46:00.009-06:00

This will be my last week of being pregnant forever. After next Monday, I don't have to worry about maternity clothes, swollen feet or heartburn that lasts days ever again! I'll never have the lingering question like...do we want to have another kid, when should we have him/her, etc. Our family is complete and this momma is officially closing up shop for good!

It's kind of a bittersweet though. On one hand I'm going to miss all the amazing wonders of carrying my child around for 9+ months, on the other it'll be awesome to never have to take birth control pills or worry about getting pregnant ever again!

I'm going to cherish the memories of pregnancy...like feeling Grady dance around in my stomach constantly and of Lily waking me up in the middle of the night making me laugh because she has the hiccups.

I'll try not to remember being nauseous 24/7 and the horrible allergic reaction I had to my prenatal vitamins while carrying Grady or the bad headaches and breathing issues I had with Lily that kinda went away in the 8th month.

All I can do now is enjoy these last 7 days, prepare myself for the sleepless nights that are right around the corner and get ready for the good times that these two angels will bring!

Cheers!

Snow, believe it or not and Lily's room

2010-02-13T21:05:00.006-06:00

Grady had so much fun playing with daddy in the snow! He was running all around the front yard.

He loves sinking in the snow. The poor guy got so upset though when it was time to come inside.

I also finished Lily's room this weekend and wanted to share a few pictures of it. I'm in love with her room, it's so gorgeous to me. I'll have pics from her shower soon!!

My dad made Lily's wall letters :)

My dad and sister made Lily's growth chart!

Grady's 2!

2010-02-01T12:49:00.012-06:00

Grady had a "ball" on his 2nd birthday. We just had my parents and sister's family over, but with Grady and Ross running around it sounded like we had over 20 people! :)
I made baseball cupcakes, hey I never said I was crafty people. My sister would've done a lot better job. The good news is that he didn't decide to chunk one at my head!! Though that would've made for a great picture.

He actually loved it!! The cupcake was devoured in 5 minutes :)

He got a ton of stuff for his birthday...which I told my parents and sister not to do! He played on his new slide the whole day. He was pooped come 8pm, so was mommy, which is why we decided not to have a big party this year!

I watched the video from his first birthday, man I can't believe how much he's changed in just one year. He was just walking but hadn't said but 1 or 2 words...now his talking up a storm, climbing on our furniture and stairs and hitting/kicking balls.
*Click here to view some pics from his 1st birthday*

It kinda made me sad to think this is his last birthday by himself. Don't know why...maybe just hormones. Next year we'll have to do something big for his 3rd! Maybe a bounce house or a petting zoo. :)

49 days and counting

2010-01-18T15:36:00.005-06:00

I had my monthly check today and got great news.
My doctor said my blood pressure was 120/78 GREAT, no protein in my urine GREAT, no swelling at all GREAT!! No signs of preclampsia so far :)
Lily's heartrate was 145 and measured at exactly 32 weeks. We went ahead and scheduled the c-section for Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 9am! WOOHOO
I have my next sonogram scheduled from Feb 8th and my strep-B test, then I'll start going once a week until March 8th!!!!
We plan for this to be our last baby, so I had to sign paperwork to get the factory closed down.

Lily's nursery is starting to come together!

Her walls are pink...

...bedding is set up (haven't taken that photo yet)....

...and decal is on the wall.

I have to get a few more items to put on her bookshelf and finish painting her wall letters but other than that we're all done!
The shower is less than a few weeks away and I'm getting so excited! Then it's Grady's 2nd birthday, Ross' 4th birthday and then baby day.

New friends...

2009-12-15T11:29:00.003-06:00

Old stretchmarks, I'll like to introduce you to new stretchmarks. I have a feeling ya'll will be hanging out a lot! :)

Baby update...2 posts in 1 week!!!

2009-12-02T13:04:00.003-06:00

Jason and I went to our 2nd high-risk ultrasound yesterday. He/she is 1.7 pounds and her/his heartrate was 152 at 25 weeks.
We were 80% sure last appointment that we were having a girl due to the lack of evidence it was a boy. So I was so excited to finally find out the gender at this appointment. Well the little booger decided not to show us the goods yet again!!
My next appointment is in 6 weeks...I'll be 31 week when I finally find out the sex!

This baby is testing my patience already :) hehe

Rowdy boys!

2009-12-01T16:02:00.002-06:00

Halloween!!

2009-11-03T13:07:00.006-06:00

We had a ton of fun this Halloween! We went to a few pumpkin patches and then out trick-or-treating on Saturday :)

Grady didn't throw a fit about wearing his costume...which I was soo thankful for. But he didn't like going up to each house! He's start crying everytime. So after 4 or 5 houses we called it quits. (Which is a big improvement from last year - our total was 2!!)

My adorable lil' caterpillar :)

Lily Ann

2009-10-26T11:33:00.003-05:00

Sorry I'm a little behind on updating my blog these days!

On the 15th I went for our high risk sono appointment. After a very stressful and worried day we found out that everything is just fine! We are 80% sure we're having a girl :)

Her heartrate was 143, she's 8 ounces and was moving around a lot. She had her legs crossed so it was hard to get an exact determination on the gender.

But we're so excited and can't wait for her arrival!

We had a fun weekend at the pumpkin patch...I've attached a few photos.

New pictures

2009-10-08T10:27:00.002-05:00

I've been slacking in the picture department lately.
So I wanted to give everyone plenty of adorable pics!! Enjoy!

~Ode to my maternity pants~

2009-09-24T08:48:00.001-05:00

Stretchy maternity pants, oh how I've missed you.
I forgot how easy it was to not zip or button.

I use to curse at you and cry when I wore you,
But I love you and am glad you’re back.

That is until I have the baby, and get rid of you once and for all!

Something fun...

2009-09-21T13:49:00.002-05:00

I've been looking for fun things to do with Grady and Jason on the weekends that doesn't cost a lot of money. We go to parks and feed the ducks but that only lasts for so long.
I've taken him to the mall but I'm starting to get freaked out by all the swine flu cases and not sure if the mall is a good idea.

Does anyone have any good ideas? There's gotta be something out there that we can all do that doesn't break the bank?!

Baby update!

2009-09-15T11:56:00.002-05:00

I went to the doctor today for my monthly check up. Everything went great. The baby's heart rate was 145...thinking it's a boy, but we officially find out in 1, yes 1 month!!

He wants to send me to a high risk doctor to monitor me throughout this pregnancy since I had preeclampsia and went into preterm labor. I'm all for this...I don't know if I could stand seeing my baby hooked up to breathing and feeding tubes in a lil' incubator again!!

We're so excited...now comes the hard part...deciding a name!!

FALL!!

2009-09-01T15:44:00.002-05:00

Fall is almost here!! I'm loving the weather...it's so nice to go for a walk with Grady after work and us both not sure three shades of red!
I can't wait to sleep with the windows open, pick out an adorable Halloween costume for Grady! Then Thanksgiving and Christmas...ohhh I'm getting so excited!!

On other note I wanted to share a baby update. I'm now 12 weeks pregnant and nearing my second trimester!! WOOHOO
I went to the doctor today and the heart rate was 158. I'm feeling great, morning sickness is almost gone and I'm starting to get my energy back!! I'm plan is just to keep baby bean in the oven as long as possible :)

Happy Fall everybody!!

Giggles!

2009-08-24T11:42:00.002-05:00

Saturday we had a bunch of errands to do. So while daddy was in the store I had to entertain our tired little munchkin! :)

The Big 3-0

2009-08-05T07:46:00.009-05:00

Friday is my 30th birthday...I'm officially old! :(
No more wild and crazy Angela. Now all you'll see is a momma behaving herself...boohoo.

So with that I wanted to share some pictures of the young and wild me. The one that would party all night and get up the next day and do it all over again. The one that could drink some guys under the table.

House party at Shanda's. I was 21 here :(

Drinking at The Prison on St. Patty's. I think I was 23 here.

Love and War - drinking on a Sunday!

My 24th Birthday party at Muddy Waters on Greenville.

Edge Fest

New Years Eve 05' in the West End

Halloween 05' as the Village People

Stef's bachelorette party

Club Clearview

Kiss this party girl goodbye!

Wordless Wednesday - PREGNANT!

2009-07-22T08:37:00.002-05:00

Falling...

2009-07-14T11:22:00.006-05:00

OK...I need to vent so please bear with me! Sometimes life just totally falls apart.

First, as you all know Grady had 2 hypospadia surgeries to correct him urethra and curvature. The doctor told us that everything is "ok" but not perfect!! So we decided it was best to get a 3opinion...yes this will be our 3rd doctor to work on Grady. He said within 2 seconds of seeing Grady that he will indeed need another hypospadia surgery and that he may have to do a skin graph because there is so much scar tissue that the skin is pretty much unusable. He also told us that he will try him best to get everything fixed this time but he's not ruling out a 4th surgery.
I've been beside myself just thinking about Grady having to endure this all over again. He said that if we don't do the surgery his head will most likely split into 2 because the skin isn't strong enough to hold it together! It breaks my heart.
Well neither Jason or I have any vacation time left so we'll have to postpone Grady's surgery until next year. The doctor said that was fine because it will give him time to heal.

Second, my dad lost his job several months ago. He hurt his back and his doctor told him he'd need surgery. So my dad told his boss that he'd need to take off a week or two for surgery and the next day he was "laid off". So its been really hard for my parents. Living on unemployment checks and the little money my mom makes for watching the boys.

Finally, everything was looking up for my sister. She got promoted to district manager at Blockbuster. Her and JR bought a new house in Aubry...everything was looking good. Then Blockbuster started laying off people left and right. She's constantly worried that she may be next.
Then about a month ago she was driving to one of her stores and got so dizzy she almost wrecked her car. She went to the doctor to find out she was Meiniers Disease. My dad was diagnosed with this disease at the same age as my sister. Back then they implanted a shunt into my dad's skull to fix the problem. Now adays medicine should do the trick. Then to top it all off, she aggravated something in her back and has been in tremendous pain the last week or so.

So like I said...things just keep falling apart.

Getting "back" into the swing of things...

2009-07-07T14:27:00.007-05:00

So I'm back on my two feet again. Doing pretty darn good after my back surgery. For those of you that aren't bored to death of hearing me talk about the surgery please read on. Here is a cute video of a laminectomy.

I had the surgery Wed, July 24th and was in some pretty bad pain that night. But thankfully I was hooked up to my trusty morphine drip!! I broke out of the hospital Thur afternoon, and I shit you not, didn't get out of bed until Monday night. I got up only to powder my nose and that was it. I was shacked up in one of the spare bedroom with Grady's Mickey Mouse DVD player and some DVD's my sister got for me. I watched bits and pieces of Confessions of a Shopaholic, Role Models and Taken. I was in and out of consciousness so I don't recall much of any movie. :)

My doctor advised me to take off work for 2 weeks but unfortunately I don't have the time so I had to truck it back after a week. I did really good the first day and toughed it out but that Friday I was beside myself and my boss let me take a half day off. (Thank you Stewart!!)
I go for my follow up appointment tomorrow and hopefully I'll be back to my ol' self again soon :)

I think Grady was upset with me for a couple days...he didn't understand why ma-ma wouldn't pick him up or get down on the floor and play with him. He's doing much better now though.

Thanks again for the thougths and prayers everyone!

My super hero...

2009-06-22T13:37:00.004-05:00

Father's Day came and went too quickly. I wish we couldn't done so much more for "da-da" this year. I feel so bad not being able to play, run, do all the things I use to do before I hurt.

Jason does all the laundry, dishes and house cleaning. Helps feed, change and put Grady to bed since I can't these days. He's my super hero.
Both Grady and I know he'll take care of anything that comes our way. We love you da-da...happy fathers day!

Let the summer begin...

2009-06-11T09:47:00.002-05:00

Looking up...

2009-06-02T11:07:00.003-05:00

Surgery...surgery...surgery.

Grady still in the healing process from his 2nd hypospadia surgery. Everything looks good so far! We have an appointment this month to get a 2nd opinion on if another surgery is necessary. We're praying he's all done!!

I have a laminectomy or discectomy surgery planned on the 24th of this month. I'm planning to take off a week to recover. I've been in the worse pain for the last 6 months and its getting hard and harder, if not impossible to pick up Gradybug. So I finally decided after physical therapy and 2 sets of epidural steriod injections that its time for surgery.

I'm hoping the summer will bring fun, the sun and the pool...maybe a trip to the beach!! (hint..hint Jason) Until then the park, pain pills and sleep will have to do.

(Disclaimer: I always told myself I would never put my child in a pair of crocs...never say never!)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-13T12:52:00.002-05:00

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T08:13:00.005-05:00

I had an amazing Mother's Day. Jason got me a full spa day :)
I got my hair done, manicure, pedicure, facial and Swedish massage!! I indulged a little on the free booze too!! ;)
Hope all you mommies had an amazing day!

After this pic I decided I needed some makeup on!!

Easter cont...

2009-04-22T12:15:00.002-05:00

Easter bunny

2009-04-17T08:13:00.003-05:00

We woke up Easter Sunday to see 2 bunnies in our backyard! It was precious!! Unfortunately it was too wet outside to play :(

I got Grady all dressed up for Easter. He had so much fun tackling his big blue bunny we got for him.

Sacked out...we didn't do a traditional Easter egg hunt. We just laid out a much of eggs and he'd kick them around. I swear he's going to be a soccer player!

"Hit a homerun"

2009-04-01T13:52:00.005-05:00

Grady is doing better with each day. He's been pretty sore the last few days after all the anesthesia and pain meds wore off. But he's still up running around like nothing ever happened.
He has an appointment on Friday to get his catheter out!! After the surgery his pediatric urologist said "We hit a homerun". He sure knows how to talk to this family doesn't he?! We're praying this will be his last procedure.

I was talking with my boss, a new first time parent, who said he couldn't imaging seeing his son go through something like that. And it is very scary just the fact that they are putting him under anesthesia is hard. Then having to watch him for several days afterwards in pain is just heart wrenching!!
But I know we did the right thing by fixing it. I hope he'll never be able to tell he went through all this!!

Here's a picture of Grady in the rear-view mirror. We got cabin fever and had to get out for a lil' bit.

I'll be going back to work tomorrow and Jason is taking off the rest of the week. It was nice spending the week with the bug...just hanging out, watching Mickey Mouse, mothering him. I just wish it wasn't under these circumstances.

Round 2

2009-03-25T13:08:00.008-05:00

Grady is having his 2nd hypospadia surgery tomorrow. We're praying this will be the final surgery he'll have to endure. I'm taking a week off work so I can take care of my lil' man.

Please pray for his strength and speedy recovery :)

I haven't slept in weeks it seems, I've been so worried. I know everything will go fine with the surgery I'm just worried about what he'll look like when he gets older. I know that may sound strange, but I just don't want him to look different and get teased by the other boys in the locker room.

I can't wait to spend a whole week with him. Hopefully he won't be in too much pain so we can go play at the park or something one day. I'm planning to take a million while I'm off with him, I've been slacking!

Otherwise he's doing great. We're planning to get him moved into the crib after he's healed up. I know I know...I've said that before but this time I mean it!!

I think ;)

Defining myself as a mother...

2009-03-06T08:16:00.018-06:00

Now that Grady is 1 year old, I started thinking about the mother I want to be. I've never been the "motherly type" and thought I'd be a horrible mother. But since I gave birth to Grady, I know God meant for me to be his mommy.

The last 12 months I've been taking it diaper-by-diaper and day-by-day. Making it through the few hours of sleep followed by a full day of work, not thinking about the future. (Look no sheets on the bed!)

Now that Grady is walking, talking, and learning I started thinking about how I'll nurture, discipline, support, care for, and educate my son. I started wondering how he'll see me as a mother. (Picture of us on my 1st Mother's Day!)

moth·er
NOUN:
A woman who conceives, gives birth to, or raises and nurtures a child.
A woman who holds a position of authority or responsibility similar to that of a mother: a den mother.
A mother superior.

TRANSITIVE VERB: moth·ered , moth·er·ing , moth·ers
To give birth to; create and produce.
To watch over, nourish, and protect maternally.

My mother has always been there for me, and is my best friend. I know without a doubt, she'd go without so I wouldn't have to. She's made me the adult I am today. I'm so thankful to have a mother like her.

I hope to encourage him to try anything he wants. I don't want to hold him back in any way. I want him to have everything he needs, but not everything he wants.
I want to be at all his sporting events, but not be the mom with the cowbell. I want to be the mom that has all the kids over on Saturday night and lets them stay up as late as possible.
I hope Grady isn't afraid to tell me anything. I hope to be his best friend. I hope he knows that no matter what, I'll be there for him.

Love you bug!

Grady kickin' it

2009-02-24T18:56:00.003-06:00

(Notice he has 1 sock on and 1 off. He loves to take off his socks and chew on them! Yummo)

I'm Frugal Fabulous!

2009-02-24T07:50:00.026-06:00

I have to share this with all my friends!

So, I'm a loyal reader of Frugal Fabulous by Jen and last week I starting thinking about some of the things I do daily that would qualify as frugal fabulous.

I decided to shared some of my tips with Jen and they are now being featured on her blog. I'm so excited!! I'm going to be ~~famous~~ noticed! ;)

Being a recessionista (I inherited it from my mom) I try to cut costs whenever possible while still allowing my family to indulge in "fun" spending.

Please check out her site for thousands of tips and tricks on saving money for your family!

http://frugal-fabulous.blogspot.com

Thanks again Jen :)

He's got us...

2009-02-22T18:53:00.001-06:00

...wrapped around his finger!

Spring Training workout

2009-02-19T19:15:00.005-06:00

Grady is ready for some Rangers baseball!!

GO RANGERS!

...look at the stars, look how they shine for you...

2009-02-15T07:15:00.006-06:00

Jason and I are really great together and have a lot in common. But we have totally different tastes in music, not a big issue right?!

So when we're in his car we listen to sports radio, hard rock or classic country; anytime we're in my car we listen to alternative, indie or any new music I can find. Well Jason loves making fun of my music by calling the band a different name or by badly imitating the song. (It's really annoying at times!!)

Here's some of the names he likes to call the bands I listen to:

Coldplay = Suckplay
Death cab for cutie = Death for Jason
Tokyo Police Club = Tokyo Homo Club
The Bravery = The Suckery

You get the picture!!

Well I love, love, love Coldplay. They are the one band that I've been dying to see. So I hinted around that they were coming into town in July and tickets were going on sell Valentine's day. He's response was..."I thought we weren't getting anything for each other for Valentine's Day or our anniversary!" Which he was right, so I didn't mention it again and figured he'd forgot.

Guess what my honey got me for Valentine's Day?!
COLDPLAY TICKETS!!!!
I will finally get to see one of my all time favorite song played live :)

Thank you honey...I love you <3

Happy Valentine's Day! XOXO

2009-02-13T08:33:00.007-06:00

Valentine's Day last year we were bringing our baby boy home from the hospital. We sat on the couch all day just staring at him, holding him and loving on him. Now...he won't let me hold him for more than 3 seconds and he's off walking around. hehe

We plan on spending V-day as a family and saving our romantic outing for our 2nd wedding anniversary. We haven't had a night out just the 2 of us since last March, so I'm super excited!! :)

Grady's surgery is right around the corner. It's scheduled for March 5th. I'm getting nervous already! I know everything will be fine but I can't help but worry. Please pray for his strength.

My new job is going great...my bosses are awesome! I've got a business trip coming up in March to New Orleans. I have to admit I'm actually kinda excited about it. I need a short break from my daily routine for just a lil' bit. I've spent the last 2 years either pregnant, taking care of a newborn or taking on a totally different career path! I'm exhausted!!
I know I'm going to miss my boys like crazy, I haven't been away from Grady for more than 12 hours. I know I'll cry every night not being able to put him to sleep :(

That's about all the news I have for you this week. Hope ya'll have an amazing weekend with your loved ones!

XOXO

Happy 1st birthday Gradybug!

2009-01-31T21:37:00.007-06:00

It's my baby boy's 1st birthday! I can't believe it's been a year already.
Grady had a blast at his birthday party. All his family and friends were there to celebrate! I was worried he would get overwhelmed with all the people but he did great. No crying fits at all! He clung to me for the first 10 minutes or so but after that he was off playing with all his friends.

Enjoy some of the pictures. If you'd like to see more go to Grady's 1st Birthday Pictures.

Grady's Clubhouse

2009-01-22T18:23:00.004-06:00

I've been super excited about Grady's first birthday. His favorite show is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse so of course that will be the theme of that party.
Well I wanted to do something different for his 1st birthday. I found these super cute ticket invitations on Ebay and had to get them.

So I decided to mail a ticket to each member of the family, instead of just 1 invitation per household. We'll my dear friend Joyce and Matt have 2 kids; Collin (10) and Hope (7). Hope saw her mom open up the envelope and thought they had won tickets to Disney World.
You know she must of been so excited thinking she was going to meet Mickey Mouse. I feel so bad. I'll make sure to put a couple extra goodies in her gift bag!! :)

Better each day

2009-01-15T09:30:00.002-06:00

Gradybug is getting better and better with each day. He's learned to love the penguin...which I'm so thankful for! He's got his energy back and is all over the place, the boy won't sit down for more than a minute.

Grady's 1st birthday is in 2 weeks!!! I sent out invitations and ordered the cake already. I'm getting super excited. It's going to be a blast!!
The only bummer part is I have to pull an all-nighter for work that Friday, so I'm going to be exhausted come party time. But I know adrenalin will keep me going...that and seeing my baby boy's smile :)

Not a good start to 09'...

2009-01-07T15:52:00.008-06:00

Well the Ripleys didn't have a good start to 2009.
Grady got sick on Saturday, and the news was NOT GOOD. The doctor told us Grady has RSV and was put on breathing treatments, which he loathes!
It's been a hard week. I feel so bad for the bug, you can see it all over his face. It's so hard to see him struggle to catch his breath! He's been through so much his 1st year and is such a trooper. He's been in good spirits unless he's receiving a treatment.
I bought him a penguin nebulizer thinking it would be less traumatizing to him, but unfortunately Grady has no idea what a penguin is. HA!
I'm sure when he grows up he'll have this subconscious hatred for penguins and not know why!

The other bad news is we have to postpone his surgery until March. We were wanting to get it over with and behind us before his 1st birthday, but there's no way he can go through surgery like this.

Cheers to 2009 :P

Happy New Year

2008-12-31T10:57:00.009-06:00

I'm going to follow suite with Girl's Gone Child and do a recap of the year.

In 2008...

I started off the year being pregnant.
Gave birth to my beautiful son 6 wks early.
Made it through the 2 longest weeks of my life while he was in the NICU.
Learned that my life will never be the same.
And am thankful for that.
Survived on less than 3 hours of sleep a night for over 2 month.
Became a blogger.
Cried every night for over a week.
Yearned for a job change.
And now have a new career.
Had my 29th birthday, stressed over the next one.
Lost respect of my 2 best friends.
Came to terms that I may never lose the baby weight.
Decided marriage counseling is a necessary and good thing.

What a year, right?!

In 2009...

Tell Grady that I love him every day.
Will pay off at least 1 credit card.
Lose at least 15 pounds.
I'm hopeful that I'll strive in my new job.
Learn more about my husband.
Find a great circle of friends to surround myself with.
Spend more time with my mother.
And maybe just be happy with myself...as I am.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE RIPLEYS!

"Rear" did Christmas go?

2008-12-29T11:57:00.006-06:00

**Look at the last picture to get the heading!

Man, Christmas came and went so quickly! I can't believe it's over :( But we had an amazing time!
We opened presents with my parents on Christmas eve, spent Thurs & Fri just us, and Saturday Jason's parents came in from Comanche.
Grady has more toys than he knows what to do with!!

Here's some amazing photos I took Christmas morning!

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Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T10:48:00.000-06:00

Super Exciting Weekend!

2008-12-13T16:56:00.007-06:00

It's official...
I'm finally working in IT! My new title is Help Desk Analysis...sounds important doesn't it!?
I got my Blackjack II and laptop of Friday, moved all my stuff over to the IT department. I'll be the only girl on the Infrastructure Team. I'll make sure to put all my frou frou stuff out. Potpourri, scented candles, pictures of flowers and whatnot! :P

It's Christmas party time!!! Jason and I went to my company X-mas party last night. I can't believe they scheduled the party on a Friday at 7, knowing everyone gets off at 5?? It was ok, not as fun as last year. We all went out for drinks before and after the party. It's just not the same now that I'm a momma! My ass was exhausted by 10pm. LAME!!

Tonight is the Focke's 3rd annual X-mas party. Our friends Scott and Jenn have a Xmas party out in Lewisville every year. So we're taking Grady to his 1st party!! Hope he doesn't drink too much eggnog. (Yes I know not to feed a 10 month old eggnog!) We probably won't stay too long but it will be nice to get out and see everyone :)

As for Christmas...I've already purchased all Grady's gifts but I came across these two chairs that I can't stop thinking about :)
I know he doesn't really need one, but I just got to have it. Which do you think is cuter? The Mickey chair or the Pottery Barn with Grady's name?

Santa...please bring Grady a cute lil' chair so he can watch his Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in comfort.
Thank you...I'll make sure we put out chocolate chip cookies and a big glass of milk for ya. :)

Ridin' in my coup

2008-12-08T11:31:00.005-06:00

Here's a few pictures of Grady from this weekend. We're having fun playing inside!

Tis' the Season...

2008-11-29T14:01:00.001-06:00

...to be thankful for every moment!

(The hat stayed on for .25 seconds!)

Happy Thanksgiving from The Ripleys!

2008-11-24T07:28:00.012-06:00

Things are going great at the Ripley residence!! We plan on staying in town this weekend and just hanging out with Grandma & Grandpa Harmen, Aunt Lissa, JR and Ross.
I've already planned Grady's Thanksgiving meals.

First up - yummy Banana Peach Granola for breakfast

Sweet Potatoes for lunch

And for dinner - Vegetable Turkey

Now doesn't that just make your mouth water?!?!

I can't believe Christas is right around the corner!!!!
If you can't tell I'm stupid excited about Grady's 1st Christmas. I have all his presents already bought, now I just need to fill a 3 x 5 foot ~~stocking~~ sack full of goodies!

Oh, for some of you mommies out there, I found this great site ScrapBlog that I'm in love with. I love scrapbooking but can't afford to keep up with it. Now I don't have to spend $50 on stickers!

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

The good, the bad and the surgery...

2008-11-18T08:15:00.008-06:00

A few weeks ago we went in for Grady's follow up appointment and found out his hypospadias surgery was unsuccessful. Well let me rephrase that, the only successful part was the circumcision.
So we now have a new doctor who will perform the surgery all over again. :(

THE BAD

Dr. Strand (our new urologist) said there are several fistulas or "leaks" that he'll need to repair. We originally thought there was only 1.

He'll also need to reconstruct his urethra. It's in the right spot now, but is extremely too narrow to have a "full stream".

THE GOOD
The doctor informed us that thankfully there's enough reusable skin left to patch up the leaks (love my technical lingo) so he won't need to do a skin graph from the inside of his cheek!

THE SURGERY
Is scheduled for Jan 13th at Medical City of Dallas. I'm hoping we'll get him all fixed before his first birthday and no one will ever be able to tell he had surgery!

Beary cute!!

2008-11-13T10:56:00.003-06:00

Learning you day by day...

2008-11-10T10:17:00.008-06:00

Learning that every morning the first thing you do is mumble yourself awake. Then you stretch so big I swear you grow an inch. Followed by looking at daddy and I with the sweetest smile ever seen.

Learning that your new nickname should be root hog. You love to root under things...whether it be under my arm or under daddy's pillow in the middle of the night.

Learning that your eyes change from a cobalt blue to almost a taupe gray. I have yet to figure out what brings on the change. I'm assuming the color of your clothes.

Learning that no matter how upset or cranky you are that putting on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse will bring a huge grin to your face "almost" every time.

Learning that you have your daddy's sleeping pattern...never naps and gets up at the crack of dawn every morning.

Learning that you love the ladies. You'll ham it up for the girls but will start to cry if a man comes up to you.

Learning that you like to rough-house with Ross and can sometimes be a lil' bully. ;)

Learning that you're the most amazing and beautiful being to "walk" this earth. And that we can't wait to learn more and more with each passing day!

~Fall is here~

2008-11-07T08:23:00.002-06:00

Courtesy of Miss Zoot

Halloween weekend re-cap

2008-11-05T07:57:00.004-06:00

Ross and Grady are ready to Trick-or-Treat!!

Grady's first trip to Comanche to see Nana and Pops. (Jason's parents)

Grady did exceptionally well on the way there. Snoozed part of the time, played with mommy, stopped off at a gas station to change Grady's diaper. It wasn't 2 mintues back on the highway that he decided he wasn't done...stop off #2 literally!

8pm...wouldn't fall asleep. Cried endlessly...not even the Great Mickey Mouse could save us. So we decided to pack it all up and head back home.

Got stopped by a State Trooper...thankfully only gave us a warning. Listened to Grady cry most of the way. Finally passed out 2 hours into the trip.

Arrived home at 12:30am with the time change!! Thank god for day-light savings!!

Grateful

2008-11-04T13:16:00.006-06:00

I'll post Grady's 1st Halloween pictures tomorrow. I left my camera in Comanche...along with my purse and cell phone! (It's amazing how the absence of these objects can throw you off balance.)

Anyways, my friend Angela got me hooked on this amazing blog.
"Matt, Liz and Madeline" http://www.mattlogelin.com/

The story is heart-wrenching. I sat at work yesterday with tears streaming down my face reading his story. It makes me realize how grateful I am to have Grady, Jason and my family in my life. All the "other stuff" I've been worrying about doesn't mean a thing.

If you get some time please check it out and let me know what you think.
(Click on "If you haven't been here before," to understand how he got to where he is today.)

Good holiday fun!

2008-10-27T07:52:00.015-05:00

Melissa and I took the boys out for some fun yesterday! Our first stop was to a pumpkin patch at Creekwood Methodist Church and then to a Carnival in Plano. We all had a great time together! :)

Our "attempt" at a group picture! HA!!

Now on to the carnival...
I wish I'd taken pictures of a game we saw there. The object was to throw a baseball at a stack of empty beer bottles in the hopes of smashing them. Nice family fun, right?!

Anyhoo...Grady rode on his 1st carousel and Ross caught 7 fish to win us each a prize! Our poor babies were so tuckered out afterwards. It's tough having fun!!

Oh dada!

2008-10-23T08:34:00.004-05:00

Gradybug said "Dada" last night clear as day! Music to a parents ears :)

Our lil' man is growing up so fast. I can't believe he'll be 9 months next week. Time sure does fly by when you're having fun!

Pumpkin Patch with my pu-kins

2008-10-18T17:04:00.016-05:00

We had an amazing time Saturday at our very first pumpkin patch! Grady was in awe, he could've stayed there for hours looking at all the pumpkins. I think we found us a new Ripley Family tradition :) Enjoy!

Sad, upset and angry...

2008-10-15T07:22:00.002-05:00

These are a few emotions that hit me yesterday after Grady's 6 week checkup with his Pediatric Urologist. We found out that his hypospadia surgery was not a complete success and that he'll need another surgery to fix a fistula that has recently appeared. :(

A fistula is an abnormal, usually ulcerous channel like formation between two internal organs or between an internal organ and the skin. It may follow a surgical procedure with improper healing, or it may be caused by injury, abscess, or infection with penetration deep enough to reach another organ or the skin. When open at only one end it is called an incomplete fistula or sinus. The most common sites of fistula are the rectum and the urinary organs, but almost any part of the body may be affected.

In other words, he did not heal properly and now has 2 urinary streams.

It breaks my heart that my baby has to go through another surgery. But Jason is trying to keep me positive. He keeps reminding me that we are very lucky that this is the only problem Grady's had after being 6 weeks premature. And he is completely right, but that doesn't take the hurt away.

The doctor said we'll need to wait 6 months for his body to completely heal from this surgery before we can do another. So now we're just waiting.

Sticky situation

2008-10-13T08:14:00.015-05:00

I wanted to share some pictures of Gradybug's 1st attempt at feeding himself. He had so much fun!! A few spoonful of mixed berries ended up in his nose, ears and under his 3rd chin but "most" of it made it to his mouth!!

It started off nice and innocent...

...a spoonful here, a spoonful there...

...then it snowballed...

...into a Mixed Berry Monstrosity!!

NICE!!

Like Christopher Columbus, Grady has discovered a new world. Well, a new world to him anyway. He's taking his first steps with the help of his toy and uncovered the mystery that was once the stairs.

Isn't he the cutest?!

Grady's gone bananas!

2008-10-07T08:24:00.002-05:00

Here's a quick video of my crazy monkey! I'm not even tickling him, I'm just saying boo! :)

Love you bunches Grady!

Go Cowboys!

2008-10-06T11:42:00.008-05:00

Well I'm off today with Gradybug. It's too bad he still has a double ear infection...my poor baby boy! But he had so much fun yesterday watching the Cowboys game with his Daddy!! Here's some adorable pictures of the Bug. He was in such a great mood!

I like to move it, move it...

2008-10-02T09:08:00.004-05:00

Jason and I are in for some fun now, our little man is on the move!

He's officially crawling at 8 months old! He hasn't mastered his skill yet, there's a nose-dive here and there but he always gets back up. It also doesn't take him long to tucker out, but he's up to 5 "steps" so far! ;)
He's also sitting up on his own and knows how to clap his hands. He's also eating a lot more table food. Mashed potatoes, Gerber Puffs, Cheerios, and green beans!! I'm a proud mommy bear!

Enjoy the video!

Imagination Movers...you gotta' think about it!

2008-09-23T08:15:00.005-05:00

Is it wrong that I like watching the Imagination Movers more than Grady does? He's got no interest in them, but I turn it on just for me :)

jump up...get down...stand up...turn around....

71 new mom truths

2008-09-22T07:36:00.004-05:00

I read this article in my "Baby Talk" magazine and thought it was so true.

Here's an incomplete list of the extraordinary, frustrating, and funny facts of your new life as a mom. I won't go through all of them, just picked out a few that I relate to! :)

3. You will lose tiny socks in the wash. (It's hard to ever find a matching pair!)

4. You will be able to shower, wash and dry your hair and get dressed in less than 10 minutes.

5. You will want to apologize to your friends who had kids before you for never really getting why they had less time for you. (Amen!)

6. You will fantasize about what you would swap for a good 8 hours of sleep. (ANYTHING!)

7. You will be so proud of every ounce your baby gains. (So true with a preemie!)

10. You and your husband have been waiting for that one night alone only to fall asleep.

15. You and your husband will go out for your first romantic dinner after the baby is born, only to sit and talk about him through your 5 course meal.

18. You will forget all about your difficult day with your baby once you see him finally sleeping peaceful.

22. You will pretend you don't smell your child's dirty diaper as you hand her to Dad. (Ha, I've done this one!)

27. You will wonder if you could possibly love another child as much as you love this one.

32. You will get peed, puked, or pooped on right as you walk out the door.

44. You will catch your husband being moved to tears by the baby, and fall deeper in love with him.

45. You will feel so lucky to have a child when you catch up with a friend who's been struggling to get pregnant.

49. You will be excited when your tot grows out of one size and into the next.

50. You will be sad to put away what he's grown out of. (Especially the outfits he never got to wear!)

56. You will struggle to stay close to some of your childless friends.

57. You will wonder how your stay-at-home-mom friends do it.

58. You wish you could be a stay-at-home-mom.

...And I wouldn't change it for 1 second. Being a mom is the most rewarding thing I've ever done in my whole life :)

Happy Birthday Daddy Bug

2008-09-17T10:12:00.002-05:00

Happy 33rd Birthday honey, we love you so much! Grady told me that he can't wait to get home, eat some pot rot and watch the Ranger game together! He also told me he was going to sleep completely through the night tonight. HA ;)

We love you - you're the best husband and father anyone could dream of!

Buzzzzy Bee

2008-09-16T07:49:00.005-05:00

No, this is not what Grady is going to be for Halloween but I couldn't help but take a few pictures of him!
His real costume is still a suprise!! OOOHHHHHH

Also a better picture of Grady's 1st tooth! No more gummy grins :( sniff sniff

Playing at the park

2008-09-15T08:16:00.009-05:00

Grady had a ton of fun playing at our neighboorhood park on Sunday. It was a little hot but we had a ball. We played on the swings and slide mostly. :)

I think I can...I think I can...

2008-09-11T08:06:00.007-05:00

I haven't been able to get a good picture of his tooth yet, but I did get some of him "trying" to crawl. It's the funniest thing ever, he'll either extend both legs completely out or he'll have 1 bent and the other extended. He's got the crawling position down but its his hands he's having troubles with. But it will be any day now :)

See both legs are up off the floor, in a push-up position. He's such a show off! ;)

Ok, I'm tired mom!

My poor baby boy :(

2008-09-03T15:24:00.003-05:00

I wanted to let everyone know that Grady is doing great. Well, as great as you can expect. He's definitely a strong lil' trooper. We went into the hospital on Friday at 6am and was out by 1pm. The surgery itself lasted 2 1/2 hours. It was the longest 2 hours of my life.
Our pediatric urologist Dr. Baseman said everything went well. The surgery was more intensive then he first expected. I don't want to get too graphic but he didn't have enough skin to block his original opening so they had to transfer skin from the other side of his manhood. Grady's had a catheter in since Friday and we're going in tomorrow to get it removed. We've had to double diaper him, which isn't the easiest thing to do with a wiggling 7 month old. You practically have to pin him down so he doesn't pull out his catheter. Hopefully he'll tell us he's healing up great.

Thanks for every one's prayers. We truly appreciate it!!

Toofer!

2008-08-28T14:21:00.007-05:00

My baby boy's first tooth popped up today! I'm so proud :)

Sorry that's the best picture I could get :) I'll add more when he doesn't feel like chopping on my hand.

A haiku in the nude

2008-08-27T13:45:00.002-05:00

So fresh and so clean

Please do not tee-tee on me

Naked as a bug

Quiz Time

2008-08-25T12:47:00.000-05:00

Since it's the 1st day of the new school year I thought it was fitting that I took this little quiz.
I read this article on the top 10 mistakes new parents make. So I started thinking...hmm I wonder how Jason and I would score.

10 Mistakes New Parents Make By Denise Mann

1: Panicking over anything and everything
Hmm, let me think…yep all the time! If he has a little bit of snot in his nose I irrigate it because I think its going to get into his lungs and he’ll end up having pneumonia! Or if he has a bit of a sniffle I think he's coming down with the flu. Seriously!

2: Not letting your infant cry it out
I’m guilty. I can’t stand hearing him cry, it’s the worst sound on earth! So he ALWAYS ends up back in bed with mommy and daddy. :)

3: Waking baby up to breastfeed
HA! yea right, the little booger would never wait long enough for me to wake him up!!!

4: Confusing spit up and vomit
Guilty again. Hey, if it’s liquid and its dribbling, spirting, or gushing out of my child's mouth its freaking throw up!

5: Not sweating a fever in a newborn
NEVER! If he’s running anything above 99 I’m freaking!! He’s already at the doctor if it reaches 99.1!

6: Not properly installing the car seat
Check! I still don’t know if the freaking thing is right. But I do know...he ain't moving an inch!

7: Neglecting oral care
Well since Grady doesn’t have any teeth yet I think I’m cleared of this one!! WOOHOO But I definitely won’t neglect his teefers. After all the money I’ve spend on crowns and cavities over the years, you best bet we’re brushing his pearly whites 5 times a day!!

8: Ignoring your marriage
Guilty again…dang I don’t like this quiz! Yes I must say Jason and I have “somewhat” ignored our marriage. But really, who hasn’t?!?!?

9: Fighting too much in front of your baby
Dang it…OK this quiz sucks!

10: Trusting unreliable sources for parenting advice
Well I believe some of the "sources" might be reading this…so my answer is NO!!

OK, so I think I failed! Can I get some extra credit?!?! ;)

Not so much buddy!

2008-08-20T08:40:00.000-05:00

So last night...

Jason and I put Grady to bed and started our nightly pillow talk. I asked about our friends, Jeff and Brooke, whom are expecting their first child. He informs me that she had a pretty bad spell of morning sickness during her 1st trimester but that she's doing much better now that she's in her 2nd.

Me: "Aww the poor thing, pregnancy sure isn't easy."
Jason: "Yea you're telling me, I had to go to Walmart at 1am to get you Benadril!"

Umm...yeah you poor thing, you really had it rough!! That somehow compares to the allergic reaction I had to my prenatal vitamins and the hives I had all over my stomach. The knock-out-drag-out, ALL DAY nausea I had for 3 months straight. The 35+ extra pounds I managed to carry around on my swollen feet to and from work daily.
And the countless nights I spent awake because...either I had to get up every hour and waddle to the bathroom to pee, or Grady wouldn't stop railing on my abdomen and uterus or the fact that it's extremely uncomfortable to sleep on a rock-hard, watermelon shaped stomach.
...I'm just saying!

Men, God love em'!

Firsts!!

2008-08-18T10:24:00.001-05:00

So we had two new firsts this weekend.

Grady had his first taste of mash potatoes...yummo!! And he loved it. He's just like his momma, loves those starches!

Then on Sunday we went to Chuck E. Cheese's for Cambry's 3rd birthday party. He had so much fun. The first hour he kept doing his newly found high pitched squeal at everything. It was too funny. Then he conked out right before presents. My son can sleep though anything. (Like mother, like son!)

I'm so dissapointed though, Chuck E. Cheese isn't as cool as it use to be. No..not because I'm over the age of 10, but because it's all video screens! They don't have the huge bear, bird, rat and whatever else moving side-to-side playing different instruments while their mouths open at random times during the songs. Geez!! Stupid technology!

**(I love this site...see this is the stuff you can't put on myspace. I'd lose my cred if I did!)**

Picture me this!

2008-08-14T12:47:00.000-05:00

So I'm starting to get the hang of this and I wanted to show how much our little man has grown over the last 6 months! I can't believe it...it brings tears to my eyes just looking at his pictures. He's so amazing and strong. I love my little pooh bear so much! Enjoy

6 months

5 months

4 1/2 months

4 months

3 months

2 months

1 months

3 weeks old

1st day home - 2 wks old

1 week old in NICU

1/31/08

Grady's Surgery - Aug 29th

2008-08-14T09:09:00.000-05:00

I’m starting to get nervous! Grady’s surgery is coming up in 2 weeks and mommy is starting to freak.

For those of you who don’t know, Grady was born with a birth defect called hypospadia and chordee. Check out the link for more info.
In short, his hole is on the underside of his penis and also he has a downward curvature. Everything is working correctly right now but he could have urinary problems later in life, plus it won’t look ‘normal’.

He’ll have 3 procedures done; a hypospadia surgery, a chordee release and a circumcision. They did not circumsize him at birth because they can use some of the extra skin to reconstruct his anatomy. My poor baby has been through enough already. (He was 5 1/2 weeks early and spent 2 weeks in the NICU where they took blood gases daily and he had iv's and breathing tubes all in him.) I hate that he has to go through this too. But I know it is necessary for his wellbeing.

He’ll have to be put under and will need an epidural. I'm praying everything will be fine, that the surgery will be a success and that he won't go through a lot of pain. They said he might have a catheter in for a week, hopefully he won't need one. I'm going to take off that week to stay at home and comfort him. He won't be out of my hands for a second. ;)

If you will please, pray for Grady’s strength and for a speedy recovery!
Thank you!

My lil' centerfold!

2008-08-13T09:36:00.000-05:00

Grady is strutting his stuff for the camera on July 10th, 2008 ;) He's such a little ham!
23 weeks old

Ripley's Believe it or Not

2008-08-12T14:07:00.000-05:00

So I'm starting our blog. I say "our" when in actuality I mean mine. hehe
The blog will mostly be about "our"...I said it again...little man Gradybug! He's cool enough that he gets a whole blog just about him.

Gradybug went for his 6 month check up on Friday. He's doing superfantasic. He weights in at a hefty 20.3 pounds and is 26' long. Doesn't quite have his daddy's height yet, but there's time. Dr. Moulton said we can start him on finger foods such as Puffs and Cheerios! WOOHOO
He's really starting to army crawl around. It should be no time and he'll be cleaning the floor with his tushie!

Well...not bad for my first blog. Nothing really clever or witty but there's time ;)