Grant's 1-Month Old Pictures & Christmas

1 Month Old

35 Things About Tamara

1) I adore Jonathan. 2) Iceberg lettuce is not my friend. 3) I think skechers shoes are God’s gift to my feet. 4) I am addicted to chocolate. 5) I can’t decide if I am more in love with mountains or lakes. 6) My favorite color is burnt orange. 7) I have never imagined I could enjoy a job as much as I enjoy my current work. 8) It should be a law of nature that one cannot have zits and wrinkles at the same time. 9) I think macs are way better than PC. 10) I like my mashed potatoes creamy, not lumpy. 11) I am a HUGE BYU fan!!!! Go Cougars! 12) I prefer action flicks over chick flicks. 13) I am afraid of driving in the rain. 14) Spiders seek me out everywhere I go. I swear it’s true. 15) I have 5 goals in life: An eternal family, financial independence, to live with integrity, to be fully engaged in living, and to be a friend to everyone. 16) My biggest pet peeve is people chewing with their mouth open. 17) I miss my MN family. 18) I take 20 minute showers, just because. 19) I take things too personally. 20) I really believe I could learn anything if I tried hard enough. 21) My favorite shape is the triangle. 22) I don’t have much faith in doctors. 23) I think Jonathan’s goatee is super sexy. 24) Sometimes I actually yell out my window “Hello World!” 25) I believe what I see in people’s eyes more than anything they say. 26) I would have voted for Mitt Romney. 27) I am a neat freak who doesn’t really like to clean. 28) I believe in the Savior with all of my heart. 29) Seeing children with their dads makes me smile. 30) My most memorable Christmas gift was a needle stitch my dad made for me by hand. 31) Christmas is my favorite holiday, but I never feel like I get it right. 32) I believe that everyone is their own worst enemy. 33) Sometimes I would give anything just to be in Jonathan’s arms, and nothing else in the world matters when I am there. 34) The most disgusting thing I have ever eaten is Thousand Year Eggs. They were blue. 35) I am very impressed that you actually made it to 35! Now I want to hear about you!

Bringing Home Baby

Grant is now 9 days old, and it’s already the greatest adventure of my life. Like every adventure worth telling about, this one has been tough. I’ve said many times this week that I’m amazed no one told me that LABOR would be the easiest part of this whole process! Pregnancy and Recovery were far more difficult. Nonetheless, I would relive every moment just for the joy of seeing his long fingers stretch out, smelling his sweet breath, caressing the soft peach fuzz all over his face and back, or hearing his new lungs get their exercise. I now have two loves of my life, and my world is completely and happily wrapped up in them.
Grant has officially earned himself the title of Super Pooper, since he far out poops the daily minimum! He’s a very good baby, hardly ever cries and usually only when he’s getting pricked for blood work to test his jaundice. We’ve adjusted to the experience of breastfeeding, which was and remains an adventure in itself. It is beautiful, though, and comforting to know that I was designed to be able to take care of him! We are starting to get into a routine, which has made it easier to catch some ZZZZs. Mom and Jonathan have been lost in the timeless cycle of early baby care, too. It is amazing how much we have already learned about caring for him, about his personality and patterns, and what is normal for him. The Momma Bear that Jonathan got for me has her heart on the outside, and the more I spend time with this little person the more I realize the truth in that symbolism.

Papa Bear's Surprise

Jonathan came half-way around the hospital room curtain wearing one of his addicting mischievous grins. Something was up his sleeve! He played coy for a bit, trying to get me to guess what was behind door #3. Due to my failure to guess or his pure excitement, he soon revealed Baby Bear, a smartly dressed teddy in a handsome blue and brown argyle sweater vest from Build-a-Bear Workshop. Jonathan had gone and made a bear just for Grant! He gleefully explained the process of choosing the bear’s heart, getting it stuffed to just the right fluffiness, and even signing off on the Bear’s Birth Certificate. It was absolutely adorable, and so fun to see him create a very unique gift for our little Bear.
I didn’t know until 2 days later that there was more to the surprise! Upon our homecoming, Jonathan escorted Grant and I into his nursery where he had placed a Mamma Bear and Papa Bear on a brand new glider for me! The whole Bear family was hand-made by Jonathan. I was so touched by his thoughtfulness I immediately teared up and tried out my new glider, a perfect addition to our little one’s nursery. We love Papa Bear’s Surprise!

Commencement

Jonathan leaned over to kiss me goodbye this morning, and I apparently turned to him and said, “I’m grumpy!” He laughed and inquired as to the cause of my grumpiness. In my most spoiled little girl voice, I responded, “I’m DONE with this pregnancy!” I don’t recall the incident, but he retold the story fondly. I guess I had made up my mind that the baby would come that day, so I shouldn’t have been as awe-struck as I was when I found out I would, in fact, be induced that morning. My mom and I went to my non-stress test in the morning planning to get some shopping down afterwards. Instead, we discovered that my amniotic fluid had dropped significantly low, and I had to deliver as soon as possible. I remember sitting next to the nurse’s station, calmly filling out paperwork and texting Jonathan to drive safely, thinking to myself that this was nothing like the movies! It was so anti-climatic in the surrealism, I don’t think I realized I was going into labor until he was almost out! They started me on pitocin and antibiotics soon after, and then the doctor came to break my water. I had so little fluid left they weren’t even sure it had been successful, but contractions started shortly after. Jonathan and my mom were champs! I had set a goal to deliver Grant completely naturally, without any pain medications. I couldn’t have done it without them! I don’t think I can fully appreciate what their experience was, but it seems that I offered some afternoon entertainment for them. At one point, in response to Jonathan’s typical attempts to lighten the mood with humor, I turned to him and in slow motion breathed out “You-----Are----Not----Funny!” Another time, between contractions, Jonathan and Mom started talking and laughing while I attempted to relax. I got upset that they were distracting me from my happy place and said, “You’re ffffff......” A contraction started and I never finished my statement, but they both thought I was going to swear!!!! I was actually considering firing them both, but had thought better of it! :-) After 2 hours of laboring and an hour of pushing, Grant finally entered the world a healthy, hearty boy! He was 8 lbs 8oz, 19 inches, and perfect in every way! I unfortunately didn’t get to embrace him the way I had always imagined, because immediately after birthing him I had some trauma that required an additional doctor’s assistance, and I was so completely out of it from loss of blood that I still don’t really know what was going on. Fortunately, everything got worked out and both Grant and I were eventually able to be joined and begin our journey as mother and son. I’m a mom!!!

Sister, Sister

I was thrilled to have my sister Megan visit me this week from Minnesota! I’m not going to lie--she was sorely needed! There’s just something about pregnancy that makes you long for family, and I will always be grateful she was willing to come out and reduce my loneliness for a while! It was so fun to have her around! On Sunday we packed up some sandwiches, cheese, and crackers and took to the Alpine Loop hoping to catch a glimpse of Autumn. It was beautiful up there, and the leaves were indeed starting to turn. We stopped in at our favorite spot, Sundance, to eat our sandwiches. Turns out, fish like sandwiches, too! There were tons of trout in the water there, and we drew a large crowd of people around us to watch the large crowd of trout clamoring over each other for a small bite. I’m not sure if we were supposed to be feeding the fish, but we just had so much fun!
While she was here, Megan also managed to put up the border in the nursery all by herself, assemble the crib, pack my hospital bag, and help me finish up a few last shopping items on my list. Her service to me was invaluable! I’ve been so worried about trying to get everything done before Grant gets here, sisters are lifesavers! The visit was too short, only a week, but it was precious time for me. There’s just nothing like the love of a sister.

Baby Bear

Jonathan has taken to calling me Mama Bear, and referring to himself as Papa Bear. Therefore, our little one is Baby Bear now! I have to say, I think it’s the best nickname I have ever had!
Baby Bear is doing fabulous. He weighed in today at 5 lbs, and he’s got his head down just like he ought to be! Of course, that means he’s found the joy in kicking Mama Bear in my ribs, but I guess I can deal with that! I think he turned down on Labor Day because I woke up and felt like I had gained 20 lbs! His little bum was sticking out, so I actually LOOKED as pregnant as I have felt! When I went to work the next day, Nicki looked at me with shock and said, “You got pregnant overnight!” I laughed and told her it didn’t take a whole night. :-) So, he’s healthy and seems to be loving his lair.
I am also doing great, and the doctors think I am going to be full-term! My tests are actually looking normal now, and I am feeling better than I have all year. (Which is pretty much the whole pregnancy.) I still get really dizzy and worn out easily, but I am mostly dealing with “normal” pregnancy symptoms and not all the other complications. So, I suddenly feel like maybe I’ll make it through labor and delivery after all!
So, that’s our update. Mama Bear and Papa Bear are happily getting to know Baby Bear and getting his den ready for its new occupant. Happy day!

Our New Home!

We finally did it! We accomplished our dream and bought our first home!!!!! We purchased a townhouse in Spanish Fork, just south of Provo. It is a great location for me--only 15 minutes to BYU and hardly any traffic, but Jonathan is sacrificing because his commute lengthened. Regardless, we both love the area. Spanish Fork is a bit more rural, and we love the small town feel. Our home is a 2-story end unit, so we have tons of natural light in all 3 bedrooms and 1.5 bath. Our favorite features are the private patio, where we have room for grilling with company and gardening in our own garden patches. We also love the expansive grassy areas that surround each home, so there’s tons of room to play catch with Junior or just let him explore.
Our new address is: 178 N 1120 E, Spanish Fork, UT 84660
We had TONS of help from friends and family with the move, since I couldn’t do much. We send out a special thanks to these folk:
Rochelle Gates Kristy Fulton
Jen Lund Clayton Fulton
Perry Bronson Kristy Ewell
Brenna Bronson Mary Jean Holt
Bridger Bronson Sarah Michalenko
Brighton Bronson Ron Michalenko
Tommy Montoya Neal Cox
Nicki Erickson Ben Moulton
Kade Gourley Deborah Gray
Marilla Michalenko Jeremy Michalenko
Here’s a web gallery from our move and our new home. Most of the pictures of the house are from a visit while the previous owners were still there, so we’ll take some pictures of OUR home once we get really moved in and everything organized.

2nd Anniversary

I can’t believe it has been 2 years. In some ways, it seems like life never existed before we were married, and in other ways I still have moments of shocked realization--I’m married! How cool is that!?! Our anniversary was low key, since I still have to take it really easy. We went up to Sundance and ate outside in their restaurant (yummy!) and then toured the area with our new camera. Jonathan scored big time with that purchase! Yes, it is a great camera. He bought a Canon Rebel SLR, which is a wonderful camera. But the reason I loved it so much is because of why he bought it--he thoughtfully considered how much I loved and missed photography, my needs for having a hobby that I enjoy (which I really haven’t done much since we married) and the joy he knew I’d have with photographing our new son. He thought a good camera would really make me happy, and it did! We had a fun night, even though it was a Tuesday, and we are so grateful to be happily married. I always knew married life was a good thing and that it was blessed, but I can’t imagine being happier than when I am with my husband and knowing that we’ll be together for eternity because we were married in the temple. Marriage rocks! :-)

A hero in Adidas

I’ve known him for 5 years, loved him almost that long, and I’ve always been exhilarated by his humor and good looks and charisma. He’s always been a man with integrity and smarts and compassion, and he’s a wonderful dreamer and companion. But it wasn’t until recently that I found out something new--those adidas pants, hats, shirts, and socks are his superhero costume! He has shown his true colors in full force, though, as his powers have been tested and called upon more than ever.
Jonathan has been working two jobs, attending my doctor appointments, doing all of the household chores (cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc.) while I’m on bed rest, preparing for our move in July into our new townhouse, serving in his calling at church, and more. Yet he still somehow finds the time and energy to be extra attentive to me, getting me to laugh and hope and enjoy this little life inside me, showing his faith and trust in the Lord and crediting Him with the ability to do it all.
I am so grateful for him and for his leadership in our family! He’s my hero! Watch out, the Adidas Man is on the move!

My Happy Thought

Two days after discovering we were having a boy, I was still trying to digest just what that meant. After all, I realized that when I dreamed of motherhood I had always pictured a girl since that's what I related to. A boy?
Visions of my brother Alex (please don't kill me for sharing this story) came into my mind. When Alex was just about 3 years old, he woke up one morning and wandered sleepily into the bathroom. I was sitting on the counter, and my mom was drying off Jeffrey (1 yr old) from his bath. Alex, decked out in a camouflage tee and superman undies, was oblivious to it all. He sat down on the toilet, yawned, and promptly created a urine rainbow directly onto Jeffrey's head!
So, as I pondered this story, still giggling in my mind, I walked past the onesies at Target and saw an adorable blue one that said "Automatic Sprinkler." I laughed out loud, and immediately purchased the onesie. It is the only piece of baby stuff I currently own, and since I didn't have a place to put it, the onesie ended up hanging from a hook on my front door! Now, whenever Jonathan and I are leaving the house, we see it and get a laugh and a hope for the joys of parenting a son. It is such a silly, simple thing, a little $2 onesie, but it has turned into my happy thought to give me perspective through these trials of pregnancy. Who knew onesie decor could be so powerful? :-)

It's a Boy!

The vision of Jonathan doing a happy dance in the middle of a lab room is probably not something I’ll ever forget. He is thrilled and excited to have a little boy; he says it is like growing another friend! I have to admit, I was really expecting a girl so my first reaction was one of shock and awe. “Are you sure? Exactly how sure are you?” The technician said, “100%!” So I still said, “Really? A whole 100?” But, you can see for yourself in the picture, our little man happily mooned Mom and Dad amidst his joyful acrobatics. It looked like there was a trampoline in there, he was jumping around so much! (Maybe my bladder works like a trampoline!) It is going to be an adventure to be the mother of Jonathan’s son! I hope I am up to the challenge... and I can’t wait to meet him!
So, we are happy and relieved to see the baby doing so well. Of course, we had a girl’s name ready to go so now we have to get down to picking which of our awesome boy’s names belong to this hearty young man!
In the meantime, please keep Little Man Gray, Tamara, and Jonathan in your prayers. We’ve been facing some scary complications and we’re hoping that all will go well with the Lord’s blessing.

Happy Birthday Tamara!

Another birthday has come and gone, and I am now officially 23. Well, according to my husband, anyway. He thinks we should reverse our numbers this year. :-)
Jonathan did a great job making my birthday special! We had a semi-leisurely morning taking care of some chores together, and then we drove up to SLC. He reserved a room at the Hilton for a special get-away. We agreed not to discuss $, housing, baby care, stressors, etc. at all. So, instead we walked around, went to the Clark Planetarium and watched a movie in the Dome about Black Holes, discovered the Gateway (super cool outdoor shopping!) and then went to eat at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Yum!! After a wonderful day just enjoying each other's company, we went back to the hotel to relax and I was out like a light.
The next morning, I went downstairs to get us some breakfast (he was still asleep) and then we went swimming together in the hotel's pool. We finally left the hotel around noon, enjoyed lunch at the Gateway and then explored the area some more. Jonathan picked out a pair of nice sunglasses for me since he broke my last pair (during an impromptu tango--who can fault him for that?) He was really sweet and totally spoiled me.
We eventually decided to head home, and then later that evening we went upstairs to play a game with Camille and Jared. We played Settlers of Zarahemla (love it!) and then they surprised me with birthday cake and singing Happy Birthday. I was so happy!!
So, it was a good birthday all around. I am so thankful for a loving husband and friends. Thanks to those of you who remembered and made the effort to give me a call or internet note...every one was appreciated and added to my great birthday! Thanks!

First Looks at Baby Gray

Today was amazing. We had our first OB/GYN appointment with Dr. Young. I have to confess, I could do without all the medical procedures and tests but it is worth it when we saw our little one! Baby Gray was moving!!!!! We actually saw the little arms and hands and legs moving and swimming and turning circles inside me!!! My first response was, “It’s alive! That’s a good thing!” Jonathan says it was amazing seeing our own little tadpole. “I’ve never been so astonished, it was incredible.” I could have watched for hours, but we barely even got a full couple of minutes. On the pictures, you can see the little hands to either side of the body, and you can see the head and ears, some of the face, and if you try hard you can see the legs. The baby’s heart was beating at a fast 171 beats per minute, which is perfect! The doctor says everything looks good, and he’s not worried. He did say we were 10 weeks and 1 day, which makes our due date November 4th according to the ultrasound.

3 Hearts

Today we had a scare... I was having severe pains and the doctor sent us to the ER for fear of a miscarriage. Although it was a painful and frightening time, we had some great benefits! We got to hear Baby Gray’s heart beat, a strong swishing at 111 beats per minute! Everything is fine with the baby, but we did discover that I have a heart shaped uterus. So, I currently have 3 hearts in me!!! Although it is quite unusual, it shouldn’t be a problem. Thank goodness!

Two Pink Lines

We’re preparing for a new addition to Team Gray! We found out on March 1st that we’re finally pregnant! I took a test in the morning while Jonathan was out reffing basketball, but I didn’t believe it. As soon as he got home, I insisted we go buy some more tests. After 3 more attempts (2 in Kohl’s), I finally believed it! We’re due early November. Jonathan’s got his fingers crossed for October 31st, and I wouldn’t mind an early arrival. In the meantime, I’m trying to weather the morning sickness and pray for a healthy child and healthy mommy. (Isn’t that cool? I said mommy and I meant ME!) The thing I look forward to most is seeing Jonathan as a daddy, holding our little one. That’s what he’s looking forward to most, too.