Enjoying the Moment

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-29T13:47:00.002-04:00

I love these two little munchkins!

Hat Heads...

2010-09-15T11:08:00.006-04:00

We have had a couple of hat days in our house. Grady LOVES wearing hats! He frequently asks me to get him a hat out of the closet to wear around the house. Finley, on the other hand HATES wearing hats. I was able to sneak one on her the other day and snap a couple of cute shots. Boy am I dreading fall and winter with this girl!

First Day of PreSchool

2010-09-14T13:38:00.005-04:00

Today was Grady's first day of PreSchool. He will be attending Tuesday/Thursday preschool at the Southeast YMCA this year.

Grady's teachers are Mrs. Shaughnessy, Ms. Maureen, and Mr. Nick. He has 17 children in his class. 4 girls and yes... 13 boys! Thank goodness for Mr. Nick. As a parent and former early childhood educator, I am so thankful that Grady has a male influence in the classroom.

I am looking forward to all of the adventures that lie ahead of Grady this year. He will be swimming one day a week which I know he will love!

I found it interesting this year how I was happy to send him to school. There were no tears. I know that there will be adventures and projects and play time and puzzles and most of lots and lots of fun! I hate that he is growing up, but it is inevitable. So... I am trying to enjoy every moment!

Let's Catch Up...

2010-09-13T15:17:00.003-04:00

I've been a terrible Blogger this year. I'm ashamed that I have not posted anything. Looking at my last posts, I am reminded of how much my two little ones have grown. They are just amazing! Let's catch up!

Miss Finn. Currently 16 months & 3 Weeks! (How did this happen?) She is walking (finally- she just started a little over a month ago) & is a chatterbox. She says over 30 words and is constantly repeating everything I say! She is still a Mommy's girl - which I love! Finley loves Grady & now that she is really mobile, she is always one step behind Grady. She is my good eater. She is the one that wants to eat & will try anything.

Look at this BIG boy! Grady is almost 3. I cry whenever I start to think about him actually turning 3! As much as I am so thankful for his health and that he is developmentally where he should be... I am heartbroken that he is ending his toddler phase and starting he preschool years. Grady is so funny! He even says "Grady's funny" which is not something that I am happy about. I have visions of him wanting the label of "the class clown". He knows all of his ABC's. Many of his numbers and all of his colors. He is left handed dominate & loves practicing his letters. Coloring & cutting are fun activities right now. He will sit for an hour and sit at the table with me while I work on something. It's fun to see his interest span growing. His speech is doing well. I was worried so long about it... but he really is right on target.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T14:50:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful Christmas we had this year. So different than last year. Last year we had one little guy and a little girl that was still in my belly. Grady did not totally understand what was going on. This year we have two little ones who are so active and busy! As much as Grady "got" the whole presents thing... so did Finley. She was more than happy to rip presents and grab at the toys.

Ya Ya had spent the night and Christmas Eve and was waiting with us to watch Grady come down the stairs and see all of the wonderful presents that Santa had brought the night before. When I was growing up my Grampa and Grama were always at my house when I woke up and I love having that memory. I'm so glad that Grady and Finley can have that with their YaYa.

The hit of Christmas for Grady was Elmo Encore Live. One of my favorite gifts that Finley got was the Madam Alexander Baby Huggums doll. It's just like the one I had while I was growing up. Good ole Ya Ya.

Slacking...

2009-12-22T22:41:00.004-05:00

Ok... I have been slacking a lot lately in the blog department as well as in the getting ready for Christmas department! Ugh! So... I have decided that I have to get back on track for the new year!

In the meantime... enjoy some of cute pictures of my cute little pumpkinheads!

Eastview with our friends...

2009-12-02T21:53:00.001-05:00

We met our NICU friends Ronak and Varen today at the mall. Their mom Sarah is due today with their baby sister who has decided to stay in until her due date unlike her big brothers!

The boys and Finley were so good. We did some shopping and then ate lunch at the food court. What an ordeal to get four kids up to the table and order food. Once everyone was seated Grady immediately reached for the advertisement in the middle of the table and put it on his head! Silly guy!

Monkey Boy

2009-12-01T22:13:00.001-05:00

I found this cute Paul Frank shirt at Target on clearance. We love Paul Frank's monkey stuff! And it the little boy who is wearing it makes it all the cuter!

D is for Dog

2009-12-01T21:42:00.000-05:00

Grady loves going to school! Whenever we say we are going "bye-bye" Grady immediately begins running around the house saying "school, school, school".

Each week Grady learns a new letter. They make a project that coordinates with the letter. This week the letter was D and they made dog ears. How cute is Bubba running around the house in his dog ears?

Our Little Cheese-Ball!

2009-11-30T22:05:00.001-05:00

As soon as I pull the camera out, Grady puts on this smiley face! Today, Grady turned into a little cheese-ball and just hammed it up for me while I had the camera out! He makes me laugh!

O Christmas Tree

2009-11-29T22:52:00.004-05:00

We went and picked out our Christmas tree today! I cannot even begin to tell you how happy I am that we are getting it so early!

Grady was very intrigued by the whole process. With two little ones in tow, we decided that it was too difficult to cut down our own tree this year. So, we went to a local garden center and picked out our tree. David said it was worth every penny. In a couple of years we will go back to cutting down our own tree, but for now this method worked just fine!

And in true typical Finley fashion ... she slept through the whole thing!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T21:13:00.001-05:00

We were invited by the Pendells to Thanksgiving, as we were celebrating on Saturday. We had such a great time. Pat cooked the meal and it was so good! Grady just loves Kyle and he is so good with him!

Grocery Cart Fun

2009-11-20T21:23:00.000-05:00

Auntie Jo Jo, Uncle Johnny and Lucy got Grady a grocery cart for his birthday. As he opened the package he gasped with excitement since he knew exactly what it was since they have one in his classroom at school.

Grady loves his grocery cart! It has already provided him with hours of entertainment! Thanks Auntie Jo Jo!

Our Big Girl

2009-11-12T21:30:00.002-05:00

Finley has started to eat solids and drink out of a sippy cup! How did this happen? This is the first time I gave her the sippy cup. She looked at it and then immediately put it up to her mouth and tried drinking out of it! She is such a smarty pants!

Helping DaDa

2009-11-07T22:42:00.001-05:00

David spent a large part of the day working outside trying to get our leaves under control. There are MILLIONS of leaves in our yard.

Grady went out and helped David for over an hour. David even let Grady try to rake the lawn.

After a little while Finley and I joined the boys outside. It was such a nice morning spent outside as a family.

Finny-Fin-Fin

2009-11-04T22:42:00.002-05:00

Here is our little Finny-Fin-Fin wearing her Tree Hugger shirt and stripe pants. I just love this outfit! She is such a sweet little girl! She's getting so big. I love her so much!

Busy Morning

2009-11-02T23:14:00.004-05:00

We had a very busy morning today! The Leaf Patrol came and picked up leaves on our street. This provide lots of entertainment for Grady! He loved watching the big trucks come and take away the leaves. As I watched Grady watching the trucks, I thought of my Grampa who used to work for the town of Perinton. I miss him.

We took down the chalkboard/bill holder in the kitchen while we stripped the wallpaper and painted. Grady took advantage of having it at his level and did some drawing... on the chalk board and everything else at his level... the fridge, wall and cupboards.

Kyle and Gracie Lou's Photo Shoot

2009-10-11T22:04:00.004-04:00

I'm working on building up my portfolio to start a photography business. I have taken lots of pictures over the years of Kyle and Gracie. One of my best pictures (ever) is a picture I took of them at the zoo almost 10 years ago! Their mom asked me to take some pictures of the two of them before Gracie gets her braces on this coming week. I took almost 400 pictures. These are some my favorites!

More Family Pictures

2009-09-21T23:04:00.004-04:00

Here are a few more pictures from our family photo shoot.

All I Wanted...

2009-09-21T22:52:00.000-04:00

So, all I wanted while we were on vacation is to have a nice family picture taken. Of course, we waited until Friday afternoon to take pictures so we basically only had one shot. Needless to say, we did not get one good shot of the entire family. So, here are the pictures that we did get

Ocean Fun

2009-09-21T21:15:00.001-04:00

Vacation was wonderful! It was surprisingly HOT. We had to be careful about how long we were outside because the kids seemed to be sensitive to the heat. We did take Finley out one morning and she sat in the cabana while Grady and David played in the sand (and I took pictures).

Three Generations

2009-09-20T22:48:00.001-04:00

Here is a picture of my mom, me and the kids on vacation. It's a great picture, but will be even better when I figure out how to Photoshop David's shorts out of the picture!

Hooray Ocean!!!!!

2009-09-19T22:45:00.002-04:00

This is one of my favorite images from vacation. I edited it using a vintage tone.

Me and My Babies

2009-09-16T22:32:00.001-04:00

Our family tends to dress in matching colors quite often. For example: I'll have green on and Grady will have green on and then David will come down wearing green! It's crazy. It happened again on vacation, so I took advantage of it and had David take some pictures of me and the babies.

Bathing Beauty

2009-09-16T21:22:00.000-04:00

Here is our little bathing beauty before we headed out to the beach!

Fuzzy Finley

2009-09-15T22:39:00.001-04:00

Finley is normally a FABULOUS sleeper however, on vacation she was not at her best. She slept great at night but only took 15 minute power naps during the day.

One afternoon, when I went in to get Finn from her nap she was super cute. Here is the same picture that I played around with some different effects. Love it!

My Boys

2009-09-13T22:17:00.002-04:00

What a wonderful joy it was to watch my two boys play on the sand at the ocean. It filled my heart with joy! To hear Grady squeal with delight was worth the 13 hours in the car and all of the anxiety that came along with traveling with two children under the age of two!

First Time

2009-09-12T22:39:00.003-04:00

David took Grady into the ocean for the first time shortly after we arrived at our Topsail house. He loved it so much. He squealed and giggled. He had no fear and would have ran into the water if we would have let him. I hope he always loves the ocean like he did this year.

Hello Ocean!

2009-09-12T22:35:00.000-04:00

Grady loved the ocean. He loved the breeze, the sound and the warmth of the water. We are thrilled that he loved it as much as we love it!

Coloring

2009-09-10T22:27:00.001-04:00

Grady loves coloring. If I take out a pen and paper to write something down, he insists that I let him color with the pen. Today, I was working on a list for vacation and he started to give me a hard time (wanting to color). So, I set him in his high chair, gave him so crayons and paper and he was content for a half hour!

09.09.09

2009-09-09T22:21:00.002-04:00

I wanted to take a picture or two of the kids on 09.09.09 and snapped these pictures. Nothing too exciting, but something to document the day! I do love the one of Grady kissing Finn's hand though!

Daddy's Boy

2009-09-09T10:31:00.002-04:00

I love this picture I took of Grady while he was cuddling and playing with David. He has just started wearing David's hats around the house for extended periods of time. It's so cute! He always puts them on backwards! He's just too cute for words!

Finn and Bubba

2009-09-04T16:12:00.005-04:00

Here is one of the few pictures that I have of Grady and Finely together. It's been so hard to get a picture of both of them, since Finley is still so little and not sitting up on her own yet... And Grady is so big and BUSY! But I was able to have David help me and I took about 15 pictures and this is the only one that came out. Not surprisingly, it was the first picture.

Grady's First Hair Cut

2009-09-02T10:13:00.002-04:00

Today, we took Grady for his first hair cut! It was long over due. I kept making excuses why we had not cut it. I was afraid his curls would go away, I did not want to cut it until Mathias got to see it... but ultimately, I could just not handle it.

So, in preparation for our vacation at the beach and for the start of school, I bit the bullet and had it cut.

David met us at the salon. We were both really unsure how Grady would do. He tends to be a bit of a character... and then again he does tend to surprise us. This was definitely one of those times. I had been been talking to Grady all day about how he was going to get his hair cut and that Kaylee was going to take scissors and "snip, snip" his hair. Maybe that helped.

We put David in the chair and Grady sat on his lap and he did not move a muscle. He was so good and never fussed! It was as if he had had his hair cut 10 times! What a character my little guy is!

His hair looks great! His curls are still there... it's exactly what I wanted! He does look much older now... but what should I expect... he is almost TWO!

My Boys....

2009-09-01T16:05:00.002-04:00

These boys make my heart melt! I love these two boys... and I love watching them together. I know that my life is more complete because of my family and because of these two boys.

Sprindale and Friends

2009-08-27T23:15:00.003-04:00

Here are some pictures of Grady and the boys at the farm. It's amazing that all three of these boys started as little preemies (I think Grady was the earliest)! Look at them now! Busy little guys running, playing, and giggling! Sarah (their mom) is expecting a little girl in December (boy is she going to be busy!). I'm glad that Finely will have a friend to play with when we get together!

Springdale Farms

2009-08-27T22:43:00.003-04:00

Today we met up with some of our NICU friends, Ronak and Varen and their mom Sarah at Springdale farms. We had such a great time! The weather could not have been better, it was cooler and there was a gentle breeze.

We arrived and the boys played on the playground for awhile and then we walked around the farm. We saw cows, horses, goats, chickens, peacocks, and bunnies.

It's so much to see Grady interact with the boys. They are only a few days apart and they all play so well and giggle at each other. They are just so much fun!

My Grampa Would Have Loved This Boy...

2009-08-27T22:37:00.004-04:00

I miss my Grampa so much. He died eight years ago this month and my biggest regret is that he never got to meet David and see my beautiful children. I just know how much he would have loved Grady and how Finley would have had him wrapped around her finger.

Today at Sprindale, I stopped in the moment and smiled and missed my Grampa when I saw this little guy on the ladybug tractor!

At the Lake...

2009-08-19T22:09:00.002-04:00

While at the lake with Joe and Lucy, I snapped some pretty cute pictures of Miss Finn. I must say that considering I was holding her with one hand and the camera with the other, I did pretty well. For most of the pictures, I was not even looking through the view finder.

The Girls First Sleep Over

2009-08-19T00:09:00.000-04:00

Joe invited Finley and I to go to her Aunt's cottage and spend the night with her cousin and her kids a few other friends. This was Lucy and Finley's first sleep over!

We had a lot of fun. We spent time relaxing and sitting by the water. It was nice for me to be away with only Finley and it gave David and Grady time together as well.

I'm sure that this is the first of many sleep overs for our little girls!

Welcome Home Uncle Bud!

2009-08-10T22:34:00.003-04:00

August started out with a BANG with the arrival of Uncle Bud (Mathias) from Sweden. Oh how I have missed my brother! It always feel like he has never left and we can pick up right where we left off. I miss him when he is not here . My mom commented how we sound just like we did when we were in high school - bantering back and forth, joking around, just that brother-sister stuff that I only have when Bud is around.

Grady, Finley, Ya Ya and I went to the airport to pick Mathias. We had a sign, American Flags and Grady was wearing his Swedish Viking hat (a gift from the last visit). Fan fare that only a true American deserves! The only plans we had for the visit was Mathias' Class of 89 reunion and Thanksgiving Dinner.

We had such a great time. It went by too quickly. We did some shopping and just spent as much time as we could catching up. We are counting the days until he comes back!

Thanksgiving in August

2009-08-09T23:45:00.000-04:00

Thanksgiving is one of the things that Mathias misses the most when he is in Sweden, so every time that he visits, we have to have Thanksgiving. This year the Howies and Pendells joined us for a wonderful dinner made by Ya Ya.

Bubba the Viking Slayer!

2009-08-09T23:22:00.002-04:00

The last night that Mathias was here, Ya Ya was busy wrapping gifts to send back to Sweden and someone gave Grady an empty wrapping paper tube.

What ensued was 15 minutes of shrills from Grady as the beat Uncle Bud with the tube. I laughed so hard that my cheeks hurt! It's amazing how much fun a little boy can have with a cardboard tube!

Pictures by the Lake

2009-08-08T23:30:00.000-04:00

While at the MCS Class of 89 reunion with Mathias, we took a few minutes and went down the water to take a few pictures. I love the picture of David walking towards the water with our two babies.

Camp with Two Kids ...

2009-07-26T22:23:00.002-04:00

We packed up the family and drove down to our friends cabin in the southerntier. What an adventure that was. Poor David. I'm not sure if we could have fit much more in the truck. I packed probably 15 outfits for each of the kids plus, diapers, blankets, toys, etc.

Finley was an angel. She slept great and really enjoyed being held and spoiled during the weekend. Grady had so much fun with the four other kids that were there! Unfortunately, he did not sleep well at all. David spent a lot of the weekend laying down with Grady and trying to get him to sleep. Grady is our child who NEVER sleeps in our bed... well he was so tired that he slept with us both nights. How fun was that? The two of us and Grady in a full-size bed! There were many times when David and I took elbows and feet to the head and ribs!

What an adventure it was... can't wait to see what NC is going to be like.

Breakfast with Pendells

2009-07-25T22:17:00.000-04:00

Look at these cute kids! The only one who is missing is Miss Finn who was at the other end of the table sleeping.

I love this picture! Gracie (Lou Freebush), Grady and Kyle. Grady just loves Gracie and Kyle. He thinks he is such big stuff when he is around them and they are so good with him!

More Play-date Pictures

2009-07-24T23:59:00.002-04:00

Here are some more pictures from our play-date.

Play-date at the Park with NICU Friends

2009-07-24T23:50:00.001-04:00

We ended the week with a play-date at the Henrietta park with Ryan, Kim, Varen, Ronak, & Sarah. We had so much fun. The mom's chased the boys around the playground and the boys just ran around and giggled and squealed.

After playing, we sat in the pavilion and had lunch. Adventuresome Ryan found a puddle to play in and soon all of the boys were in the puddle and drenched! Grady was exhausted and had to be pushed to the car in the stroller. Playing is hard work!

Finley - Three Months

2009-07-24T08:37:00.002-04:00

Our sweet little angel girl is now 3 months old. It's hard to believe! We love her so much and cannot believe what a joy she has been!

At 3 months, Finley ...

is getting more hair. It has a auburn tint to it. Thus the name... Fuzzy Finley
turns inside out and smiles all the time
loves her brother. If she is crying and Grady runs over to check on her she instantly stops crying and smiles at her big brother
eats every 2 to 3 hours
is sleeping a large stretch of the time early in the evening from about 7:30 pm to 1 am and then is up every three hours
gives open mouth kisses
is getting to be a pork chop with rolls on her little legs (weight & height unsure as there is no 3 month check up)
talks and has a lot to say especially to Daddy
went on her first over night to our friend's cabin (Finley did great, Grady struggled a bit)
takes a big nap in the morning and is awake most of the afternoon
is exclusively wearing cloth diapers
is wearing 0-3 month clothing
is taking her binky out of her mouth
likes rattles and other toys that make noise that she can hold onto
is called Finley, Finn, Finny, Finny-Finn-Finn, Finster, Beautiful Angel Girl (Daddy's favorite name), Sassy McGee

Our beautiful little girl is so wonderful. She is a really good baby and we are thankful to have her in our family.

Water Table

2009-07-23T12:18:00.006-04:00

Grady got a water table this summer from Ya Ya and he absolutely loves it. He loves to pour the water out of the table and the wetter he gets the better! What a guy!

Sweet Baby Finn

2009-07-20T12:24:00.001-04:00

She is such a sweet little girl. We are so lucky that she decided to join our family because we are all the richer for knowing her.

Here she is sitting in Grady's old Bouncey Seat. I am such a fan of pink but there is something about this blue cherry outfit that makes my heart melt!

It's Not Easy...

2009-07-19T12:30:00.002-04:00

... being 20 months old. There are a lot of giggles and fun times, but we have been seeing a lot of this side lately too.

As Ya Ya would say... "This too shall pass".

More from Strong Museum

2009-07-16T11:40:00.001-04:00

Here are a few more pictures from Strong.

Strong Museum

2009-07-16T11:34:00.002-04:00

We met up with some of our friends yesterday at the Strong Museum. This was our first time taking Grady (and Finley) to the museum.

What a great time we had! When you first enter the museum they have a giant aquarium that covers a wall. Grady loved it. He could have stayed there all day.

We spent two and a half hours there and after that we were all pooped.

Finley slept for part of the museum, but she did wake up and give everyone a few smiles.

What a great place. I'm sure we are going to be spending a lot of time there over the next several years.

More from the Fourth

2009-07-05T11:22:00.002-04:00

Here are a few more pictures from the parade on the fourth.

July 4th 2009

2009-07-04T11:09:00.004-04:00

The fourth was extremely cold this year. We had to scratch Finley and Grady's cute matching outfits for a hooded sweatshirt that was a little too small and Finley's Memorial Day outfit.

We went to the parade not sure what to expect from either child. Last year, Grady was extremely upset with the sirens. So we were anticipating the worst, but were thrilled that he (like his Ya Ya) loves a parade.

Grady loved the music, waved at everyone in the parade and pointed to all of the lights on the trucks. Finley slept through the entire thing.

Have they converted?

2009-06-24T10:53:00.003-04:00

... the answer would be no. I had left the laundry basket in the kitchen this afternoon and I had let Grady run around free while I was doing the dishes. After a few minutes he was into the laundry and had pulled one of my nursing pads and placed it on his head. I had to grab a couple of pictures because it was so stinkin funny! I was laughing at him and he was laughing at me laughing at him!

Two Month Photos

2009-06-23T11:01:00.001-04:00

Here are Finley's two month photos.

Finley - Two Months

2009-06-22T11:13:00.002-04:00

Here she is... Our little two month old! She's getting to be such a big girl!

At two months, Finley....

weighs 10 pounds 13 ounces (50th percentile)
measures 23 inches long (70th percentile)
is eating every three hours
is going about 4-5 hours at night between feedings
is smiling all the time
rarely cries-unless she is hungry
loves being on the floor for floor time
loves looking at toys
watches everyone and everything in her sight
holds onto Mommy tightly during feedings or whenever she is held
is trying desperately to roll over from back to front by kicking her legs
is wearing more of her 3 month clothing
has the nick names: Finn, Miss Finn, Finny-Fin-Fin, Daddy's Little Angel, Sassy McGee and Finster
does not like to be left in a room by herself
is very vocal. She loves to "talk" and has been heard saying "hi" on a daily basis

Finley is such a wonderful little baby! We are thrilled at how well she has fit into our family and what a joy she is!

Sigh...

2009-06-18T10:55:00.003-04:00

We've had a rough couple of days with this little guy. He was fighting a cold and was not himself. While he is feeling much better... we are still battling on the nap front! I have just put him down for a nap and he is screaming bloody-murder! You would think that the walls are falling down around him. He has taken to doing this at night as well. Our biggest issue is that we have found that if we get him up after letting him cry for a few minutes, he comes downstairs and is totally fine. He laughs, he plays... he's his normal wild-boy self. We have come to realize that the terrible twos have come early to the Tome' household! But when it's all said and done, I look at this little face and forget everything and just melt!

Miss Finn

2009-06-17T11:07:00.003-04:00

Miss Finn, as I have been calling her is such a sweet little girl! She is eight weeks old today! I can hardly believe it! She has been the best baby, fitting in perfectly with our family! She is gaining weight quickly and turning into quite the little butterball! She is full of smiles and is always so happy!

Cozy Coupe!

2009-06-06T12:17:00.002-04:00

When we showed up to Ya Ya's house yesterday she quickly went into the kitchen and rolled out a Cozy Coupe for Grady! (I think I was more excited than Grady!) I had been looking for one as I drove by any garage sale (on my way to or from somewhere-not really scouting them out) but Ya Ya beat me to it!

Grady was not too sure of the Cozy Coupe at first, but after a little while he was excited and playing with it! I was able to snap these few shots. I must say that they are some of my favorites that I have taken of Grady in some time-as he is at a really difficult stage to photograph!

More from Memorial Day

2009-05-25T12:10:00.000-04:00

Here are a few more pictures from Memorial Day 2009.

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T11:59:00.002-04:00

We ventured out to the Fairport Memorial Day Parade today. Grady was exhausted from our trip to Utica to visit friends on Sunday. He was so desperately wanted to take a nap during the parade, but there was just too much excitement. Finley slept through the entire parade with the exception of the two times she lost her binky, but thankfully she went right back to sleep.

David pushed Grady in his car down to the parade. He thought that was extremely fun...but he liked being able to run around the grass and from David, to YaYa and to Mommy better!

One Month

2009-05-22T11:26:00.003-04:00

It breaks my heart that Finley is already one month old. It's scary how quickly the time has gone by! Everything about Finley has been so different than Grady. It's almost as if we are first time parents. From bringing her home from the hospital when I was released to just watching all that she has been doing during her first month. We are amazed at what she has been doing as while it is probably typical of newborn babies, we are just experiencing it for the first time with Finely.

Everyone is so curious to know how Grady has been adjusting and he has been better than I could have ever hoped for. He is in love with his baby sister. He is constantly running over to give her kisses. He is concerned when she cries (he will go to David or myself and point to Finley and "tell" us that something is wrong) and likes to stroke her head.

We feel so blessed to have this perfect little baby! I only wish that I could shellack her and keep her tiny for longer because boy is she growing quickly!

At one month Finley.....

*weighs 9 pounds 4 ounces (up two pounds one ounce from birth!)

*measures 20 1/2 inches long (up 1/4 inch from birth)

*eats every three hours

*has been going 5 hours consistently at night (Mommy enjoys that!)

*has been smiling for about a week

* loves to stretch out on the floor and look at herself in the mirror

*went to the zoo for the first time with Daddy, Mommy, and Grady (she slept the entire time)

*loves to be held and cuddled

*enjoys the swing

*enjoys riding in the car

*tolerates all of her big brother's kisses

*is still wearing all of her newborn clothing

*has the nick names: Miss Finn, Sassy McGee, Angel Girl (Daddy's nickname) & Fuzzy Finley

Ya Ya and her two favorites!

2009-05-07T13:10:00.003-04:00

Ya Ya has been helping out for the past two weeks. She comes every morning and gets Grady up and takes care of him in the morning while Finely and I sleep! She then heads to work by 12:30 and Grady, Finley and I are on our own for the day. It has been so wonderful having her help during this transition.

I snapped this picture of Ya Ya and her two favorites this morning!

Settling In...

2009-05-07T12:58:00.003-04:00

Well, we are settling into our new routine as a family of four. Finley is now 2 weeks old. It's amazing because I've almost forgotten what life was like before she arrived. It's as if she has been her forever!

Grady is doing great. He loves Finley. He will stop whatever he is doing and just come over and give her a kiss. He is concerned if she starts to cry. He seems really enamored with her-and we could not ask for anything more!

Here are some new pictures of Miss Finley.

Big Brother

2009-04-28T21:24:00.002-04:00

Grady has been doing such a great job with Finley. I was worried how he would do-as this was a major change to his little world. David was always confident that he would be fine and he has been. He has given Finley hundreds of kisses since she arrived home. He runs up to whoever is holding her and gets up on his tippy toes to reach her and give her a kiss. If I am feeding her he will kiss her blanket or her feet. He's not too picky-but he wants to make sure she has love.

Here are a few pictures of the big brother. My favorite is the one where he is peeking into the pack and play to check on Finely while she is sleeping! How sweet is he?

Finley Joy

2009-04-26T22:44:00.004-04:00

Finley Joy Tome was born on Wednesday, April 22nd. She weighed 7 pounds 3 ounces and measured 20 1/4 inches long.

Finley was scheduled to be born on Thursday, April 16th, but the amnio results showed that her lungs may not have been developed, so the doctor decided to wait an additional week. When the doctors pulled her out, Finley began crying and did not stop until they put her in her Daddy's arms. No need to worry anymore about her lungs being developed!

My Little Man...

2009-04-21T10:35:00.002-04:00

He's so not a baby anymore! And as much as I try to convince myself that he is-he just isn't!

He is all boy - a little man. He loves making messes and knocking over block towers. He wants to rough house with Daddy and the harder the better. He doesn't care if he has a stinky diaper or if his face is covered in dried cottage cheese. He is no longer a cuddler - but he does still his Mama kisses and I hope that never changes.

Hoppy Easter

2009-04-12T20:14:00.003-04:00

Just a quick note to say Happy Easter! We had a wonderful day with YaYa and our friends the Pendells.

Grady got a swing from the Easter Bunny - which was thankfully installed on our front porch on Saturday afternoon (Thanks E-Bunny!) along with a bunch of other goodies. We put him in the swing for a quick ride before we ventured off to YaYa's for the day. I'm sure he is going to spend countless hours in that swing this summer.

The Easter Bunny went crazy on his stop at YaYa's (surprise, surprise). There was a basket not only for Grady, but also for BITB, and David and I.

The food was great and it was just a nice relaxing day! Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.

Randomness...

2009-03-31T17:08:00.003-04:00

These are a couple of shots that I have taken over the past few weeks.

It seems like my little boy is getting bigger by the minute! I'm not sure I like it and I'm afraid that once our little girl arrives, time is going to fly by even faster!

Happy Birthday Ya Ya!

2009-03-31T16:48:00.002-04:00

It was Ya Ya's birthday on Monday so we began celebrating over the weekend. We had secretly invited her best buddy - Mrs. Howie and her husband Mr. Howie to join us for dinner at Outback. Ya Ya was excited and it was a great evening. We actually had the waiter snap a picture of all of us! Notice the huge pregnant woman in front - when I say huge-I not kidding as I am already measuring 40 weeks! YIKES!

Yesterday after my doctor's appointment, Grady and I spent a quiet day with Ya Ya followed up by dinner and presents. Happy Birthday Ya!

Ya Ya we love you and are so thankful for everything you do for us! You're the best!

Spring has Sprung!

2009-03-17T17:09:00.002-04:00

Ok... I have been a bad blogger. I have no excuse and I am going to try to be better over the next month!

Today was a beautiful day, so Grady and I ventured out to the park. Actually we ended up going to two parks-as the first one was full-not a swing available. But we struck gold at the second park-no one on the baby swings.

Here are a couple of the best pictures I took from our outing!

Lucy's Photo Shoot

2009-02-11T21:56:00.003-05:00

This morning I got to spend some time with Joe, Johnny and baby Lucy. And we had a mini photo shoot. Here is one of my favorites from the shoot. I'll post more tomorrow.

Welcome Lucy!

2009-02-09T14:19:00.002-05:00

After much anticipating, Lucy made her way into the world on Saturday, February 7th at 5:59 pm. She weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces and was 21 inches long. Proud parents Tiffany (Joe) and Johnny are doing great!

I was able to see Lucy on Sunday morning. She is so sweet and a little butterball! I'm not used to 8 pound babies!

We're Protesting!

2009-02-02T09:36:00.005-05:00

Well, Grady and I have decided to protest that the Groundhog saw his shadow! We think it is a conspiracy! We are tired of winter and being cooped up, so we are protesting... (not that it is going to do any good).

I found this shirt last summer at The Children's Place for $1.99 and I had to get it! If only for him to wear one day-but it was too cute not to get it!

We have been laying low. With the cold weather and a pregnant me-have kept us pretty close to the house. We did not go out at all last week until Saturday when we met Ya Ya for dinner. As soon as we put Grady in the car he started to cheer and clap-the poor boy! He was a bit of a handful last week-and I think he might just have cabin fever! So-despite the cold we may be braving the outdoors a day or two this week just to get some of the stink blown off of Grady!

In other news... Grady is a busy boy! He is walking around anything that he can hold onto! He is brave and seems to have no fear. He just wants to walk and be independent. David mentioned to me the other night that I must be sad-as Grady is getting closer to walking and I told him that I was really over it. Right now I am so ready for him to walk. Being 26 weeks pregnant-and him weighing almost 25 lbs...I am beat! So, BRING ON WALKING!

Something to look forward to this week.... Lucy is expected to make her way into the world this week. Joe's due date was Thursday the 29th and that came and went. They are looking to induce her mid week! I cannot wait to meet this little girl and see my best friend become a mom!

That's all for now!

One Year Anniversary

2009-01-23T09:28:00.002-05:00

Today is the one year anniversary of when we brought Grady home from the hospital. What a day it was! It was cold, but we (or I should correctly say-I) had Grady so bundled up I think he was sweating by the time we got home and undressed him!

It is amazing to think that it has been a year since we broke free of that hospital. Our little boy is thriving in every way! He is trying to walk, he is saying some words, and he loves to play. What a blessing he is!

I love this man....

2009-01-21T09:58:00.003-05:00

I am not sure how to describe the love I feel for him, as it is immeasurable. Today is David's birthday and I just wanted to share how thankful I am to have him in my life. He is not only an amazing husband and father, but he also sacrifices so much for Grady and I and for that I am eternally grateful.

He is my soul-mate, my love, my best friend, the one who laughs at all my jokes, and the one who appreciates all my quirks and loves me just the same. I love you David. Thank you for being you! Happy Birthday Sparky!

Ya Ya needs Stock in Carter's

2009-01-19T13:30:00.005-05:00

After Joe's shower on Saturday, I think my mom began to realize that we were having a little girl and she was coming soon. She had so much fun looking through all of Lucy's clothes that it inspired her to shop.

So, after the shower on Saturday, we bundled Grady up and headed off to Carter's. They were having a HUGE sale, plus an additional 20% off of your purchase of $50 or more (like it was hard to get to $50!)! According to our 3 foot receipt, Ya Ya saved over $67, which is amazing!

Thanks Ya Ya! You're the best!

Never Again....

2009-01-19T11:54:00.004-05:00

will my best friend and I be pregnant together! This picture was taken Saturday at her 5th and final shower! Joe is expecting Lucy in just less than 2 weeks (which I can hardly believe) and I am expecting our baby girl in 12 more weeks!

It was my mom's idea to snap this picture of us and I am so glad we have it, as it marks one more awesome experience we have been able to share. I am so thankful and blessed to have her as my best friend for the past 17 years!

14 on the 14th

2009-01-14T09:05:00.005-05:00

Today is January 14th and Grady turns 14 months today. This 14 on the 14th will only happen one more time... in 2021 (how weird is that?). It's hard to believe that he is 14 months old, when he still should not even be one! We are blessed with this little guy! He is keeping us busy on our toes. Oh how we love him!

At 14 months... Grady

is weighing approximately 22 pounds
is totally off of his bottle, only having formula out of a sippy cup
drinks water from a "big boy" Backyardagains cup with a straw
sleeps 12 hours at night
no longer has a consistent nap schedule (gotta love that!)
talks to the cats in a "high pitched" voice
loves blocks, Little People and his Parents "block toy"
laughs from his belly when he looks at books
eats everything and anything
pulls himself up on everything
still is army crawling everywhere
is trying desperately to walk
gets upset when he cannot do something on his own
says baby so clearly
cries for "Da Da" if he gets in trouble during the day
gives me the cheesiest grin when I pull out the camera (Thankfully I did manage a couple of shots without the cheesy grin)
has wild curly hair
gives the best kisses
dances whenever he hears music
loves the Backyardagains
is the best little guy in the world!

MIA

2009-01-08T15:21:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry I have been MIA. I guess it was not the best idea to share my blog address in our Christmas letter and then not update it for a couple of weeks. There is really no excuse, except I am pregnant and tired.

Grady is keeping me busy. He rarely sits still these days. He is still army crawling, but boy can he get around fast. He just does not seem to get how to "regular" crawl. He would rather walk at this point. He is pulling himself up on everyone and everything. And is taking steps while we are holding him by one or two hands.

I'll post later about our wonderful Christmas... but in the meantime... enjoy the pictures!

For Fabre Buble (and the rest of the Miller family)

2008-12-24T15:17:00.004-05:00

This is just a quick note to say Happy Chanukah to the Miller family from the Tome's!

I picked this bib up for Grady last year after Chanukah for 98 cents at Babies R Us as a joke since Joe and I celebrate Chanukah (not that we are Jewish-we started purely for the 8 days of gifts when we lived together). We have kept up the tradition, and now we have good friends who are Jewish and thankfully appreciate our humor!

Have a wonderful Chanukah Miller family --- is tonight the pajama and underwear night?

Hi Sophie!

2008-12-21T11:55:00.003-05:00

The other afternoon we got home from shopping and Sophie was curled up in a blanket on the floor and I set Grady down on the floor and he army crawled his way over to see her. He squealed with delight when he reached her. Sophie was so good that she tolerated Grady pulling on her and "petting her". Grady was so proud of himself!

Oh the weather outside is frightful!

2008-12-19T15:05:00.003-05:00

We are in the middle of a winter snowfall. We are expecting 12 inches or more today! Grady and I have stayed in and had a pajama day.

This afternoon I put him up to the window so that he could watch the snow for a few minutes. He thought it was big stuff. I think he was more interested in putting his face against the cold glass of the window.

I am working on getting our house decorated today and we are going to get a tree (finally) tomorrow. I think it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Hey Santa!

2008-12-17T11:40:00.003-05:00

We visited Santa on Saturday at Eastview Mall. Grady was not at all afraid of Santa. He seemed curious, but would not crack a smile!

NICU Tile Wall

2008-12-16T14:08:00.003-05:00

On Saturday we attended the unveiling of the NICU tile wall that will be displayed in the waiting area of the NICU in the coming weeks. We made a tile for Grady and our friends the Buzards made a tile for their son Ryan.

We were a bit surprised that the "wall" was so small, only approximately a 4 foot square. It will be displayed in the waiting area of the NICU in the coming weeks. David and I felt that it was important to have a tile made for Grady, as it will provide a source of inspiration to families who have a preemie and feel like they are not going to make it. There is currently a tile wall up displaying tons of NICU success stories. While Grady was in the NICU, I used to stand in the waiting area, making phone calls and updating family and friends on his condition that day. I always looked for babies who were around the same weight as he was. I found it to be an inspiration and I hope his tile is now an inspiration too.

Dr. Stevens, the head of the NICU was there along with Dr. D'Angio and one of the nurses. It was so nice to see them and again thank them for everything that they did for Grady. (Dr. Stevens was Grady's Doctor for three weeks and Dr. D'Angio had Grady last two weeks that Grady was there.)

After the unveiling, we went to see Santa. The last picture is of Ryan and Grady waiting in line to see Santa. (Those pictures will come tomorrow!)

Think.....PINK

2008-12-15T14:37:00.003-05:00

We are thrilled to announce that BITB is a GIRL! I must admit I am so excited! We had our ultrasound this morning. David and Grady went with me (of course they would not have missed it for the world). David was having a hard time actually believing that we were going to find out, as we never really did know for sure with Grady.

It took the Tech almost the entire ultrasound to be able to see what sex of the baby was. Finally decided to let us in on her little secret. After the Tech told us, I started to cry. I am so thankful to have a little boy and now a little girl. She looks great and is measuring right on target. We have our next appointment in three weeks, and at this point they are not concerned at all!

David took us to Carter's after the appointment and we picked out two cute outfits for BITB. A pink sleeper and a cute lime sundress with a pink bug on it! How fun is it going to be to dress a girl?!

What a difference...

2008-12-12T10:11:00.003-05:00

Grady plays with his psychedelic beanie baby moose almost every time I change him in his room. I give him his moose to keep him from doing the crocodile roll on the changing table. Tuesday, after I changed him I asked for the moose back to put back on his shelf and Grady just did not want to give it to me. So, I let him have it and I brought him downstairs and set him on the floor in the living room. I was in the kitchen listening to him squeal with delight as he played with his moose.

It brought me so much joy seeing him play with his moose. This moose had been given to him by one of the NICU nurses, Rachel, when he was two days old in an effort to help position him as he slept and grew in his isolette.

I couldn't resist sharing the then and now pictures. Happy Friday!

Brusha-Brusha-Brusha

2008-12-11T10:47:00.002-05:00

Last night we decided that we really needed to get Grady's toothbrush out and start brushing his teeth. I really was not sure how he would react, but he loved it. Once I was done I let him hold the toothbrush and put it in his mouth. I did manage a few pictures! The best was that he cried when we took it away! Hopefully it will always be this easy to get him to brush his teeth!

It's Been Awhile....

2008-12-03T09:26:00.005-05:00

Sorry it's been awhile since I have blogged. I really have no excuse, except that I have a year old little boy and am 18 weeks pregnant. Does that work?

We have been busy doing random things. The Friday after Grady's birthday party, I hosted a baby shower for my best friend Joe. I was a soup making fool. We had three different soups, salad, fruit, cheese and bread. It was perfect as it was about 25 degrees that night. We had a great time and Joe got great things for Lucy!

I spent the next week trying to recuperate from the shower and get our house back in order.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. We spent the day with Ya Ya, Mr. and Mrs. Howie and Tiffany Pendell (who had to stay behind in NY while her family was in Michigan because she had to work on Friday). The food was wonderful and Grady ate everything that we gave him. The only thing that we did not give him to try was the brussel sprouts! (Neither David or I like them, so we decided that Grady did not need to be subjected to them!)

Monday was the first day of our Christmas card photo shoot. The above picture is my favorite from the shoot. Unfortunately, as I started to edit the pictures I noticed that Grady still had mac and cheese on his face from lunch and it was even on his onzie! Argh! As hard as I tried I could not edit it out, so yesterday we tried again, this time with a different outfit and I got some great shots. I'll share some of the ones that we did not choose this week. I'm finding it hard to actually get pictures of him now because he is on the go and so fast! Photo shoots tend to be 10 minutes and I manage to get about 100-150 pictures in that amount of time--granted only about 20-30 are keepers, but at least I have a lot to choose from.

I had a doctor's appointment on Monday. Things are looking great with the BITB. We are just 18 weeks and things are going well. We go on the 15th for our next ultrasound to find out if it is a boy or a girl. I am extremely anxious to find out. I am pretty much half way through the pregnancy. The doctor said on Monday that as long as everything is going fine and the baby and my body are tolerating the pregnancy they will wait until week 37 to deliver me. So, that looks to be the week of April 13th. Which will come fast. We are anxious to start getting the baby's room ready, but have decided to wait until the new year to start any projects.

This week will be quiet as we start to get ready for the holidays. I need to have David bring the Christmas decorations upstairs so I can begin to get things out. I was telling someone that it will be weird, as we did no decorating last year with Grady in NICU. So, I am sure that it will be interesting to see some of the decorations that I have probably forgotten about!

What a Party!

2008-11-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

What a day! We celebrated Grady's first birthday on Sunday with approximately 40 friends and family! It was such a great day!

Grady could not have been better. After not sleeping well on Saturday night, I was not sure what to expect, but he was great. He let anyone who wanted to hold him, he wore his birthday hat like a trooper and ate pulled pork!

We had the food catered by Dinosaur and I made Grady a Hippo "smash" cake for the event. While he did dive into it, I was surprised that he did not make as much of a mess with it as I thought he would have.

Everything went smoothly and we are so happy that everyone was able to share this special milestone with us!

ONE!

2008-11-14T10:34:00.002-05:00

Oh the day that I had been dreading for months has finally come! My little - tiny baby has turned one! Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday I was sitting and snuggling with him in NICU. Now his big and wants to be on the floor playing. He eats pancakes, fruit and pulled pork! How did this happen? This was not part of my plan!

Don't get me wrong... One is FUN!, but I just was not ready for my baby to grow up! Even with another baby on the way, it does not make it any easier.

Today we had a nice day as a family. David was home and we worked around the house in preparation for friends and family who were coming in for Grady's party on Sunday. We ran a few errands and ended the day with a visit from Ya Ya.

It was as if Grady knew that today was special, because he was just full of it today. He was giggling and just being silly all day! It was just a great day!

We are so thankful for everything! We are truly blessed!

Grady's One Year NICU Clinic Visit

2008-11-13T14:17:00.003-05:00

This morning we headed back to Strong for Grady's ONE year check up from NICU. What memories it brought back traveling the same route we did for 70 days (Poor David had to travel it more due to the bed rest...what a trooper!) My friend, Kim (who had a preemie) had already taken her son and called to tell me what was involved, so we kind of had an idea going into our appointment.

While I had no concerns about Grady, I was worried that he would not "preform" the tasks that he was asked to by the Neurologists, Psychologist and others he would have to see. Silly me!

Grady was once again the life of the party! He flirted with the Doctors and was a champ when it came to preforming the developmental tests. The Psychologist was thrilled with everything he could do and could not even keep up with him on the test that they follow, as Grady was preforming each task so quickly. Grady was evaluated based on his corrected age (when he was supposed to be born) which was 9 months. His weight was 19 lbs 10 oz and he was 27 3/4 inches long. He was between the 25 and 50% tiles for his weight and height and his head circumference was in the 95% tile. The Doctor said that it was nothing to be concerned with as his head was not out of proportion and it showed that his brain was growing! We are thrilled to report that Grady was released from the clinic and will not need to be seen again. We are so thankful and count ourselves blessed that our baby is growing and developing as he should be.

After the clinic, we went for a quick NICU visit and took cupcakes to say thank you to the Doctor's and Nurses. Unfortunately we were only able to see two nurses, be we left a thank you note with recent pictures of Grady.

We are thrilled that there is no need for Grady to return to the clinic and be evaluated, that they have no concerns and have told us that he is doing great! What more could we ask for!

Hello Sweden!

2008-11-07T15:14:00.003-05:00

This post is especially for Uncle Bud in Sweden! I was finally able to dress Grady in all Swedish clothing today! The outfit he is wearing was a gift from Uncle Bud and his parents Karl-Erik and Lena in Sweden. Bud brought the clothes to Grady when he visited in May! Well, I am happy to say that Grady finally grew enough to be able to wear his Swedish "duds".

My favorite is the viking hat which is still a little too big, but not by much!

Thanks Uncle Bud, Karl-Erik, and Lena! We miss all of you!

One Year Ago Today

2008-11-06T10:24:00.004-05:00

One year ago today, my water broke for the second time and I was admitted to Strong Memorial Hospital for bed rest and to see how long I could keep our little baby inside. While I only lasted 8 days, it really was a huge accomplishment.

This morning I sent a note to Christine who was my roommate during bed rest. She had been admitted almost a week earlier than I had. She was expecting twins and had the same due date with me. Christine kept her boys in a couple of weeks longer than I did with Grady. I shared with her this morning how thankful I was that here we were a year later, three healthy and thriving boys later. How blessed we are!

This morning my little man was in the computer room with me (in his walker-thanks Ya Ya) and he discovered the electrical outlets! What a guy! I am so thankful that he is a busy and inquisitive little boy who just loves every adventure he gets into.

Holy Teeth!

2008-11-05T09:45:00.002-05:00

I took this picture yesterday before the photo shoot and I got Grady laughing. I was shocked to see how many teeth he is getting all at once! On Monday his second top front top tooth came in and we saw that the eye teeth were coming in, but I was shocked to see that he is also getting his molars as well!

For Ya Ya

2008-11-04T17:45:00.003-05:00

Today was just beautiful! The temperature on the truck read 67 degrees! What great weather for November! Since it was so nice out, we decided to take advantage of it and squeeze in a small photo shoot. (I only took 159 pictures!)

After Grady and I were done with his photo shoot, we walked over to the school and voted. We then headed out and spent the afternoon running errands. Grady was so cooperative and just chilled as we headed in and out of several stores. What a challenge it is to put him in the car seat, take him out, put him in the stroller, take him out. Ugh! I am exhausted!

I am starting to feel better. As we start week 14 I am hoping that we are out of the woods for the 24/7 nausea. Only time will tell! But I hope that the worst is behind us!

Miscellaneous Halloween Photos

2008-11-03T17:38:00.000-05:00

Here are a few more Halloween photos from this year!