Thankful.

3:26 PM Amanda Greathouse 0 Comments

I have so much to be thankful for this year! We all have our ups & downs, but these few things are always there for me & have made this past year [& many prior to this one] awesome! I wouldn't be where I am today without the very special people in my life!

My little family - Greg, Greyson & I

I am so grateful to have the 2 of them to spend my days & my life with! I love being a wife & mom. I've had so many dreams of where I would end up in life & in every scenario, those are the 2 things that never change! Almost every night, as I rock Greyson to sleep & smell his beautiful baby head, I can't help but think to myself that I was meant to be a mom. So thankful that I've been given this blessing in life.

Greg - my amazing husband & loving father to Greyson

I'm thankful everyday to have him as the one I get to spend my life with. Even after 8 years together & 2 years of marriage, I love him to pieces & love spending every minute I can with him. He is so supportive of me & my dreams & encourages me to reach for the stars!

Greyson - my loving little baby boy

This bundle of energy is the craziest, smartest, most loving little boy I could ever imagine & I am so thankful that I get to be his mommy! He lights up our lives everyday with all that he does. Its been a whirlwind 9.5 months since he joined our lives, but oh such an amazing time its been. Can't wait to keep watching him grow & see what he becomes!

Dexter & Gaia - our crazy, cuddly pups

Dexter is a ball-chasing maniac who doesn't stop but is just the best cuddler around! And Gaia is like an independent teenager who wants to do her own thing, but she will snuggle right up & lay her head on your lap & just melt your heart. These are our first "babies" & I love seeing them interact with Greyson & knowing the bond that is between them already

Terra - my amazing little sister & Debbie - my loving mom

The 2 of them keep me going & are 2 of my best friends! They both mean the world to me & I am so thankful to have spent my whole life with them by my side [figuratively at this point! ha]. The days when I get to chat with them are some of my best days. They both help me be a better, stronger person & they have shaped the woman, mother & wife that I am today.

John, Don, Debbie, Crystal & Joe - My dad, step-dad, mom, mother-in-law & father-in-law

The 5 of them together have provided Greg, Greyson & I with so much love & support over the years its not even funny! I am thankful for all that each one has done for us. Also for knowing that they are there for us in the good times & the bad.

I have so much more to be thankful for: friends, extended family, our house, the Air Force, the opportunity to get to experience living abroad. Our lives aren't perfect, but we have much love & happiness all around.

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25 Days of Christmas

10:19 AM Amanda Greathouse 0 Comments

Having a baby brings a whole new excitement to the holiday that are quickly approaching! I can't wait for him to try all the yummy Thanksgiving foods & starting new family traditions.

Christmas has always been one of my favorite times of the year since I was a kid. I love decorating, spending time with family, taking in mass amounts of peppermint, listening to Christmas music 24/7 & of course shopping for gifts to give to those closest to me.

I have obviously already started thinking about what fun we can have for Greyson's first Christmas this year & want to find a way to incorporate Christmas into all 25 days of December leading up to Christmas morning. Its unrealistic to do some things still since Greyson is so young, but I was able to come up with a Christmas Bucket List to do with baby this year! Here is my list:

1. Go to a Christmas market & drink gluhwein [Warm, spiced red wine very popular here in Germany during the winter]

2. Make Christmas paintings with Greyson
3. Take pictures in front of the Christmas tree in our festive gear
4. Paint nails & wear all red & green one day
5. Go to a Christmas tree farm
6. Make Christmas cards & a Christmas card display
7. Take Greyson to see Santa
8. Spend all day in PJs drinking warm, yummy drinks & watching Christmas movies all day

9. Make cinnamon handprint ornaments
10. Pay for someone's coffee behind us in line at coffee place
11. Make treats for friends & leave them as a surprise at doorstep
12. Wrap Christmas gifts while watching Christmas movies on repeat
13. Make a gingerbread house
14. Go Christmas shopping & enjoy peppermint mochas while walking around
15. Drive around & look at Christmas lights while drinking hot chocolate

16. Play in the snow & make a snowman
17. Make cotton ball snowmen art with Greyson
18. Take pictures somewhere in the snow
19. Bake & decorate Christmas cutout cookies
20. Go to a Christmas party
21. Play the Christmas Vacation drinking game [courtesy of Little Baby Garvin blog] & drink egg nog
22. Stuff stockings with goodies

23. Make cookies for Santa
24. Enjoy a festive Christmas-theme
d meal & yummy drinks
25. Open Christmas Eve box [PJs, Christmas book & hot cocoa]

My goal is to do everything on this list &
I know some will happen more than once!
And of course take pictures to share here!

Already getting the the spirit rocking out to Christmas music
while dancing with Greyson around the house!
I'm sure Greg thinks I'm nuts - although he does amuse me sometimes & puts in a
Christmas movie since he knows I love them!

'Tis the season to be ~~Mary~~ Merry! ;)

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Greyson is 9 Months

12:00 PM Amanda Greathouse 0 Comments

Greyson is officially 9 months old! We could not be more blessed to have such an amazing, silly, loving, adorable little boy!

Weight: 16 lbs 14 oz

Length: 27.2 inches

Head circumference: 46 cm

Favorite foods: Chicken & dumplings, yogurt, bananas, sweet potato fries, pasta, meatloaf

Favorite activities: walking toy, sharing his toys with mommy, daddy & the dogs, pulling books & DVDs off the bookshelves, climbing on anything & everything, watching the Big Bang Theory opening song, dancing around to Christmas songs with mommy, sitting in the cart at stores like a big boy, trying to grab our coffee mugs, playing peek-a-boo with the doors

Least favorite things: diaper changes, mommy & daddy taking things he shouldn't have away from him, when we take too long to get his food to him

Notable Milestones: Greyson is cruising around everything like a champ, he took his first unassisted steps on November 13, his top left lateral incisor is making its way down with the right one just behind as well, lots of babbles that are starting to sound more like real words every day

Greyson's personality is starting to show itself more each day! He is almost always making a funny facial expression, ones that make us laugh daily. He loves getting to hang out with mommy & daddy - although he isn't as cuddly as when he was little since he just HAS to be on the move 24/7. He even starts moving the moment he wakes up, as he just stirs for a second then pops up onto his knees & is off!

You wouldn't know it by his size, but Greyson loves to eat! We can't eat anything around here without him coming up to us & trying to snatch some for himself! Maybe that's where his desire to share everything with us stems from - he will find random things & hold them out for us, such as a sock, DVD, teething toy.

His frog teether is one of his favorites - trying to make those pesky teeth coming in feel better

He loves walking around with this toy! So proud of himself!

And he just loves it when he gives it to us, especially when we amuse him & "chew" on his teething toys like he does! He will sit there & do it over & over. Its seriously so cute! Watching him play with the dogs, especially Dexter, is just so cute! He will laugh so hard sometimes when Dexter chases something or if he is playing tug with the rope. The racquet ball is a hot commodity around here as Greyson & Dexter both love them & will sit & share one all day!

Finally crawling on his knees more often!

And trying to stand! Haha

I seriously love this little boy so much! He amazes me more everyday with the things he is learning & everything he does! In just a short time, we will be planning his first birthday party & I can't believe it! Seems like just yesterday that we brought him home! But before I get ahead of myself, bring on the holidays!

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Breastfeeding Journey - Part 3

7:52 AM Amanda Greathouse 0 Comments

Things have gotten immensely better on the breastfeeding front!

Right around 6 months, we started Greyson on solids. We were ready & he was showing all of the signs of being interested so we went with it. First up - sweet potatoes. Yum! We worked into them slowly, giving them at dinner and only after nursing first. He loved to grab the spoon & put it in his mouth himself. I greatly believe that introducing the spoon & the skills required to use his tongue with the spoon helped to make him a better nurser.

At his 6 month check-up, our pediatrician informed me that he was still considered "failure to thrive" as he was still in the 0 percentile for his age on both the WHO & CDC charts. He had gained weight & it was following the curve, just sitting below it. Yet again, I got the "You should supplement with formula" speech. Yeah too bad I was pumping my life away while nursing all day as well.. He was getting the extra food & gaining weight so I knew he was doing fine & just kept doing what my gut told me.

Greyson loves bananas - & the dogs love when he ~~feeds them to them~~ eats them

After about 2.5 months of pumping and nursing, using some bottles or adding breastmilk to oatmeal, we were able to back off of the supplements and get back into the game of exclusive breastfeeding! I was nervous as could be - was he getting enough? Did we wean off the supplements too soon?

I had spent so much time going to have him weighed, sometimes every week, that I was getting so stressed out & not focusing on just loving my son & enjoying my time with him. So I took a break! It was so hard when Tuesdays would come. My urge to go to the breastfeeding group was so strong I had to distract myself & force myself to forget about it. Taking a trip back to the states to visit family & friends was just the thing I needed.

Hey mom! I'm ready to eat!

Exclusively nursing while travelling, in my opinion, made the whole trip so much easier! I took my pump, just in case, but never touched it in the weeks we were stateside. Greyson was nursed on the first take-off and did great the whole trip! He was such a little angel on the plane & looong car rides!

By the time we got back [& got over our stomach bugs], I hadn't had Greyson weighed in just over a month. My heart was beating when it was time to weigh him that week! And the result of our hard work - he had gained 1 lb 3 oz in 6 weeks! It doesn't sound like much, but babies his age have typically plateaued in their weight from being so active. And by the next week - 6 more ounces! I was ecstatic! I plugged all of his info into an app I was told about - 6th percentile based on weight for age!!

Greyson still wakes up several times a night to nurse, but he's so cute to I don't mind so much

We are coming up on Greyson's 9 month mark & I am so happy to be in a great place with nursing! We struggled SO much in the beginning - poor latch, nipple damage, tongue tie, supply issues, plugged ducts - and overcame all of it! We are just over 3 months away from my goal of exclusively breastfeeding for 1 year! A goal I was very unsure we would ever make it to!

I just want to help encourage & inspire any new mom who is struggling or feeling doubt with themselves in their own breastfeeding journey. With determination & a great support system, anything is possible! I wouldn't have made it this far without the help & support of my awesome husband or my constant visits [& breakdowns] with my cheerleader of an IBCLC, who makes me feel like Superwoman!