Baptism and a Quick Visit

This past weekend we celebrated Grayson's baptism and were able to have a quick visit with the Regan clan.

Even though the South Dakota Halsteds were only here for a couple days, we managed to squeeze in some good visit time...including a trip to the local zoo. They definitely got a taste of the South Carolina heat! And of course we took them to the Blue Marlin too. YUM! It's extremely apparent how much Dan and I love that place, since everyone who comes to visit gets taken there.

Grayson's big day went really well too! It was a really low key and personal celebration with only 4 babies getting baptized. He did so well, didn't fuss at all with the water and was wide awake up until the very end when he passed out. Whew, getting baptized sure takes a lot out of a kid! :-)

So glad Regan and fam were there to help, take pictures, and enjoy the day with us. Thanks for making the long trek and the fun visit!

Hello 2 Months!

Today we had our 2 month check up and I learned it's actually the 2 month abuse session.

Holy cow! The poor little man got poked and prodded 15 different ways from Sunday.


Having an overly emotional mom wasn't beneficial to Grayson today either...it literally made me start crying when he started sobbing from the pain. It's such a heart wrenching cry! Ugh, so sad!
And there's nothing I could do...short of pushing the nurse wielding the sharp weapon away.
It's a good thing he loves snuggling...it seemed to help both of us recover from the immediate pain.


On the ride home, I made sure to pick up some fresh Tylenol (the non-recalled kind, so no worries! :-)) and I'm so glad we did!
His poor little legs are so sore!

Other than the stabbing and jabbing, they did thoroughly evaluate little Grayson.
Here are his stats. 3 Months here we come!
Weight: 10lbs 10oz
Length: 23 inches

The hat & sandals crack me up! Thanks for the outfit Grandma G! It finally fits!

Grandma & Grandpa Halsted Visit

We are approaching 2 months at warp speed!



So much has already changed in our little man's life. He has started smiling whenever Daddy comes into view or plays "motorcycle" with his hands (picture below), he's started to talk to us using his own language that resembles big squeaky inhales of energy, and most importantly, little Grayson met his other Grandparents this week.

Ron & Thanne were able to fly into Pope AFB on Thursday and will be here for around 2 weeks. We are so excited that they've been able to fly in and spend time with Grayson.

As you can see, he was so excited to see new faces!

Gma & Gpa Halsted will be here for a few more days, but I wanted to get some initial pictures posted. Make sure to check out the rest on our photo gallery! And yes, as requested I've posted a ton of his facial expressions. Enjoy and make sure to check back for more!

One Month Already!

Holy cow! Grayson is one month old today! WOW!

Yes yes, I keep hearing how we should really savor & enjoy this time because it flies by...little did I know all the hugs, snuggling, long nights, learning, and cooing would ACTUALLY fly by!

These past 4 weeks have been so exciting!

We're all starting to get on some sort of schedule, Grayson is successfully gaining weight, and I think we've actually figured out what he needs, when he needs it. I pray it will stay this way for awhile, although I do look forward to all the growth (and sleeping through the night! ;o)), which in turn means change.

Here are a few 1 month pictures of our little guy. Happy 1 month birthday!

Big Yawn!

Welcome Grayson!

Yup, it's official! After 9 months of anticipation, Grayson Samuel has joined our happy home.
He was born at 1:49 pm on June 7th, weighing 7 lbs 3.5 oz, and measuring 20 inches long.

We are so excited to have him in our life and look forward to the journey we'll all take together.

We promise to post as much as possible, but as I'm sure most of you know, having a newborn takes a lot of time out of your day.

In the meantime, make sure to check out the pictures of our little miracle.
Hope all is well in your world!

Excuse me sir, is that a Lt Col pin on your shirt?

As many of you know, Dan got promoted to Lt Col today.
Words can't express how proud of him I am!

Years of hard work, lots of extracurricular school work, and of course the brains and know-how paid off in spades today!
Here are a few pics from our celebration.
Congrats honey, you deserve it!

"I, state your name.."
Response, if it were me: "I, state your name"

Successful pinning...I didn't drop any of the "frogs" (as Dan calls them).

Clap, clap, clap! YEAH! It's official!

The big speech....Wait, why do I get flowers? This is YOUR big day silly!

Disco Dan & Laura

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Downward Facing Dog

On Friday, Dan and I went in for our 31 week ultrasound and we were thrilled to see so much action. It was amazing to SEE the corresponding movements as I was feeling them; like a little sneak peek into his world. Ultrasound technology never ceases to amaze me. I constantly catch myself saying "Awe!"

During the appointment, we were able to see our little man yawning, rubbing his eyes (exactly like his dad does), kicking, stretching, etc. And when I say stretching, I mean it. He is still breech and has decided to perfect the "downward facing dog" position before joining us. His feet are up by his head and his hands were constantly gripping them. All this completely explains the thumps and knocks I feel against my ribs and lungs. Here's his hand, tickling his little toes which are next to his head:We also discovered an exciting diagnosis during our morning...3 pounds & 13 ounces of pressure on my vena cava will cause me to faint. We've often wondered why I start the intense cold sweats & dizzy spells during the past two month's of appointments, often attributing it to lower blood sugar and nerves, but low and behold...I'm one of those lucky girls who absolutely can't lay on her back, even for a small time. The good news is I now can identify the symptoms far before they affect me adversely enough to cause fainting; the bad news is I'm a horrible patient for any routine exam, measurement, or ultrasound as I have to lay on my left side for 99% of the poking and prodding. Oh well, I'll just get one of those infamous Elaine Benes medical chart entries that will never go away... "Patient is a pansy and faints if you make her lay on her back".And to answer the #1 question I get: "How are you feeling?" Honestly, I'm doing great. It's blatantly apparent that my organs are running out of room and I have to consciously think about taking deeper breaths, but I'm enjoying every second of this experience. It's such a special time and as much as I cant wait to meet our little guy, I'm happy to let him bake for another 8.5 weeks.

Next week we'll make the last "doctor approved" trip: a drive home to Little Rock. During our recent trip to Atlanta we discovered a few extra stops along the way are a must-do, so keep your fingers crossed that we'll make the trek in a decent amount of time. Cant wait to be home for a few days!