Maisy's ABC's

 And here are some facts about my sweet little Maisy:

A- really good at playing ALONE
B- eats 2 mini BLUEBERRY muffins and applesauce every single morning for breakfast
C- CANNOT keep her hands, feet, fingers, head, hair, etc. off of Lula
D- calls all of her baby DOLLS, "Lula"
E- has an ENDLESS supply of silly faces
F- has to have her FROGGY lovey, blue blanket, and paci at all times
G- GOES to playschool 2 days a week
H- likes to HELP me do laundry
I- has a very active IMAGINATION and loves to play pretend
J- wears JEWELRY when she dresses up like a superhero
K- likes Hershey's KISSES and all other types of chocolate
L- plays with her LITTLE people toys every chance she gets
M- wants to be MINNIE MOUSE for Halloween
N- loves to eat NOODLES of any kind
O- had a Wizard of OZ birthday party for her second birthday in April
P- calls her PINK converse, her "ducks" instead of chucks
Q- calls pennies, dimes, nickels, and QUARTERS, her "moneys"
R- REPEATS everything her big brother says and does- good and bad
S- SNOW WHITE is her favorite Disney Princess right now
T- enjoys having her TOENAILS painted...usually pink
U- being potty-trained so lots of Pull-UPS in this house
V- does not like any VEGETABLE...none
W- WILL not drink milk
X- is eXTREMELY (ha!) sweet in the mornings
Y- loves her YELLOW minions t-shirt from Despicable Me
Z- has only been to the ZOO once...I think she's due a trip this fall!

Brogan's ABC's

Since so much time has passed since I last blogged, I thought this would be an easy way to get caught up on our lives. We've welcomed a new baby girl, Miss Lula Caroline into our family and Brogan and Maisy won't stop growing up way too fast. Here is a summary of my sweet little boy in ABC form:

A- had an AVENGERS birthday party this summer
B- was much more BRAVE this summer at the waterpark
C- CAPTAIN America is his favorite Superhero
D- DONUTS= favorite special breakfast
E- comes into our bed EVERY morning and usually falls back to sleep
F- FOUR years old!
G- has memorized GREEN Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
H- wants to be HULK for Halloween (since he was Captain America last year)
I- is becoming more INDEPENDENT in getting dressed/undressed
J- loves his new JAKE and the Neverland Pirates ship that PuhPuh and PapPap got him
K- big fan of KETCHUP
L- still needs his LOVEYS
M- loves his daddy but still a MOMMY'S boy :)
N- has gone to two NASCAR races this year (Charlotte and Bristol)- GO #48!
O- had no fear of the OCEAN this summer- unlike last year
P- goes to PLAYSCHOOL three days a week and loves it
Q- is good about being QUIET around baby Lula
R- REALLY loves to play on the iPad
S- loves his SISTERS so so so much
T- requests TACOS every time we ask him what he'd like for lunch/supper
U- UNDER the 10th percentile for height and weight for his age
V- green beans, green peas, and corn are the only VEGETABLES he'll touch
W- WHINY when he's tired...which is why he still naps every afternoon
X- enjoys watching all superhero cartoons, including the X-MEN
Y- fills my heart with joy when he sings, "YAHWEH, YAHWEH, we love to shout your name, Oh Lord..."
Z- loves ZAXBY'S fried chicken, fries, and tea :)

Sweet Maisy

Maisy has experienced so many "firsts" and I've done an awful job of documenting them. She will be ONE next month! My goodness time goes way too fast with the second child. Maisy has the sweetest disposition- never demanding. She loves to give hugs and cuddle and be nursed to sleep. Brogan makes her laugh like no one's business and she loves to torment him by playing with his toys. She has eight teeth and uses them to eat anything she can find on the floor (including playdough, Brogan's poptart crumbs, and crayons.) Here are just a few pictures of those "firsts"...

First Halloween (in Brogan's first halloween costume)


First Thanksgiving (in Brogan's first thanksgiving onesie)


First Disney trip! (November 2010)


First Christmas!


First Cabbage Patch Doll!


First Ponytail :)


First Superbowl Party


First Valentines Day


First Pigtails! (February 2011)

Brogan's ABCs

Because there is SO much I've failed to blog about in the past 5 months, I'm going to try to get caught up by "borrowing" my friend Shanda's cute idea.

The ABC's according to Brogan:

A- Alex and Anna Claire (his friends)
B- Baby (what he usually calls Maisy), Buzz Lightyear, Baths
C- Cars (the movie), Curious George, Church
D- Daddy, Dancing
E- Elf (the movie)
F- Fruit snacks
G- GiGi and Grandad
H- Hates having his Hair washed
I- Ice cream
J- "Jesus Loves Me", Jimmie Johnson #48
K- Ketchup
L- Lovies, Larry the Cucumber and all his silly songs
M- Maisy, Mommy, Milk
N- being Naked (such a male haha)
O- "Our God" by Chris Tomlin, Organizing his toys and movies Over and Over
P- PapPap and PuhPuh, Puzzles, Mr. Potato Heads, Pizza, Popcorn, Poptarts
Q- asking lots and lots of Questions
R- Running away when it's time to get dressed..
S- Stevie, School- he LOVES it!, Spiderman and Superman
T- Tacos, Tarheels
U- Underweight (still 25lbs...but cute as can be) :)
V- Vacuuming (weird, right?), Vinegar and salt on cucumbers (like his mommy)
W- Woody and all the Toy Story characters
X- being X-tra silly- lots of personality!
Y- Yogurt
Z- story and song of Zacchaeus

And here is is...my wild little man

My baby girl

...is SIX months old! Well, actually she'll be 7 months in less than two weeks. Time has flown by so much faster with Maisy than it did with Brogan. People have told me it's normal, but it still makes me so sad. My little May-May (can you tell I love nicknames?) is just the most happy, content, easy-going baby I've ever met. She smiles all the time and only cries when she's ready to eat or she's ready for bed. I am so in love with her and the sweet personality God gave her. A few facts about Miss Maisy:
-she usually goes to sleep for the night around 8pm and gets up to nurse once
-we (okay, me) are working on switching her to her own room. She's still in the pack 'n play in our room and she's definitely ready for her bigger crib. Buuuttt, it's so hard to let go :( I'm working on it!!
-She has a green frog lovey that used to be Brogan's. I still want to buy her a pink lovey though
-Maisy loves her paci! She sucks the thing like Maggie Simpson :)
-She weighs 17.something lbs.
-She thinks Brogan is the funniest person in the whole world
-Maisy has 2 bottom teeth
-When she wants to be picked up, she lifts her chubby arms up in the air towards me
-She's still working on eating solid foods. Her little tongue is still getting used to the new textures. She seems to like sweet potatoes and bananas the best so far.
-We switched Maisy's car seat to the convertible seat. This means, no infant seat to carry her into the stores. She's been sitting in the front of grocery carts, but she's still a little wobbly :)

Dear Brogan,

It's so hard to believe that you are now a 2 year old. It really does seem like just a few months ago, I got to hold you for the first time. I fell madly in love with you the very second I saw you. From the day you were born, you have kept me on my toes 24/7. You weren't the easiest baby and definitely high-maintenance but oh you're such a momma's boy...and I love it. Now, you are gaining independence, wanting to do things for yourself. It's a little difficult for me to let go- I catch myself doing things for you that I know you are capable of doing- just because I want to keep thinking you're my little baby. You are so incredible. I love to just sit and watch you play. Your mind goes a million miles a minute and you move from one activity to the next. You are a jumping bean and a dare-devil. You are an artist and a master at puzzles. You enjoy making me vacuum and read the same books over and over. I love all these things about you- even though most days I go to bed exhausted :)

Here are a few other things that I love about you:
-the way you say "noooo" (cute now, maybe not later haha)
-how you suck your teeth when you're concentrating on puzzles
-when you accomplish anything, you say, "There, I did it!" in your cute little way
-every time I change your diaper, you yell "wee-wee!" :)
-you stick your tongue out when you "jaw jaw" (draw)
-the way you say my name to get my attention when you're about to do something you know is a no-no...and then smile at me
-you call Maisy, "my beh-beh" (baby) and want to kiss her goodnight before bed
-you are an awesome sleeper (knock on wood!!)
-when anyone around you laughs, you join in with a (very) fake laugh
-you'd rather eat broccoli than macaroni and cheese (unlike mommy and daddy!)
-how you'll sit and line things up- cars, markers, crayons, etc.
-the way you say "choooo choooo" when you play with your trains
-you like to sing and dance to Barney and Elmo

One year old Brogan

Two year old Brogan

I'm back...hopefully :)

So much has happened since I last posted. Brogan and Maisy are growing up way too fast and it seems like the only time I have to sit down and type is at night after they have gone to bed. And that's when the couch, TV, and popcorn call my name :) I hope to be better, but no promises! Survivor and Grey's Anatomy are pretty tough to compete with haha

Here's a silly picture for the heck of it :P

Can you tell?

Brogan and Maisy's baby pictures look so much alike! Can you tell who's who?
FYI- Tadd guessed wrong!! haha :)






Give up? The top picture is Maisy and the bottom is of Brogan. Two cutie patooties!!

Life is Crazy...

...but good! Sorry it has been so long since I last posted. Finding the time to get on the computer is a challenge. Brogan and Maisy are both doing great...I can't believe how much faster time is flying with two kids. It's like I blink and another week has come and gone.

Brogan will be TWO YEARS OLD on the 28th of this month. That is just mind-blowing. People told me that I would notice how big he was once Maisy got here and they were right! I never noticed how his legs and feet hang off his changing pad. I never noticed how big his hands have gotten. And I never noticed how much he looks like a boy and not a baby. He is starting to really talk now too! He FINALLY started saying my name regularly and WOW does he say it all.the.time!!! Sometimes it's "Momma", other times it's "Mommy", and once in a while he throws in a French accent and says "ma-MA". He is very observant and listens to adult conversations. When I'm telling Tadd something Brogan has done, he starts doing it then. He's also started calling Tadd by his first name. It's hilarious. He'll ask me, "Weh da-da?" and I'll say work or church. Then he'll yell, "Taaaa!" (Tadd). If I ask him what my name is, he says "Beck-Beck". :) Brogan is getting better about being gentle with Maisy. He likes to put her passy in her mouth, give her high 5, and kiss her head. Right now, he loves popcicles, poptarts, finding bugs to squish, looking for American flags ("fag-fag") while we're in the car or on a walk, coloring on his easel ("jaw-jaw"), watching for hummingbirds out the playroom window, and dancing/singing to the Veggie Tales theme song.

Little Maisy turned TWO MONTHS OLD today. God surely knew what type of baby we needed this second time around. Brogan has ALWAYS been high maintenance and full of energy. We love him and his personality so much, but I would lose my mind if I had two "Brogans" running around the house :) So, instead of another wild child, God blessed us with a chilled-out baby girl~ (thank you Lord!) Maisy LOVES to be cuddled. Up until this week, she has slept on my chest all night. I adore the bonding that comes with co-sleeping, but DANG I hate sleeping on my back. This week, Maisy has slept in her bassinet for most of the night, waking up 2-3 times to nurse. Last night she slept six hours straight- woohoo! She is becoming more alert, noticing things around the room. She seems to enjoy being outside, taking baths, and being cuddled next to me in the Moby Wrap.

Here is a typical night in the Grandstaff house...lots of cuddles and giggles :)
(sorry it's so dark!)

Brogan sings VeggieTales from Becki Grandstaff on Vimeo.

Welcome to the world Miss Maisy!

She's here!

Maisy Lauren Grandstaff was born Friday April 9th at 11:48am. Her birth story is pretty crazy (to me anyway). Thursday night I began feeling very crampy and had braxton hicks with some backache. It wasn't anything I was worried about and slept off and on all night. Friday morning I woke up and noticed I was bleeding very lightly so I called the doctor and they told me to go to Labor and Delivery to be checked and make sure nothing was wrong. The minute I got off the phone (it was 9am), the first real contraction hit me. Still not horrible, but it made me stop in my tracks. I woke Tadd up and told him to get in the shower. I quickly got ready and got Brogan fed. By 10:00am, I was super worried because the contractions hurt really bad. Tadd ran Brogan across the street to stay with Brandon until my dad could pick him up. My contractions continued to pick up in intensity and were about 4 minutes apart.

When we got to the hospital, I was checked and SHOCKED that I had already dilated 8cm!! (It took 15 hours to dilate that much with Brogan!) The nurse also noticed that the head was not the presenting body part so they did an ultrasound and discovered that Miss Maisy was breech. Since I was already so far into labor, they quickly rushed me into the surgery room for a C-section. Thank goodness for the spinal block because my contractions were beyond painful at this point.

I never in 9 months expected to have a C-section. I'm not sure why...it just never crossed my mind. I hadn't read about it or anything so I wasn't sure what to expect. With the spinal, I didn't feel too much pain, just that they were doing "something" to me and it caused a lot of pressure. I kept asking for more medicine though because I didn't want to run the risk of actually feeling it more that I should.

Apparently (and I didn't learn this until the next morning), the doctors performing the C-section had some difficulty getting Maisy out because I had a "Contraction Ring". The doctor explained it as my uterus had a "ring" or a grip around her head. It is very rare and can cause uterine rupture and life threatening complications to the baby. It is undetectable until labor begins and had we not known Maisy was Breech and we went ahead with vaginal delivery, her body would have gone through the birth canal and her head would have been stuck. Very scary. God was definitely watching over us!

Thankfully, Maisy is healthy and thriving! She was born 6lbs. even and 19.25in. long. Super tiny! Even though she wasn't a preemie (born only one day early), she's in preemie clothes. She came home from the hospital weighing 5lbs.10oz. and is already back up to 6lbs.2oz! She nurses like a champ and practically sleeps all day long. She wakes up 2-3 times during the night to eat and goes right back to sleep. This is all new to us because Mr. Brogan was quite the opposite!! Here are just a few pictures of the newest member of the Grandstaff family! She is so loved!!

My first time seeing my sweet baby girl

Sweetest little lips

Big brother Brogan and an unhappy little sister

Super tiny!

Brogan thinks Maisy is funny :)

Safe in Daddy's arms

Unsure of her first doctor's visit

39 Weeks!

*How far along?: 39 weeks 2 days

*Weight gain: still 23lbs.

*Sleep: between the pelvic pain and braxton hicks, not so much

*Stretch marks: none

*Best moment of this week: I have two:
1. Easter Sunday. It was so awesome worshiping in the NEW Pine Ridge Church building and listening to Tadd speak. There were 20 decisions for Christ!
2. Also, we went to Lowe's today to look at Swing sets for our back yard. Tadd told me that he wanted to use the money he's been saving for a new TV to buy Brogan this swing set. How awesome of a daddy is he?? This is why Brogan adores his Da-Da and says his name at least 300 times a day :)

*Movement: We like to think she's dancing to Funky Town...we start singing it when she starts moving :)

*Labor Signs: LOTS of braxton hicks and other lovely end of labor signs that are WAY TMI for a blog ;)

*Food cravings: Easter candy of course...and deviled eggs. I usually don't like them but for some reason they sounded (and tasted) SO good this week. Pregnancy is so strange sometimes. And Chickfila lemondade!

*What I miss most: just feeling "normal"...I feel so big and tired all the time

*What I'm looking forward to: (trying to look PAST the delivery)...seeing her for the first time, holding the tiny hands and feet that have kicked me for the past few months, dressing her in little pink dresses, seeing how much she weighs, comparing her features to Brogan's, announcing her name to the world, and introducing her to her big brother.

*Measuring: 34cm. as of last Wednesday (I go for my 39 week checkup tomorrow). The doctor said she's definitely dropped, which my bladder told me several weeks ago!

*Milestones: Your baby's waiting to greet the world! She continues to build a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth, but it's likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of her skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.(babycenter.com)

Brogan and Anna Claire

Brogan and Anna Claire had a play date two days in a row! They are so cute together...and only one week apart in age. Shanda and I took them to play at the BCA playground and told them to hold hands while we walked on the sidewalk. They listened and didn't let go until they got to the gate. Aren't they so sweet together? :)

Holding hands...so sweet!



Don't they look so BIG drinking water from the fountain?


Saying goodbye :)

Just like Daddy!

We had some sweet friends from church graciously lend us their crib (since Brogan doesn't want to give his up yet). Brogan has never really played with a toy tool set so I never expected him to be so obsessed with helping Tadd. It was so cute watching him copy everything Daddy did. It must just come natural for boys to love their tools. Brogan "worked" the whole time Tadd did and never got bored :) Here are some cute pictures of Brogan working alongside his hero...

Springtime fun at the park!

I have been in desperate need of warmer weather and thankfully it's here for the most part. Tadd and I took Brogan to the city park to play and have a picnic lunch. It was beautiful- I sat on the bench and soaked up the sun while Tadd chased Brogan all over the playground :)

38 Weeks!

*How far along?: 38 weeks 1 day

*Weight gain: up 2lbs. so 23lbs.

*Sleep: the last couple of nights have been tolerable, it's the turning over and getting out of bed that kill me- seriously, the pelvic pain is torture.

*Stretch marks: none

*Best moment of this week: Just being with Brogan. I have been so emotional lately thinking that these are the last few days of it being just Brogan and Mommy during the day. Everything is about to change in his mind and it makes me so sad for him. I'm sure he'll adjust and it may be easier since he's so young, but I feel like I'm letting him down.

*Movement: She likes to stick her butt out...so sassy already :)

*Labor Signs: More cramping and Braxton Hicks...nothing painful, just annoying

*Food cravings: I have eaten my weight in turkey sandwiches this week. We went through two loaves of bread and two packs of deli turkey in one short week! I ate one every day at lunch and one every night for a snack. Nothing special to it- turkey, bread, mayonnaise, and salt. This might be why I gained 2lbs. this week! :)

*What I miss most: Brogan sitting comfortably in my lap while we read. I have to sit him over to the side on a pillow now :(

*What I'm looking forward to: seeing our baby girl!! AND WE HAVE A NAME!!! I woke up with a peace about it yesterday morning. Now we're just deciding between two spellings. Oh, and still no middle name.

*Measuring: 35cm. I think the way they measure is pretty stupid. I had a student observing my midwife this week and she measured me and got 38cm. I was like "whoa- I grew 4cm this week!" The midwife did it and said she had to stretch the tape to get the 35cm. None the less, no ultrasound.

*Milestones: Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long. She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. (babycenter.com)

Future NBA star?

I love having a son! He is 100% boy and it tickles me to death when I see him get excited over a ball...or a rock...or a bug. Tadd and I took him to feed the ducks a few weeks ago and I stopped to show him a daffodil. He said "oooh" and then proceeded to stomp on it. All boy :)

Playing basketball with PapPap

Even a ball player needs his lovey :)

Taking a Cheeto/Dorito break

Brogan and Daddy

Brogan and Mommy

Brogan- 20 months