Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas!!
While we were sad to not see our families in Michigan this Christmas, we did have a wonderful and relaxing holiday this year. Greyson received lots of clothes and books - exactly what he wanted!!!

Greyson in his Bumbo seat -

Head of the table for Christmas dinner

Greyson and Mom Christmas morning

Greyson's holiday photo

Dad showing Greyson his new bath toys.

Thanks to the Blackaby's for these gifts!

Most of the family received some video of us opening gifts. Here we are opening Greyson's gift from Belgium:



More video to come of the gifts we opened from the Cowden family! Happy Holidays!

Greyson is 3 Months!

I wish I could report how wonderful the last month has been watching Greyson grow. The truth is that he is simply wearing us out!! My prediction is that he has begun teething (although nothing has cut through the surface yet). He shows all the symptoms including drooling, chomping on his fingers, and being fussy with his bottle. His milestones have not changed much from a month ago. However, he is definitely growing! Since we don't have a doctor's visit this month, Frank did an unofficial weighing of Greyson on the bathroom scale. He's at 16 pounds! Which means Greyson will graduate to the next size diapers (now on size 2-3). He is filling in his size 6 clothes which means we'll need sizes 6-9 and 9 very soon!

We're looking forward to our first Chrismas together and unfortunately will not be heading up to Michigan to see everyone. Maternity leave stripped me of all the vacation and sick time I had accumulated, leaving me with zero time off for the holidays.

While we're at it, a big Happy Birthday goes out to Nonna (12/14)!

New Parents Dinner Party

We've made some great friends with having a new baby on board. We were all in the same hospital class prior to delivering our newborns, though some of us had other connections. Sarah and I took Prenatal Yoga together, and Daniel and I met at UNCG during an alumni event on campus. Now we make sure to get together once a month for dinner and adult time. Call it an adult play date if you wish! And just to boast about how great all these new daddy's are, see the picture below...

That's right...while all the ladies of the group were sipping wine in the kitchen, all our men were taking care of the kids. What's not to love about these parties?!? Frank and I hosted the December party and Brian and Sarah hosted November. Stephanie and Chris have January and I'm pretty sure we're all looking forward to it.

We just want some sleep!

It's a darn thing Greyson is so cute!

I've officially returned to work and it's been difficult adjusting to the change. Going from seeing my little one all day long to only a couple hours a day has tried my emotions. While I pound the pavement in a challenging sales job, my thoughts often stray to Greyson and his big smiles. I know he is in good hands with our nanny, Anita, and consider ourselves very fortunate to be able to keep Greyson home in these early months. But my heart yearns to be with him more often. I now know how Frank felt after returning to work only a few short days after Greyson was born.

Also with my return to work comes the challenge of getting through the day with minimal sleep. Frank and I are still taking turns waking up and feeding Greyson, who just hasn't seemed to grasp sleeping through the night yet. He is keeping to eating every 4 hours during the night which puts wake up times around 11pm, 3am and 7am. Oy!

Our bodies are adjusting to the sleep deprivation, but hopefully we'll get more than a few hours at a time soon. I'll get a picture up of Anita with Greyson soon. I can't believe he is almost 3 months old!

Greyson is 2 Months!

Amazing how quickly time flies when your world is consumed by a newborn. Greyson is 2 months old today and it seems so surreal how much he has grown in such a short amount of time.

Things Greyson can do at 2 months:

• Goes roughly 3-4 hours between feedings during the day
• Goes 4-5 hours between feedings at night
• Consumes an average of 6 ounces per feeding
• First slept through the night on November 7 (10:30pm - 6:00am)
• Can hold his head in line with his body when his arms are pulled forward
• Loves to practice pushing with his legs to a standing position
• Can hold head steady while in a sitting position
• Smiles when he sees a smile or hears a laugh from mom or dad
• Learning how to go down for a nap on his own 
• Can track from side to side and from up to down
• Holds a rattle in either hand momentarily and is starting to hang on to hair, necklaces, shirts, etc.

We can't wait to see all that he accomplishes in another month!

Welcome New Followers

Welcome family and friends to the Busse family's blog! Chances are you received our baby announcement in the mail recently and decided to follow the link to check this site out. And kudos to you for realizing my error for including "www" in the link when it shouldn't have been. To make things easier you can "follow" this blog by putting it into your favorites. There is a section on the left side of this page where it gives you the option to follow the blog. While you're here, please feel free to check out the archived posts (link is on the bottom left of the page) to read about the birthing story and Greyson's development since then.

You can contact one of us if you have any questions, but for now...enjoy!

Laura & Frank

Halloween

It's Halloween time and fun is to be had by all of Greyson's family and friends. G and mommy spent the day over at Aunt Pammie and Uncle Ryan's house while daddy was out of town for work. After having some lunch together we got busy carving some pumpkins! Uncle Ryan finished his pumpkin in record time with his jack-o-lantern creation. Pam and Laura took their time carving a scary cat pawing after a little mouse. It just wouldn't be Halloween without some pumpkin carving while munching on pumpkin seeds. Yum!

Greyson's first Halloween party was at the yoga studio the Wednesday before the big day. We got to try out the costume that Nonna got him and it was a big success! Laura's friend Sarah brought her little one, Micha, along with her to the party. G and Micha are sure to be good friends! You'll notice in the picture below that Princess Lea came with Yoda to the party, only for Darth Vader to arrive later and crash the party. :o) Everyone got a big kick out of this pairing.
Halloween day was very exciting for Greyson. He put his pumpkin costume on once again and hosted a little dinner party! Sarah, Brian and Micha came over to help us with the trick-or-treater's and while the kids "played" (ok, more like slept and ate) the adults had a nice time conversing over dinner and dessert. Greyson received many compliments from the other kids that night on his outfit. Nice find, Nonna!!

Lolo's Visit and a social outing

Frank's dad, Steve, came down for a long weekend to see his grandson. It was his first trip to North Carolina so we were very excited for him to see our house, our son and our lives. Unfortunately Steve's wife, Fe, was unable to join him for the trip due to having bronchitis. Greyson's Lolo did an amazing job helping out around the house. Despite his back hurting from the long drive he was able to hold and carry Greyson and learn his rutine, which allowed mom and dad to get some much needed naps in during the day. Way to go, Lolo!

Frank, Greyson and I had our first social outing as a family over the weekend too. My uncle and cousin were celebrating their birthdays and we joined the party over at their house. Everyone had a great time seeing Greyson and getting their chance to hold him throughout the night, and Greyson was a very good boy. He is pictured here with the birthday girl, my cousin Jennifer. Happy 25th Jenn!

Greyson is 1 Month

It's hard to believe that our little boy is already 4 weeks old. Time has flown by so quickly even though the days are long and the nights are even longer. I'm told that things will start getting easier now that we're passing the 1 month mark, but I have yet to experience it.

Things Greyson can do at 1 month:

• Goes about 3 hours between daytime feedings
• Goes about 4 hours between nighttime feedings
• Hold his head up for 5-10 seconds at a time at about a 45 degree angle
• Starting to smile for reasons other than gas
• Enjoys his baths
• Wears 3 month old size clothing

Happy 1 month birthday, kiddo!

Tummy Time!

Greyson got a super cool play mat and we finally broke it out for some much needed tummy time today. It was really a strategic maneuver to get him tired out so he would fall asleep, but no such luck for this tired mommy. He was able to get his legs underneath his body, but couldn't push up just yet. This was his first attempt unassisted. In the past, tummy time would happen while he laid on his mommy or daddy's tummy. Greyson can push away and hold his head up that way, but not just yet on his play mat. We'll keep working at it and keep you posted.

Our neighbor, Ms. Sharon, came over to see Greyson for the first time. Being a mom of two boys herself she had the magic touch with getting the baby to shut his eyes and lay in his crib for the next two hours!! Yea Ms. Sharon! I extended her the offer to come over ANY time. And she plans to take me up on that offer frequently. :o)

NC Zoo and Visit from Grandma and Grandpa

Greyson is getting lots of good quality time with his Grandma and Grandpa this week. Frank's mom and step-dad arrived last week and have been soaking up their precious time with Greyson as much as possible. And I don't think Greyson minds in the least! He is sticking to his good feeding schedule of every 3 hours during the day and almost every 4 hours during the evening. Grandma spends every moment she can cuddling up with her grandchild and Grandpa takes Greyson along during his daily walks around the neighborhood.

Since the weather was beautiful and we were all enjoying our time outdoors, we decided to head to the NC Zoo with Greyson. Frank and I had never been to the zoo before so we were all experiencing it for the first time together. Since the nursery has a monkey theme we naturally gravitated to all the chimps, gorillas, monkeys and baboons in the zoo. But we also saw lions, elephants, zebras, rhinos, boars and other species native to Africa.

We all had a very good time. Greyson was a good sport throughout the day, cooperating through a feeding/changing session in the middle of the park (by the rhinos).

I get by with a little help from my...err...family

I have no idea where I would be without the help from my sister, Pam. Oh...my....goodness! So Nonna was here through Tuesday, and then Thursday Frank left for a work trip for the rest of the weekend. It was just Greyson and I for 4 straight days and I was nervous as all heck. Good thing I had lots of help from Pam, who not only came over for afternoons to help me get naps in but also came over late on Saturday and took the whole graveyard shift. I could take a shower, nap, make food for myself...it was like...a bit of normalcy that I desperately needed.

Pam and her husband, Ryan, are also Greyson's Godparents and have thus far taken their roles very seriously. They know they have big shoes to fill since my Godparents have always been a part of my life. Pam was with Frank and I every step of the way in the hospital and was honored to be asked to be in the room when Greyson was born. And Ryan was at the hospital ready and waiting with food in hand for a very hungry new mommy.

Amazing people! And I'm proud to call the family...and Greyson's wonderful Godparents. :o)

Nonna's Visit

Laura's mother (who will be known as "Nonna" from now on - which means Grandmother in Italian) came for a visit the week after Greyson was born. She was in absolute delight to meet her grandson. Nonna was a huge help to us as well, often taking all of the graveyard feeding shifts so that we could sleep through the night. She also cooked some meals and helped clean around the house. What a great mom! Not to go without mentioning she did all this right after having her own surgery the same day that she arrived in North Carolina.

I guess that "super mom" quality never really wears off. She provided lots of good parenting tips while at the same time was respectful of our wishes and Greyson's schedule. Nonna calls or emails often to check in on "her baby." Funny, I thought I was always going to be "her baby" with being her youngest child.

Baby Busse: Our Birthing Story

Greyson Marc has arrived and we are cherishing our time with him. He was born on September 10, 2009 at 8:50am weighing in at 7 lbs 10 oz. and measuring 20.25" tall.

Thursday, September 10th was Greyson's original due date. On Wednesday the day before I went in for my 40 week check up at the doctor's office. My blood pressure came in a bit high and my doctor felt it best if I could get into the hospital sooner than later to induce the delivery. Much to Frank's and my surprise an appointment was made for us to go in at 9:30 that evening. We had the afternoon to get final preparations ready at the house, finish up to-do lists at Frank's work, and share a last meal out together before heading into the hospital. The calm before the storm.

Once admitted to the hospital they started me on a magnesium drip for the blood pressure and gave me the drug Cytotech in order to soften the cervix, which had to be administered every 4 hours until the cervix was ready to dilate. So in the meantime we were instructed to go to sleep for the evening. I suppose it's worth mentioning now that my allergies had been killing me since Labor Day and breathing through my nose was not an option. Good sleep never came, especially since my blood pressure had to be monitored every hour.

At 6:30am on Thursday, my doctor came in for a visit to check my cervix and it was ready to start the Pitocin drip to begin contractions. He took me off the magnesium since it actually counteracts the Pitocin. Contractions started and were somewhat tolerable at first, roughly 3-4 minutes apart and 30-45 seconds in length. I started to figure out the labor positions that worked best for me, using all the tools I learned in my yoga classes. Sitting was by far the worst, laying down hurt my back too much, kneeling over a birthing ball was good for a little while, but ultimately standing and leaning against Frank was the winner. I was very proud of myself for making it to 5cm dilated before asking for an epidural. In fact, I think it was Frank who was too

tired to go on without me having some assistance!

By 1:30pm, 45 minutes after my request, the anesthesiologist arrived to give me the epidural. Normally there wouldn't be a story behind getting an epidural but unfortunately this time there is. It was by far the worst part of the whole labor process, and I consider myself someone who handles pain pretty darn well. The doctor had me sit on the bed (recall the worst pain position for contractions) and put the first needle in to administer the numbing agent. Unfortunately he didn't put enough of it in, so when he kept poking around my spine I felt a sharp and shooting pain. I really didn't know how to tell the doctor what I was feeling since all I could do is scream and cry in pain. Finally he said that all I should feel is pressure instead of sharp pain, and I was able to say "sharp" every time he poked me. The doctor put more pain medication in and everything was fine after that. I finally felt relief from the contractions and could get some rest in (albeit minimal since I was still battling my allergies).

I stayed on course in dilating about one centimeter every hour and was ready to begin pushing by 6:30pm. Two and a half hours later Greyson was born. And just for the record, two and a half hours of pushing sounds a lot worse than it actually is. Contractions were 3-4 minutes apart and a little less than a minute long. I would push for 3 - ten second long intervals and then everyone would just stand around the bed waiting for the next contraction, all while I was sporting the full monty.

Nothing could have prepared me for the elation that came when my little boy was placed on my chest for the first time. He was so warm and his little cry just melted my heart. He took to feeding right away and continues to be a good eater, burper, sleeper and all around joy to have in our household.

We couldn't leave the hospital just yet due to my BP still coming in high after delivery. I was put back on the magnesium until my blood pressure dropped to a steady systolic rate lower than 100. This meant that I had to continue to be monitored every hour, getting no sleep whatsoever, and had to experience the side effects of the magnesium all while caring for my newborn. They kept me in the Labor and Deliver wing of the hospital so that the nurses could care for me, and because there weren't any beds available in the Adult ICU. I was able to get some food in my system which meant I could finally take some drugs for my allergies. After a couple of days my BP was where it needed to be and I was moved into the Mother and Baby wing. Without the constant interruptions we were finally able to get some decent sleep. That is, only what Greyson would allow us. My milk hadn't come in yet, and he was getting very hungry. His weight dropped to 7 pounds and the doctors recommended that we supplement with some formula. We did and Greyson finally slept for 4 hours during the evening! We were overjoyed when the doctors finally cleared us for discharge the next morning.