Grayson Jack Donovan

Ella loving on her new brother.


Mommy, daddy and Grayson.


Our family of four!

My chubby cheeked mohawk man! :)

Grayson is here! He's actually been here since August 6th, but being a mommy of two has kept me a little preoccupied the past week and a half so that is the reason for the delayed blog post.

So, here's the stats for those wondering... He ended up being 9 pounds 5 ounces, 20.25 inches long, and was born at 2:23 pm. We were shooting for 2:19 pm since Ella was born then, but Grayson's "largeness" got in the way! :)

I was honestly expecting the worst as far as deliveries go since Ella's seemed so "easy," but Grayson's birth has hers beat by far! We went to the hospital around 5:30 and were placed in a room and started meds within an hour. Upon arriving, I was already 3 cm dialated and about 85% effaced if I'm remembering correctly. Going in this time I knew I did not want any pain meds before the epidural and I think that is what made this experience so much better! I felt so alert and very aware of everything going on around me unlike the "zomielike" state I was in with Ella! I received my epidural at about 4/5 cm and other than being able to feel it this time around, the epidural itself was perfect! Not too strong, not too weak. I could not move my legs the next day because of my epidural with Ella (slept through labor and pushed 3 times), but with this one I could move my legs, feel the pressure of contractions, but never felt an ounce of pain. The lady knew what she was doing! :) My blood pressure got low again this time around, but they quickly fixed that and we were back in business. As time went by, I began feeling quite a bit of pressure and sure enough, Grayson was making his way into this world! They let me watch the entire birth through a mirror and we were all a little bit shocked to see the "big" baby that appeared after about 10 minutes pushing! He was the most beautiful baby boy I had ever seen of course! :)

Our stay at Central Baptist was terrific! Our labor and delivery nurses were great and one happened to be a friend of our family which made us all feel very comfortable. When they moved us into Mother/Baby, Kermie and I were tickled too death to see the full size Tempurpedic bed! I was so excited to get to sleep beside him :) I remembered feeling bad for him sleeping on the chair the first time around! My night nurse, Dee, was absolutely amazing during our two night stay. She did everything in her power to make sure we were comfortable and the baby was doing well.

So, we've been home for over a week now and things are going well. I have dealt with the emotional overload much better this time although I have had a few meltdowns. I think having done it before makes everything much easier. Although, adding an almost 3 year old to the picture adds a new dimension! Kermie went back to work Monday after being off for 3 weeks, so that was a little hard. I think Ella had the most difficult time with his return than anyone. She really enjoyed his company! Overall, she is doing great with the transition. I love the age she is at because she has been such a big helper! She can get diapers, wipes, clothes, etc., etc., etc. and actually enjoys doing it! She kisses on Grayson and asks to hold him quite a bit. She is learning that she has to share her time with Grayson now and that babies require lots of attention. She's going to be a great big sister!

I have another 8 weeks at home from school so I will try to take pictures as I can and keep everyone updated on my life with two children! :)