Gingerbread Train

This year I really tried to focus on starting our own family traditions. I felt like this was the first year that Reed would be able to really participate, so first up a gingerbread house. However, when I saw this gingerbread train I knew this was more up Reed's alley.

Cutting the pieces and preparing them to be glued frosted together. I saw on a blog the day I bought this a family that had hot glued their gingerbread together.....so glad I saw that trick, it saved us a ton of time drying and a big mess of icing!

All ready to be decorated

In true Reed fashion WAY more candy went in his mouth then on the train! All we could do was laugh! He kept saying just "one more piece!" We hear that a lot when it comes to candy! :)

Oh why not, a little icing too!

Graham hung out in my lap while we decorated!

Eating MORE candy!

And more icing!

No, not the train! He was really going to eat it....crazy boy!

This is the "just one more piece" face!

The finished product! Reed continued to sneak pieces of candy off the train until we got rid of it!

Only one piece left!

My Mom got Reed this cute Christmas Train to count down the days until Santa comes! There were 24 doors on the train and each door had a piece of candy in it, so of course Reed was all about it and most days he was barely out of bed before he was saying my "choo-choo train candy!"

This morning we opened the last piece! Reed is so excited for Santa to come!

Breakfast with Santa

Last year we had such a great time going to Breakfast with Santa, I was so sad when I realized while I was still pregnant that this year the event was the weekend after my scheduled c-section. I kept it in the back of my mind and held out hope that we could still possibly go. I know, I know a 5 day old out in public, especially around a million other kids, but I was determined for Graham to be able to meet Santa this year! Children's Hospital puts on the event every year and it is very popular, but lots of fun with crafts for the kids, fire trucks parked out front and of course Santa himself!

So after we got home from the hospital on Wednesday, I started asking Josh if he would be willing to let us go! We had our plan, we would try to get there as early as possible and keep Graham in his carseat covered up and have someone else stand in the Santa line for us. I am happy to say that everything worked out perfectly! We were running about 15 minutes late so my Mom got there and stood in line and when we got there we sat down and ate breakfast with Reed and shortly after it was our turn to see Santa. Reed was so excited and couldn't wait to ask Santa for a helmet. That has been his request every time you ask him what he wants Santa to bring him, a Razorback Helmet.

So getting up early and getting 2 kiddos ready and out of the house by 8:15 was ALL worth it for this picture! I was so excited that we got such a good picture! So even though Graham didn't wake up to see Santa we will always get to tell him that he was 5 days old the first time he sat on Santa's lap.

We also tried hard to get a family picture and this is the best we got, not so good!

But this picture of all of us turn out great, thanks for all your help Gigi, Aunt Amy, Gran and Grandad!

After all the fun inside we moved outside to let Reed see the fire truck.

Then he wanted to sit in Santa's sleigh, he loved the reindeer! He has a little obsession with "Bucks" because of all the deer hunting Josh did this year. So to him reindeer are bucks!

Reed and Daddy being silly!

Doctor Check-Up

When Graham was 8 days old we took him for his first pediatrician check-up! When we left the hospital on day 3, Graham had lost down to 6 lbs 14 oz, exactly what Reed was when he came home! When we took Reed to his first check-up on day 12 he weighed 7 lbs 9 oz, so I was totally prepared for Graham to still possibly be below his birth weight. However, to my surprise Graham weighed 7.12! I was shocked! He gained 14 ounces in less than 6 days!

We got a perfect report from Dr. Duke and won't see him again until Graham is 2 months old.

Me & my baby boy waiting on the doctor

Doctor Duke checking Graham out

Graham's First Bath

Although Graham's little belly button had not fell off we decided to give him a quick sponge bath, needless to say he didn't enjoy it! These pictures remind me so much of Reed's first bath . Now that his belly button has fallen off and he can be submerged in water he seems to enjoy baths and Reed loves sharing the bath tub!

I die laughing every time I look at this picture, Graham's face is too funny! Proud Big Brother (cheese face) after helping with Baby Graham's bath. All clean and happy!

The Rest of our Hospital Stay

Tuesday Morning we woke up and I couldn't wait to be told I could get out of bed! My doctor came in around 8:30 and the nurses came in around 9 to get me up. A shower has never felt so good! Graham was in the nursery getting checked out by the pediatricians so Josh and I walked the halls for a little while and went and got Graham. When we got back to the room a photographer was there to take pictures. The hospitals now have professional photographers from Bella Baby take pictures of all newborns. For pictures taken in the hospital room I think ours turned out great! Below are my favorites.

Right when we were finishing up Big Brother was back! He couldn't wait to see his little brother again. My Mom, Aunt Cara and Amy came by for a little while.

Graham & Aunt Cara

Tuesday was a pretty laid back day, we spent most of the day just the 3 of us. Graham got circumcised in the late afternoon and it was so sad. We had never heard him cry the way he did when they brought him back to the room. He just wanted to be held! That night Josh's Mom and Mrs Vicky & Mr Mike came by to visit, unfortunately we forgot to take a picture.

Wednesday Morning Dr. Cockrum came in and told us we could go home! I just needed to get my staples out from my incision and Graham needed to be released by the pediatrician.

Dr. Cockrum & Graham

Getting ready to go home!

All ready to go!

We made it home safely and we were so excited to finally be home! The 3 of us enjoyed a couple of hours together and then we went to pick up big brother from school!

Hanging out with my little man AT HOME for the first time!

Reed was so excited to have Graham in the car and we were so excited to finally have our family of 4 all together!

Reed & Graham watching cartoons together when we got home! Reed's request was for Graham to sit right beside him!