Baby Ghaffari

Happy New Year!

2012-01-13T20:54:00.004-06:00

Wow, I guess it's been a long while since I last posted a blog. So much has occurred since October! Baby Grant turned ONE on November 12, and we threw him a sweet and simple birthday party at our house. I also invited all of my fellow mommy friends and their children over the following week for a playdate/birthday party. It was a total hit! Grant and PJ got to have cake twice - they didn't mind that at all.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. We celebrated at home in the morning with our tradition of pulling our king size mattress out in to the living room floor, and we all piled on top of it to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! I made breakfast casserole and pumpkin rolls and drank lots of coffee. It was great family time. We had a lovely dinner that afternoon at Uncle Jess & Aunt Elaine's home. It was very comfortable to be with them, and it was nice to see the cousins play together (Payton, Grant, Lauren, and Maxwell).

Payton Joy celebrated her THIRD birthday (December 17th) in a majorly FUN fashion this year. We hosted the party at My Gym and invited 20 of her closest friends. It was a great hit. Everyone had so much fun, and PJ was especially fond of Stephen the MyGym employee who had them all giggling like crazy, running around, and playing hard. She is STILL talking about "My Stephen" and her birthday party!

Christmas and New Year's Eve were wonderful family celebrations as well. We stayed home on Christmas morning and Granny (Gaga) Linda and Robert came over for breakfast. It was fun to have everyone together at OUR home - even though we still don't have a dining room table! We just sat around the kitchen bar and made the most of it! Later that afternoon, we went to my cousin, Jeremy's house for more food and fun. It was especially enjoyable to see the children play together; although, I will admit that I spent most of the evening chatting with the women in the other room while Michael and the guys hung out in the play room. Score!!

New Year's was nice because my sister and brother-in-law, Shelley and Garry, visited for the weekend. We spent most of the time at our house just relaxing and being together. The funny story of the weekend, however, was that we wanted to make a good but fairly simple dinner for NYE, so we ended up buying a grill JUST for that night! We grilled steaks and had baked potatoes and broccoli and some really great wine. It was the perfect evening. My cousin, Jeremy, and Kimberly joined us, and the six of us rang in the new year with lots of laughter! I really could not have asked for a more fun evening. And remember, that night holds special memory for me and Michael: he proposed to me on New Year's Eve 2005!

Lastly, I want to share a major milestone that occurred for little Payton Joy today. Let me preface this by saying she had her first dental appointment on Tuesday this week, and she was the perfect little patient! She was brave and confident and full of joy. I was so proud of her! We read books about going to the dentist the night before so she was a little prepped before going in but, let me tell ya, it worked like a charm! Becoming aware of her teeth and the importance of taking care of them has been a HUGE enlightenment for her.

So tonight the three of us came home from eating dinner out with Daddy who had to make a stop on the way home. As I was getting Baby Grant ready for bed, I told PJ that she needed to start getting ready for bed (which usually prompts very little action on her part). She proceeded to go potty, wash her face and hands, and brush her teeth - ALL BY HERSELF! Then she put on her pajamas ALL BY HERSELF! I was seriously amazed and so excited about HER excitement. She was so proud of her accomplishments! I am overwhelmed by the obvious feelings of..."my baby is growing up!"...but I'm more excited for HER than anything. Of course, I had to double check to make sure there were no spinach leaves stuck in her teeth or that her pj's weren't on backwards, but for the most part, she DID IT right. We have been flossing every night since the dental appointment, too! It's an important habit to get started early...let's just hope Momma sticks to her guns about making it part of the routine.

Thus concludes my update. What a great start to a new year. I hope and pray that 2012 finds you all happy, healthy, and blessed beyond measure. May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may He make His face shine upon you and give you peace!

Michael's 40th Birthday

2011-10-23T21:59:00.010-05:00

Last night, I surprised Michael for his 40th birthday. He thought I was just taking him out on a "birthday date" as we had explained to Payton Joy. But he got much more than that! We parked our car and walked down 12th Avenue in The Gulch to what he thought was a new restaurant for dinner. But I escorted him to the front of Cantina Laredo where a black, stretch Hummer was parked. The driver opened the door, and all of our friends were inside and greeted him with "SURPRISE!!" He was definitely surprised!

It was a mobile version of This Is Your Life, Michael Ghaffari! I had programs printed for all to follow along as we drove to many important places along Michael's life from childhood to the present. We started at his childhood home where he (and his mom) lived with his granddad, "Pop", for most of his young life; then traveled to Shelby Park where he played baseball from tee-ball until he was 17 years old (and ready for a baseball career). We drove to his junior and high schools, his first job at Dairy Queen, his first apartment, ITT Tech (college), Vanderbilt University (job), and ended with the place where Michael and I first met. It was actually too much to fit into our limited limo time so we skipped a few places but Michael shared stories about all of it along the way. We were all quite famished by the time we returned to Cantina Laredo and thoroughly enjoyed the chips and different types of salsa they serve! We had a cake complete with black "40" candles and lots of laughs the whole night through!

I hope he knows how much we all love him and celebrate his LIFE...I definitely thank God for bringing him into MY life and look forward to spending the next half of his life right by his side! Happy Birthday, my love! You make 40 look good. :-)

For all the surprise party photos, click HERE.

Just Like My Mother

2011-08-13T20:52:00.011-05:00

I woke up this morning abnormally early at 5:30 a.m. due to baby Grant's early morning nursing session and, unfortunately, was not allowed to fall back asleep. But that's because I brought him back into bed with me to nurse and I don't normally do that, so he felt like playing as soon as he had a full tummy instead of going back to sleep like he usually does in his crib. So I started my day quite early and it is currently 8:55 p.m. and this is the first time I've stopped "working" and sat down ALL DAY LONG. It's such an interesting story, really, which is why I felt like blogging about my day.

The cleaning frenzy began when Payton spilled her LIFE cereal (itsy bitsy crumbs, to be exact) all over the kitchen floor around 7:20 a.m. Now please tell me, does anyone really feel like sweeping at that early morning hour? Well, I wasn't exactly chipper about the scenario but it had to be cleaned nonetheless. I even tried to allow PJ to "help" sweep the mess but she only made it worse and I wasn't in the most loving, patient mood at that time...so that "lesson" was cut rather short (of course, I'm feeling total guilt over that now).

I almost entitled this post: Ants, Fleas, and Mice, OH MY! but decided that wasn't the overall point of my blog. However, I must embarrassingly admit that we are currently fighting all kinds of nuisances in our home right now.

Michael set mouse traps last night because I found mouse turds inside our kitchen drawers (of all places - really?). I told him that I refused to open those drawers this morning and that he had to do it. When he checked them, he said, "Those darn things snatched my cheese!" So...they're baited with cheese AND peanut butter tonight. Ugh! Just the thought of mice IN my silverware drawer makes me want to hurl. Needless to say, I am washing everything before I use it from any of those drawers. GAG!

We've had those annoying little ants pop up here and there on the kitchen counter and on the bathroom floor over the past few days. I clean my kitchen every single day, so I'm not sure what they keep coming back to find. There's usually only one or two at a time so I'm hopeful they won't get worse!

Maya picked up fleas recently and I *thought* I exterminated them before they infested our home but, it seems, that I was wrong. In spite of routine application of Frontline ever since she was a puppy, the darn fleas have won out this summer. Let me preface this by saying the first time I found fleas on her was last summer when I was 7 months pregnant. I FREAKED OUT the minute I saw the fleas! I made Michael bathe her immediately while I stripped our bedding, doused the carpet with flea powder, washed every surface in which she might have slept in hot water, and basically had a nervous breakdown. My reaction was absolutely extreme but I blame the pregnancy hormones! However, my reaction rid her of fleas and the problem was remedied.

Fast forward to the last few weeks and my reaction has been less extreme, thankfully, but I'm completely aghast at the speed of the flea life cycle. I have found an organic pest control called Wondercide that I ordered today. Once it arrives, I plan to "bomb" the entire house with the stuff and spray Maya with their organic killer/repellent (replacing Frontline).

This brings me back to this morning...poor Maya was obviously uncomfortable - scratching, licking, shaking her head, etc. It was grossing me out so I decided to bathe her as soon as I put Grant down for his morning nap. Then I realized that I'd need to clean everything the dog touches if I want to at least try to control the situation (or make it more comfortable for her for a little while). So after Maya's bath, I stripped our bed linens (yes she sleeps with us!) and threw every soft surface I could think of into the washing machine. Then I decided that I'd better vacuum but before I could begin, I'd need to straighten up and move all the kids' toys out of the way (which are constantly sprawled across our living/dining room floor). While I was vacuuming, I decided to be more thorough than usual, so I moved the couch and chair and vacuumed under and around their usual places as well as alongside the baseboards.

Once I got the living room vacuumed and dusted, I stood back and looked at the furniture all out of sorts and got the random idea to rearrange my furniture! It was about this time that Michael woke up for the day. He walked into the living room and the look on his face was hilarious - "WHAT happened in here?" So then I proceeded to ask for his input on different furniture arrangements. He wasn't much help but that's only because we're very limited on space in our living room since we only have two walls and one of them has the T.V. on it.

Yesterday, I purchased a few bins and storage items to help organize our dining room a.k.a. "playroom/my office." I started the sift-and-sort process last night but did not finish so all of that stuff was sprawled across the dining room and kitchen island. If I let myself look around at my house at this precise moment for more than a few seconds, I just might have lost all sanity. It was the epitome of "disheveled." But...I kept pressing on!

Michael took PJ to McDonald's so Grant and I continued cleaning house. I started vacuuming and dusting in PJ's room and decided to rearrange her furniture, too! I finished that shortly after Michael and PJ returned - so it was at least an hour long process.

Lunch time was a circus as I tried to maneuver around the stuff in my kitchen/dining area but, somehow, I was able to feed all of us without many real problems. Once the kids were down for naps, I decided to go to the gym since this was my day to go. When I returned, I showered and then decided to clean my shower and bathroom floor... It's such a slippery slope, this darn cleaning stuff!

After her nap, Payton received a much sweeter and more patient "lesson" while she helped me put the sheets on our bed. Once it was made, she promptly jumped on top of it and started singing and dancing to her favorite song. I caught it on video, of course! Soon after, Grant woke from his nap and joined us on the bed while we read a new book. It was around 4:30pm and as I read the book, I felt the TIREDNESS hit me...okay, so THAT was the first time I had stopped working. Once I did, though, it hit me like a mack truck!

I declared that it was bath time for the kids. I let PJ play in the tub while I dressed Grant and prepared him for bed. Then I prepared dinner, fed Grant, put him to bed, fed PJ, fed myself, put PJ to bed, cleaned the kitchen, took the dog for a short walk, folded the clean clothes/put them away, and now...here I sit. It was probably one of the most physically active days that I've had in awhile - I mean, CONSTANTLY moving with very little break! But hey, look at how much I accomplished!

I amused myself today because my MOTHER could have had a day very similar to mine when she was alive. She hated fleas!! She regularly sprayed the perimeter of the house (interior and exterior) for fleas. She sprayed for ants, too. She screamed at a huge rat she found inside her toilet (promptly slammed the toilet lid and set a waste basket on top of it until Dad came home to retrieve it). She randomly decided to rearrange her furniture in that same house I grew up in year in and year out. It's just what you do when you want a change but can't change houses! And she always had some project hanging in the shadows waiting to be completed. In spite of her many tasks to complete, she was always a caring, steadfast mother to me. She was always patient and loving and I need to be more like her in that way.

I wonder if these nuances in a person's life are learned or innate? I could argue that it's in my genes to be spontaneous yet erratic in accomplishing tasks at home but, perhaps, I just watched and learned from my Mother? :-) Either way, it makes me love her and miss her. I wish, wish, wish that I could've called her today and shared with her the craziness of my day. And I always wonder what she'd say...

ABC's by Payton Joy

2011-07-17T19:29:00.001-05:00

Payton Joy sings and dances to the ABC song at 2 years old (31 months). She likes the letter "Q" as you'll notice. Hee hee! :-)

ABC's by Payton Joy

Milestones

2011-04-22T20:20:00.010-05:00

Payton Joy is reaching milestone after milestone, and it's hard for me to chronicle them all! She is 28 months old now, and she's been counting to 5 quite well since she was about 18 months old. She's counting up to 10 now and it's something that she eased into without either of us really noticing (how shameful!). She knows all the primary colors and shapes. She starting singing, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star about two months ago in the car while she was watching a video along with Row, Row, Row Your Boat. She loves to sing the ABC song but cannot pronounce all the letters. She LOVES hearing Happy Birthday sung over and over interchanging whichever name she chooses at the end. Her favorite song, however, is Jingle Bells, which she asks me to sing usually at bed time. Have you ever heard that song slowed down to make a lullaby? It's rather soothing... :-)

For the first time tonight at dinner, PJ decided that she did not like to eat lemons. She's been eating them all her life...until tonight. It was hilarious to watch her face as she bit into it. There was a sense of shock on her face like, "Oh, I don't think I like this anymore!" She then promptly threw it back into my cup and said, "I don't want this."

Another interesting thing happened tonight after we got home. After we all piled out of the car, PJ started running through the yard, and Michael let Maya out. We took some adorable photos of the kids playing in the yard. Maya spotted a cat and took off after it. I started calling to her and PJ immediately started crying after her, "No, Pupper! No!" She was crying because she thought Maya was gone...for good. It was sad and so cute. I ended up bringing PJ with me when I went to retrieve Maya from our neighbor's yard across the street. At that point, PJ was more interested in the cat that Maya chased off. Just seeing her sweet, sensitive little heart in that moment made me smile. She loves Maya, too!

Grant is really starting to babble these days (5 months old!). It's quite humorous to hear him. He's a giggly guy, too. Michael can really get him going when he tickles his chubby little thighs! He's particularly ticklish on the tops of his shoulders, of all places, and he'll dip his head to one side whenever I try to pull up his shirts over his shoulders. It's really cute! I'm amazed how much Grant's disposition is like his Daddy's. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree...

This coming Sunday is Easter and it's also my birthday. I'll never forget the story my Mother told me about the day I was born. I was born on Easter Sunday in 1977, and Dad had to preach at church that morning. She had been in labor all through the night and delivered me around 6:30am that morning. Then Dad left to preach the Easter sermon at church after being up all night long! At least that's what I seem to remember being the story. (Dad, please correct me if I'm wrong!) Anyway, I feel very blessed to have my birthday again on the same day that we're celebrating Easter this year. What an honor and huge, huge privilege. I praise God Almighty for raising His Son from the grave so that WE, all of us, can have eternal life! Hallelujah! Christ is risen!

Michael and I are celebrating our 5th anniversary on April 29th! We're both a little amazed that it's already been five years. We're so fulfilled in our lives right now and feel very, very blessed and grateful. Our beautiful, happy children are a huge part of that happiness but, more than anything, we thank the Lord for bringing us together into what seems to be quite a perfect union. The way we complement each other is almost uncanny!

We have definitely covered a lot of ground in our five years of marriage by building a nice little family (dog, daughter, son - in that order!). Michael has established a profitable company in Tomahawk over the past two years and it's still going steady and strong. I've found my groove as a mother (I think) and feel very able yet humbled in my position. God always allows our children to challenge the weakest points in our character, doesn't He? I consider it more opportunity to allow God's grace to uphold me whenever I fall short. And, thankfully, He is faithful every time!

Thus concludes my blog update this time. I want to start writing more often, and now that Grant's on a consistent nap/sleep schedule, I should have the wherewithal to actually do it!

Pictures of the kids playing in the yard tonight: Grant blended in with the grass...

PJ was really loving the plums that had fallen off our plum trees!

3 Days Later...

2011-03-28T21:22:00.009-05:00

and Payton Joy is potty trained (at 27 months old)! I did my research and a trusted friend told me about the 3DayPottyTraining method with which she and her son (second child) were successful. I trust mothers who have gone before me, and I did NOT want to make a mistake. As far as I am concerned, I only get ONE shot at this with each child so I wanted to follow someone's tried and true method.

We followed the method to a T and....IT WORKED! I am so excited for PJ. She sailed through the three days quite triumphantly! She had several accidents the first day but that is expected when she's been used to wearing a super absorbent diaper that wicks away the moisture. To begin the process, we threw away all of her diapers (she helped!) and put her in big girl undies. She loved the Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, and Hello Kitty designs! Every time she'd start to go, we'd rush her to the potty chair. We'd change her into clean, dry undies and say, "Keep your undies dry, okay?" and then within a few minutes, "Be sure to tell Mommy if you need to go pee-pee." Now, I will admit that after these three days, I'm TIRED of saying those two sentences over and over! But it's really worth it because she has made the connection and seems to be sailing. She woke up this morning with dry sheets, too!

Now I realize there will be set backs and, I'm sure, she'll get engrossed in some activity and not make it to the toilet occasionally, but I truly believe the "training" has worked and she is forever through with diapers! Our next step will be to put her on a regular toilet at home so that when we go out of the house, she won't be freaked out by not having her own little potty chair to use. I'm going to work on that the rest of this week. But if she got the major part down in three days, I'm certain it will not be a big deal to learn to adapt to a regular toilet.

Now for those of you who are appalled at the details in this message, I apologize. But for those of you who have children and have experienced the potty training woes, I wanted to share some helpful encouragement. I HIGHLY recommend the 3DayPottyTraining method. It will be the best $25 you ever spend (as long as you follow it diligently, of course)! I respect the author's copyright agreement and wish her continued success in her sales as a stay-at-home-mom, therefore, I will not forward the e-book to anyone so please don't ask me!

Proverbs 31 and Beyond Bible Study

2011-03-04T14:42:00.005-06:00

I'm hoping to participate in an online Bible Study hosted by Moms of Faith called Proverbs 31 and Beyond. I hesitate to commit to it but how ELSE am I going to develop my spiritual life unless I commit? So I'm posting this to challenge myself and ask you, my friends and family, to hold me accountable.

It definitely looks to be an uplifting, encouraging, yet challenging study. Please pray for me as I embark upon these next 12 weeks.

For more information about this study, go to Proverbs 31 and Beyond.

The Story of My Second Labor

2010-11-24T20:43:00.017-06:00

After water aerobics two Thursdays ago, I went home and ate dinner and went to bed around 10:30pm. I woke up at 12:30am feeling a POP in my uterus. I got up to examine things and, sure enough, my water had broken! Contractions started immediately and were only 2-3 minutes a part. My doula (birth assistant) arrived about 30 minutes later and proceeded to help me (and my Michael) through the labor. Let me just say THANK GOD we had Jennifer with us! The contractions were every 1-2 minutes and VERY intense. She suggested I get into the bathtub because it often helps women relax. I didn't stay in there very long because I wasn't relaxed and felt like I had nothing to support me through the contractions (nothing to hold on to for support). While I was in the tub, I started to feel anxious and decided I was ready to go to the hospital. It was quite a scene, I am sure, as Jennifer and Michael tried to get me dried off and dressed as I was contracting every other minute. I can only imagine!

Granny Linda (Michael's mother) was already at the house to stay with PJ (who slept through the whole thing, which was a total answer to prayer!). Around 3:30am, we drove to the hospital. It usually takes about 15-20 minutes to get there but we made it in about 8 minutes flat! :-) When we arrived, I literally walked in and fell into the wheel chair they provided and continued to have intense contractions as they wheeled me into Labor & Delivery. It was just like a scene out of a movie! When they checked me, I was dilated to 8cm. They thought I was going to have the baby at the check in desk. HA! It was such a whirlwind, let me tell you. I had NO drugs and things progressed rapidly. My doctor did arrive onto the scene (along with several other staff hanging around to see this crazy, natural birth in progress). Around 4:30am, I started to push and after about two hours of pushing, the baby's head was still at a station +1. I knew the potential for my pelvis not to spread because it happened with my first birth (pushed 4 hrs that time with little progress). So after enduring the grueling contractions and pushing and knowing that I had given it quite the "good college try," I opted to do another c-section. I did NOT want to push any longer and I was tired (and honestly felt like I was dying from the pain of it all).

By the time they FINALLY wheeled me into the OR to give me the spinal block, I was home free. I was feeling so much better since the pain was gone, and I started chatting up my anesthesiologist and even my doctor as she was doing the surgery. I asked her, "What does my uterus look like?" I think everyone got a few good laughs from all my chattering.

Grant Michael Ghaffari was born Friday, November 12th at 7:18am weighing 8lbs, 1 1/2 ounces, and 20 inches long. He is beautiful and perfect in every way! I am such a happy mother of two precious children. I feel blessed beyond belief! Michael is SO proud of his son. He's already making comments about playing baseball together. He seems to be adapting quite well into his "additional" duties of caring for Payton Joy (while I recover), although none of it has been easy for either of us. We have decided we have three children because our dog is almost as needy as the children! But all in all, we are very content and grateful for the wonderful blessings that we have in our beautiful children, Payton Joy and Grant Michael Ghaffari.

Jennifer, our Doula

Payton Joy holds her "Deedee Ga" (Baby Grant) for the first time!

Just Saying Hello

2010-08-31T22:02:00.004-05:00

It's been awhile since I posted on this blog and since I am sitting at my computer right now (a rare thing these days), I figured I'd write something just for kicks and giggles.

Speaking of kicks, the baby boy is kicking me like crazy right now. He is very, VERY active in my tummy, and he seems to be more active than PJ was at this time. But who knows? I could really feel her moving a lot, too. I just consider his activity a good sign. Also, I keep telling myself that he is developing and growing so rapidly, which causes the occasional nausea STILL to occur (it seems to be at least a weekly event). That is me trying to stay positive and focus on the GOOD of the situation and not the negative fact that I often feel sick (ugh)!

We are 28 weeks and the due date is 82 days away! Although, I do not put much weight into that date considering PJ was 12 days late...I'm not expecting him to be "on time" either. It would be GREAT if he came a little early but I'm not really expecting that! Let's just pray for a smooth labor and delivery no matter when it happens.

Payton Joy is truly living up to her middle name - a SHEER JOY of a child! I seriously cannot believe how precious she is, how fun, how smart, how sweet, how affectionate, how...oh, the list goes on and on. I wish you all could experience the PJ that WE know on a daily basis. I just cannot thank God enough for giving us the sweetest little girl in the whole wide world! Parenting Payton has been a pure blessing in every way. She has set the bar quite high...I know our son will be different but I hope parenting him will be just as precious.

Michael is already treating him differently in my tummy! He says endearing statements such as, "That's MY BOY!" or "Don't poke around on MY boy!" (usually when I'm complaining about the baby hurting me and I try to move him around). It's so much fun to see Michael's excitement about his upcoming son. I love it. We truly cannot wait to meet him!

I am heading home to Springfield one more time next weekend to attend my 15 year high school reunion. I'm looking forward to catching up with high school friends and, of course, spending some time with my family. My sister-in-law is throwing a baby shower for me before I leave so I'll have the chance to see hopefully MOST of my family at that event. This will be my last trip home until next summer! We will have our hands quite full once our son arrives mid November...so everyone will have to schedule visits to come meet him. Only one family at a time, please, because we only have the bonus room for sleeping accommodations. :-) But I truly DO hope everyone can come visit eventually.

It is well past my bedtime and I need a snack. It's good to write again. This is something that I miss but just have very little opportunity to do these days with little PJ running around. She doesn't really like it when I'm on the computer for very long. Oh well, these years fly by...and then I'll be back at my computer in no time...probably missing my "babies."

Take care and God bless you all!

And the gender is...

2010-06-29T20:17:00.006-05:00

A BOY! Yep, that's right. PJ is going to have a baby brother! Michael and I are so very excited to anticipate the arrival of our second child who was confirmed as a BOY today at our ultrasound. Michael was so excited, he said his heart was beating really fast as the technician started to announce it to us. What a blessing to have a girl and a boy! Below you'll find the ultrasound images. First, you'll see his feet! Then his boy parts, and finally his beautiful full body profile!

NOW, I get to focus on decorating the BOY'S room! We don't have a name picked out yet so don't even ask. We'll be sure to announce it when we do make the decision. :-) Thanks to everyone for your love and support and PRAYERS. We love you!

The Ghaffari Family

Payton Joy is going to be a big sister!

2010-05-09T10:41:00.001-05:00

I figured it was fitting to make this great announcement on Mother’s Day. Michael and I are going to have Baby G #2! We are 12 weeks along and the baby is due 11/21/10, which is about one month before PJ turns two years old. They’ll be 23 months apart! I know it will be challenging to learn how to juggle the responsibility of two children but I sincerely believe God has given us the ability and the GRACE to handle it as it comes. We are very excited and looking forward to welcoming this new baby into our happy life.

We definitely welcome your prayers for us as this pregnancy matures. We’ve had two appointments and heard the heartbeat last week! We also want to pray for Payton’s transition from only baby into big sisterhood…and Momma’s transition as well! It’s hard to think she won’t be “our baby” anymore…but this is life and it’s a wonderful blessing that we’re happy to accommodate.

Any advice you mothers/fathers wish to share with us about transitioning into parents of a toddler AND a newborn would be appreciated! We humbly welcome it (you can post your comments on this blog). Thanks again for your prayers for our family. We love each of you!

The Ghaffari Family

Just chillin...and dancing?

2010-03-01T14:48:00.001-06:00

We were listening to praise music this morning, and PJ laid on the couch to eat her cheerios...and I captured this on video. PRICELESS!

Valentine's Date 2010

2010-02-26T11:55:00.004-06:00

Michael surprised me with this special belated Valentine's date...and it just so happened to be Eric & Leah's ONE year anniversary celebration, too. Dinner at Flyte and then Harry Connick, Jr. LIVE at the Ryman. What a night for all of us!

Walking in...Nashville (close to Memphis!)

2010-02-05T14:20:00.012-06:00

Little Miss Payton Joy decided to walk all by herself today! Michael was playing with her and goading her to walk from him to the couch and then, all of a sudden, she stood right up from where she was sitting (without our help OR our suggestion) and balanced on her own two feet! Michael saw her and started chanting, "Go, PJ, go!" and off she went! Up...step, step, step...down. Then up again, five or six steps, then down again. After about 20 minutes of that same activity, she realized just how strong and capable her sweet little chubby legs were and she gained loads of confidence! We caught it all on video...so here you go. PJ's first day of walking in...Nashville!

P.S. Today is Tenley's birthday - so happy birthday, TRH! PJ decided to give you a special birthday treat today just by walking all alone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYrO4MZXSpI

Flu Season...pptthh!

2010-02-02T14:49:00.003-06:00

Well, PJ has contracted her first REAL viral infection (or so I'm assuming that's what type it is). She started coughing and having a runny nose on Saturday. This morning, her temp spiked to 100.9 - apparently, that's not high enough to warrant a doctor's visit. My pediatrician's nurse was super helpful over the telephone with me and told me that I was doing everything right (yay, me!). It just really hurts your heart when there's *nothing* you can do for your baby once you've done everything...ya know?

She is a trooper, though! Once the baby ibuprofen kicked in this morning, she attempted to push around her stroller or play with her toys for about 45 minutes. That was all she could handle, and then she was back in my arms. We've been reading a lot of books over the past few days because she doesn't feel like being active. It's a nice break for me since I don't have to watch her like a hawk, however, it means I cannot get anything "done" in the house. I told Michael last night, "She's only sick for a few days (God willing) and then life will go on...everything else can wait if my being here for her (to hold, to cuddle, to read, to suction her nose countless times) is what she needs then that's what I'm going to do!" He just mumbled in agreement as he nodded off to sleep...and then today, I sent HIM the grocery list. HA! :-)

So please say a prayer that our little PJ gets better sooner rather than later. Thanks!...oh, and I want to send a big shout out to my pal, Tenley Hardin. HAPPY BIRTHDAY on February 5th! :-)

Sharing the big news (2008)

2010-01-16T16:24:00.001-06:00

Okay, this might be almost a year late in sharing but I came across this video today and got such a kick out of it!! This was Chrystal's and Rachel's reaction to the news of our pregnancy (PJ) last spring 2008.

It's Official

2010-01-07T11:39:00.002-06:00

Payton Joy has weaned herself from breastfeeding. They say the best way to wean a baby is for it to happen naturally, so I guess I really cannot complain. She has been just fine - maybe a little more clingy to me than usual, which is normal - but she hasn't even tried to nurse again since Monday morning.

Around Thanksgiving, I started supplementing her nursings with organic milk-based formula, which she happily accepted. My supply had been diminishing, so I think she was excited to get more milk in general. So perhaps that addition made the weaning occur because now, barely two months later, she is not wanting to nurse at all.

I think this is harder on me than on her!! Breastfeeding is a very special relationship between a mother and her child. One that cannot necessarily be explained or ever duplicated. Losing that bond is a little sad but watching her gain independence and maturity is exciting. Our baby girl is growing up!! Our first year was perfect...and very special. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to nurse PJ as long as we did, and I feel confident she is healthier and stronger because of it.

So if you think of it, please pray for ME during the next few days ahead (because PJ seems perfectly happy!). I know I'll be fine...and I know it's just one more milestone for all of us. She will be 13 months old next week, and I believe she is on the verge of walking...she's already taking 4-5 steps between Daddy and Mommy, and she gets SO excited!!

Love to you all~
Christy

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T22:50:00.034-06:00

It's 2010, and it just sounds weird to say the year out loud. It's so futuristic sounding and kinda freaks me out. But alas, it is where we are right now. This is 2010. I hope and pray that you all have a great year ahead of you that is full of contentment, excitement, joy, peace, health, prosperity, and LOVE. Of course, I would be remiss to ignore the Source of complete and perfect LOVE, which is our heavenly Father God Almighty. I pray that you know Him in a very personal way and if you don't, just call out to Him and ask Him to be in your heart and soul. That's all it takes, really...the next step would be to start reading the Bible because that is where you'll learn about the many beautiful and amazing attributes of God and how much He loves and adores you!

My last blog update was in October. Shew! A lot has happened since then which is why it's been rather difficult to make myself sit down at the computer to write and pick out photos to post. It's such a time consuming project but one that I thoroughly enjoy!

Michael's birthday was October 24th, and we celebrated at the house by opening gifts first and then we went out to dinner at The Outback (one of his favorite restaurants). PJ really got into opening gifts...

She was 10 months old and experiencing all of her "firsts" such as the pumpkin patch, Halloween, a new car seat, and beautiful fall leaves:

On December 17, 2009, our little girl turned ONE YEAR OLD! We had her birthday party on the Sunday before (Dec. 13th), and all her friends and cousins came except for Jackson and Maxwell who were at home sick. We really missed them! Michael and I purchased some fun play house-like items and the kids had a blast! Michael hung white tarps over the screen porch windows and put space heaters out there. It felt like we were inside another room in the house. It was perfect! I had prayed for a warmer day, and it was around 53 that day - thank you, Lord! We were touched by all the family and friends that celebrated PJ's special day with us.

It's a bit unreal to think she is one year old - that first year really DID fly by! But it's been a beautiful experience, and I hope the next year will be just as amazing. She is a wonderful little girl who is full of joy and silliness. She gets so many hugs and kisses every day from both of us that prove to her how special she is. We thank God for her every single day!!

We spent Christmas in my hometown of Springfield, MO. Payton Joy was doted upon by all her aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and even a few in-law's and friends that aren't even related!! Aunt Becky & Uncle Steve threw another birthday party for her after Christmas, and she got to spend the evening playing with her cousins, Evan and Andrew and ALL of the Westerman's (Becky's family). It was really wonderful to be with family, and I'm happy that PJ's pseudo first Christmas was a good one! (She was only 8 days old last Christmas).

I want to thank you for reading my blog and staying apprised of PJ's first year!! I will continue updating it as time allows. Michael and I love you and value your relationship, and we wish you all a very Happy New Year!

Is it October already!?!?

2009-10-11T23:56:00.005-05:00

My goodness, it's just getting more and more difficult to update this blog!! So much has happened since my last blog.

We had an amazing photo shoot in July when PJ was 7 months old. Granny Linda and even Maya joined us. Check them out here!

Tenley came to Nashville to see all of her old friends and meet the new babies - Payton Joy and Jackson! We spent several days catching up, eating and drinking too much, and laughing a LOT. It was wonderful to see her! She just started her PhD program this fall, so it will be awhile before she visits again. The next time I see her, she just might be Dr. Tenley Hardin!

We went on our first "family" vacation with PJ to Capistrano Beach, California at the end of August. She did amazingly well on the 4.5 hour flights there and back. I'm learning quickly that she is quite resilient in spite of frequent disturbances to her otherwise typical schedule/routine. We celebrated with our good friends, Michael & Samantha Wynns', for his 40th birthday and we got to meet their new son, Jonathan! He is 16 months old and running all over the house with gusto! It took him a while to warm up to PJ - another BABY in his house and playing with HIS toys - but after a couple days, they became fast friends. Point your browser to Ghaffari Photos to view photos from our trip.

On September 26, my eldest niece, Kristin Renee Forell, married her long time friend, Ian Miller, in Springfield, MO. Their story is such an inspiring one! They were good friends in high school and quickly became more than friends after she graduated. It was quite surreal to attend her wedding - my first niece who I've seen grow up before my eyes. What an honor and privilege it was to participate in such a special moment in her life. Payton Joy was the miniature bride, and I sang in the wedding. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Springfield, which was Payton's FIRST time in my home town. You can view wedding photos at Ghaffari Photos, too.

Lastly, here are a few photos just of PJ so you can see how big she is getting! She is 9 1/2 months old and changing just about every day. It's amazing how fast babies change! She says "dah dah", "mah mah", and "nah nah" quite regularly. She even tries to say "bah" for ball. She knows Maya is a DOG, and she knows how to clap and kick her leg! She is eating just about any kind of food these days as long as it's easily mushed in her mouth and not too seasoned. We're still breast feeding but only about 4 times a day. My baby is swiftly becoming a toddler. I love it...I love HER. She is the sweetest treasure and blessing in our lives. We love being parents! God bless you all. We love and appreciate you, our friends and family.

Payton Family Reunion (June 13 & 14, 2009)

2009-07-22T14:20:00.023-05:00

The Payton family met for our reunion in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the birth place of my Dad and all his siblings. My cousin, Debbie Liles, coordinated the event, and she did a fabulous job (as usual). On Saturday, we met at Craighead Forest under a huge pavilion, and we ate catered BBQ and tons of homemade desserts (thank you for helping me gain back a little of the baby weight I had so diligently worked to lose!). The day was scorchingly hot and humid – good ol’ Arkansas style! It was a wonderful time of reuniting and catching up with long lost family members (and then some).

We all ended up back at Debbie’s wonderfully accommodating home where we continued to dine on leftovers (again, those darn desserts could NOT be ignored – okay, so maybe I’m a little weak).

Payton Joy had her very first experience in the swimming pool that day. She absolutely LOVED the water! Cousin Lauren was splashing around with us along with several other people.

I was putting PJ down to sleep when Debbie gave out all the awards of the weekend, but I quickly learned that Payton Joy won the “2nd to the Youngest” award. Sir Maxwell Luke Payton (son of Jeremy & Kimberly Payton) won the youngest award. They are only three months a part! I plan on putting that cute little certificate in her scrapbook!

My cousin’s new wife, Jana, offered free eyebrow waxes to anyone who was interested (she is a hairstylist by trade & I'm sure she would've accepted money if anyone had offered - ha!). Aunt Betty (or was it Wanda?) kept saying, “Once you begin waxing eyebrows, you’ve gotta always wax them because they grow back thicker…don’t do it!” But the younger folk shunned that notion since it’s totally trendy to do it these days (me included). Even Brooke Shields shapes her gorgeous brows, and she used to have REALLY thick ones, right?!?! To our surprise, several of the guys actually jumped on board! It was mostly because someone began teasing that they weren’t man enough to endure the pain…I do believe Jana’s husband, David, started the trend mostly because he’s been her guinea pig for a couple years now (you go, David!). Then Kristin’s fiancé, Ian, let her wax his…toes!?! (he’s a drummer and he plays barefoot). Brittany’s boyfriend, Andrew, got his eyebrows waxed, and acted like it didn’t hurt one iota (that’s punny). Garry’s reaction, however, was the best…he hooped and hollered like his entire forehead had been ripped off!! I guess it was the Forell family who reaped the largest benefit from the waxing episode…because Shelley, Kristin, and Brittany did it, too! I only have this picture, though, as Jana and I were posing for the camera to make it look like it was really painful (but it's not).

Sunday morning, anyone that was still in town convened for brunch at Ryan’s Eating Trough – oh, excuse me – that’s Ryan’s Grill & Buffet. We had the entire back room reserved for our group, and there were quite a few people! We took many photos as you’ll see here.

Dad was "shooting from the hip" with his camera!

Much to my excitement, my two best friends from Springfield, Chrystal and Rachel, drove into town that morning (4 hour drive) to meet up with us! I was overcome with appreciation that they’d make the effort to come see us. It was Chrystal’s first time to meet Payton Joy, and Rachel just had to get another dose of her. We went back to Debbie’s house for the afternoon and took way too many photos.

It was a wonderful weekend with my immediate (and extended) family and MY good friends. Dad and his new wife, Patricia, Stephen & Becky (with Evan & Andrew), Shelley & Garry (with Kristin & Ian, Brittany & Andrew), Cavin & Anne (with Caitlin & Coty), and Chrystal & Rachel came to the reunion…it was PJ’s first time to meet many of them, and it was very special (Amy was the only one who couldn't attend, and we missed seeing her). After driving home to Nashville, I immediately started missing all of them…wishing we could have spent more time together. We will reunite on September 26^th for Kristin & Ian’s wedding in Springfield, and I’m counting down the days until that special event!

PJ's First Cereal

2009-05-27T10:36:00.001-05:00

Weekend of Firsts

2009-05-25T21:28:00.018-05:00

What a fun Memorial Day weekend at the Ghaffari household!! Michael took an extra day off, so we've had four days together to just do whatever we wanted, and it was great!! But, of course, this is a blog about PJ so I must focus on her exciting weekend of FIRSTS. I was talking to Rachel on the telephone on Sunday afternoon while Payton was contentedly nursing. We did the usual side one, burp, side two, and then she was sitting on my lap sucking or gnawing on my thumb while I carried on my conversation. I think Rachel was in the middle of a sentence when I totally interrupted her and squealed out, "OH MY GOSH! I can feel teeth! TEETH!! PJ has two little teeth emerging in her lower front gums!" I was all giddy and silly and Rachel was reacting right along with me. It was hilarious! We all knew she has been teething for quite awhile since she's been such a drool baby ever since 3 months of age, so it was no surprise to finally FEEL and SEE them. I was so excited that I started prying open her mouth to see them and I think she got a little annoyed with me. HA! Payton is 5 months and 1 week old, so I believe she is right on target for her first tooth emergence (although, I wouldn't be surprised if she was a little early...she IS in the 90th percentile for everything - sheesh!).

I tried to capture a picture...now don't get grossed out!

Sunday afternoon, Michael and I attended our friend's pool party and Granny Linda stayed home with PJ (she is the quintessential grandmother who can't wait to see her grandbaby - what a blessing to have a babysitter whenever we need one!). So it was a nice little date for us and a good opportunity to catch up with some long lost friends. Well, I am a social drinker, I'll admit, so I had a few margaritas and thoroughly enjoyed myself. But when it was time to put Payton to bed, I decided it would not be a good idea to nurse her...obviously. So it was MOMMY'S first time to put her baby to bed without nursing...she drank breastmilk from a bottle instead. She did great - sailed right through it - and fell fast asleep almost immediately! It was Momma who had the hang up! I was almost in tears...mostly because I realized that she was growing up so so so fast. She's getting teeth, not needing to nurse as much, and...well, you see my point. My baby is growing up!! :-(

Every night when we go to bed, we always check on Payton and open her door for the night. When I checked on her Sunday night, she was hilariously positioned in her crib and both of her arms were out of her swaddle...so she slept most of the night that way. It was another milestone! She's big enough to not need to be swaddled anymore. Because of the danger of SIDS, babies don't use regular blankets as covers. We had a zip blanket in the back of her closet that we found, but it's too hot for summer and she's already too long for it...but I had to photograph it anyway. :-)

To add a final touch to her weekend of firsts, PJ tasted her first serving of rice cereal on Monday after her afternoon nursing session. She did amazingly well...and swallowed most of it...the whole time! I think she is more than ready to start solids but, because I'm a schmaltzy mom, I've been putting it off. She was really excited about the whole experience, and we caught it all on video! Here are a few photos from that special moment.

PJ sits in her highchair for the first time!
First Cereal

Check out the video of her first cereal above!

So there ya have it! Memorial Day 2009 weekend was quite a momentous occasion for our little Payton Joy. These moments will fly by, no doubt, but it's up to me to catch them (by blogging, photographing, recording, etc.) every step of the way! I love our kid so much...she is the biggest blessing in the world!! She just awakened from her morning nap, and Michael is changing her...then it's time for some more cereal!!

Happy Memorial Day, everyone. We love you!

Not quite as expected

2009-04-30T15:14:00.007-05:00

I had the evening all planned out perfectly. To celebrate our anniversary last night, I was going to prepare a nice Italian dinner (lasagna and salad), serve some of my brother-in-law's homemade blackberry wine, and then present my first ever homemade chocolate pie to Michael for dessert. We had been to see the Cirque Du Soliel show a couple weeks ago as our anniversary "date" and gift to each other (tickets ain't cheap!). So it was going to be a nice, relaxed evening together at home.

Since PJ always goes to bed around 7:30pm, I put the lasagna in the oven so that it would be ready at 8:00pm right after completing our usual bedtime routine: play with Daddy, bathe, read a book, nurse, and then rock until asleep. As soon as she was asleep, I put the last minute touches on the dinner, and started to serve it up!

Then Payton started to cry. I assessed the situation and soothed her as usual, rocked her back to sleep, and went back into the kitchen. Five minutes later, she woke again. I repeated the process only this time it took 45 minutes for her to fall back asleep! At 9:00pm, I reheated the food since it had been sitting out during that whole time, poured a large glass of wine, and sat down to begin our "romantic" dinner. Then...

She woke up again!!! For a minute, I thought she was playing a joke on us. I mean, are you serious? SHE NEVER DOES THIS! Of all the nights for her to go through something weird, it would be THIS NIGHT?? Dear God, make her stay asleep!!!! Ah but no...my prayers were unanswered.

I tried two more times to soothe her back asleep to no avail. Michael finished his meal and then swapped with me so I could finish mine. By 9:45pm, Michael decided to just let her get up. Oh, of COURSE, Daddy gets to be the FUN GUY!?!? Little PJ was wide-eyed and smiley and absolutely changed my mood from COMPLETE frustration to smooshy love and adoration within a matter of minutes!

So the three of us laid on our bed for about an hour and just played and talked. Michael said, "Payton just wants to celebrate with us!" She played and cooed and giggled and stole our hearts that much more. By 11:00pm, she nursed and easily fell asleep for the night.

So my well defined plan went completely out the window the minute it was to begin. But this night made us realize that our life together, our marriage (which was the whole focus of the celebration night), isn't just about us anymore. It now includes our precious little PJ and is, in fact, what WE are all about! So here's to another three years and beyond of the Ghaffari Family!

A BIRTHDAY POEM

2009-04-24T21:19:00.006-05:00

The day after my Momma went to heaven, my Dad greeted me when I woke up saying, "G'morning, Chip...chip off the ol' block!"...and today, he sent me this endearing, precious poem:

To the "Chip"

Christy, from day one we all seemed to know
You were a special gift from Heaven God did bestow.

You were then and still are now sooo very sweet
To wish you "Happy Birthday" is my special treat

All of our memories we know have proven you to be
the "Apple" that fell the closest to your mother, Marty's tree.

Marty and I were always of our little girl so very, very proud
to be the parents of one who always was a standout in a crowd.

"Chip" you were and "Chip" you will always be
So beautiful, and smart it is plain for us all to see.

Happy Birthday "Chip"

Your,
Dad

Here's me and PJ after dinner tonight at our favorite Mexican joint!

Easter & Payton's Dedication

2009-04-12T20:27:00.019-05:00

We had a great day today celebrating Easter with our church family at McKendree Church. Not only that, we had Payton Joy's dedication during our church service today! Uncle Jess, Aunt Elaine, Michael's mom, Linda, and two of our best friends, Eric & Leah, and their six year old, Bella, came to support us and celebrate with us. It was so wonderful having all of them there with us!

After the service, Jess & Elaine came to our house for brunch. I had the whole menu planned but things didn't go quite as well as I had hoped. Let me preface: Michael and I went to see the Cirque Du Soliel show, Saltimbanco, yesterday for our third anniversary. When we got home, it was close to 8:00pm (Granny Linda babysat!). Around 9:30pm, I started preparing the recipes for the sour cream coffee cake and crockpot breakfast casserole for brunch. Here's the breakdown:

1) About an hour after I put the coffee cake in the oven, I discovered that the oven was NOT HOT!?!? It had preheated just fine but then just stopped heating. I was SO frustrated! I tried to bake it in our toaster oven, but it just didn't work out. I ended up with a brownie-like or a pecan pie consistency. It was still good but not CAKE!

2) The casserole recipe said to cook it on low for 8-12 hours. That's quite a differential!! I opted for about 11 hours...so when we got home, it was stuck to the sides of the crockpot. It was still edible but it sure looked funny.

3) I stayed up so late (12:30am) dealing with the coffee cake that I forgot to defrost the frozen fruit that I wanted to serve. So I ran water over it for a few minutes before serving it, which made it kinda soggy...and still half frozen.

It's a good thing Uncle Jess, Aunt Elaine, and Michael love me for who I am and not for my culinary skills!!! The entire brunch was a disaster! We had underbaked coffee cake, overdone casserole that looked strange, and soggy fruit. At least the coffee was good!!

My favorite part of the experience, however, was Uncle Jess' comment as we sat down to eat, "This reminds me of a Marty recipe/experiment!" We laughed SO HARD, and I grinned from ear to ear because I consider that a compliment. At least most of mom's food experiments were decent. And, I'm glad to have a husband (and aunt and uncle) who will eat my food in spite of its imperfections!

All in all, it was a fabulous day and a wonderful way to celebrate Easter and PJ's dedication: WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!

Here's PJ's Easter/Dedication Dress!

March 26th...one year ago

2009-03-26T18:42:00.008-05:00

It's hard to believe it has already been one year since my beloved mother passed away. I feel strange giving much notice to this day since it's not this day that I wish to remember about my mother. No, in fact, I don't really want to recall this day very often. Rather, I'd like to remember her life every day before March 26, 2008. She was such a wonderful mom to me and my four older siblings. She was my best friend and confidante. She was a beautiful role model as a mother, a wife, a co-worker, and a friend. Her life represented love, joy, patience, consistency, perseverance, FUN and laughter, goodness, gratefulness, and happiness.

My two life-long best friends sent me precious cards to let me know that they were thinking of me and my family today. All day long, I really felt their love, support, and good thoughts. What gets me the most is that the words on each card represented a unique side of my mother. Although the cards were meant for me, I could easily recognize my mother's strength and character in the words:

"Friends cherish the special times they share when they're together. Friends look out for one another. Friends bring happiness into our lives. In every situation you know just what to do, you have that special touch that is uniquely you. I am thankful for a friend whose love is so well expressed by all the little things you do to bring others happiness."

I'm touched to be considered such a friend as mentioned above; however, I believe that I see those same traits in my mother. She was the best friend to me, which means she showed me how to be a friend.

"I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). Every day God's presence is with you...His thoughts of you are countless...and His love for you is perfect."

My mother used to remind me of this scripture on a regular basis! So when I received it in this card, it just went all over me! It was meant to encourage me, and it did, but it also reminded me of the awesome influence and encourager that my mother was to me all of my life. My siblings and I were SO blessed to have parents who constantly challenged us and encouraged us with scripture.

So on this day, I remember my precious mother's life and all that she was to me and did for me. Her example is one that I hope to emulate as I mother my new baby PJ (and any other children we hope to have). So here's to YOU, Mom. I know you're celebrating and worshipping in the amazing, awesome presence of God Almighty! Frankly, I'm a little jealous...but I will join you one day when we will reunite again. In the mean time, keep an eye on all of us because we think of you daily and love and miss you terribly. Give Jesus a big hug for me, will ya?

Payton is 3 months old!

2009-03-20T14:41:00.002-05:00

PJ giggles!

2009-03-20T14:08:00.001-05:00

It's kind of dark but I caught Payton on tape showcasing one of her first giggles!

Visitors Galore!

2009-03-09T22:41:00.022-05:00

Michael's half-brother, Anthony, came to meet ALL of us over New Year's:

My best friend, Rachel, won the prize for our very first visitor from Springfield! She came when PJ was 7 weeks old:

Then many folks from the Payton family decided to visit during the month of February in this order...

Papa and Aunt Annzi were here for PJ's birth but then returned for a visit:

Cousin Caitlin drove just to meet her baby cousin (well, she had such a good time with us that she decided not to continue the previously scheduled drive to AL to visit with friends but, rather, just go back home to MO. Thanks, Cait!):

Uncle Garry & Aunt Shelley drove in the next weekend:

Cousin Brittany and her boyfriend, Andrew, drove in the next weekend:

Michael's Aunt Toni is here from California right now! I don't have any photos of her yet, but I wanted to count her visit anyway.

And we cannot overlook the weekly visits from Great Uncle/Papa Jess & Aunt Elaine!

Thus concludes four weekends in a row of family visitors. Hey man, when it rains it pours! PJ's been waiting to meet all of you. THANKS FOR COMING! We love you!

So Many Milestones!

2009-03-09T21:26:00.017-05:00

I cannot believe how quickly the weeks have passed since I last updated this blog. I enjoy writing very much but I enjoy spending time with my precious daughter and husband even more. Those things always take precedence over everything else these days. But, there are a few exciting milestones that little PJ has passed that are worth mentioning.

11 weeks old

Payton turns 12 weeks old this coming Wednesday. It confuses me, though. Is she three months old, then? Michael says she's not three months old until March 17th since she was born on December 17th...but I count her age from week to week...so when she is technically three months old, she will be the equivalent of 12 weeks and 5 days. Oh what does it really matter, I guess!?!? :-)

Now on to the milestones:

First, she began sleeping through the night around 6 or 7 weeks of age. Technically, sleeping through the night is considered only 5 hours but we all know that is not enough sleep! Little Miss Payton usually sleeps anywhere between 6.5 and 8 hours per night. What a bless-ed child, I say! It feels absolutely great to get uninterrupted sleep, and I feel very lucky that she started so early.

Second, Payton started sleeping in her own room around 10 weeks of age. From her first day at home, she was sleeping in the cradle right beside our bed. At 10 weeks, we moved her cradle into her nursery, and she did not even seem to notice the difference. One week later, she started sleeping in her "big girl crib." Again, she did not even seem to notice! Again, BLESS-ED CHILD! I guess we can take apart the cradle and store it in the attic until baby number two joins us.

This is a funny face, so I had to share.

Third, in the middle of the bed changing moment, she had her two-month vaccinations. I was quite trepidatious to say the least! As most of you know, I try to control worrisome thoughts or tendencies in my life. Whenever an anxious thought arises, I remind myself of 2 Cor. 10:5, which encourages us to "...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." And MOST DAYS, that works for me. But it was especially difficult to keep my mind from wondering how the vaccines would effect my sweet baby girl. She weighed in at 12 lbs, 10 oz. and measured 23.5 inches. When the nurse told me to lay her on the table while holding her hands, she just gazed into my eyes and smiled up at me with utter trust and love...until that first prick! I thought my heart was melting. She cried so hard that she was silent! You know that cry? When they're so shocked that no sound comes up but the face is contorted and the whole body turns red? Oh it still makes me sad thinking about it. Luckily, the nurse completed the other four pricks within nanoseconds and it was over more quickly than it had begun. I just held her as close to me as possible to console her. She actually recovered in less than three minutes and was cooing at me in her carseat 10 minutes later! She's a trooper! Here's a picture of her green snoopy band aids:

Then tonight, Michael and PJ shared a very cute milestone together. He fed Payton her very first bottle of expressed breast milk! She took to it like a pro, of course. Michael just beamed and said to her, "You like me NOW, don't you?" It was such a sweet moment. I caught the whole thing on tape! We had been waiting until she was three months old before giving her anything other than the breast. We still plan to only breastfeed her for a long while, but it will be nice to have the occassional option to feed her breast milk through a bottle if Daddy or Granny are babysitting and Momma's not home yet (or if Momma just needs a break).

So that sums up our milestones up to three months of age for our beautiful baby girl, Payton Joy! I'll try to make more frequent updates so as to keep each posting shorter but I make no promises. Like I said before, spending time with and taking care of PJ is my number one job. Everything else has to wait. Until next time...Happy Spring!

PJ coos

2009-01-30T21:07:00.001-06:00

We made a video today for Papa. She was quite talkative!

6 Weeks Old...already?!?!

2009-01-30T17:24:00.011-06:00

That's right, folks. Payton is already six weeks old, and we simply cannot believe it. The time really DOES fly by. She's grown an inch, weighs 11 lbs, and she's been grinning from ear to ear at us every time we talk to her and she loves to talk to back (see video to Papa above)! She's been sleeping anywhere between three and five hours during the night, which is really pretty good from what everyone tells me. There are some nights when she still wakes every two hours to nurse, but that's rare. I think she's going through another growth spurt this week, which explains her wakeful night last night. The good news is that I have the luxury of taking naps with her during the days when she exhausts me during the nights!

Just last week, PJ and I had our first grocery store experience together. I was a little apprehensive about it but I only needed a few items, so I knew I could be in and out quickly. She slept the whole time, of course, and several folks grinned at her while we walked the aisles. Why is it so fun to show off my gorgeous baby?

I had my six-week postpartum check up today, and the doctor said I was looking good! I've lost another five pounds since my last appointment, which makes me happy. It's definitely not easy to get in three meals plus two snacks every day, which is recommended for breast feeding moms. I'm lucky if I get a shower in every day! But I'm beginning to establish more of a routine in our days, which really helps. Every week, I feel a little more comfortable with our new little life together.

Michael went back to work when Payton was three weeks old. We were really blessed to have him with us those first two weeks (luckily, it fell over the holiday season and he barely had to take vacation time!). He's actually getting pretty good rest at night since there's very little for him to do when PJ wakes up to nurse. He'll fetch me some water or change her diaper but she usually only wakes up once in the night before his alarm goes off, so I try not to even bother him. I'm the one who doesn't have to get up and be anywhere...so I don't want to disturb his sleep if it's not necessary. But every night when I hear him drive into the garage, I tell PJ (and Maya) that "DADDY IS HOME!!" He receives lots of love and warm greetings at the end of his work day.

We are having so much fun with our new little girl. I still stare at her in awe and wonder how this beautiful little person came from Michael and me. She is such a miracle! There is no doubt God knew what He was doing when He formed each of us in our mother's womb. I understand what that means now a little bit better, and I thank Him every day (and night) for blessing us with this healthy, GORGEOUS baby. Even though these six weeks seem to have flown by, I am doing my best to soak up every single moment and relish in it. I'm letting (some) housework be ignored, I'm letting my face go without makeup, I'm staring at her every chance I get, and I'm basically reveling in this precious and fleeting time. We're going to blink and she'll be a toddler, which has its own fun times and memories, but for now I want to enjoy our baby who needs us for every single thing. She is so dependent upon us, and I am excited to be the one to fulfill all her needs. The bond that we share is truly very special!!

Professional Photos

2009-01-15T16:34:00.004-06:00

Payton is already a supermodel! For all photos, point your brower to: Ghaffari Photos

Payton Joy's Birth Story

2008-12-26T12:32:00.013-06:00

Payton Joy’s Birth Story
December 17, 2008

On Tuesday, December 16 my water broke at 6:45 a.m. I was uncertain if it truly WAS my water that had broken, so I spent most of the day at home waiting around to see if contractions would increase. They started around 8:20 a.m. and I had four within that first hour, which was a great sign. They slowed to about one per 45 minutes for the remainder of the day. I knew it was not “active labor,” and I really wanted to stay at home for most of my labor if at all possible. Michael convinced me to call the doctor around 2:00 p.m. that day just to tell them what had happened up until that point. They wanted me to come in to be checked to determine if it was, in fact, my water that had broken.

So we checked into the hospital at 5:00 p.m. They determined that my water had broken, so they told us to get settled in for the duration. Since it had already been almost 12 hours since my water broke, they were instantly concerned about the slow onset of contractions, and they wanted to put me on Pitocin to get the contractions going. Our wishes were to go as “natural” as possible with this labor, so we had to decide if we wanted to artificially start the contractions with the synthetic hormone. After much discussion and deliberation, we agreed to start on the lowest level of Pitocin just to jump start the process around 7:00 p.m. that evening. By 11:00 p.m., my contractions were strong and steady and quite intense. In fact, they were often occurring one on top of the other not allowing much time for me to breathe in between! I went at that pace for about 45 minutes but then I asked for an epidural. I had intended to “go natural” but the intensity of the contractions was overwhelming! I have never experienced any pain like that in my entire life. In fact, I felt like I was dying. All women out there who have had children before are shaking their heads in total agreement with me right now. Needless to say, I DID experience a “natural” labor for about 18 hours (since that morning) but once I had that epidural, I felt like a new woman. I regained strength for what ended up being a much longer, arduous night and the following day.

By 10:00 a.m., I was dilated to 10 and 100% effaced. The labor nurse asked me to practice pushing, which quickly turned into the real stage of pushing. Michael was on my right, and my sister, Anne, was on my left. Let me rabbit trail real quick here, and tell you just how much of a CHAMPION my husband was for me during the whole experience. Not only did he do interesting and funny things to distract me during the slower times of labor, but he also confronted every challenge with strength and resolve. He was definitely my advocate at every turn, and he remained a strong tower through it all. I am so glad that I had HIM as my partner, and I could not have asked for anything more from him. I met a whole new side of him during this experience, and I love him more because of it!

After 3 ½ hours of pushing, the baby’s head was wedged in my pubic symphysis at station 0 (station 5 is crowning/birth). For some reason, my pubic bones did not want to spread to accommodate her 14 ½ inch head. I was shocked. In fact, I was truly in disbelief that my body was not properly responding to the process. The baby’s heartbeat had been very strong and steady all through the night up until the last 45 minutes of pushing. The doctor knew how much we wanted a vaginal birth and they were doing everything within reason to support our wishes, but then she told me it was now affecting the baby. She was just as tired as I was after all that pushing and it was causing her distress. Well, like any parents would do, we gave up our notion of “natural” birth and agreed to do a cesarean section. It was very, very upsetting to us, and I broke down out of sheer exhaustion and disappointment. I could not stop crying. I asked for more drugs and they whisked me away promptly into surgery.

I was so looped up on the pain meds that my eyes could not focus on anything. I only remember feeling them tug on me and prepare me for surgery and talking to me occasionally. Once they were about to begin surgery, the only thing I said was, “Where’s my husband?” His voice came from behind my left shoulder, “I’m right here, Babe.” That’s all I needed to hear!

On Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at 1:59 p.m., our precious Payton Joy was born. The doctor held her up for me to see her, and both of her hands were in fists! I remember thinking, “She came out fighting!” Within minutes, they laid her across my chest, and I got to hold her for the first time. She weighed 8 lbs, 6 oz., and measured 21 inches. We took lots of pictures, and I felt at ease for the first time in 31 hours.

It was probably one of life’s most traumatic experiences for both Michael and me. It teaches us that nothing in life is guaranteed, and that we have to be flexible enough to weather the proverbial storms as they occur. The result was the same, however: a healthy, happy baby who brings insurmountable joy into our lives! Holding her in our arms over-shadows all 31 hours of the unpredictable labor and delivery. Thank God for that!

So we have ourselves a Christmas baby. She is our Christmas Joy, and we are celebrating her birth alongside the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is because of HIM that she was conceived in my womb. God knew that we needed her in our lives for such a time as this. God also knew that we were going to have a perfect, happy baby. What else could anyone hope for? I thank God for our Payton Joy. She is the best Christmas gift of all!!

We appreciate all of your prayers and well-wishes.

Much love,
Michael, Christy, Payton, and Maya

For more photos go to: Ghaffari Photos

Payton Joy Arrives December 17, 2008

2008-12-21T11:55:00.016-06:00

Without further ado, let me introduce to you our perfectly precious baby girl, Payton Joy! Weighing in at 8 lbs, 6 oz, and measuring 21 inches long. See video below for Payton and Mommy's first meeting.

Payton's Birthing Day

(1:59 p.m.)

Papa's new grandbaby
Her first bath!

Day Two (after Momma's more coherent)

Mommy meets Payton

MORE PICTURES TO COME FROM SHUTTERFLY!

The Waiting Game

2008-12-14T14:16:00.002-06:00

I realized it had been awhile since I last posted on this blog, so I figured I'd send out an update. Of course, most everyone knows that we are past our due date (Dec. 5). Tomorrow (Monday), it will be ten days. My mother was about two weeks late with all but one of her kids (5 total), so I feel as if this might be in the genes! Frankly, even taking after my Mother regarding my pregnancies and birth tendencies is something I can and will be proud of no matter how impatient I might get.

The doctor has scheduled an induction for Tuesday, Dec. 16, however, I am feeling more and more uneasy about going through with it. I feel that I need to give my body a full two-week window to go into labor on its own. Thankfully, this has been a perfect, healthy pregnancy. At my ultrasound last Friday, the doctor said Payton looked wonderful and seemed perfectly happy and content. Why disrupt something that has already gone SO smoothly just because we or the doctors are impatient? NATURE cannot be controlled, therefore, I hesitate to try to do so. If Baby G wants to stay in there a while longer, I don't have a problem with that. Granted, after this coming Friday, I will give in and allow them to induce me since most pregnancies do not fare well that last beyond the 42 week period.

What is unbelievable to me is that we are going to have a Christmas baby! I really did not think we'd be this close to the holiday when she was born. We have said since day one that she was a gift of JOY to us, and it only seems fitting that she be born during the true season of joy. You see, I believe God is in control of my body, Payton's life and hence her birth into our world. As long as we are both healthy, I find no reason to induce and disrupt the natural order of things.

Payton could come tonight or tomorrow or...the waiting game continues. I feel peace in my heart about this decision, and I trust all of my family and friends will support me in this final week as we patiently await her God-controlled arrival.

Love to you all,
Christy, Michael, Maya...and soon-to-be, Payton Joy!

Prenatal Photos

2008-12-02T10:30:00.003-06:00

To view all the photos taken by Susan Bryant, click the following link at Ghaffari Photos.

Payton Joy's Nursery

2008-11-20T22:29:00.007-06:00

The walls are painted a light lavender, and the furniture is cherry wood. Michael did an awesome job installing the hardwood floors, too. It's exactly what I had envisioned!

Opryland Hotel's Christmas Lights

2008-11-16T22:12:00.010-06:00

When Michael and I first became a couple in 2004, one of our first dates was to go see the lights at Opryland Hotel. We figured it was time for us to make another visit to the beautiful hotel since our little one will be here soon, and it just might be one of our last "dates" before we become parents forever.

We enjoyed walking through the Cascades Conservatory and the Delta Island to watch the dancing waterfalls, listen to holiday music, and absorb the millions of Christmas lights. It sure put me in the holiday spirit! I'm ready to put up my Christmas tree, now! Moreover, it was a special memory for us to make right before PJ's arrival into our little world. Who knew we'd end up getting married and having our first baby just four years after our first date at Opryland? Life is funny...but kinda neat like that.

36 weeks

2008-11-13T17:03:00.008-06:00

I started maternity leave this week, and I've been running myself ragged with all the last minute appointments and things to get checked off my to-do list. It's silly, really, but after this week maybe I'll be able to rest a little more. We are still interviewing pediatricians but hope to make a decision by next week. I still have to pack my hospital bag and pick out my "labor music" but other than that, I feel totally ready for this baby!! My 36 week check up was good and normal, and my cervix is still in tact! No dilation yet. I'd like to take bets with all you folks who are SO sure she's coming early . We shall see...

Here's my 36 week belly:

3D/4D Ultrasound

2008-10-21T14:58:00.008-05:00

WOW, we had a fun time today at the 3D/4D ultrasound appointment! Rick, the technician and owner of the business, was very friendly and he spent more than the allotted time with us to get Payton to cooperate. After drinking some HI-C fruit juice and two trips to the bathroom, we were able to get some good shots of her chubby little face! She was head down (good news) and her legs were bent up next to her ears, so we had some funny shots with her little feet in them. Anything you see on the far left side of the picture next to her face is her foot! The umbilical cord was shadowing her face in many of the shots, but we finally got it out of the way to provide for a better picture. Also, the dark shadowing above her face is not hair...although, I'm sure she has plenty. Hope you enjoy these shots (and my commentary)!

Peaceful Sleeper

"Little Chops"

Pretty Girl - look at those kissable lips!

She's grinning!

Sweet Payton Joy

31 weeks, only 9 weeks to go!

2008-10-04T09:10:00.003-05:00

So many thoughts fill my head these last few weeks. Many of them good but some of them a bit anxious or uncertain. I hear that is normal with all pregnant women, so I just try to keep them at bay and truly exercise the scripture from 2 Cor. 10:5 that encourages us to, "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." To me, that means praying instead of worrying and then trusting that God is giving us this child as a GIFT from Him to raise and provide sound wisdom to in this earthly life. I can rest in that knowledge, and I just keep telling myself that she is a GIFT of JOY!

We have been attending child birth classes for four weeks now, and we only have two remaining. I have decided that they are meant to prepare new parents for "worst case scenario" and, in effect, have been contributing to my anxious thoughts! I do not want to walk into child birth being completely unaware and naive, however, so I have decided to take it ALL with a grain of salt. I understand what "could" happen but I am not going to focus on that. I'm going to focus on the natural progression of things to occur in their own timing. Women have been having babies for centuries and way before any medical interventions were created. God designed our bodies for this so I trust in His wisdom and perfect construction of MY body to handle it.

What sends my emotions for a whirl is when I see a newborn meeting his/her parents for the first time and their reaction to it, or when I see the mother put her new baby to breast for the first time. I cry EVERY time without fail. I have never been such a sap before but, then again, I've never been pregnant before either! Yeah, everyone says it's due to the raging pregnancy hormones, which I believe, but I think it's more than that. I think it's God preparing me to become a Mother by giving me that sensitivity toward the little one about to enter our world and change it drastically - forever! Having such a huge change would not be nearly as enjoyable or tolerable if you did not love that baby with every fiber of your being. I think THAT is what is happening, and I think it's wonderful.

I also love being able to share my thoughts via this blog without having to justify anything I say! So maybe THAT is why people become writers!?! They just need a safe outlet to share their many thoughts/opinions/decisions/research/etc. with the world and not have to listen to people's responses. What a great idea! It is rather liberating when you think about it like that. I do, of course, welcome any comments from my posts, so please feel free to leave comments on this site!

One last thing: our house is NOT ready for baby girl's arrival just yet...we still have to lay hardwood in the nursery; assemble the crib, dresser, and changing table; put all the wonderful clothes we've received away (which can't happen until the dresser is in place); lay new carpet in the living room; and buy a new couch, chair, dining room table, and chairs. It seems like a daunting task, and if we don't get to the carpet and new furniture before she arrives, it will be totally okay. These are just the goals we have made for ourselves. Goals are healthy and they propel us into action, right?

So that's the latest update on our lives as of today. Thank you for reading about it and thank you for caring about us and praying for us. We need each of you, and we really love having you in our lives! 9 weeks to go...and counting. :-)

Babymoon...finally!

2008-09-18T21:57:00.011-05:00

I just returned from a blissful three days in...Las Vegas! One might wonder, how is Las Vegas blissful? Well, for a woman who is seven months pregnant who lounged by the pool during the day and ate at nice restaurants during the evenings, that's how it was blissful!! Michael attended a VMWare conference this week and invited me to tag along and keep him company in the evenings. At first, I wondered if I would have any fun but the minute I realized that Las Vegas is in the desert with 90 to 100 degree weather this time of year, I realized I'd be a fool not to take him up on his offer! I immediately started daydreaming of slathering SPF 30 across my big belly and lapping up every minute of that desert weather that I could handle! The pool was HUGE, and I swam laps and did tumbles in the water and it all felt SO good to me and PJ. I do believe water exercise has been an essential element in my pregnancy that I have been sorely missing. I just do not have a swimming pool at my disposal in good ol' Nashville, so I was happy to oblige myself in the Balley's Casino pool and sunshine.

On Monday night, I actually won $10 at the slots, and then we went to the top of Mandalay Bay Hotel into the VIP Foundation Room to see the most exquisite view of the strip...

And then we saw the Cirque de Soliel show, KA, on Tuesday evening. Our seats were right in the middle of the stage midway back - Michael spared no expense on that purchase!

Coming back to work today was not easy, however. The time change really got to me since I arrived at 12:30am CST to Nashville last night. I have been a zombie all day today but man, it was SO worth it! So I'm quite thankful to my precious husband who thought to invite me along on his work trip and allow me to enjoy pure indulgence just one last time before Baby Ghaffari enters our world and changes it forever - for the better!

Our trip to Italy earlier this year was wonderful yet very exhausting. I'm so happy to say that our trip to Vegas, however, was truly a "babymoon" getaway that allowed me to rest, relax, and read to my heart's content! Now on to the business of becoming a mother...stay tuned!

A Special Memory

2008-09-02T14:13:00.005-05:00

When Mother was still with us back in February of this year, I was alone with her one morning. I was doing her hair and makeup for the day, and we were having a nice mother/daughter chat. Michael and I had decided to go off birth control, and I STRONGLY felt like I should tell my Mother. I didn’t want to tell anyone else, but I decided to tell her. I'm not kidding, it was like I had told her we were already pregnant!! She ooh’d and awe’d and got all excited! She started asking about the colors of the baby’s room and she said, "Well, you know I DO things when babies are on the way." She shared different ideas with me about making a blanket or crocheting little toys, etc. (She was big into crocheting since she was hoping to pick up the hobby again to help her pass her days at home.) I told her that nobody else knew and that it was our little secret!

So in a way, I did get to tell her about our pregnancy…it just hadn’t quite commenced yet. Now that I retell this story, I realize what a blessing that special moment between us really was. I thank God for allowing me the opportunity to share our decision to have a baby with her even though we were not pregnant yet. But to her, it had already happened so, in a way, she got to celebrate with us after all.

DMS Test

2008-08-27T13:53:00.003-05:00

I had the lovely privilege of drinking some awfully sweet, orange flavored cocktail this morning before my gestational diabetes test. They said that they would only call me if I tested positive for it. It has been over three hours and I still haven't heard from them yet. I wasn't too worried about it, honestly, but it's still nice to hear the confirmation verbally.

Something that I wasn't aware of that interested me is that I had to get a RhoGAM shot today because my blood type is O negative. If the baby's blood type is positive, and if it interacts with my blood type at any time, it could mean serious problems! So they gave me a shot today to basically neutralize my blood type IF it were to mix with the baby's. I will get another shot after delivery. I'm not worried about it but I found it interesting that I needed that shot in the first place. Oh the joys and discoveries of pregnancy! For more info, read about it at: http://www.rhogam.com/

I am looking forward to my first baby shower in Missouri next weekend! It just solidifies little baby Payton's impending arrival into our world by sharing and celebrating with special friends and family members. It should be a good time!

Braxton Hicks...who knew?

2008-08-13T12:13:00.002-05:00

Just two days ago, it was a beautiful Monday morning, and I excitedly took our precious pup, Maya, out for her morning walk. The cool, crisp air exhilarated me, and I felt like a million bucks! Not only that, it was my day off, which always gives me a crazy high since I get the whole day to myself to do whatever I need and/or WANT to do. Who doesn't love that?

I felt so good, I decided to jog for a few feet but soon after had to stop as Maya needed to do her "business." We briskly walked around the neighborhood with an occasional jog in between only for a few feet. Now, mind you, I am not a jogger usually but I just felt strong and happy and wanted to bounce around if only for a brief moment or two. After about 20 minutes of high intensity, heart rate increasing walking, my tummy started to tighten. It did not hurt but I could tell it was very, very firm and somewhat uncomfortable. I slowed my pace for the last ten minutes and finished the walk home. I did not really think too much of it since I immediately started stretching to cool down and drank at least 24 oz. of water.

About one hour later, I decided I needed to thoroughly vacuum and dust my hardwood floors in the bedroom, kitchen, dining room, foyer, and hallway as well as vacuum the carpet in the living room and the tile in the two bathrooms. First, I used the Swiffer Vac (which is pretty awesome for quick jobs) but decided I need the stronger vacuum cleaner to do a more thorough job. So I basically cleaned all of that surface area - TWICE. The whole intent was to mop and shine the hardwood but I could not do that until I cleaned them first (but of course). After cleaning and leaning, bending and twisting, sitting and squatting, for about 1.5 hours, guess what happened? My tummy tightened up again and made me stop completely! I was SO frustrated because I still needed to MOP everything (the whole purpose for the entire project). But alas, Baby G had other things in mind. I had to relegate myself to the fact that my body was tired and needed to slow down.

Needless to say, I experienced my first real Braxton Hicks contractions twice that day! I've read all about it and it's nothing to be concerned about unless it happens more than four times in one hour and if one feels pressure really low - neither of which applied to me. BUT I did learn that I hate having to stop mid-project! It's just going to take a little longer to accomplish these household tasks when I'm pregnant. Either that, or Mr. Michael will have to pitch in more often!

I did get the floors mopped the very next day, by the way. A clean floor makes me happy, and the shining hardwood was very gratifying. :-)

What's in a name?

2008-08-01T16:15:00.004-05:00

Today is August 1, 2008. I cannot believe we are now 22 weeks pregnant - more than halfway through the pregnancy! I have been feeling baby G wiggle and squirm around every day now since her first kick just this past Sunday. It's unbelievable how quickly things are changing inside my body. I'm overwhelmed by the miracle of it all!

I've had a few people asking us about baby G's name, so I wanted to share with you all the reason behind the name we've chosen for our baby girl. We have always known that our first child's name would be my maiden name, Payton. Since the Lord is blessing us with a girl whose arrival comes during an otherwise sad and difficult year, she has been a true gift of joy not only to me and Michael, but also to my whole family. Her birth just nine short months after my Mother's death symbolizes God's grace and love to us, His children. It is the cycle of life, and I am so blessed that MY baby is the one to come into this world on the heels of her Grammy's life. Therefore, we are naming her Payton Joy Ghaffari!

First Kick...in Virginia?!?!

2008-07-29T21:17:00.004-05:00

I visited one of my best friends, Tenley, in Virginia this past weekend. We toured the national museums and monuments in D.C. on Saturday, and we had a delicious dinner at the Inner Harbor that evening. We went to her AWESOME church, Grace Community Church, on Sunday, and then we had indulgent pedicures that afternoon. Later that day, we went to a pool party with her oldest brother and sister who are both married and have children. I was inundated with much appreciated baby information from her sister and sister-in-law! I even came home with my suitcase packed full of baby clothes from her sister, Erica! They were such gracious hosts to me, and I really enjoyed spending time with all of them. This was my first chance to visit Tenley since she moved from Nashville last year. I am so happy that I got to visit her before the baby arrives in December. We had such a great weekend together!

While I was with her this past weekend, something very exciting happened! On Sunday, July 27th, I awakened early in the morning (6am) to use the bathroom (as usual), and then went straight back to bed. I was just settling back in to fall asleep when I felt the strange sensation of a little foot or fist poking me from the inside. I felt Baby G kick for the first time! It was definitely a new and unique feeling, and I drifted back to sleep with a grin on my face. The doctor had told me that I may not feel her move much at all until weeks 23 or 24, but I definitely felt her sooner than that! Since that morning, I've been able to recognize her movements; therefore, I am feeling her more often. What a cool and crazy experience!

This is a picture of Tenley and me at the Inner Harbor where
we ate a fabulous dinner on Saturday night.

A Friend's Baby

2008-07-22T21:42:00.010-05:00

Today, our wonderful friends, John & Kathy Polumbo, welcomed their first baby into the world. Jackson Robert was born at 3:39 a.m. I was so excited to get their news when I awoke this morning! Kathy and I have enjoyed being pregnant alongside one another these past few months, and I secretly wanted to BE THERE every moment during her labor and delivery. I was SO thrilled when she called me this afternoon and told me ALL about it! Then we went to meet Mr. Jackson this evening at Stonecrest Medical Center in Smyrna, TN.

He is SO precious! He is just perfect-literally! 7lbs 9 oz. and 21 inches long. I was so overcome with emotion as I walked in and saw her holding him all wrapped up like a papoose! He was wide-eyed and seemed perfectly content laying in his momma's arms. Just seeing her and John with their precious miracle right in front of me sent my emotions all out of whack!! I'm so happy for them, I just can't stand it.

When I held him and talked to him, I quickly realized that this would be ME one day very soon...holding my newborn in the hospital. What an amazing, overwhelming, yet inspiring and exciting feeling! I feel so blessed to have friends like John & Kathy who have now "gone before me" in the world of pregnancy and birth; and I feel so grateful that they have allowed us to be apart of the whole experience.

I pray many blessings of happiness, love, joy, and fulfillment for John and Kathy with their new son, Jackson. I thank God for His grace and mercy poured into their lives not only because He gave them this precious child, but also because I know that He has sustained their faith and trust in Him through the entire process. I praise God for this new life in their lives AND in my life!

Jackson Robert Polumbo

It's a GIRL!

2008-07-18T15:16:00.000-05:00

We had our first major ultrasound today at 20 weeks, and we discovered that we're having a baby GIRL! I was surprised because I had this "feeling" that it was a boy all along. I guess my maternal instinct hasn't quite found it's niche?? HA! Well, we were both quite excited to learn that she was squirming around and healthy. All of her measurements fell within the proper developmental guidelines, and both the technician and my doctor seemed pleased with her!

I was overwhelmed by the experience and in complete awe! I could not believe she was moving around so much and I couldn't really feel much of anything! The doctor reassured me not to worry about it and that I would really start feeling regular movement between weeks 24-28. One thing was certain, she became more of a real person to me (us) after today. What a fantastic miracle!! Thank you, Lord, for this precious blessing.

This is her profile with her head on the left, her arms up above:

This proves her gender (see arrow):

These are her cute little feet!

Here is Momma the day we found out it was a girl:

19 Weeks

2008-07-16T17:27:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about creating this blog ever since my friend, Miranda, told me about it. It's taken me awhile to get around to it but here I am! My husband, Michael, and I are expecting our first baby due December 5, 2008. We are currently 19 weeks along, and our ultrasound is scheduled for this coming Friday! We are going to find out the gender of Baby G. I have a feeling that it is a boy but what truly matters to us is that our baby is healthy. Michael says that he'd like to have a boy and KNOW that he gets at least one...but again, he really doesn't have a preference.

My pregnancy experience thus far has been a good one (for the most part). I had constant nausea during the first trimester and then, magically, it disappeared by week 13. It was like flipping a switch! The heartburn/indigestion has hit this week, unfortunately, but hopefully good ol' Prilosec will do the trick for awhile.

We went to Italy for two weeks, June 23-July 4, 2008. It was such a fabulous opportunity to see all the world renowed monuments, artifacts, paintings, and sculptures. That trip fulfilled a life-long dream of mine, so I am very content with our experience (this picture is of us in front of St. Peter's Basilica). I will say that we realized just how spoiled Americans are...we sure do have life easy over here! Hopefully, our next trip will be relaxing some place on a beach...I'd love to do that before Baby G arrives in December.

Well, that's it for now. I will post the exciting news we receive on Friday! :-)