The Boy's - April 09

~ Birthday Weekend ~

MY HONEY!! He surprised me with roses and a Wii Fit for my birthday - WAY TO GO DADDY!

A worn out mama - sleep deprived, but still rocking for my birthday!

Mom and Beth ~ dinner at Village Tavern~

Birthday weekend! I am 36! WOW! Aunt Beth came to visit from Largo. She enjoyed every minute with Carter and Griffin and Brett and I too!! She spoiled me with the dinner to one of my favoritist (new word) restaurants -Bizarre Cafe' in downtown Lake Worth and a great present from Brighten! Go Beth Go! You really know how to cheer up a post partum mama! We also got to visit with Kim and Gary on SAT, and a delicious dinner out with Nana and Papa at our new favorite local spot-Village Tavern ! When we came home more suprises - lot's of balloons on my patio with two of my other favorites - Iced Tea and Chocolate - Thanks Leone's your the BEST!!

Brotherly Love

Carter has been AMAZING with his new brother, Griffin! He is so helpful and always ready to support me with diaper changing! :) Gotta love that! I wish Griffin was stronger to allow Carter to hold and love with him with lot's of kisses, soon BIG brother!

Take Your Kiddo To Work Day!

April 23rd is National Take Your Kid To Work Day! Papa Joe decided to take Carter to work that day. He does courier services for a local Toyota dealership. Don't they look sweet, they even match!

My family!

Here is my AWESOME family!

Carter and Dad - Play on the Parent/Child Boynton Soccer Team!

Carter has been waiting for soccer to start in his age group for a year now! Wha hoo - West Boynton Parks & Recreation hosts the Smart Start Soccer Program for kids and parents. Here are a few shots Papa Joe took this week!

Dad Plays Softball!

Dad plays on the Boca Raton Resort & Club Employee Team on an adult league in the City of Boca Raton as the pitcher. Carter and I have gone to every game to cheer the team on. You could probably call us the "official" mascots, since many nights we are the only fans there (sad :( however, we go and cheer everyone on. This season they were 0-22 (maybe that's why no one goes), they have good team spirit, but they play like the Bad News Bears. O-Well, we have a great family night if anything!

A Few Anticipated Pictures of Griffin

Could Griffin be smiling?

I love the way babies yawn so wide ~

He is now getting annoyed at me making him have a photo shoot! So we will post more as we get them ~

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! We had a fun afternoon at Mimi Papa Maynard's house with Nana & Papa Joe, and Aunt DeDe. There even was an Easter Candy event! WOWSERS!

Aunt DeDe holds Griffin for the first time!

Enjoying some reading time with Dad!

My new blanket and pillow Mimi made!

Me and my brother!

Welcome Home Griffin!

Griffin has arrived home after a 12 day stay in the NICU. Welcome home littlest Maynard!

Baby Griffin Update - Sunday

A big change today when we came to visit. Griffin moved to the other side of NICU. He is out of his cocoon (space age incubator he has lived in for the last 9 days). We have had some real valley's this week, and today we were on the mountain top. Praise Jesus!

While holding him sleeping today he was dreaming and grinning up a storm, I just had to snap the picture! Sweet Dreams littlest Maynard - keep growing strong!
A proud Dad - Brett says, "He's got his doubles team set up"

BIG Brother meets Griffin for the first time~

What a special treat today was~

Last Game of the Season

My first sports medal! T-Ball was fun this season. Carter learned a little of the fundamentals of the game.

Hitting is Carter's favorite part of the game. He is more on the action side of things. He likes to run too.

MY TEAM-The Ray's

I'm a BIG Brother!

I am a BIG brother now! How do you like my shirt? My little brother has the same shirt with "little" brother on it, but it won't fit for a LONG while since he is so tiny!

Carter showing off his photo of Griffin! He has kept it with him this past week!

Happy 69th Birthday Nana!

Nana celebrated her 69th birthday this past week. Doesn't she look great~ (after working, a swim lesson, and watching Brett play softball). We took her out to Grand Lux Cafe (sister restaurant to Cheesecake Factory) in Boca. It was delish and a fun afternoon and evening with Nana! HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANA!!! We love you and wish you many more!!!

Look at this incedible homemade chocolate cake - just for Nana~! (we all shared!)

Griffin Update

Well another surprise this week... yesterday was a really hard day for all of us. Griffin-physically, us-emotionally. Griffin's breathing was very labored so they opted to put in a chest tube (very painful-on morphine) and put him on a ventilator. Well as they tried the ventilator procedure his throat was too small and it would be more trauma. So he went back on the C-pap machine (helps him breath instead of breathing for him-it opens his airways in his lungs wider than they can go to assist) and up-ed his O2.

Today when I went to visit I looked in his little cocoon, and he was off all breathing machines and O2, and breathing on his own. Miracles do happen! Now this has truly been a HUGE massive roller coaster (like the one at Sea World!) Huge mountains are gained, and deep valley's. I know his progress is only because of God himself! God is so BIG and has Griffin's life plan in the palm of His hand. Please continue to pray for him. Enjoy his sweet face as I did- I held him in my arms for an hour today, I even gave him his very first bottle-he has been on a feeding tube and an IV.

It was surreal~