A New York State of Mind

Last weekend, I took a huge leap and left Stafford (with his very capable daddy) for 3 nights and journeyed to NYC to visit my good friend, Caroline. Since it was MLK weekend and I had that Monday off from work, I decided that was the perfect time for a trip up North. We had SUCH a great time!! Our Saturday consisted of sleeping in, walking around Central Park (in the snow flurries!), visiting the Guggenheim Museum, having drinks at The Mark Hotel, shopping at Saks, dinner at Pipa and "clubbing" at the Gramercy Park Hotel - Rose Bar. Our Sunday consisted of brunch at Barbounia (their french toast was amazing!), shopping at Eataly, walking around Union Square, sipping milkshakes from The Shake Shack, napping, ordering in for dinner and watching the Giants WIN their game. Monday, I was up bright and early to catch my flight back to Jackson and hug on my boys. I missed them SO MUCH but had a blast with Caro...she was a great hostess! Thank you Caroline for inviting me up...much needed girl time and so fun!!

tromping around central park

this exhibit at the guggenheim was suspended from the ceiling

belvedere castle in central park

hanging at rose bar with caroline and liza

Face Time With The Fam

Oh my...I cannot tell you enough how ready I am to see these faces this weekend!! My family is coming for a visit and since I haven't seen them since Christmas...I AM READY! My mom is celebrating a birthday this weekend and they couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than by spending time with Stafford...notice I said Stafford, not me and Reed! HA! I have a small feeling that even though they love seeing us, it's really Stafford-man they want to see and we are totally ok with that! :) I know that 4.5 hours isn't a long way to drive to get "home" but I sure do wish they were closer. Once Sis gets back to school, we will see lots of her smiling face I'm sure!!

me & sis

the stafford/stacy familia

4 Months Old!!!

Look who's 4 months old!! Seriously, the fastest 16 weeks of my life and I'm told they just keep getting faster...nooooooooo! I am not ready for my sweet baby to grow up this quickly! Even though we haven't had our 4 month doctors appointment yet (thus no stats), I thought I'd go ahead and do this post anyway. Unfortunately, Stafford has been sick for the past week (thank you day care and crazy, up and down Mississippi weather) so when we went to the doctor on Monday we were able to just get his weight...10 pounds, 10 ounces!! We have such a tiny little man!

Some Stafford Stats:
1. Feeding: we're on a great schedule with 4 feedings a day at 6-7 ounces per feeding (we haven't added any rice cereal to his bottle yet but I plan on asking the doc about that at his next visit.) Unfortunately, Stafford still has acid reflux and we're still taking the Prevacid for that...it works like a charm, though, so it's worth every penny! I have noticed it getting better recently so fingers crossed that it goes away SOON!!

2. Sleeping: he is taking two good naps during the day and usually going to bed around 9:30 - 10:00 every night. Stafford is still sleeping in his Rock and Play Sleeper in our room but we are hoping to get him in his own room and crib soon!

3. Weight: 10 pounds 10 ounces

4. Clothes: 3 months! Little man is still wearing 0-3 month onesies, 3 month pants, gowns, footie pj's, smocked rompers and sweaters. The 3-6 month stuff is still pretty big and baggy on him right now but I have a feeling he'll be in those before we know it! Of course, this also means that all of my "projections" (for what size he'd be) that were made when buying his clothes are way off thus he'll probably never wear what's in his closet during the appropriate season...OOPS!

5. Personality: Stafford loves chewing his hands, staring at the fan and/or television, riding in the car, strolling, being carted around over our shoulders and being snuggled. He still hates that nose/suction bulb (I don't really blame him) and being burped. He's laughing and smiling so much and it really is the cutest thing to see. He's kind of gotten in to holding hands...sweet thing held mine for a long time earlier this week when he was trying to go to sleep...awwww!

6. Fitness: HA! No, Reed doesn't have our baby training for an Ironman (yet!) but Stafford has started to show some pretty strong muscles lately! He is holding his head up so well, pushing down with his legs a lot, squeezing the mess out of your fingers and trying to grab for things. I call that fitness for a 4 month old! :)

my big (little) boy!!

Thank You 2011 for the BEST YEAR EVER!!!

So, 2011 was a GREAT year for so many reasons...the most obvious, of course, being Stafford's arrival!! I cannot believe that this year has flown by so quickly...it really seems like yesterday that Reed and I were planning our wild NYE dinner date at Babalu and getting excited about ringing in 2011 - the year we both turn 30!! 2011 has blessed us beyond measure with so many wonderful things: great times with family and friends, lots of laughter and love, fun vacations, new experiences, and the most importantly, the most precious, loving, healthy little boy that we could ever hope for. We don't have any major plans for ringing in 2012...just spending time with our little one and getting some rest! I thought it would be fun to do a "year in review" in pictures so see below for highlights from 2011...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

January: getting Sis initiated into Phi Mu

(and telling my parents that a little one is on the way)!!

February: baby shower for Kristin and sweet little Perry Allen

March: Reed finishes New Orleans Half-Ironman for the 2nd time

April: Reed and I in Oxford for Double Decker 2011

May: our 3 year anniversary to San Diego

May: sweet Caroline Reed (far right) turns 2

June: baby shower for Katy and Hattie Hedglin

June: Reed competes in the Heatwave Triathlon in Ridgeland

June: beach trip to Orange Beach...6 months pregnant

June: Reed and Gray celebrate turning 30 with a bday dinne at CCJ

July: I celebrate turning 30 with fun friends at Margaritas

July: our sweet friends, Joshua & Brittany, get married!!

July: Reed competes in the Heart O'Dixie Triathlon at the Neshoba County Fair

for the 3rd year in a row

July: my precious Dyersburg friends throw me (and Stafford) a fabulous baby shower
at the Guthrie home...Iwas 31 weeks pregnant

August: my wonderful Jackson friends throw me (and Stafford) a fantastic baby shower

at the Country Club of Jackson...I was 33 weeks pregnant

September: my fabulous husband finishes his first ever Ironman in

Louisville, Kentucky...I was 36 weeks pregnant and cried like a baby when he crossed that line

September: my sweet friend Lauren, gets married!!!

September 21st: our baby boy is born

September 21st: Stafford Daulton Stacy = 100% perfection

September: with Morgan (and Baby Kate) at their baby shower

September: Stafford goes to Oxford, MS for the first time

October: my sweet 1 month old!!

October: Stafford's first Halloween (he's a bear!)

November: my sweet boy is 2 months old!!

November: Happy 1st Thanksgiving Stafford!!!

November: it's a pirate birthday for my 4 year old nephew, Ryan

November: Stafford meets Baker Arnemann for the first time

December: Stafford and Santa at the Country Club of Jackson Christmas Luncheon

December: Stafford and Savannah Peters go on their first date!!

December: Stafford starts smiling!!

Merry Christmas to You!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are SO looking forward to spending our first Christmas with little Stafford. He has been such a wonderful blessing to us these past 3 months and we cannot wait for many more Christmases, Santa Clauses, tree decorating, carols, cookies and learning about Baby Jesus. Have a wonderful Christmas with your families and I'm sure I'll have TONS of pictures to post next week!!

3 Months Old!!

I cannot believe that my sweet baby boy is already 3 months old!! Where in the world does the time go? Stafford is such a little sweetheart and has brought so much joy to our lives. My parents haven't seen him in a month so they are going to be shocked at how much he's grown in 4 short, little weeks. It just seems like yesterday that he was this small little thing getting his newborn pictures made (by Katie Stafford) from Mary Moment Photography:

at 8 days old...he was so little that he fit in the windowsill!!!

cutie patootie!!

(this is the one and only time he's ever laid down flat in his crib...got to change that!!)

Month for Change

Christmas is here...FINALLY!! I absolutely love this time of year and I am especially excited for Christmas this year because we get to spend it with our sweet baby boy!

December has been a big month for our little man...lots of milestones! Last week (Thursday, December 8th to be exact), Stafford went from wearing newborn-sized diapers to a size 1 diaper AND from his newborn clothes to 3 month clothes! It makes me a teeny bit sad that I have to pack up all of his sweet little newborn gowns but I love that he's growing and getting bigger everyday. In the past week, he has also started smiling and laughing A LOT. It might be the cutest thing ever!! He is so much more alert, now, and turns his head to whomever is talking to him. He's also gone from eating mainly 4 ounces per feeding to at least 5-6 ounces per feeding. He has really started "self-soothing" a lot more...which is great!

His current loves are: watching tv while he eats, sucking on his wubbanub (pacifier), swinging, chewing on his fingers, staring at the Christmas tree and laughing at my silly faces. He is still sleeping through the night but hasn't made it to his own room just yet. His acid reflux is still preventing him from laying down flat so he's sleeping in the fisher-price newborn rock & play sleeper by our bed. If you have a newborn with acid reflux, this is THE thing to buy....amazing!

His current dislikes are: acid reflux problems, having clothes pulled over his head and having his nose suctioned with the bulb-thingy. Unfortunately for him, I love that bulb and use it frequently...I can't stand a dirty nose!

Stafford has met Santa (they got along famously), gone to his first Christmas party at KK and William's house and met 2 new friends as well!! Merry Christmas!!

stafford and santa

meeting santa wore him out!!

hanging out with savannah peters

all bundled up for the trip to mimi & pop pop's house

fresh out of the bath!

i captured a smile!

meeting his new buddy, baker arnemann

face time with daddy