March for Babies!

March for Babies… What it means to me

The March of Dimes is gearing up for its biggest fundraiser, which raises money for research, education, advocacy and to support families who have to spend those traumatic first few weeks or even months of their baby's life in the neonatal intensive care unit.

The March for Babies walk is very personal to my family. Greyson was born weighing a mere 1 pound 10 ounces and he was on the edge of viability. We spent 102 days in the NICU and every one of those days was difficult. The first few weeks were the most painful. I watched a precious innocent baby boy fight for his life because my body failed him. I suffered from HELLP syndrome @ 24 weeks and managed to carry Grey for another week – delivering him 15 weeks too soon. Essentially my body was shutting down and in order to save my life – Greyson was delivered. Going back to that time isn’t a memory I revisit often. I kept a journal during this difficult time and today I choose not to read Grey’s journal. Sometimes I’ll be looking for something in his closet and glimpse the green of his journal sitting on a shelf. I’m not interested in reading my responses to the heartache of having an extremely premature baby. However, I am fortunate for our Nurse who gave us the journal and encouraged me to document our journey. I will read the journal again and share it with Greyson – he’ll then understand why we call him precious all the time – his life was considered valuable from the beginning and we fought for every hour along with the support our health care team at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. It’s been 2 years and some may assume that we are only stronger. However, there are many times that I definitely feel weaker. The further we move from those memories the safer I feel and subsequently the memories become more frightening to revisit. How did we get here? When exactly did Grey’s medical path take a drastic turn for the better? The medical path for a micropreemie is often unknown. I truly believe we were blessed to have taken the road less traveled- the road to a successful healthy life with no long standing complications. Greyson is a miracle.

So this is why I am passionate about March of Dimes. Prematurity is the leading cause of newborn death, and babies who survive often face the risk of lifetime health challenges, including learning disabilities, cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities. Babies shouldn’t have to fight for their lives. Their hardest days should not be their first days. The March of Dimes is making it a mission to provide research and support to the families of babies born too soon. The March of Dimes supports research aimed at preventing premature birth, birth defects, and infant mortality.

If you feel compelled to save the lives of babies then please make a donation today. Skip the Starbucks Latte this morning and donate $5 to March for Babies!

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Is that the Sun Shining?

I think it’s safe to say that we’ve had a harsh winter this year. I moved to TN in 93and we’ve hands down had the most snow this year. Snow is beautiful and exciting however, the excitement quickly vanishes when it results in treacherous driving conditions and 3 hour commutes to and from work. Grey only knows that we rush him from car to house and yell “its cold” as he giggles is way through the chill of the wind. We are definitely welcoming the warmer weather and longer days for play. Today we were pleasantly surprised with 60 degrees! I was so eager to take Greyson outside that I paced the floor while he napped. I even turned up my house cleaning music a little louder than usual in hopes that he wouldn’t sleep too deep and miss the sunshine! Matthew and I decided to take him to the park by our house. I wasn’t sure if the excursion would be a success because he’s still small for jungle gyms – however, Mr. Fearless welcomed the play ground with open arms and squeals of joy. He didn’t even hesitate before running to a slide and zooming down. Don’t let his size stir any doubt – he’s a big boy with a big attitude. We went to Cracker Barrel the other night and he ran through the toy area and saying “hey!” to all the sales associates. One lady bent down and showed him an animal and said “what’s this?” and Grey said “I don’t know” She immediately left and came back with 2 other associates and said… you have to see this baby talking! Sometimes you just don’t feel like explaining that he was a 25 weeker so the women watched in awe as the infant spoke words… this infant is almost 2! Speaking of size, I think we have hit 20 lbs. Grey is still finicky when it comes to food. It’s like we don’t have any consistency – besides grapes. He loves something one day and won’t even touch it the next. I made homemade blueberry pancakes this morning and he wouldn’t even open his mouth… sad. However, we keep trying foods and continue to tap into our culinary creative side.

Oh and I must comment that since the tubes, Grey is really starting to talk. He’s certainly interested in mimicking sounds and words. Not just sounds and words – sentences! I have to admit I’m a bit relieved - a fear to check off my list – he will talk.

Here are some pictures from our day. Thank you Mr. Sunshine for making our day!

Hello 2011

We’ve had a pretty eventful 2011 thus far – 15 days into the new year! We began our year with a visit to the emergency room where Greyson received 4 stitches after lacerating his chin. Grey climbed into cousin Taylor’s baby stroller and flipped it – landing chin first on the hardwood. Tomorrow we go into surgery in hopes of draining that pesky middle ear fluid! Greyson will have tubes placed into both ears. Our day will begin early and I’m hopeful everything will go smoothly. I’m also hoping we see a little less of Vanderbilt Children’s hospital the remainder of this year. Little man continues his fearless exploration, which leaves us all a bit nervous. The other night he was dragging my largest pot down the hall, I’m pretty sure it is bigger and outweighs him. Matt noticed blood on his face and rushed him into the bathroom - just a busted a lip. I guess the pot was winning the tug a war but Grey wasn’t ready to retreat back to normal play. Gigi called me at work the other day to tell me that somehow Grey managed to climb into his crib – unassisted while she was out of the room. She was truly stumped and overall concerned – I wasn’t surprised. He’s been bossing with his tiny finger and shaking it at Matthew and I while repeating a very authoritative “no, no, no!” I haven’t decided how to handle this new habit but I see a time out chair in our future.

I’m happy to report that Greyson has been drinking more pediasure. We are very close to our goal – 3 bottles a day. I’m eager to get an accurate weight tomorrow. When traveling with me he’s still in his infant carrier, which his legs dangle over at this point. He’s definitely outgrown the car seat but he hasn’t reached the 20 pound weight requirement. However, he's been loving the new mini reese cup bites.

Goodbye December

I clearly remember thinking… good riddance 2009! I was beyond ready to put that year past us. Now the time is drawing near to say goodbye to 2010. Another year that seemed to slip away.

So many people have observed Matthew and I with Grey and they always seem to advise… cherish these moments because they will be gone before you know it. There is much truth behind that statement. Lately I’ve been torturing myself with videos of Grey as a tiny infant. How do I watch these videos without getting that awful lump in my throat and yearning to hold his infant form? It makes me think of the quote… the good times of today are the sad memories of tomorrow. This isn’t always true but seems to fit how I feel about baby Grey. I love looking at the joyous photos, especially when we first brought him home, but then I am sad that it is gone. Sad that I cannot stop the clock- for just one minute.


Okay, enough with being sad that Grey isn’t a tiny baby that needs to be held by me every second. Grey is still on track and continues to amaze us! He’s really starting to talk! His favorite past time is to be carried around the house while pointing to objects saying, “I need that!” Oddly enough, he seems to need everything! I’m still convinced he is the world’s top Meddler. Matthew and I never got on board with all the baby protective stuff (I know it sounds bad) Well now all our cabinets are vulnerable to his curiosity. He’s masterful and can empty them in seconds! It is often that I find a pot or pan in my bedroom closet or my toothbrush in the toilet (icky!) And I won’t even rattle your nerves with the climbing stories… but its unreal.

Playing with his trucks: thanks Gigi and Poppie



One of the many familiar faces of December



We took Grey to Opryland to see the lights - the hotel is still amazing even after the May flood



Grey looks like a big boy in this pic - but he's not :)



We love you all and hope you had a wonderful year!

Pancakes in the Morning...

There are very few food items that Grey actually enjoys. However, we have identified one that he really likes... pancakes!!

We have pancakes sometimes for breakfast, lunch & dinner. We load up on the butter & syrup! Other than pancakes, he favors healthy foods like apples, grapes, strawberries and cheeses.

This morning we got up and made pancakes... again!

Family Photos

We recently traveled out to the farm for some family pictures. We had a fun time. Grey was intrigued by his surroundings! He loved the creek and desperately wanted to play in the water and leaves.

Below are some of my favorites









Grey Grey ending the shoot with a mini fit!

Battle of the Bulge

Battle of the Bulge

We at the Stokes house are fighting for the bulge! Greyson had his 18 month appointment yesterday. We also had a follow-up appointment with our nutritionist. The stats were not shocking… Grey is small for his age – to be expected. However, he’s a bit smaller than anyone of us would like. He weighed 18lbs 14 ounces. I have to admit I was a bit shocked to see the numbers. I was just telling a friend the other day that he weighed close to 20 lbs. I guess I was fantasying about someone else’s chubby little baby. Sitting across from the nutritionist discussing Grey’s diet in detail, I was beginning to have doubts. Am I doing all I can do? I should be working harder – I should be working smarter. Every bite needs to count! Every calorie is important. We decided to take Greyson off Neosure (high calorie infant formula) and begin giving him strictly Pedisure – 3 cans a day. He also needs to have 3 high calorie meals along with 2-3 snacks a day. I can tell you right now… this is more than he is interested in eating. At this time, Grey eats about 2 meals a day with numerous snacks throughout the day- however; these snacks may result in the consumption of 2 grapes. He is so picky and antsy when it comes time to eat.

I have my work cut out for me with this new challenge – I have to get creative! Last night he had a pedisure milk shake ( pedisure & pumpkin pie ice cream), tater tots with ketchup & mayo, lots of cheese and numerous sips of water. His little belly was probably turning. Grey’s newest obsession is my water glass - he demands sip after sip. Of course he chooses a zero calorie interest… sad.

We have also decided to proceed with having tubes placed in Grey’s ears. Middle ear fluid still exists in both ears. Last week we had our 3rd hearing screen and the results remained the same - middle-ear fluid pressing on the eardrum preventing it from vibrating normally, which keeps Grey from hearing properly. The test shows he can hear but not at normal levels. We’ve waited long enough and I feel tubes are a wise decision at this time. We have our surgery scheduled for Jan.

Well, that’s what’s new in our world.