I'm Going to Be a Big Sister!!!

Hi Family and Friends!

The big news is...WE'RE PREGNANT!!!! Addy's going to be a big sister!!! My due date is June 8, so I'm 11 weeks now, and we're so excited to expand our family. We've been keeping it hush-hush until we got to spill the beans to both sets of grandparents in person, and now that we've done that - we can share the news with all of you. If we've been out of touch lately, it's because (1) as soon as we found out 5 weeks ago, we quickly decided to move out of our small 2 bedroom apt into a much larger 4 bedroom apt (just a few blocks away from our old apt), so we've been crazy busy with apt hunting and moving, and (2) I've been getting morning & day & evening sickness, so just balancing everything has been a bit rough. BUT, we just happily moved into our new apt a few days ago, which we love (and we live right above my good friend Sunhee whose got a 15-month old daughter), and we're getting prepared for our little one on the way. This time, we're going to be surprised on the day of delivery - we're thinking Chloe or Joseph - either way, we're very, very happy.

As for our summer - sorry that we haven't posted pics in a long time. These are the pics from mid-June til late August. I've got Halloween pictures that I'll add soon. All in all, we had a great first summer in Chicago, so check out all we did and saw. The biggest milestone was Addy's 1st birthday on August 27 - we celebrated a few times over and marveled at the way she's changed our lives for the better over the last year. These days, she's quite the busy toddler - running around, saying about 20 words (including "no!" and "dang!"), and just enjoying life as a 15-month old should.

As a last note, now that we've got a lot more space, you're all welcome to come and visit! Talk to you soon and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

April-June 15, 2008

Happy Spring to Everyone!

Addy is now 9 1/2 months old (10 months on June 27) and has been enjoying her first spring. At her last appointment a few weeks ago, she was 28 inches long and 18 pounds, 4 oz (so around 70th percentile for height and 40th for weight). She's cruising like a pro and can balance on her own standing up, so we won't be surprised if she starts walking in the next month or so. The pictures are in reverse chronological order, starting with yesterday, our 1st Father's Day. It was such a fun weekend for the three of us. We went to Millenium/Grant Parks, Lincoln Park Zoo, an Italian Pasta and Wine Fest, and to Addy's first baseball game at U.S. Cellular Field (Sox lost, so good for the Tigers :) She's been enjoying her first swim and music classes (very low-key and fun, and I get to meet moms in the neighborhood) and has been experiencing lots of "firsts", including her first steps (about 3 weeks ago), and her first two teeth which popped through together (and now she's getting 4 more on top). You can see in the pictures with her hands raised up...when you ask her "How big is Addy?" she'll raise her hands above her head as if to say "So big!" Didn't seem like such a big deal when we weren't parents, but now that we are - these little milestones are so amazing to watch. And, thanks again for contributing to our March of Dimes walk that we completed with Aunt Bree, Uncle Sean, Grant, and several friends. We raised over $2000 for such a great cause, so thank you very much. In the coming months, we plan on getting to the most important game of summer - a Tigers' game, as well as hitting up all the fun weekend festivals going on in Chicago. Our doors are always open, so feel free to come visit us anytime. Love to everyone, bis spater!

New Noise

Feb 15 - March 24 2008

Hey family and friends - happy spring! Hope life is sweet for all of you. We've celebrated a lot these past six weeks - Danny's 28th birthday, St. Patty's Day, Easter, and on the 27th - Addy's 7-month birthday! I know we say this in every blog, but Adelyn really is growing and changing so fast. Now, she's crawling like a pro, pulling herself up to standing, trying to balance on her feet, eating solid foods (bibs are becoming our new best friends), playing with Dude and babbling her first words. We went to see the Easter Bunny on Sat. with Aunt Bree and Grant, but as you can see in the pictures, both kids could have really cared less...how things will change in the years to come! We've been traveling quite a bit to see family so we might take a break from our road trips after this upcoming weekend trip to Colon to rest a while and enjoy Chicago.

On April 27, we will be joining Sean, Bree, Grant, and some friends in the March for Babies/March of Dimes Walk to raise money and awareness for healthy babies and families in St. Charles, IL. We thank each of you who have already donated to this important cause. If you'd like to help us reach our goal of raising $500 for March of Dimes, please go to: www.marchforbabies.org/staceygrant1

Keep in touch and hope everyone is doing well!

Jan.10 - Feb. 20, 2008

Hi everyone!
Hope this finds everyone healthy and happy. If you can believe it, Addy will be 6 months on Feb. 27! And her dad is turning 28 the next day, so we've got a lot to celebrate. Addy is growing and changing so much - right now, she's sitting up by herself, babbling like crazy (she's currently learning the art of shrieking) and priming to crawl. We went back to Allen Park for her shower on Jan. 11, which was graciously hosted by Grandma Teller and Grandma Grant, and the following day she was baptized at St. Francis Cabrini and annointed at the AP Presbyterian Church. It was a wonderful weekend and we thank everyone for everything! And just last weekend, we had lots of visitors - Aunt Bree, Uncle Sean, Grant-man, our friends Kev and Lise from NY, and Katie and Brad Monhaut from MI all came out to Chicago. Unfortunately, I took zero pictures except for the one of Brad and Addy. But it was a great time! We'll try and post pics within the month...Love to all!

Oct 31, 2007 - January 9, 2008

So it's been a REALLY long time since we've posted any pictures, but here you go! Pictures are from Halloween up through today (Jan. 9). So much has happened in the last few months, it's been hectic but overall - absolutely wonderful. In early November, we moved our lives from Germany to a friendly little neighborhood in Chicago; Danny started his job in the Lt. Governor's office; Addy got to meet her family on both sides, including her newest cousins Cameron Richard and Grant Louis; we've celebrated Thanksgiving, birthdays, Christmas, and New Year's; and now, we're getting ready for Adelyn's baby shower and baptism.

Also, my family has been celebrating the life of my Grandpa Jones who passed away just before we arrived back in the States. If Addy has even a quarter of the zeal for life that her Great-Grandpa had, she's in for one exciting, adventurous ride.

I'll be posting pictures of the shower and baptism, hopefully within the next few weeks. Thanks in advance to Grandma Teller and Grandma Grant for putting this shower on for us. A happy and healthy 2008 to you all!

Addy Baby - Days 29-42

Hi all! First off, I simplified the blog so that I could make the slideshow pictures larger. Plus, I'm finding these days that simple is better!

So Addy got to meet her Uncle Brian for the first time last week, and she got to try on her first Halloween costume - talk about the cutest cow you've ever seen!! Her two month appointment is next week, so we'll find out how much she weighs now...I'm guessing around 9 1/2 or 10 lbs...and growing. Her latest skill is that she can stand up with just a little thumb support - she's got some strong gams! And she's going through a bout of baby acne - it's not bothering her at all and she's healthy as ever, so that's all that matters!

We're in the process of packing up and moving out, so things are busy but very exciting. And, thanks to our friends John and Jenn who checked out apts for us in Chicago, we're very close to signing an apt lease (in Roscoe Village for all of you who are familiar with Chi-town). Though we've only seen pictures, it looks and sounds awesome and perfect for what we're looking for - we'll be getting the keys on Nov. 8 if all goes well. Also, we'll be back in AP for Steve's wedding and to see family in mid-Nov, so we'll see many of you then. If not, no worries - we're stateside for good so we'll definitely be seeing many of you in the next month or two:)

Addy Baby is 1 Month Old!!!

Can you believe that Addy is already one month old??!!!? It's been the best month of our life. We've enjoyed every minute with her, and since last Wed., we've been celebrating with Grandma and Grandpa Grant, and Great-Grandpa Studzinski! We've been having a blast together, just watching Addy grow as she discovers the world around her. And Addy has accomplished lots of "firsts" this past week - her first pacifier, her first bottle, and even her first trip to the bar! To all of our family and friends, thank you so much for all the cards, presents, and well wishes we've received over this last month...Addy is so blessed!

Addy Baby! Days 12-20

Hi All! Life in the Grant household is sweet...we're just enjoying our pumpkin head and our new family life. All went well at our two week check-up...she's up to 7lbs 5oz! And now, Addy's getting ready for her next big visitors - Grandma and Grandpa Grant and Great-Grandpa Studzinski who are arriving on Wed!! So we'll be posting lots of pics of their visit over the next few weeks. Then, we'll be greeting Uncle Brian who'll be staying with us til mid-Oct! Yea!! We're also getting ready for our move to Chicago - we'll be arriving back to the States on Nov. 6 after almost five years of living in Germany.
Just a note...have you noticed a red mark on Adelyn's right eyelid? It's called a "stork bite" and is a common marking on infants' faces and/or necks - this mark will fade over time and should disappear altogether over the next several months. Okay, enjoy the pictures and we'll be talking/seeing you soon!

Addy Baby! Days 7-12

Ok, so many of you must think we're crazy for taking a crazy amount of pictures of our little pumpkin head, but she's so cute!! We'll keep the pictures coming for those of you who want to see them...

Addy and Dude

Here's Dude and his new little sister! Dude has been really gentle with her, but we'll see once she starts pulling his ears :)

Addy Baby! Days 3-7 Slideshow

From now on we'll be posting slideshows of Addy so that you can see more pics at once:)

Addy Pics - Days 1-3

Here's more pictures from Addy's first days home - my parents have pictures on their camera that we'll post soon. It's crazy how different she looks at times - as you can see, she can look go from looking "mixed" to looking like a total sumo wrestler! Either way, she's gorgeous. And her check-ups are going well - so far, she's a happy, healthy baby. More to come...

SHE'S HERE!!!!

On Monday, August 27 at 1:50pm (German time, or 7:50am EST), weighing in at 6 lbs 14 oz. and measuring 19 1/2 inches, our beautiful daughter Adelyn Grace was born! You hear this all the time, but it's true - nothing prepares you for the love of a child - we couldn't be happier or feel more blessed. Now, we're back in our Heidelberg home and we'll be talking to many of you soon and posting pics along the way - just check out the blog now and again. Thanks so much to all of you for your support and blessings throughout this journey!

Here's some info about the pics (in order)

(1) In the warmer - literally, just minutes after she was born

(2) Daddy and Addy - love at first sight

(3) With her tongue out - Addy saying "what's up!!!" to the world! Again, just minutes after she was born

(4) Mommy and Adelyn - Kissing my baby girl!!!!

(5) Going home - This yellow newborn outfit was knit by Adelyn's Great-Grandma Jones approx. 45 years ago and wore by all of Stacey's cousins when they were brought home

36 Weeks!

Holy Scheize - we have officially hit the nine month mark! And though our due date is September 2, the doctor is having us come in on August 29 to induce labor (if I haven't gone into labor already). She feels that the safest thing for us is to not let Adelyn go past my due date, and when I just went to the doctor on Friday, she said that I'm already dilated enough to be a good candidate to be induced! (ok, so not so interesting info for most of you, but a few people like the details...) ANYWAYS, my main point is that we're so excited and almost can't believe that in 4 weeks or less we're going to be parents. I, like my cuz Michelle (who is due August 28) am also "nesting" like crazy - in the past week I have organized, cleaned, and recleaned our apt. top to bottom.

Our other big news? We are moving to Chicago in November! Danny has landed a job as a senior policy analyst (ooh-la-la, sounds fancy, huh?) with the Lt. Governor of IL - Pat Quinn, who is a dedicated advocate for military servicemembers and their families. He's bringing Danny on board to invigorate his current military initiatives as well as develop new ones. We will likely be leaving Heidelberg in early-to-mid November. So, for all you Chi-towners, we really appreciate all the insight and help you can give us! We're really excited about it, and because my parents, Danny's parents, and then my brother are coming out here in phases (from August 29-Oct 13), we will have plenty of help. And since Bree (Danny's sister) and Sean are due in early Dec., we'll be home to greet their little peanut into the world.

As for the pics: (1) me pointing to my German doctor's name - Dr. Klapp (Dr. Syphilis was on vacation in Bulgaria) (2) I am 34 weeks in the brown shirt (3) I am 36 weeks in the red shirt (4) we learned how to swaddle a baby so Danny decided to practice on Alf - he's a pro! (5) Danny in the OBGYN clinic with a preggo lady on his shoulder, kinda funny (6) the shrunk filled with fun gifts from all of you - thank you so much!! (7) a babycake made by cousins Chels & Boo Boo (8) an Addy hat and espadrilles from Kev & Lise's trip to Spain - muchas gracias (9) from L to R: homemade quilts from Jenny (friend from Danny's work), my Aunt Raeleen, and cousin Boo Boo.

The next posting will probably be the baby!!!!!

32 Weeks!

As of 7/12, we're 52 days away and...growing! Here's the latest pic of my belly! Also, here's a picture of Danny and our friend Scott after their successful assembly of Addy's crib! Since we won't be here for long after she's born, we're really not setting up an entire nursery, but we have some furniture (graciously donated to us by our friends Scott and Jeanne) and have filled the shrunk and changing table with all the wonderful goodies that you guys have sent us/given us over the last 7 months - thank you soooo much. We will post pics of her room next time.

Also, our friends Kev and Lise flew out from NY over the 4th of July to visit...Dude LOVES them! We were on our way to camp in Bingen to see the fireworks and castle illumination.

As a final update - Danny took the GMAT and scored 730!! The median score to get into Harvard is 707, so needless to say...he did EXCEPTIONALLY well and I'm so proud of him. That's it for now :)

31 weeks!

So, the little one is not so little anymore! (well, relatively speaking). She' a little over 3 lbs. now and growing! I'm smiling on the doctor's table, but her head was up in my ribs during ultrasound so it was difficult to get a clear picture of her, but she's a bee-yuut, huh? The ultrasound is her foreheard, eyes, ear, mouth, and her hand is just above her nose. As of July 1, we are 31 weeks, so only about 9 more weeks to go - we just can't wait! The tees are Danny's anniversary present from me - it's been 2 years already!
Danny is studying for his GMAT that he'll be taking next week and I just finished up the last of my exams to complete my dual masters degrees, so we're pretty thrilled. Germany is still as beautiful as ever for anyone who wants to make a last minute trip :) Want to see where we live? Go to http://www.heidelberg.de/ - we live downtown, right at the foothills of the castle you see on the homepage.

As a weekend trip, we recently went camping in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland near Lake Constance - a bridgepoint where Germany, Austria and Switzerland meet. We set up shop in the pouring rain at midnight, drank beer (and near beer) and hung out for the weekend. Six 1/2 months preggers and I'm sleeping on the ground! We had a great time...as did Dude. He enjoyed the wind in his ears and the flying saucer around his neck. Click pics to see full view. Love you all...more to come....

26 Weeks!

Hey All,
It was great to see many of you when we were back home in MI a few weeks ago. If we didn't get a chance to see you this last time, we'll be home in the winter for good so we'll definitely be catching up with you then.

Pics posted are: (1) an ultrasound pic from this last week of Addy - she was facing downward so you can see only her spinal cord, neck, arm hanging down, and her profile. Pretty amazing still! (2) a night out at the K of C in Allen Park right after Bree (Danny's sister) and Sean announced that they are pregnant too and due Dec. 6!!!!!!!! (3) picture of Danny and I at the Hofbrauhaus when Katie and Tim came out last month, and (4) pic of me at 26 weeks. (pics of my family to come...)

Also, let us know if you have a webcam because now we have one too. Tschuss til next time :)

21 Weeks

We couldn't be happier to welcome into the world Adelyn Grace when September 2nd rolls around. The pictures posted are from week 21, and the other pics are from the tulip fields and gardens outside of Amsterdam. Tschuss!