the update

i promised i would update, though i can't guarantee that there is anything interesting to report that i haven't already mentioned!

our pregnancy is going great, we have 9 weeks from tomorrow until our scheduled c section date, april 6th. we are undecided as to whether or not that's what we will do, but it's on the calendar. aislyn was an emergency c and grayson was a very hard labor, and if this baby is any bigger than he was, i would likely end up with a c anyway. i'm feeling good, just big and hindered in movement. aislyn told me i wouldn't be able to reach the pedals soon. and she is right. this one feels like its gonna be the biggest yet. we'll see. we still have not found out the sex of the baby, nor have we picked a name for it. it will really just all be one giant surprise. we are praying for wisdom and safety during delivery, as i have to be honest, i'm a little nervous. i'm sure that the anxiety will soon be replaced with "get this baby out of me however you see fit" in the near future. :)

grayson is doing really well. his skin continues to look creamy white almost all over, which just a couple trouble spots here and there that we stay on top of. we cut down on his antihistamines, he no longer needs them to sleep which is also huge. we have added green beans to his diet and when sauteed in his special "butter" the boy will eat a whole can. fresh green beans, however, he does not care for. not sure why. so canned it is. we have gotten several emails from the wall street journal article. what i mean by that, is that the editor at wsj has gotten several, and emails them to me for me to reply to the parents. some of them are moms who have kids who sound like grayson and i am willing to help in anyway possible, so i am trying to write all of them back. he still gets a bath (soak) a day in plain water, and then lotion all over. we haven't done any wet wraps in a LONG time and i rarely have to use the steroid ointments on him ever anymore. we are still trying to introduce new foods to him that were on his "trial" list, but he doesn't seem interested. i even got him a soy hot chocolate (dairy free of course) at starbucks and while he LOVED the idea of it and carried around forever (in his hands AND on his shirt) he really didn't drink much of it. i might have ruined his taste for chocolate since he hasn't really had it. so all in all, he is great. happy. sleeping 12 to 13 hours at night without scratching. (he finally started doing that in october i believe and we could not be happier about it.)

aislyn is doing really well too and developing new attitudes daily. there isn't much to report on her since she has never had any health issues. she loves kids express and brings home countless projects twice a week for me to guilt strickenly throw away. ;) she wears at least 4 outfits a day, one is usually a princess dress. i do two extra loads of laundry a week because of it. she is preparing her room for the baby and has put an extra blanket in her doll cradle, right beside her bed, so that the baby can sleep there... probably NOT where the baby will be sleeping. but we have decided to put it in her room nonetheless i think. i don't really trust my son with a baby in his room. not sure what he would try to do with it. it's likely it would wake up with cars in its diaper and on its head, and vaseline all over it's face. because sweet grayson thinks that's what you do to babies. you grease 'em up! anyway, all that to say, aislyn is so excited that there are only 9 weeks until the baby comes. she tells me frequently with a frown, "mom, this baby is taking TOO. LONG. all the other babies in the world are coming out but NOT YOURS. why will your baby not come out mom?" oh the patience of a 4 year old. it resembles the patience of this 33 year old actually.

that's about all i got. i think i will attach our christmas card and letter in this post somehow... and then that will OFFICIALLY be all i got. :)




our 2009 christmas letter update

Christmas 2009
Dearest Friends and Family who we are so blessed to have in our lives,
What’s this? A Christmas letter? After a few years of no words, we decided it was time!
We have nothing bad to report, we are all doing well! This Christmas finds us just a few months away from welcoming a third little Grebe baby to the family! We have chosen to kick it old school and be surprised with the sex of this one, which makes Amy a little crazy, but also keeps her from buying endless amounts of gender specific things we probably don’t need. We have also decided to keep the name a secret until the big reveal. This should work out just fine, since this baby will likely not have a name until it’s a few months old.
Aislyn is four years old, and sports an attitude much like her mother’s at that age (or now). She is beautiful, very imaginative and cannot wait for mommy’s baby to come out. She insists that it is taking far too long. We had one ER visit with her this year (we try to go once a year), just a few weeks ago, which will leave her with a nice little scar on her forehead! When she is older, I think she will wish there were a better story to tell in regards to the scar. Because it goes like this: Aislyn was walking in the driveway, trying to take her coat off, tripped on her own feet and fell forward on her head. That’s it. Perhaps we should make something else up. Aislyn did ballet this year and LOVED it, and danced in a recital in which Madagascar was the theme. She also started a preschool at Hoffmantown Kids Express this year, just two mornings a week and has made lots of friends there and adores her teachers. She even got to meet Santa Claus (her biggest fear) who told her all about baby Jesus last week. She loves all things princess and has a great princess tomboy balance going on. Listening to her have conversations with her dolls is one of our favorite things to do. She is so nurturing with them, yet not afraid to discipline. It’s hysterical.
Grayson is two and a half, unbelievable. This has been a BIG year for him. Before June, his diet consisted of chicken, rice and sweet potatoes because of his allergy blood and skin tests. As many of you remember, we took him to National Jewish Hospital in June, a week after his second birthday. His stay there was two weeks long. They cleared his severe eczema within four days and began food challenges with him to determine real allergies. We added nine foods to his diet and learned how to manage his eczema so that Lord willing it will never be out of control again. We are SO thankful to God for his orchestration of our entire visit. The things that lined up for us to be able to go were completely divine. National Jewish’s Annual Report even includes a story on Grayson! He does not LOVE all of his foods yet. We are being creative in our introduction of them. He doesn’t yet eat enough to be off of his calorie providing hypoallergenic formula, but we are hoping this will be soon. He is VERY into Batman and Spiderman, even though he has never once watched an episode of either on TV. And if it has wheels, it’s his best friend. As we drive along the roads, Grayson labels every car he sees. “Bug car momma! Blue truck momma!” His vocabulary is coming along nicely and it’s so entertaining to have a conversation with him!
Amy is taking a break from photography until after the baby is born (but will gladly take newborns until then…you don’t have to chase them around!). She is loving being at home with the kids, dreaming of being a minimalist and never quite knowing how to pull it off. Maybe this year? She is also doing the books for our landscaping company in between diapers and snacks.
Kenny is enjoying running Red Shovel and even had a news story done on him this year, involving the Christmas Décor part of our business! It is posted on our blog if you’d like to watch it! The kids adore their daddy and so does their momma (and yes, Amy wrote that part. ☺) He is so excited to be surprised about our mystery baby, which makes it more fun for all of us! Minimalist Kenny hopes to rub off on Not Minimalist Amy this year.
We hope this letter finds you resting in God’s peace, understanding His sovereignty and learning how to delight in Him and only Him through this upcoming year. This is our goal for the year, so that we may teach our children more and more about God’s love for us.
We love you all and Merry Christmas 2009,
Kenny, Amy, Aislyn, Grayson & Baby Grebe
(keep up with us at www.grebefam.blogspot.com)