Allow me to introduce the special guest we've all been waiting for...
Grant Dinh!!! To say that we are in love would be an understatement!
Sticking with tradition, we selected a Vietnamese middle name. Dinh means "Summit" and "Peace." It also happens to be Ong Noi's middle name and BaBa's grandfather's name. Clearly, a special name for a special baby.
As for Grant's birth story, it starts with a sleepless night for mom. The first of many one could say! After tossing and turning for hours & hours, I climbed out of bed at 4:30am on the morning of January 5th, 2012 and got ready to head to the hospital for my scheduled c-section. Anh and I discussed how it seemed like
Mother's Day weekend when we learned I was expecting was both a lifetime ago and just yesterday. Nine months had flown by in terms of time, but man oh man, I felt like I had been pregnant FOREVER! I could hardly believe that it was finally time to welcome our third son into the world!
I asked Anh to take this picture as the "before" shot. Note the large pregnant belly under the covers. I wish I could say that I was completely calm, cool, and collected. Maybe I was on the exterior, but my mind was racing with a million thoughts as we waited patiently to be wheeled into surgery.
My Anesthesiologist and CRNA came by to introduce themselves, and then my OB stopped in to brief us on what to expect during the surgery. Having been through 2 previous c-sections with Jaxon and Baylor, I should have known what to expect, but I had been telling Anh for weeks that I couldn't really remember a lot of the details from my deliveries. I guess it's true that you block out the bad and only remember the good stuff! However, as my CRNA stood there prepping me, it ALL came flooding back. I was overwhelmed by all that I was about to go through and teared up. Abdominal surgery and the recovery is no walk in the park! At least I'm rewarded with pretty much the best prize EVER!
As my OB delivered Grant, the room fell completely silent and moments later his faint cry was music to our ears. The OR team laughed and exclaimed, "That's a big boy!" and everyone began to guess what he would weigh. Anh and I had both overestimated...
Grant tipped the scales at 8 lbs, 1 oz.
20 inches long
(The exact same as his brother Jaxon.)
After cleaning Grant up and looking him over, the nurses him over to Anh to introduce to me, his anxious mother. It was love at first sight! To me, he was perfect in every way. Luckily, that statement remains true to this day. Grant is a happy and healthy baby that hasn't caused us to worry one bit. I'm sure that feeling won't last long! Kids always find a way to make their parents worry!
Anh accompanied Grant to the nursery where the medical team could examine him thoroughly, and I hung out with my OB in the OR for a bit longer so he could piece me back together. That panic that I had experienced earlier had been wiped away with the adrenaline rush of motherhood. Thankfully, that adrenaline carried me through the next 48 hours of my hospital stay. Truth be told, I was okay after the first 24 hours. That's when I was able to shed the wires to the five machines that they had tethered to me for constant monitoring. Ugh! I'm glad I won't have to do that again!
Jaxon, Baylor, and Grant are all worth it though. I'm sure the pain of delivery will pale in comparison to the pain of their teen years! Yikes!
We spent the next few hours staring at our new baby. As soon as we received the final report ruling out an issues, Anh began texting/emailing pictures, and eventually started the process of calling all the family and friends who I'm sure were anxiously awaiting the announcement of Grant's arrival.
Of course, as everyone started receiving pictures, the debate began over who he resembles. Every vote for Jaxon was balanced with a vote for Baylor. Anh and I think he's the perfect blend of his two older brothers, but it's a bit scary how similar he looks to Jaxon in some pictures. I'll make an honest effort in the next few days to upload a few photos for comparison.
Anh left Grant & I only briefly that first day, and it was simply so we could be reunited as a family of FIVE! Both Jaxon and Baylor were giddy with excitement as they entered my hospital room and met their new baby brother for the first time. It was a moment that will forever be etched in my mind, and Aunt Kelly took a great photo of us that allows us to share the memory with everyone else.
I remember every detail of Jaxon's introduction to newborn Baylor, and I thought that special moment would be impossible to top. I was wrong! It was clear from those first seconds that these three brothers are going to have a very special bond. You just wait & see!
Aunt Kelly was even eager to get in some cuddle time with our little guy. Which if you know Kelly, is saying a lot! Now, she had zero interest in changing diapers and seemed ready to dodge spit-up at any moment. Ha! We owe Aunt Kelly a lot for her help with Jaxon and Baylor during my hospital stay. She made sure that for at least 48 hours, we could focus all our attention on little Grant. I hope he appreciated it because it's never going to be that way again. Everyone will have to patient and wait their turn.
I only stayed in the hospital 2 nights, and both nights, the boys came up to spend some quality time with their baby brother. It was nice to be able to have that bonding time as a family. Plus, Jaxon and Baylor seemed to really enjoy the hospital's cafeteria food. (I wish I could say the same!) I don't think I've seen them eat that much EVER! We may have to go back occasionally for dinner. Yeah...NO!
As enchanted as Jaxon and Baylor seemed to be by Grant, he was equally mesmerized by them. I 100% believe that Grant recognized each of our voices. He responded to each of us, but didn't even seem to realize that the nurses and doctors were there.
Jaxon hadn't really shown much interest in my pregnancy until the very end, but with 10 days to go, he started to count down the days. I could actually see the excitement building for Jax, and when he finally held his brother for the first time, I knew I had been worried for nothing. Like the rest of us, Jaxon instantly fell in love, and I do believe he is going to be a big help to me.
As for Baylor, I think he was simply relieved that the big day had finally arrived. I'm not sure who was more ready, me or Baylor?! Every few days throughout my pregnancy, Baylor would ask me, "When is baby Grant going to come out?" He always seemed crushed when I would explain that we had to wait a bit longer. The biggest emotional blow actually seemed to come when the boys accompanied me to my final pre-delivery doctor appointment. As we pulled into the parking lot, Jaxon said, "Oh, I remember this place." It was confusing to him because he was always in school during my appointments. Only Baylor had regularly joined me for the monthly visits. As Jaxon mentally connected the dots, Baylor announced, "Yeah! We're going to take the baby out!" Anh and I couldn't help laughing. Sorry, Baylor! It would be just a little bit longer. He was so disappointed! However, it really made the special moment captured in this picture all the more touching. Baylor finally had his baby! He was finally a "big brother," and Jaxon was a "bigger brother."
Yes, Grant, you made us wait an eternity to meet you, but you are worth each and every second! I can't wait to share the joy with our family as they travel from near and far to meet you. To say that you are loved, doesn't even scratch the surface.
Not only will you have two adoring parents, but you've been blessed with two admiring brothers. I can't promise that they'll always be this thrilled to have you around...especially once you're mobile and messing with "their" things/toys, but I know that you are going to hold a special place in their hearts...
Because that's just how it works with brothers! You're wired that way. May your paths always lead back to each other!
Jax made scaling the wall look easy! I watched as Baylor scurried up right behind him and thought to myself, "Oh, it must not be too challenging if a 3-year old can do it." Aunt Kelly assured me that my assumption couldn't have been more wrong. Combine the physical challenge with the endurance that the kids demonstrated by climbing for 2 straight hours, and you can easily see that they earned their birthday feast that followed!
Seeing Jaxon reach the summit in under 30 seconds left the entire group speechless, but only momentarily. Applause and cheers immediately followed!
After a little warm-up, Jaxon and several of the other boys moved on to the more advanced climbing walls. They showed no fear as they climbed to the top and rappelled back down. The testosterone was pumping!
Thankfully, there was also a little girl power on display. Aunt Kelly and "Auntie" G-Mac weren't going to be showed up by some little boys. They gave it their all, but in the end, acknowledged and their much younger competition might have had a leg up on them. Oh well, practice makes perfect, and everyone unanimously agreed that the climbing gym was worthy of repeat visit.
And, the boys seemed delighted to discover they were each leaving with party favor pails filled with rock climbing themed goodies.
