Santa

Santa stopped by the family Christmas party to deliver presents to all the kids. Brady didn't think much of the old man, but he loved his present.

We managed to get his hair cut...tantrum and bribe free. I'm thankful.

Thanksgiving

A Thanksgiving Day family pic...

Thanksgiving was great! Brady went nap-less so I was expecting a little monster by 5:00, but he handled all the commotion well. He ate corn, turkey, and lots of pumpkin pie.



18 weeks prego...looking huge already.

Baby #2

We are exicted to announce Baby #2 will be arriving in late April.

22 Months

It recently dawned on me that I need to start planning a birthday party. I can't believe 2 years have passed so quickly. I haven't written in his baby book forever so this is my way of documenting recent developments.

-When he wants to play with you he will grab your hand and say "Play". He has always been a great independent player, but since he learned this trick we find ourselves playing a lot more.

-He is still into trucks, cars, & trains. He plays with Troy's childhood matchbox cars-favorites include fire trucks, white vans, and jeeps. He insists upon taking them everywhere we go. He almost always carries 3 (one under the arm pit, 2 in his hand)

-He says "Please" and "Thank you".

-He says "Duve you".

-He has several phrases "Where'd it go?", "What's that?", "There it is."

-Much to his Dad's frustration he has become very picky about bedtime stories. He shoves most of his suggestions away. He MUST take 2 pacifiers to bed. If for some reason he loses one of them during the night we must give him another. He usually brings 2 trucks to bed too.

-He hates getting dressed, hair cuts, cutting finger nails, and brushing teeth. He kicks, screams and runs away to avoid any of these activities.

-He loves TV. We have to limit his time there because he could easily sit for hours watching Dora, Sesame Street, & Handy Manny.

He is such an easy going little guy with big personality. He loves to help Mom around the house, dance, and be silly. His laugh is contagious. He drives me nuts, but makes me smile.

Hair Cut

Brady has made it more than clear he will not tolerate a hair cut....so this is what I have to tame everyday.

Progress has been made the last two weeks- We now have windows, shingles and cement in the basement, garage, and entryway. Next weeks comes siding, electrical, plumbing, and heating rough-ins.

Halloween Part 2

Carving pumpkins with Mom


Heading out to Trick-or-Treat


Checking out the Goods



Brady spent most of the weekend in his Superman costume. Saturday morning we went to an ECFE party. Then we headed to the in-laws house for dinner and treats. Then we stopped at Brady's special Great Aunt and Uncle's house for treats on the way home.

We decided to try Trick-or-Treating this year in the neighborhood to see how he responded. He wouldn't say anything at the doors, but he liked ringing the doorbell and holding out his bucket. Once we got home I think I heard the word TREAT about 50 times. He ate a small bag of M&M's, a mini Kit Kat, and shared some Nerds with Mom. Once it was time for bed we had to pry the bucket from his hands.

New House

For those of you who are curious...

Happy Halloween!

21 Months

Words are coming fast. He even has a few 2 word phrases like "What's that?", and "Where's Daddy?". His response to a question is either a head nod or "k". He recently started saying "love you". He will tell you when he has a dirty diaper by announcing "I pooped". Troy and I both agreed last night this is one of our favorite ages.

He loves to help out around the house by putting dirty clothes in the hamper or stuff into the garbage. His favorite toys are Megablocks, Matchbox cars, and trains.

He has had a couple sleepovers at Grandma and Grandpa's and did great. When we come in to pick him up he acts like he never missed us. He is starting to get a little big for a pack n' play so a transition to a big bed will have to happen once we move into the new house.

Under Construction

This kid loves a construction site.

Introducing...

The Thomas Arm!



First impression went something like "GET THIS THING OFF ME NOW!"


After a few minutes it went something like "Oh yeah, there's Thomas. Maybe this is ok."


By the time we had left the clinic he had forgotten it was different and things have been pretty smooth ever since. This arm will give him the ability to grab things and hold on to them. We can also position the elbow.

18 Months

I am a little late with this post, but Brady has been doing some of the cutest things lately I had to write them down somewhere. He recently has formed a very strong attachment to Daddy. He gives him a hug and kiss every morning before he leaves for work. I leave and he barely gives me a second look. I need to get out more....

We are now up to 7 words-Go, Beep, Mom, Dada, Car, Jeep, and Cheese. He points at everything and asks "dah?".

During the moving process we discovered Troy's matchbox car collection. He plays with them all day. Lining them up, carrying them around in a bucket, driving them around the floor. He recently has started insisting that he brings one to bed with him.



He climbs on everything. We have had to take baby proofing to a new level by making sure the computer keys are locked, and the phones are out of reach.

He blows kisses and loves to dance. He loves Dora and Handy Manny. He recently started doing puzzles. We cheer for him after each successful piece. He sometimes get so excited about doing it he cheers for himself. He pats his tummy with his hand to clap.

We are still working on house plans, but are buying a lot soon. We visited our new neighborhood and saw a deer walking through our soon to be backyard. Very cool!

Arm #2

Brady got casted for his new arm this week. They are fitting him with a friction elbow joint and pinchers. This will allow him to use his shoulder to pick things up. He new arm will be this loud print....



He hated the casting part. Thank goodness Grandma tagged along and kept him distracted long enough for it to dry.



A quick family pic...

Moving

Big changes happening around here! Our house is officially under contract and we should close on August 9th. Some of you may be asking yourselves when we put our house on the market? Technically, we didn't. There was never a for sale sign in our yard or pictures on the internet. Troy and I have been dreaming of building a new house, but then the real estate market crashed and it didn't make much sense. A realtor friend happened to mention to Troy she had someone coming from out of town to look at houses in our neighborhood. She asked if we wanted to show. We figured what harm could it do? Two weeks later we sold our house. New house plans are in the works and we are hoping to dig ASAP. Meanwhile, we will be renting this cute 2 bedroom house a few blocks away while half our stuff goes into storage.

So, if you don't hear from us for about 5 months it's because we are busy making decisions about bathroom tile and door knobs. Here's hoping this doesn't go down as the worst decision ever!

Lately Brady has been into carrying as many things around the house as possible. It took him atleast 15 attempts with several different arrangements, but he finally got down the hallway carrying both his tractor and front end loader.

Father's Day

Brady got to ride on his first tractor today. Grandpa happens to have a very nice one. He got 3 rides and was thrilled!

CAR

The words started flying out of his mouth yesterday...me "Do you want to go for a ride in the car?" Him "Car". I was in such shock I almost dropped him. Then later in the afternoon he said "GO GO", a line from one of his favorite books.

Today he said "Juice" and something that sounded like "Milk" and "More".

16 Months

It's been a while since I have done an update so I think I will take this one bullet style...

-A week after surgery Brady came down with a killer viral infection.  The kind that comes with a 103 temp and skin rash. It lasted a very long 6 days. (See pic)
-Because he was sick for so long, he got to watch TV. He now knows every character on Nick Jr. and the Disney Channel. Favs include Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,  Chuggington, and Handy Manny.
-He says one word-Mum, or sometimes it comes out MumMum or Mom.
-He's still obsessed with trucks. We have checked out every book the library has on the subject, and those have done wonders in keeping him entertained. He loves to point them out when we are in the car. He points and grunts until I acknowledge his spotting. He loves to sit in Daddy's van or Mommy's car and pretend to drive.
-He kisses Mom and Dad. He makes eye contact and comes at you mouth wide open.
-He follows simple commands like "Bring this to Daddy" or "Let's go outside". I sense he is understanding me much more these days. He still rarely responds to just a verbal warning.
-Tantrums are in full swing and I see them just about everyday. I  can now say I have been THAT parent....the one with the child screaming down the aisles at Target. Hitting has become a recent issue...funny things is he only hits me.
-It took me a while to appreciate how fun this stage is. He is a very strong willed little boy and wants to explore all day. He's not interested in shopping or riding in a stroller (unless it involves a free cookie...thank you Cub).

Water Table

We got out the water table today to help battle the heat. Let's just say not much water stayed in the table.

Ear Surgery

Brady had his ear surgery this morning. He was very brave and didn't even cry when the nurse carried him into the operating room. We were only away from him for about 15 minutes before they called us back into recovery. I couldn't resist sharing pictures of these cute toddler gowns they have....

Recovery was tough for about 30 minutes, but once he realized we were going home the tears stopped. A little Tylenol, breakfast and cartoons were all he needed to feel better.

Mother's Day 2010

15 months

Height- 30 3/4"  (40%)
Weight-24 lbs. (43%)
Head- 19.1" (85%)

Brady checked out well, but still has fluid in his middle ear so they referred us over to the ENT department. The Dr. took one look in his ears and recommended tubes. We scheduled the surgery for May 19th. I hope they provide a sedative for the parents....

Brady has been developing crazy fast the last few weeks. He has become obsessed with TRUCKS. We have 3 truck books and they are the only ones he allows us to read anymore. Every time we are in the garage we must sit on the riding lawn mower. Troy thought it would be fun to take him for a ride this weekend. He loved it! When they rounded the corner of the house he would wave and say MAMA.

We are starting to let him use silverware. He does pretty well with the fork, but the spoon has proven to be a challenge.

He has become fascinated with his short arm (we call it his nub). One of his favorite activities is to find things it fits in.

He is doing really well with his prosthetic arm. We are excited to report back to his Dr. this summer with all the progress he is making. He brought his arm to me last week and motioned for me to put it on him. That was proof enough for me that we are doing what is right for him. I am looking forward to his next fitting in July to see what his next prosthetic will look like.

Outdoor Fun

We quickly realized we needed some outdoor toys when Brady kept heading over to the neighbor's yards. We invested in these two obnoxious pieces to keep Brady entertained.

So far they are working-we are having a lot of fun running around the backyard and playing at our neighborhood park. Brady was even brave enough to venture down a few big slides by himself this week. He also discovered dirt, and whenever possible it ends up all over his face.

No real words yet- so far just the point and "uhhh".

Easter

Easter started with Brady opening his Easter basket from Mom & Dad. It will filled with Thomas the Tank Engine stuff, a Spot book, a mini Magna Doodle, and shirt to wear with his swim trunks. Then we headed to church with  Troy's family. We made it through about 20 minutes before he got squirmy so we headed outside to the playground until communion.

Then we headed to Grandma and Grandpa P's for Easter basket #2 and lunch. Brady has his first measurement on the family growth chart.

He loves Grandma & Grandpa's dog. Thankfully she doesn't mind him either.

Then we jumped in the car and headed to Grandma and Grandpa J's for and Easter egg hunt,

Easter Basket #3 and dinner.