A Few Pictures

Brady has seemed to grow into a toddler overnight! As I look at him now, I no longer see my baby boy, but my little man. Of course he'll always be my baby!

This is his "smile" face...
In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have taught him to smile...Now every picture we take for the next 4 years will probably look like this...

These are his favorite boots...actually they're his only boots and he often goes to his closet and brings them to me so he can wear them around the house...

And this is just a silly boy being a silly boy...

Disappering Act

This morning, Brady was playing in his room like always.

Suddenly, I heard a cry. But not his usual shrill, mad at the world cry, or his hysterical, the world must be coming to an end cry...a muffled cry. I thought maybe he'd shut his door and was just wanting out...but his door was wide open.

I go in the room, but don't see him. The closet door was open, so I checked in there, no Brady. I looked on the other side of his bed, no Brady. I looked behind the bed, no Brady. My heart started beating a little faster and I started to get a little panicky.

I hurried out of his room and into ours, no Brady. I ran down the hall and saw that the bathroom door was closed, so I thought, "Whew...he's closed himself in there." I opened the door, no Brady!


By this time I was really freaking out. My child was still crying, by now more hysterically, and I could hear him, but I couldn't see him...ANYWHERE!

I went back into his room one more time. I listened. It sounded like it was coming from the crib, but he wasn't in the crib! Finally, I looked under the crib.

And there he was! His diaper was hung on the springs and two of the cutest little cheeks you've ever seen were exposed. It took me a minute to free him and another minute to figure out how to get him out from under there. I ended up just dragging him out by his feet.

After about 30 seconds of cuddling and kisses he wanted to be free so I checked for blood or bruises and then let him go. And what's the first thing he does...try to crawl back under the darn crib!

They never learn do they?!

"Fires!"

I need to keep a notebook so I can look back one day and laugh at all of the silly things our kids say. Tonight had one of those moments I want to remember.

We were sitting at the table eating dinner, Buck and I in our chairs, and Brady in his high chair next to the table.

Every night at the conclusion of dinner one of us will ask Brady, "Brady, what time is it?". To which he always responds, "Baff time!".

Lately he's been obsessed with candles, more specifically, lighting the candles, which he calls, "fires". The center piece on our table holds eight votive "fires" and every night for the last week during dinner Brady has asked repeatedly for "fires".

So tonight, when we asked him, "Brady, what time is it?", instead of the usual, "Baff time", he responded with, "Fires time!"

16 Weeks

I thought I'd put up a new belly shot. Baby X is growing and thriving as evidenced by my burgeoning belly!

I'm growing rather fond of my little round shape. Which if you knew me at all during my pregnancy with Brady, speaks volumes!

I'm still on Zofran, but feeling so much better!! I have much more energy, I'm keeping all of my food and drinks down, and I can carry Brady up the 3 flights of stairs again, without gasping for air at the top! I feel like I've made a breakthrough!

Tomorrow, I go for my 16 week check-up, so check back soon!

Sexy New 'Do

I finally did it! Brady has a big boy haircut!

If you'd have asked me 2 months ago, I'd have told you that I was planning on leaving the curls in tact until he turned 2. That was then. Things happen. Plans change. And not always because you intend for them too.

I was tremendously please with Brady's 1st haircut! But, after about a month he needed another one. I tried to schedule the 2nd one with the same guy who cut it the first time, but he was out of town and it would have been over two weeks before we could have cut Brady's hair again.

It couldn't wait. The curls were taking over and growing wild! My poor child looked like his mama took no interest in his grooming. As evidenced here...

My husband, dear man that he is, talked me into taking Brady to the barber shop on post. He assured me that it would be fine and that if I specifically told him not to cut it too short and to leave most of the curls that's what would happen.

I left the barber shop in tears and continued to cry every time I looked at the back of my baby's head for the remainder of the day. Not one precious baby curl remained! In fact the guy used the clippers!! Brady was nearly scalped!

I let his hair grow and grow, each day praying that he would wake up and I would see a curl beginning to sprout. After a month and a half, when his hair was over his ears, I finally, sadly, resolved myself to the fact that they would never return.

Today we went for his third haircut and I decided that he might as well have the big boy style, that I was set on waiting for until January. I told Uli to cut it short enough on top that I could give him a messy little spike, yet long enough that I could still comb it over as I had been.

Here are the results...and I must say that I was more than pleased! In fact, I'm in love! The entire drive home, I just kept looking at him in the rear-view mirror and smiling!

Brady was pleased with himself too. He told Uli that it was "sassy", his word for sexy! LOL!

Proof that sometimes, when life changes your plans for you, it turns out for the better!

Welcoming Fall!!

What is it about Fall?

So many things to love.

The crisper, cooler, cleaner air.

The extra spring in your step.

The feeling of excitement....Something's coming. Things are a changin'.

Anticipation.

The smell of new books and school supplies.

Football!

Holidays to celebrate.

Time with family, gathered around the table.

A good, warm bowl of gumbo on a cool afternoon.

Pumpkin patches.

Precious kids dressed in their Halloween best.

Cozy sweaters.

Carmel apples.

Fall festivals.

Adorable decorations to put out in the yard. (Oh, how I do miss Hobby Lobby!)

The beautiful colors of the changing leaves in contrast with the clear blue sky. Just makes you stop and take a long look at God's goodness and the beauty with which he blesses your life, doesn't it?

Another year coming to a close.

A new one, full of life and possibility coming to fruition.

So many memories to look fondly upon...so many more yet to be made.

Enjoy every falling leaf, every cool breeze, every sunny skied day!

13 Weeks And Growing

Finally! The much anticipated "belly" photo! I was 13 weeks in this picture (15 weeks now). It was the first time that I actually felt good enough to get dressed and smile in a photo in 2 months!

It hit me at 7 weeks. It was all I could do to get out of bed and half-way manage to care for Brady. I was like a pre-adolescent teen who wasn't too keen on personal hygeine. Brushing my teeth produced an unwanted response of hurling into the toilet, washing my hair made me feel like I had run a marathon while sick with mono, and getting out of my p.j.'s, which I had worn for 3 days straight, and putting on clean clothes was out of the question! Trust me people, it wasn't pretty! I couldn't keep down ice chips!

My sweet little Baby X was sucking the life right out of me! Of course, all of the time I spent on my knees bowing to the porcelin throne sent me to the emergency room one night with pretty severe dehydration. But, boy am I ever glad that it did!

After a few bags of IV fluids they pushed some Zofran through the IV. I had never heard of it and usually I'm totally against meds, especially if I'm pregnant, but that night they could have pushed crack through that line and I wouldn't have cared! Within minutes I was feeling like a human being again! Once they were satisfied that me and baby were okay they sent us to the pharmacy to pick up some Zofran to take home with me. At first I was having to take it 3 or 4 times a day to keep food and liquids down, but after about 5 or 6 weeks on it I was down to just one pill a day, in the morning, before getting out of bed. I thought, "Hey, I'm almost 15 weeks now, and finally over the ALL, DAY, SICKNESS!".

Wrong again! Last Monday I took the last of the pills. I truly thought I'd be fine. Tuesday morning I woke up wishing I had a refill! Once again, nothing I ate or drank would stay down. NOTHING! Brady had been sick with a viral infection, so I thought maybe I just got his bug. I decided to give it a day.

Wednesday morning I woke up and same scenario. Only with one other problem...Brady woke up unresponsive and limp. I was terrified! Somehow, I managed to stop heaving long enough to get him to the ER and find out what was wrong. Luckily, it was only dehydration and after about 5 hours on IV fluids, he was back to himself.

On a side note...I was totally proud of my little man! He handled all those needles and people poking him like a champ! He's one tough cookie! After they started his IV he actually thanked them!! Totally unprompted by Buck and I, he looked at them with tears still in those beautiful, blue eyes and said, "Tay-Tou". Too precious! Then he continued to thank them every time they came in the room to check on him. The nurse said if they gave awards he'd be the patient of the month.

So...back to my predicament. Since we were there in the hospital I walked down to the OB clinic to see if I could get a nurse to put in for a refill. I was told I'd have to wait for a TCON (telephone conference) and that it could be up to 72 hours. Are you kidding me? Did this woman not hear me? For almost 3 days I haven't kept down any fluids...and I'm almost 15 weeks pregnant! Anyone else think that's kind of risky?! And, a 4 day weekend was coming up. If I didn't get the Zofran by Thursday at 4:30, I'm back in the ER sometime over the weekend, cause I don't think I'll stay hydrated puking this much for the next 5 days!

I leave and go back to my baby, who at this point is ready to go home. We finally get Brady discharged and go home. The rest of the evening I was praying for that phone call and no luck! Thursday morning rolls around...still terribly sick. I wait a few hours and when no nurse calls, I call the clinic again. Again, I'm told I'll have to wait for a TCON. When no one has called me by 2:00 that afternoon and the leg cramps are starting, I call again. This time I refuse to hang up without hearing from a nurse. Finally! Results!

The nurse agrees to put in for a refill, but...I have to wait for a doctor to sign off on it, which may be a while. Great. Our pharmacy here closes at 4:30 so that would mean if the Dr. doesn't give the O.K. soon, I'm driving 40 minutes to the hospital pharmacy to pick up the meds. Luckily, all ended well and at 4:15 (just in the nick of time), my meds were in my hands!

Once again, the miracle drug is working and I'm functioning like a normal human being. I just wonder how much longer this will continue? I thought that by 15 weeks I'd be past this mess. The things we go through for our kids, huh? Funny thing is, I'm already talking about and planning for number 3! I need serious therapy don't I?!

All I know is that our children (even the one we're waiting on) have brought more joy and love into my life than I ever could have imagined! I want a house full! I love dancing to the music of little feet!