Brody man is six months old today! Six months. Halfway to a year. HOLY COW where has the time gone? I can honestly say that I absolutely cannot imagine life without this sweet little boy as a part of it and can't believe how incredibly blessed we are with our two wonderful children. Brody is at such a fun age right now and I just love seeing him grow and develop before my very eyes.
I weighed Brody on our home baby scale today and he weighed in at 16 lbs 12 oz and I get a rough length measurement of 28 inches! We will see how accurate I am when he gets his official measurements at his six month well visit next week! Regardless he is just growing like a weed and getting to be such a big boy! He is wearing all 6 or 6-9 month clothes and seems exceptionally long to me! Its hard to even fathom that he is very close to the size that Ella was on her first birthday!
As far as milestones, Brody seems to be meeting them ahead of the curve or right on time. He has been sitting very well unassisted since 4 months and loves to sit and play with toys and watch his sister run around and act goofy. This kid has a serious love for our dog Franklin and literally every time the dog comes in his sight he breaks out in a huge grin. It is seriously too cute. He is babbling and has the cutest little belly laugh I have ever heard. Big B is such a happy baby- always ready with a smile and so ticklish that he is the easiest guy to get laughing. He is extremely strong on his belly and can get himself into a full push up with his whole torso off the ground. I don't think we are far from crawling- YIKES!
Brody is still on his Alimentum formula which he needs because of his milk protein intolerance. He has a healthy appetite- usually he takes 6 oz bottles or so for a total of about 32-35 oz a day. The past few days he has been not having much of an appetite though, only taking 20ish oz so who knows what his deal is! Sleep does not come easy to us in this house but Brody boy is doing pretty good. He can't stay up late at night and is ready for bed around 6:30-7:00 and on a good night he will sleep until 5 or 5:30 and take a quick 2 oz and go back down for a few hours. We have our bad nights too but he is getting better :)
I can't wait to see what the next six months bring! I sure love this little boy!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
One year...
One year ago today, July 12th, I had my first PICC line put in. It was one of the lowest points I have ever been at. When I think back to that time a year ago, I was so SO sick. Sicker than I realized at the time. It has taken me quite awhile to come to terms with my feelings and emotions regarding my pregnancy and, more specifically, my hyperemesis. I think that for so long I tried to be strong and not let on just how debilitating and draining my illness was. I remember last year at this time calling my OB after a morning full of vomiting and I was laying in bed too weak to stand. I expected him to send me to the hospital for another round of IV fluids but he instead ordered a PICC to be inserted. I was TERRIFIED. For those that aren't aware, prior to my pregnancy with Brody I was pretty much a big scardy cat when it came to needles. Simple blood draws induced huge anxiety in me. So imagine what I was thinking about getting a PICC.
I remember being so so TIRED and sick as I headed to the hospital with my mom that day. I was worried about Ella while I left her with my dad and bummed that Jeff couldn't take off work to come with me to the hospital. We ended up having to wait for a LONG time at the hospital so I was glad my mom was there to keep me company. There was a scale in my room so I weighed myself that day and I was at my lowest point since high school- 123 pounds. I had started the pregnancy at 138 so in just 11 weeks of pregnancy (7 that I was aware of), I had lost 15 pounds! My "skinny" clothes were hanging off of me. On a good day I would eat a slice of american cheese and a baked potato. It was awful.
My pregnancy with Brody was honestly one of the darkest, most difficult periods of my life. I can't put into words how awful it is to feel SO sick for SO long. Like the worst flu or hangover you have ever experienced for MONTHS. I think the hardest part was that I just felt like so many people didn't really get it. Many assumed I just had a bad case of "morning sickness" while others said I should just be grateful that it was easy for us to get pregnant. That hurt more than people realize and it has been hard for me to get over some of my friends that weren't really there for me.
I am so thankful that I am in this place one year later with my absolutely adorable baby boy. He is so amazing and worth every single struggle I went through over those nine long months. Sometimes I think it truly is a miracle that he is here and healthy after all I went through!
I remember being so so TIRED and sick as I headed to the hospital with my mom that day. I was worried about Ella while I left her with my dad and bummed that Jeff couldn't take off work to come with me to the hospital. We ended up having to wait for a LONG time at the hospital so I was glad my mom was there to keep me company. There was a scale in my room so I weighed myself that day and I was at my lowest point since high school- 123 pounds. I had started the pregnancy at 138 so in just 11 weeks of pregnancy (7 that I was aware of), I had lost 15 pounds! My "skinny" clothes were hanging off of me. On a good day I would eat a slice of american cheese and a baked potato. It was awful.
My pregnancy with Brody was honestly one of the darkest, most difficult periods of my life. I can't put into words how awful it is to feel SO sick for SO long. Like the worst flu or hangover you have ever experienced for MONTHS. I think the hardest part was that I just felt like so many people didn't really get it. Many assumed I just had a bad case of "morning sickness" while others said I should just be grateful that it was easy for us to get pregnant. That hurt more than people realize and it has been hard for me to get over some of my friends that weren't really there for me.
I am so thankful that I am in this place one year later with my absolutely adorable baby boy. He is so amazing and worth every single struggle I went through over those nine long months. Sometimes I think it truly is a miracle that he is here and healthy after all I went through!
Monday, July 11, 2011
4th of July Week
We have had a very busy week! It has been so wonderful to spend time as a family and do some fun things together! Jeff took the whole week off which is something he has never done since he started working- it was pretty darn awesome! We kicked off the week last Sunday by taking Ella to the 4th of July carnival over in Lions Park. I had been to the carnival years ago as a kid but could hardly remember what it was like so we weren't sure whether she would like it or not. Well she LOVED it! There weren't a ton of rides she could go on because she is still pretty small and many have height requirements but she loved the merry go round and a random car ride. The highlight of the evening was when Ella and I rode the Ferris Wheel together! It was so much fun! I thought she would get scared but she had a ball- she just kept waving at her Daddy and saying "Higher higher!"
The next day, Monday was the 4th. We started out by meeting my parents for the parade in Urbandale. Both kiddos did great and even though Ella didn't get much candy she still had a good time! Then we headed home and went to our neighbor's Dave and Donna's house for a BBQ. It was fun to see all our neighbors and watch the kiddos run around and play. Then it was time to head home for naps. In the evening, we had all the neighbors over for drinks in the driveway while the kids played and watched fireworks. We are truly blessed to be in such a wonderful neighborhood with wonderful friends and we know our kids will grow up to be best of friends as well! Brody boy went to bed at his usual 7 PM bedtime and slept through all the fireworks bless his heart. This is the first year we have kept Ella up for them and while she was a bit scared of the actual fireworks, she had a ball playing with her friends, doing sparklers, blowing bubbles, and running around with flashlights. She was up until after 11 PM!
Tuesday was a day to sort of catch up on sleep and recuperate and we also packed and got organized for our trip to Okoboji. We spent the rest of the week up at Jeff's parents' lake house with 15 members of my family. Both my aunts/uncles and cousins all came up, along with my parents, my brother and my grandma. We had five days of beautiful weather and had a great time! We spent most of our days floating lazily on rafts in the water, the boys fished a lot and we took evening boat rides. It was so nice. I will say that vacationing with two little ones is a bit more hectic than it used to be when it was just Jeff and I! It felt like one of us was always running after someone but I wouldn't have it any other way! Both Brody and Ella had little lifejackets to wear and loved floating in the water! I was wondering how B would do but he just loved floating around in his little inner tube and looked as relaxed as could be.
One night we took Ella to Arnold's Park and she absolutely loved all the rides there. It was a fun way to end the evening. It was also Jeff and my four year wedding anniversary during the trip so we celebrated by sneaking away while Grandma watched the kids for a bit and had an awesome dinner by the lake. It was fun to think back over the past four years as we shared a bottle of wine and to realize how far we have come! Our first anniversary I was pregnant with Ella and she was pretty little our second anniversary so we didn't do a whole lot to celebrate. Last year I was deathly ill battling hyperemesis so our third also went a bit unnoticed so it was nice to have some quality time together this year!
The next day, Monday was the 4th. We started out by meeting my parents for the parade in Urbandale. Both kiddos did great and even though Ella didn't get much candy she still had a good time! Then we headed home and went to our neighbor's Dave and Donna's house for a BBQ. It was fun to see all our neighbors and watch the kiddos run around and play. Then it was time to head home for naps. In the evening, we had all the neighbors over for drinks in the driveway while the kids played and watched fireworks. We are truly blessed to be in such a wonderful neighborhood with wonderful friends and we know our kids will grow up to be best of friends as well! Brody boy went to bed at his usual 7 PM bedtime and slept through all the fireworks bless his heart. This is the first year we have kept Ella up for them and while she was a bit scared of the actual fireworks, she had a ball playing with her friends, doing sparklers, blowing bubbles, and running around with flashlights. She was up until after 11 PM!
Tuesday was a day to sort of catch up on sleep and recuperate and we also packed and got organized for our trip to Okoboji. We spent the rest of the week up at Jeff's parents' lake house with 15 members of my family. Both my aunts/uncles and cousins all came up, along with my parents, my brother and my grandma. We had five days of beautiful weather and had a great time! We spent most of our days floating lazily on rafts in the water, the boys fished a lot and we took evening boat rides. It was so nice. I will say that vacationing with two little ones is a bit more hectic than it used to be when it was just Jeff and I! It felt like one of us was always running after someone but I wouldn't have it any other way! Both Brody and Ella had little lifejackets to wear and loved floating in the water! I was wondering how B would do but he just loved floating around in his little inner tube and looked as relaxed as could be.
One night we took Ella to Arnold's Park and she absolutely loved all the rides there. It was a fun way to end the evening. It was also Jeff and my four year wedding anniversary during the trip so we celebrated by sneaking away while Grandma watched the kids for a bit and had an awesome dinner by the lake. It was fun to think back over the past four years as we shared a bottle of wine and to realize how far we have come! Our first anniversary I was pregnant with Ella and she was pretty little our second anniversary so we didn't do a whole lot to celebrate. Last year I was deathly ill battling hyperemesis so our third also went a bit unnoticed so it was nice to have some quality time together this year!
Monday, June 27, 2011
5 Months Old!
Brody boy is five months old today. Where, oh where, has the time gone? He is getting so big and so strong. I weighed him today and he was sixteen pounds even which is exactly what Ella weighed at NINE months old haha! He is eating 5 bottles a day- most are 6 ounces and his bedtime bottle is 7-8 ounces! He has been eating rice cereal for about a month now and doing pretty good with it. Last night we started vegetables, giving him green beans for the first time. He wasn't sure about them at first and did a little shudder after his first swallow but then did pretty good, eating about a fourth of the container. As far as sleep goes, little man had a rough time from about four months until now but things seem to be improving. He is an early to bed guy, usually down by 7 if not 7:30 at the latest. He had been waking twice like clockwork every night but the past week has been down to one waking around 3 AM or none at all like last night. Hopefully we are on the trend to full night sleeping again! :)
As far as physical milestones, B is getting really good at his sitting. He was a tripod sitter for awhile, using his hands to support him. Now he has decided he's too cool for all that so he is not using his hands at all! This causes him to unexpectedly fall over sometimes when he makes a sudden movement but he is getting more steady every day. He is getting a bit frustrated these days on his tummy because he desperately wants to crawl. He will push up on his arms and flail and kick like crazy but can't figure out how to get anywhere! Poor little man! Hopefully he can figure it out soon although I am not sure I am ready for him to be mobile yet! :)
We are continuing to soak up the summer sun and just enjoy our sweet life. This past week was a bit hectic as I attended a conference for work all day Thursday and Friday. My mom watched the kiddos on Friday which was her first real taste of watching both of them all day. Things went great but I am sure she was exhausted that night! Jeff took the day off Friday and hung out with the kids and they had a great time. He left in the afternoon with Ella and Franklin for a quick trip to Sun Valley lake to see his parents. Apparently Ella just had a ball playing at the beach and riding on the boat. Jeff said she even swam by herself for a few minutes in her lifejacket! My little girl is growing up! She was SO excited to tell me all about it when she got home!
On Saturday I hosted a baby shower for a good friend so my parents offered to keep Brody overnight on Friday for the first time so I could get some cleaning and last minute preparations done. As any mommy knows, leaving your baby with someone else overnight for the first time is HARD! I thought it would be easier now that we have already gone through it with Ella but gosh leaving my sweet man was sad for me. He did SO good though and my parents really enjoyed having him. It was extremely strange to be home all by myself for the night but I was able to get everything done ten times faster than if my family were home and the shower turned out great! :)
As far as physical milestones, B is getting really good at his sitting. He was a tripod sitter for awhile, using his hands to support him. Now he has decided he's too cool for all that so he is not using his hands at all! This causes him to unexpectedly fall over sometimes when he makes a sudden movement but he is getting more steady every day. He is getting a bit frustrated these days on his tummy because he desperately wants to crawl. He will push up on his arms and flail and kick like crazy but can't figure out how to get anywhere! Poor little man! Hopefully he can figure it out soon although I am not sure I am ready for him to be mobile yet! :)
We are continuing to soak up the summer sun and just enjoy our sweet life. This past week was a bit hectic as I attended a conference for work all day Thursday and Friday. My mom watched the kiddos on Friday which was her first real taste of watching both of them all day. Things went great but I am sure she was exhausted that night! Jeff took the day off Friday and hung out with the kids and they had a great time. He left in the afternoon with Ella and Franklin for a quick trip to Sun Valley lake to see his parents. Apparently Ella just had a ball playing at the beach and riding on the boat. Jeff said she even swam by herself for a few minutes in her lifejacket! My little girl is growing up! She was SO excited to tell me all about it when she got home!
On Saturday I hosted a baby shower for a good friend so my parents offered to keep Brody overnight on Friday for the first time so I could get some cleaning and last minute preparations done. As any mommy knows, leaving your baby with someone else overnight for the first time is HARD! I thought it would be easier now that we have already gone through it with Ella but gosh leaving my sweet man was sad for me. He did SO good though and my parents really enjoyed having him. It was extremely strange to be home all by myself for the night but I was able to get everything done ten times faster than if my family were home and the shower turned out great! :)
Monday, June 20, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Summer Lovin'
My top ten favorite things about summer so far:
1. Lazy mornings cuddling on the couch or in mommy's bed in no rush to go anywhere.
2. Making rainbows with sidewalk chalk with Ella.
3. Playing in the kiddie pool with both kiddos and seeing their huge smiles.
4. Girl time with Ella in the treehouse while Brody naps.
5. Long evening walks after dinner with the whole fam.
6. Seeing Ella change from a baby to a little girl in her swimming lessons and gymnastics classes.
7. Sweet baby giggles as Brody man and I have tummy time together while Ella naps.
8. Sitting in the driveway watching all the neighborhood kids play together.
9. Grilling yummy steaks and chicken.
10. Wine on the deck with my wonderful husband. :)
1. Lazy mornings cuddling on the couch or in mommy's bed in no rush to go anywhere.
2. Making rainbows with sidewalk chalk with Ella.
3. Playing in the kiddie pool with both kiddos and seeing their huge smiles.
4. Girl time with Ella in the treehouse while Brody naps.
5. Long evening walks after dinner with the whole fam.
6. Seeing Ella change from a baby to a little girl in her swimming lessons and gymnastics classes.
7. Sweet baby giggles as Brody man and I have tummy time together while Ella naps.
8. Sitting in the driveway watching all the neighborhood kids play together.
9. Grilling yummy steaks and chicken.
10. Wine on the deck with my wonderful husband. :)
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Sleep- Who needs it?
We all know Miss Ella was a notoriously horrible sleeper for the better part of the first two years of her life. She got us pretty used to not sleeping much at all and we spent many nights extremely frustrated, wondering if she was EVER going to sleep through the night. So of course when Brody came along, we were pleasantly surprised that he started sleeping long stretches at night around 8 weeks and first slept through the night at 10 weeks. So THIS was what most parents experienced in the sleep department! Well all that has come to a screeching halt the past two weeks. Starting with B's ear infection, he began waking at night presumably because he was in pain. Since then, sleep has been a nightmare. Now keep in mind, we also broke the swaddle habit around this same time because he began rolling in his crib and that made me nervous having his arms and legs constrained. So not only was he going through his ear infection but also the newfound freedom of being free of a swaddle in bed. Now when we put him to sleep he immediately flips to his belly, but once there he flails and squirms and has such a hard time getting comfortable. We try flipping him over to his back but he immediately goes to his tummy again. So the past few weeks he has been waking multiple times a night needing help getting back to sleep and occasionally a few more oz of milk to settle him down. It has been frustrating especially because he was doing SO good. Now I don't know if I will EVER get my good sleeper back. :(
In other news we had another fun week at home on summer vacation. We had a few playdates with friends which are always nice. I love watching Ella play with her friends now that she is getting older. It is so sweet listening to their little conversations and watching them entertain each other! This weekend we had a garage sale to get rid of some of Ella's baby clothes. We had a pretty good turnout and made about $300 but still have TONS of clothes left. Pretty sad that by 6 months Ella had a more extensive closet than her mommy! :)
This week we are looking forward to more fun in the sun! Ella starts swimming lessons which will be Monday-Thursday in the evening for the next two weeks. We picked up a new swim suit today so she is ready to go! I am sure she will have a blast! I am loving my days home with the kiddos and am cherishing every minute!
In other news we had another fun week at home on summer vacation. We had a few playdates with friends which are always nice. I love watching Ella play with her friends now that she is getting older. It is so sweet listening to their little conversations and watching them entertain each other! This weekend we had a garage sale to get rid of some of Ella's baby clothes. We had a pretty good turnout and made about $300 but still have TONS of clothes left. Pretty sad that by 6 months Ella had a more extensive closet than her mommy! :)
This week we are looking forward to more fun in the sun! Ella starts swimming lessons which will be Monday-Thursday in the evening for the next two weeks. We picked up a new swim suit today so she is ready to go! I am sure she will have a blast! I am loving my days home with the kiddos and am cherishing every minute!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)