Deezus!

Despite the fact that Brendan is still super picky with what he'll eat, he's somehow managing to grow like a weed. We haven't had him measured since his 18-month appointment and it's damn near impossible to get him to stand still long enough to measure him but I think he's grown at least 1.5" since then.

His vocabulary is also growing by leaps and bounds. His newest thing is saying Jesus all the time. I know I should hang my head in shame over the fact that my child uses the Lord's name in vain and whatnot, but I find it kind of funny that even though his Daddy says lots of fun 4-letter words (the kind that rhyme with truck and pit) he picks up the word Jesus.

I have a habit of saying it as a replacement for other, less toddler-friendly words (like the kind that rhymes with grassbowl). For instance, when I'm driving in the middle lane of a three-lane highway and some driver merges onto the highway and immediately MUST move into the middle lane. Even though THERE IS NO ONE IN FRONT OF THEM FOR MILES and they have to CUT ME OFF to perform this manuever. So out comes, "JESUS!!!" instead of... well, other things that wouldn't be very nice. I never realized just how much I say this until he started repeating me. Thankfully he says it "Deezus" so I doubt most other people know what he's saying.

Brendan is still delightful as a daisy when he wakes up in the morning (and he still wakes up by 6am most days, waaahhh!). On one recent morning when it happened to be my morning to sleep in, I heard him saying "Mommy, Moooommmmmy, up peas (please)." So I opened one eye and said "Tell Daddy to get up." And he whispered, "Daddy's beeping (sleeping)." Why he recognizes that Daddy is sleeping but it doesn't matter that Mommy's eyes are closed is beyond me.

I say this about every age, but this age is sooooo much fun. I'm going to miss this baby talk stuff when he's speaking in full sentences with perfect pronunciation while giving his valedictorian speech at Harvard. At the tender age of five. Because my kid is a genius. Move over Doogie Howser.

Blowing bubbles with Nana (sometimes known as "Nina" although I'm not sure why)








In an attempt to get him to eat more, I thought I'd use fancy food presentation. In a fancy ice cube tray. Left to right: red grapes, cucumbers, swiss cheese, cheddar cheese and pizza, all cut up into bite size pieces. He ate the pizza and grapes. It was a valiant, if not particularly successful effort.


Walking around one of Mima's gardens (Mima is G'ma Annie's new name that B just came up with)






Taking a sip of "wattuz" (waters)










Trying on Daddy's work "shyooz" (shoes)





Brendan is 23 months and 3 days old today!

18 Months

Sir is a growing machine! He had his 18-month appointment today where we found out that he grew 2.5" since his last appointment three months ago. He shot up from the 75th percentile to the 95th percentile!

This is kind of where I imagined he'd be all along, considering how tall Kenny and I are. He gained one pound, nothing crazy, but he's been fighting a stomach bug (which he graciously shared with Momby and Daddy - yes, he calls me Momby) so I'm sure that he's closer to a 1.5 to 2lb gain. Anyway, he's still in the 50th percentile for weight and above the 95th percentile for head circumference, which still makes me giggle.

He's been a lot more vocal and determined to express himself. Most of what he says still sounds like a whole lot of gibberish but we can make out some words here and there. Some of his favorites are:

Oh mo! (oh no)
Shyooz (shoes)
Uh oh!
Cookie (of course he knows this one!)
Mombydaddy (he has a habit of babbling and stringing these two words together)
Ee-i-ee-i-oooo (this is the only part of Old MacDonald he knows and he likes to interject it randomly during his rants)
Uppy (up)
Bush tee (brush teeth)
No (always with a head shake to emphasize the "no" part)
Te-you (two, after I say one)

And of course he knows a few of his favorite shows on Nick Jr.:
Wow wow wow wow Wubshe (Wow Wow Wubbzy)
Booz cooz (Blue's Clues)
Yoo (Yo Gabba Gabba)

His receptive language is really developing nicely too. He knows what it means when I ask him to bring me something, when I say it's time for a bath or bed, etc. It's amazing how quickly their language develops at this age. Every time I look at him I wonder where my baby went.


Brendan is 18 months, 2 weeks and 4 days old today!

Colossal Cranium

Today was Brendan's 12-month check-up (a little late considering he's 10 days away from 13 months). Brendan is home from daycare this week since Chris is away so Daddy brought him to the doctor and I left work to meet them over there.

He was a model patient, as always, sitting up nice and straight and was very calm (and curious!) while the doctor listened to his heartbeat and checked his ears and eyes. She asked about the milestones he reached; one being whether he pointed at objects and he promptly responded by pointing at her, genius child that he is.

B weighed in at 22lb 5oz and 30.75" tall. His weight is somewhere around the lower middle range, while his height puts him at about the 75th percentile. I don't know his head measurement but whatever it is, it knocked him clear off the charts! Daddy found this very funny. Of course, B had a nice big black and blue on his forehead from one of his recent falls. Thankfully they didn't run out and call CPS on us.

He had to get his third HIB vaccine and first Hep A vaccine. Which pissed him off royally but thankfully he calmed down pretty quickly. We headed down to the lab next so they could draw two vials of blood to test for lead poisoning and anemia. As we were waiting in the lab I commented to Ken how much better B and I handle his shots now compared to his first ones at two months. And then I promptly ate my words.

Drawing blood, if you've ever had it done and I'm sure you have, is much worse than getting a shot because it's a prolonged kind of event. B sat on Daddy's lap while a nurse held one arm and the lab guy held his other one and took the blood. I made some excuse about needing to get the stroller out of the way and stood on the other side of the room. They put the needle in and it was quiet and I thought, wow, he's handling this really well! Then he turned toward me in slow motion and I saw his face, melted with absolute sadness and horror at the pain (oh, the pain!), and then he let out a wail that didn't stop until a few minutes after they took the needle out and he was safe in Daddy's arms again. I did not cry, interwebs, but my heart broke for him.

Next appointment is at 15 months. Eek.


Brendan is 1 year, 2 weeks and 6 days old today!

A Shot for Brendan (and a few for Mommy -- the kind that burn the back of your throat going down)

Brendan had his 9-month check-up on Monday. Grandma Annie came along, which was nice for Mommy because I was pretty sure he was going to be getting at least one shot. Brendan was displaying some clear signals that he was aware of where he was and the sort of impending doom that follows when one visits the doctor. When I put him on the table to get him undressed he started whimpering and looking at me with pleading eyes, "Why Mom? Why are you doing this to me? I promise I'll be good. I'll eat all my green vegetables without making faces or gagging until I puke." And my heart just broke for the little guy. I did my best to keep my game face on and smiled at him and told him everything would be fine. But let's face it, when you're at the doctor's office everything ain't gonna be fine and he knew it.

Despite my absolute certainty that he weighs at least 130 pounds, Brendan came in at a delicate 21lb 1.5oz (50th percentile). He's 29.75" tall (80th percentile) and has a head circumference somewhere in the 90-95th percentile. A string bean with a watermelon on top. I made sure to announce to the doctor that he got this last trait from his large-headed father. He did indeed need a shot, but only one. Which did nothing to diminish the amount of pissed-offness that followed.

As Brendan approaches the big O-N-E, Kenny and I are more than ready to start looking for a bigger place to buy. One that might actually be able to contain the absurd amount of stuff that comes with a baby. And a husband who gets serious separation anxiety when I casually mention that it might be time to think about throwing away that pile of magazines from oh, 1980! I'd like to say that the new place will be spotless and everything will be organized in labeled, color-coded bins and we'll host weekly parties to show everyone how on top of it we are. But let's face it, we're not those people and our house will never be clean again. At least not until I have a place of my own.

Brendan has decided to skip crawling (he says it's for babies) and move straight to walking. Mommy and Daddy either need longer arms or Sir needs to grow about a foot. When he gets it into his head that it's time to practice, there's no room for negotiation. And it's some back-breaking stuff—walking all hunched over him so he can hold onto our fingers. I tried to get him to use the walker thing but he just got all pissed off and pitched a fit. Maybe because he kept rolling it over his little sausage foot. (He has a tendency to walk with his left foot facing due west.) I'll post a video of it when I can find a few minutes.

Since I neglected to blog about Easter, which we spent with Grandma Annie, Grandpa Charlie and Great Grandma Mimi, I'll post some adorable pictures of our very own little Easter Bunny below. Oh, and some other pictures too. Because they're cute. And I like to show off my exceptionally photogenic child.

Nine more days until Florida!!! Woooo hooo!!! We are soooo excited to see everyone and for Brendan to meet his Grandpa Billy, Grandma Sharon, Aunt Nicole, Uncle Matthew, Great Grandma Jackie and everyone else down there he hasn't gotten to meet yet. Mommy has made packing lists and is doing everything in her power to be as prepared as possible. Not not mention hoping beyond hope that Brendan doesn't freak out on the plane. I remember being that young girl without kids who rolled her eyes and declared the parents of the screaming kid unfit! And then thinking to myself, "When I have kids they're TOTALLY going to be the best, well-mannered, amazing kids EVER!" ::Blushes and looks down at the floor:: Yeah, what the hell did I know about anything? Is it bad parenting to administer a sleeping aid to a child before takeoff? JUST KIDDING PEOPLE. I wouldn't do that. Not really. Unless it was totally necessary.


















Brendan is 9 months, 3 weeks and 3 days old today!

Snow, snow go away!

I'm tired of snow. It's cold and slippery and hard to drive in. (At least when you have a little Honda Civic. That needs new tires.) While I appreciate the fact that snow means overtime for Kenny which means extra money for us, it also means that I'm basically a single parent until it ends. Sometimes it only means a few hours of overtime. Sometimes it means I don't see Kenny for 2-3 days.

I adore that little bundle of chubby deliciousness but it's exhausting to get up at the crack of dawn with him, get us both ready and out the door by 7:30, drop him off at daycare, work all day, pick him up (if Kenny is still working), get him fed, bathed, spend some quality time with him and then hopefully get him to sleep by 7:30 or so. Then I get an hour, maybe an hour and a half of "me time" before I go to bed. I have such great respect for single parents out there. Especially the ones who have more than one kid. I don't know how they do it!

Anyway, enough of my moaning. We've got grandmothers a half hour or so drive away just chomping at the bit to watch him so it's not like I don't have help if I need it.

The monster, or Sir, as I've become fond of calling him (as in yes Sir, whatever you want Sir, Sir why are you growling, Sir please don't pull my hair) had a check-up last week. Daddy took him to this one by himself and he did a great job! He reported that Brendan is now 28" tall and weighs almost 19lb. He's in the 80th percentile for height and head circumference (he can thank Daddy for that) and 50th percentile for weight. He got a bunch of shots which he did not like one bit but it was nothing a little Tylenol and TLC couldn't cure. I have to bring him back at the end of February for his second flu shot and then he's in the clear until his 9-month appt.

Brendan is eating solids like a champ, three times a day. He gets some cereal and fruit for breakfast, fruit and vegetable for lunch and cereal and vegetable for dinner. All pureed of course. The doctor said he can start finger foods when he's got his pincer grip down (when he can grab small objects with his pointer and thumb fingers). He's just DESPERATE to crawl but he hasn't figured it out just yet. Which, frankly, is fine by me because that's when all the trouble really begins anyway. It's only a matter of time though.

He's got six teeth now, four on top and two on the bottom, and he chews everyhing he can get his chubby little hands on. We're supposed to be brushing his teeth so I went out and bought a tiny little toothbrush for him and gave it a try but he looked at me like it was the most disgusting thing that's ever been in his mouth. Even worse than the time I fed him green beans (which he gagged on and eventually threw up). So I just wipe them with a wet washcloth instead. We'll try the toothbrush again in a few weeks.


Brendan is two days away from 7 months old!

So cute!


Sporting his Alfalfa look


Spending some QT with Grandma Annie


Hanging out with Auntie Andrea




Brendan is two days away from 7 months old today!

Sleep is for wimps

I will no longer ask other mothers about their babies' sleep habits. I just can't listen to another person tell me how their little angel started sleeping through the night at three months. ::shaking fists of fury:: Lies! It's all lies.

I mean, how is it possible that EVERYONE else's baby sleeps all the way through the night without needing a lil' snack here and there?? Oh Brendan, it's okay that it's 1am and you can't possibly survive another second without a bottle. And oh sure, 4am is a perfect time to have a really LOUD conversation with your imaginary friends. But seriously, as soon as I peer over that crib and he sees me and flashes that huge gummy grin, I can't possibly be annoyed about the early wake-up call. Kenny and I have laid (layed? I can never get this right) still in bed many a time at wee hours in the morning stifling a giggle when the baby starts his incessant high octane babbling. The trick is not to let him know that you're in the room or it's all over. Of course, there are times when he just won't give up and we have no choice but to surrender.

Anyway, our little guy had his 4-month checkup on Wednesday. He's up to 15lbs and 25.5" tall. So just below average for weight and a little above average for height. Long and lean. He had to get three shots. Oy. Still not easy for Mommy to deal with so I was grateful that Daddy was able to get to this appt too. Brendan was pissed about the shots and let us know it but this time he calmed down very quickly and was fine for the rest of the night. Thankfully Nana Darlene was watching him the next day so when he woke up with a little temp and crankiness she was able to give him some Tylenol and make everything better.

We got the all clear to start giving him baby cereal and we're hopeful that it will help him sleep for a longer stretch at night. We're going to give it a whirl tomorrow night. Have to make sure the video camera is fully charged for that one. I'm sure it will be an interesting (read: messy and hysterical) adventure. Don't worry, I'll make sure I upload it to You Tube so I can post it here.

Here are some recent pics of the little munchkin. He's just too cute for words.

Halloween:








The new toy:
(Notice the big drool spot on his arm.)




(Moving in for a closer look.)


And of course, a sleepy picture:



Brendan is 4 months, 1 week, 1 day old today!

Where has the time gone??

How the heck did it get to be October already?! The cold weather has started already -- I actually turned the damn heat on today. It's never a gradual change, always from warm to holy crap it's cold out here! Today is Kenny and my 3rd wedding anniversary. Go us!

Last week Brendan turned 3 months, had his first cold and had diarrhea for FIVE DAYS. It was quite a week! Poor little guy just sort of swats at his nose because it's bothering him and he doesn't know what to do with it. I try putting saline drops in there and sucking those babies out but I might as well be poking his eyes out with a dirty fork for all the fight he puts up. Every once in a while I get a good one out and even though he won't acknowledge my efforts, I know he appreciates my determination. Kenny insists that I have an unhealthly obsession with boogers and poop. I just might.

So yeah, on to the poop. Started Saturday night and didn't stop until we finally switched him to soy formula Thursday night. His little tush was so raw that the changing table -- his absolute most favorite hangout -- became a torture chamber for him. No squeals and big smiles and jogging in place. Just absolute terror that we were going to have to wipe his raw skin again. The woman who watches him recommended Triple Paste. That. stuff. is. AWESOME. And expensive. But totally worth it because his little bootie is back to normal and we're back to being excited about the changing table. Good times.

Brendan is growing by the second. Every time I look at him I can't believe how small he started out and how much bigger he's gotten in only 3 months. Kenny weighed him the other day before his bath and he's up to 14 pounds! His 4-month checkup is next month so I'm curious to see what he'll be up to then and how tall he'll be. I'm not excited to see him get more shots though. That will be another sad day for Mommy.

He isn't doing any full-blown giggling yet but he's definitely much more expressive and has a wider range of happy sounds now. He is such a happy baby with a nice, even temperament. We get lots of smiles and squeals and some little laughs. I really can't wait until he starts giggling, that has got to be the best sound in the world. He also is able to hold his head up pretty well now so all he wants you to do is hold him in a sitting or standing position so he can check things out. He is NOSY. Always staring at everyone wanting to know what's going on. I just don't know where he gets that from. ;)








Brendan is 3 months, 1 week, 1 day old today!

Two Month Check-up

Today was Brendan's two month check-up at the pediatrician's office which meant it was time for his first shots. Daddy took the day off of work to come because Mommy was too chicken to go by herself and see her baby get upset.

Our little nugget is growing fast! He's up to 12lb 4oz and is 24" long which puts him at the 50th percentile for weight and the 75th percentile for height. No doubt that he will be up in the 90th percentile for height very soon given how tall both parents are! He has a bit of a flat spot on the right side of his head because he favors this side when he's laying down. We've been trying to turn his head as much as possible but it hasn't gotten any better. We also noticed that he has a more limited range of motion when he turns his head to the left so the dr suggested that we take him to a physical therapist to learn some exercises we can do at home with him. It may also be possible to get a sonogram to help loosen the muscles a bit. She doesn't seem to think it will be a problem down the road if we work on getting it fixed now.

Brendan was being his usual chatty self with Daddy while we were waiting for the dr to come in. This is his latest thing and it's absolutely adorable. He stares intently at your mouth while you talk then coos and gurgles a response back. His neck muscles are getting stronger so he's constantly lifting his head to look around. Don't even try to cradle him in your arms, he'll have none of that! He likes to be sitting upright so he can see what's going on around him. He seems fascinated by lights these days. The other night he couldn't get enough of the clock on the cable box. He also has a habit of head butting us when we're trying to burp him. I guess his little head gets a bit too heavy when he gets a good start at lifting it.

Anyway, back to the appt. All was well while the dr was examining him, he was a model patient just kind of watching her and letting her do her thing. Then the nurse came in and gave him the first shot in his thigh and he let out a wail that broke my heart. He was supposed to get three shots today but there is a shortage of one of them so he mercifully only got two. He just about forgot about the first shot when she stuck the second needle in his other thigh. That did it. He started crying, I started crying. Oy. Poor Daddy had to console both of us. I knew I would cry though, I hate seeing someone I care about hurting. And now multiply that when this is your child and you can't explain to him why this is happening.

When the nurse was done I scooped him up and smothered him with hugs and kisses until he stopped crying. Then we put him in the carseat and he passed out for a an hour and a half. He seemed fine when he woke up but around 6pm he started to get really cranky and miserable so I gave him some Tylenol and that seems to be helping. Thankfully we have another 2 months before we have to do this again.

I have only 1.5 weeks left of my maternity leave. I can't believe how quickly it went. Brendan is not even close to sleeping through the night so we'll have to figure out a way to coordinate his night-time feedings so we can both get some sleep and function at work the next day. Hopefully he'll start sleeping for longer stretches than 2 hours at a time very soon. I'm not sure how I've managed to get by this long on such little sleep. Coffee is my best friend.

Here are some adorable pictures of Brendan. There are cute ones of him awake but these ones of him sleeping just make me melt.








Brendan is 2 months, 1 week, 3 days old.

Brendan's Big Weekend

First let me backtrack and say that the little bugger has packed on some poundage since his one week pedi appt! He had his one month checkup last Thursday and has grown 2.25 inches and 2lb 4oz since birth so he's now 22.25 inches tall and 9lb 3oz. He hates being naked and getting weighed because it's always so freaking cold in the dr's office. But he was a happy little clam when I got him dressed and snuggled him up to me. He was passed out within minutes. We have another appt the first week of September where he'll get his first shots. I'm going to be a wreck, I just know it.

Fast forward to this past weekend. Brendan and Mommy hung out with Grandma Darlene on Saturday. He got to spend some QT with her while Mom got a much-needed nap! Maybe one day before the summer is over we can get to that pool at Grandma Darlene's apartment complex!

Brendan got to meet a lot of very important people this weekend. His Uncle Keith and Aunt Shannon came up from Florida and Aunt Lauren came up from Philadelphia. He also got to meet some other friends and relatives at Grandma Annie's big BBQ on Sunday. Mommy got a nice break as everyone fought over who got to hold and feed the baby. It was wonderful to see everyone and I think all his aunties and uncles that he got to meet absolutely adore him. Now he just needs to meet the rest of the Florida clan!

Here are some pictures from the weekend (notice who is asleep in EVERY picture!):

Hanging with Grandma Annie on the hammock:

Aunt Lauren:

Uncle Keith and Aunt Shannon:

Cousin Adria:

Mommy and Uncle Keith watching Brendan do tummy time:

Grandma Annie's friend Sassy:

Mommy, Grandma Annie, Aunt Lauren, Uncle Keith:

A shot of family and friends at the BBQ (I look pretty damn stunning):


Brendan is 1 month, 1 week old today!