1 Week til STL

Brady and I went shopping at Katy Mills with Nana (Eric’s Mom) today. Brady does so well when we go out. Better than at home really. He loves looking at all the places and people. It keeps him busy and distracted from gum pain. Nana bought Brady some cute clothes and a toy. But don’t tell him because they are Christmas gifts :) Eric was able to meet us for lunch at Friday’s. So delish and fun. We saw Santa at the mall and contemplated pictures, but Eric wanted to be there and we really weren’t dressed for it. It was so tempting though.. A legitimate looking Santa and No Line!!! We had a great time with Karen and need to plan these dates more often.

This day started rather stressfully. I still had not heard back from our management company that is taking care of our house in Richlands. Friday was the 9^th and we had still not received our rent money from the tenant.. After lighting a fire under her rear-end, the management lady finally called the tenant’s command.. and vuala, we have our money. Well, part of it. She will pay the rest and a late fee on the 15^th. Say a few prayers this is not a regular thing. We love our house and want to keep it. We can pay our rent in Houston, and mortgage in Richlands, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense financially with me at home with our booger. We need good renters that will take care of it until we can move back :)

Brady is doing really well with everything. I’m so fortunate, lucky, blessed.. you name it!  to have a healthy and HAPPY baby. If he is fussy or crying.. his gums are hurting him. Or you weren’t paying attention and were way too late with that bottle :) I’m with him 24/7 and I know what that baby wants before he knows. He doesn’t cry so you have to pay attention. It’s all in his tone. If he sounds slightly irritated in his coos and ahhs, go get a bottle ready! I love the way he groans and grumbles while he falls asleep. They’re very long and drawn out. Eric and I say.. “Brady, it’s ok. Take a nap. We won’t tell anyone. No one has to know.” He fights it like I would expect from a 3 year old. Not in a mad way, but just like he doesn’t want to miss anything :)

We are THIS close to sitting up unassisted. It won’t be long!

Our trip to St. Louis is only a week away. I am nervous and excited. Packing will be a chore! 10 days is a long time to leave our dogs. I know it will be hard to keep Brady on his schedule while we are there. And I’m nervous how he will do flying this time. He was only 1 month old last time.. it was easy because he slept the whole way! BUT, the positives are Eric gets to fly there and back with us. This will help a lot! And thank God for direct flights from HOU to STL. I will just have to keep a close eye on Brady and the clock while we are there and be adamant about his needs. Comfortable naps in a crib, eating his solids, baths, and bed time on schedule are a must. If we go off of his schedule for 10 days, it will be a fight getting him back on once we’re home. One I’m just not up for! Oh, and seeing all my family and friends is a positive too! ;) Makes it worth the trouble and expense by far.

I got the diapers in the mail from Alex. They are EXACTLY what I use, but with Velcro instead of snaps across the top. And all boy colors. How perfect? I am so happy and excited to see how I like the Velcro compared to what I have been using. And diaper laundry every 3 days. Woohoo! We are using some regular that a coworker gave Eric right now, so I will test them out soon.

We are celebrating Christmas and Karen’s birthday this weekend before we leave Monday. I believe we are getting Taste of Texas again :) and Eric’s work Christmas party is on Sunday. I guess I’ll have to start packing.. tomorrow!

5 Months

My big boy is 5 months old today! My oh my how time flies. Mothers that say “Oh my God, I can’t believe my baby is so big” use to annoy me. Now I’m one of them! And Brady is big! 28 inches and almost 18 lbs. We won’t be in 9 month sleepers much longer either. We have an insane amount of clothes that no longer fit in bins in his closet. I hope I have at least one more boy so I can reuse my favorites. I feel like he wears something a few times and before I know it, it’s too small! If we do have girls, a lot of the pieces will work if I mix in some pink. But enough talk about more babies… Not ready for that just yet!

We had our Marine Corps Ball on November 19. It was a lot of fun! We really needed a night to get dressed up (ok, more me than Eric) go out and have let loose. The Ball was at a very nice resort in Montgomery. Too bad that’s an hour and a half from Katy! It was worth it though. We had a great time drinking, dancing, and carrying on with our friends. It’s always an emotional night as well. The video tribute for the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 and to Pearl Harbor is very touching. Eric always gets choked up and then I’m right after. It brings back memories of his deployment and homecoming. And how far we’ve come since. This was our 3^rd Ball together (would’ve been 4^th but we didn’t have one after Afghanistan) It’s a little different now.. Married with Brady :) I was really disappointed that none of the other wives from Katy/Memorial City were there. I’ve been here for 6 months and still haven’t met any of them. I need to do something about this, just not sure where to start. My friend Lauren has some great friendships with her Conroe wives. Katy needs to get it together.

We decided to cancel our family pictures. We just couldn’t get them rescheduled with the weather and Eric’s insane work hours. So, we will do them in January or February. I am happy about this.. since I WILL HAVE LOST ALL THE WEIGHT by then! If you type it in all caps, it will be ;) I am very close though. 14 more pounds!!!!!

I did however make my first Etsy purchase. A little Santa suit for my baby boy. So excited! It’s already shipped and I can’t wait to try it on him. Santa Brady will be on our Christmas cards this year. Maybe our Ball picture too. We will see.

Major Crisis this week – His swing broke! There were a lot of tears shed that day. By me and Brady! But, I think his naps in the swing may have been a little too long during the day because now that it’s gone, he sleeps much better at night. Blessing in disguise!

Brady is doing really well. He’s on track for everything a 5 month old should be eating and doing. He is still sucking his thumb. Call me crazy, but I think it’s adorable. He bites it and his other fingers as well. His doctor said it’s fine though. She said there is no difference between that and a paci. Unless he was 5 years old doing it, not 5 months! Obviously, a paci would be easier to take away someday. But the benefit to the thumb.. It’s always right there when he needs it. He can’t lose it like a paci. He put himself to sleep 2 nights ago and now if he wakes up, I hear him talk a little then suck his thumb and go right back to sleep. Very nice! Scout helps too. An adorable stuffed puppy that sings 10 min of bedtime music :) Thanks for that suggestion Lauren.

He gets baby food for lunch every day. Squash is definitely his favorite. We tried pears yesterday and those are a hit as well. We’re working on Peas. He ate half of a container today and then a whole thing of carrots. That made for an interesting poo let me tell ya. The joys of cloth diapering :) Speaking of which, my friend Alex received 15 bum genius diapers from a friend (someone that bought them and never used them) and she has graciously decided to give them to Brady. I am beyond thrilled! This means laundry every 3 days, maybe?? THANK YOU ALEXANDRA!

Alex and her husband Joe took their handsome little man Frankie home today. After 10 weeks in the NICU at Children’s in St. Louis, they are so happy! I truly cannot imagine just bringing Brady home at 2 months old. That little boy has been through so much (and still has a very long road ahead). He’s got more love and prayers surrounding him than he knows and will do great. I’m sure of it! I got the sweetest picture of my beautiful friend taking her boy home. And in time for Christmas! He’s a true miracle.

Grandpa's Visit

So far, we are having a great time. I don't see that changing over the next 4 days until my Dad has to go back home. He does visit us often and we really appreciate it. It means so much to have family and friends come to our house, wherever that is at the time. Our visit started off with a little hiccup. Grandpa had surgery on his knee about 2 months ago and it was really bothering him after he worked in the yard and then spent a day and a half in the car. But we got some ice and elevation going on and it's been much better. We started Monday working on our dining chairs. Karen and Randy (Eric's parents) gave us some great free furniture a few weeks ago. It's very nice and in great shape. Just needed a little sprucing :) We recovered the chairs. This was a little harder than I anticipated, but still went pretty well. I just won't say be saying "Oh we'll just recover the cushions" as if it's no big deal. Anytime soon at least. I'm so happy with how they turned out and I think the table and chairs look new again. 

We went antique shopping and got lunch today. Thankfully, Eric was able to meet us twice for lunch this week. Amazing! My Dad was looking for something old and unique that said something about Texas for his back porch. You'd think that would be pretty easy to find around here, but no such luck. We did find the cutest little bench for Brady though. It will be more for his 'big boy' room in a few years, but we just couldn't pass it up. An early Christmas present from Grandpa.  It says "This little stool is mine. I use it all the time. To reach the things I couldn't. And lots of things I shouldn't" Love! 

My Dad is also going to work on a toy chest for Brady. I'm so excited about this. My Dad made me a bassinet for my dolls when I was little and I honestly cherished it. I still do and am so glad Brady will have something like this as well. It really is one of the best memories I have from childhood. Not to mention, my Dad is a top notch carpenter :) I can see Brady's little tush sticking up in the air, while he is searching the toy chest for that one specific toy. We are going back out tomorrow to continue our quest for the Texas sign and to get lunch at a yummy cheeseburger place we saw. The name of the place is Texas Tradition and it had great reviews. Yum.

Saturday is our Marine Corps Ball. I'm getting my hair and nails done and a spray tan. Pulling out all the stops since I still have some baby weight on me. I'm wearing the dress from my sister's wedding. I am one girl who will always have a reason to wear that bridesmaid dress again :) Sunday is family pictures. We are having them done by Snapped with Love Photography. Melissa did Brady's newborn pictures so we know these will turn out beautiful too. She is fabulous! I'm just a little worried about the weather. It's supposed to be 80 Sunday, and I didn't exactly pick out summer clothes for this! Gotta love Texas! It's been up and down weather for weeks. I'm praying the forecast will change in our favor. It will be a busy and fun weekend!

Brady has been struggling with his teething this week. He has been fussy and in pain. It really breaks my heart. He is always such a happy and easy baby. I feel terrible that he is in pain. Not to mention he has no idea what's going on. I can see him thinking.. "What the hell Mom!?" I told him the other night, "Brady, I wish I could take your pain away for you.. And give it to Daddy" :) Here are some pictures from our visit so far. And of course there will be more to come :)

Uh Oh

Look who found his thumb...  I really think it's adorable. (I'll worry about how to stop it when he's older. Let him be little for now, right?) He's shown very little interest in pacifiers since he was born. Brady has only taken a paci maybe 5 times. But this last Sunday, I looked over at him in his swing and he was going to town on his thumb. Who doesn't love to watch football and suck their thumb? He's been doing it a lot more ever since. He's also blowing bubbles, spitting, and sticking everything in his mouth. His gums must be starting to hurt him. Poor baby. I will be out to get him some teething stuff this weekend.

Oatmeal :)

Video!

I decided to put that walker together after all and it was super easy! Brady said he was "off to St. Louis" :) Thanks Aunt KP for the early Christmas present.

First Blog!

Well, where do I begin? Brady is already 4 months old, so this feels a little late. I have a pregnancy journal/scrap book completely filled out and plan to scrapbook all Brady's photos and firsts with my Mom. But, I'm not doing a baby book so I want to put all the updates and information on how Brady is doing on a regular basis on here to share and have fun looking back.

At Brady's 4 month appointment he was 15 lbs 13 oz and 26 in long. At birth he was 8 lbs 5 oz and 21 in long. From birth to 2 months he grew 4 inches! And from 2 months to 4 months.. only 1 inch. I'm glad because this means he is finally getting some chunk on his bones. The first time I gave him a bath and had to worry about getting in all his little creases (the ones on his wrists are my favorite), I was totally thrown. But I love it! I have no problem admitting that his chubby cheeks and in general "rounded features" make him look more like me. Hearing that he looks like me feels so great. Most people see big blue eyes and no hair.. and immediately think “Eric”.

He got 2 shots and one vaccine by mouth. The liquid made him throw up and the shots affected him much worse this time. It took almost 3 days for him to act like himself again. He was smiles but not all smiles like usual. I have a very happy baby and when he's sad, I'm sad. He slept it off though and his dimples are back full time :) Brady is taking 32-40 oz of formula in a 24 hour period. (Breastfeeding stopped at 7 weeks. That didn’t go as well as I’d hoped. But cloth diapering is going very well!) His doctor (who I really love by the way) said he should take 30-35 oz. Soooo, I think he’s good. A little more, a little less, some days is fine by me. We started rice cereal a few weeks ago, but he wasn’t really ready then. He is doing much better now with the rice and oatmeal which I just added this week. It’s still pretty messy but much more ends up in his mouth and stays there. And it’s fun! Dr. Haney said we can start solids next month starting with orange veggies. I plan to make most of his baby food.

Brady is wearing 9 month sleepers. These have to go his whole length.. so he outgrows them quickly! 6 month everything else still fits. I buy big now so he can grow into things. It's much easier to roll up pants and sleeves then to replace his whole wardrobe every month. I'm not going to tell you what size I'm wearing. I've lost 42 lbs since having Brady. I need to enjoy this and be happier about it. I stress so much about the 16 lbs I still have to lose. But I do try to remind myself, it took 9 months to gain it.. Brady just really had a taste for cheeseburgers :) I am counting my calories and walking 3-4 miles a few times a week. My goal is to go a lot more often and with my 16 lb weight! I walked yesterday with Brady in his Moby wrap (strapped to me basically) and we both really loved it. The cooler weather is finally coming our way so this should help too.

We celebrated Eric’s birthday on Saturday. Taste of Texas is *the best* restaurant ever! If you get the chance, go! Get the 6 oz center cut steak oscar (with crab meat on top). There was also some amazing sauce on top, however I cannot pronounce it and certainly won’t attempt to spell it. It was extraordinary, but everything on the menu is! Eric’s parents baby sat and it went very well. That was the first time I’ve left Brady except with Eric for 3 hours and my mom for 1 hour. We were gone for about 5 hours. It was strange but good for us.

Brady is fabulous at holding up his head, and has been for some time now. I've been putting him in his Jumparoo and he is finally getting the hang of it. I have to put weights behind his butt to help hold him down to touch the floor. I just have to remember to take them out before I try to get him out! If I forget.. well it's interesting. But he's tougher than he looks. We got a walker from his *great* Great Aunt KP. I can't wait to put him in it! Having so much tile in this house will finally pay off. (Until he starts really walking) One day when Eric gets off early enough (don't hold your breath) I will have him put it together. I've thought about doing it myself.. but I always find a way to talk myself out of it :) 

We are also working on sitting up and crawling. He has no interest in rolling over and looks at me like I have 2 heads if I try to show him how. Brady is a great ‘supported sitter’. Mommy has a fear of letting him fall over. I’m working on it. How else will he learn to catch himself? My good friend Lauren suggested sitting him up with the boppy on the floor. Sounds like a good idea to me. I will just put pillows all around him :)

Tummy time is going much better lately. He holds his head straight up and usually puts weight on his hands and arms. He kicks those little legs like he’s really got somewhere to go. Then, he gets pretty frustrated that he’s not moving. I hold him up into a crawling position to show him how it’s done, but I’m sure it’ll be a while.

I'm really looking forward to the holidays and I know that will bring lots of updates. My Dad is coming to visit in 10 days. I really look forward to family visits and my trips home. They are good for my soul and I feel so rejuvenated after. Like I can handle Houston for a little while longer ;) Although, it's not really Houston giving me a hard time (I am really sick of the Astros though and it's hot as hell!), it's recruiting duty chapping my ass. Eric works 15 hour days, a minimum of 5 days a week, but usually has something on Saturdays and even Sundays. I would ALMOST take a deployment over this, but then I'd be super stressed about his safety on top of everything else. I thought recently, "Is it possible for the best years of your life to also be the hardest?" Best being happily married and watching our first baby grow and hardest being on recruiting duty far far from my friends and most family. Well, then the answer is yes! But God has us here for a reason. And we are only just getting started!

                                                                 Looking like Mommy <3

                                                                       4 month stud!

 

                                                         Before lunch for Eric's birthday

             

                                                                The face I live for

                                                                   Mommy's dinosaur

                                                                   I love my boys!