11 Months already!!

Has it already been a month?? Wow. Brandon is 11 months old today!! Oh my goodness, time is flying by!! It is bittersweet. As much as I enjoy the time flying by because it brings me that much closer to having Brian home, I am sad because my baby is growing up.

As far as new developments are concerned, he is almost a pro at walking!! He has taken to walking a few feet at a time and is starting to prefer walking over crawling. It is SO cute to see him walking, yet so hard to believe. He can now clap his hands when asked to clap. The uncoordinated baby clap is by far one of the most adorable things ever! He sleeps until close to 10am almost everyday now, which is a blessing! His new best friend is the family beagle, Leia. When he sees her, he gets all excited and starts belly laughing. It is precious. He is doing great taking a sippy cup instead of a bottle. He still has his little temper streak, and it still has yet to get old. He has also learned that when he pushes buttons on some of his stuffed animals, they start singing.

I am working on planning his birthday party, and the plans are coming along quite nicely. It is scheduled for January 18th at 4pm at Joe's fire station. I have the catering lined up, and the cake picked out. I have to call the bakery and place the cake order, wait for the RSVP to finalize the catering, and order decorations. Other than that, the party is pretty much done. It is insane to imagine our baby turning 1!!! I will save my gushing about his birthday for the next monthly update, as it will be more appropriate then.

My how the time flies. Everyday is another adventure, and we are so blessed to be a part of it!

What a wonderful Christmas!

Despite the fact that Brian isn't here with us this year, Christmas was awesome! To say that I went overboard on Brandon's gifts is an understatement. Heh. Not only was this Brandon's first Christmas, it was also the first Christmas my and all of my sisters were together. Brandon and I also got to celebrate our first Fire Station Christmas! Brian has spent many Christmases at the fire station growing up, and this year Brian's Dad had to work, so our Hays Family Christmas was spent at the station. It was really neat. We had such a great day!

Brandon was super spoiled! Haha. Santa brought him:
a bunch of clothes
a bubble lawn mower
mega blocks
mega block fire truck
inflatable fire truck ball pit
block/music table
drum
tow truck and little cars
wooden fire truck
little people fire truck
dump truck
fish tank
and the bounce and spin pony.

Daddy sent him the new Elmo Live and he LOVES IT!

Auntie Beth got him the 2 in 1 Learning Kitchen. He loved opening it so much he climbed on the box.

Grandma and Pa Pa got him:
An outdoor castle swing set
soccer ball/football/basketball
mega blocks wagon
nascar car
Dallas Cowboys sweatsuit

Nana and PawPa got him the VSmile Baby, little people school bus, and a little people tractor.

Grandpa Joe and Grandma Kristi got him a Power Wheels Fire truck.

Great Grandma Lake sent him $25 to go towards his college fund.

The Lake family sent him some money to go into his college savings too.

Yep, I would say that B was a VERY good boy this year! Haha. Yeah, we went a little overboard, but he only has a first Christmas once right? :)

I didn't do too bad either! My family got me a new scrapbook to make for Brandon's first year, a 3600 piece scrapbook kit, a necklace, bracelet and key chain that you can put pictures in, a bath and body works Sweet Pea set, a pair of earrings, some more bath stuff, make up, and some money to put towards Brandon's birthday party and to start his 529 plan.

Brian's family got me a Kitchen Aid Mixer!!!! I have wanted one of those FOREVER!!!!!!

Brian, oops, I mean "Brandon," got me a heart-shaped diamond Mother's necklace! It is gorgeous! I must say, my son has great taste in jewelry! :)

We all had a wonderful Christmas. The best part was spending the day with Brandon and our family and having a great time. :)

Poor B (Updated)

B is sick. Not horribly so, but definitely sick. He has a cold and is congested. This is his first official cold. It started yesterday with a little bit of a runny nose. Nothing major, just a little runny. Then, this morning, I woke up to a snotty, congested baby. He isn't running a fever, or coughing or anyting else alarming. Just the congestion and runny nose.

Naturally, Grandma is freaking out because her friend's grandson just passed away at 3 months old two days ago. That little boy had what started out as a runny nose as well, and it progressed from there. They think that it was either the flu or RSV. Based on what my pedi said, it sounds like the little boy had RSV as his airways closed. My thoughts are with that family as I cannot imagine the heartwrenching pain they are going through. I think of situations like that and am so grateful that Brandon is healthy and all of the health scares in the past turned out to be false alarms.

He is taking it all rather well. He is still his usual happy giggly self. So, I can't complain there! For now, he is sleeping with his cold mist humidifier and I made sure to spray saline nose drops in his nose and give him lots of extra snuggles. Hopefully, his little cold will be gone soon.

*Update*
I put a call in to the pedi because B was running a low grade fever (99.1-hey, I said it was low) after tylenol, and coughing Wednesday night. So, Thursday am I called the pedi and they prescribed him some decongestant drops. It is day 2 on the drops and he is doing much better. He is still snotty, and has a little cough, but he is acting better, and his nose is less runny. So, looks like we are on the road to recovery! :) Thanks for thinking of him!! :)

FINALLY!!!!

Brandon started taking steps November 22, but I have never had the video camera handy. So, finally, this morning, I had the video camera out and waiting. Sure enough, he took some steps and I caught them!!! Yay!!! So, I present to you, our walking son, Brandon!!!!!!! Heh....




Haha, I love his little unsteady steps. He is getting SO big!!!

The Boy likes spaghetti.....heh

I just wanted to share an unbelievably adorable video with you all. Brandon has finally started feeding himself. So, last night, I let him eat spaghetti by himself. The results were hilarious.....



Isn't it adorable?? I love how he smashes his chubby little hands into his face....hahahaha. These are the memories I will cherish always!

Dr. Appointment today.....

So, B had a doctor's appointment today to get his 2nd flu shot. Originally, it was supposed to be an in and out sort of thing, but I had a few questions that I wanted to talk to the pediatrician about. So, they scheduled us for a full appointment. Here are the details from the appointment:

B weighed in at 28 pounds! Yep, I said it. 28 pounds! He was 31 inches at his 9 month appointment, but they didn't measure him at this appointment. I am guessing he is roughly the same. Maybe a half inch longer.

His eye is doing great. In case you are unaware, he was bit by my mom's dog Felix. He had a bunch of scratches around his eye, and was put on an antibiotic as a precaution. The pediatrician said that his eye has healed well and she cannot even tell he was bit. I can still see a little scar, but it will probably fade away with time.

The main reason I wanted to speak to the doctor is because B has started to have little interest in his formula. He is more interested in eating big people food. At our 9 month appointment we were given the all clear to start giving him big people food. Obviously, we are to avoid peanuts, eggs, honey, chocolate, and seafood. So, those he hasn't had. He loves big people food! Loves it! So, I asked the pediatrician what his minimum formula intake should be, and it is 17 ounces. He gets at least 17 ounces, so no worries there.

The other question I wanted to ask was about self feeding. B refuses (or I guess I should say refused) to feed himself finger foods. I would put the gerber puffs, yogurt melts, goldfish, etc. on his highchair tray and try to get him to feed hinself. He refused. He would pick up the pieces, look at them, and drop them on the tray or floor. This was the dog's favorite part of the day. I began to wonder if it was a developmental delay as many of my friend's children fed themselves earlier than 10 months. So, today, as we are sitting in the doctor's office waiting for the doctor to come in, I gave B some goldfish just for the heck of it. To my surprise, he picks them up, and starts eating them!!! Seriously, he ate them like a pro! I was shocked!! So, when the doctor came in, I mentioned it to her and she got a good laugh out of it. So, apparently, all I needed to do was schedule a doctor visit for him to start feeding himself. It was quite hilarious.

Next was his second flu shot. I was waiting on him to start fussing before the shot, but he was too busy smiling at the nurse that was preping his little thigh for the shot. When she gave him the shot, he looked at her and made a curious face, but he did not cry! Not a tear! I was so proud of him! He usually cries like crazy after his shots, but not today! Such a big boy!!!

So, overall, a great appointment. Our little man is thriving and doing wonderfully!

Christmas Pictures!!!

Brandon and I had our Christmas pictures taken today! They turned our wonderful. I created a slideshow for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

10 Months Old Today!

Our baby boy is 10 months old today!!! Brian and I are amazed by how quickly the time has flown by. It seems like it was moments ago that we were holding him for the first time and looking into the eyes of our future. It is joyous and heartbreaking to watch him grow so fast.

He has started taking steps and his personality is developing more and more each day! His new favorite pasttime is to stand up and shake his head no with a little smirk on his face. It is absolutely adorable and impossible not to laugh at. He now can cover his own eyes for peek-a-boo and loves to hide his head under anything he can get his hands on. His kryptonite is still Mommy's cell phone and will stop at nothing to get it. He is interacting more and more with his toys and has learned cause and effect rather well. He knows that when he pushes the buttons on his toys that they make noise, so the buttons are getting lots of use. A new fear of his is the loss of his toys to the dogs. If one of the dogs have a toy, even one of their own, he cries because he wants it back. This is rather amusing when the dogs have one of their own toys and he is crying. He has learned the emotion of anger. When I prevent him from touching something he is not allowed to have, such as my credit card, he stiffens up his body and yells at me. This is a new development and so far has not lost it's cuteness. It is amazing how much personality our little man has already!

As he gets closer to a year old we are introducing big people food little by little. He loves everything we have introduced him to, especially mashed potatoes and spaghetti. His first Thanksgiving went well. He got to taste a little of everything, except anything that had eggs, nuts, or chocolate in it. He had a little ham, turkey, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli and cheese casserole, cranberry sauce, and some roll. He loved everything he tasted, even the cranberry sauce! After dinner, we went to Grandpa Joe and Grandma Kristi's house and he tried some pumpkin pie. Since he is his Daddy's son, he loved it! Mommy doesn't really like pumpkin pie, so Brandon didn't mind eating most of her slice. Also, as he gets closer to a year old, we are working on breaking him of the bottle. He is really taking well to that, and actually prompted the transition himself. He doesn't do well holding the bottle at a table. He likes to lay down while he is eating his bottle, but he will hold a sippy cup and is getting better and better at tilting it up to get the liquid out. So, that prompted the switch to the sippy. He gets one feeding of formula from his sippy at 4pm along with a snack. So far, he is taking to it pretty well.

It is truly a miracle to have him in our lives. He fills our hearts with so much joy. He is an amazing little man and his zeal for life inspires us to be the best people we can be.

I will finish off with a couple of unbelievably adorable pictures of our big 10 month old sleeping peacefully. Enjoy!

So, I am joining the blog world.....

Yep, it is true.

I have decided to create a blog for my little familia. We have a relatively crazy little life, and I figured that it would be neat to chronicle our adventures and allow for our friends and family to come along for the ride. I suppose this first entry should include a brief introduction of our family and description of our life. So, since I am sure you are on the edge of your seat with excitement, here goes:

Our little family consists of myself Rebecca (Mama), my amazing husband Brian (Dada), our gorgeous son Brandon, and our wonderful doggie Emily.* Brian and I met in 2001 working at a little daycare center in Katy, Texas. We struck up a great friendship and began dating about a year later. In December of 2002 we became engaged, and shortly after, Brian enlisted in the US Army. He left for basic training in March of 2003. In September of 2003 we got hitched and began our life together. After successfully surviving our first deployment to Iraq (2004-05), we were stationed in Germany in 2006. While in Germany, we decided to expand our family and started our journey to parenthood. On January 30, 2008 we were blessed with our first child, Brandon Joseph Hays. On April 9, 2008 Brian deployed with 1st Armor Division to Iraq for a 15 month deployment. Currently, Brandon, Emily, and I are shacking up with my Mom and Step-dad until Brian comes home (which cannot come fast enough!). My everyday life consists of toothless baby smiles, belly laughs, diaper changes, and instant messages from Dada. As if being a full time Mommy and wife is not time consuming enough, I am a full time student. I am enrolled full time at the local community college (keeping it classy) and working towards completing my Associates of Arts in Teaching in order to obtain my Bachelor's Degree in Education. I plan to one day teach 4th grade-8th grade.

So, I believe that about sums out the happenings in our life to date. I hope that you enjoy reading about us Hayses! Enjoy!

*I'm not biased or anything.

9 months old!!!

From B's old myspace page:

Yep, I am 9 months old! Yay me! Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday I was born. I am growing and learning so much!!!

This month was a lot of fun! It is starting to become Autumn, and that means that it is almost time for the holidays!!!! I went to the Pumpkin Patch with Mommy, Grandma, Auntie Heather, Grandma Kristi, and Grandpa Joe! We had such a great time! I went on a super fun hay ride, and got to pick out my very own pumpkin!!! It was a lot of fun! I also went to Fire Fest 2008 with Mommy, Grandma Kristi, and Grandpa Joe. That was a lot of fun because I got to see Grandpa Joe in his Honor Guard uniform and march in the parade. I also go to see a bunch of fire trucks and classic cars. Grandma and Grandpa spoiled me rotten while we were there. They bought me a sign for my bedroom that says "Future Firefighter," a stuffed dalmation, a t-shirt that says "My Grandpa is a Firefighter, and a Houston Fire Depearntment t-shirt, a fire hat, and a fire badge. I saw some fire and rescue demonstrations, and got to ride a pony! It was a blast!!! We are going to go again next year with Daddy!!! I also had a carnival at The Little Gym with my other gymnastics friends! I got to play some games and play on the gym equipment all while dressed in my super cool Firefigter Halloween costume!!! I had a lot of fun there too!!!! I also got to wear my costume to Grandpa Joe's firestation to take pictures on the pumper!!! Grandpa Joe also let me sit in the driver's seat!! It was tons of fun!!!! The day after my 9 month birthday, I had my first Halloween!!! We didn't really go trick or treating, but we went to Mommy's friend Tara's mom's house, Mommy's friend Jamie's house, and Grandma Kristi and Grandpa Joe's house to show off my costume. It was fun, but I was sleepy. Everyone loved my costume!!! Overall, this has been a very fun month!!!

I've also learned some new tricks this month!!! I started out the month crawling, and I have perfected that trick! I also started pulling myself up to cruise throughout the house shortly after I started crawling. Now, I can stand without holding anything! I also started waving hello and bye to people!!! Mommy say that it is the cutest thing ever!! I saw Daddy on webcam the other day and I waved to him. It was fun!!! I have mastered real sippy cups, and am starting to learn how to pick up food and eat it myself. Yeah....I'm growing fast!!!

I had my 9 month well-baby check up today!! I weighed in at 26 pounds 14 ounces and am now 31 inches long!!! I was given my Hep B shot, and my first flu vaccine. I had my iron levels checked too. I held in like a trooper and barely cried at all!!! That made Mommy so proud. Mommy was given the green light to feed me table foods, which I have already been trying, but now I can really start eating once my teeth come in. Speaking of teeth, I now have both of my bottom teeth!!! None on the top yet, but I am sure that it is just a matter of time!!! Once my chompers come in, I am getting me a STEAK!!! Heh....

8 months old!!

From B's old myspace page:

Yep, I am 8 months old today!!!!

Let's see....what have I learned to do since last month....

I have learned to fake cry. Mommy falls for it everytime. Heh.
I have learned to sit up by myself, even sitting myself up from laying down on my back or tummy!
I learned to scoot all over the place, which as of Sunday September 28 turned into CRAWLING!!!!
I have learned that if I wake up in the middle of the night that Mommy snuggles me back to sleep.
I had pancakes for the first time!!

Just making it known....

I have the world's best husband!!!!! Seriously. I do not think that it gets any better. He is absolutely my best friend, and I am so lucky!!!!

It was not always this easy. Brian and I have had our rough times. If you would have asked me 3 years ago if we would have ever made it to our 5 year wedding anniversary, I probably would have said that I doubted it. It took effort, patience, and determination to get where we are.

Oh, and has it paid off!!! I look back to when our relationship was new and fresh. For those that are in a relationship, do you remember when you first started dating and there were all of the grand gestures of love and attention?? Things like poems, flowers, or something else particularly unique to your relationship that made you fall head over heels?? How long did you think that kind of stuff would last?? I never thought that it would last 5 years. Granted, there are lapses, but there are still little things. Even when there are breaks in the little gifts and poems, there are still little things that he does to make me feel loved and special. Brian, if you are reading this, sorry if I embarrass you....hahaha

He is so cute! Every morning, he kisses my forhead before he leaves for work. He also checks to make sure that I am still breathing...hahaha. I love it! He covers me up if the blankets are pulled down. He gives the best foot massages ever! He makes sure to keep the gas tank full. He always drives because he knows that I hate it. He carrys things so I don't have to. He still opens my car door, and any door that I go through. He pulls out my chair at resturaunts. He calls me Love. We still play together. We laugh at everything. We have the same sense of humor. We have many of the same beliefs, but when we have differing views we are ok with it. I don't have to agree with every view that he has. I don't believe things just because he does, and that is ok with both of us. He allows me to be myself without fear of judgment.

The list goes on, but my main point is, our relationship is great. We are both imperfect individuals, and that is what makes us work. He is an amazng person. He sacrifices so much for our family. He would give anything just for Brandon and I.

I guess that I feel like I need to clarify this fact because I don't want to defend him to people any more.

Let's all try to live by the mantra, If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all

Whew.....finally, a good night's sleep!

Last night was AWESOME!!! I will preface this first:

Since birth, Brandon has always been an excellent sleeper. He started out sleeping in 4 hour blocks at night. Believe it or not, that is a great block of time. It allows to you get just enough sleep to function, especially considering that newborns sleep so much, and he would go right back to sleep after a diaper change (by Dad) and some nursing. So, it was nice. At about 2-3 weeks, he started sleeping through the night. He went to sleep around 11 and slept until around 5 or 6 am. He would then get a diaper change, and a bottle, and went back to sleep until around 8 or 9. That worked out great as well. Around 3 months, he started sleeping for 12 hours a night!! He went to bed around 9pm and slept util anywhere from 8-9am!!! He has comtinued to have the same sleep schedule since. It has been pure bliss. Anyone that kmew me pre-baby, knows that I LOVE my sleep!!! Haha. So, I am truly blessed with an excellent sleeper!!!

So, here is the problem. I should say that I feel bad for even complaining because I have been so lucky, but for the past week, Brandon has been waking up at least once a night. If he wakes up more than once, the first time is usually between 11pm and 1am. He usually falls right back to sleep after I pick him on and snuggle him a little. The second time he wakes up is usually around 4-6am. THAT is the bad one. He wakes up for good! I have been able to get him back to sleep around 4am, but it requires a great deal of patience, rocking, possibly a bottle, and time. All of which I don't feel like doing at 4am. I do it, because I am a Mommy, and that is my job, but it makes for a grumpy Mommy later that day. There are a number of reasons why he could be waking up all of a sudden. It could be that he is going through a growth spurt, teething, not feeling well, getting older thus needing less sleep, or trying to reach a milestone. I did not know that when a baby is getting close to reaching a milestone that it could interfere with their sleep, but I read that it can. They want to practice their milestone instead of sleep. Isn't that cute?? Anyway, I have been trying to figure out why he isn't sleeping as well, and I am still confused. I have tried giving him more formula at night thinking that he is hugry. This worked one night, but not again. I have tried making sure that he has tylenol and oragel when he goes to bed in case it is his teeth that are bothering him, but that has not helped. I am sure that the medicine is wearing off in the middle of the night, so it isn't really helping at 5am. I took him to the doctor to have his ears checked because he is pulling at them and smacking the side of his head sometimes, but he does not have an ear infection. The doctor said that it could potentially be allergies, so she started him on some claritin. Last night was his first night with the allergy meds. It says that they do not have any side effects, so it isn't supposed to cause drowsiness. She did say that if I gave it to him at night, if it DID cause drowsiness, it could help him sleep better. So, last night he got the meds. I also gave him tylenol and oragel because the doctor also said that his gums are swollen and he is teething. So, that was in my arsenal for the night. He went to sleep around 8:45-9pm, and slept until 8:15am!!! I took a long, hot shower, and went to bed around 10pm, and slept until 8am! Oh man, I slept SO good!!! So, I am hoping that this new regiment will be the key to getting him back to his normal sleep routine. It is so much more convenient when I have to do school work and study. A good night's sleep also helps in that department as well. Especially the night before my first exam......tonight, in Psychology. Wish me luck!!!! Oh, and THANK YOU BRANDON for sleeping so good last night!!!!

7 months!

From B's old myspace page:


Things are super in my world!! Mommy cannot believe that I am already 7 months old!!! She says that I am developing well and getting SO big. I am not sure how much I weigh, or how long I am, but I am outgrowing my 9-12 month clothes, and am wearing 12-18 month clothes!!! I am sitting up all by myself now, and am trying to crawl. Daddy thinks that I will be crawling by the end of September. I hope so, because that would make it so much easier to get my toys when I want them. I started gymnastics with Mommy!!! It is SO much fun, but it is a lot of work!!! I have to balance myself on my arms, do flips, hold myself on the bars, stand on the balance beam, and shake a parachute. The best part is the bubbles and balls that we get to play with. The grown ups also sing songs to us. The other babies and I just laugh at them because they are so silly. Gymanstics is really fun. My other favorite thing to do is fingerpaint!! Mommy bought me these really cool fingerpaints and lets me go to town with them in my highchair!! It is SO much fun! I love getting messy. I am also graduating to the big boy tubby because I have outgrown my baby tubby. Mommy bought me some bath letters to play with, so that is fun. I got a new toybox the other day because I am getting so many toys that I was running out of room in the drawer they were originally kept in. So, now, I have lots of room for my toys, and plenty of room for new toys!!! Yep, thinks are going great!!! Now, if I could only figure out how to hold my own bottle......

Parenting styles...

First, I must start this blog off by stating that in no way shape or form do I believe my parenting style to be perfect. I understand that there are a variety of parenting techniques and beliefs out there. That being said, please feel free to give me your opinion on whatever I duscuss. No judgments.

Brandon has developed a new habit. He has learned that he can scream at the top of his lungs. Like, screeching, ear piercing screaming. He is not crying. He is not hungry, wet, or hurt in any way. It is mostly to get attention and because he is bored. As soon as he is distracted with something else, he is fine. It is quite irritating, but I have become very good at tuning him out. I rarely hear him scream anymore unless he is really upset and crying. That being said, it isn't always the easiest thing for others to deal with. So, that is where the dilema lies. When I take him out in public, I am usually very good at distracting him and keeping him entertained. He is also very aware of our surroundings and when we are out and about he is very interested in what is going on, so he doesn't scream as often. The exception to this is when we are stationary for any length of time. For example, if we are in the dressing room, or out to eat. He will occasionally scream and I have to distract him. Usually, one of the million toys that I carry with me will work, or if we are out to eat, I will give him something to eat as well. Every now and then, those things fail, or he will become impatient when I feed him and the sceaming will start. In public, I talk to him and tell him that it is not ok for him to scream when we are in public and he needs to use an inside voice. I do not raise my voice to him, I just calmly tell him to stop screaming. At home, I allow him to scream. If I am on the phone, or having a conversation with someone, I will attempt to distract him. If not, he screams until he is tired of screaming. I try not to pay attention to him screaming because I don't want him screaming as a means of getting attention. Other people aren't the best at being patient with his screaming, which is understandable. Of course, when we are with other people, I am panicing in my head trying to think of ways to get him to stop screaming. My biggest problem is with other people trying to discipline him. Granted, relatives automatically feel a sense of entitlement when it comes to the disciplining. Especially my parents. They are the worst. I guess they feel like because they raised me, they should be able to raise my son as well. This gets under my skin like you would NOT believe. Mostly because their parenting styles are different from my own. For example, Brandon was in his highchair screaming last night while I was heating up his dinner. A family member (to remain undisclosed) got irritated with Brandon screaming and raised their voice to him and said, "Brandon, you need to stop screaming right now." The entire time they were scolding him, they had a mean look on their face. This made me really upset. Instead of losing my temper, I simply said, "That isn't going to work." Nothing else was said, and Brandon continued screaming. Duh. He is 6 months old and has learned that screaming gets people to talk to him. He is GOING to scream. My thought is, if I ignore his screaming, he will eventually learn that it doesn't get him attention and he will stop. Plus, he is just learning to talk and is practicing his vocal skills. So, I don't want to hinder that growth. As irritating as it can be sometimes, it is a phase. I realize that. I just wish that others would too. My biggest pet peeve is those that think that they can teach a child to stop yelling, by yelling. Or even better, teach a child not to hit by hitting. A little hypocritical I feel. Now, that being said, I am NOT anti-spank. I am a firm believer that if Brandon runs out into the street that he is going to get his little bottom smacked. If he does something that he KNOWS he is not supposed to do after being told NOT to do it, he will probably get a spanking. For sure, after he gets a spanking, Mommy and Daddy will talk to him and tell him why we don't want him to do whatever action caused the spanking and then tell him that we love him. I don't want to raise my child to fear me. Granted, a little fear in the sense of discipline is beneficial, but I don't want him terrified of his parents. I just don't believe in using spanking as the only form of discipline.

So, what are your thoughts? Any suggestions to get the boy to stop screaming?? lol The ignoring is working, but it hasn't conquered the screaming yet. Anyway, that is my soapbox.....

The goings on.....

Well, I need to blog about the things that are going on lately....

So, here goes. I am going to attempt to make this brief because it is after midnight and I need to get to bed, but I have a tendancy to go on and on about things, so we shall see.....lol

August has been fun so far. Not a whole lot happened in the beginning of the month, but the last few days have been kind of crazy! Heather left for Sam Houston State on Thursday, so this past week was spent helping her get ready and spending time with her before she left. We capped off our time together with a traditional trip to the movies! We saw Pineapple Express and it was EFFING AWESOME!!! Hahaha it was SO funny! lol After she was officially out of the house, my Mom and I started transforming her old room into my new room! We had to prime the walls, paint them, paint the ceiling and trim and doors, fix the bed, get all of my stuff moved in and set up. I am finally completely in my new room and I am LOVING it!!!! I FINALLY have space for all of my stuff and it is such a relief! Brandon's room was getting cramped and his rapid accumilation of toys was not helping matters much. So, I am finally in my own space and things are SO much more peaceful!!! Yay!

I start school tomorrow!!!! I CANNOT wait!!!!! I am so excited to be able to start working on the main reason that I moved to Texas for the duration of the deployment in the first place. Is that sentence correct?? I can't tell, and I am too tired to analyze it too much. Anyway, I start school tomorrow! I am taking 4 classes this semester, and luckily they are all in the evening so Brandon doesn't have to be in daycare. On Mondays and Wednesdays I am taking Speech from 6-7:30. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I am taking History and Psychology from 6-7:30 and 7:50-9:10 respectively. On Fridays, I am taking Intro to Education from 6-9:10. So, I am hoping that almost everynight I will be home to put Brandon to bed. I am sure there will be some nights that he is already asleep, but I am going to try to be home before he goes to sleep everynight. My mom is going to watch Brandon while I am at school! I love the he is able to stay in his environment and doesn't have to be put in daycare while I am in school. My mom is under strict orders to video tape as much as she can. :) I hate the idea of not being with him for such a long stretch of time in the evenings, but I think it will end up being good for both of us in the long run. He's so wonderful, I hate to be away from him even for a second. Is it strange to miss your baby when they are sleeping??? lol Not enough to wake him up, but I do miss him when he is sleeping. :)

Oh, see? Did you catch me rambling that last paragraph??? lol Told you.

Well, I am REALLY tired and I need to get to bed. So, that is all for now. I may add to this blog later, but that's it for now folks! Try to return to your regularly scheduled life. I know that my life is so fascinating and it will be hard. Hahaha....ok, for real....goodnight!!!!

"Da-da!"

From B's old myspace page:

I said my second word today!!!!!!!!

I was playing on my tummy mat and Mommy had that video camera in my face again. While I was playing, I said Dada!!!!! I had been TRYING to say that one for awhile, but I couldn't get it out. I finally did, and Mommy was able to video tape it for Dada! So, yay for me!!!!!!!!!

Updates!!

From B's old myspace page:

It has been quite awhile since my last blog. There have been quite a bit going on in my little world. Everyday I am getting bigger and working hard to learn new things. I have perfected my roll and can roll completely across the floor now. I suprised Mommy by rolling almost under the bed the other day! It was funny. One of my favorite things to do is jump in my excersaucer and my jumper center!! My exersaucer is very loud when I jump in it, which is the best part! Sadly, I am outgrowing my swing. It stuggles to swing me and will only swing me if it gets a push to start it off. Heh, I am a growing boy!

Mommy talked to the pediatrician and I was cleared to start stage 2 baby foods and juice!!! It has been so fun trying all of the new foods and juices!!! It took awhile to get used to the juice, but I am coming around. Mommy is going to buy me a sippy cup to start practicing with. I have two of them right now and I will drink out of them, but they are not my favorite and Mommy thinks that I will do better with a different cup. We'll see. Auntie Beth can't wait to feed me mashed potatoes, but the doctor said that I need to wait a little longer because the spices and seasonings are not the best for me. Soon though.

I went to North Carolina with Mommy and Auntie Heather in July! I got to meet Nana and Papa Selbe! They live on a farm and I got to see all of the animals!!! They have horses, chickens, goats, cats and dogs! Nana and Papa held me on their horse Dusty, I got to feed the goats leaves, and I got to pet the cats and dogs. The chickens were hiding out in ther coop, so I didn't get to see them. Maybe next time though. While we were in North Carolina, Mommy took me to the Aquarium! I had alot of fun looking at all of the fish that were there. I also got to pet a horseshoe crab and take lots of pictures. We went to an old Civil War fort, Fort Macon. It was really neat to see. It is right on the beach, and so pretty. Mommy took me to the beach for the first time. I was NOT a fan of the ocean, but I didn't mind sitting in my raft on the sand and sleeping. The waves and breeze is very soothing. I slept almost the entire time we were at the beach. The trip was really fun and I can't wait to go back.

The day we got back from North Carolina I had my 6 month well baby appointment. I weighed in at 22.2 pounds. I measured 29.5 inches long, and my head circumference is 19 inches. I am developing well and am a healthy little boy. Mommy asked the doctor to look at my right eye because sometimes when I look up, it is a little off. The doctor said that if it is still doing the same thing at my 9 month appointment, she would refer us to an eye doctor, but that a baby's eye muscles are not completely developed until they are a year old. So, overall, I am a happy, healthy growing boy. I got 3 shots that day and I was not happy about it at all. It hurt and I cried, but when Mommy picked me up, I was ok. My 9 month appointment is schedule for November 2, and I am not looking forward to more shots.

On a MUCH happier note, I said my first word the other day!!! It was July 30, and Mommy, Auntie Heather and I were in the Atlanta airport waiting to board our plane to Houston and I said it. My first word. I said MAMA!!!!! Mommy was SO proud of me!!! As soon as she confirmed with Auntie that she wasn't hearing things, she emailed Daddy to tell him, then she called Grandma and Grandpa Hays, and then she called Grandma Bennett to share the good news!!!! Now, I saw Mama all the time. Mommy keeps trying to get me to say Da-da, but I am happy just saying Mama for now.

Next week I am going to an introductory gymnastics class. My first semester starts August 27th! I can't wait to play with Mommy in gymnastics class and meet other little kids and their mommies. Mommy says that it is going to be good for me to socialize with the other babies and to get lots of practice moving and playing. So, I am excited to get started!!!!

Well, that is about it for now. I will have the pictures from my trip and start a new 6 month album soon. Be looking for them!!!!

It's blogging time again!

So, it has been awhile since I blogged, so I figured that now would be a good time since the boy is sleeping. :-)

Things are going great!!! Brandon is growing like a weed and I am enjoying every minute of being a Mommy!!!! He is rolling over, talking like crazy (babbling), laughing all the time, and is fascinated with just about everything. He finally likes his excersaucer, which is a lifesaver when I have to clean the house!!! At 5 months, he is about 20 pounds and 27.5 inches long. He loves his food and when he is hungry, he will let you know! He wakes up at 8am, eats some oatmeal and a fruit and get a 7 ounce bottle, then eats an 8 ounce bottle every 4 hours until his 8pm feeding. The 8pm feeding consists of 1 ounce of formula mixed with rice cereal and a vegetable. Every night he is given the option between two veggies and he is very good about choosing what he wants to eat! :-) It is adorable!!! After he eats his cereal, he has tubby time and then gets slathered with lotion, gets his ears and nose cleaned, gets his gums brushed, gets his hair brushed, then gets dressed and watches his Daddy video while drinking the other 7 ounces of his bottle. He is usually asleep by then and goes down until the next morning at 8am. It is a great little schedule and it allows Mom plenty of "me" time and sleep!!! :-) Grandma and Grandpa Hays bought him a toddler carseat this weekend since he has outgrown his infant carseat. The new carseat is the lazyboy of carseats! He has tons of room and looks so comfortable!!! I took some pictures, so I will post them on his myspace page. He had his 5 month pictures taken on June 30th and those are also posted on his page. He is getting so big, so fast!!! It makes me sad and proud at the same time. He is an excellent cuddler, but I need to have a talk with him regarding his waking Mommy up procedures. When he sleeps with me, he wakes me up by slapping my face repeatedly. He LOVES to touch my face, but doesn't have the best arm control at times, so he will slap me. Brian thinks that it is hilarious, but it kind of hurts!!!! lol I would wake up to his little slaps everyday though because he is just so cuddly and sweet when he sleeps. He is adorable!!!! Being a Mom is GREAT!!!!!

Anyway, off of the Brandon development talk....

Heather, Brandon and I are going to North Carolina on July 23!!! I haven't been to NC in FOREVER and I am excited to go back and see how much it has changed. I am so excited to take Brandon to the beach. Of course, anyone that knows me, knows that I am NOT a fan of the beach. I will take him, and probably stay for an hour or so and then be ready to leave. I just want to get some pictures of him in the sand, and the water (with me clinging to him). I am also going to take him to the Aquarium, Fort Macon (a civil war fort), and maybe the Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington. My Dad and Stepmom have a little farm, so I will take many pictures of him with the farm animals too!! It should be a fun trip!!! I am excited!!!!

School starts in August, and I cannot wait!!! I am taking 4 classes, all of which are at night. I chose night classes so I can be home with Brandon during the day and make sure that I can watch him reach as many milestones as possible!! I am SO ready to get this school thing on the ball. It will also help the time fly by and before I know it, Brian will be home!!!!

I am already planning Brandon's 1st birthday party. I have so many plans and am very excited about it!!!! He is such a pampered little boy!!!! lol

Well, I am done rambling for now, and the boy is waking up. So, that is about it for the time being. I hope that you are all doing well!!!!

Big boy carseat!

From B's old myspace page:

Grandpa Joe bought me a new carseat today!!! I was getting too big for my infant carseat, so I have officially moved up to a toddler carseat. The infant carseat was for up to 22 pounds and 29 inches. I am almost 21 pounds and am fast approaching 29 inches. The new toddler carseat is super cool and will be good until I am 50 pounds. Mommy is sad that she had to take out the infant carseat, but proud that she has such a big boy. I will tell Mommy to post a picture of me in my new carseat tomorrow.

Sickie baby.....

From B's old myspace page:

I have my first cold. It is not fun.

Last night, I woke up crying, coughing, and gagging on my snot. Mommy suctioned out my nose, cleaned me up, elevated my mattress, and rocked me back to sleep. I was fine after Mommy took care of me.

Mommy on the other hand, she was a nervous wreck. She was so worried about me that she slept on my floor.

This morning I am better. I have been coughing and am still a little congested, but my nose isn't runny anymore. Tonight Mommy is going to run my cold mist humidifier, and let me sleep with her so she can keep a good eye on me.

Hopefully I will get better soon!!! Being sick is no fun.

Rolling over!!!

From B's old myspace page:

I ROLLED OVER TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first time I rolled over was this morning. I was laying on my back on my playmat and Mommy went to put her makeup bag to her room. When she came back into the living room, I was on my belly. Then, I rolled from my belly, back to my back. Mommy grabbed the video camera, but I didn't feel like doing it again. Later this evening, I was playing on my mat again and Mom had the video camera handy. She was taping, and I didn't feel like rolling over. She stopped video taping, and the urge to roll over struck. So, I rolled over. Ha. The joke was on her. Anyway, a few minutes later, I was put onto my back again and Mom brought out the video camera. It took some coaxing and patience, but Mom finally caught me rolling over on camera! She was so proud of me!!! I am proud of me too. Go me!!!!!

Tu-tus and memories

Brandon and I went to Killeen this weekend to see the Willis family and Kelsey's ballet and tap recital. We had a great time. Here is the play by play.

We got to Killeen around 4pm, and were going to check into the Econolodge hotel where I originally made reservations. Thank GOD for Ginny because when I got to the Econolodge, I just could not bring myself to get out of the car. Luckily I was on the phone with her and she looked up hotels again and found a better hotel for just a few dollars more a night. Whew. The Econolodge was C-R-E-E-P-Y!!!!!!!!! If I wouldn't have had Brandon with me, I could have stayed there. I ~did~ afterall stay in the Fort Knox Inn in Radcliff, KY. THAT was bad. Bullet holes in the windows, a HUGE gap under the door that bugs could easily get through, and blood stains dripping from the mattress to the floor. BUT, having Brandon with me...NOPE. So, Ginny for the win on that one! Love ya Boo!!! :-)

Anyway, after the hotel situation, we met up with the Willis family. Kesley is almost 7 years old now and is beautiful as always. We finally got to meet little Kyla!! She is so cute, but is a little meanie! lol It's adorable. We hung out with the Willis family and got to catch up a bit. It has been about a minute since we last hung out. Saturday morning was Kelsey's recital. It was ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE. I have made an executive decision that Brian and I MUST have a daughter!!!! O.M.G. I NEEEEEEEED a daughter. I need to put her in dresses and tu-tus, and tap shoes, and glitter, and bows. It needs to happen. Oh, and to just fuel the fire even more, there was a, get this....FATHER/DAUGHTER dance!!!! It was probably the cutest thing on the face of the earth!!! I just sat there and imagined Brian up there with our little girl and I about lost it. The cuteness was overwhelming. So, after the recital we went to dinner with Tracy's Godmother, Anna. Then, we all went bowling. I taught Kelsey how to shimmy for good luck. Hahahahahaha, it was SO cute!!! She insisted on shimmy-ing before EVERY round. It was so much fun. Sunday was spent getting ready to come home as the Willis family came into Houston to visit their family here.

The only bad part about the trip was actually ~being~ in Killeen/Fort Hood. The entire time I was there, I was reminded of Brian. Every restaurant we passed made me think of the many times we went to dinner. I would imagine us sitting there, and try to guess what he would order. I thought about how when he gets back, we get to go find a place to rent while we are stationed there. I imagined us spending time together in a little house raising Brandon together and just living life normally. Nothing extravagant. Just boring, everyday stuff. I just missed him so much. He needs to come home. I miss him too much.

Overall, it was a great trip In conclusion.....Brian and I must have a daughter.

The End.

A Becky Update.

Hello everyone! I haven't blogged for myself in awhile, so I figured now would be a good time.

Let's see....how are things with me....

Well, things are going well. I was recently able to visit with Stephanie and Camdyn a while ago. I also got to see Whitney, her husband, and little boy. It was so nice seeing everyone!!! Camdyn has gotten so big, and is pretty much the spitting image of Kevin. It was so much fun spoiling him and being able to hang out with Steph again. I had a great time. The weekend flew by way too quickly, but I will see them again I am sure.

Speaking of traveling, I have a very busy couple of months ahead of me. This upcoming weekend I am going to visit with the Willis family. My Goddaughter, Kelsey, is having a ballet recital, so I am going to see that. They will also get to meet Brandon for the first time and I will get to meet Kyla for the first time! I am looking forward to that. In July, I am going to North Carolina for the first time in 8 years. I was there in 2002 for Beth's graduation, but due to the death of my Pawpaw at the same time, I wasn't able to really do and see much. So, I will be there visiting with my Dad and Stepmom for a week. Heather is going with me, so during the day while Dad and Addy are at work, we will be sightseeing and going to the beach and having fun. I can't wait for that trip! That is all of the traveling that I am doing that I know of. I am sure that at some point I will be visiting a few other people, but those will be day trips.

What else is going on.....

Oh, I am officially registered in school!!! Yay!!! I start in August and am registered in 4 classes. Speech, History, Intro to Education, and Psychology. I am SO excited to physically be taking classes again!! The online class thing is just NOT for me. The great thing about my classes is that I was able to get them at night, so Brandon will not have to be put in daycare!!! I am SO relieved. I have a GREAT daycare that I can take him to, but I want to be with him during the day. I want to be there to video tape everything for Brian. I want to spend time with him. So, it works out well that I am taking night classes. I can't wait to get this show on the road!!!

I am officially on a diet. Bleck. Haha. Well, it is just something that I have to do for myself. I just need to. I plan on going to the gym after classes, so that will become my routine. I am going to start going to the gym with Heather on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and one day a weekend until she leaves for school. I am excited about that as well. I'm going to be one hot momma when Brian comes home!!!! lol

Speaking of the love of my life, Brian is doing well. He is getting situated in Iraq and dealing with the daily grind. Brandon and I got him a PSP for Father's Day, so he is loving his new toy. He gets to call every couple of days, and emails when he can. He talks to Brandon everytime that he calls, and everytime Brandon just smiles! It is the cutest thing ever!! It hasn't been like the first deployment where we could talk on messenger all the time, but maybe that will be an option later in the deployment.

Brandon is doing wonderful. He is getting SO big!!! I posted a blog on his page about his 4 month doctor appointment. He is 18 pounds 4 ounces, and 27 1/4 inches long. He started eating solids May 24th, and LOVES it. So far he has had rice cereal, green beans, sweet potatoes, sweet peas, and carrots. He starts squash on Thursday and then it will be time to start fruits. He is absolutely my pride and joy and the best part of my day. He wakes up every morning smiling and talking to himself and rarely cries. He is such an excellent baby. I love him so much!!! It is unreal.

Emily is doing well. She has adjusted well to the other dogs in the house. I was quite worried about how scared she gets, but she has taken to it nicely. She plays with the other dogs and is very good. She has become more fiesty, but I think that is more out of necessity than anything.

Anything else....
Eh, I'll throw in a little vent. I have just become so fed up with people's lack of responsibility!!! It is such an irritating quality for a person to have. I am sure that you all have met someone that just REFUSES to take ANY responsibility for their own actions. It's almost like they expect the consequences of their actions to NOT affect them. They blame everything on someone else and have an excuse for everything. These kind of people get under my skin and piss me off!!!! Especially when they involve me in their immaturity. One day....maybe one day, they will grow up and realize that if they would just step up and be an adult, maybe their problems would go away. Oh well. Such is life I suppose.

I think that is about it for now. I am going to take the boy and go cuddle. He has watched his Baby Einstein video twice so far, and is getting fussy because he is fighting sleep. So, we may go take a little nap. I hope that you are all doing well!!! Thanks for reading about my boring little life. :-)

4 months!!!!

From B's old myspace page:

Well, as of May 30th, I am officially 4 months old!!! Yay!!! I am getting SO big!! I had my 4 month well baby appointment with my new pediatrician June 4th. I weighed in at 18 pounds 4 ounces, 27 1/4 inches long, and my head circumference was 18 inches. I got my shots and cried, but Mommy was there to cuddle me and make me feel better. Daddy was also there, in spirit and got to talk to me later that day and tell me how proud he was of me. I am wearing 9-12 month clothes and am SOOOOOO close to rolling over. I just love to smile and laugh at people and I do not stop talking. Ever. Mommy started feeding my baby food and it is good stuff!! I started out with green beans and after a couple of days had sweet potatoes. Yesterday I had sweet peas for the first time. I love my veggies!! Everyday I am getting cuter and I have all of these girls here wrapped around my little finger. I love being the baby!!!

Funny Baby Story

Brandon is teething. Yay. He has been REALLY fussy this evening and NOTHING that I do to calm him down was working. I tried all of the normal things and none of them were working. I tried teethers, oragel, tylenol, teething drops, rocking, shushing, playing, everything I could think of. After an hour of fussing, I decided to try taking him for a walk. The only thing that had seemed to calm him down was when we were walking around the house. So, I decided to put him in his stroller and go for a walk around the block. No sooner as I started walking, he fell asleep. He was out before we got to the culdesac about 5 houses down. hahahaha I kept walking a little to ensure that he was in a relatively deep sleep before going back inside. I would have walked longer but there was a storm advisory and I didn't want us to get caught in the rain. Since he likes walks so much, I may add a walk to our daily routine. Yay! Here is a picture of him crashed out in his stroller. Hahahaha.

RIP Kitters :(

Our precious Kitters passed away last night. I went out to have dinner with a friend and the house was empty, and one of the dogs got to her. I am not aware of the specific details as I did not want to know, but she is no longer with us. I came home and my Mom and Allan told me that she was dead. Naturally, I am devastated. She was my baby. I loved her so much and still have a hard time imagining the future without her. It still hasn't quite sunk it yet. I still cannot believe that she isn't going to meow at me when she wants some loving, bat at me when she wants some food, or climb on me and knead me as she falls to sleep. I am doubtful that I will ever own another kitty because I seem to have horrible luck with them. Maybe someday, but definitely not any time soon. She was such an important part of our family. Some people do not consider pets a part of the family, and those people are definitely not the kind of people that I can understand. Brian and I love our animals deeply and are heartbroken that we have lost our precious Kitters. She brought so much joy to our lives everyday. I will never forget her and her tummy. :) I know that I will think of her daily and that she will always hold a special place in our hearts. She will be greatly missed. So, RIP Kitters. Mommy and Daddy love you and will miss you always.

B update.....teething

From B's old myspace page:

So, I am almost the big 4-months. Soon I will be driving! But, for now, I have officially begun teething and eating like a horse. The past couple of nights I have been waking up multiple times and wanting to eat and fuss. Mom isn't really fond of that. So, today, I got my first taste of rice cereal. Not bad. It has a much different consistancy than milkies, but I sure do like it!! Mom and Grandma can't shovel it in fast enough. I've tried telling them to hurry, but I don't think they heard me. I may have to yell louder next time. I have also been drooling alot and biting mom's fingers and everything I can get my hands on. So, I've heard Mom say that I must be teething. She started putting this weird stuff on my gums. It makes my whole mouth go numb, and tastes really funny, but it makes my gums stop hurting. Yep, I'm getting big. I'm thinking about colleges. I think I may be an Aggie. That would make Dad happy!

3 Months!

From B's old myspace:

Wow! So many things have changed since my last blog!! Mommy and I are in Texas now and it is GREAT here!!! :) I had a little bit of a rough flight because I had an upset tummy, but once I threw up on Mommy, everything was great!

I have met so many people since I have been here! I got to meet my Auntie Beth and Auntie Lora finally. Also, Mommy took me to see her friends at Childtime where her and Daddy met. I met my Great Uncle Ralph, Great Aunt Debbie and Great Grandpa Hays on Sunday. It was so much fun!! I have also been to Grandma's work, Grandma Hays' work, and Grandpa Hays' fire station! Mommy says that there are alot more people to meet, so it looks like I am going to be a busy bee.

I turned 3 months on April 30th!!! I weigh 16.2 pounds and am 26 inches long! I am eating 8 ounces every 4-5 hours and am doing SO good holding my head up. I am so close to rolling over!!! Hopefully I can get my butt to follow my head soon! Mommy bought me a Bumbo and a tummy time mat and I love them!! I also got a bunch of new summer clothes and am one styling dude!!!

All is well with me and Mommy!

Yet another update.

I haven't blogged in awhile, so while Grandma is feeding Brandon, I figured that I'd post a new update. Here goes....

Brandon and I are doing great. We are enjoying being in Texas and seeing everyone that we have been waiting to see. We have visited Childtime, the grandparent's work, and Uncle Ralph, Aunt Debbie, and Great Grandpa Hays. We still have alot of people to see, most of which live farther away. I plan on making a trip out to Tyler, Killeen, and Austin pretty soon. I also have to go to West Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky sometime. All of this before July.....eeek. It may not all happen, but that is what I would like to do. We'll see. I also have to enroll in school soon, so that is going to make the out of state visits a little harder.

Brian is doing well. He has reached his final destination in Iraq and is getting settled in. He is ready to come home, and we are ready to have him home. We still have a long time, but we are being strong. If anyone would like his address, just message me and I will send it to you.

Other than the above, there really isn't anything else going on. Brandon is growing like a weed and I will be posting a blog about him on his page, so be sure to check it out.

That's all folks!

The flight from Hell, Walmart, and Sonic milkshakes

Well, Brandon and I have successfully made it to Texas. The trip was quite a disaster. Let me elaborate......

Wednesday night, or more like Thursday morning, I went to bed at 2am and set my alarm for 3:30am because we had to leave for the airport at 4:30am. I intentionally set my alarm across the room so I would have to physically walk over and turn it off. Which is exactly what I did.....and then went back to bed. Ginny comes in and wakes me up at 5:30!!! So, needless to say, Brent and I were running late. We made it to the airport around 8:15 and found a parking spot relatively quickly. The problem was that we had 2 luggage carts and Brandon's stroller, but there was only two of us. It was VERY complicated pushing everything into the airport and to the check in counter. Luckily, a very nice man helped get us to the check in counter. After getting checked in I was told that we would have to take the pets around the corner and that they would have to be taken out of their cages. I asked Brent to go with the pets so I could pay for their plane tickets and finish getting checked in. My mind was running on little sleep and I didn't realize that Brent would be the one taking the pets out of their kennels. Poor Brent. First of all, he is allergic to cats and dogs. Second, Emily and Kitters are not the most comfortable with him. Emily refused to go back in the crate. He had to force her in the kennel and then felt bad afterwards. Kitters....oh, Kitters. She scratched the hell out of him and got loose. She ran into the scanner machine and wouldn't come out. The airport employees were not able to help him, so he had to climb into the scanner to get her out and then shove her back into her kennel. I didn't find this out until later because I had to leave and go pay for animals on one side of the terminal and then haul ass to the other side of the terminal to get to my gate. I ended up running to my gate. I had to go upstairs and went into the elevator, but it just so happened that the elevator didn't work. I found an escalator, but I really didn't have time to waste trying to figure out the elevator situation. I made it to the customs line and was let through thank goodness because the line was SO long. Then, I made it to the metal detector and didn't realize that I had to take Brandon out of his carseat because the carseat had to go through the scanner. As I take him out of the carseat, I realize that he has a poopy diaper. GREAT!!! Perfect timing!!! lol So, we make it through the metal detector and have to go through another check point. They asked for my boarding passes and I handed him everything they had given me and I was missing a boarding pass. I started flipping out and told the guy that I didn't have time for this and I needed to go, but he couldn't let me through. I finally found it, and was let through. I went to the gate (which was down a hallway that NEVER ended!!!!) and checked in. I had to change Brandon before we got on the plane, so I went to the bathrooms. Well, lucky me, they didn't have a changing room, and the women's bathroom was packed. So, I just went into the handicap bathroom and changed him. When I get done, I go inquire about pre-boarding and bulkhead seating. I was told that I would get to board early. Boarding early is a joke. They gave me all of a 30 second head start, which is nothing because when I got to the breezeway, I asked about bulkhead and they told me to check with the gate. So, I had to go back to the gate and ask. That is where I found out that they had Brandon and I sitting two rows away from each other. Such brilliant people that work at the airlines. Anyway, tehat problem was fixed, but there "was no room" for me in bulkhead seating. When I booked the plane tickets, I was told that bulkhead seating is reserved for pregnant women, and women with children that do not have a seperate seat for their child, but if there was room, that I would be next in the priority list. So, I expected there to be alot of pregnant women and children in bulkhead. Nope. There was a married couple on their way to a cruise, some 20 something men, and some women that did not have any handicaps at all. I know this because I sat in the row directly behind bulkhead seating so I could be teased with it. It was so ridiculous. Then, the brilliant flight attendants were asked to heat up Brandon's bottle so I could feed him during take off to help with the popping of his ears. The dumb ass brought me boiling water!!! Then, when I told her that it was too hot, she dumped it out and brought me an empty bottle. Finally she was able to get it right after I explained that I needed warm water. I understand that they do nit have the ability to microwave bottles, which is fine, but common sense will tell you that boiling water is not an option. Brandon did great on the take off. He ate his bottle, and I rocked him to sleep. About 30 minutes into the flight I was settling in and bracing myself for a decent flight. I could not have been more WRONG! First, Brandon had another 2 poopy diapers in the matter of an hour!! He typically only poops once of twice a day!! On the flight, he had 5 poopy diapers!! That is just my luck! About 45 minutes into the flight, the pilot informs us that the oil pressure gauge on engine 2 isn't working and that we had to turn around and go back to Frankfurt to have it fixed. Granted, I would much rather them find this out and fix it before we are over the Atlantic, but I was still upset. We get to Frankfurt and have to wait for the mechanics to fix it, then for them to test it, and then for the plane to be refueled. Finally, around 2 or 2:30 we take off again. Everything was fine for awhile and I was able to get a little bit of sleep. Brandon woke up and needed to be changed (the 4th poopy diaper) and fed. I got him changed and got his bottle heated up and started to feed him just as they started bringing out lunch. So, I had to put him in his carseat and finish feeding him that way because I was afraid that they wouldn't give me my meal if I asked them to bring it back after I fed him and considering my breakfast was a beverage, I was starving! The problem with feeding him in his carseat is that burping him was difficult because of the tray. He seemed to do ok. He fell back off to sleep about an hour after he ate. He woke up fussy and was up for awhile. He finally started to get really fussy and I thought that he might have been hungry again even though it was only 3 hours after his last bottle. I fed him, and sure enough, it was too early. About 30 minutes after he ate, he threw up ALL over me. I was COVERED in vomit. Covered. It was so gross. That was about 5 hours into the flight. So, for the rest of the 5 and a half hour flight, I was covered in vomit. I had brought changes of clothes for Brandon, but not for myself. I have learned my lesson! The rest of the flight was a blur. I had a headeache and was feeling disgusting, so I think I have blocked it out. When we landed, I was expecting my stroller to be waiting for me after I got off the plane, but it wasn't. I had to carry him in his carseat and carry my travel on, purse, and diaper bag all the way to customs which was about a 10 minute walk! I finally made it through customs and found baggage claim where I was expecting my family to be. Negative. Luckily, there was a nice employee that helped me carry everything out to my family. I was SO relieved to see them and for the flight to be over!!!! It was miserable!!!!

On a brighter note- I went to Walmart yesturday!!!! I was only there for a little while because I didn't want to spend every last dime that I had. I bought Brandon a couple things and some toiletries, but I didn't go crazy. I am SO glad to be back in the states!!!! I also had a strawberry shake from Sonic yesturday!! Mmmmmm. It was yummy. It was in honor of Brian as they are his favorite. I miss him SOOOOOOOO much and being back in Houston without is such a strange feeling. I am so glad to be here, but I feel so guilty that I am here and he is not. I can't wait until he comes back!!!!

I haven't gotten my nails done yet.....shocker I know. my mom had mentioned taking me, so I am waiting to see if that is going to happen today. If not, then I am taking myself because I need to get them done and a pedicure like whoa.

That's about it for now. I am exhausted just writing this blog and recounting all of the crap that happneded on the flight. Thank god it is over!

It's 2:15am

and I am STILL awake. I swear, I am so tired, but I CANNOT sleep. Everytime I try to go to sleep, I lay there awake thinking about everything that I have to do in the next few days. Plus, my whole body hurts from lifting stuff. See, this is why my husband needs to be home. He usually does all of the lifting. Speaking of my dear husband, I got to talk to him today!! It was only a brief conversation, but it made my day. He is doing well, and just waiting to leave Kuwait (or Q8 as Ginny calls it...heh) and head to Iraq. I miss him SO much, and I feel REALLY guilty going back to the states while he is stuck in the sandbox. I know that I am going to have a great time there, all the while he is miserable in Iraq. That makes me sad. Blah. Tomorrow the movers come, so I've been spending this weekend organizing things and making sure that I seperate out all of the stuff that is going on the plane with me. That is HARD WORK!!! It is hard to think of everything that you need and what you may need for the baby, and what the pets need. I will be SO glad when this move is over. Although, it means that I have to leave some of my dearest friends here in Baumholder. Today, I went to lunch with my boo Ginny and my little man Dono and Missy. It was a great time and it made me sad thinking about leaving them. They are great people and I will miss them dearly. Thank goodness for the neighbor boy who carried all of my stuff that I needed taken downstairs for me. Plus, he carried everything from my car upstairs for me, took my trash out, cleaned Brian's bike and the cooler that I needed cleaned, and brought Emily's crate upstairs. He was a LIFESAVER!!! Two hours and twenty dollars later, I had about 4 hours worth of work done had I done it myself because of carrying Brandon up and down with me. So, yay for that. Oh, and if you are wondering why this blog is all over the place, it is because I took a percocet about a half hour ago and it has taken over my brain. I feel really drunk, but my body doesn't hurt. So, that is a good thing. I could totally crash right now, and I will momentarily, but I am waiting on the dryer to finish so I can transfer the final load of laundry. So much to do. Plus, I have to wake up at 7am or so to do my makeup before the movers get here. Yes, I wear makeup no matter what when company is around. So, I will wake up, do my make up, give Brandon a bottle, and fall asleep on the couch until the movers get here. I am hoping that they get here early so they can get done early and leave me a little time to run a few errands that I need to run. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Thank goodness for the Roberts family! They are being so kind as to let me stay with them starting tomorrow night, plus Ginny is keeping Brandon for me this week while I run a bunch of errands, and they are driving me to the airport. I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends! They rule. Whoa.....my head is all spinny.....lol. I should probably go. Yay for percocet-driven blogs. Heh. Good night everyone.

Friday + Good news = Happy Becky!

So, THANKFULLY, I got some good news today!!! Actually, today was a day FULL of good news!!!

It started with Ginny's WONDERFUL news that Nugget is HEALTHY and is a GIRL!!! I am SOOO happy to hear that her little Nugget is healthy!!! Especially considering that the odds were really against her. I am also THRILLED to hear that she is having a baby girl! It's so perfect....one little boy, one little girl. It actually gives me hope that it CAN be done. lol So, YAY for the Roberts family!!!

Then, Brandon's passport came in today!!! FINALLY!!! After 9 weeks of waiting! So, we were able to book our plane tickets today!!! It is OFFICIAL!!! I am flying out of Germany Thursday April 24 at 10:05am!!! I will arrive in Houston Thursday April 24 at 1:35pm!!! I am SOOOO excited!!!! I cannot wait to get home and see my wonderful family!!! I am little nervous about such a long flight with Brandon, but he is an excellent baby, so I'm sure it will all be fine.

I have SO much to do to get ready for the move! The movers come on Monday to pick up my stuff. This weekend will be spent organizing the apartment and seperating the stuff that is going on the plane with me. Then, on Tuesday, I have to go to Finance, Tricare, SATO Travel, Sixt Rental Car, and get the car cleaned. Wednesday I have to sign out of my apartment, ship the car, take Emily and Kitters to the vet, and make sure that everything is in order for Thursday. Then, Thursday we head out! I am SO excited!!!

To all of my friends here in Germany, I love you all and will miss you all terribly!!! Ginny- I don't even know how to say goodbye. So, instead, it is a see you later!!! I will be back for the welcome home ceremony and I WILL see that beautiful baby girl of yours and my little Dono-man!! And Dita of course....oh, and I suppose Brenton too. Heh.

To all of my friends and family in Texas- I'm COMING HOME!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!

The latest.

So, this blog is not so much of an update as it is a place to relieve some boredom.

Let's see.....

Still waiting on Brandon's passport. Scheduled household goods shipment for the 18th and 21st, so after Monday I will have a government bed, dresser, 2 lamps, a chair, Brandon's bassinett, our luggage, a broken laptop, the pet carriers, and a little tv that I am giving to the Roberts' after I leave. So, hopefully Brandon's passport will come in on Friday so I can schedule our plane tickets to get the heck out of here!! I scheduled the detailing of the car....and it's gonna SUCK!!! It is 120 EURO!!!! That is outrageously expensive considering the exhange rate, but it's my only option. There is NO WAY that I could detail the car myself, and the car care place on post doesn't have an opening until the 28th. So, the economy it is. I lucked out and don't have to hire someone to clean the apartment before I leave because at my pre-inspection today I was told that because we accepted the apartment as is we only have to sweep, clean the fridge, and the oven. That is easy enough, so I'm doing it myself. Actually, I already cleaned the fridge and I cleaned behind the oven today. So, I will only have to clean the oven, behind the fridge, and sweep. Easy enough. Kitters has a vet appointment tomorrow to get her rabies shot. Next week Emily and Kitters have appointments to get their health certificates as it cannot be issued more than 10 days from the date you fly out. That's about it on the move front. Just waiting, waiting, waiting.

Brandon will be 11 weeks old tomorrow!!! OMG....time has flown by!!! He is getting so big and is just beautiful. He smiles ALL the time. It's great. He even laughs in his sleep which is adorable. He is still sleeping great at night. He falls asleep in the living room around 8-9 and sleeps until bathtime which is around 10-10:30, then gets a bottle and goes to sleep until about 6-7am. Then, gets another bottle and a diaper change and is sleeping until 9-11. So, Mommy is LOVING that. His favorite things during the day are story time, snuggle time, playing in his swing, and playing with his little stuffed froggie. He has tummy time twice a day now, and is getting really good at holding his head up despite the fact that he HATES tummy time. He is eating like a little piggie. He recently went up to eating 8 ounces every 4 hours because he was eating 6 ounces every 3 hours and barely making it the 3 hours before he was starting to get really fussy. He is wearing his 3 month clothes and has been for about a month now. He's growing so fast. He is such a good baby. Brian and I really lucked out.

Brian is doing ok. He is still in Kuwait, and gets to call/get online every once in awhile. It isn't everyday, but we're making due. He's counting down the days until he gets to come home. We miss him like crazy and can't wait until he gets home.

That's about it in the Hays family life. Brian is hanging out in Kuwait and Brandon, the furbabies and I are just waiting to get back to Texas. I will update as soon as anything changes.

The good....and the bad.

So, I'm a bad first kind of gal, so I'll get that over with first.....

I was REALLY REALLY hoping to get Brandon's passport in today so I could schedule our plane tickets, but it didn't come in. That SUCKS. Until I get his passport I can't do anything else to get moved. It has been 8 weeks today and I am getting REALLY frusterated!!!! All I can do is wait at this point, but as you all know, I am NOT a patient person!!!



So, now the good......

Brian made it safely to Kuwait and is doing ok. He is able to get on the internet and use the phones, but he has to have a buddy with him at all times. Since the majority of his friends are broke and the phone and internet cost money, nobody wants to go with him. So, he is getting online when he can, which isn't very often.

Also with the good, Brandon LOVES watching his goodnight video that Daddy made him!!! He will stop everything that he is doing (which isn't much since he is only 10 weeks old) and listen to Daddy talking to him and just smile. It's the cutest thing!! I can't wait for Brian to send more videos so Brandon can watch them too.

Also, he did tummy time yesturday and held his head up almost the entire time!!! He still hates it, but yesturday he didn't hate it as much as he normally does. He held his head up and was looking at me and talking and then looking at his rattle and smiling. So, we are making progress there!!! Hopefully soon he will be able to lift himself up and roll over!! He's getting SO big!!! I promise to post some more pics on his page soon.

That's about all that is going on here. I will post again when something exciting happens!

First Mom Crisis

I had my first official mom-crisis moment today. Here’s the story:

As many of you know that I am moving back to Texas since Brian is deployed. The moving process is a difficult one in general, moving with the military is even more complicated, and moving with the military AND a baby is pretty close to impossible!!! lol

It all started when I set myself up for failure by expecting myself to be up by 8am. Yeah, that did NOT happen. My alarm went off, and realized that my son was still asleep, so I decided to seize the moment and sleep while I could. So, 10am I am awoken by my son’s babbling and fussing. Since I had to be home between 12-5 for the maintenance guy to come fix the dryer, I decided that it would be best for me to just stay home and if the maintenance guy left at a decent time to then try to get some things accomplished. Lucky for me, the maintenance guy came at 12 and was done by 1. (My dryer had two broken wheels, no wonder it was making horrible squeaky noises) Anyway, after he left, I got Brandon ready and fed him a bottle before we left. I knew that it wasn’t really time for him to eat, but figured that I’d "top him off" and feed him whatever he wanted. BAD IDEA!!! No more than a half hour after we left the house we were in the office inquiring about getting his name added to my orders, Brandon decided that he was going to throw up that entire bottle. He was chilling in his carseat asleep, and he woke up and was acting a little fussy, so I offered him his binkie but he didn’t want it. He was a little squirmy, so I figured that it was probably gas and since he wasn’t really fussing a lot I left him alone and continued discussing the orders situation. The next thing I know he had vomitted and covered himself and his carseat. Yay. I then entered panic mode! lol I took his jacket off and got a burp cloth and started wiping him down. I checked the diaper bag for a change of clothes, and like a dumb ass I hadn’t replaced them from when we were in the hospital unexpectedly a few weeks ago. Yikes. Panic had really set in at that point. I wiped down the carseat with the burp cloth and put him back in it. That was all I could do at that point. During this entire ordeal, I was being given directions as to how to get my son added to my orders. My brain was NOT in the right frame of mind to remember ANYTHING they were saying to me. Luckily, the guy was new and wanted to learn the process himself so he escorted me to the building I needed to go to and spoke to the people for me. Brandon cannot be added to my orders until his passport is in. So, basically, my move is stalled until his passport comes in. That bitch better come in tomorrow!!! Ugh, but that is a whole other story in itself. Anyway, I had another couple of places to go, but decided that I’d just go to one because I needed to get Brandon home and changed before he started stinking up my car with his milkiness. Once I went to the outprocessing building they sent me BACK to the last building I was at for the checklist I was inquiring about. Once at that original building they gave me a checklist for getting an ERD approved. I ALREADY HAVE my ERD approved. I wanted a checklist of things that I needed to do in order to MOVE. A list of things that I needed to do to CLEAR this post. Apparently, there is no such checklist. So, ALL of that in and out of buildings (6 buildings, so 12 times in and out of the car) for nothing. And, can I just say that carrying a baby in a carseat is HARD WORK!!! lol He is a heavy little guy and the carseat is bulky and hard to carry. So, I had an official mom-crisis moment with the vomiting and an official mom day by carrying him around all day. It just sucks that all of that work was for NOTHING. Ugh.

I wouldn’t trade if for anything in the world though. Especially when he smiles at me. Which he is doing right this second....only because he is making a dirty diaper for me to change. Hahahaha....well, I’m off to take care of diaper duty. I hope you had a good laugh at my expense.

And so it begins.....

the most painful seperation imaginable. Please be forewarned that this blog will probably be all over the place as my feelings are overwhelmingly complicated right now.

Brian has officially left for Iraq. 16 months. Damn, that is a LONG time. I missed him before he left, but I miss him immensely more now that he is officially gone. I honestly do not know how to describe what it feels like to have to say goodbye to your husband, your child’s father, and your best friend. Incomplete. That is really the only word that comes close. It is almost surreal at this point. I almost don’t believe that he isn’t going to walk in the door in a little while and asks, "What’s for dinner?" Saying goodbye was hard. Not nearly as hard as watching him say goodbye to our son. My heart breaks a little more each time I think about it. I cannot possibly imagine what it must feel like to look at your baby and know that you will not be seeing them again for at least 16 months. It’s unreal. He is such a brave man, and is stronger than he is given credit for. I know that I am one of many wives/husbands that have had to spend an ungodly amount of time away from their solider, and I have dealt with deployment before. I know that I can handle the seperation. I know that I will eventually not cry everytime I see little things that remind me of him. But, for now, every little thing reminds me of him. Everything. Walking into our house and seeing his side of the bed, his "spot" on the couch, his toothbrush in the holder....everything. I’m doing surprisingly well. I’m actually quite proud of myself. For now.

It’s just not fair. It’s not fair that children must be seperated from their parents, spouses seperated, families seperated for this bullshit war. It’s just not fair. Not. At. All. All I can say is to PLEASE vote. Please educate yourself and vote. Just don’t sit idly by and expect things to change. Things will only change if people stand up and make them change.

In the meantime, I will vow to stay occupied to help the time pass by. From past experience, I know that keeping busy is really the only way to keep some sanity. It may seem trivial, but I am trying to find one thing everyday to look forward to. Even the small things keep me going. Tonight, American Idol is on. Tomorrow, more American Idol. Friday, Grey’s Anatomy. That, plus all the things that I have to do to get my move organized will help the time pass by quicker. Once I get to Texas, it is really all down hill from there. Between being a mommy, going to school, and spending time with family I’m sure that the time will fly by.

I just wish that we didn’t have to be apart. I just wish that I didn’t have to go to bed alone every night and wake up alone every morning. I wish that Brian didn’t have to watch Brandon grow up through videos and pictures. I just wish things didn’t have to be this way.

What a relief!

It is official!! We found out today that my ERD was approved!!! It is SUCH a relief!! Especially because Brian is leaving for Iraq VERY soon!! It makes me feel so much better knowing that shortly after he leaves, I will be able to leave too. Now that it has been approved, we have to begin the moving process. Anyone that has moved with the military knows that it is a very lengthy process involving many briefings and appointments. First and foremost, we have an appointment with Transportation on Tuesday to schedule my household goods shipment. When Brian spoke to the transportation office today, they told him that the earliest they can ship our household goods is around April 16-17, and that isn’t guaranteed. Once our transportation appointment is scheduled, we can call housing and schedule a final inspection to sign out of housing. We can also schedule our flights out of here. Also, somewhere in there, we have to ship our car back to the states. We can’t leave until we get Brandon’s passport, which hopefully will come in on Friday. We applied for his passport mid-February, and we are still waiting on it. I called the passport office today and was told that the next pickup of passports is on Friday, so if Brandon’s comes in, we will be notified immediately. So, we are hoping that his comes in on Friday. Along with shipping our household goods, clearing housing (which involves ALOT of major cleaning because the Army is anal), shipping the car, and scheduling our flights, the Army requires us to clear a number of other offices. For example, you have to have the library sign off saying that you do not have any overdue library books. So, it is going to be interesting. I am actually grateful for the work because with moving and Brandon, I won’t have time to really think about Brian being in Iraq. I am just ready to be back in Texas with my family. As excited as I am, it is bittersweet because I am going to have to say goodbye to the Roberts family. They have been amazing friends to us, and it is going to be so hard to say goodbye. I hate goodbyes.

2 Month's old!!

From B's old myspace page:

So, I am 2 months old today!!! Yay me!!!! Mommy and Daddy keep telling me how big I’m getting. I guess they are right because I have gained 3.5 pounds and grown 3.5 inches since I was born!!! Lately my favorite thing to do is to watch the mobile in my swing go around and listen to the music my swing plays. I love my swing SO much!!! Also, Mommy and Daddy started story time with me!!! I love to listen to the stories that they read me!! I am working on my tummy time, but it is definately not my favorite thing to do. I am getting much better at holding my head up when Mommy and Daddy hold me though. I love to smile and am laughing more and more often. I also love to eat my milkies!!!! Mommy and Daddy are shocked that I am eating 6 ounces every 4 hours!!! I’m still sleeping really well too. Mommy puts me to sleep around 11pm and I sleep until around 6am when Daddy gets up for work. Mommy feeds me and changes my diaper, then I go back to sleep until around 9 or 10am. I also take a few cat naps throughout the day. Sometimes Mommy snuggles with me during my naps. Those naps are my favorite. I have also been spending alot of time with my Auntie Ginny and BFF Dono!! They love me and I love them too!!! That is about all that is going on with me!!! I’m just working hard on growing and making Mommy and Daddy’s lives complete. It’s hard work being a baby!!!

2 Months!

From B's old myspace page:

Today was my 2 month well baby dr appointment. I am perfectly healthy and thriving. Mommy and Daddy had a few questions for Dr. Sherman. They discussed the dry skin on my cheeks. Dr. Sherman suggested buying some Aveno lotion to put on it and to wash it with a sponge to get circulation going, but said that it is perfectly normal and would clear up on it’s own. She also recommended giving rice cereal anywhere between 3-4 months to help with iron levels because they naturally drop around that time. Iron and brain development go hand in hand, so Mommy may start me on rice cereal around 3-4 months. Mommy asked about allergies because I rub my nose alot, but Dr. Sherman said that there is no way to check for allergies in babies and even if I did have allergies the only thing that would be safe for me to take would be saline drops. So, Dr. Sherman recommended getting a HEPA filter. Mommy is going to buy a filter when we get to Grandma’s house. Mommy and Daddy also discussed constipation and hard poopies. Lately I have been struggling to poop, so Dr. Sherman said that I could have a little apple juice to get things moving. Mommy has to dilute it to one part juice, one part water. So, hopefully that will help with the struggling I’ve been having lately. I am exactly 8 weeks today. I weigh in at 13.2 pounds and am 25 inches long!! That is almost a pound heavier than last week, and an inch longer!!! I am definately growing fast!!!

After my appointment with Dr. Sherman, I had to get my shots. I was given the rotovirus vaccine, which is a drink. That wasn’t too bad. After the drink, I had to have my HIB shot and my DTaP shot. They were out of the prevnar vaccine, so I have to get that one next week. The HIB shot is the Haemophilus Influenza shot, and the DTaP is the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine. It was NOT fun getting shots, but I didn’t do too bad. I cried, but as soon as Mommy picked me up, I was ok. I am feeling icky today because of the shots, but Mommy and Daddy are taking good care of me. Hopefully I will feel better tomorrow.

Ultrasound results

From B's old myspace page:

I had the ultrasound of my sacral dimple done on Monday. Today we got the results, and they are normal!!! Yay!!! I do not have spina bifida occulta!!!! Mommy and Daddy were SO relieved!!! I also had a check up and I am doing great!!! I weigh in at 12.5 pounds and 24 inches long! I am a growing healthy boy and Mommy and Daddy couldn’t be happier!!!

Follow up

We had Brandon’s follow up appointment and ultrasound result appointment today. He had the ultrasound done on Monday. Dr. Sherman, his pediatrician, said that the ultrasound came back looking completely normal!!! Brian and I were SOOOO excited to find out that his little dimple is a "normal abnormality." He is super healthy, eating like a champ, and growing like a little weed!!! He was 12.5 pounds and a little over 24 inches long!!! He has his 2 month check up next Wednesday. He will be getting his first round of immunizations. I am making Brian go with me to that appointment because I cannot stand to watch him get shots!!! Poor little guy. So, yay for an awesome result to his ultrasound!!!!

5 week hospital stay

From B's old myspace page:

I just got out of the hospital today. I had to be admitted on the 8th because of a fever. It all started around 6pm Friday evening when Mommy noticed that I felt really hot. She took my temperature and it was 102! So, Mommy, Daddy, and I went to the emergency room. I had to have all kinds of tests run to make sure that I didn’t have anything really serious. I had to have blood drawn, a spinal tap, a urinalysis, a influenza culture, and an RSV culture done. Because I am only 5 weeks old, they had to hospitalize me and keep me on IV antibiotics and fever free for at least 24 hours. The doctors couldn’t get the IV in my arm or hand, so they had to put it in my head. It was not fun at all! After being admitted to the pediatric ward, the pediatrician checked me out and commented on the dimple that I have above my tushy. It is called a sacral dimple and Mommy and Daddy were asked if I had an ultrasound done to check for spina bifida occulta. Mommy and Daddy were very worried because nobody had mentioned anything to them before about it and spina bifida is a very serious disease. They were hoping to have the ultrasound done before I was released from the hospital, but we couldn’t get an appointment. So, my appointment is scheduled for March 17th to have the ultrasound done, and the results will be given and my follow up appointment on March 19th. I was finally released today, and the diagnosis is a virus. I am feeling much better now and am very glad to be home.

Our Poor Baby Boy!

Well, we jut got home from our 3 day hospital stay with Brandon. It all started on Friday. I noticed Friday evening that Brandon felt really hot. I took his temp and it was 102, so I called Brian and we headed to the ER. When we got there, his rectal temp was 100.5. Anything over 100.4 is your body fighting an infection and with him being only 5 weeks old they were concerned. They ran a number of tests to include a spinal tap, chest x-rays, a urinalysis, blood tests, influenza culture, and an RSV test. He was admitted to the hospital to be monitored, and to make sure that none of the labs came back positive. The initial labwork came back shortly after we were admitted and was all normal, but they watch some of the tests to make sure that nothing else grows within 24-48 hours. Poor guy was hooked up to an IV which had to be done in his head because the vein in his arm blew and the vein in his hand collapsed. We were told that it is normal for babies veins to collapse or blow because they are so tiny. His temp went down shortly after we got there with the aid of tylenol, but he had to be fever free for at least 24 hours. He was put on IV antibiotics every 6 hours. The last evening, his IV stopped working, so they had to remove it and instead of sticking him again with an IV needle, they decided to give him shots of the antibiotic. It was so hard watching him get poked and prodded at the whole time he was there, but we know that it was for the best. He is doing great and is back to his smiling, happy self. They are guessing that it was a virus because all of the labwork did not show anything to worry about. The only concerning thing that we were told at the hospital was about the little dimple on his back. He was born with a dimple on his back right above his butt. Apparently, they forgot to mention to us that it could be a sign of spina bifida! The pediatrician doesn't seem too concerned because all of his reflexes are normal and the spinal cord and nerve endings are not exposed. There is a condition called spina bifida occulta which is an extremely mild form of the disease. In this particular form of the disease, no other symptoms present themselves and many people have it their entire life and never even know. So, I guess if he does have it, that there is not a lot of reason for concern. We are scheduled to get an ultrasound to get it checked out on the 17th. We hate waiting that long, but that is the military healthcare system. As soon as we get the results, we will let you all know. So, we are glad to be home, and that Brandon is healthy. Thanks to everyone for all of your concern and help!!

A super special thanks to the Roberts' for watching Emily and Kitters for us on such short notice!!! We love you guys!!!! :)

Oops....

I forgot to update everyone on Friday. All of Brandon's labs came back normal, so he is doing great. He is also doing really well with the 4 ounce bottles every 4 hours or so. We have pretty much completely transitioned him over to formula and so far so good. He hasn't had anymore vomiting incidents and doesn't appear to be getting too gassy or constipated from the formula either. So, it looks like we are in the clear!!! Yay!!! It is SO hard to believe that he will be a month old on Wednesday!!! He is getting so big already!!! He has started smiling a little here and there. I will post pictures of him smiling as soon as I can catch one! lol He's quick, so it's hard to get a good picture. That's about it for now. Take care everyone!!!

2 Weeks old

From B's old myspace page:

I had my 2 week check up today! I am actually 3 weeks old, but that’s ok. My doctor had alot to say about me. My neck is a little kinked from being cramped in Mommy’s tummy, I have a hydrocele, I have a hernia in my belly button, and my eyes are a little clogged. My neck, hydrocele, and belly button will heal on their own. Mommy has to put drops in my eyes to help them unclog. Yesterday I threw up and Mommy and Daddy took me to the ER. I had an ultrasound done to my belly to make sure I didn’t have pyloric stenosis. Thank goodness everything came back looking normal. I had to have a bunch of labwork done, and all of that came back normal too. I have grown alot too!!! I am 11 pounds and 23 inches long!!!