This is Ben and Sarah

Two years

2011-07-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

I thought I should record some things about Brian on his 2nd birthday, so we don't forget.

Favorite words:
Papa
Grandma (sounds a lot like Momma)
Daddy
Momma
Kitty
This
Please
Thank you
No (or nope, but it comes out as mope)
Yes
Crash
Ready, set, go!
Broom
Three
Chicken
Popcorn
Cheese
Truck
Airplane
Mess
Outside (mostly just side)
Car
Spin
Milk (but he says it as ulk)
Cup
Juice
Yay
Swing

Favorite things:
- Loves to stand on the couch and look out the window, especially if someone is mowing there lawn or their is a truck outside
- Whenever he hears a car or truck outside, he runs to the couch to look out the window, then says, "Papa? Papa?" When I tell him that Papa is at work, he says, "Grandma?" and we repeat this several times before he finally accepts that Papa and Grandma are not at our house
- He loves to run and "crash" into things, such as the back door, then says "crash" with a big smile on his face
- Loves to spin in the computer chair and will say, "ready, set, go" before we spin him
- He is working on learning to count, but mostly still just loves the number three
- Brian loves to go outside, but is still not sure about the grass. If he falls down on the grass, he has a really hard time putting his hands on the grass to help stand back up
- He has always loved to clean up- he will dump out blocks or toys so that he can clean them back up. He also loves to use the broom to clean up his messes after he throws food on the floor
- He LOVES milk and gets so excited when it's time for milk/bedtime (not always so excited about going to bed, but getting milk), but jumping up and down and clapping excited and repeating "ulk! ulk! ulk!" over and over again until he gets it
- Brian likes any food that my dad (Papa) likes: popcorn, peanuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, chips, etc. He gets really excited when my dad makes him popcorn, especially
- He loves to go to nursery at church (yay!) and tries to go in the room before it's time. The nursery leaders say he is really sweet, except for at snack-time and coloring time: he dumps his snack out of the bowl (we are working on that at home) and he will go and dump the crayons out of the bowls that the other kids are using- they say they have to "quarantine" him in his own area during those times. They say it's hard to get mad at him even when he's doing that since he's not doing it in a mean way, he just thinks it's fun
- Brian loves anything with buttons that makes noise- computers, radios, light switches, buttons in the car, books that make sounds, etc. He also loves to open and close things

I'm sure there is a lot more I can say about him, but I'll leave it at that. It has been a great two years since he joined our family and we love him so much!

Eating some snacks on his birthday yesterday

Happy 2nd Birthday, Brian!

2011-07-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

Couple days old

6 months old

1 year old

18 months old

2 years old

Sunshine!

2011-03-16T20:46:00.001-07:00

We are excited for spring to get here! The other morning the sun was actually out so I opened our living room blinds and exclaimed, "Sunshine!" and Brian started copying me. The rest of the day he would excitedly say, "sunshine!" Don't mind his bed head- he has crazy hair in the morning!

Christmas post finally

2011-02-14T20:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve hanging out by the tree

Santa came! (the red boxes on the tree were a present to each of the grandkids from my parents and the ornaments were sea shells from the beach)

The stockings were hung...

Grandma trying to get Brian to line up backwards with the cousins- it didn't work too well

Checking out what Santa brought

Santa brought Brian a popper toy and a drum/music set

Playing with his drums

Tearing the wrapping paper into tiny pieces

What he really wanted to play with- Grandma Suzy's cell phone

Playing with his Toy Story race car toy

Cousin Benjamin showing Brian how to make the toy work

Playing with another drum he got with cousin Sally

Stocking time! (he was past ready for a nap by this point)

Swimming with Dad at our hotel in Utah for New Years

All bundled up in the freezing Salt Lake weather

Brian "fitting" into his Bumbo again

Trying to get out of the Bumbo

After getting out of the Bumbo (don't worry, he wasn't hurt)

Yes, I realize it's February, but I'm finally getting around to posting some Christmas pictures. We spent Christmas up at Lopez Island with my family. We had never spent Christmas up there, so it was a lot of fun. Santa found us up there and we had a nice holiday. For New Years we spent it in Utah with some of Ben's family (though we missed his Mom who was in Georgia) and I finally got to meet Ben's older sister Melody and her family, which was a lot of fun. We stayed in a fancy hotel and "enjoyed" the freezing weather and snow! I also got to see my good friend Emily and her daughter on New Year's Eve, though I didn't get any pictures!

January pics and videos

2011-01-25T10:55:00.000-08:00

Sarah asked me not to be sarcastic in this post, so I will be very serious.

In this video, Sarah is tickling Brian.

Brian is in a swing in this video.

Brian is doing funny things here.

Here he does more funny things.
(and shows his determination to rip the nightlight out of the wall-
his favorite thing to do when he's in his room)

Here is the last video of Brian doing funny things.

And here's Brian making a funny face and signing please.

There. I think I made that post completely serious and as unsarcastic as possible.

November and some older pictures

2010-12-05T09:46:00.001-08:00

Asleep on Dad

Playing in a bowl

Ben kept lifting him up and down and Brian thought it was hilarious

"What am I doing in this bucket?"

I found him these Frosty pajamas and thought they'd fit, but I was wrong

The buttons kept snapping open whenever he moved, but I had to get some pics first

Cuddling with Dad at the computer

In the bucket with the balls again

Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

My sister Lisa and her husband Spencer dressed up as a Hershey "hug" and "kiss" ha ha

Spock and Spock- we saw this Spock at the Trunk or Treat and had to have Brian take a picture with him- Brian didn't know what he was doing with his hand :o)

Ben decorated our car like a mouth and he hooked it up so you could open and close the trunk so it would get kids as they put their hands in (it didn't actually close on them) It was funny to see kids' reactions to it- a lot of them didn't want to come near it because they were afraid. We got lots of comments that we were the most creative car.

Our little Spock- he actually didn't mind the hat on his head which surprised me

Us dressed up as "Star Trek nerds"- can you believe I put a Star Trek shirt on?? I can't believe it either... but Brian looked so cute/funny in that Spock outfit!

Captain Kirk and Spock

Lisa watched Brian for a little bit one night and this is how he came home :o)

Those are leg warmers on his legs- he could barely walk he was so bundled up ha ha

We watched Daniel, Benjamin and Sally the other night and Benjamin packed his skeleton jammies so we put Brian in his, too. Benjamin thought it was so fun to be matching

Picking pumpkins at my parent's pumpkin patch
Cousins: Andrew, Brian, Logan, Megan, Connor, Benjamin, Daniel, and Sally

Brian wasn't so sure about the pumpkin patch when we put him down next to the pumpkins

Then he got used to it and smiled for us

Wearing the spider headband my mom got all the grandkids

Two posts in one day. Wow.

2010-10-09T21:58:00.001-07:00

Just a couple recent pictures.

Brian preparing to try out for the new Star Trek movie. (I can't believe I actually bought my son a Star Trek Halloween costume... but it's so funny! - Sarah)

Going for the popped collar look.

“She turned me into a newt!” (I also can't believe I let Ben post a picture of me in a witch hat on our blog! - Sarah)

New hat.

He decided he was going to start waving at people last weekend. Which was nice.

Few videos of Brian, being his usual cute self

2010-10-09T14:00:00.001-07:00

We haven’t been able to get videos working on here for a while, so some of these are pretty old. Like the videos of him walking two months ago. By the way, for those who didn’t know, he’s walking now. As of two months ago. Don’t know if Sarah mentioned that.

Some of his first steps

He thinks this is so fun now

Love the concentrated look on his face.

Utah trip 2010

2010-10-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

Our family at the Cornbelly's Festival

At Cracker Barrell

Nicole, Lindsay, Emily, Lisa, and me

Jack, Brian, and Cameron

Sitting in the big chair at Cornbelly's Festival

Jumping with Dad on the big pillow

With Lisa, Emily, Jack, Cameron, and Linds

Jumping with Lisa and Austin

Cameron and Brian on the train

Jack, Cameron, and Brian on the train

Austin and Halle playing with the water pumps

Jack, Brian, and Bailey playing in the water

He finally touched the water!

Linds and Cameron in their sunglasses

Halle and Bailey running to get more ducks in the water

Bailey and Jack showing Brian their dance moves

Ben and I before my mission reunion

Tucson sisters!

Brian and Dad outside of Cracker Barrell

We had a great weekend down in Utah over Conference weekend. We got to spend a lot of time with my college roommates (we missed you, Michelle!!) Emily, Lisa, and Lindsay and their cute kids. Emily, Linds, and I were all pregnant with boys at the same time, all born last June and July, so it was fun to see them play together. We also got to go to my mission reunion and it was fun to see old friends there, too. Then we got to spend some time with my aunt, uncle, and cousins and we got to go to the Sunday morning Conference session which was great. Brian did so good on the trip!! We were worried he wouldn't sleep in a strange place in a different bed, but it wasn't bad at all. And, he slept the whole plane ride home- yay!

One year check-up

2010-08-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

Eating a popsicle with Dad (kinda- he mostly wanted to play with the stick)

In his muscle shirt - ha ha

Wearing Dad's computer headphones

Asleep on his tummy with his rear in the air

Walking

Brian had his 1 year check-up yesterday. It was the earliest they could see him with all the back to school appointments they've been having recently. Here are his stats so I can remember:

Weight: 24lbs 13oz - 50-75%
Length: 30 inches - 50%
Head: 18 3/4 - 75%

He has done really good catch-up to his age group even though he was born 2 months early. It's so fun to see him learning new things and understanding. He's been taking some steps and getting braver with walking. He gets so excited and loses his balance sometimes, but he's getting better.

Brian's first year video

2010-08-08T22:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to a sweet video that Ben put together of Brian's first year. We tried uploading it so you could see it here on the blog, but it wasn't working, so just click on the link and you'll be able to watch it. Enjoy :o)

http://www.vimeo.com/13991097

The Shoe Pics

2010-08-03T10:07:00.001-07:00

1 month old

2 months old

3 months old

4 months old

5 months old

6 months old

7 months old

8 months old

9 months old

10 months old

11 months old

12 months old

1st Birthday Party

2010-07-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

We had Brian's 1st birthday party last night at my parent's house. It was a lot of fun and lots of people came to celebrate with us. Brian was asleep when the party started, and then probably had no idea what was going on, but it was still fun. We had a potato and salad bar and then brownie sundaes. My sister Lisa made Brian the coolest dragon cake! All the kids loved it, except Brian. Like the cupcake on his birthday, he didn't want anything to do with the cake. I'm sure he'll think differently about cake and frosting next year, but this year he didn't like it. We also had a rocket pinata that the other kids loved, but it scared Brian when Ben helped him hit it. Again, next year he should have a better time. Thanks to everyone who came and for the presents to Brian!

Happy 1st Birthday!

2010-07-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

What a difference a year makes! We have loved having Brian in our family for the past year. It flew by! From 3 pounds 3 ounces to 24+ pounds, a lot has happened for our little buddy in one year. He has grown and developed and is catching up to where he should be. He's moving all over the place, pulling himself up onto everything, and getting into everything he's not supposed to. :o) But we can't complain- he is healthy and happy and we love him so much. We had a little celebration for his birthday last night just the 3 of us and got him a cupcake which he hated (I'm sure that won't last long!), but Ben enjoyed it. His birthday party will be this Sunday with family and friends. We'll see if he likes his cake then- I'm sure his cousins will help him if he doesn't eat it. More pictures to come- we still have to take his last shoe picture. :o)

New jammies

2010-07-15T07:56:00.001-07:00

Sleep

2010-07-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

This past week was so hot here! (well, for Washington anyways- it did get up to the low 90's) Since no one has air conditioning, it was pretty miserable in our house, getting up to 86 degrees inside. Along with teething and being too hot, Brian was not happy and his sleep was all messed up. It would take us forever to get him down for a nap or to bed at night. A few times we had to strip him down to just a diaper so he'd be cool enough to sleep. A few other times we had to lay him in front of the fan and he'd finally fall asleep. Today it's back to gray skies and drizzle, but it's supposed to get back into the 70's the rest of the week. Anything below 85 sounds great to me! :o) I'm just happy summer is finally here! Here are some funny pictures of Brian sleeping this past week:

On the floor of his room in front of the fan- I love his hair sticking up in the air from the wind

Down at the bottom of his bed holding on to the bumper around his crib

This was yesterday before church- he fell asleep sitting up! We moved him to laying down, but had to get a picture first. :o) Ever since he's discovered he can move and sit up on his own, putting him down for a nap has become more difficult because he immediately sits up in his bed and starts crawling around.

Don't mind the pink Popple in his bed.... that was given to me about 10 years ago, but he likes to play with the tail of it and it kept him from crying too much in his bed. :o) I used to love those Popples as a kid, so when they came out with them again, my friend had to get me one

Haircut

2010-06-28T11:42:00.001-07:00

Before: front and back

Brian and I in our haircut capes

He's happy now.... doesn't know what's coming :o)

After: back- he's so wiggly now I couldn't get a good picture

Handsome boy with his new haircut

Brian's hair was getting pretty long and hanging over his ears, so we thought it was time for his first real haircut. My sister Lisa had trimmed over his ears back in April, but he'd never had a haircut with the buzzers before. He was not a happy baby during the experience, but he sure looks cute and more grown up now that it's cut. And I'm pretty sure he's forgiven us for scaring him with the buzzers. :o)

11 Months

2010-06-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

It looks like he's ready to take the shoe on a date with his arm around it :o)

Brian is moving a lot more (backwards, not forwards, but at least it's movement). He got himself wedged between the couch and ottoman and had fun playing with the tag under the ottoman and the Xbox controller.

Just one more month until Brian's first birthday! It's hard to believe it's almost been a year. He just keeps getting cuter and more fun each day and is learning new things. He's mastered scooting backwards and to the side, but hasn't gotten forward movement yet. He's trying to pull himself up onto things and he can go from sitting to his tummy and back to sitting. Slowly but surely he's getting the moving thing down. Time to start baby proofing the house!

Zoo

2010-06-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

Brian's first trip to the zoo- checking out the backside of a monkey :o)

Love those cheeks

Doesn't he look thrilled to be there?

Merry go round ride with Dad

He stared up at the lights almost the whole ride

Dad is having fun :o)

My two guys- I love them :o)

Taking a break for some lunch

Yummy spoon

I thought he looked so cute in that hat

Visiting the tropical rainforest

We finally had nice weather last weekend! It was actually like summer and not rainy and gloomy, so we decided to take a trip to the zoo. Brian didn't really know he was looking at animals- he mostly liked looking at all the plants. He did get excited to see the meerkat exhibit, because they were up close and in a room with only sand and rocks, so no plants to distract him. He loved watching them run around and dig in the dirt. Below is Brian's reaction to the rainbow sherbert we gave him- it was hilarious!

Moving and crazy hair

2010-06-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

Playing on the floor with Dad

Brian has finally accepted being on his tummy and has started scooting backwards and to the side- he hasn't mastered moving forward yet

Head up

Head down

Head up

Head down
(we were laughing at him every time he put his head down that he kept doing it and looking up to make sure we were still laughing at him)

Crazy bed head

I went to get Brian up from his nap the other day and this is what I saw when I went in. A happy baby with scary hair

10 Months

2010-05-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

2 months

4 Months

6 Months

8 Months

10 Months

Random

2010-05-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

You can never have too many cute sleeping baby pictures

Playing in his box from Grandma Suzy

Playin with Dad in his box

I peaked in on Brian during his nap and it looked like he fell asleep praying

"What are you doing waking me up, Mom?" (I forgot to turn off the flash)

Spinning around in Grandma and Grandpa's office chairs

Enjoying some puffs

Still haven't managed to get a picture of his two bottom teeth that are coming in

Love those blue eyes and cute face

Shoe shopping with Aunt Kelli for her mission

Brian's first haircut by Aunt Lisa- we trimmed over his ears while he was asleep

Don't mind my scary face in this picture, but it's the only one we had!

Playing with Papa

Hanging out with Aunt Kelli before she left for the MTC

Fishing trip

2010-05-17T13:01:00.001-07:00

Brian in his life jacket- the only baby one at the cabin had a broken zipper, so I stuck him in it feet first and called it good. :o)

Brian's first time kayaking with Grandma

"This is fun, Grandma!"

Brian relaxing in the sun on the boat. The zipper ended up breaking on the life jacket, so we safety pinned the top of it. Good thing he didn't actually need it in the water. :o)

Dad and one of his rock fish

Ben caught two fish at the same time! It was crazy

Excited to show his "twin" catch

So cute showing us his balancing trick

Brian was having fun on the boat

The men on the boat

One of Ben's "huge" fish he caught :o)

Family shot on the boat- Brian was too busy watching all the action

Dad and his ling cod

Ben and one of the rock fish he caught

Reeling in the cabazon

Mom excited as Dad reels in her fish

The fish was huge and ugly!

Mom and her "whale"

It got pretty cold and windy when the sun went down

Mom and Dad's fish (ling cod on the left, cabazon on the right)

Brian on the boat on the way back

Bald eagles and a hawk (I think) getting the carcasses from the fish

We had a great time this past weekend up at Lopez Island for the annual fishing trip with my parents and some family friends. There were two boats up there so we all got a turn going out and attempting to catch some fish. This was the first year Ben and I had gone up for the trip. In past years a lot more fish was caught, but this year the rules for what you could keep were stricter and the current was really strong. Ben was able to catch over 10 fish, but none were keepers. My mom and dad both caught fish large enough to keep, and a few other people in the group. Brian enjoyed his nap on the boat and loved looking at the water. It was great weather and a lot of fun!

Big Hugs

2010-05-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

Brian learned a trick! We're easily amused, as you can see from the video below, but it was so funny last night. Brian kept leaning into Ben's shoulder, so Ben started to say, "big hugs!" to him when he'd do it. After 2 or 3 times we realized Brian was giving hugs on command each time Ben would say, "big hugs!" He is so much fun!

ps. Don't mind my wheezing as I'm laughing in the background or Brian's matted hair- he kept rubbing into Ben's shoulder and his hair started to look like an old man's comb over. :o)

Bath and play time

2010-05-04T13:31:00.001-07:00

Brian's first time in the big tub w/out his whale tub

Getting all squeaky clean

Aunt Lisa gave him "grandpa pants"

Brian "Urkel" Higginbotham

"What's happening to me, Dad?"

Don't they both look thrilled to be there?

Brian and Sally playing "together"

It's a lot quicker and more convenient to give Brian his bath in his whale tub in the kitchen, but he was getting a little big for it and had discovered how fun it was to kick his legs and splash the water. So, I was getting a little tired of him soaking the kitchen everytime he got a bath, so we decided it was time to move him to the bathroom bathtub. It's not as quick and convenient and he's still not totally sure if he likes it or not towards the end of his bath, but I'm sure he'll get used to it.

Communication

2010-04-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

We're not quite sure what Brian is trying to "tell" us when he does this, but he has recently started doing it a lot. It's like he wants to communicate with us so badly, but he doesn't know how, so we end up with this:

On another note, Brian had his 9 month check up yesterday and here are his stats:

Weight: 21lbs 15oz, 50-75%

Length: 28 inches, 25-50%

Head: 46cm, 75-90%

The Park

2010-04-26T12:03:00.001-07:00

Yesterday the weather was pretty good, so we walked down to the park by our house and let Brian go on the slide and in the swing for his first time. As you can see from the pictures, he wasn't too sure about the whole experience. We also had him sit in the grass for the first time and he wasn't too sure about that, too. It was funny to watch him in the swing- he just laid his head back and looked up at the sky or at the chains on the swing not showing too much emotion except for kicking his legs which he does when he gets excited. We're looking forward to the summer when the weather will get even better to let Brian play outside more. Here are a couple videos we took last night. Sorry about the 2nd one- you might get kind of dizzy with Ben moving the camera back and forth as Brian swings. :o) I attempted to put a 3rd video up, but after leaving it to upload for over an hour, I gave up on it.

9 months

2010-04-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

1 month old

3 months old

5 months old

7 months old

9 months old

Brian is 9 months old! He goes in for his check up on Wednesday, so we don't have all his measurements (which I'm sure you're all dying to know) :o) But, we think he's about 21 pounds and as you can see from the pictures, he has changed a lot and is getting so big. He loves to "walk" and has just started to like eating the little Gerber puffs. He is talking a lot more and is a very happy baby. I can't believe how fast time is going. Before we know it, we'll be celebrating his first birthday!

April so far

2010-04-14T10:25:00.001-07:00

In his Yoda shirt

The neck is a little big... and don't ask me what face he's making :o)

Love those big blue eyes

I know he looks huge in this picture, but that face cracks me up!

Another Star Wars shirt.... his dad must be a fan :o)

With my parents and his cousins on Easter Sunday

Wearing their hats the Easter Bunny brought them

Hanging out at my parent's house for Conference

"Walking"

2010-04-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

Brian has always preferred to stand rather than be on his tummy. So, while he still hasn't rolled over or started scooting or crawling, he's starting to move his feet while we hold him up to start "walking". It was so fun the other night when he started to do it. He still tries to lean forward instead of move his feet, but I think he's getting the idea. He's also getting a lot better about standing and holding on to things instead of letting go and falling over. It's so fun to watch him learn to do new things!

Laughing

2010-04-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

The other day we were over at my parents and it was getting to be past Brian's bedtime- he was so tired! I was going to fix him a bottle when I hear him laughing harder than I've ever heard before. I go back in the living room and my mom is holding him on the couch, while my dad is sitting on the other couch. My dad had a newspaper in his hand and was smacking it on the couch and saying Brian's name over and over again. Brian thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen- he was so loopy, it was hilarious! By the time Ben remembered he had a video camera on his phone, Brian wasn't laughing as hard as he was in the beginning, but we still got some good video out of it. My dad would just lift the newspaper up and not say anything and Brian would start laughing anticipating what would come next. It was so funny!

Cute hair and surgery

2010-04-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the graphic picture, but I thought it'd be good to document Ben's ankle surgery he had a few weeks ago. He had a small tumor removed from his left ankle that was causing him a lot of pain. He is still recovering, but is getting better each day. As far as we know, the tumor is not cancerous, but he'll find out for sure at his follow-up appointment in a few days. His recovery time did let me get some cute pictures of Ben and Brian relaxing on the couch together. Brian started to snuggle and rest his head on Ben's shoulder which was so cute. And his hair is getting long enough to do fun things with. Right after his bath I'll put it up in a fohawk, then it tames down a bit after it dries and sticks up just enough.

Two years

2010-04-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

Spring is here!!

2010-03-23T14:47:00.001-07:00

We have been having pretty nice weather lately. My sister bought Brian a swing to go under our deck and he likes it, though you wouldn't be able to tell from the above pictures- again, we couldn't get him to smile for the camera! But, he kicks his legs and gets all excited when he's in it. He just doesn't like the sun to be in his eyes- he must be from Washington. :o) Brian is getting better at standing up and holding on to things, like the ottoman. He just needs to learn that he has to keep holding on the whole time or he'll fall backwards. We're also trying to help him learn that he can move his feet/legs and get places. He's still pretty content in staying in one spot, though. Be sure to scroll down, I did a few posts today.

Sunday best

2010-03-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

Brian is finally big enough to wear this cute Sunday outfit we got him. The pants are still a little long, and I couldn't button the top button for him to wear his tie because it was too snug, but it's still adorable! As you can see he preferred to eat his shoe instead of smile for the camera, but we got a few good shots.

8 months old

2010-03-23T14:39:00.001-07:00

Brian turned 8 months old yesterday. It seems like I just posted his 7 month shoe pictures! Time is going so fast. Ben actually got him to smile in some of these pictures, so you can see him looking off to the right at Ben. Brian is getting bigger and stronger everyday. We love him so much!

March so far

2010-03-16T11:39:00.001-07:00

Playing in his exersaucer Saturday morning

Brian relaxing on the couch one night

Love these rocket pajamas (size 18 month and getting snug!)

Classic Brian picture face, and the empty water bottle that has become his favorite toy

I watched my cousin's little boy one day and Brian loved watching him play

7 months

2010-03-15T14:15:00.001-07:00

Brian turned 7 months on February 22nd, but we're late in posting his shoe pictures. At 7 months, we think he is about 20 pounds, maybe heavier. He is getting so big! He is sleeping through the night now, which is wonderful! He usually goes to bed between 8:30 and 9:30 and will sleep until 6:00 or 7:00. He is sitting up really good on his own and we are trying to help him become more mobile, but he still hates being on his tummy. He is also still working on rolling over- he'll roll to his side, but can't quite move his arms enough to fully roll over. One time we put him on his tummy and he immediately rolled to his back, and we were so excited that he had rolled over, but he hasn't done it since! I am sure he'll get it soon enough and we'll be wishing he wasn't mobile. :o)

Disneyland!!

2010-02-22T10:53:00.001-08:00

Brian's first picture inside Disneyland

Brian really enjoyed his first trip to Disneyland :o)

Brian and I on the carousel in California Adventure

Brian's first time swimming

The water was too cold and it was nighttime, so he didn't last long in the water

Our family at California Adventure

Our family at Disneyland (the sun was shining right at us! I'm suprised Brian wasn't crying in this picture- I couldn't open my eyes)

The view from our living room at the beach house on Sunset Beach

On the Hollywood Walk of Fame - Tom Hanks

Ben and Chuck Norris

The Kodak Theater where the Oscars are presented

Ben and Brian at the Disney soda fountain/ice cream shop

Brian and I in at the Kodak Theater in front of the Hollywood sign on the hill

Star Wars characters footprints outside of the Grohmen's Chinese Theater

Random people dressed up on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Sunset in California

We had a great time down in California last week. We went to Disneyland and California Adventure the first 3 days we were there. It was really warm and sunny and tons of people were there (although they were saying they had about 30,000 less people than normal there- it sure didn't seem like it!). Brian liked all the rides we took him on. He didn't cry or get scared by Pirates of the Carribean like I thought he might. He slept a lot and we tried to keep him out of the sun as much as possible, so we don't have a ton of pictures at the park, at least not on our camera. We took him swimming for his first time at the hotel, but we went at night when it was colder, so he didn't like it much and only lasted a minute or so in the water. We stayed at a gorgeous beach house on Sunset Beach for the last part of the week. It was great waking up and seeing the ocean and beach right outside the window. We spent a day in Hollywood seeing the Walk of Fame and foot/hand prints in front of the Grohmen's Chinese Theater and Kodak Theater. We also drove up to Hollywood Hills to see some of the fance houses, but couldn't find our way to the really big ones. It was still fun to finally see Hollywood. Brian did pretty well on the flight down and back. Overall it was a great trip! Thanks Mom and Dad for inviting us!!

Random February pics

2010-02-22T10:35:00.000-08:00

Just some random pics from the past few weeks. The last one is a classic "picture face" by Brian. Some of the others are Brian playing in just a diaper- he loves to have his clothes taken off and still loves to be on his changing table and get his diaper changed and clothes changed. He is getting better at sitting all by himself without falling over. We also put his whale bathtub in our bathtub for the first time without the exta piece inside so he could sit up all by himself and splash in the bathtub w/out soaking our kitchen (I usually would bathe him in the whale bathtub on top of our kitchen sink, but he's splashing so much more now!). I thought he'd love splashing in our bathtub, but he mostly held on to his whale tub for dear life, ha ha. He still liked taking a bath, but he wasn't so sure about sitting up in it by himself, he was pretty timid. Brian is 7 months old today! We'll take his shoe picture later tonight and I'll do a posting of it tomorrow, probably. Ben weighed him yesterday and he's about 19lbs. 6oz! We had to go buy him a new carseat and stroller this past weekend because he can only be in his infant car seat until 20lbs, so he's almost out of it. He is getting big so fast!!

Not a performer

2010-02-12T16:31:00.000-08:00

No matter how happy and smiley Brian is, the minute I take out the camera and point it at him, these are the faces I get. Unless he doesn't notice the camera, then I can get smiles out of him. Hopefully he learns how to smile for the camera soon! We promise- he is a happy baby!

Getting to know you

2010-02-05T09:11:00.000-08:00

This is a survey that my sister-in-law posted on her blog and wanted to see some results from, so here goes:

1. What are some things you usually do everyday?: Wake up to feed Brian, brush my teeth, have breakfast, chat with Ben online while he's at work (it's ok, he works on his computer all day) :o), play with Brian, change diapers, give Brian a bath, feed Brian, walk the mall or go on the tredmill, clean, do the dishes, laundry, feed Brian some more, shower, help Ben fix dinner, play Peggle with Ben, and sleep.

2. What would be your dream vacation?: We get to go to California next Saturday and Disneyland- yay! But, I would love to go to Hawaii again, or Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, somewhere out of the country. Somewhere sunny, but not too hot, close to the ocean or beach.

3. What is your favorite meal to cook?: Well, actually, Ben does most of the cooking here, but I help out and am learning. On my own, if we have all the ingredients, I like to make chicken enchilada casserole and salad. I like to bake things, but we don't do that much anymore since we're eating healthier and trying to lose weight.

4. What should you be doing more of?: Exercising. I know it'll help the weight loss go quicker, but it's really hard to be motivated to do it, especially when I'm home with Brian alone- when he's asleep I feel like doing other things and when he's awake I know I should be playing with him, or he seems to always get fussy when I try to exercise, so it doesn't work so well.

5. Any OCD habits you can't kick?: Well, for those who know me, you know I have lots of OCD habits.... I have to have things clean and organized (I like to think I'm getting better about that, like right now, my DVD's are not alphabetized and it hasn't been bothering me, probably because they are in a case where you can't see them all the time). :o) I can't wear my pants twice, they have to go in the laundry if I wear them one time. I still like to have the computer monitors turned off, but I'm not as bad now that the computer is in our office and not out in the open all the time. I'm sure there are more, but I can't think of them right now.

6. Have any unfinished projects?: Umm, not that I can think of. I'm usually pretty good about finishing something once I start it, because if it's not finished I get OCD about it and it bothers me, so I have to get it done. I still want to get our office more unpacked and organized but can't seem to bring myself to do it, mostly because I don't know where else we can put things in our new house.

7. What are your hobbies and interests?: Good question, and something I've been working on trying to find more of. These have changed over the years: I used to be really into movies/DVDs/CDs/Hollywood, etc, but I'm not so much anymore. My attention span seems to be shorter and I can't make it through a whole movie without getting bored or falling asleep, plus I just don't have the money to buy new DVDs and CDs all the time like I used to or go to the movies, and I'm not into the whole celebrity/Hollywood thing anymore. I like to clean and organize things, but I don't know if that counts as a hobby... maybe an interest. I love to spend time with my family and it doesn't really matter what we do. Sometimes I just like to go to the grocery store with Ben and Brian or cook dinner with Ben and that makes me happy. I love to do jigsaw puzzles and crossword puzzles/word searches. I like to read, but can't seem to find a new book I'm interested in- any ideas would be appreciated.

8. What are your 3 favorite movies and who are your favorite actors/actresses?: These have changed over the years, too. I used to LOVE Titanic, but not really so much anymore. My sister-in-law actually watched it while she was visiting our house over Christmas so I watched a bit with her and realized it'd been a few years since I had seen it. I love the movies A Beautiful Mind, I Am Sam, Forrest Gump, You've Got Mail, and The Sixth Sense (I can't seem to think of any others right now). More than movies I like to watch episodes of TV shows on DVD or Hulu, like Friends (though I haven't been into that as much anymore, either). I like watching The Biggest Loser, Lost, and Ellen. I like Tom Hanks (his older stuff mostly), Meg Ryan (her older stuff, too), Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Russell Crowe (in not rated R movies), and Meryl Streep. That's all I can think of now.

Spread the interview and pick a few friends: Well, I don't know who all looks at my blog, but the people who comment the most are Emily W., Emily H., Michelle, Lindsay, Aunt Judy, and Ginger. Whoever feels like doing it, feel free- I'd like to see your responses, and it gives you something to post if you can't think of anything else. :o)

Fun with cousins

2010-02-01T17:45:00.001-08:00

I watched my nephew Benjamin and my niece Sally the other day. Benjamin got Brian to laugh so much by dancing around being goofy while he was sitting on the couch. It was so funny! Sally was there, too, holding a pillow and trying to put it on Brian- she's so helpful. ;o) Here's a video of it (hopefully it'll load.... I always have issues with blogger uploading videos):

6 months!

2010-01-28T11:01:00.001-08:00

Brian turned 6 months old on the 22nd of January. At his appointment he weighed 17lbs 15.5oz, which is the 50-75th%, height was 25 1/2 inches, which is the 20th%, and his head is 43.6 cm, which is the 50th%. He is now off of his special premie formula (which we called his "miracle grow") because he has caught up to his age group now, as you can see from his weight- he is getting so big! He is getting a lot better with sitting on his own and is able to balance himself if he leans to far to one side or the other, but will still fall backwards sometimes when he gets distracted. We are getting excited about our trip to Disneyland in a little over 2 weeks!! Any tips on travelling with a baby will be appreciated. :o)

January

2010-01-23T13:40:00.001-08:00

Just some random pictures from the month. I realized I wasn't taking that many pictures, so I'm trying to remember to bring out the camera more. Brian turned 6 months old yesterday. Today for some reason he just seems bigger and older than he did before. We got an exersaucer from my sister-in-law yesterday and he loves being able to sit up and look around and is learning that he can play with the toys on it. I'll have to take pictures of him in it soon. I don't know who all actually looks at this blog, but if you do, I've done a few posts the past couple of days, so be sure to scroll down.

Sitting up (sorta)

2010-01-22T14:34:00.001-08:00

Brian has been working on sitting up recently. Last Sunday Ben and I were playing with him on the floor and we discovered he was a lot better at sitting than we thought he was. He still leans pretty far forward, but he's working on balancing himself. He's doing pretty good!

May the Force be With You

2010-01-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

Ben picked out this shirt for Brian the day we found out we were having a boy. It's a 12 month size, but I tried it on him today and it works! It's a little big around the neck, but oh well, it still looks cute. I could not get him to smile for the camera, though! Everytime the camera or video camera comes out, he just stares at it with this stone face. Trust me, he is a happy baby! He just doesn't like to perform. :o)

Rice cereal

2010-01-06T14:29:00.001-08:00

We gave Brian some rice cereal for the first time the other day. He wasn't quite sure about it, as you can see from the pictures. But, after awhile, he got the hang of it and didn't spit it out as much. Those are the cute Batman jammies Ben's parents got for him- they are size 12 month! He is growing so much!

Happy Boy

2010-01-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

Just some cute pictures of Brian lately. He is so much fun! It's great watching him learn and develop. Curious George was one of Ben's favorite toys as a kid, and we saw that little Curious George at the store the other day and got it for Brian and he seems to like it. :o)

The Shoe

2009-12-30T16:12:00.001-08:00

1 month old: 5 pounds

2 months old: 9 pounds

3 months old: 12 pounds (guessing)

4 months old: 14 pounds

5 months old: 16 pounds (we think)

Blessing day

2009-12-30T15:57:00.001-08:00

Brian was blessed on December 27, 2009.

He looked a bit like a pilgrim in the hat that came with the outfit :o)

We waited to bless Brian until Ben's dad was able to be there.
All the family members that came to the blessing:
Back row: Grandma Higg, Grandpa Higg, Ben, me, Brian, Grandma Suzy, Stacy, Sally, Papa, Great Grandma Lunsford
Front row: Hannah, Daniel, Spencer, Benjamin, Chris, Lisa, Andrew

Our family after Brian's blessing

Christmas 2009

2009-12-30T12:19:00.000-08:00

A couple days before Christmas I accidentaly clipped part of Brian's skin on his thumb when I was clipping his fingernails. :o(

Daniel decorating his gingerbread cookie

Brian's first gingerbread cookie making experience

Aunt Lisa helped him decorate a cookie

Concentrating hard ;o)

Getting the icing on just so

Yummy

All the cousin's kids: Sally, Benjamin, Megan, Brian, Andrew, Connor, Logan, Daniel, Jaiden

Sally trying to take Brian out of Andrew's arms

Just recently Brian has started to hold and play with toys- it's so fun

5 month picture with Dad's shoe

First Christmas morning

Looking at the Christmas tree

Brian with his stocking

Santa came!

"Is this for me?"

Brian and his presents

Checking out what's in his stocking

So cute

Christmas is hard work

Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas!

2009-12-14T22:37:00.000-08:00

Brian sure makes a cute Santa Clause. :o) We were going to take him to see Santa at the mall, but the line was too long and too expensive, so we'll wait until our ward Christmas party this Saturday. He loves to look at the Christmas tree lights- if he's fussy, all we have to do is bring him over to the tree and he quiets right down. Christmas seems more exciting this year with Brian, even though he has no idea what's going on. ;o)

2009-12-07T16:51:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Thanksgiving weekend and December

2009-12-07T16:16:00.001-08:00

He likes his Bumbo, for the most part

Ben and Sally up at Lopez Island- they had both just woken up, hence the "bed head" ;o)
Sally loves Ben, ever since she was a little baby.

My mom, Andrew, Daniel, and Brian reading at Lopez

I couldn't get rid of the red eye for some reason....

Brian cuddling with Dad

Love this outfit!

"What are you doing, Mom?" Ha ha

So cute

4 months!

2009-11-24T23:42:00.000-08:00

Brian is 4 months old already! We took him to his check-up yesterday and he is 14lbs 3oz!! He was 9lbs 6oz at his 2 month check up. He is now in the 25-50% for weight, he is 23.5 inches long, which is the 5-10% range, and his head is 41.2cm, which is the 25%. He is growing like a weed! He can sit up good when we are holding him and he is smiling and laughing, which is so fun. We got him the Bumbo chair a few days ago and seems to like it. He makes the funniest faces when I get the camera out. I posted a video of him smiling and laughing at me earlier today, so scroll down and just ignore my singing- he liked it! Oh, and his hair is getting longer, but only on top (he is balding in the back) but it's now looking like an Army buzz cut. And his cowlick right in front is getting more and more out of control, but still cute. :o)

Smiling

2009-11-24T15:42:00.001-08:00

Here is a video of Brian today. Just ignore my singing- sounds awful, but he seemed to enjoy it and I wanted to show you all his cute smiles :o) After more than an hour it actually uploaded! Yay! Enjoy!

Buddy

2009-11-17T11:14:00.001-08:00

Just some recent cute pictures of Brian. The top ones are him today- he's wearing jeans for the first time- it makes him look so grown up. We are loving being in our house now and things should be all finished by the end of the week. Brian is sitting up better on the couch if we put a pillow in his lap, and he is holding his head up better when we hold him. We are still working on tummy time- he hates it! We got a boppy pillow to prop him up on, and that helps a little, but he still hates being on his tummy. Any tips??

November

2009-11-06T21:35:00.000-08:00

Just some cute pictures of the past few days. Brian looked so cute in that outfit with the hat, so I had to take lots of pictures. When I had him sitting on the couch he was smiling and happy, so I quickly got the camera and started to take pictures and he immediately stopped smiling and just stared at the camera and ends up looking scared. The pics of him in his boppy chair in his hat crack us up! His facial expressions are hilarious. And the last picture is of him sleeping/flying in his crib- he has done this a few times before- so funny!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T09:58:00.001-08:00

Brian was Yoda for his first Halloween- it was so much fun dressing him up! He could have cared less, but he makes the cutest Yoda. :o) Ben dressed up as Luke Skywalker (hence the cut-off t-shirt), from the scene where Luke carries Yoda on his back, so we got a backpack carrier to put Brian in. He's a little small still for it, so we just put him in for pictures, then carried him the rest of the night. We waited to long and couldn't find Princess Leia buns on Halloween day, so I didn't dress up. We went to my brother's house for his birthday party and went to a few houses trick-or-treating with our nephews and niece, then we went to our Trunk-or-Treat party at church for a little bit. We didn't stay long because it was our first night in our new house (next post), so we had a lot to do to get the house ready. It's going to be so fun when Brian is old enough to appreciate holidays- we've already decided that next year Ben will be Mario, Brian will be Toadstool, and I'll be Princess Peach, from Mario Brothers. :o)

Our House!

2009-11-02T09:47:00.000-08:00

We are moved in! It's a disaster area with all of our stuff everywhere, but we are moved in and are loving it. There is still some work that needs to be done on the house, like touching up the paint and putting up the blinds, etc, but we are in and are starting to unpack and get organized. I'm trying to not have a panic attack from the messes everywhere! :o)

More smiles

2009-10-28T16:02:00.001-07:00

We love this boy! That sweater makes him look so chubby. He is such a cute and happy baby!

Brian and Dad's shoe

2009-10-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

Brian 1 month old- August 22, 2009

Brian 2 months old- September 22, 2009

Brian 3 months old- October 22, 2009

We started taking pictures of Brian next to Ben's size 16 shoe when he was one month old. Everyone kept telling us to put him in the shoe, but I didn't think he'd fit (plus, that's gross!) ha ha. I really wish we had a picture of him next to the shoe the day he was born or shortly after so we could really see the difference, but I don't think the NICU would have liked us putting Ben's shoe in Brian's isolette. :o) We are going to keep taking pictures of him by the shoe each month, so keep checking back! He is getting so big- Ben's shoe actually looks small next to Brian in the last picture!

Smiley boy and a wedding

2009-10-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

Brian has been smiling more and more lately. I finally got it on camera!

It's so fun to see him react and respond to us

Brian and Ben at Lisa's wedding

Lisa and Spencer got married on Friday! We didn't get many pictures because we were video taping, but I got some of them dancing- Spencer with his mom and Lisa with our dad.

Lisa looked absolutely beautiful and they are so happy!

Our family at the wedding

We got a toy and mat that Brian can lay on

He's not too interested in toys yet, but seemed to like the colors on the side of the toy

Trying tummy time- he doesn't like it, but he can turn his head back and forth and can lift up a little. His neck is getting stronger and stronger and he will hold it up when we are holding him.

His overalls are so cute :o)

More pictures

2009-10-13T12:13:00.001-07:00

Today, looking out the window in our room

Love his big blue eyes

Success! Sleeping without being held!

Brian sleeping/flying the other day- so funny

Nephew Andrew talking to Brian

Bottom picture is fuzzy, but he looked so cute in that outfit. Although, he ends up looking scared when I take his picture- his eyes get huge!

October and some old pics

2009-10-06T09:19:00.001-07:00

We picked pumpkins from my parent's garden last night

Brian looked so cute in his halloween outfit

He really enjoyed picking out his pumpkin ;)

Cute pic sleeping in his boppy chair

Holding Dad's hand and looking up at him

His hair is starting to grow in on the top so he won't look like a bald man as much anymore :)

This is what our mornings look like- trying to get more sleep in the morning after Ben goes to work- he loves to sleep on our bed

This was funny- I looked in on him sleeping and he was doing the "I love you" sign in sign language- he put his pinky down as I was taking the picture, though

Watching Dad do his homework

This is an old picture- great-grandma Lunsford's first time holding Brian

Aunt Lisa gave him a "got milk" mustache

Great-grandma Nancy's first time holding Brian

Another pic with great-grandma Lunsford the other night

Brian with Dad's shoe: 2 months old (above)

Brian with Dad's shoe: 1 month old (below)

See the difference a month makes?!

(ha ha, he's in the monkey outfit I love in both pics) :o)

2 month check-up

2009-09-24T11:25:00.001-07:00

I took Brian to his 2 month check-up yesterday. Poor guy had a rough day yesterday- he woke up during the night with a goopy eye (luckily his doctors appointment was already scheduled for yesterday), then at his appointment he had to have his blood drawn from his foot to check his anemia, then he had to take an oral vaccine, and get 3 shots in his legs with more vaccines. Then because of his eye infection, he has to have ointment put into his eyes. He was not a happy baby yesterday. Today he seems to be doing much better and his eye already looks like it's mostly cleared up. Unfortunately we have to keep giving him the ointment for a week, and his blood results came back showing that the level is still a little low, so we have to keep giving him iron which upsets his stomach. Hopefully that will go up soon so we can take him off of the iron. I was shocked to see his weight, though! Brian weighs 9 pounds 6 ounces!!! That's exactly 4 pounds more than his last appointment on August 20th, triple his birth weight. Crazy how fast he's growing! He is a little over 20 inches long and his head is 14 inches. Here are his percents with other 2 month old babies:

6.75% for weight
.81% for length
4.15% for head

So, he's still small for 2 months old, but he was 2 months early, so nothing to worry about. I wish they would give the stats for his gestational age, but oh well. Here's some pictures we've taken recently:

We went to the Puyallup Fair on Monday- Brian slept the whole time except to eat, so we didn't take many pictures.

He looked so cute in the monster outfit Aunt Lisa got him

Concerned about getting his picture taken- this is a onesie Ben's grandma sent: "Mommy and Daddy's alarm clock"- so true!!

His favorite place to sleep- propped up on a pillow on our bed. I think he might be getting spoiled.... he doesn't like to sleep in his bassinet in the night!

Due Date!!

2009-09-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

Today is Brian's official due date. :o) We weighed him by getting on the scale w/out him, and then getting on the scale with him and he is 8 pounds even! That's probably not exactly accurate, but close enough. He is gaining weight so quickly- at his last doctor's appointment on August 20th he weighed 5lbs. 6oz. That's about 2 1/2 pounds in 23 days! It's fun to see him outgrowing his premie clothes and wearing newborn sizes now. Here are some pictures from the past few days- enjoy!

Napping in his boppy

This picture doesn't do it justice, but he looked so cute when I was holding him the other day- I love his little hand by his face

Ben and Brian asleep after he ate last night. Sad thing is, this was about 9:00 at night! It's amazing how tired we are all the time now.

So cute sleeping on Dad

We tried tummy time while he was awake this morning. This a cool blanket I got from a family in my ward. Their last name is Feely, so they call these blankets "Touchy Feely" blankets. They are made with lots of different materials that have different textures to them for babies to explore. It'll be fun when he's older and can touch all of them.

He fell asleep quickly, though

Enjoying a lazy Saturday morning

Our House!!

2009-09-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

Living room- wood panelling will be taken off the wall and wood stove removed

Dining room/deck

Kitchen- will get new countertops and move fridge

Hall/entry- railing will be gone, short wall put in it's place

Office

Brian's room

Brian's closet

Master bedroom

My parents bought a house!!! It's a split level house that they are turning into two separate living areas. Ben, Brian, and I will rent the top half and my sister Lisa, and her soon to be husband Spencer, will rent the bottom half. They are doing lots of work on the house, especially the downstairs to turn it into a living area with a kitchen and all that. We took some before pictures and will post the after pictures when it's all done and we're moved in. We are so excited to have a house with walls! It'll be a nice change from the studio apartment we've been living in since we got married.

Just some more pictures

2009-09-10T10:54:00.001-07:00

Hanging out in his boppy chair

People decorated onsies at my baby shower- here's one from my friend Emily- we couldn't get Brian to hold still for the picture. The front says 'Male Model'

The back says 'Jealous?' Ha ha!

I realized we didn't have any pics of him in his cute whale bathtub- I love that thing! This angle makes him look a lot bigger than he really is in that tub

All bundled up after his bath

"Where am I?" He is getting chubbier, but this pic makes him look really chubby

Snuggling with Mom

I realized there weren't many pictures of me with Brian, so I didn't delete this one from the camera ;o)

Fuzzy, but it looks like he's waving at the camera

Fuzzy again (it's hard to catch him not wiggling when he's awake!) but this shirt is funny- "Hi, I'm new here" with a picture of earth

Monkey outfit again- I love it!

Our niece Sally patting Brian- she loves babies!

Trying to be gentle, but it's too exciting!

First week home

2009-08-26T15:15:00.001-07:00

We are loving having Brian home with us. It's so much nicer than having to see him in the hospital and then say goodbye to him at the end of the night. Here are some pictures of Brian's first week at home. As usual, they are all in opposite order- anyone know how to get your pictures uploaded in the order you select them in? It always puts the first picture I upload at the very bottom.... anyways- enjoy some pictures of cute baby Brian, or Buddy as we call him.

Fast asleep- what he does best

First time in his boppy seat today- it's actually what he's doing right now as I type this

Another attempt to get pictures with his eyes open- he always has that concerned look on his face

I bought him some hand covers so he wouldn't scratch his face, plus it keeps him nice and warm

Napping with Aunt Lisa this morning

Snuggling with Dad after eating

Next to Dad's size 16 shoe! He moved his arm right when I took the picture

One of my favorite outfits of his, from my good friend Emily- thanks, Em! I love those monkey pants

First time Grandma Suzy got to hold Brian, even after seeing him in the hospital everyday for 27 days. Thanks for visiting, Grandma!

Brian is home!!

2009-08-18T14:55:00.001-07:00

We got to take Brian home from the hospital today after 27 days in the NICU. He hit 5 pounds 3 ounces today, exactly 2 pounds bigger than his birth weight. We are so happy to have him home with us, and he is sleeping soundly in his bassinet now. We are thankful to all the nurses and doctors who took such great care of him. Here are some pictures of our morning (I still don't get this blogger thing and the order they upload pictures in!)-

Family picture leaving the hospital

All bundled up and ready to go

Trying to wake him up to eat before leaving the hospital- we weren't successful

Out of order, but here he is taking his first nap in his bassinet at home

Another family shot in Brian's hospital room

With his froggy blanket he had with him everyday in the hospital

Not waking up to eat :o)

First time unhooked from all his cords and monitor

Last nap in his crib at the hospital

August pictures

2009-08-16T22:31:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from August. Brian has done a lot already this month! He hit 4 pounds, got out of his incubator into an open crib, ripped his feeding tube out, started eating his food out of a bottle, passed his carseat test, and now is going to come home on Tuesday! We are very excited to have him home with us. He will probably hit 5 pounds tomorrow (he was 4lbs. 15.9oz today- just .1oz off!). We are very grateful to all the doctors and nurses who have taken such good care of him.

Trying to stay awake before eating

Attempting to get a picture with his eyes open- he is always asleep or blinks from the lights

His cute premie nightgown and first day with no feeding tube (but his head was turned away)

We have to turn the lights down to get him to keep his eyes open

In an open crib!! And a picture of him in his cousin Daniel's old outfit

Pulling on his ear and his huge pacifier

Another attempt at getting his eyes open and his cute frog blanket from the hospital

Taking a nap with Mom

Snuggling with Dad

First day in an open crib!!

Couple videos

2009-08-16T13:22:00.001-07:00

Just some videos we took a couple days ago of Brian being all bright eyed. He's good at that, when he's awake.

So, news...

2009-08-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

Sarah went to the hospital yesterday to find that Brian had pulled his feeding tube out during the night... and they decided to leave it out. He's eating all his food by bottle now, which means he's in the final countdown to coming home. The goal now is to see if he can go five days in a row without any major blips on his monitor. So far he hasn't since Thursday, so they're saying Monday or Tuesday he'll be coming home. Woah.

As if that wasn't enough. I got a job yesterday. A real job, not just another contract. Salary, benefits, no worrying about the contract suddenly ending because some VP's stocks dropped a few cents.

So, all in all, not a bad week.

No new pics at the moment, sorry. Just wanted to update everyone.

Brian's First Nude Scene!

2009-08-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

Sarah got to give him a bath, and I caught the whole thing on video for the viewing pleasure of his future girlfriends, and you, of course.

4 Pounds! And he learned a new trick.

2009-08-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

Brian hit four pounds yesterday. He's getting so big... compared to before...
They also have him out of his incubator into a crib. He's starting to drink from a bottle, which is apparently one of the hardest things for premies to learn. They have to figure out the idea of suck, swallow, then breathe. He's working on it.

He wasn't sure at first why his new pacifier was leaking, I think.

New Camcorder

2009-08-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

We got a camcorder, so expect far too many videos posted of Brian looking cute. That's about all he can do now, so we'll get lots of them, I'm sure.

More pics of Brian

2009-07-30T06:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone-
Ben has been great about posting and updating on baby Brian, so I thought I would take a turn. He is doing really well. Yesterday he was up to 3 pounds 4 ounces, so he's gaining weight slowly, which is wonderful! They have him off the IV completely and he is up to the full amount of food for his weight. So, now he only has his oxygen meter on his foot and the 3 monitors on his chest to check for his heart rate and breathing. It's nice to see the tubes coming off of him. Each day he looks better and better. The jaundice is gone after just one day under the photo-lights. We have been able to hold him more during each of his feedings and it's hard to put him back in his isolette each time. But the more he sleeps and is left alone, the faster his body can help him keep growing and getting stronger so we can take him home. We don't know when that is yet, but with how well he has been doing this past week it could be sooner than later. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers- we really appreciate it! Enjoy some more pictures of our cute son! Sorry if some of them are blurry - they keep his room pretty dark so it's hard to get really good pictures.

Quick update

2009-07-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

Brian and Sarah are doing well. We've been able to hold him several times and he's progressing quickly. Hopefully it won't take too long before we can bring him home, but probably a few weeks still.

More Pictures

2009-07-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

Don't know what to say. I think the pictures speak for themselves. Cute little guy, isn't he?

He's tiny!

2009-07-23T11:29:00.001-07:00