Brady at 16 months

Our baby boy is growing up way too fast!  He has grown and changed so much in the past month or so.  He recently had his 15 month well check when he was really almost 16 months.  Everything looked great!  Other than the constant sickness he catches from daycare (ugh!), he is a healthy, growing boy.

Here is what he is up to these days:

He went from still crawling at 15 months to now basically running around the house.  He has the most adorable little walk/waddle I have ever seen, and he is so proud of himself!

He says a few words and his two favorites at the moment are "uh oh" and "shoes".  If something falls down, it is "uh oh".  If he throws his sippy cup off of his high chair, it is "uh oh".  Shoes pretty much encompass anything that goes on your foot.  If he sees his shoes, my shoes, or Paul's shoes, he will try to put them on while saying "shoes".  He came running up to me with a pair of Paul's socks when  I got home from work today, "shoes, shoes, shoes".  It is about the cutest thing ever.  Other words he says are duce (juice), momma, daddy, wiwee (Riley), ello (hello while holding any object that resembles a phone up to his ear, or more like behind his head).

He is still a great eater.  His favorite foods are bananas, strawberries, pears, pineapple, sweet potatoes, cheerios, yogurt, toast chee crackers, spaghetti, applesauce, plum organics pouches (still give him these, because liquid veggies are better than none at all!)

He loves to be outside!  And specifically riding and/or pushing his 4-wheeler outside.

He still loves for mommy to carry him around, and I am trying to ween him off of this as he is getting HEAVY, and soon we will have another addition that may not allow me to carry him around as much.

He can point to his nose, ears, belly, belly button, foot, and toes.

His teachers have taught him how to say please in sign language.  If he wants something and you tell him to "say please" he will put his hand on his chest.  Sometimes he bangs both hands on his chest if he  is really excited.  It is too cute.

He still loves his dog and Riley is not quite as fond of him these days.  Brady doesn't exactly know how to be gentle all the time.  But he tries to give him hugs all the time, and it is so sweet.

He is still an excellent sleeper.  He goes down around 7 and wakes up between 7 and 8.  He usually plays in his crib for about 15-30 minutes before we go in and get him.

He has started to throw some temper tantrums, but he is still his happy self most of the time.  The tantrums are usually when we take something from him he is not supposed to have, or if I won't pick him up when he wants me to.

He loves music and will start dancing if he hears it.  So much like his daddy!

Here are some pictures from the past month or so.  We LOVE YOU SO MUCH Brady!  You have the best personality, and we could not have dreamed up a more perfect baby.

We went to the zoo after his 15 month well visit since it was a beautiful day and "Free Fridays" for Richland County residence.

Brady's "uh oh" face.

His favorite "hiding" spot.


Walking around at Baskin Robbins for an afternoon treat with Papa and Daddy.

The 4-wheelin' fanatic

Going down the slide!

Playing at the park!


Sometimes pushing it is more fun than riding!

15 months:Weight: 25 lbs 4 oz (55th percentile)
Height: 33 inches (90th percentile)
Head Circumference: 18.75m (59th percentile)

20 weeks, already?!

20 weeks

Am I really already half way through my second pregnancy?  That is really hard to believe.  It is going by much faster this time for sure.  We had our big ultra-sound appointment on Monday and everything looks great with the baby girl!  She is right on track size wise and passed with flying colors.  She was moving and kicking the whole time.  The only bad part was that baby girl did not want to show her face!  She had her hands covering her face, or would turn away from us every time we tried to get a look in 3d.  The upside of this is that they scheduled me for another ultrasound at my 24 week appointment for a "re-check" since we couldn't get a good view of the face.  I am getting spoiled this time around since I have had an ultrasound at every appointment so far.  I get so excited to see her!

I am doing great as well.  Since Brady was born premature, my doctor suggested I get a weekly injection of a drug called Makena (a chemical compound very similar to progesterone) that has been proven to significantly decrease the likelihood of preterm labor in women with a prior history.  There are no known side effects to mother or baby, and it is said to decrease the odds by 50% or more.  While it is not fun getting a shot every week, I would do anything to make sure to protect this baby and make sure she is ready before she enters the world.

How big is the baby? About 6.5 inches long and 13 ounces head to heel. (About the length of a banana)

Weight Gain: Up about 3 pounds from my starting weight


Gender:  GIRL!

Maternity Clothes? Mostly...still wear some of my normal clothes

Sleep? Sleeping great

Food Cravings/Aversions:  I still like anything with cheese and also chocolate :).

Movement: Feeling lots of movement now!

What I miss? Nothing significant..

What I'm Looking forward to? Paul and I are going to the Grove Park Inn for a weekend getaway just the two of us in a couple of weeks.  I can't wait!  It will be our first vacation by ourselves since Brady was born.

Final Christmas Celebrations in Charleston

Christmas is like a never ending event around here.  It typically spans at least a week.  But, that's ok, because it is a good excuse to take a break and spend time with family which is my favorite thing to do.

After Christmas we took one day of rest at home and then headed to Charleston.  We stayed at my mom's house with my brother and grandparents.  The first stop we made was to see my paternal grandmother that lives on James Island.

Helping Mimi open her present.




Friday my brother left us to go see his friends in Atlanta before heading back to San Fran.  I am always sad to see him go, but it was great to get to spend a whole week with him.  Excuse my appearance in the picture below...I hadn't exactly showered yet.

Mom, Dustin, and I before heading to the airport.

Friday night Paul's sister was nice enough to host dinner at her house for Paul's brother and his family and his parents.   It is always so fun to see the cousins play together.  It is slight chaos with 6 kids under one roof, but fun none the less.

Henry (13 months) and Brady (15 months) playing kitchen

Caroline (16 months) and Brady

Uncle Paul counts as the 7th child...playing video games with Walt.
Brother and sister Caroline and William


Brady and Henry with Papa.
Daddy stealing a kiss!


Love that sweet grin! 
Paul will probably kill me for posting these pictures, but Brady and Emmie were too cute playing with her new Barbie Dream House that Santa brought her...and then pushing the baby stroller.  It's just practice for his baby sister :).



I promise this is the last Christmas post, but I had to make sure to document everything!  As always I enjoyed the holidays, but I am looking forward to getting back to our normal routine.  Brady heads back to "school" tomorrow.  Pray for the germs to stay away!!
 
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