Snow Pictures

Brandon's first steps into the snow.

This just reminded me of pictures we took and framed of Gir when we had first gotten married and we labled it "Gir's first snow". Colin made fun of me for that.

This is the first time Brandon has been tall enought to be able to look out the window of his playhouse.

The caption is "SNOOOOWWWW" he kept yelling it

He was ready to go back in at this point. His poor little fingers were so red.

Holden did not know what to think of the sled

OK, that thought at the beginning made me dig out the pictures of Gir's first snow, its from the beginnings of that blizzard we had feb 2003. Enjoy!

Brandon's First Snow

Well I haven't posted much in a while because i've been sick. Well all 3 of us have been. It started the night we played the Steelers, (i wont go into that) but i started feeling yucky. Monday AM i decided to go to Patients First to check it out before work, and as i droped Brandon off at daycare I realized his ear was draining. Wonderful... So ended up going into work a little late and leaving early so i could take brandon in. Basically i had some kind of upper resp infection/head cold. They gave me some decongestants and sent me on my way. Brandon again had an ear infection, got the normal drops. Kenn started getting sick and we all just felt kinda crappy all week long. (although brandon acted pretty normal)
I started to feel better, and last sat we took brandon to Lake Waterford to play. It ended up being colder then we thought (high 30's) so we had to leave 1/2hr 45mins tops. Brandon was all over the playground. Its amazing to see how he can reach things that just months ago he couldnt while there. He went on all the slides etc, he was pretty fearless as before, but now he can run. I for see this summer brandon being nonstop on the KinderFarm playground. We took a quick walk to see the ducks on the pond, surprisingly there were a handful of ducks hanging around where the waterfall starts b/c that was the only free flowing water. The rest of the pond was completely frozen solid and as soon as the ducks saw us they came walking over the ice to us. (expecting food) it was pretty neat but then kind of sad since they expected food and since they are used to humans feeding them they stay all winter even though they arent meant too. Once they saw we had no food they went back. and we went home b/c it was freaking cold.



Lets see, as i said i was starting to feel better, i got brandon's bday invites out we completely re-arranged and finished fixing up our living room. (i need to take some pictures) but then yesterday i just went completely backwards. Yesterday and today i feel horrible again, like almost worse then before. Flu symptoms mixed with the bad sinus congestion cold. The Drs i talk to on the phone keep asking whats wrong with me b/c my voice is so naisally and im sniffing in their ears.



Back to the main reason for this post! Today we had our first real accumulation of snow since brandon was born. Last year we really didnt have any, so today when i took him out to go to school he was amazed to see the snowflakes coming down on his angelic face. (he was also not happy i then put him in the car). Brandon learned about snow in daycare a couple weeks ago when they had a room full of packing peanuts and played in the "snow".

Kenn picked up brandon got him in his snow pants and took him out back to play. He also pulled out the sled and when i got home 1/2hr/45mins later i got to pull him on the sled twice (by this point his had no gloves) and he was ready to go in. we snuggled on the couch to get warm afterwards. But he deff loved it. Oh at daycare they also brought real snow inside in a bucket and they made snowballs.



*Daycare update, brandons been transitioning into the 2year old room, he's been doing great, only mishaps have been he has been off and on about napping so the other day he was in the 2's napping and he could hear the music in the toddler room, so apparently he started singing VERY loudly to the music and disturbing the rest of the class. He's also been doing awesome with his shapes, he can name them and point them out. Yesterday Brandon was also sent home in his back up shirt b/c apparently he put his hands in the toddlers toilet. That i was not so thrilled with.

Brandon has also been drinking from a "big boy" cup. (a regular cup) at the last 4 or 5 dinners. He's been getting a lot better at it and only spills a little, with maybe 1 big gulp or occurrence of sticking his hand in the cup or dumping some on himself b/c he was playing with it.

He's speaking in small sentences occasionally, and is starting gym class back up this weekend. (Its his birthday gift from us)

I also made some more felt food :) sugar cookies with pink icing and sprinkles, choc chip cookies and pancakes with syrup and butter. I need to take pictures of that also...

For Valentines day I made him a Fleece Cars pillow, and a fleece Diego pillow with matching blanket. I figured he'll be going into a toddler bed soon so he should get used to using a pillow.

We will post pictures after his gym classes! Oh and our friends Courtney And Chris are due to have their 2nd baby daughter induced tomorrow! We can't wait to meet her~

Today Is An Awesome Day

Words can not express how happy I am to know that Brandon will grow up in a world, where he will never remember a time when there was inequality in the United States of America.

I need to go buy a flag

2009

Happy New Year!
Well although its only a week into 2009 it has been a very mixed emotion year.
New Years Eve Kenn and I got off work early and picked up Brandon and took him to see his first movie! We went to Arundel Mills and went to see Disney's BOLT! He didn't want to sit at first, once the lights went down he sat on Kenn's lap but was a little confused and frightened. The previews were very loud and over his head. So Kenn had brandon's head up against his chest, one ear on Kenns chest and one hand over brandon's other ear. The movie started with a Car's short film, so that helped (he makes us watch Cars at least once a week). Then the movie started and he warmed up. I didn't realize the movie was 3-D so that also was a little bit of a problem. Brandon watched a good 1/2 of the movie without glasses. then the other part trading glasses with me and having him hold his on his nose. He really seemed to like the movie (its a dog, cat and hamster) and sat through the whole thing! We were very impressed! (so was the lady next to us when i said it was his first movie)
At the end of the movie (spoiler alert) the little girl gets trapped in a burning building, and Bolt couldn't get her out. So they both just lay down and brandon started crying! I couldn't believe it! So we were there trying to confort and keep him quiet by saying they were ok. We were amazed he could comprehend that much!
After the movie the plan was to go to Fudruckers (brandon loves it there) but after driving to annapolis we found out they closed early. So brandon was getting pretty tired by this point so we went picked up a pizza and went home. Kenn and I just stayed in and watched no country for old men and then the ball drop. I figured out it was the first new years that Kenn and I have been together where it was just us on New Years. (we used to go to Fells Point every year with a group of friends)
Jan 1st- it all goes downhill.
We were woken up to Brandon throwing up all over his crib... Basically thurs/fri consisted of Brandon not eating and not drinking and throwing up once a day with constant (sorry for detail) diarrhea. This with combination of him not eating much all week b/c he had the bad cold/ear infection. I think i forgot that part. Brandon started hacking the sat after christmas and he was having problems sleeping, so tuesday we took him to the Dr and he was diagnosed with a ear infection.
I feel like there are 2 possible reasons for him being sick. 1)that stomach bug going around and 2)his antibiotic. he's been on augmenten (sp?) a couple times before and one of the warning signs is diarrhea. Now when they weighed him tuesday they did so with his shoes and coat on and it said 30lbs. now keep in mind he wasn't eating much all week and i think his weight was really a lot less then 30. (when weighed4 days later at the ER he was 24lbs naked) so friday night the I got a hold of the Dr via phone and she said to reduce his medication. sat Am he still wasnt doing well so i took him back in where we saw another DR. She said that if he didnt start drinking to page her that afternoon. Brandon was VERY lethargic sat. didnt get up to do anything. I went to a friend's Baby shower (yeah kim!) and while there Kenn called me to say he was up from his nap and still not drinking, so i paged the Dr and she told me we prob should take brandon to the hospital to get checked out. I leave and go pick up the guys and get to Anne Arundel Medical center at about 4:45pm. after sitting in the lobby a good hr or two brandon becomes hysterical. I have Kenn bring him up front to ask how much longer (and my plan works perfectly) they bump us up to be seen by the admitting DR. He looks at him (very gruffly) and says he needs bloodwork, and an IV. (which is what we assumed). so we sit in that waiting area another 2hrs. a couple other crying fits. (i did not want him to touch anything b/c people were getting diagnosed with bronchitis and strep all around us) I also learned that if your in the military they take you first, which i felt was unfair. Just before they took us back brandon started singing to me, on his own mind you..."baby Beluga" which was adorable and heart melting after having him be so miserable.
Finally two very nice nurses took us back to get blood from brandon and put in his IV. He did pretty good. We "burrito'd" him. (where you wrap his limbs up in a blanket) so he couldnt thrash about. Only bad part is i didnt realize until we were finished that they put the IV in his right arm. the arm he sucks his thumb!
So we were then taken to a room to hook up IV fluids and brandon is FLIPPING OUT. now its 9pm at this point, he's sick and sleepy and all he wants to do is suck his thumb and we will not let him bend his arm. it was horrible. So a new nurse comes up and starts to ask why he's getting and IV and basically being a huge bitch. She's asking why he was getting an IV when obviously he wasn't dehydrated yet b/c he still has tears, and why didnt the DR just write him a prescription for a drug that apparently makes them hungry. And why didnt i offer him a Popsicle. I told her at this point that I did offer him one but he didnt like it. Now she turns to me and says "well with a negative attitude like that of course he wouldnt take it" Nurse Bitch then goes on to tell me how children pick up on negativity and that i'm not a good mom b/c i cant get him to drink or eat. (well not exactly in those words)
So after a week of brandon being sick and several days of stress from him not eating, and being at the hospital for 5hrs and holding my son as he thrashing historically around, watching him get an IV and can not suck his thumb i was fine.
Now i start crying because of the nurse. SO then kenn's telling me to be strong b/c brandons watching which makes me cry more because now im not strong for my sick son.
Brandon basically collapses into sleep from exhaustion and we see a new DR. He was very nice (and did NOT suggest medicine) he said to try the IV and if he sleeps through it all, finish it. Luckily brandon did sleep through it all, so another 1 1/2hrs doing the IV and we check out at 10:30pm.
While doing the IV kenn starts to feel sick... none of us had eaten dinner so we thought it was that. he ends up going to the bathroom twice at the hospital to throw up.

We get home, Kenn ends up throwing up all night long. (i banish him downstairs b/c i cant deal with the constant getting up and still sleep)Thus begins our sunday. Kenn now officially has a stomach bug. he's horribly sick sunday. Brandon wakes up feels a little better (he actually eats some waffles my parents bought him) and is drinking a little. I end up having Kenns mother come over to watch brandon so i can go to pick up a anti nausea medication for brandon and get supplies from the grocery store. I came home, made Kenn some homemade chicken noodle soup and just took care of both of my boys sunday.
Monday brandon went to daycare, he ate a little more I went to work and felt exhausted after 4 days off. Monday and Tuesday Kenn stayed home from work and did his best not to "contaminate" the house (as i put it).
Both are doing better today. they both ate a little more for dinner, both have lost several pounds. (poor brandon looks emaciated).

BUT THE RAVENS WON!!!!! (thus is the good part of the month)

Brandon also had his first sentence on Tuesday night at dinner "debbie kicked ball". Meaning his teacher kicked the ball to him at daycare. its amazing now seeing him try to create sentences!

I also ordered the accessories for Brandon's birthday and I'm in process of creating the cake for him with Annette! I'm so excited!