Tis the (was?) the Season!

January 6, 2014 Britnee Graham1 Comment

The Holiday Season came and went – in a whirlwind! I swear I blinked and it was all over.

Thanksgiving was held at my parents house. It was supposed to include my cousin, his wife and their daughter – but their second baby decided to be born that day! So it was an unlikely small event. It ended up being great, as I could give my full attention to Braden on his first Thanksgiving. He enjoyed sitting up for everyone in the kitchen, while the grownups cooked. Once it was time to eat, we brought the bouncer into the dining room so he could be with us. We ate as we listened to the soundtrack of Braden babbles and bouncing legs. It made for a comical Thanksgiving dinner.

Christmas was incredibly special this year. Personally, I’ve never been too into the “Christmas Spirit”. But, with Braden here now I was anxious to experience it as if I were a child again. Christmas Eve is traditionally spent at my parents house. It is also my cousins Birthday, so we really like to celebrate! It was fun to see Elyse (my “niece”) run around, little Baby Jax (my “nephew”) sleeping away, and Braden taking in all of the Christmas cheer. He really liked opening his presents. Of course, he really liked the wrapping paper more than the presents – but what can ya do!? I think the most special part of the day was when Braden crawled for the first time! It was truly a Christmas Miracle!

Christmas morning we woke up super early to see what Santa had brought! I was really looking forward to leaving out cookies and milk for Santa, but I totally dropped the ball. And I forgot to leave something for Braden in his stocking. Good thing he doesn’t have a clue what’s going on. I better get it together next year!

The morning is always spent surrounded by the tree while we open our presents. We then make our way into kitchen to open our stocking and enjoy a Christmas breakfast – Polish sausage included. YUM!

Christmas night we made our way down to San Diego to spend time with Braden’s dad. It was really special to open presents with his Aunt, Uncle and Dad. Braden also got to Skype with his family that lives in Vegas! I am sure they were quite amused with Braden’s antics as he opened their presents. He is so lucky to have so many people that love him!

Braden spent most of New Years Eve asleep, but he did make the giant leap into pulling himself up! It was an exciting December to say the least.

I think I lasted until about 10pm. Until then I enjoyed playing Cards Against Humanity with my family. We waited about 5 hours to eat Goose for the first. But after 9pm rolled around, we decided to call it a loss. This Goose would not cook. But hey, I’m not complaining – who eats Goose anyway!? Braden woke up just in time for midnight – for a cliche midnight feeding. I could barely keep my eyes open.

All in all I would have to say it was a very blessed and special Holiday season. I am looking forward to years to come and making more memories with Braden. He is one special little man, that I am proud to call mine.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I love you,

your mama xo

6 months of milestones (a little late)

December 19, 2013 Britnee GrahamLeave a comment

This last month seems like it was the craziest month yet! I guess that’s what happens when it’s the holiday season. Where do I even begin?! I think what stands out the most is that Braden is becoming more and more mobile. He’s been sitting up like a pro for a couple months, but now he’s about a couple weeks shy of crawling. He tries to crawl – and he wants to crawl so badly. As soon as I sit him down, he will lunge so far forward to whatever object he wants to touch. He’ll get onto all fours and rock back and forth. After a short time he’ll slide down to his tummy. Up until just recently he would start to whine. He is not a fan of laying down. But a couple of days ago he has officially begun the attempt at an army crawl. If he really wants something he will slither and slide his way on over. As excited as I am that he has begun to be mobile Braden, I am slightly scared that I will be chasing him all over the place. Guess it’s time to baby proof!!!

I took Braden to see Santa for the first time. He was very concerned about who this Santa person was – but he didn’t cry. The first time I took him, it was just the two of us. The second time, we went with the whole fam bam clan. He was sleeping right up until it was time for picture time, so he looks a little confused on where he is. But it’s a cute picture nonetheless.

Braden also helped Grammy trim the Christmas tree. He loved the lights! He kept wanting to pull at them, so I took it as an opportunity for a mini photo shoot.

He also took the big leap of pulling himself up! I always put him in the crib to play around when I’m cleaning and can’t give him my full attention. I know he’s safe in there, or so I thought… I took out the trash one day, and I came back to him standing in his crib! Not just standing…but literally trying to pull himself up even higher. I was so shocked – not expecting for him to do that already. Of course I had to take pictures and plenty of video. Then I had to lower the crib – twice. He’s a strong little fellow!! Watch out work – Braden is coming at you!!

We also went to his first Christmas Party! We got to spend it with the lovely ladies and babies that we met at Mommy and Me. It was so fun to see all of our babies growing up! Some are crawling, sitting up, eating solids, and sleeping through the night! Wow! Where did the time go?! I hope we all stay friends and get to watch our kids grow up together.

Braden took his first bath in the big peoples tub. I wasn’t planning on it, but he had no choice really. He had the biggest poop explosion of them all, and I just had to throw him in that tub. He was so fascinated with the faucet and the drain. And then he kept trying to crawl. It was a challenge that’s for sure. I think I’ll stick to giving him a bath in the kitchen sink, it’s a lot less work!!

Braden handled his 6 months shots like a pro! He let the pediatrician check him out without a single tear or whine. Of course, he let out a cry when the shots came. But as soon as I picked him up and sang a couple lines from his favorite song, he let out a smile to the nurse to let he know he wasn’t mad at her. It was really cute and sweet. He picked out a Christmas sticker for doing such a great job! But he was trying to eat it while he was in the car seat, so he was only allowed to look at it on the seat.

Braden is such a trooper when I take his monthly pictures. I know it’s a bit much, but now that I’ve started I can’t stop. This time he would NOT stop laughing at the balloons. He thought they were the funniest things in the world. It was really cute.

I’m SO proud of my little man! He’s slowed down on gaining weight so fast (thank goodness). He’s a healthy 19 lbs, but killing my arms. Let’s see what happens after he starts solids…

I’m not usually big on holidays, but I am really looking forward to his first Christmas! Ah! I can’t wait!

You make my heart so happy little buddy. I love you!

Your mama,

xoxo

My smiley little buddy : )

December 12, 2013December 12, 2013 Britnee Graham1 Comment

On the night before you turn 6 months old, I can’t help but be so proud of the little person you’re already becoming. What specifically comes to mind, is your genuine happiness and love towards people. I’ve never seen such a beautiful smile. So happy and welcoming to others around you. The other day I was putting you in your car seat. You were looking out the door with the biggest smile on your face. I was so curious to know what was making you smile so big! I looked over, and across the street was our neighbor. You noticed her all that way, and she brought you such joy. She of course, walked on over and exclaimed how happy you are. It filled MY heart with happiness. You ARE happy! Almost always! You show such kindness and warmth towards the people around you. I know you’re only 6 months old, but it’s true.
As I sit here and reminisce about the past 6 months, I think about what I want for your future. Mostly, I want to you to stay this way; happy, joyful, open, and kind. You truly are a blessing to me, and deserve the whole world my little buddy. Thank you for always waking up with a smile and trusting me with your world. I promise to always be here for you, protect you, and guide you. I will do my best to ensure you stay as joyful as you are.
I love you!!!!!
Your mama xoxo

Disneyland

November 26, 2013November 26, 2013 Britnee Graham1 Comment

I decided to take Braden to Disneyland for the first time. What an exhausting experience. I commend all parents that take their children to Disneyland – yikes. I am hoping that as he gets older, the Disneyland adventures will get easier and easier. Let me just paint you a picture of how the day went.

Every nap and feeding was perfectly placed out in my mind of how the day would go. It was supposed to go according to plan, allowing ourselves to be at Disneyland on time. We so generously were able to get signed in by my dear friend Shae. And honestly, if it wasn’t for him I don’t think we would have gone. Anyway…the day did not go according to plan. Which was my first mistake – to have a plan. I know by now that the day never goes by my plan, and yet I still do it. Whatever… : )

Naps were off, feeding was off. But somehow I managed to get it all put together and out the door on time. Except one problem. Braden hadn’t pooped yet. He usually poops about once a day. When did he decide to poop? As I was holding him, heading out the door. Where did he poop? All over his back and my arm. Was anybody home to help me? Nope. AWESOME.

I never really understood the need to count to 10 until I became a mom. I love counting to 10. 10 seconds to shut my eyes, breath in, breath out, open my eyes (to a smiling Braden no doubt) and attack the situation. Poop everywhere may not seem like that big of a deal, and it’s not in hindsight. But when you’re on a time crunch it’s pretty much the end of the world – for 10 seconds.

So after managing to bathe and clean Braden, oh and myself, we were out the door 20 minutes later. Not too bad if you ask me! I picked up my sister and away we went! I was not brave enough to tackle the tram with the stroller. People with strollers are crazy. It’s the worst kind of road rage you can imagine. Stroller drivers have no morale when it comes to their surroundings – cutting people off, running over toes,and cursing in front of their children. And now I’m one of them. Disneyland did it to me. But I digress…

After getting signed in, we took our pictures right in front!

Immediately after we went to City Hall and got Braden’s 1st visit pin. Luckily, Mickey Mouse made an appearance right in front of the big tree. We stood in line and took a picture with Mickey himself. What a treat! Mickey recognized Braden’s pin right away and made sure to make his experience memorable. Well, memorable to me and my sister. Braden really didn’t have an opinion about Mickey. He just checked him out, looking him up and down. He did let out a little cry as we were leaving. I’m not sure if it had to do with Mickey or the fact that he was hungry.

I used the Baby Care Center for the first time. A little crampy and very busy, but I was grateful for the clean changing tables and little space to feed Braden. After getting Braden freshened up we took him over to Fantasyland to ride Casey Jr.’s Train. It really is a cute little ride. We opted to sit in the caboose. Just the three of us. Honestly, I don’t think Braden could have cared any less about being on that ride. He acted as if he had been on that ride a thousand times and was so bored with this old train. I think my sister was more excited about the ride!

After Braden’s first Disneyland ride it was time to find a spot for the parade. We got so lucky with front row seating in front of the popcorn machine. I was a little nervous how Braden would do with all of the loud noises and bright lights. But he really enjoyed it! He loved to look at everything. I was relieved that he didn’t get overstimulated and have a meltdown.

After the parade we had to fight against the crazy stroller drivers and make it back to the parking lot. My sister decided to carry Braden and he fell asleep in her arms. It was the cutest thing. She carried him all the way from Main Street through Downtown Disney. If you know Disneyland, you know that’s a pretty long distance.

Honestly, I was so exhausted when we got to the car I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make it home. Braden was so overtired he whined and cried the whole way home. I don’t think we will be going to Disneyland for awhile. I’m still recovering!

I love you!!!

your mama xoxoxox

Braden’s first ride at Disneyland. Not very exciting, but I had to capture the moment : )

<3

November 22, 2013November 22, 2013 Britnee Graham1 Comment

Tonight I stay up a little later, enjoying a glass of wine. I watch his little sleepy movements through the monitor, and my heart is full. I love him so much. I didn’t know it was even possible to love someone this much. I’m so incredibly blessed by my baby Braden.
I’m writing this so I can remember this moment. This moment of overwhelming love for the tiny human sleeping away. I love that you hold my finger when you’re somewhere in between sleep and awake. I love to hug you close to my chest in the early morning just before sunrise. Please don’t grow up too fast. I’ll miss those little moments when they’re gone. But for now, I look forward to morning when I get to roll over and see your smiling face.
I love you nugget!

Your mama xox

5 months of milestones

November 13, 2013 Britnee Grahambabies, baby boys, Braden, Gymboree, milestones1 Comment

And just like that, another month has passed. Braden has accomplished so much in just these last 4 weeks. About 3 weeks ago, Braden started to learn to sit on his own. He started out by putting his hands down in front of him…the traditional tripod pose. I wasn’t expecting him to be able to do that so early, but there he was, learning to sit on his own. Every now and then I would sit him down so he could practice his sitting. But I didn’t think much of it because I thought sitting wasn’t supposed to happen for at least another month.

It wasn’t until we went to our first Gymboree class, that I realized how well he sits – all by himself! He is such a champ at Gymboree. The teacher always exclaims about how well he sits up, grabs for objects and his ability to hold onto things. He is so aware of his surroundings. Curious about the people around him. He loves to look at older kids doing things he can’t do yet. You can see him trying to figure out how he can get from one place to the other. He doesn’t know how to crawl, but you can see his mind wondering why he can’t do that yet. I won’t be surprised if he starts to crawl early, he just wants to move!

He’s finally found an adoration for his papa (my dad). It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. He truly recognizes him when he walks into a room, and always gives him the biggest smile. My dad is the only one that can get him to just chill next to him on the couch. I don’t know how he does it. Braden thinks I am a jungle gym. Always wanting to crawl all over me, pull my hair, grab my nose and eat my cheek. But not with papa. Braden nestles into papa’s side, holding on tightly to papa’s finger. I’ll go away for an hour and when I come back, he’ll be in the same place, super content, chewing on a toy. I wish I knew my dad’s technique.

Braden got his first postcard in the mail. I know it may seem insignificant. But it was the first time it really registered to me that he is an actual person. A member of society. It truly was addressed to him, from one of his teachers at Gymboree. It wasn’t addressed to me, talking about Braden. It was a little letter to him, about him. I have it placed in his room atop his dresser. I love to look at it when I pass by.

I’m such a sucker for a really great photo. And Braden’s 5 month picture was no exception. I had it all planned out. Which was my first mistake. The shoot only lasted 5 minutes. Braden’s little hands got ahold of the balloon strings, and within seconds the balloons whisked into the air. I laughingly jumped, trying to catch the balloons. But no, it was too late…and away they went into the air. I looked down at my little Braden and there he sat with the cornucopia and a headband of paper feathers, giggling away at me.

Braden still only rolls from back to front. He’s moved on from rolling and tries to sit up. If I lay him down on his back, he lifts his head up trying to sit up. I like to gently push his forehead back down and tell him he’s not old enough to do that yet. However, sometimes he gets a good momentum going and pushes up on one arm. I don’t know how he does it. His strength is bizarre!

Solid foods are a mere few weeks away. I am nervous, excited, terrified, overjoyed, and horrified! I’ve never seen a baby so interested in food. He reaches for it, mimics me chewing and watches my food go from plate – to fork – to mouth. I always said I wouldn’t give him food until 6 months, but he’s ready. So I must let my little baby Braden grow up just a little bit more.

I’m looking forward to sleeping through the night. But for now I try to be patient and realize this is just a short amount of time in his life. One day he won’t need me to rock him to sleep, or look for me in the middle of the night. As much as I would love for a solid 10-12 hours of sleep, I’m learning to just enjoy each moment. It’s hard to not push for him to learn and grow. But I think it’s important to sit in this moment. To stay present in this time. It will only happen once, and I want to embrace the good, the bad, and even the ugly.

I love you,

your mama xo

A boy and his toy : )

Halloween

November 7, 2013November 7, 2013 Britnee Grahambaby, baby boys, costumes, dressing up, halloween, pumpkins1 Comment

Braden started out his first Halloween by imprinting his foot onto a Halloween canvas. I never would describe myself as a perfectionist, but I could not get this craft right. I tried two different times before I got it “right”. Third times the charm right? Of course, I did the writing, spider and spider webs to my liking, but Braden’s footprint was a little off. He didn’t seem to understand what was going on. I think it looks good regardless. And I will always remember his chubby little feet slipping around in the paint. Not to mention, the little piece of black paint (non-toxic) that is still apparent underneath his toenails. OOPS.

Braden also had his first professional pictures done. He wore his snazzy Burberry jean outfit that my mothers friend so generously gave to him. Unfortunately, Braden was on a nap strike during that week. Only a couple of pictures turned out alright, since he got pouty after about 15 minutes. Babies. What can ya do?!

I took Braden to Pumpkin City – his first pumpkin patch! He was a wee bit too little to really enjoy it. But he was a real good sport when it came to posing with the pumpkins. He loved being inside of the teepee with mama, and riding the hay horse. I mean, who wouldn’t?

Pinterest is still so confusing to me. But sometimes I have it figured out and gain great ideas from it. I saw a picture of a baby in a pumpkin, and I just had to put Braden in one. The only problem was, Braden is huge. Like really. I had to find the perfect pumpkin so it could work. I scoped out the scene and found the largest pumpkin I could find. I carved it the top first. Then I cut out where the legs would go. But when I attempted to put Braden inside of the pumpkin, he didn’t fit. I was laughing so hard. Who is this kid? So I had to cut the pumpkin down from the top – making it big enough for his chunky thighs to fit through. His legs BARELY fit through the holes. It was such a close call that when taking him out of the pumpkin, he let out a little cry because his legs were stuck. Yikes. He was such a great sport through the whole thing. Although I do admit he was a bit distracted with the grass tickling his feet and the taste of the pumpkin head. It was fun to watch him experience it all for the first time.

Braden was a monkey for Halloween. It seemed fitting since his dad and I nicknamed him our little monkey before he was born. Obviously, I had to be a banana to complement him. It was perfect. Except by the time Trick – or – Treating came around Braden was over Halloween. It was a lot for his little 4 1/2 month old self. With Grammy K and Auntie Lindsay in tow, we went a knocking down the neighborhood. Well, he lasted about 2 houses before he had enough. It was win for me since I got to eat all of his candy.

I look forward to next year. Holding hands, walking door to door. Maybe even a little Halloween party or two.

I love you,

your mama xoxo

You’re never fully dressed without a smile

October 30, 2013November 2, 2013 Britnee Grahamannie, baby, baby boys, musicals, sleep, songs1 Comment

Braden was the best newborn. He slept mostly all the time. He’d only awake to eat and then straight back to sleep. It was an easy routine to get into, and I seemed to get plenty of sleep. Those days are long gone.
I guess I should still preface this by saying, he’s still a pretty happy go lucky, easy baby. But the sleep… Or lack thereof is killing me. I miss newborn-sleepy Braden. I could watch television at a normal level, listen to music, and have conversations with others in the room. These days I have to nurse in a quiet, dark room. If you call me on the phone during that time… Forget it. I can’t answer. The moment he hears my voice, he looks back at me, and then smiles so big. I’ve lost him. He would rather eat his hand. I have the hardest time getting him to eat again after an interruption.
Everything is a distraction. He’s so curious about everything. He’ll (walk?) into the same room a hundred times, but look around as if he’s seeing everything for the first time.
No longer does he fall straight to sleep after I’ve fed him. Which I guess is better in the long run. However, I now must rock him to sleep. But not only do I have to rock, I must also do one of the following; sing, hum, shush, pat his back or make a sound I can’t even begin to describe. Of course it’s never the same, and it is my job to figure out which way he would like to be soothed. He likes to keep me on my toes.
Luckily, by mistake, I’ve discovered one song that gets me through the changing table, long car rides, and a lullaby to sleep. I stumbled upon it accidentally one day when my mother was getting dressed. She looked at me and asked, “how do I look?” I said, “oh mother, who cares what you’re wearing… You’re never fully dressed without a smile”. She laughed and said, “oh I like that, where’s that from?”. I told her it was from the musical Annie. She couldn’t remember how it went, so I looked it up on YouTube.
With Braden in my lap I started to play the song for my mom. Instantly, Braden stopped whatever he was chewing on and his baby blue eyes went straight to my phone. He could not take his eyes off the screen. He was so quiet, just enjoying the girls sing and dance around. I swear he is infatuated with girls.
Anyway, of course I couldn’t get the song out of my head all day. But Braden didn’t seem to mind, so I kept on singing. It wasn’t until one long car ride (where he would not stop crying) that I discovered this song was like magic!
I was going through all of my resources to get him to stop crying, but nothing was working. I was driving with one hand, holding onto his fingers with my other hand, losing circulation in my shoulder from reaching behind me. And then I remembered, the song. I started singing… “Who cares what they’re wearing…” BOOM. Silence. I looked back into the mirror, a little smile had appeared on his face. I’ll never forget the look on his face, a little Braden grin coming through, tears fading away. I had found it! The one song I can sing to get him to calm down!
To be honest, it only worked like magic for about 2 weeks. He’s a smart cookie and caught on to my secret and so it doesn’t work every time. But for when the times it does, it genuinely melts my heart. My favorite times are changing him on that table, or when he’s just waking up from a nap. I always sing to him, his eyes fixated on me with an enormous smile on his face. He looks at me with such love, that smile filling my heart up. Maybe that’s why he loves that song so much. He’s just never fully dressed without that smile!!

I love you ( more than I ever thought possible),
Your mama xoxoxoxox

20 weeks old!

Sometimes you don’t need to sleep

October 24, 2013 Britnee Graham2 Comments

I love my son. I do. I love playing with him. I love singing songs to him. I love (sometimes) rocking him to sleep. I love tummy time, bouncing him on my leg and tickling him into a giggle fest.
But sometimes the sleepless nights get to you. Exhaustion takes over, and I find myself begging for him to sleep in a little bit longer. Of course, it doesn’t happen. He’s ready for the day to start. And so we get up. I muster up the energy I didn’t know I had.
The day always starts with breakfast for me and tummy time for him. In between bites I switch him to the bouncer. By the time he’s ready for breakfast, I’m done with mine. If I’m lucky, I’ll feed him into a food coma and we’ll both get to take a nap. These days it doesn’t get to happen that way, so I persevere. He naps for 30 minutes, while I quickly shower and get dressed.
Onwards we go and somehow it’s 3 o’clock and I’ve done nothing. Well, nothing to the casual onlooker. But to Braden we’ve had a day full of learning, discovering, eating, sleeping, giggling and cuddling.
I try to squeeze in one more nap but of course he wants to giggle or read books or play with my face. He’s newly discovered he can touch my face. It’s the cutest.
At about 5:30 I can’t wait for 6:30 to come so we can start our bedtime routine. This means that he’ll be asleep around 7/7:30 and maybe I can be too. But once he’s asleep, I realize it’s quiet. Should I go to sleep or stay up? When else in my day do I get be alone with just me?
And more times often than not, I choose to not sleep. I choose to put on my headphones and listen to the music I’ve missed so greatly. My eyes never moving from his face on the monitor. I choose to escape for 30 minutes. I choose to not sleep, because sometimes you just don’t need to.
Until 6am rolls around…

I love you,
Your mama xo
19 weeks old!

4 months of milestones

October 13, 2013October 13, 2013 Britnee Grahambabies, boys, feet, growing up, milestones, rolling overLeave a comment

Sandra Bullock said it best, “I never knew what a milestone meant until I had a kid”. As an adult, we take for granted the ability to walk, talk, roll over and etc. But It’s such an accomplishment for our babies to achieve these milestones. This past month Braden has learned to roll over from back to tummy. Every time I see him do it, I’m so amazed. The way he’s learned to slightly push himself up from his arms makes me smile. I could take a picture of him doing it every time and it will never get old. Why is this so amazing to me!? Perhaps it’s because I’ve watched him go from a silent and still newborn to this growing, active, “talking” baby.
Rolling over is a great achievement in baby world. For Braden it started when he was able to find his feet. Every time I laid him down he would hurl is legs up towards his face. Eventually he realized he had feet he could hold onto, and hold onto he did! Changing diapers became a different kind of challenge, but it’s so cute it’s worth it.
Soon after the feet finding, Braden learned to use that momentum to lean himself to one side. He would do this and rock back and forth, back and forth. Somehow without me looking, he would end up on his tummy. I would know because it got eerily silent, and then the grunting began. I’d walk over and talk to him about his accomplishment. He’d look up and smile at me. But after a couple minutes he got bored of it, and would try to get back. Except he doesn’t know how to do that yet, so the grunting and whining would start up again. I’m curious to see how long it will take him to roll around without any help from me. I’m excited and scared at the same time.
Speaking of whining… Braden has found a new way to communicate with me: whining. He mostly whines when he wants me to hold him up and help him bounce up and down on my legs. I (kind of regrettably) got him a standing bouncer since he outgrew the seated one. Ever since then he thinks everything is meant to bounce on. Bounce bounce bounce. If he didn’t weigh over 18 pounds i’d oblige, but my arms are killing me. Is it possible for a 5 month old to walk? I’m pretty sure I won’t me able to hold him for much longer.
Braden has experienced his first time in the pool, he doesn’t have an opinion about it yet. He got his first bad rash (eczema), he handled it better than I did. He has a newfound affinity for water bottles. He loves to chew on the caps. Don’t worry; it’s attached to the bottle. He’s once again gone up a size in diapers, and in clothes. He still loves to drool, poop and fart like nobodies business. He likes to eat his feet, watch me eat, and grab at anything and everything. I learned this very quickly after sitting him in my lap at the dinner table. Yikes!
I haven’t decided on when I’m going to start him on solids, but I think he’s ready more than I am. Do they have to grow so fast?
I truly love him more and more each day. I love looking at the world through his eyes. Let’s see what the next 4 weeks will bring us.

I love you,
Your mama xo