You Know You're A Mom When...

...you're in the laundry room at 2:00am picking off chuncks of throw-up from a baby blanket with your bare hands. 

Okay, so I admit it wasn't because of Brody that I was up so late.  I wasn't exactly looking forward to cleaning up all the vomit, so I found little distractions last night that kept me from having the chance to enter the awful smelling laundry room and do what had to be done.  When I finally decided that I was too tired and had to go to bed, I had to face the daunting task head on. 

Brody vomited yesterday afternoon on our way to the doctor's office (for a WELL check I must add).  He isn't sick, so I'm assuming he just got car sick on the way there.  Regardless, my poor baby covered his blanket, fabric toys, and car seat in half-digested blueberries, yogurt, and formula.  He looked so pathetic as he whimpered and made little faces of "what is going on?".  Mommy-strength took over as I took all the toys and blankets off of him and picked him up out of the seat without even gagging.  (I'm not saying I wasn't disgusted though!)

After we returned home from the pediatrician's office, I took everything up stairs to the laundry room where the smell loomed around until I finally found courage at 2:00am.  As I stood there picking off chunks of half-digested blueberries, I couldn't help but think: You know you're a mom when... 

The Final Stretch

Brody is rounding the last corner and running (or crawling) down the final stretch towards the finish line of his first year.  It's almost unbelievable to me that 9 months ago we were in the hospital just beginning this incomparable journey.  After 12 hours of labor and an hour and a half of pushing, Jonathan and I remember looking at Brody and thinking, that can't be our baby...he looks nothing like us! 

Brody was a sweet little newborn with a tan (which turned out to be jaundice), swollen eyes, and a funny-shaped head.  When our midwife, Mary, held him up for the first time he was floppy and he wasn't crying.  Although Jonathan had finally agreed to cutting the cord (throughout the whole pregnancy he said there was no way he wanted to do it!), Mary quickly apologized and told him that she needed to do it instead.  She cut the cord and they wisked him over to the cleaning station. 

NICU nurses quickly charged through the door and surrounded him, trying all they could do to get him to cry, but he wouldn't cry.  Every now and then a very small little whimper came from over in the corner, but it wasn't what the medical staff wanted to hear.  There was an odd tension in the room.  I could tell there was something wrong and a huge wave of motherly worry washed over me.  I had only glimpsed at my new little man but I already knew I could no longer live without him! 

Several minutes passed as I laid on the hospital bed trying not to cry in front of everyone in the room.  I wasn't fooling Jonathan though. He knew I was worried and anxious.  He tried his very best to reassure me everything was okay, that Brody would be fine, but deep inside he was just as frightened as I was.

After what felt like an eternity, Brody's apgar score was normal, but they told me he needed to go to the transition nursery so that they could monitor him over the next four hours.  They allowed me to hold him for just a minute before they took him.  It was surreal as I held him for the first time. Jonathan hovered over as we both marveled at the sweet little blessing wearing a blue, white, and pink striped cap the hospital gave to him.  Wow! What a flood of emotions that swept over the both of us! 

The next four hours were four of the hardest hours I have ever experienced.  I felt a strange need to be there by Brody's side and protect him, make sure he was okay, and let him know I was right there for him.  Instead, I was not allowed to travel to the transition nursery in light of all my body had just gone through.  I cried, wanting only to hold him. 

Once Brody proved to the staff he was stable, they finally brought him to our room.  Nothing had been wrong at all.  He was completely healthy.  He was just a chill baby and didn't feel the need to cry!  He still has a relaxed personality, just like his Daddy.  I am so thankful and blessed he got Jonathan's go-with-the-flow attitude.  He has made Jonathan and I so happy and so proud over these past 9 months.  We couldn't imagine loving anyone more than we love him!

Just Like College, But With A Baby

This past weekend, an old college friend and sorority sister flew up to Atlanta to see me and meet Brody.  I hadn't seen Chantal in over 4 years, and the reunion was long overdue.  The timing could not have been more perfect since Jonathan is in Dubai for the week on business.  It was just like college again, only with a baby (Ha ha ha, Chantal!).  I always worry about getting together with an old friend that I haven't seen in such a long time, but we were able to pick up right where we left off.  We literally laughed until our stomachs hurt and reminisced into the late hours of each night.  (Thankfully, Brody slept in this morning so that I could catch up on the hours I lost.)   I picked her up from MARTA Friday afternoon (after she had walked the entire airport to baggage claim instead of taking the the train that was running alongside her!  ha ha ha!).  That night for dinner we hit up the Chick-Fil-A since we ate there for every meal, every day in college!  As silly as we looked, we asked a family sitting next to us to take a picture since we have so many memories eating at the chain restaurant. 

The next day I took her to eat lunch at a girly cafe to celebrate her birthday...belated.  Brody had such a good time there, squealing as loud as he could. 

After lunch, we walked around the historic town and did a little shopping.

As if this wasn't enough shopping for us, we went shopping later that night at the mall.  Chantal wanted to visit our H&M since she had never been to one.  I had a gift card to the store so I bought a couple of scarfs for myself and one matching for her (our BFF scarf...ha ha ha!)  Brody was such a tropper the whole weekend.  I really could not ask for a better baby.  He just went with the flow and did not complain about all the running around we were doing.  What a good little man!

Sadly, the weekend came to an end and she had to go home.  I miss her already and am looking forward to her next visit.  Love you, Chantal!

Snow Much to Catch Up On!

You can't say I didn't warn you.  I explained early on that I never could keep up with a journal for more than a week.  In my defense, I have been extremely busy studying for the PT Board Exam.  Lucky for me, I had some help from a very smart little boy!

As much help as he was though, I still found myself needing more time to study...without precious little distractions!  So, not a moment too soon, Wynni came to my rescue and watched Brody for the week while I prepared to take the Boards on February 10.  Which, I must add, I found out today that I passed!  I am now a licensed physical therapist!  Yes, it took me longer than most, but enjoying Brody the past 8 1/2 months has been well worth it...even if some people don't quite understand!  He has grown much too fast already, and I can't imagine having missed any bit of it. 

Since starting formula and eating solids he has gained quite a bit of weight.  He was in the third percentile for weight when he went to get his 6 month check up, and I can hardly wait to see what percentile he has reached when we go next week for his 9 month check.  We have been able to keep an eye on his weight thanks to Katheryn for giving us this baby scale. 

Not only has he gained weight but he is developing new skills.  He is trying so hard to figure out this crawling thing, but it's really not his style. 

He much prefers a faster method of getting around.  He seems to feel that crawling would be a waste of time and wants to walk before he crawls.  He enjoys holding onto our fingers and taking steps like a big boy.  We would prefer him to crawl and build his muscles, but he gets upset when we cramp his style! :)  In the meantime, he suprised me the first of February when he decided to pull up on a chair all by himself so that he could reach some toys he saw and wanted. 

 

(Side note: We lowered his bed in anticipation of the morning he decides to try and stand up in his crib to climb over the rail.)

We typically do most of our playing downstairs, but a couple days prior to this I decided to bring half of his toys up to his room so that we could play there as well.  So, I loaded up his toys in a basket and placed him in the basket as well so that I could carry both him and the toys up the stairs.  He thought this was so much fun!

Well, I went off on a big tangent!  I'll get back to the part where my mom (Wynni) came up here to help me study.  She actually flew up here for my cousin's wedding reception that was this past weekend.  While we were there helping (aka watching) my aunt and uncle cook goodies for the reception, it snowed.  When it snowed a few weeks ago Brody was sick, so this was his first time touching the snow and playing in it.  He was such a cute bear!

After playing in the snow, it was time to get down to business and help my aunt and uncle decorate for the reception.  This was quite chaotic, but we managed to pull it together somewhat in time.  Everyone seemed to have a great time...Brody included.  He danced his little heart out and had so much fun watching all the little girls dancing around him.  What a flirt! You wouldn't believe how much he danced and enjoyed the music unless you were there to witness it!  What a heart throb! I wish I had pictures to share, but I didn't take any with my camera and will have to get them from Wynni later. 

The next morning on Valentine's Day, Jonathan, Brody and I packed up and headed home.  We had just arrived home when Wynni called and asked if she had left her phone in our car. She had.  This was funny because I had also left the Valentine's cards I bought for Jonathan and Brody with Wynni's stuff.  Guess we both were looking for a way to see each other again! So we met up with her and JimPop (they were headed back to Florida) at The Varsity.  My dad is a Tech alumni so he and my mom have many memories there.  I thought that was pretty special that we all ate lunch there for Heart Day.  It was especially fun since it was Brody's first experience there. We made the most of it, taking pictures the whole time of Brody in his little Varstiy hat.  I still get tickled just looking at these pictures!  He looked so grown up to me in that hat, eating his graham crackers and sipping on his apple juice.

After eating at The Varsity, we returned home to enjoy the rest of the night as a family for Valentine's Day.  I gave Brody a small teddy bear with a box of chocolates (which Jonathan got to eat) and a card. 

Wynni had left him a card in his bed before we all left for the recption weekend in Carrollton.

And, I must mention the teddy bear his JimPop gave him...albeit two days earlier. :)

What a loved little guy!  I hope he always knows how deeply he is loved!