5 Months

Today marks Brady's 5 month of life. Whooooaaaa! Instead of a birthday cake we decided it was time to begin solid food. Judging by our first experience this will be a slow process. We started Brady with and appetizing mix of organic whole grain cereal and breast milk. By the end of the meal it ended up looking more like a therapeutic mud mask. Very little of the soupy sauce actually makes it in the hole (hence the reason for the semi bear hold). Brady swears if we switch to brownies he will be more cooperative. 

Winter Walk

Brady and Dad went for a winter walk with the Johnsons yesterday. For the occassion I zipped the little man in yet another snow suit.  Jeff feels that "ice blue" isn't masculine enough for his son, and the fur trim is a bit femmie. I think that Brady is man enough to handle pastels of any sort and any temperature below 20 requires fur. As you can see from the picture Brady was just happy to get some fresh air. 

Latest Trick

We thought we would share with you Brady's latest development. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas...

or "Happy Dec. 25th," from Jeff. I am thrilled to report that I snuck in a few Holiday themed ensembles with NO secret santa surprises. Brady happily wore three cheery get-ups without filling his shorts. I think I may have broken his spirit.

Brady raked in the loot this season. He was really working the "it's my first Christmas" angle. He has Grammie Lou and Grandpa B under his tiny thumb! He spent most of the morning jumping in his new Jump-a-Roo. Before Brady was born this type of toy would not be permitted based on the simple fact that it lit up, made noise and did not match our decor. Now it is 1 of 3 rainbow colored items that litter our beige living room. The ecstatic expression on his face and the glow of discovery make these items tolerable. Based on the number of other items received its confirmed that Brady has definitely been nice this year.

Our little man also had his first hair cut today. Jeff decided that the hawk was looking a bit ragged and leaning on the side of trashy. So, like a good Dad he gave his boy a cut. Man to Man. What a moment. Brady didn't seem to mind, but was relieved when Jeff opted for scissors instead of the clippers.

Don't Hate the Player

Brady has once again got himself into the arms of another pretty girl. He told us when we left the house this morning that he needed his hat...because it drives the girls crazy. As you can clearly see, it's working. Hannah is tied with her sister Angela for Brady's favorite girl. He said that the tie breaker would go to whomever brings us...I mean him...some holiday sweets!

Cookie Monster

Yesterday Brady and I braved the snow and ventured over to Grammie Lou's to make Holiday cookies! Mr. B wasn't going to let some flakes and a negative wind shield get in between him and his sugary confections. He was determined to slam some snicker doodles no matter the cost, even if there was a risk he could loose a toe to frost bite. I guess he figured he has 9 extras.
Just so you all don't think I made my baby brave the elements without some precautions please know that he was bundled in about 15 layers and I packed an "emergency kit." All this for about 30 seconds outside and 20 minutes in a heated car. The chances are greater that Santa exists than Brady really loosing a toe.
The cookies were great and the snow has passed. Today Brady and I are enjoying a balmy 15 degree day by finishing up the LAST of our Christmas shopping. Yeah!

The Weekend

Brady had a solid weekend! After smashing it at Zack's birthday on Friday he thought he would have a quiet dinner with Amelis and Ryan on Saturday evening. By evening I mean 5:30! Thus ensuring he would be able to socialize and keep his 7:30 bed time. Brady enjoys early dinner because it pretty much guarantees he is the youngest in the room and the old folks usually fawn over how cute he is, a major ego booster. Brady not only housed some Tex Mex he scored some new threads. Thanks Ryan and Amelis!

On Sunday Brady had his first religious experience! He witnessed his dear cousin Brooklyn Noelle being baptised, which in his mind looked like bath time. He sang along and chugged some of the communion wine. He was disappointed when I told him a sip is customary and only 1 cracker per person. He had heard something about the "Last Supper" and got a bit nervous so he thought he should stock up. I reassured him that the tap isn't going to run dry anytime soon.

Par-tay

Brady would like to give a big happy 30th Birthday shout out to Major Zack! Brady has requested that at the next party, a few more ladies be in attendance. He favors a 5:1 ratio. I guess that's just how he rolls.

Back to his Back

This has been a big week for Mr. Brady! He started off with a couple of official rolls and now he has discovered how to roll from his belly to his back. What a relief because until today he would roll to his belly and then grunt and yell because he was stuck. We had a few pep talks about channeling that energy and POW he rolled right over. What a maniac. He also discovered his feet and apparently they look YUM-ME because he keeps trying to put them in his mouth, socks and all.

Blow-out update...all I have to say is; 2 baths in 1 hour.

Offical Roll Over

Brady is basking in the glory of his first couple of official roll overs. What makes a roll over official you ask? The answer is simple, no help from Mom and witnesses to the event. After he makes it over his massive belly he holds his head up so proud and smiles from ear to ear! He is also greeted by an explosion of "YEAH GOOD BOY" and "I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!" He probably thinks he won the Super Bowl with the amount of cheering that happens. Next up...getting back to his back!

Om

Brady had his first Yoga class today. He especially enjoyed the "digestive" poses. When I got him into position he let out 2 great big farts. He was proud of himself and had a grin from ear to ear. I think he's really in touch with the relaxation side of yoga. We moved through several other poses and songs without incident.

After class we went for coffee with his gal pal Lauren. They decided on a nap instead of conversation. Probably a good thing for the other Starbucks patrons.

Pictured is one of Brady's new moves we learned at Yoga. This has potential to be a puke launcher, but he enjoys it all the same.

3 for 3

Well folks Brady has officially made his position on themed outfits clear, "You dress me in holiday crap and I will crap." Brady wore the newly named Rudolph the brown nose reindeer for his first sitting with Santa. By the end of the night his stocking was full. If you ask me it looks like Santa might have crapped himself too. Brooklyn, also pictured, was an angel and slept the whole time and as far as we know poopy pants free. For poops sake I'm going to fore go a heart shaped anything for Valentines.

Yo MTV Baby Cribs

Brady was feeling a bit gangst'a today and requested that I show off his pad. He didn't understand why I was typing anything other than "this is where the king rests." I of course added "and eats and gets his pants changed," "Details" he said.

Brady had his 4 month check up today and weighed in at 13.10 1/2 lbs! We're going to round that up to 13.11 lbs! Nice! He is almost 25" long, putting him in the 46% percentile. He is a growing boy and we are so proud of him.

Snow and Friends

We woke up this morning to the first official snow of the season! Of course as a good parent I rushed upstairs and promptly stuffed Brady into his puffy snowsuit for a photo op. The event was so brief Brady didn't have time to show his distaste with another blow out. The suit is safe for now. I'm glad it snowed this week because the suit is already too small. He barely had room to straighten his arms.

Brady met lots of new friends in the past few days. On Friday he got to meet a dear friend of ours, Amber, or more formally Amber Snapper. A nickname acquired many years ago for no other reason than "it sounded good." She cradled Brady like a pro and I think he forced a couple of fake tears to remain in her arms. If it weren't for the language barrier I think he would of asked for her hand in marriage.

Yesterday Brady met Steve, Beth, Tyler, Shane, Tam Tam and Pierce! It was an active afternoon for the little guy. What a good looking group of kids. Thank you all for visiting and have a safe trip home.

Belated Happy Thanksgiving

The "Stuffed Turkey" outfit
Brady and Grandpa B

Brady's first Thanksgiving went pretty well considering his plate was filled with nothing but milk. I think he showed his distaste for the lack of variety by blowing out his Turkey ensemble twice! The first explosion was done before we even left for the day. Fortunately, I had some time to launder the outfit and redress him before heading over to the Grandparents. Not even 3 hours later Brady decided he had enough of the turkey top and did his best to blow it off his body. We jokingly said that Brady had stuffed his turkey! Its amazing when you become a parent how much discussion happens about your child's #2's. Never in my life did I think I would ever write, blog or talk about the contents of a diaper! For some reason it makes for a good laugh and fascinating conversation. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We are truly grateful for all that we have and for all who have blessed our lives.

Play Time

This was supposed to be a great video of Brady playing with his toys, but instead it turned out to be a conversation between us. I'm learning not to turn the camera on with any preconceived ideas or scripts. Brady is his own man and takes direction from no one.

Ready for Winter

Grammie Lou has been hard at work again. She crocheted Brady this fancy new hat. His balding head will average about 100-114 degrees at all times. No chill will even get close to his melon.

Brady likes the cozy wool blend and insists he is a chick magnet in the hat. He said something like "it brings out my baby blues."

Baby Hawk Down

I'm afraid it's true! Brady's hawk is giving way to gravity. Over the last week he has been losing hair by the chunks and the hawk has been swaying downward. It has more of a European twist to it now, proving his fashion forward ways.

Assitance Please

I'm afraid these videos are beginning to paint a less than perfect parental image of me. This is Brady trying to roll over with a small amount of help from me followed by a bit of protest. Maybe Brady is already voicing his need for independence.

The answer

He found his thumb!

Brady reaches for and touches our faces now!

Many people have asked us the same question and many people have wanted to ask us the same question but feel weird about it. So I thought I would pose and answer the question for all of you.

The question: Did we "know" about Brady.

The answer: Yes and no. After our 18 week ultrasound they discovered that Brady's femur measured a bit short and recommended we follow up with a specialist. Little did we know that a short femur is a marker for Down Syndrome. We did 2 follow up ultrasounds with the specialist and in the end Down Syndrome was ruled out. Upon delivery it took about 10 seconds for me to realize Brady had Down Syndrome. It was really more of confirmation of a deep feeling I had for a long time. Looking back I feel like I knew Brady was coming to be apart of our family, extra chromosome and all.

Please feel free to ask us anything you want to know. We're learning that information leads to acceptance.

Baby Shower Baby!

This weekend Brady went to Jocelyn's baby shower. Despite the yawn in the picture he had a blast. I kept catching him at the dessert table slam'n down mini cheesecakes. You may not think its hard to pull a 3 month old away from the sweets, but Brady becomes super natural when it comes to cinnamon rolls and coffee cake. Of course Jeff had a chat with him about the importance of healthy eating and reminded him that high fructose corn syrup and trans fats are a "no no." I'm thinking that sounded something like "blah, blah, blah, blah" to him as he licked the remaining bits of raspberry sauce off his upper lip.

This week Brady had a couple of "firsts," baby book firsts! On Wednesday our boy let out his first laugh. I was tickling his massive belly and he giggled......4 times. It was super cool. I would try and get it on film, but I think you all know by now he'll most likely nose dive into a pillow instead. The second first: Brady reached and grabbed for "Francis the Frog." He looked, reached and grabbed the green critter and promptly put it in his mouth. Through this reach and grab drill we think we have confirmed that Brady is a lefty, just like his Dad.

Slick Willy

After all the attention Brady's faux hawk has generated I'm beginning to think we should have named him "Brady Faux Hawk Shannon." It has a nice ring, but Brady assures me it would be much too long of a name to tackle in Kindergarten. So for this entry I thought I would feature 2 other styles becoming of our young man. On the top Brady fashions a stylish cap. This is truly the only item strong enough to keep the hawk down. On the bottom you will see the styling work of dear old Dad. If you look closely you will see some determined bits of the hawk protesting their matted demise. Once Brady's hair dried the vertical appeal returned.

Welcome Brooklyn

" Peace"

"Talk to the hand"

Brady's beautiful cousin Brooklyn joined the world on Oct. 22nd at 11:19. She weighed in at 7lbs and was 20 inches long. Tonight we had our first family dinner at Grammie Lou's and Grandpa B's with the whole gang. Its amazing how in 1 year our little family has multiplied. Being older and wiser Brady is already trying to mentor her. He advised her on the camera work above, stating "be cool and the rest will come naturally." The results speak for themselves.

Congradualtions Brandi and Scooter!!!

#3 in 33 seconds

I think its safe to say the Halloween costume train did not end on a high note. Apparently the lion was Brady's least favorite. The ensemble was worn for a grand total of 33 seconds and Brady made me promise that I would clarify that this expression is pure hate and not a "cute growl" to go with the costume.

#2

Today's costume was worn without incident. Brady fashioned a Pirate costume minus the hook and substituted the rum with milk. I did hear him shout "A pirates life for me," impressive for a 3 month old.

3 Days of Halloween

Jeff and I have established Halloween as our favorite holiday. Therefore it will also become Brady's preferred day. In celebration of this blessed day Brady has 3 costumes. Yes, 3! Today Brady is featuring the first of his Halloween 2008 Line... the skeleton.

Unfortunately Brady was only able to wear this one for a short time due to an explosive #2 that saturated both the skeleton and my lap. I'm thinking this is his way of giving me some feedback on the costume choice. Better luck tomorrow.

New Name

Brady's new name is "Brady Big Boy Shannon." We went to the doctor yesterday for a weight check and he put on an amazing 13.5oz in one week. I think its fair to say that Brady and I have been very busy. He is eating like a champ.

Here is another video of me attempting to capture the elusive smile. Unfortunately, you will see more evidence of Brady's underdeveloped core muscles than charming camera work. Don't worry we are going to bust out about 30 crunches this afternoon to compensate. FYI just when we wrapped up filming he SMILED.

Before and After

It's a little graphic to start your Sunday morning off, but it's so amazing we had to share. These are images of Brady's airway before and after the procedure. Not too many parents can add internal images of their baby to the baby book! We are amazed he could even breath before. Today is a different story. He has been talking, cooing and smiling like never before. Its like he has his life back. He can focus his energy on other things than breathing. Have a great weekend....we are!!!

Recovery

Today's surgery went very well and without surprises. He was in and out in a couple of hours. The doctors were nice enough to provide us awith amazing before and after pictures of Brady's air way. We were asked to hold our judgement on the success of the surgery for at least a day, so that the swelling had a chance to go down. We're not getting too excited (yes we are) but he already sounds FANTASTIC! When I say he sounds fantastic, I mean he doesn't sound at all. When I left the hospital, I was in awe of how quite he is sleeping. Jen commented, that now she won't be able to rely on his constant snoring to know that he's OK anymore.

We just want to say thank you to everyone who asked about Brady, who called or texted with concerns, who was thinking or praying about his well being, to Jen's parents for all their support, to the Johnson's and Reilly's for providing us great dinners (and sabotage!), to the friends who stopped by the hospital, to the nurses that have given us extra special treatment, to Kari in HR who made sure we have insurance to pay for all of this, and to the doctors who lived up to their promise to provide care for Brady as if he was their own child. We are sincerely grateful to be part of such a warm and caring community of family and friends.

Surgery

Brady is having surgery on his throat this afternoon. The doctor is going to cut a tiny slit and poke two tiny holes into the valve that leads to his lungs. This should allow him to pull more air into his lungs with less effort than it does today. Currently he is working very hard to breathe.

Not to worry though, as I spoke with Brady and he said that he wasn't scared at all and it would be over before you know it. He also pointed out that anything that lets him come home is worth it, and added that the cafeteria food is less than awesome. He said that he will miss all the hot nurses carrying him around, but he was looking forward to hanging out with his buddy Bill (the cat).

Happy Buddha

Brady was home from the Hospital on Saturday afternoon. This picture was taken Sunday afternoon. And from the look on his face, you would think that the ER scares where behind us...on the contrary. Brady slowly degraded back into the uneasy breathing on Monday and was admitted to the hospital in the afternoon. Once he got a treatment he was breathing easy and eating well.

Last night they prepped him for a procedure this morning that turned into this afternoon. The doctors did some scope analysis of his throat and airways and confirmed that he has some redundant tissues in his little throat that may require surgical removal or trimming. Shouldn't be too big of deal, especially if it lets the little guy breathe better. He and Jen will be staying at the hospital for the next several days so that they can continue to do tests and eventually come to a decision what to do next and when it is safe for him to come home.

No need to worry about him though, he handled the procedure very well and was awake and eating nicely this evening. Let's all hope that Brady and Jen get some good rest tonight.

Brady Drama

Mr. Brady decided to add a little more excitement to our lives on Thursday. Grammie Lou and I made our first trip to the ER, twice. Don't freak out, he is fine now. Brady was in acute respiratory distress and was having a few issues breathing. After a breathing treatment and a pretty invasive "suction" he was breathing normally again. I should say we all began breathing again. He showed major improvement and we were discharged with a neat machine called a nebulizer, with turtle mask and all. I did mention we went to the ER twice. After a few hours at home Brady returned to his old tricks and we were right back to where we started. We were off to the ER again. It had been such a short amount of time even the same nurses and doctors were on duty. This time we didn't get to make the trip home, instead they booked us a room at Hotel Childrens. Brady cozied in as all the nurses fused over his stylish hair do and killer good looks.

Thursday night was a bit rough, but by Friday he was making major improvements. We were finally sent home late Saturday afternoon with a stack of prescriptions and well wishes.

So here are the stats: Brady has Tracheal Malaysia, which is a fancy medical term for small floppy airways. This is common in babies with Down Syndrome. What caused this whole episode was the common cold. That little cold caused congestion, which then caused his tubes to clog up and therefore preventing easy breathing. He also has a case of bronchialitis compounding his breathing problems. And to top things off when he breathes he retracts and has strider, both which sound and look awful. I'm sure many of you have heard this yourselves.

The lesson: We are going to be as proactive and preventative as possible. The cold and flu season will be rough on Brady so we have enlisted a strict hand washing policy and minimal holding by people. So please don't be offended if we keep him to ourselves for a little while. We're not quite to the "baby in a bubble" stage, but a couple more trips to the ER might put us over the edge.

The good news: Brady will grow out of this...eventually.

The bad news: Brady will be sick an awful lot in the next year. He also has to have a scope of his "tubes" and bronchials in the next 10 days. Fortunately, they will sedate him for this procedure and he should have minimal discomfort. The doctors want to make sure that nothing is impeding his airways. He is also scheduled for a swallow study to decipher some reflux issues. Finally, he has a sleep study on the 30th. They have ruled out Apnea, but he does have some disruptions in his sleep pattern and they want to make sure they are not life threatening.

Jeff and I are doing fine. Its a bit stressful, but we feel strong overall. We have accepted what the future holds for our little guy and will continue to do the very best for Brady. Amazingly enough the last 3 months have made Jeff and I even closer and stronger than ever. They say babies with Down Syndrome bring more love and joy to their families and they are correct. Its amazing how bright his smile can be when we haven't seen it for a couple of days.

A big thanks to Grammie Lou for saving our little guy. Without you I think we would have all lost it!

Hollllaaa Ladies

Brady has been BUSY lately. He began his social life a bit earlier than I anticipated. In the last week he has gone to lunch and a walk with Lauren, dined at The Cheesecake Factory with Bella and Anna, had coffee with Alli, watched the Football game with Nicholas and celebrated Lily's 3rd birthday. It's enough to knock his little diaper off.

He tried to con his way into a free "birthday dessert" at the Cheesecake Factory, but our waitress couldn't be fooled. He even busted out the "melt your heart smile," but it was still a no go. Slightly bummed by his defeat he sufficed with some milk and a clean diaper.

Expression?

This video was our attempt to show Brady smiling. It turned out to be more of a harassment by two very excited parents. Brady does smile now and makes lots of little noises (besides crying). Some of the cooing are so cute they melt your heart in seconds. As parents it is exhilarating to finally get some feedback.

(please disregard Jeff's multi-tasking if you have the sound on)

Pulmonology Update

Brady met with the Pulmonologist yesterday and had a scope. All the Dr. had to say was "he has redundant tissue." Which means his tubes are a bit bulky. She prescribed an antacid and scheduled us for a sleep study last night. So Brady and I got to spend the night at Childrens Inn. :) The reason for the sleep study is to determine if Brady is having any interruptions in his sleep cycle or moments of sleep apnea, a condition common among babies with Down Syndrome. The results from the scope and sleep study will be back sometime this week. So for the time being Brady is going to continue to squeak through the night. My gut feeling as a Mom is that he will grow out of it.

On a less medical topic these are some pictures of Brady attempting to sit up on his own.

Buddy Walk

Today we participated in our first Buddy Walk, which is a fundraiser for the National Down Syndrome Society. They had a record turn out and raised almost $115,000. Pretty cool!! Though Brady cruised for the entire 1 mile walk he seemed to enjoy being a philanthropist.

Brady mentioned on the way home that he plans to ask his new friend Camille to the prom in 2026. He's got some time to work on his dance moves, but his electric slide is almost as good as Beth's.

10lbs 10oz

This is another picture from the Creighton soccer game. Now that he is 10lbs 10oz its amazing that Dad can manage a hold like this. Brady had is 2 month check up yesterday. He is doing well and measured an amazing 22 1/2" long! That is an impressive 2 1/2" growth since birth. He has been a busy boy. We are going to the Pulmonologist tomorrow. Brady seems to be a bit "squeakier" than normal, which means that his airways are slightly constricted. They will be doing a scope of his pipes. All should be fine and this is just an informative procedure. None the less, he's not going to like it. I'm sure to hear a pretty vocal protest. We'll post again with the results.