Sunday Afternoon

Thought I would take some close ups of Brady while Jen was blow drying her hair. Brady was laying on the bed and the lighting from outside was pretty awesome. Having Brady has brought out the photographer in me. Hope you enjoy.

Family Walk

We have learned to appreciate the family walk. Before Brady arrived we never went on walks. Not really sure what we were doing with all our time, probably watching too much Lost and Hero's on TV. We now regularly go on walks with the Johnson family around the neighborhood. We don't really go to far, maybe a mile at most, but it is a lot of fun just getting out and about.

We used to complain about certain neighbors and landlords who don't upkeep their properties and we were starting to lose faith in Midtown. Since the walks began, we have joined the neighborhood association and getting involved to try and make our neighborhood a better place to live. So thanks Brady for not only making us parents, but better neighbors and member of our community. It is surprising how much a miniature person who does nothing but sleep and eat can make such a difference in our lives.

Happy One Month Birthday!!

Well some of you have heard that Brady recently passed a hearing test. He had failed the previous three test, so we are pretty happy to have the official results. Brady also had some visitors this week. A physical therapist and his new teacher/coordinator stopped by the house to get Brady started with some exercises to help him develop properly. It is good that they did, some of Brady physical activities that Jen and I thought were cute, turn out to be bad habits that will slow him down later in life. Not to worry thought, we still think he is really cute!

So we are one month into parenting and I can honestly say it has been great. Granted, Jen is doing most of the heavy lifting at this time, but I am trying to help out as best I can. Brady and Jen have successfully completed several chores around town and they already have several play dates/walks planned with other new moms. We've had some challenges, but overall it has been a great experience and we wouldn't trade them for anything. Thank you all for your generous affection and support. We are looking forward to sharing all the new experiences with you in the future.

Mr. Brady and Mom

This is the position I find Brady and myself spending most of our waking hours in. He can be found "snug'n in" with his Mom. He is such a joy and I cherish this time with him. As he inches up on his 1 month birthday I'm reminded to take in every moment.

The Weekend

Brady met lots of new people today. He went to lunch with Ryan, Amelis and Adam. He then went over to the Epps for a pool party. After a feeding and a short nap, big Brady and his lovely wife Leah stopped by for a visit. On their way out they passed Hallie and Jeff who wanted to meet the little guy. They have a little one of their own in 5 short weeks. Finally, our neighbor Kris stopped by for a "Brady fix". We finished the day by watching the Olympic marathon. So all in all it was a very busy day meeting lots of new people!

"Brothers don't shake hands...Brothers gotta hug!"

So this is what goes on when I am at work? Jen, Bill and Brady all sleeping on the couch. Actually I am certain this was rare rest moment for Jen in these early days of motherhood.

We took Brady to the Cardiologist today to check on some heart conditions common in children with Downs. We were told on day one that he had "slight" VSD, PDA and PFO. We are very excited to say that the Cardiologist informed us that these conditions are common, very slight in Brady and that we don't need to do anything except let him grow up some more so we can test him again in a year. The DR seemed very unconcerned and only required this visit and the next to be proactive in Brady's care. We were in and out in 5 minutes.

After receiving the news that Brady has Downs, we have been very lucky to learn that he has great muscle tone, doesn't have kidney or heart defects, and eats very well. We recognize that many families have it much harder than we've had, and we very are grateful to have such a healthy baby.

Big Boy Bath

We gave Brady a big boy bath today. By big boy, I mean, it wasn't mom just wiping him down with a wet wash cloth and some soap. Now don't laugh if we were doing it wrong, because we are new at this I was just taking her lead. We filled up the baby tub, inside the big tub and put him in on the big blue whale sponge. He was 1/4 submerged and I poured lots of water on him. He really seemed to like it. I remember how much Pierce loved the bath when Shane and Tammy in Austin were giving us a lesson, and Brady seemed to feel the same way. I washed his hair and almost let him slip out of my hands while Jen was shouting instructions from the back seat. He was so slippery, I needed Jen to step in and hold him while I scrubbed down his back side. He didn't say, but I think Brady will be looking forward to his next spa treatment.

Awake!

So far it has been a rare moment when Brady wasn't sleeping. He usually likes to sleep when we go anywhere or when we have guest at the house. However, on occasion, and more frequently each day, he has been awake. It is funny how such a minor milestone can feel so big to new parents. You may notice in this short film clip that he also seems to be focusing on an a giant plant in the sunlight. (Maybe he will want to be a horticulturalist someday!)

If you've met Brady in person, seeing this video of him awake and moving his arms around will be much like seeing video of Bigfoot or a flying saucer in the sky. It will be hard to believe after seeing him sleep so soundly all the time. Enjoy!

P.S. - I have plans to improve future film production with new recording and editing equipment.

Blessed

In the past couple of weeks, Jen and I have been overwhelmed by the amount of love and interest in our lil' Brady. We feel so fortunate to have such wonderful family and friends. Thank you for your support and friendship.

New Pics

Brady is awake and ready to go to the store.
Hannah doing a great job with her new friend.
"A giant lazer..."
Already posing for pictures.

Bye Bye Belly Button

Today Brady lost his belly button!
He feels like
a free man, or I'm thinking he could care less. He is just happy eating, pooping and sleeping- never mind this business about a silly belly button.

Fashion Show at Lunch

Though a resistant model at first Brady eventually warmed up to the spot light. Today Brady is featuring one of his new threads purchased by Grandma Robin. We ventured out yesterday in search of clothes that actually fit his skinny little buns.


To say the least this little guy has a hold on our hearts! We are grateful that he has joined the family.

Day 11

Look at this little guy in his new hoodie! Jen sent this picture of him to me at work, and it about made me drive home right then to hold the little guy. He is still sleeping a lot, but he is getting hungrier and spending a few minutes more each day awake and looking around. I can't imagine what the world looks like to him, but I bet all of us making googly-eyes at him is probably pretty scary!!

Day 10

Brady is still kind of yellow, but it's getting much better. He is a GREAT eater and consequently a great pooper. Mom is still waking him up every two hours to eat, but each feeding he is getting a bit more aggressive and is starting to cry when he gets hungry. Now most parents, want their baby to stop crying, but because Brady has been so quite, it is nice to see him do something other than sleep. Grandma Robin arrived last night and is already in love with him. She will be staying for a week, for which we are very grateful for her help. Jen is already getting more sleep. She successfully took a 2 hour nap today!