Dr. Evil

Brady really isn't Dr. Evil, but what else could I title a picture like this. He appears to be the mastermind and foremost authority of our family. Brady has gained control of the Shannon estate! Hmmm-oooo-ha-ha-ha... said in a loud husky voice with head tilted back! Though he can't walk, let alone sit, he has somehow managed to position himself right smack dab in the center of our universe. I believe he has been relying heavily on his killer good looks and smoldering personality. Well played Mr. Brady, well played. 

Lately

What has Brady been up to lately??? Growing hair! After a quick towel dry I discovered that the hawk has recruited a few friends from the side lines. Of course this untamed appearance is unacceptable to Jeff so shortly (2.1 seconds) after this picture was taken he grabbed the scissors and made a few adjustments. Jeff Shannon... financial analyst and stylist to the stars. 

Besides growing hair Brady has been into sucking, not on teethers like most babies, but on faces, necks, cheeks (the ones on the face), noses and chins. Some of you have been on the receiving end of Brady's addiction and have felt the strength of his suction cup. It's somewhere between cute and inappropriate. He lures you into holding him with a sweet, Innocent smile and then once he's in position you hear a quick "gaa iiickk" and smack, he's got your chin. Once he's done your left with a pool of drool and a "what the heck was that?" 

Seriously Cute

I think it safe to say Brady is one cute baby. I know as the Mom my vote is a bit biased, but seriously, look at him! All it takes is a little tummy time and a poorly sung song and POW there's the smile! Brady has figured out the power of turning his frown upside down. He uses it to stop strangers in their tracks and to turn his parents into putty. 

Brady had a follow up appointment with his Pediatrician yesterday and the report was super- duper positive. He gained 1/2lb in 2 weeks, which considering he didn't gain any in the last month is fan-tast-ic. He is still in the noodle category (long and skinny), but out of the "are you sure your feeding him" class. For now we are dabbling with the idea of putting him on some maintenance steroids for about 3 days a month. The short length of dosage is good for all involved. If we keep this up he'll be pushing his own stroller in no time. 

Staying Strong

We have settled back into our routine. It is sooooo nice to be home and back to our respective beds. Brady is still doing very well. His breathing is great and very much like a normal baby. Every time he is sleeping peacefully I feel grateful for every silent breath. In the picture above he is snuggled in his Dad's arms. The sticker on his face was used to hold the oxygen in place, later that day we got to take it off!! 

Since being home Brady has taken on some new habits. He is still a ferocious bear on the roids and growls if his every need isn't met within his ideal time frame. Smiles are reserved for moments of manipulation and giggles quickly turn into howls. I think he might even have grown some chest hair.

Brady O'Shannon

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Its not a wig it's the crazy side effect of the roids and the antibiotic. 

Brady is doing great. He has the luck o'the irish on his side. In all seriousness we are extremely grateful and lucky to have Brady home and in good health. They sent us off with nothing more than an antibiotic, some more roids and a couple follow up appointments. Its crazy to think that just a few days ago we were preparing for the trach. The Doctors and Jeff and I will be watching Brady extremely close to monitor for any breathing issues. At this point we are buying time until he is older and stronger. Fortunately, Brady will out grow most of his problems. Its just a matter of getting him through the next few months. 

In true holiday fashion Brady just filled his shorts and I am assuming there is no gold at the end of this rainbow. 

Hospital Jail

Well that is what it feels like!  Staying the weekend at the hospital is pretty dull, especially when we're having the nicest weather of the year so far.  Brady is doing fine now that he is on steroids, but he is as angry as Bary Bonds.  The first ENT doctor recommended the "Trach" procedure, but Jen's motherly intuition told her that we needed a second opinion.  That second opinion is coming on Monday, and so far the advice to hang tight, put him on his belly to sleep and an Rx of steroids and antibiotics has been the right call.  Brady has never sounded so good, and by that, I mean scary quiet when he sleeps.    Thanks for all of you support, prayers and well wishes.  

Don't let the friendly picture fool you, he threw a chair out the window, ripped a nurse's arm off and beat a doctor half to death with his stethoscope shortly after it was taken.

Here we go again

We are back at Hotel Children's. It turns out that Brady has severe sleep apnea. To give you perspective he has about 35 "apnea moments" in a 60 minute period.Yikes! His oxygen levels drop very, very low creating a little bit of excitement. The next step is to have another bronch scope to take a look inside his airway to see what is causing the disruptions in his sleep pattern (and mine). After the scope we have 4 options depending on the findings:

1. He wears a  Cpap (mask) at night to push air and to do his best rendition of Darth Vader

2. They do a "tune up" procedure of the last surgery he had 4 months ago.

3. Tracheotomy- a vent placed in his throat for breathing. Obviously the worst and last resort.

4. Remove his tonsils and adenoids

We are hoping for option #2. 

We are doing okay. Please keep Brady and his doctors in your prayers. We are hoping for a miracle here. Brady is such a trooper and he is so strong. 

Scary Sleeper

Brady has never been a silent sleeper, but over the last month things have gotten worse. He seems to be rested, but I am a walking zombie. I often get up every hour to check on him. I think its some kind of Mom thing. Its a sound that I can't quite tune out. I think you have to be male in order to accomplish that. 

Brady has been doing pretty well lately. He has continued to have loud breathing and appears to be working very hard for every breath. So I have carted him off to a GI specialist for an evaluation. He had an upper GI scan, which is nothing more than a fancy x-ray. Brady drinks barium which allows the radiologist to watch his "digestive" process. It really is a cool test. What does the GI have to do with loud breathing/sleeping you ask? Well, if you remember Brady has small, floppy airways (which we had surgically fixed 4 months ago) BUT he also has reflux and when the reflux acts up it inflames his airway making a small airway even smaller, equaling loud restrictive breathing. We will have the results from the upper GI soon. I'm also taking him to the pulmonologist on Tuesday. I'll keep you posted.  This is a slow and frustrating process. 

Other than the squeeks and gasps for air Brady is doing GREAT! He is so happy and he is developing the sweetest personality. He is an entertainer and pours it on thick! 

Roll Baby Roll

Brady rolled from his belly to his back, and what is MORE important??? I got it on camera. Yes folks, I set out to video one of Brady's milestones and I captured it. It only took 4 takes, and I have real digital proof. I think you can appreciate the sincere shock in my voice. 

Brady also attended his first Creighton basketball game this weekend. I had him dressed in his Blue Jay gear and guess what...... he crapped it out, in true Brady fashion. So he sufficed with the back-up outfit in the diaper bag (a cam-o onesie). Maybe he wanted to appear as a tougher more independent Blue Jay fan. Mission accomplished.