Good bye 2010

Brady hit the sack early tonight in preparation for the big celebration. He is just thrilled about ringing in the New Year. He's planned a celebratory ensemble featuring sequences, feathers and leather. I thought it was a bit over the top, but he assured me that a "man" of his stature can pull it off. He also reminded me that he is extremely fashion forward and that 2011 is ready for such a statement.

Since we aren't exactly night owls the clock will strike "midnight" at about 7:05pm tomorrow. This way Brady can slam some bubbly, light some fireworks, dance a jig, kiss a few ladies and nail out his resolution list and still be in bed at 7:30 sharp! His beauty rest is an essential component to his appeal.

Mallory could care less and plans on following a great Netherlands tradition by eating a dozen donuts.

Happy New Year!

Testing

In parenting there are many tests, the first is to see if you can assemble a pack-n-play with your marriage still in tact. The next is to see exactly how little sleep you can function on. Well we passed the pack-n-play test 2.3 years ago, though it wasn't easy and there may have been a few tears and a broken toe. The sleep answer- 3 hours. Three hours is all our little darling Mallory has allotted her dearest mother. Turns out that the Grinch sneezed a nasty cold into our lives, stuffed it right in Mallory's stocking! Ugh. My parenting GPA isn't so great right now. Throw in an out of commission husband and sleep deprivation and you've got an underachieving mama. I'm totally on parenting probation. I wish Santa would have brought me a fancy parenting tutor aka a nanny. Maybe Mrs. Claus could volunteer now that she has a bit of free time on her hands!

Peace

As the world is rushing around doing last minute Holiday prep, we have been moving at a snails pace and enjoying the calmness of home. We've watched Christmas movies, over dosed on sugar, ran laps around the Christmas tree, wrapped, opened and re wrapped every gift under the tree and discovered the wonders of sticky bubbles. Seriously, they are the coolest invention on the planet. Bubbles you can touch! Brady had one that stuck to his ear for at least 5 minutes...bubble bling baby! The only down side is that they leave a mess resembling a snow globe.

Brady has diligently been prepping for the big man, but his idea of prep is a bit different than conventional standards. Our fireplace hasn't been lit in 4 years so that's an easy "check." Brady's a bit concerned about Santa's weight so instead of a plate of cookies he will set out a veggie tray and lemon water. He's kept the entire driveway shoveled so Santa can easily park his 2011 Jeep Wrangler. His stocking has been reinforced with care so the rolls of 100 doll'a bills won't knock it off the mantle and to conclude his Christmas prep he sent Mrs. Claus to the spa because he knows that a happy wife makes for a happy life!

Merry Christmas all!

Sugar

Mallory ate Santas cookies

Christmas is in 3 short days so Brady has been working over time to ensure a positive rating from the big guy. He's been so sweet that he is sweating frosting. He let me sleep until 8 this morning and when I got out of bed all the laundry was folded, the floors were mopped, Mallory was fed and all the bills were paid. I think Brady just landed himself on the "Nice" list for the next 14 years.

He knows when you've been bad...

Brady has been pulling out Santa's whiskers...hope he likes coal in his stocking!

Who's got it right?

The other night a man walked up to us with "the look." Before he even said anything I knew he was going to tell us about his relation to Down syndrome. Turns out he has a 62 year old brother with DS, or as he referred to him "a Downs." UGH! I let that slide, sometimes the people first speech gets old. Anyway, he was very sweet and continued on how "Downs people truly are the happiest people." I often hear this statement so Jeff and I got into a discussion about it. "What do people really mean when they say that and why?"

As a group we value intelligence, drive, ambition and determination. In our society these core traits equate a successful person, so we go to school, learn as much as we possibly can and then find a job that is meaningful and work our tails off...BUT what we are really working for is love, happiness, security and purpose. People with DS are naturally loving, caring and empathic individuals and their strengths fall into a category that is extremely pleasing and positive. When you describe the perfect friend or mate the list almost always includes caring, loving, trustworthy and funny followed by driven etc... So what we are all working so hard for is naturally hard wired into people with DS and we think that's why we often hear the "happy statement." Who has it right? Maybe people with DS have it. We are all searching for happiness so maybe the secret lies within that extra chromosome.

The video features three of Brady's current greetings. You never know which one you are going to get. My fav is "bumps" simply due to cold and flu season. There is one more greeting I couldn't show you on film. Brady calls it the swooner and it is reserved for Claire.

Ahhhhh

Just a little Christmas sweetness. Happy weekend to you all.

Poop Union

Brady has already taught Mallory something, not a life lesson, a coping skill or survival technique, but a good old fashion poop strike. Yeah, that's right a poop strike. Back in the day Brady boy was a card tote'n member of the poop union. He told Mallory "you better join up...or else." Well, our girl made'em proud by holding out for 8 days, EIGHT DAYS! Apparently it is typical for breast fed babies to skip the #2 for about a week, but Mallory was being a bit of an overachiever. I had to pump her full of prune juice and milk of mag. The combination was enough to blow a hole right through Hoover damn. Let's just say that I had to change her socks! (the one time I actually had them on her feet).

I hope Brady moves onto more important lessons like the meaning of life, the golden rule or being the best you can be. Useful tid bits, not creating self exploding bum bombs!

Sock Bandit

Brady has a couple of rules around his house. #1: no socks

No one shall comfortably lay around with cotton covered toes. He will whisk by you and rip them off with stealth like skills. The only thing that can stop him?..... footed pajamas. They have been declared the victour of the sock wars, but only until Brady has mastered scissors. Until then my friends, until then!

Rule #2- The only legal sock-like matter are the large ones on the mantle embroidered with "Brady" and only because they are eventually filled with confections g. Dear Santa....in accordance with Rule #2 of Brady's Law please fill his stocking with Vanilla pudding, 2 cupcakes, Claire and 1 pair of footless PJ's.

Sit and spin

Brady has mastered walking and now you can add spinning. He discovered the wonders of dizziness and all the wibbly wobbly joy it can offer. I didn't catch it on camera, but he added another element by putting the dish towel over his eyes and then setting into perpetual motion. He was so thrilled with himself and his new extreme version of the "cyclone."

Brady attempted another trick this morning....magic potion! He grabbed Mallory's gas drops (apparently he was feeling bloated) and chugged the entire bottle. I was pumping so I wasn't in the front row watching his every move. He came into the room and handed me the empty bottle! I immediately ripped the suction cups off, checked the area to see if he spilled the drops or drank them. Well, as he was licking is lips I realized he slurped those babies down. I grabbed the bottle, tried to read the microscopic WARNING instructions and then called poison control. Fortunately, gas drops are non toxic and the only side effect is a gas free day. Side effect? I think that's a win win for all. Brady boy can really rip some nasty toots. After the fart dust settled I was actually impressed with his fine motor skills. He was able to twist the top off and drink from a small container without a dribble. Nice work! There's never a dull moment with Brady boy around!

Sneaky Pants

Brady has always been a bit sneaky, but with the addition of our recent distraction...Mallory, he has been up to no good. Brady had been griping that his sweatshirt wasn't pressed and that the wrinkles make him look sloppy. blah, blah, blah! I told him that fleece doesn't wrinkle and ironing it is not an option. Well, he decided to take matters into his own hands. This is the bachelor version of ironing. He even threw in a wet wash cloth and a dryer sheet. Clever! Needless to say I emphasized the importance of removing ones trousers and top before giving them a spin in the dryer. I also pointed out that it's good practice to also remove oneself from the dryer before hitting start. Details lady, details! So when I helped him out I noticed a stench....I know our dryer sheets aren't poop scented and I'm pretty sure I only dry CLEAN clothes. Our darling little B man dropped a load. Apparently he was multitasking. He has a nac for doing #2 in enclosed areas. His favorite spot is the storage ottoman, followed by the baskets under the bassinet and now the dryer. The next time I catch him snuggling in for a "man break" I'm plopping him on the toilet. That's an enclosed area we can all appreciate.

Mallory's stats- get ready.....drum roll please....... Weight 16lb 13oz 97% percentile, Height 25.75" 94th percentile. I told her to maybe skip the 3rd piece of pumpkin pie, but nooooooo, this is the only time rolls are cute. Well, she's right. My little meatloaf can work a fat roll like no other. I take such pride in her State Puff like figure.