LaCrosse

Brode and I made another trip to LaCrosse. Matt was playing in a hockey tournament in Madison and all the girls were going to be around so we figured it was a perfect weekend to go before the end of school got crazy and everyone went home! Brode was great on the car ride there and slept the whole time! He got to meet a lot of people and get lots of playing time in. Erin, Erin, and Kelsey even babysat him while I went out with Tiff, Wes, and Ryan to the dance benefit on campus. The weather was so beautiful that we got to put Brode in the stoller and sit outside at Wes's Lacrosse games! Here are some pictures of all of his fun and all the people he met!

Brode and Erin, and Brode and Leah

Brode and Tiff, and Brode and Kelsey

Brode and Wes!

Picking Brode up from daycare on Monday was interesting as they asked me how he was that weekend. I said fine, they said he was crabby when he was playing. Sure enough, just what I thought, he would not play by himself because he got so spoiled and so much attention over the weekend! It took him a few days to get back to normal!

Nothing is really happening this week. I had two exams, a couple quizzes, work every day, and a big application essay to write so Brode has been getting a lot of bonding time with Daddy and Gramps! Hopefully the weather will be as nice as it says its going to be and we can get outside tomorrow and have a good Friday! Brode is also turning 7 months this weekend! I can hardly believe it.

Have a good weekend!

Easter

Tomorrow is already Easter, I couldn't even believe it was April already! The weather makes it seem like it is still winter. Hopefully it will get nice soon, we're all ready for green grass and playing outside!

This week was rough for Brode. He is getting his front two teeth in the middle so he had temperatures and was in pain. He stayed home from day care and wasn't into the eating or playing so I had some nice days just carrying him around and getting him to sleep and giving tylenol to try and help. This also meant that I got nothing done which was not good with two exams! Luckily my parents could work from home in the mornings while I went to class and Matt was around at night so I could study and work.

We didn't have much planned for this weekend. I had to work last night so Matt was here playing with Brode and then we just sat around and watched a movie after Brode went to bed. I worked again this morning, then Karly and her mom came to visit Brode for a bit. After socializing he was ready for lunch and a nap so we took care of that. While he was sleeping Matt and I ran some errands and looked around at the mall while gramps did things here until Brode woke up. Tomorrow Matt and I are each going to Easter mass at our own churches and they end up being and different times so one can watch Brode while the other is gone. Brode is going to go to brunch with Matt's family and then the two of them are going to come here because my mom's side of the family is coming here for dinner and hopefully an easter egg hunt outside!

Brode is eating some new foods. He loves yogurt, toast, and mashed potatoes now. It is fun trying all these new things, Libby likes it a lot too! He is also sitting up very well now too so he can play with some new toys and see things differently.

Ooopps!

Well it has been almost 2 weeks and I haven't updated on anything so here we go!

Spring Break wasn't much of a break, Brode got called out of day care all week because he was sick. We weren't really sure what was going on but he has some constant temperatures, didnt want to eat, and those darn teeth were really bothering him. As of today he is doing much better! This past weekend he was great and back to normal, but he went to day care yesterday and was home in no time! Hopefully being healthy is here to stay, he hasn't been 100% in two months!

We have been giving Brode some different foods and he is doing well! It is very entertaining watching his reactions to each new one! Brode has been getting some attitude lately. He needs attention at all times and is not happy when you set him down or leave him for a minute. He is going to be a little stubborn one!

I had to work all day Saturday last weekend so Brode and Matt got some good bonding time, then Sunday we all relaxed. We put Brode down for a nap and watched some movies until we realized Brode had been sleeping for a LONG time... oh no... wrong... He was just upstairs playing with gramps, who quietly snuck him out of his crib to play when he woke up!

Monday we went back to Milwaukee to meet Brode's second surgeon, the craniofacil reconstructive surgeon. We got some more questions answered and learned a little more about his procedure, now we are just waiting to schedule. This time gramps came with us so afterwards we stopped a few places and took Brode on a little field trip! He even got his first hockey stick to match his first little golf club, and a Badger hat that fits a little better than gramps golf hat. He was extremely well-behaved and loved his little adventure.

We're now back to the routine. I've got exams, Matt is back in work, and Brode is back and day care and actually staying there! This weekend we don't have too much planned besides dinner with Matt's parents and grandparents to see Brode! They haven't seen him for a LONG time so he'll be very big to them!

Have a good end of the week and weekend!

Milwaukee

Well today was the Milwaukee appointment we have been waiting for, but we only learned about a half of what we wanted to know. We met the neurosurgeons and his PA and they answered our list of questions. The answers were mostly good, it helps to know a lot more about the process. Unfortunetaly they work together with a cranial reconstructive surgeon (plastic surgeon) to work on the overall shape of his head and how it will look afterwards so we need to go back down to meet with him and then find a time before the end of June that they both have half a day open for Brode!

Brode was very well-behaved and just played with his toys and smiled at the doctors. The Children's Hospital was colorful and fun for the kids. We really liked it.

Once we got home Brode needed a nap after messing up his schedule, then we got out his new toy! He is pretty good at it now that he can stand a little more and loves all the different toys on it! It keeps him occupied for a while.

We don't have much planned for this weekend. Tiff came to see Brode tonight and Matt hung out with his friends. Tomorrow is a usual hockey, work, nap time, routine day. Brode may be staying at Grandma Beth's (she wants her Brode fix) tomorrow night while we go to my aunt and uncles for my cousins birthday and then I'll get to sleep in a little bit! This next week is my Spring Break but there isn't anything going on because everyone else was off this past week so I'll just have to study and workout and play with Brode (oh darn)!

Brode now has two teeth! This past week he was very fussy again and ran a little bit of a temperature but sure enough that second tooth came poking through. Everything is always is in his mouth now! They look very funny when he laughs now that they're are peeking through a little more. He still has his darn cold though. Between teething and day care I dont think he is ever going to get rid of that cold until he is 2!

Everyone have a good week!

Update

Well we're very overdue for an update but not much has been going on. We stick with our routine of school, work, and day care then mix in lots of other things that come up.

Brode still has his cold but it's starting to loosen up and hopefully go away. We finally figured out his spiked temperatures were from teething when he chomped on grandpas fingers and it felt a little more sharp than usual. Sure enough there was his first tooth peeking right through! He was pretty crabby for a few days from that but he has been doing a lot better.

We started his physical therapy for his tight neck muscles (Torticollis) yesterday. It isn't too extensive, nothing more that one main stretch. Brode won't have to go back too many times, we just need to do some things at home so he develops more strength.

We also started green beans and carrots with Brode. He has been doing well with them. It's impossible to keep him clean and scrub it all of afterwards! The carrots weren't the most exciting thing for him, he didn't really know what to think of the taste but he has been doing better! Hopefully we can start another new thing tonight!
That's about all that is going on. School is school, more tests to get done before spring break but nothing else exciting. The weekends have been pretty uneventful as well!

Have a good Spring Break!

5 Months!

Brode turned 5 months last week! It has been going so fast! Here are a couple pictures... he is getting so big!This weekend I went to LaCrosse once again to see everyone there and it was a lot of fun! I love seeing everyone and being back there. We had a house full so it was a good girls weekend! While I was gone Brode stayed at Matt's and had a boys weekend. From what I heard they talked and played a lot!

Nothing is really planned for this week except for work and school but somethings always comes up! Right away this morning I got a call from day care that Brode's temp was 105. He has been spiking a lot lately and has had a terrible cold for almost two weeks. He has been doing well since I picked him up but we're still going to go to the doctor this afternoon because we dont want to risk anything like that pneumonia he already had!

Have a good week!

Update

Just a few pictures and updates!

My roses from Matt for Valentine's Day all opened up and beautiful!

Today we had Brode's 5 month pictures with Sarah Celine. He did well, even with his horrible cold! We got some cute smiles! Here are a few from her website.

Matt got his tattoo yesterday of Brode's footprints and initials on his shoulder blade and it turned out well!


Here is Brode after his bath last night. He hates the part of putting clothes back on, so we just hang out for a while!

Well thats about it going on right now. Not too much going on this weekend just going to see some family, they haven't seen Brode in a while! Have a good week!

Eating!

Ok, I promised Tiff I would update on some things because I havent in a while and that I would get some new videos.

We've gotten into our routine pretty well, but then things get messed up on the weekend when everything changes again! School has been going well, I really like my classes so far, but I still don't know if this is the right major and I need to decide soon. The girls in LaCrosse say I need to pick something they have there so I can come back... we'll see. Brode has been doing well at Day Care! I've gotten a few calls but nothing too serious, all he does is sleep so they don't mind having him! Today was his first "field trip" the New Zoo's Zoomobile was coming and they were all going to the gym to see all the animals that they bring! We'll see how he did when I pick him up today!

We've been doing really well with cereal. He has now mastered the rice and the oatmeal so he is getting some other flavors instead of that darn formula. Here is a little video of Matt feeding him. He makes the same noise every time the spoon gets to his mouth and his hands are always in the way but its been going well. Filling him up a little more helps him to sleep from 8:15 until 6:30 though!

We've haven't been making much progress on things with his doctors in Milwaukee. They were suppose to call last week but didn't then I forgot to call back. I called today and they said they haven't gotten anything yet so we'll see when we can get some of these things figured out.

Brode officially has gotten his toes in his mouth all the time! His pictures are next weekend so there isn't much we can do, hopefully she won't be mad!

The nice weather is really nice, Libby loves it the most out of all of us. We packed Brode up in the stroller a couple times for a walk with Libby around the neighborhood, but he always falls asleep! The fresh air is really nice though..

This week isn't too eventful. I'm going to Wicked with my parents on Wednesday and I'm really really excited everyone said it was really good so we'll see! Brode is going to hang out with Matt that night, and then this weekend he is going to Minneapolis for a Wild game so he'll be gone for Brode's pictures.

Well I think that is all we have to update on, I thought I had a couple more pictures to put on here but I guess not! Have a good week!

Busy!

Well the chaos has started! Monday morning we started our routine off right away. Brode has been waking up at 6 so my mom dresses him and feeds him while I shower and get my things ready, then grandpa takes him to day care and I start my commute to Oshkosh. Classes have been going well, they're going pretty fast so it isn't too bad sitting through them. I haven't gotten too much homework but I'm trying to stay on top of it so I dont end up cramming because I dont have time for that. Day Care is going very well for Brode. He really likes it and the girls there really like him. It is nice that he is right at the Y so I can get a workout in, then run downstairs and pick up the little guy. I am definetaly tired and sore from the workouts but I like being able to get more done and I'll get used to the routine eventually.

Here is a little video. Brode loves the big frog he got some Auntie Sam and giggles unstoppably.

LaCrosse!

This weekend was great, and a perfect relaxer before the chaos begins.

I secretely talked to Tiff and surprised everyone in LaCrosse. They each had their own reaction and they were all quite entertaining. It was great to catch up with the girls and see a lot of people again. It definetaly made me really wish the gap wasn't so big and I think they agree. By the end of the week Brode and I will have 16 houses there because everyone is looking. It was pretty hard to leave this morning because I have no idea when I'm going to get back now with everything going on.

I came home very excited to see the little guy. I hadn't even been away from him for 24 hours so the 72 was a little much! He was just as excited to see me and had his huge smiles as always. He does look three times the size now though. We hung out for a while tonight, he got a bath, we tried some more cereal and he didn't make one peep at bed time. We'll see how long he sleeps though because he gave daddy a very hard time this weekend!

Tomorrow is Brode's first official day in daycare and my first day of school, all on my 20th birthday! We have been visiting daycare for a couple days and are very very happy with it so leaving him won't be hard. Grandpa will be dropping him off to save me some time and gas so they will bond in the mornings. I don't know if im excited for classes or not. I definetaly need something to do, until I have WAY to many and I'm too stressed out! On top of school and daycare tomorrow Brode has another doctors appointment and I plan on talking to her about a lot because nothing is getting solved and Brode is uncomfortable. I'll be so busy I probably will even forget I'm turning 20!

I'll be sure to write again tomorrow about how everything went! Have a great week, and Happy Groundhogs Day tomorrow, lets hope for Spring because this weekend was gorgeous!