Walking and Talking

Here is a little video of Brode walking, I've been trying to get some but he always stops when the camera turns on, this one just happens to be when he is getting in trouble at the same time!

Well things have definetaly turned around, my computer is fixed, my car damage is getting taken care of, and midterms are over! Things have settled down around here!

We're hopefully carving pumpkins tonight to get ready for halloween on Saturday. Most people know what Brode is for halloween but I'm stull not going to say until I can get a picture up of the costume! His costume was homemade by Miss Karen (way too hard for me to do it), and she did a GREAT job! It is adorable!

Slacking Again

Well it has been a LONG time since I updated, again. Things have been pretty busy, I had a long TO DO list. There were a lot of errands on top of studying for tests and fitting work hours in and all the extra time was spent sleeping or squeezing a shower in! Nothing major has been going on but Brode has had a few little fun things. I would love to post pictures as I describe each, but my computer has an unbelievably powerful virus on it that my dad has been battling for days so there is no way to get to any pictures.

Brode has gotten bored with his toys lately (I dont know how he has a million!) so he has been playing with magnets, diaper boxes, and the dog toys. I made him some of his own magnets so now he has animals and cars and sports balls to play with instead of random clips and flat ones he can't get off, so far he likes them. We brought down a diaper box one night and pulled him around in it with Libby's leash so that is now an every day event!

Brode has also started to love helping do the laundry, and he loves brushing his teeth! Whenever someone is in the laundry room he can hear it and takes off! He loves pushing the laundry in, and pulling it out. This morning he even got the buttons figured out! We also recently got him his first real toothbrush (had been using a finger brush, but we couldn't handle the biting anymore) so Brode and I sit on the bathroom floor and brush our teeth together. He loves watching and copying so he caught on quick!

Brode also has completely moved to the 1-year-old room at day care! This has many new things! He now eats lunch at a table in a tiny chair with the rest of the class, he not only takes 1 nap a day, but he does it on a cot instead of in a crib! He also has gotten much more time outside. We have also noticed that he is catching on to things a lot faster. He is the only one that can't fully walk but every day he comes home he adds a few steps, urging to catch up to the rest of them! His new room is ALL boys, 7 of them, I can only imagine!

This weekend has had a few things going on, we ran errands yesterday then went to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner, Brode's first real restaurant experience! Today we have a brunch at Grandma Beth's for Matt's 22nd birthday (that was Friday the 16th), so we're going to go over there and see everyone and celebrate and play! This afternoon we'll hopefully get a good nap in, then tonight we're going to Miss Claire and Miss Karen's for dinner (pretty much like every Sunday) with some friends, and to check out Brode's halloween costume! It should be a fun day!

Everyone have a great Sunday!

Better

Brode is starting to feel a little better. We are still wiping his nose constantly and he has a bit of a cough sometimes, but no more pink eye or ear infection. He still has a tough time sleeping at night, but also has some good nights! We were informed today there is a confirmed case of H1N1 at day care.... not good news. I was trying as hard as I could to have good hygiene when switching from Oshkosh to home because it is all over school, but I cannot battle that day care so hopefully everything stays clean and it doesnt spread like wild fire!

Last weekend we went to Little Farmer and it was a lot of fun! Brode didn't sleep on the way there as we expected him too and it was pretty chilly so he wasn't the happiest of all campers. He did love the goats, climbed on the pumpkins, giggled in the swing and enjoyed some carmel apple and warm fresh muffin. We brought some pie and apples home, they're delicious, always a treat!

This week isn't anything exciting. I've had a lot going on with school, many exams and presentations and other things are all at the same time lately! It's pretty tough trying to squeeze work hours in along with that as well!

Sick

Brode has had a very long week. He has had a cold for a good week and a half now, but Tuesday he got called out of day care so gramps took him to the doctor while I was in class. Unfortunetaly he had pink eye and an ear infection. Wednesday Brode and Daddy hung out, and he returned to day care on Thursday. Friday he got called out again with a 101.3 temperature so he spent the afternoon with mommy and daddy. He also hasn't been sleeping too well, but hopefully after last night he'll start to feel better. After a warm bath Brode went to bed at 7:45 and slept until 9:00 this morning! He did wake up at 5:00 for 20 minutes and after a little rocking and crying went right back to bed. Because he slept so long he missed swimming lessons with Grandma Beth this morning, but hopefully it'll help him feel better.

We're going to Little Farmer tomorrow! I'm so excited, I love it, and I've been waiting and so excited to do fall things with Brode. He was only a month old last year so we spent a lot of the time inside. Hopefully it won't be too cold and he'll enjoy it!

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I never really got around to a post after Brode's birthday, so I thought I'd put up some pictures even though they're a week old! Brode was pretty tired by the end of the night, but he loved playing with his cake and all his wonderful presents! He got a lot of ADORABLE and comfortable fall and winter outfits. He got some fun toys like a lawn mower, a boat for the bath, a leap frog learning puppy, a big toy bus, a little piano, and a bounce and spin pony! He also got a little John Deere! Matt and I got him some books like the ones he loves and I painted him a stool for the bathroom!

His tractor from gram and gramps was a huge hit. Brode was out on it right away the next morning, and I have to say I enjoyed it as well!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRODE

Well I'm a day late, but things were hectic. Yesterday our little Brode turned ONE! I can't even believe it!

We have sure been through a lot in the last year, and things have definetaly changed! Matt and I were laughing at how the first few weeks we HATED then the sun went down because everyone went to bed -- except Brode. We never thought those dreaded weeks would end!

I love this age! Everything is new, and Brode is so curious! He is just starting to put things together and work on some new words. He entertains me all the time, it should be a fun road to 2!

I'm am extremely excited for this fall! I can't wait to get Brode out by the pumpkins, play in the leaves, and go trick-or-treating!

Yesterday we had Brode's party with some family and friends! The little guy did great until presents time... then he was tired. He loved his cake and made a mess of it! I'll get some pictures up soon!

Happy Birthday Little Guy! --- You're ONE!

Videos

Just a few... to put some smiles on some faces...

EVERY kid.

Today was not a typical Thursday. Today was the day that Brode was admitted into the "everybody" category. You know, the "everybody" that is going to the movie, the "everybody" that is going on spring break, and the "everybody" that has that outfit-- according to teenagers. Brode became part of the "EVERY" kid has a cozy coupe. My aunt, uncle, and cousins were generous enough to give Brode their cozy coupe from when the boys were little. Along with the car came a gas pump and a little tractor with a pull behind trailer.

Brode's new toys were dropped off at our house around 5:15PM. This is also Brode's dinner time, but he didn't care. He screamed and screamed when I brought him in to eat, but you can believe we were out there until 7:45 playing with those toys!

Wednesday

I despise Wednesdays. Half way through the week... yes, good. 10 hours of classes... not good.

This is my first full week back at school. Although it didn't take long to adjust back to classes, I don't think I'll ever adjust to how long my Wednesdays are. Starting at 8AM and ending at 6PM with a 1 hour break makes for quite a long day. This particular Wednesdays my morning (which seems like 5 days ago now) started great, going from class to class. I learned a lot, and each class went fast. At 1:15 everything came to a grinding hault and the clock refused to move. My last class starts at 3 and goes until 6. Our teacher decided to show us a movie regarding consumer health. There I sat for 3 hours (well 2.5 as she was nice enough to let us out early) watching a movie I didn't seem to catch the theme from thinking I just couldn't wait to get home and play with Brode. The hardest part isn't sitting for 3 hours, or paying attention for 3 hours, it's accepting that I can't go get Brode and bring him home to play and feed him dinner. I cannot complain about the entire day or class. The high point, our teacher of this last 3 hour class annouced that it will now be hybrid and half of it will be online, turning in small assignments every few weeks. This was a huge piece of news as I had been thinking I would be there late every Wednesday, and it was now cut down to 1 or 2 Wednesdays a month!

All things aside, Wednesday is over, and I survived. The best part, I only have 1 class on Thursdays so it's an easy day after the hard ones!

The rest of this week and this weekend isn't looking too eventful. I'm finishing up school for the week, then this weekend we have our usual routine of swimming lessons and hopefully some outside time!

Monday we're going back down to Milwaukee for Brode's follow-up. I haven't been thinking about it much, but after talking to my teachers today it really started to sink in that we're doing CT scans to see how everything is healing. Although the plates are still in his head and it hasn't been given much time to heal the news can vary. My biggest concern that I hope to calm is his stitches. Lately he has been getting little white bumps and one large area that looked like he had an incision infection starting on the inside and working out. After calling it was determined there were a few stitches that the body rejected and pushed to the outside. More and more of these spots have been showing up so I am anxious for them to actually see them and reassure me that I am not paranoid.

Have a good rest of the week and weekend!

End of Summer

Summer is ending, but it seems like it is just getting started. We have finally been able to do some fun summer things. Brode has been to the park a lot lately, we're back into swimming, playing outside all night, and swinging. This weeks summer first with the nice weather was a ride on Daddy's longboard. He loved it. All of the pictures show a grumpy face, but he was laughing and screamed when we had to take him off for dinner.

I officially started school for the 2009-2010 school year. My first day was extremely long, but luckily my last 3 hour class got cancelled! It was a good first day. So far I like my classes and my professors so hopefully that will make the semester go smoothly. I have a lot of classes that require a lot of memorization which means a lot of reviewing every day!

We're getting closer to Brode's birthday! This week I've decided I NEED to finish his presents and today I made a good dent on his scrapbooks so everyone can see his first year! Then I'm only left with menu planning! I am very excited for his first birthday party, but not for him to be 1 already!

Labor Day Weekend

What a weekend! A long, beautiful weekend needed nothing but to be enjoyed. I went to LaCrosse and had a very good time. I headed over there on Friday night around dinner time. The weekend days consisted of beach time, rollerblading, ice cream, cookouts, yard games, and girl time. It was so relaxing to enjoy the sun and have nowhere to be. Today, Labor Day, we headed straight from LaCrosse down to the Brewer game in Milwaukee. We hung out for a while, then sat through the very uneventful, almost no hit game. It was a great day to enjoy the game, but we weren't good luck, as they lost. I then continued from Milwaukee back home to Neenah after a tiring weekend.

Brode throughout my time away got to spend time with all of his grandparents and his daddy. He had a very fun trip to the grocery store and slumber party with Gram and Gramps on Friday night. Saturday he spent the afternoon and night with his Grandma Beth, then continued Sunday to spend time with his daddy. The little guy seemed to grow 10 inches when I was gone! I was very excited to get back to see him, and he sure was entertaining. He learned some new noises that Matt said they practiced all weekend., and he still jabbers non-stop.

It was a great weekend away, and a great "Back to School" weekend. My next few days will be organizing and starting classes for the 2009-2010 school year. I'm excited to get back down on campus and have something different to do, but I don't feel the same way about the homework!