Oh Happy Day!

This picture is from September 18, my friends Sara and Steven got married and we spent our first weekend away from Brennon. Thanks Grandma Bridget for taking care of Lil' B.

Our 2 month checkup was last Thursday and out little man is getting SO big. Brennon weights 14 pounds (90th percentile) and he's 24 inches long (85th percentile). He also had his first experience with immunizations. Oh goodness, Mommy wasn't ready! Brennon actually did really well, but as soon as the nurse pinned his legs down he started screaming. I'm not sure there's anything more difficult than seeing your child in pain- even if it's only for a few seconds. The Ped also increased Brennon's reflux meds, based on his weight and now he's sleeping longer! WAHOO! I've had 5 consecutive hours of sleep 2 nights in a row. On Friday we made the familiar trek to St. Joe to watch part of a LeBlond football game and Aunt ReeRee was nominated for Homecoming queen!

Below are just a few pictures from today. This little boy is SO happy all the time, I thought I would share some JOY!

Should he have a fake smile already?

wait for it...

wait for it....

CHEEEEEEESE!

He's been working VERY hard to use his hands and grab objects.

2 Months; Let's Catch Up!

Our baby is 2 months old today!

I have been meaning to update for awhile, but life keeps politely interrupting and needless to say, we’re as busy as ever! You can see in the photos that we’re becoming quite a diverse sports fan!

Brennon is growing and changing so fast. Our days are filled with smiles, tiny laughs and lots of jabber. We started watching Signing Time last week and he absolutely loves the series, we’ll see how many signs we can pick up before he turns one. He still loves bath time, his swing, car rides, a MAM binky and hates getting dressed. I think our little guy is big and SUPER strong. He’s still eating 6 ounces about every three hours, sometimes sooner. Brennon's fingernails are still a danger to him as well as everyone who hold him and I think we're currently battling some baby acne.We packed up the newborn size clothing a long time ago and it’s a good thing we only had a few 3 months, because we’re already up to 6 months in most clothes and some are getting snug! Brennon constantly holds his head up and currently enjoys sitting and being held in an upright position. Sometimes he even bends his knees and works them in a crawling motion. Yesterday I went in to check on him during a nap and he had rolled himself over onto his stomach! We go for the 2 month check up and first immunizations on Thursday, so weights and measurements to come!

About 2 or 3 weeks ago, when we ventured into the big boy bed, we went and picked up a mobile that a friend of Justin’s recommended. It’s made by Fisher Price and has the standard animals that circle, music, nature sounds and a heartbeat sound, but it also has a projector that projects animal pictures on the dome of the mobile. Brennon has been absolutely spellbound since day one. Even during the day when you can’t see the projector as well, he will lie in his bed and talk, swing his arms and kick his legs at the animals.


On one of Justin’s days off last week we went and picked up an entertainer also made by Fisher Price called the Luv U Zoo (I have a real problem with corporations using “text” spelling on products, especially for children, but that’s another story). He absolutely loves the little gym. It even came with a little elephant shaped pillow that we use to keep him elevated for his reflux. We also picked up a Bumbo chair and his first Halloween costume- It’s a surprise, so don’t even ask! :o)

Buster wants to be Brennon's friend so darn bad! Last week he started paying a lot more attention to Brennon; sleeping in the trundle under the crib, watching and coming closer to him, sniffing him a lot more and giving the occasional lick. In this picture Brennon was under his gym and Buster kept bringing him dog toys, he's a good friend!
 

 

We’re also thinking a lot about Brennon’s buddy Leon. Leon is my mom’s boyfriend and he was in a horrific accident while working in Tennessee on Friday. Every bone in his right leg was broken and he lost a lot of blood while waiting for help. He’s currently in orthopedic ICU at Vanderbilt Hospital, has already been through 2 surgeries and has a long road ahead, but he’s fighting really hard. When I was pregnant, Leon was one of the people most excited to meet Brennon. Leon calls to check on us at least 3 times a week ever since Brennon was born. Keep fighting Leon so you can come home and play very soon!

Almost 6 Weeks

It’s hard to believe how fast babies grow and change. Tomorrow Brennon will be 6 weeks old and already he looks like a different baby. Things are going much more smoothly. His reflux seems to be much more regulated and he has been switched to a completely lactose free formula, without breast milk. Taking him off breast milk completely has really been a weighing issue on my mind, but the fact of the matter is that he’s better without it. Literally.

When we went back to the doctor on Wednesday for a weight check, Brennon weighed 9 pounds and 15 ounces, gaining almost a pound in a week. His demeanor has totally changed since switching to the lactose free formula and his personality is really starting to show. Every night Brennon wakes up between 11PM and 12PM and again between 3AM and 4AM to eat. All Night Long by Lionel Richie frequently runs through my head because he’s SUCH a night owl! He still loves his swing, bath time and just laying in his room and looking at the walls. He’s finally big enough to wear sleepers and has started sleeping in his crib. He really likes to be a big strong boy; when you hold him on your shoulder he lifts his head and looks around and tries to use his knees and feet against you in a crawling motion, on the changing table he squirms and kicks and has almost rolled himself over. He’s also figured out how to fight sleep, which is super fun. Last week he really started trying to mimic mouth movements and began cooing. This morning, at one of our 4AM fiestas, he smiled back at me! Best thing ever!

Uncle Drew, telling us we need to "make it rain."

Cooing and talking away!

Holy Birthdays!

August is a big birthday month in our families;


August 9th, Happy 21st Birthday cousin Greggory!

August 13th, Happy 49th Birthday Grandma Becky!

August 14th, Happy 21st Birthday Aunt Brittany!

August 19th, Happy 53rd Birthday Grandpa Steve!

August 23rd, Happy Birthday Great-Great Uncle Terry!

August 31st, Happy 27th Birthday “Aunt” Candice!

WHEW! I hope we didn’t miss anyone. Thursday we made the familiar trek to St. Joe to celebrate Grandpa Steve’s birthday. Steve is probably the biggest BSer I’ve ever known, but he’s super special and important to us. Thank you for serving the community everyday as a firefighter and for being a great dad. We’ll never be able to thank you for all of the things you’ve done for us. Hope you had an awesome day! We love you!

Happy Birthday!

FINALLY legal!

The C-Word (COLIC!)

Back to the pediatrician today; although the nonstop-uncontrollable-screaming after eating has stopped, the discomfort and frequent screams have not. Without being an over sharing National Geographic mom, something is definitely wrong with my baby’s GI tract. Dr. Grimes also mentioned the c-word (NOT caner or the OTHER one, but COLIC!), but we don’t speak of such hellish things. He was also a little concerned that Brennon hasn't gained any weight since last Wednesday. So, today we begin the process of elimination to figure out what going on. We’re starting with switching to a lactose free formula, mixed with a little breast milk. He also suggested Hylands Colic Tablets because the Gripe Water and/or gas drops are not sustaining relief. The resident doctor also showed me some tummy soothing massage and stretches. She apparently had a difficult time as well (COLIC!) with her first babay and found that these techniques worked better than any med or product you can buy.

We shall see. I’m over the not sleeping, but the not sleeping in combination with inconsolable screaming is too much. However, I’m glad I listened to my mommy instincts because something is definitely going wrong. As a mom, there seems to be such a fine line between caring and crazy.



We did get all dressed up today in honor of back to school. Do you like my man-dals?

Sundays with GMa B

Just a few cute shots from hanging out at my mom's last night. :O)

I call this face Milk-Coma

Playing a kissing game with my mom. He kept bringing his hand back for more kisses!

Sweet Snuggley Boy!

5 Generations

Friday night we celebrated my mom’s birthday at Papa & Marcie’s and Brennon met my great-grandma Knorr for the first time.

Brennon and Great-Great Grandma Knorr

Brennon and Papa

Brennon makes a fifth generation of Hazelrigg’s

At Bathtime, Stuff Happens!

Yeah, by stuff I mean poop. Brennon had his first attempt at a tub bath on Monday. Then, poop happened so we called the whole thing off. Tuesday, however, his first bath was a success and he loved every minute.

He even seemed relaxed, which was some relief for me, because we seem to be battling a little bit of acid reflux. My poor baby was awake for almost 36 hours with tummy troubles. After each feeding he would get so uncomfortable that he would just scream. This situation is particularly hard when trying to breast feed, because after spending 40 minutes feeding and then 60 minutes trying to comfort an uncomfortable baby, I barely had time to do anything before it was time for another feeding. Eventually, he would wear down and doze off for a few minutes, but then would quickly wake himself back up with screams of pain. I finally took him to the pediatrician on Wednesday. Acid reflux is very common in babies and our doc prescribed a liquid solution similar to Zantac, but without the alcohol. I’m not sure if it was exhaustion or the meds, but as soon as Brennon had a dose you could see (and hear) relief. The doc also suggested things like keeping him more upright when feeding and holding, not using the bouncy chair, only using the swing on a slower setting, not changing his potions too often and not over stimulating. Although we saw some improvement from the prescription immediately, I didn’t see real relief or change until Friday. Justin and I had been doing some research online about reflux and colic and a lot of people talk about using Colic Calm or Gripe Water. So, on Friday, I went and bought some Gripe Water. I am willing to try anything if it gives him relief and it seemed to work almost instantly. The reflux seems to be a little more controlled every day. He will still have minor moments of discomfort, but nothing in comparison to last week- thank goodness!