The Brantley Boys

Fisher, January Recap

2012-01-30T19:37:00.003-07:00

Well, this has been a big month for Fisher. He turned one. He started walking...though I must say he still prefers to crawl when trying to get somewhere fast...so he hasn't officially "taken off" as moms like to call it. It is funny that every now and then we'll look up and Fisher will just be walking around the corner. Or we will hear Harrison declare from the other room, "Mom...look...Fisher just walked across the room." So that is pretty big in toddler world.
Other than that...he becomes more and more attached to his blanket and call me a bad mom, but it is so darn cute that I can't seem to discourage it. In fact, I may encourage it. It is sort of like the finger sucking. I think it is cute. Homeboy is going to need some major orthodontics, but good lord...the sound that he makes on the monitor when he is sleeping is so sweet. Back to the blanket...in the rare case that it isn't in his crib (we leave it in there so he doesn't walk around with it), he carries it in his mouth like a mother cat carriers it's young ( I guess this is his attempt to not let us take it from him). All in all...he's a cute kid...just a big time firecracker.

Harrison, January Recap

2012-01-30T19:19:00.004-07:00

First of all, Happy Birthday Papa! We are so thankful for you and the way that you love the boys. They are so blessed to have you in their lives!
So, this month has come and gone. I'm already writing 2013 on everything, but that is largely due to the nature of my job and I've been planning 2012 for a while now. Harrison has had a bout with hands, foot, mouth this month. Which, contrary to my belief, is not one of those diseases that you are immune to once you've had it once. A few people told me that and that is a bold-faced lie. This is the second year in a row that Harrison has contracted it. This is also the second year in a row that it has been misdiagnosed as step throat. And lastly, this is the second year in a row that I've told the pediatrician's office that he is a carrier for strep and will always test positive. I'm crossing my fingers that we don't continue this trend in 2013.
Here's an update:
Harrison is hilarious...I don't think he is particularly funnier than other kids his age, but the content and imagination of what he says is just so darn funny.
Harrison is the best big brother. I think multiple times a day how thankful I am that Harrison is the older brother. Sometimes, I'm annoyed by the tattle-tailing, but on the flip side, I'm so thankful that he keeps Fish in line. He does love him well (except for the time last Sunday that Fisher took a sword to the center of his head and I almost rushed him to the ER. Good news: we are all still alive and the brain damage doesn't seem to be overt at this time).
Harrison has also started playing with a sweet boy down the street. His name is Cooper and he has two younger sisters. He loves being able to play and teach Harrison soccer, which is so much fun to watch.
And lastly, Harrison is pumped about our upcoming Disney trip. Every night before he goes to bed, he reminds me that he is nervous that we are going to forget to take his Mickey (stuffed animal from Billy and Amanda) to Disney. He is right. I probably will forget.

Opinionated, but look at him...really

2012-01-22T18:42:00.002-07:00

I told Harrison this morning that he needed to wear a sweater to church because it was cold. For some reason, he thought that meant he had to wear a tie too. Or, he just really wanted to. Even though he wanted to wear the tie on the outside of his sweater, I was still impressed with his fashion sense. And just like most guys, he was messing with it before the end of the first song. And it was completely off before we returned to the car. Favorite part of church today: the pastor read the gospel which was the passage from Mark that included, "come, follow me, and I'll make you fishers of men." After Harrison heard it, he leaned over and whispered to me, "Mom, we named Fisher because of what he just said." He was exactly right...I was shocked that he remembered that, or even ever absorbed that. Unbelievable. And before you freak out in the picture...Harrison is sitting on a booster seat that is built into our fancy-schmancy Volvo. He's safe...relatively.

Why Haven't I Been Taking Pictures?

2012-01-20T19:03:00.003-07:00

It occurred to me when I snapped the above pictures that I haven't been taking pictures of Fisher since he started crawling. This kid moves around like crazy and getting him to sit still is just impossible...unless he is in his high chair...hence the above pictures. I'm going to try a little harder. I have a good break in work after next week, so all my blog followers, if you are out there, prepare to get overloaded. Oh and speaking of overload...I just booked our family's first Disney trip. I actually loathed the idea of going to Disney, but now that I've booked it and told Harrison we are going for his birthday, I'm beyond excited.

Fisher's Birthday Part 2 & 1 Year Stats

2012-01-20T18:50:00.004-07:00

We got to celebrate Fisher's birthday with the Brantley side of the family. Nothing new...Fisher loved the cake and the attention. Harrison did tell me a few times that it is taking too long to get to his (Harrison's) birthday now. Thankfully we only have to wait until March...so only two months of wondering when his birthday is. Can you spot my favorite picture? It may involve Fisher looking suspiciously at the camera and Harrison trying to blow his candle out. I love it.

Here are Adam's stats...I only put Adam down because they call Fisher that at the office and I always get so confused...one day I'll remember that my son's first name is that same as my husband's:
Weight: 20 lbs, 13 ozs...50th percentile (much to our surprise...he feels like a load of bricks)
Height: 30 1/2 inches...greater than 95th percentile (not surprised at all)

Happy Birthday Fisher Part 1

2012-01-05T19:28:00.002-07:00

I can't believe that my baby tuned one today. It is so hard for me to wrap my head around it. I don't think that I can even form complete thoughts about it. One thing I have learned this week about birthdays...though your child won't remember it...you will. I had convinced myself that I was okay being out of town on his birthday. I was supposed to be gone Tuesday through Friday morning. As soon as I arrived on Tuesday, I realized that I had made a huge mistake. I kept on saying to myself..."It's okay...Fisher hardly knows that he has hands...he won't miss me on his birthday." And that is exactly right. He won't miss me. But what I found out was, I will miss him. So, thankfully, I came to my senses and took an early flight home and got to eat dinner and do cake with Fisher and the rest of the clan. Lesson learned...
Fisher...
I love you more than I could have ever imagined. I still remember everyday how badly I wanted you. I remember everyday how you defied the odds and made it into this world. And you have already made your mark. Your sweet, but fiery. Snuggly, but on the move. Content, but let us know when you aren't so much. You just started walking and I'm nervous about the running that is around the corner. You make me laugh more than anyone else in the house...especially when you crinkle your nose when you smile...or you carry stuff in your mouth around the house so you can have free reign with your hands (I'm impressed by your efficiency at an early age). I'm so excited to see what the Lord has in store for you. You have completed our family. We are so thankful for this year that we have had with you and pray for many more!

Grandma Shealy's Christmas

2012-01-05T19:01:00.003-07:00

We got to spend the day after Christmas at my Grandma's Shealy's house. We love going to spend time with her as it is always a riot. She makes us laugh when she has no clue that she does. And thankfully, my mom and sister were there, so we got to spend good time with them and my extended family. I must say that we spent a good majority of the day getting serenaded by Harrison's rendition of Joy To the World. After one particular performance he looked at Puff and said "Puff...we totally rocked that." Which was then followed by a high-five. Puff was a performer in his show with a baton. Unfortunately, all my pictures and videos are on my phone. I need to send them over, but while I'm playing catch-up...I just need to post.

Christmas at Nana and Papa's House

2012-01-05T18:44:00.002-07:00

So, in true fashion of my recent past, I took very few pictures. Adam is actually the photographer in the family. And any pictures that get taken these days are a result of him. Harrison and Fisher had a blast at the Brantley's house. I feel confident that Harrison's favorite part was the nerf gun war. Well, that and the polar express train that he received.

2011 Christmas Morning

2012-01-05T18:36:00.003-07:00

Christmas gets more and more fun each year. The boys each get three presents (we say Jesus got three gifts from the wisemen, so that should be enough for them too) from Santa (for now). And then we give them a mutual gift from us. It really is a great system for us as it keeps Santa on a good budget. But it is so fun to carry on and start our own traditions. Thankfully, we've impressed the "no getting out of bed before 7 am" rule at our house, so no one awoke in earlier than normal. I know that this may be the last year that actually works. Harrison's favorite gifts this year were the plasma car and knights he got in his stocking. Fisher's favorite was the empty paper towel roll Santa put in his stocking (Harrison said that was silly of Santa to leave his trash in Fisher's stocking).

Catching Up...Christmas with Gus and Linda

2012-01-05T18:28:00.003-07:00

Well, it has been a while. There is a lot to catch up on. Since we can't spend Christmas day with everyone in the family, we decided to have Grandpa Gus and Grandma Linda over before Christmas for a real lowcountry Christmas...frogmore stew! It was so fun to have them over and celebrate Jesus' birth with them. In real Gus fashion, he tried to see how close he could get Fisher to actually tasting beer. It didn't take long. And while we all exchanged gifts, the big hit was the harmonica gifted to H by Gus and Linda. He loved it. Thanks for celebrating with us!

Christmas Choke-hold

2011-12-18T10:55:00.003-07:00

So, I put Fisher in his only Holiday outfit this morning for church. Then, I decided that I should dress Harrison in red and green. Apparently, this decision was made with zero regard to style...while in church, I realized that Harrison was wearing a turtleneck with a v-neck sweater. I'm aging my son in his clothes. He looks cute...but a little like Mr. Rogers.
Harrison, I'm sorry that I did this to you. When you get older, you can put it on the invite to a holiday theme sweater party at your apartment. Thanks for not fully choking your brother on the church lawn while we took this picture.

Christmas Performance & Sillyness

2011-12-18T10:50:00.002-07:00

Harrison had his Christmas performance on Friday. He moved from the role of an angel (in the 2 1/2 year old class) to the role of a sheep (3 year old class). The funny thing about this is that the four year old class plays the part of the shepherds and they each have a sheep to lead into the "manger." If you look closely at the picture, you can tell that Harrison is a head taller than his shepherd. I thought this was hilarious. But Harrison is taller than that whole class almost.
Our conversation later that day in the car:
Me: Harrison, why is Fisher fussing?
H: Mom, I think he lost his mind.
Me to Adam: (laughing) Harrison has started to say some pretty clever things these days.
Me to H: Harrison, who taught you to be so funny (hoping that he would say me, of course)?
H: God.
Me: What? God taught you to be funny? What did he say?
H: Yes mom. He just told me to be silly. That's it.
Me: Thanks for clearing that up.

11 Months

2011-12-05T19:05:00.004-07:00

I cannot believe we are rounding the corner and we are almost to a year of Fisher being in this world. The funny thing about being pregnant is that everyone tells you that your forget about how fat you are and childbirth, the whole shebang. Not true. Not yet. I remember this time last year being so large and so thankful that I had maternity pants that stretched as I consumed more food last holiday season than a person should ever consume. But I loved it. And I don't regret it. Yum Yum. Thinking about it makes me want to go eat right now.
Our little nugget is developing more and more personality. He thinks he is funny. He is so stubborn. Punishment doesn't work for him like it did for his very obedient older brother. He also is stubborn...did I mention that yet. He wants to try things and do things on his own time. And right now, he puts everything in his mouth...I mean, everything...read here for more on that. It really is so bizarre as he is on the other end of the spectrum from Harrison in this aspect. One thing is certain...Fisher loves his big brother more and more everyday. Seeing them interact brings absolute joy to my heart. And I'm certain that Harrison was made to be the older brother...he is such a rule follower (more of expecting others to follow rules) and is so sweet with his little brother. He has a sweet, gentle spirit that I'm forever thankful for.

The O Face

2011-11-20T20:24:00.003-07:00

Yep, that’s right. I said it. The “O” Face. But what else are you supposed to call this? Fisher is really into this face right now and it cracks us up whenever he does it. He even says “oh” when he makes the face. Priceless. And really, he cracks us up all of the time. I started to say Fisher was a "nut" one day and now Harrison is all over that nickname. The unfortunate (and funny) part is when Harrison combines Fisher's nicknames, "Fish" and "Nut." This too makes me laugh...a lot.

All Saints Day 2011

2011-11-13T05:51:00.003-07:00

All Saints Pre-School celebrated All Saints Day just after Halloween (I'm a few weeks behind...I know). The kids had their annual "performance" which last year, if you blinked, you missed it. This year, Harrison got a lot more into his "performance." Though you can't tell from the lack of smiles, he really did a great job "performing." Most of all, he was proud to lead his class in as Noah's ark. He reminds me at least twice a day that the animals came "two by two."

Happy Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T22:10:00.001-06:00

So, we had a great time trick-or-treating in a neighborhood in Pawleys. Harrison definitely was more into it this year. However, he was done after a few houses. And I wasn't totally upset by that. I mean, now I know why I was sent on my own as soon my parents felt comfortable with it. I'm ready for candy-duty. Fisher was a chicken by default (a costume that has been passed down). I actually do love the outfit, and as soon as we tried it on him, Harrison named him "Chicken-Fish," which made me laugh until my stomach hurt. I know that it isn't that creative, but I'm still laughing right now as I think about Harrison calling him Chicken-Fish all night. Fisher spotted another kiddo in the same outfit and immediately gravitated towards him. This kid is two and is about the same size as our Chicken-Fish. Chicken-Fish wanted to eat him and get his hands all over him, while the other chicken was not as interested.

Our Incident

2011-10-28T20:15:00.001-06:00

I sent him to school looking like this...

Well, this week has been interesting. My team from work came to town on Wednesday for three day planning retreat. I sent Harrison to school and told him that I would see him later. I arrived at the beach house for our noon start time, and just two minutes later, Harrison’s teacher called to tell me that they thought he might have lice. Now, I received an email from the school two days earlier that there had been a lice outbreak in the kindergarten class. I didn’t think much about it. I had never had lice (at least I don’t remember a lice incident) and Harrison had not either, so I just dismissed it. I don’t get worked up over much…especially something that I know nothing about. Well, I should have. Insert Adam and Linda to save the day. I couldn’t do anything. I sent him to school looking cute (so cute that I even took a picture that morning), and I didn’t know that they took pictures, but since uploading my pics to the computer, I found that they documented the lice treatment (and I couldn’t resist the temptation to blog about lice since it is such an invigorating subject). Adam told me that they took care of it. But good grief, it is a process. And we still have to treat again (it is a part of the process). I’m going to need some help next Wednesday on this. Lice is a pain. I itch. I haven’t found any lice yet on Adam or myself. It still makes me itch…incessantly. And it is amazing how much you learn about the little critters so quickly. Annoying, but not harmful to your health…which is the most important information.

Relationship Woes

2011-10-28T20:09:00.002-06:00

I’m not sure if it is obvious, but one party in this picture is super jazzed about what is going on…the other one is more along the lines of skeptical. It isn’t too hard to figure this one out. Marley and Chewy are forever weary of the boys. Marley is afraid of loud noises. The boys only make loud noises. Chewy preferred life when she was the only child, so she has been a little grumpy since Marley entered the picture five and a half years ago. So, her life has spiraled out of control with the addition of Harrison and Fisher. The best part about these said relationships…the boys love the girls (the dogs)…no matter what. It makes for entertaining interactions.

Piano Man

2011-10-28T19:54:00.001-06:00

For Harrison’s first Christmas (at nine months of age), Puff sent him a piano. Brilliant, right? Well, the jury is still out on if this was indeed a brilliant gift, but it has certainly been enjoyed. If anything, it has left me yearning for piano lessons as soon as possible. That’s right, my boys will take piano lessons. Harrison’s already been to gymnastics, so judge away. Anyway, now that Fisher is at the ripe age of nine months, it only makes sense for us to introduce him to it as well. And he loves it. He loves to bang on it…at a whole new level. He loves the noise, is super cute while he does, and drives me to medication afterwards. That’s okay. Look how cute that face is…

Fall Festival

2011-10-20T07:52:00.000-06:00

Brookgreen Gardens Fall Festival.

Nine Month Update

2011-10-11T18:47:00.000-06:00

I love at this point in a baby's life acknowledging that he or she has been out as long as he or she was in the womb. But I just realized, that isn't true. Frankly, you are pregnant for 40 weeks...I'm not mathematician, but that doesn't add up to just nine months...just saying. Anyway, we went to the doctor last Friday for his check-up and he passed with flying colors. However, the most bizarre thing happened: when Fisher got his two shots, he just stared at the nurse with a death stare. I've never seen this face. But he looked like he wanted to stab her. He didn't cry. She said that was the first time that ever happened to her. I tried to imagine what he was thinking by putting an imaginary bubble over his head with his thoughts...they all had nasty words in them. So, I'll keep them to myself. Here are my man-baby's stats (he's overtaking Harrison):
Weight 20 lbs, 13 ozs, 50th percentile (this was shocking to me...I was sure he was more)
Height 30 1/2 inches, greater than 95th percentile (not shocking...he's super long...wearing 12-18 months)
Head 47 1/2, 94th percentile (explains why shirts are a little tricky over the head these days)

Such a Distraction

2011-10-02T08:14:00.000-06:00

I was working in the yard yesterday with Fisher by my side, which presents multiple challenges at his age. He likes to put everything in his mouth. And since he is on the go, you can't really just put it out of his arm's reach. And in the yard, there are multiple hazards...plants, insects, dog poop...you name it...it is out there, and probably not okay for even a moment in his mouth. I brought his stroller out, hoping it would be a distraction and just let him investigate it. He loves to check things out that aren't toys (I find this very annoying). So for about 30 minutes, he just stood by his stroller, playing with everything. I walked over to look at him and his eyes just captivated me. I can't believe how beautiful his eyes are. And as cheesy as it sounds, when I look in his eyes, I can see the joy that he has for life. So yes, maybe I'm bragging about my boy's eyes. But moms do that.

A Rarity

2011-10-02T07:55:00.000-06:00

Since Fisher was five months old, he has almost refused to nap anywhere but his bed. The newborn stage is so easy when they will nap in their car seats, etc. Fisher is my strong-willed child. Even if he is dog tired, he will stay awake. I think he is afraid of missing the action. Adam and I were saying how fortunate we are that we have a baby that, when he gets tired, laughs excessively. He doesn't cry. He just laughs...a lot. So when he is refusing to nap on the go, he's darn cute while he refuses. All that to say, yesterday, we managed to get him to sleep in the stroller while at Harrison's soccer game. This was most definitely a rarity. I could have stared at him for hours.

Brotherly Love

2011-09-28T19:55:00.000-06:00

If you haven't been able to tell from what I've said so far, having two kids in the house is totally different than just one. All of the craziness that comes with it is totally worth it when you see how much your kids love each other. Harrison loves Fisher better than I ever imagined he would. Sometimes he loves a little hard, but he has the best intentions. It's amazing how your once only child, now oldest child, really steps up to the plate. They grow up overnight. And then sweet Fisher thinks that Harrison hung the moon. Nothing gets a bigger smile and laugh out of Fisher than Harrison antics. It truly is so sweet to see.

And We Have Teeth!

2011-09-28T19:42:00.000-06:00

Assuming everyday for the past five months that Fisher would wake up with a little gem in his gums has finally come true. I make a habit of always chalking things up to him cutting teeth. Any sort of random behavior, I like to just say, "Oh, he must be cutting teeth." It really keeps me from being a lunatic and rushing to the doctor at the drop of a hat. Well, as luck would have it, I ran to the doctor yesterday. Fisher had a fever that ibuprofen wouldn't take care of. He didn't eat much and would cry at the drop of a hat. For my sweet, content, happy baby, this just wasn't normal. I was sure that he had contracted the strep throat that Harrison had the week before. And, I thought it could be teeth, but to be honest, when Harrison cut teeth, we never missed a beat. He would just drool and then have teeth. That was it. So, when I took him to the doctor yesterday, they swabbed his throat to test for strep. As he was screaming his head off during the swabbing, the doctor noticed that two teeth had literally just come though up top(had to be in the previous 24 hours). Well, the strep test came back negative. Shocker. The doctor's response, "looks like it is the two teeth that just came through on the top that is causing him discomfort and the two on the bottom that will come through in the next couple of days on the bottom that could be causing this. It should be a fun few days for you." Four teeth at once. Awesome. Thanks for going big Fisher.

You Would Miss This Face Too...

2011-09-19T13:09:00.000-06:00

Words cannot express how much I miss this kid when I'm out of town traveling. My absence from the blog world is a pretty good indicator of my travel schedule. Harrison is such a sweet boy. Last week I had to leave for even longer than I anticipated. In the middle of my trip I talked to Harrison and he sweetly said, "Mom. I want you to get on a plane to come home and see me. I miss you bad." That is pretty gut-wrenching.

Harrison's First Soccer Game

2011-09-19T12:55:00.000-06:00

Well, it's official. We have made our entrance into organized sports with our kids. And let me tell you...it is so frustrating if you have an ounce of a competitive nature in you. Harrison is playing on the same team with his good buddies, so it is fun for him. But good Lord...this takes some patience. And that is why yours truly is not on the field coaching. It is fun to watch them...no one keeps score...except all of the competitive parents (which is all of them).

Celebrating 8 Months

2011-09-07T21:07:00.000-06:00

Whew...still flying by. I haven't even had a chance to take a decent picture of either of my boys in the past two weeks. Life has been crazy. But Fisher is certainly growing up. He's starting to chunk-up finally. I have a hunch that he is going to pass Harrison by the nine month check-up (where Harrison was at the same time). Fisher still lights up a room with his smile. He is such a happy baby. It truly is unbelievable. It also appears that he knows when people are laughing and singing...he gets such a kick out of this. He loves to pull-up and hold his own bottle. I don't think he is ever going to do the traditional crawl. He has been army crawling for a while, and gets around so well. He is already focused on what's next. Traditional crawling seems insignificant (to him) at this time. He still has no teeth. And mom, yes, I'll update the blog more. And take normal pictures. And maybe tell funny stories about the crazy stuff Harrison says to me now...like tonight, "maybe I'll get a hairy hiney like dad's soon?" It's inevitable...but he is excited about it.

Cha-Ching

2011-08-29T07:35:00.000-06:00

This little nugget has gone from...

This formula or Similar Alimentum (a cost of $40/week)

To this formula, (a cost of about $18/week)

This is huge people. No one plans for their baby to be put on the most expensive formula out there. In fact, most plan to breast feed, but if for some reason that doesn't work out, formula is what you have to do. With Harrison, it wasn't that big of a deal. It cost me $19 for two weeks of formula. That was cheap. I fully expected it to be the same with Fisher. I was sadly mistaken. And here are two pieces of advice that I'm going to pass along. If this is you, check with you insurance company, if you can get a Rx for it, all you have to do is pay your co-pay (my co pay is high on Rx, however). Secondly, if you know of someone who says that they are having to give their child the most expensive formula...send them a can of it and surprise them. It will be a huge blessing. That can that cost you $25 will cover them for 4 days...maybe. Thankfully, I have a friend who got me about two months worth at wholesale...even then it is super expensive. So, I carefully tried Fisher on a gassy formula. It may hurt his belly a little bit, and may make him spit up more, but he seems super happy anyway. And we are saving money along the way. Cha-ching!

First Day of School

2011-08-25T09:23:00.000-06:00

Harrison had his first day of pre-school today. Well, not ever. This is his third year at pre-school. He loves All Saints Pre-School so much...after all, that is where he met Wade. He woke up so excited to go to school today. We were getting dressed and he said, "Mom you should take a picture. This is a big day." He ran right in and didn't even look back. He is growing up too fast. I even go a little teary-eyed after I dropped him off...because he wasn't sad. But who am I kidding? School is way more fun than I am (for now).

Good Grief, I love these folks

2011-08-24T22:00:00.000-06:00

If you haven't followed my blog for a while, you don't really know who these lovely folks are. This is my dad and step-mom Linda. They have been around; I just some how always forget to take pictures. They live in Murrells Inlet now to be close to family and they are probably getting more than the dose of grandkids than they anticipated. They usually come over for dinner once a week, watch the boys at night once a week, and Linda watches the boys very often. They truly are a God send. We really love having them close by. And Harrison gets so excited when they come over. So excited, that last night when we had them over to celebrate their joint birthdays (they are nine days a part), Harrison met them at the car to tell them we got them a birthday cake (which was a surprise). Awesome. I love to see his excitement. Fisher is excited too...I think partly because they love Fisher like he is one their own...and partly the facial jewelry (glasses) they both wear. It warms my heart to know that Harrison and Fisher will grow up knowing their Grandpa Gus and Grandma Linda. We love y'all and Happy Birthday!

Best Friends

2011-08-23T18:39:00.000-06:00

Harrison loves Wade. He truly does. He tells me at least once a day. He wants to do what Wade does. He wants to show Wade everything. When we shop, he tells me that he wants to get something for Wade. These boys are absolutely crazy together. They love to tackle and "play knights." They don't love sharing their own toys with the other one. But it is a phase.

who rocks a fedora

2011-08-20T00:17:00.000-06:00

Truly, who rocks a fedora better than this kid?

Hello Mr August!

2011-08-17T18:45:00.003-06:00

This pint-sized runaway is always trying to make a break for it when he gets naked. When taking his clothes off on the changing table, he generally tries to plunge to his death, ultimately leading to an old-fashioned pig wrestle. He thinks it is hilarious.

Conflicted

2011-08-16T12:53:00.001-06:00

We are trying combo bath time.

We are taking a stab at putting both the boys in the bath at the same time. One of them is a huge fan. The other is not so much. It is the one that has a hard time sharing everything right now...including the bath tub. Can you guess?

Fisher's Baptism

2011-08-07T18:56:00.000-06:00

Today Fisher was baptized at All Saints. It was unbelievable. Our families were there and one very special lady, Margaret Crane, Fisher's God-mother. It was so emotional for all of us involved. And as I have said a million times before, getting Fisher to actually grow in my belly was so darn hard, I can't stop thinking of the miracle that he is...especially today. And we have given him over to the Lord...expectantly. Fisher, I hope you know that you are loved and prayed for more than you could ever imagine. It was so special (and a great source of accountability as you grow up into your name) to hear the pastor say in front of the entire church that your calling in life is to "be a fisher of men." Amen.

CABO

2011-08-07T18:46:00.000-06:00

We may have been here for a few days...without our boys. It was amazing. Adam caught a striped marlin. I sunburned my lips. We missed the boys. And there it is.

In Case You Misunderstood Me...

2011-07-29T15:45:00.000-06:00

Fisher is still a baby-pimp. I didn't want my previous post about the way he was dressed to mislead anyone into thinking he might not be the coolest 6 month old on the planet. By the way, I have a big THANK YOU to everyone who sent me diapers for a baby gift. Ashley and Sara threw me a diaper party, and it has been the biggest help. I just bought my first box of diapers and Fisher is almost 7 months-old. So, if you are throwing a shower for a friend that already has a little one, do a diaper one...it has been so great.

Tonsils, Adenoids, Tubes in the Ears, and Nose Cauterized...again

2011-07-27T13:26:00.000-06:00

the night before surgery

getting ready for surgery...knocking out some angry birds on the iPad

very annoyed by the hospital bracelet...and continued to be after he woke up

snoozing before waking up from surgery

Harrison got "the works" as the anesthesiologist called it yesterday morning. We took note of the other kids that were waiting in pre-op and they were just having one of the four things that Harrison had done. Albeit, that was Harrison last August when he got his nose cauterized. But here's the deal...getting your nose cauterized (even though you have to go under for it) is like spitting the water in the sink vs getting a root canal. Because Harrison had been under before, I imagined that when he came to, he would be my sweet little boy and take it like a champ...like last time. Took it like a boy? Sure. Sweet? Maybe...it was hard to tell between what seemed like a really bad dream for him. And I'm sure it was scary. He had no idea where he was or what happened. He remembered having to blow up a balloon (that is what they got him to do when they put a mask over him) and that monkey did it first. He said monkey didn't do a good job and would have to have his tonsils taken out the next day. The worst part was getting him to drink or eat a popsicle. He just flat out didn't want to...and I don't blame him. I'm sure it felt like a bomb went off in his throat. Once he threw up, ate two popsicles, we were allowed to go home. And he has done well. Here is what I've learned, just after 24 hours of having the procedure:
1. I'm going to have to break him of popsicles for every meal of the day as soon as possible. This is going to be an issue.
2. Pain medicine is a great idea...and don't try to push it.
3. Fill your medicine the night before and come up with a schedule for the next day of dosage that doesn't involve a middle of the night feeding.
4. At some point, we are going to have to go back to TV limits...this won't be fun to break him of later. At this point, I will embrace it as he has to be inactive for almost two weeks.
5. Cuddling your 3 year-old/patient is more rewarding for me than it is for him. I love that he wants me to hold him or rub his back or anything (other than full contact sports).
6. There is a tactful way to take pictures of your kids without seeming insensitive...you know who you are and you should put the camera down. I caught a couple of pictures of H around the procedure, but you are seeing my only pictures.
7. There is nothing more wonderful than a very groggy 3 year-old that only wants to see his baby brother and give him a kiss...melt your heart times ten.
8. It is hard to be prepared to see your child come to from anesthesia and no that he is totally undone about where he is or what has happened...you feel so helpless as a mom.
9. This is no big shocker, but Adam is super-dad. He went with us for surgery. He ran to get breakfast as soon as Harrison left our site. And when Harrison threw up lots of blood, Adam knew exactly what to do (whereas I felt a little queasy). And Harrison wants his dad to give him the medicine because he "likes the way daddy does it."
10. A big thanks to grandma Linda for watching Fisher while we were gone...that was a HUGE help. Now, if I had just planned to have a repairman to fix the garbage disposal, dishwasher handle, and ice maker that coincidentally broke on the same day, I would have been uber-prepared.

Dressed Like a Pansy

2011-07-24T11:45:00.003-06:00

Before I get into the subject of this blog, I thought I would update everyone (which I know you are on pins and needles waiting for) on Fisher's 6 month stats. I haven't had a chance to update, so here we go:
Height 28 3/4 inches (greater than the 95th percentile...off the charts)
Weight 17 lbs, 6 ounces (55th percentile)
I think it is safe to say he is long and lean.
Something else to address before I get into the subject matter. I said I would never dress my son like a pansy. Now I know there are plenty of people who do, who I am actually friends with, and it doesn't make me think any less of anyone. But once I lived in Colorado and saw life outside of smocked outfits...I thought I could never do it. Now, I live in the heart of smocked outfit city. And here is the deal...I think it is cute, but I just thought I would never do it. Until I forgot. I was on a mission for something with bold color for Fisher's 6 month pictures. And if you don't have a boy of your own, you can't understand this statement, but it is absolutely slim pickens out there for little boys' clothing. So, I was on my mission and I was at my friends clothing shop for kids (which has super cute stuff for girls and mostly pansy-ish type stuff for boys). I came across a beautiful turquoise color and I thought it would look beautiful with Fisher's eyes. I came home with it (it was 50% off) and immediately realized that I purchased a smocked turquoise "bubble" with a peter pan collar for my son. There are so many adjectives in that sentence that I swore I would never use as it relates to dressing my son. Not to mention it had star fish on it that allegedly look like flowers. And let me clarify, I am not wholly opposed to smocking (on boys under one year old), but I am wholly opposed to an outfit like I bought. I was stuck...it was on sale. So, when it came time for the pictures, I took a few outfits, including the one that I purchased since I did spend money on it. Well, Fisher decides to get real cute and smile a ton when he was in that outfit...of course. So, above is the "sneak peek" the photographer sent me. I saw her last night and she hasn't been able to edit any of them yet, but this is just one that she saw. So, hopefully, there will be some cute pictures in other apparel. Either way, he's cute...and let me stress...HE.

Colorado Part 3 (Final)

2011-07-17T18:30:00.000-06:00

Once headed back to Denver from Steamboat Springs, we stopped in Georgetown (Colorado) for a fun trip aboard a train. Harrison kept yelling "all aboard," and once asked if the engineer was the guy from Polar Express. Riding outdoors in a train in the Rockies was definitely a highlight of the trip.
We spent our last day going to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science as well as getting out some energy in Boulder. We love Boulder and just walking around in Boulder makes us so happy...but truly, Boulder could not be any more different than Pawleys Island (and we love both). And lastly, we had dinner with some dear friends on our final night. I'm not sure we realized exactly how rich our friendships were that we had while in Colorado. But we'll be back...at least once a year. Hanging out with Harrison was such a blessing on this trip. We look forward to many more vacations with him.
Favorite Harrison quotes of the trip:
*To the pilot before leaving Charleston for Atlanta, "Do you remember how to get us to Colorado?"
*Just before landing in Denver, "Mom...look at all those farms. That's amazing!"
*As we drive into Steamboat, "Mom, Dad...see those mountains...They are beautiful."
*After I told Harrison twice that he needs to wear his tennis shoes in lieu of flip fops for the gondola and hike, "Mom, I can wear my flip-fops. It might be okay. We'll see...watch...it will be okay." (uh...when did my baby get old enough to talk like this?)
*Once I told Harrison that he couldn't ride in a hot-air balloon, "I'm all done, mom. Let's go back to hotel. Wait. Let's just ask if I can get in the hot air balloon. It will be perfect. I'll just tell that man that."

Colorado Part 2

2011-07-17T18:13:00.000-06:00

So, after the legit, cowboy rodeo (tight pants and all...with no country accents...still an enigma to me), the next morning (way too early) we went to Steamboat's annual Hot Air Balloon Rodeo. It was beautiful. We really wanted to get into the balloons. It was so interesting to see the culture as well as the "how" behind ballooning. If you ever plan a trip to Colorado in the summer, you must time it with this event. It is so neat. Next on our agenda, was the gondola ride to the top of Steamboat mountain. I mean, what's a trip to Colorado without this? I'll tell you one thing...it will save a heck of a lot of money to NOT get on the gondola...a tad pricey for a walk around the top of the mountain, but beautiful views nonetheless. Once we got to the top, we went on what I call a hike, but Adam calls a walk. It was in nature...on top of mountain...in the wilderness...possible bears and mountain lions...hardly any oxygen...I'm going with hike. Harrison and I climbed on rocks (while I tried really hard to not think about getting eaten by a four-legged predator) and had a blast.

Colorado Part 1

2011-07-17T18:02:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we were fortunate enough to take a trip to Colorado. Thankfully, I'm still working out there, so it makes it very easy to get back to visit. We hope to visit frequently with the boys, and especially with Harrison since that is where he was born.
The first picture is Harrison with a balloon...we are at a place called "My Brother's Bar." That was the first place Adam and I ate when we visited Colorado (before moving there) and we fell in love with it. It is a little hole in the wall downtown Denver that doesn't have any televisions (major plus). The other pictures are from the rodeo that we attended in Steamboat Springs. It was so fun, but I think Harrison had a blast riding on the fake horses. After driving to Steamboat and back to Denver, I quickly learned that my least favorite question right now is, "Mom...why is taking us so long?" as I may have heard it 2000 times. In fact, Harrison asked me that question yesterday in the car (and we're home) and I said, "Harrison, please stop asking me that." His reply, "because you might pop my hiney?" Um yes...or pull my hair out...whatever seems more appropriate that time.

Fish-a-lish

2011-07-07T07:58:00.004-06:00

Harrison is in Charleston. He has been for a few days. We embark on a Colorado Adventure with him tomorrow, so leaving him in Charleston was an easy decision. Plus, he had zero desire to leave Nana's fun house and come home with us. Our house is much quieter now. And much more peaceful.
Having this alone time with Fisher has been so great for me. I don't have to worry about Harrison flying planes into his head or getting a little moody when he sees me spending time with Fisher. While at home with Fisher, I've come to realize that he really gets about 25% of the attention that Harrison received at his age. When your second comes around, you just don't have the same amount of time to give to him. I know this is no surprise to anyone. And it isn't to me, either. But being alone with him for two days with my undivided attention, I've realized just how big of a difference it is. I've also realized how much easier it was with just one child. I have no idea what I did with my time. But when you have one, you just can't see that. So, this time with Fisher has been so sweet. But we are ready to get the big brother back: we all really miss Harrison. He brings life to the house that is certainly missed when he isn't here. The night before last when Adam got home he said, "You know, I really miss the excited Harrison greeting me at the door with a big 'HEY DAD, HOW WAS WORK TODAY?'" Nana, thanks for watching Harrison while we get to spend time with Fisher...it has been really wonderful for us.

4th of July Fun

2011-07-06T09:19:00.000-06:00

We had a great time celebrating the 4th with Adam's family. Adam took the opportunity to get Harrison out on the sunfish and paddleboard as much as possible.

6 Months Old!

2011-07-05T14:26:00.000-06:00

Raise your hand if you are six months old and steal the hearts of everyone around you...go ahead, Fisher...raise your hand.
We can't believe our newborn is six months old. Un-stinking-believable.

My Brantley Boys

2011-07-05T14:22:00.000-06:00

I'm just wondering if everyone thinks their family is this cute...

Murrells Inlet to Charleston

2011-07-05T14:10:00.000-06:00

A few weekends ago, we took a boat trip down the Intracoastal from Murrells Inlet (our house) to Charleston (Adam's parents). We had a great time. Harrison wanted to get out and swim at every chance he could. It was such a fun day, but we only captured a few pictures of it.

Sweet Distraction

2011-06-23T13:43:00.000-06:00

While I'm trying to work, I keep looking down and seeing this sweet nugget smiling at me. I'm so easily distracted by him. I mean, look at that face...I just want to nibble on his cheeks. And when I ask him a question, he shoots me the cutest little smile plus a pterodactyl sound to go with it. Right now, as I type, I'm posting pictures of him instead of working. Oops.

Some Of My Favorites

2011-06-22T13:46:00.001-06:00

Memorial Day weekend, we were in Charleston to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Baby George, via Julie Cochran. We had such a great time celebrating with her. I will say, however, that the best part was hanging at the Brantley's dock on Memorial Day with Julie and Margaret. Though I didn't win any parenting awards for sunscreen application that day, we had one of my favorite days on the water in a long time. And Harrison might have developed a baby crush on Julie...he seems to be getting a lot of those these days. Julie, thanks a bunch for the pictures. They are wonderful and captured our day perfectly.

We Tried To Get A Picture...

2011-06-22T13:41:00.000-06:00

But this is all we could manage to get on Father's Day. All three of my boys...I love them to pieces. And Adam can't believe that this was his fourth father's day...crazy.

2011-06-19T19:36:00.000-06:00

Yay For New Blog Design

2011-06-18T19:20:00.002-06:00

Major Kudos to Megan Simon, a design guru, for creating a new blog for me and allowing me to be a little bit cooler.

To Three or Not to Three...

2011-06-17T06:46:00.003-06:00

This post could be long, so I don't recommend reading it. Since we got pregnant with Fisher we decided that two kids would complete our family. And after we had him, it really did feel complete. My big question for myself these days "does it feel complete for now or are we for sure, done?" Since I can't answer that question 100%, we aren't going to do anything drastic, but five days out of the week, I wish we would go ahead and do it.
Now that I've had my second, everyone tells us the transition from 1 to 2 is much harder than 2 to 3. And I can see that. When you have one child, you still have some free time, but when you add the second in there, your free time is reduced significantly. And resting just after you have the baby is just not as possible when you have another child running around. So, getting used to our "new normal" was a change, but we were most definitely in our grove by 6-8 weeks. The whole transition to life with three wouldn't be that hard. I think life as a whole would be harder (for us). Adam and I are functioning really well in man to man defense. Zone defense would be a totally different story. To me, that is scary. Especially since Adam doesn't handle stress well, and I don't handle frusturation well. I do think those are two totally different things by the way. Which leads to the question, and for me, the most important question, "Can Adam and I parent three kids well?" I'm not so sure. And then there is this "having a baby" thing too. I'm already missing the sweet newborn phase. I'm missing that a lot more now than I did with Harrison...and that probably is because I know that we won't have anymore kids. But that is a terrible reason to have another child. I'll probably look back at this post when Fisher is 18 months and think that there is absolutely no way I can have another child (18 months to 2 1/2 years of Harrison was the toughest for me). I do want to note that I'm just saying all of this as it relates to our family. I know that people parent 3 or more kids really well and it works great for them...I just don't know for us. Here is the good news...I don't have a gun to my head to make me decide this right now.
As a side note, who the heck does Fisher look like? I've looked back at Harrison's baby pictures and they don't look the same at all...and it is so darn hard to look past those big ole eyes to see if there are other features that are similar. And he doesn't look like our baby pictures either.

Too Excited Not to Post Immediately...

2011-06-11T14:52:00.005-06:00

Harrison water-skied today! He wasn't on two separate skis, but it was pretty darn close to the real thing. While staying at my uncle's house, we took the opportunity to see if Harrison would do it. Because he saw his kid's do it, I think he didn't think twice about it. He absolutely loved it until he got up with Adam. Adam's skis from circa 1950 were spraying him and he was definitely not a fan of it. But it was so hilarious. Harrison loved it and we can't wait to get him out there again. I'm so proud of that kid. Oh, and the boy in the picture with him is our cousin, Spencer, who is 4 years-old and first got up on skis before he was one! My uncle's family are little ski-ninjas. Seriously...you should see them...well, and him. He taught Adam to barefoot today in about .2 seconds.

Things I Could Never See Myself Doing

2011-06-09T08:14:00.003-06:00

There is a little mental list that I started in college of "things that I can't see myself doing." I'd like to think that, well especially in college, I could do anything I set my mind to. But there is a handful of items that induced a chuckle when I tried to imagine myself doing them. #1 on that list, was being a mom. It isn't that I thought being a mom was unattainable; it was more that I couldn't see myself doing it...everyday. And frankly, I never liked to baby-sit.
Another thing on that list is gardening. Again, it isn't that I despised the activity. I just thought it wouldn't be my thing. My mom certainly never gardened. However, just a month ago, I've finally planted a garden. Go ahead and laugh...I can't see myself doing it either. And despite the drought, it is still alive. I would not consider myself a gardener...in fact, I probably never will consider myself a gardener. One thing I do know is that we have all sorts of stuff growing in our yard and we are having a blast.

5 Month Summary

2011-06-05T13:03:00.003-06:00

Five Months Out...I don't even know what to think about that. Here is a summary:
1. Started on solids (see picture) and I forgot exactly how frusturating this is for all parties involved. However, I'm beginning to wonder if the little piece of your tongue that was clipped at birth hinders your eating ability.
2. In the past two days, I've just stopped waking you up in the morning and at your naps. I'm always super nervous about stopping this as I am a firm believer in developing a happy wake-up disposition in your babies. I know that it happens between 4 and 6 months, and so far you are just a delight when you wake up. You just hang out in your crib until I come to get you.
3. If you see the bottle, you have to have it in your mouth...in fact, it is still a very bad idea to not have a bottle ready prior to getting you out of bed. By the way, you are chunking up a lot and when you act like that it makes people think that I never feed you...so please stop acting like we are hurting you...we aren't and you know it.
4. You still sleep and nap like a champ (which I'm always hesitant to say). However, you much prefer to sleep in your bed...sleeping in the car seat is on its way out it seems and there is definitely no sleeping in our arms (as you so clearly expressed at church this morning when you were beyond tired).
5. Your brother still brings the biggest smile to your face.
6. Every person that sees you for the first time comments on your eyes. People either say, "Oh, my gosh...look at those big eyes," or "I can't believe how alert he is." We find the latter of the two the funniest as you clearly aren't unusually alert. It is the size of your eyes that makes you seem that way.
7. You stopped trying to crawl (victory, mom), but you are sitting-up, sort of.
And at this moment, you are a little bit sick, which makes me sad. However, I'm super thankful that you don't mind having your temperature checked in the rear as I'm having to do that frequently.

End of the Year Blues

2011-06-05T12:48:00.004-06:00

Harrison is no longer going to be the youngest kid at school. We switched schools after last year and all this year, he has been in the youngest class. Now, he is moving up. The thought of my child not being the youngest is weird. In my mind, he is still the fragile two year-old that entered last fall. When he first started school, his words were still hard to understand and he seemed desperately shy. But the fact is, he is a different boy today from last August. He is growing up. He has made friends that I know he will have for a lifetime, which makes me so excited. And when his little brother made his way into the world this year, for two months, Harrison would exclaim upon entering his class "hey everybody...my baby brother, Fisher, is here. Do you want to see him?" I love that he has learned the Lord's Prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and so many other things. I also love that any teacher he comes into contact with tells me just how sweet Harrison Brantley is. And he is sweet...so sweet. I love that he has learned about God's love for him. I love that at school he learned that Jesus died so we could live a full life. I love that I can already see the compassionate and "includer" side of him. Sweet Harrison, your daddy and I are so proud of you. We thank our Lord everyday for the joy you bring to our lives. We pray that you are going to be a leader among your buddies at school, and that you continue to love with gentleness and compassion.

Love Bug

2011-06-02T08:02:00.003-06:00

Sweet Fisher... We love you so much. Your smiles are so huge and contagious. You have a few more opinions about life than I think most babies your age do, but that keeps us on our toes. On another note...you have the stinkiest diapers on the planet. Harrison and I both gag. And long after they have been removed, we can still smell it. For a cute little love bug like you, you sure do smell terrible. Everyone keeps telling me it is payback. I'm not so sure what they are talking about. But be sweet to me or I'm going to tell your future wife about this...just kidding...maybe.

Harrison's Modeling Debut

2011-05-24T20:26:00.002-06:00

So, Harrison made his modeling debut for a store in Murrells Inlet. The owner happens to be my friend, but I can't help but think she asked him to be in it because he is so darn cute. That has to be it, right? Funny story about the photo shoot...Harrison was all about it when the photographer was taking his picture alone (I may have bribed him prior to shoot). Enter Henning (other cute boy). Harrison was absolutely not interested in being in a picture with him. All we tried to get him to do was stand behind the rocking chair. But he was not having it...maybe on the verge of tears. So, they took Henning's picture. He left. And then Harrison joyfully walked up to the chair and stood as we asked him to. Unbelievable. So, this picture is most definitely photo-shopped. It cracks me up.

Can You Tell Who Fisher Adores?

2011-05-22T13:25:00.006-06:00

Okay, so click on this link to see Harrison and Fisher playing together. While Harrisons laugh does get disturbing, I do love it. And can someone tell me how to embed this video in my blog post?

More From Our Upstate Visit

2011-05-20T08:41:00.002-06:00

When we were up at Matt's graduation, we had a chance to spend some time with Adam's grandparents as well. Can you tell what Harrison's favorite thing to do at Grandma and Grandpa Stephen's house is?

Congratulations Uncle Matt Matt!

2011-05-14T18:26:00.002-06:00

Congrats, Matt! We are so proud of you. And your nephew, Harrison, thinks you hung the moon. He also seems to think that you play basketball since you graduated on the basketball court. Thanks for letting us be a part of your college graduation.

Fisher's 4 Months

2011-05-10T18:35:00.003-06:00

So, the latest (and last) addition to our household has been out of the womb for four months now. Well, four months and some change. I was waiting to update until we had his 4 month check-up which we did today. Fisher is constantly changing and life is certainly going by a lot faster with him than it did with Harrison. Fisher has been rolling over for a month now, and as of the past two weeks, he won't stop rolling over. This is just so different from Harrison as he sat up before he rolled over. Harrison was a little late on some of his physical milestones...not for any reason except that he is just the most content kid. Fisher, from what we can tell, is a man on the move. In fact, he is trying to crawl. Call me a bad mom, but I'm doing my best to discourage it. I put him in things so he can't practice. I know...he will soon, but for now, I need him to be where I leave him so I can run out the room for a moment. For now, I'm just loving hearing him laugh like crazy and smile all of the time...and I'd rather him remain stationary while he does that. I also love cuddling this kid...after he eats, because of his reflux, we try to keep him elevated for about 20 minutes, so I take that opportunity to snuggle him. Unfortunately, he just wants to see what Harrison is doing and doesn't care about nuzzling his momma. We are just so thankful for the joy that he brings our family. Here are his stats from his check-up:

15 lbs 4 ounces (70th percentile)

26 1/4 inches (90th percentile)

The crazy thing about his weight is that when he was at the doctor just over a week ago, he weighed about one pound less. Apparently while he was sick, he lost a good bit of weight. The doctor thinks that he might would be a pound heavier if he hadn't been sick.

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T19:42:00.003-06:00

And of course, the only one that he is looking at the camera, I'm not.

Since getting both of my kids to take a picture with me is next to impossible, here are pictures from today of the two boys who allow me to celebrate this wonderful day.

Thanks to my mom, step mom, and mother-in-law who love me well and love my kids as if they are their own. Nothing makes me happier than seeing y'all love Harrison and Fisher. We are so thankful for the time that y'all take to make them a priority in your lives. We love y'all!

This Kid

2011-05-08T19:30:00.003-06:00

On Friday, Harrison had a "performance" for Mother's Day at school. After he got dressed, I asked him to run upstairs to grab his shoes. He came back down with a tie in his hands and said, "Mom, today is a special day. I want to wear this tie for you." First, he has never worn this tie. He has only worn a bow tie, and has only done that twice (the past two Easters). Lastly, who could argue with that? Seriously, I have the sweetest kid. I had to drop him off at a friend's house to ride to school and his friend's dad said, "Man, Harrison it looks like you are headed to high school." And it did...circa 1992. But he still looked sooo cute. And somehow, I think he pulled it off...maybe because I'm his mom. But look at him with his class...tell me he doesn't look like a baller.

What I'm Loving Right Now...

2011-05-04T11:19:00.004-06:00

Here are a few things that make me smile regularly during the day:

the fact that Julie Cochran is going to have a baby boy

Harrison's unprompted "I love you mom"

Harrison's hugs that involve him rubbing my back as he squeezes me tight

Fisher's smiles and laughs upon seeing his brother (Fisher has been sick and Harrison was concerned that Fisher wasn't smiling at him all of the time...now that he is on the mend, Harrison keeps saying, "Mom, Fisher is feeling better. He's smiling at me now."

the sound that comes through the monitor as Fisher sucks his middle three fingers...it is too cute to me

the lists of things that Harrison is thankful for when we say prayers at night; I can tell you this, there is no shortage of things. Just last night, I said, "Harrison tell God what you are thankful for," and his response, in this order, "My Fisher, lamp, letters, bed, art, Miss Lindsay, the girls (our dogs), pajamas, mom, monkey, and dad." I guess we know where we are in the pecking order. I'm just thankful I came in ahead of monkey.

Harrison's 20 Questions when I'm leaving the room for the night. Here is a sampling: "Mom, why do I have two beds in my room?" "Mom, I don't like my dresser right there...let's move it." "Can we move my train table downstairs?" "Why does Fisher cry? I think he wants to sleep with me. Go get him." "Mom, I get up real early tomorrow, okay?" He literally tries to think of everyone thing he can to keep me from leaving the room, which is annoying. But it always makes me laugh...hard.

Fisher has the cheapest smile. I also love that you can tell when he is tired as he laughs pretty easily...feels like a courtesy laugh...and I love it!

Watching Adam and the boys together...ah...it really, really warms my heart.

Harrison's memory...don't say it if you don't want it repeated.

When I get to put eye drops in my eye during the day to help get rid of my pink eye

that Fisher does NOT have meningitis...we had a scare last Friday and had to go to the hospital. Ugh...babies do not belong in hospitals after they are born...I was a weepy mess for about three hours.

Aunt Boo & Uncle Billy

2011-05-01T07:58:00.003-06:00

While we were at Fripp, we got a chance to go to dinner in Beaufort where Amanda & Billy joined us. I snapped a few pictures of them with our boys just so you can see how much they love our kids. Adam and I feel so blessed that they love our boys the way that they do. Lately, we've been talking about what is going to happen when they have kids. We just pray that we can love their kids half the way that they love our kids.

Fripp Island

2011-05-01T07:34:00.004-06:00

Class of 2029: Fisher, Evan, and Mattie.

At this point, it looks like the bigger ones can eat Fisher.
Loving these boys...
PS...Harrison refused to take his shoes off at the beach

Harrison cuddling Mattie. Seriously, he loves little babies.

I love this boy

After Easter lunch, we headed down to Fripp Island for a much needed vacation with the Reed Family. The DeMooney's came to join us for a day, which was so much fun. It was so fun to see what vacations will look like with our friends. Harrison is the oldest and he was so sweet loving on all of the babies. We even caught Emerson and Harrison on a little date on the couch one afternoon. And then little Fisher is the youngest and he is going to want to do what all of the other kids are doing. I think I learned that a trip with the kids is just a trip, while one without the kids is a vacation. I mean, I loved being there with our families, but I think a getaway for Adam and myself is in store for later this year.

Dear Reed Family, thanks for taking us on a great trip. I love our times together as it usually results in pee-your-pants funny times as well as a few tears (we may have become softies). I hope we have many more years of vacation. Next time, don't let me forget to take pictures of Harrison and Emerson loving each other. And, let's keep the wildlife to a minimum on the next vacation. It was hard for me to sleep knowing there was a slithering snake taking up residence at the house.

Easter 2011

2011-05-01T07:20:00.003-06:00

Neither of our boys were thrilled to be taking a picture (hence the pain on both of their faces)

This year we headed down to Charleston for Easter. We really miss our old church, St Andrews, and thought there wouldn't be a better way to celebrate Easter than to go to Boone Hall (St. Andrews Easter Service). It was also Adam's birthday so we had a great time celebrating his life as well. It made my heart so happy when I asked Harrison why we celebrated Easter, he said, "because of Jesus," and not because of the Easter Bunny. To me, the Easter Bunny is such a silly concept. And why muddy the holiday that is the basis for Christianity, anyway?

Harrison the Egg Hunter

2011-04-21T12:18:00.004-06:00

My kid was a serious egg hunter this morning. He went nuts. Harrison didn't even notice that I was there. And when he did, he kept running. His teacher came up to "count" his eggs so she could take some out and throw them out to the other kids. She didn't pull anything over on him. He saw what she was doing and decided to throw out some more to share with his friends. He sat down to eat the goodies while everyone else kept searching.

First Campout

2011-04-21T12:03:00.004-06:00

Adam decided that last weekend was the time to try to get Harrison to camp out for the first time. Adam has been wanting to take him into the "woods" and camp out for real, but after I pointed out the fact that he may hate it and not make it through the night, he decided to set-up camp in the back yard. I'm not sure if Adam or Harrison had more fun. They roasted marshmallows, pitched a tent, and did all sorts of fun "guy" stuff. Believe it or not, Harrison made it all night out in the tent with Adam. He was so proud of himself. Adam said the next day that sleeping with Harrison is not necessarily relaxing. Adam said that H talks to himself and grinds his teeth all night. I explained that is what every night of my life is with him. They had an awesome time and I'm sure there will be many more camp outs in the future. I'm just thankful that Harrison has a dad that wants to take him on fun adventures.

Some Thoughts...I know, go figure

2011-04-17T19:09:00.004-06:00

First of all, this boy has stolen my heart in a way that I did not know existed. I was unsure if I could love another child as much as I love Harrison. Take heart moms expecting your second...you can and it is rather unbelievable.

So, about a week ago, our family was out to dinner at one of our favorite sit-down restaurants. For the most part, there are only old folks there as that is the demographic we reside in for the time being. Anyway, as we were leaving, a couple pulled us aside and said to me "You have done such a great job with your kids. They may be the most well-behaved kids I have ever seen. Your older son was superb and acted like a grown boy." As we said thanks, another couple close by said, "We agree. Great Job." I'm not writing this to brag. I'm writing this to tell you how blessed we were by this. Adam and I got in the car and pretty much immediately praised the Lord for 1) giving us great kids and 2) for guidance in parenting. And since then, I've been thinking a lot about this. I've been thinking a lot about why this made my day. I've been thinking a lot about my own insecurities as a parent. When I found out I was pregnant with Harrison, I laughed for about nine months while I thought about being a mother. When I was pregnant, I had serious doubts about my ability to be a "good" mother and truly what it meant to be a "good" mother. And while your pregnant, it is so nice to hear compliments like, "you looks great. I can't believe you are about to have baby," I remember one person telling me, "Mandy, you are going to be such a great mom." Oh my...I remember wanting to cry. At that point, that was the best compliment I could hear (and receive). I chose to receive it. I believed that the Lord had created me to be a mom for the first time.

It is hard to articulate that calling on your life. I mean, to be a mom, is one of the most rewarding yet challenging things one can do. It is a crazy feeling that a child (or baby) that drives you crazy, you also would take a bullet for. It is just so bizarre. But we do our best. I know there are some crazies out there, but for the most part, moms are doing their best. I am doing my best. Sure, there are times and things that I'm not proud of as a mom, but I believe that goes for all of us in all aspects of our lives. Adam and I lose sleep over our kids. We pray for our kids more than we do for anything else. It is just crazy, what children do to you. I know it sounds like I'm rambling. I am. All of this to say...tell your mom that you are thankful for what she did for you (mom, thanks for loving me unconditionally). Tell someone who is about to become a mom that you think they are going to be great. It truly is a huge blessing.

Lots of Visitors

2011-04-14T15:49:00.003-06:00

Harrison and Emerson eating dinner together

Harrison loving on sweet Harper, who is probably the most laid back girl I have ever met. And I wanted to chew on those cheeks of hers...I mean, look at them. Maybe not chew...but lots of kisses.

Over the past few weeks we have had a revolving door of visitors (which we love). First, Matt and Allyn came to visit. And unfortunately, I didn't capture a picture, but I will say that Harrison legitimately had a crush on Allyn. It was so bizarre...not that she isn't worthy. But I've never seen my child act like this before around anyone. And after she left, he wanted to call her. In fact, he did. And when he called her, he proclaimed his love for her on her voicemail. After he hung up he said, "Mom, why Allyn not say anything back to me." Of course I explained that he just left her a message. But I wouldn't be lying if I didn't go into why he needs to guard his heart and not tell just any girl (not that you are "just any girl" Allyn) he loves her. I may have even gone deeper to try to scare him away from girls. Seriously, the thought of a girl breaking my son's heart makes me want to punch someone. Thankfully, we won't have to worry about that for a while.

Two of my good friends, Kelly (with her daughter, Harper) and Karen came to visit last weekend. Adam got to get away to Charleston and do guy things without the presence of a wife or kids...which I'm sure he needed. And lastly, the Reeds have been frequent visitors to our household. Words cannot express how happy this makes my heart. Since Allison and I graduated from college, we both went in our separate directions geographically. So, to have her nearby and able to visit has literally made my year. If you don't know Allison Reed...you need to get to know her. She is, by far, one of the most amazing people I know. And for that reason, I'm elated to have her daughter marry Harrison. I mean, I know arranged marriages aren't kosher these days. But seriously, it makes sense now that I have kids of my own. Okay, okay. I know it is ridiculous. In fact, if you saw them in action together, you would think..."ain't no way are they going to get married." And they probably won't. They are going to be forced to take vacations together for the next 15 years, so I'm sure they won't be so keen on each other (until college).

Dear 3 Month Old That Lives at My House...

2011-04-11T12:55:00.002-06:00

I love you to pieces. You are so sweet, pretty mild at this point, and more than anything, you want people (namely, Harrison) to talk to you. Thank you for sleeping through the night so early. Mom and Dad really appreciate that. However, we have a bone to pick with you. Since you sleep on your belly, you have learned to scoot all the way to the top of your crib and wedge yourself in the bumper. This usually happens between 3 am and 5 am. And you are not a big fan. Me either. Even though it only takes two seconds to readjust you, I'd like for you to figure out how to not do it. Also, I'm glad that you have can accidentally roll over while you are asleep. But you don't like that either. So I don't. If you could address these issues soon, I'd greatly appreciate it. Love you.

Here Woodpecker...

2011-04-08T08:29:00.003-06:00

The other day while we were playing, this is how our conversation unfolded:

H: Mom, come see this. What is that thing hammering in our tree?

M: I don't see what you are talking about.

H: Pay attention. You aren't looking. Right there. (He was right).

M: Oh, I see it. That is a woodpecker.

H: Why is that woodpecker doing that?

M: Just cause (obviously I'm distracted and to tell you the truth, I don't know why they do that).

H: Why, "just cause?" (Clearly this answer isn't cutting it anymore).

M: Well, I guess he just wants to make a hole.

H: Why does that woodpecker have red hair stuck up like that?

M: H, I have no idea.

H: I need to catch him. Where is our broom?

M: I'm not sure you can catch him with a broom.

H: Yes I can. I need my helmet too.

M: Okay, good luck and don't get too close. I don't want him to hammer on your face.

H: That's silly mom. I be careful.

And so, for the next 30 minutes, Harrison chased the woodpecker around the yard...in the appropriate garb saying "Here woodpecker. Here woodpecker. I want to see you."

Guard Dogs

2011-04-07T16:04:00.002-06:00

Sweet Chewy and Marley guarding the stroller with Fisher in it while I played with Harrison. They weren't going to let anything happen to him. Well, at least, Chewy wasn't. Marley was just interested in guarding her ball.

Handsome

2011-04-04T20:02:00.002-06:00

I know this is okay. This boy is handsome.

Myrtle Beach Aquarium

2011-04-04T19:38:00.003-06:00

A few weekends ago we headed up to Myrtle to visit the Aquarium. We haven't been to an aquarium since Harrison was about 18 months old. Now, he is much more interested and he had a blast. He was a little apprehensive about the shark tank that you walk under, but I don't necessarily blame him for that. I also asked Adam to get a picture of me with both the boys...as you can see, Harrison was thrilled to be taking a picture.

Clemson Buddies

2011-04-04T19:29:00.002-06:00

Fisher's expression mimics mine. I love it.

Is It Okay?

2011-03-29T15:19:00.003-06:00

I straight-up think my son is pretty. Is that okay at this age? Handsome just seems too old. I might would say Harrison is handsome. But to describe a baby as handsome makes him seem like a man-baby. Just today, I had him in a gown (a newborn gown that boys and girls wear...not a pageant gown, for those of you who may be confused), and I was like, "gosh, you are so pretty." My husband would kill me for saying that.

3 Year Check-Up

2011-03-25T14:15:00.000-06:00

We went for Harrison's three year check-up today. When I made the appointment, the receptionist told me that he didn't have to have any vaccinations. So, that is what I told Harrison. When we got there, the doctor told me that he did have to have one. I dreaded telling him, but he truly handled it like a champ. I mean, he cried, but it is so different to give a 3 year-old a shot vs a newborn. I'd take the newborn any day. I called Adam and asked him to put his 4 year check-up in his calendar because he will have four shots and I don't think I can handle it.
Here are his stats:
Height: 39 1/2 inches (90th percentile)
Weight: 36 lbs (88th percentile)

I Choose You...

2011-03-24T14:09:00.000-06:00

I don't know if everyone is familiar with the book "I Choose You," but it is truly one of the cutest books on the market for kiddos. I find myself telling this sweet little boy all of the time, "I Choose You," or "I'm so glad it's you." After all that I went through to get this little buddy growing in my body, I would do it all over again, if it meant that he was the end product. He has captured my heart. And I love his zest for life that he already displays...which I thank God for everyday. I'd love for my original OB who told me that he probably wasn't going to make it and that we should terminate the pregnancy to save my tube to see how full of life he is. I'm so glad that the Lord chose him.

Things that are cracking me up...

2011-03-21T19:30:00.000-06:00

Life has taken a turn for the funny. In all actuality, I always try to find something to laugh about. Here is what is currently cracking me up in the Brantley House/Life:
1. Wheel of Fortune: we feed Fisher at 7:00 every night. When it is time to feed him, all of us watch Wheel of Fortune too (I do recognize that this fact may be both lame and funny in itself). When it starts to come on, Harrison says, "I want to see what color she wears." Obviously he is talking about Vanna White, who he calls (Nana White). When the contestants guess the letter "H," Harrison says, "hey, they guessed my name." And then when one of us knows the answer to the puzzle and says it aloud, Harrison repeats it. Then when the actual contestant solves it, Harrison says, "Hey, I got it right."
2. The Don Holt Bridge: Harrison is really into asking the names of roads that we drive regularly. Around thanksgiving, we told him while on the way to Charleston that the name of the bridge we were on is called "The Don Holt Bridge." So, now, on the way to Charleston he asks about the Don Holt Bridge. Just yesterday, while we were in Georgetown, he asked and after I said no, he replied, "Mom, I just kidding. This isn't the Don Holt Bridge. This is Georgetown."
3. The Whoopee Cushion: Uncle Matt gave Harrison a whoopee cushion for his birthday. The jury is still out on who laughs the hardest, every time.
4. Older Folks Opinions on Babies: I've noticed that there is a generation that has strong opinions about babies. The one that makes me laugh the most is that babies are always cold. I can't count the number of times that people (familiar and strangers) say to me, "don't you think he is cold," or "get that baby covered up." The idea that a baby might be cold draws comments out of the wood works. I don't get mad. It just makes me laugh. Especially as it is 60 plus degrees outside and he is in an infant seat, with only his face showing.
5. Doing It Like Daddy Does: So, as we were setting up for Harrison's party on Saturday, Harrison declared that he needed to go potty and he was going to go in the grass. I didn't argue as that was much easier. And then he said, "I want to do it like Daddy Does." I had no idea what he was talking about. Then I looked over and he hadn't dropped his underwear like normal. Harrison just barely pulled "it" out of his underwear without having to drop his drawers. I nearly peed my pants. It did seem more discreet except that Harrison had the biggest smile on his face.
6. Here Fishy Fishy: Yep, that is what Harrison says to Fisher on a regular basis. Or "Wake-Up Fishy Fishy!"
7. Nothing is a secret: Harrison is the ultimate repeater right now. Last week, Harrison asked for some of my diet coke. I obviously said no as I never let him have diet coke. Then he said, "Puff said I could have just a swallow." Again, made me laugh, because that sounds just like my mom since she normally announces her "last swallow" before throwing it away or "quick swallow" before getting out of the car. And on that note, Harrison decided to call my mom "Puffy" while she was here. Too funny!

Best. Day. Ever.

2011-03-19T20:20:00.000-06:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Sweet Harrison. We just put you to sleep and your dad and I realized that this must be the best day ever in your life. Here is a quick recap:
Monster Truck Jump Castle. The Reed Family. Pinata. Your whole class/best friends. Extended Hang Out Time with the Milling Family. Orange Birthday Cake with Footballs. Lots of sweets. Lots of breaking mommy's rules (which was okay for the day). Cooking on the grill. Roasting Marshmallows. Opening Presents.
Sweet Harrison, I can't believe that you are three years-old. I'm so proud of the sweet boy that you are. I never imagined that I would have such a compassionate and rule-following child (which both, I believe you got from your dad). You are also full of life and energy and want to include everyone on everything. You are a little bit crazy and you like to make people laugh (which I think you got from mommy). My heart leaps for you and I love you more than words can explain. Your daddy and I would stand in front of an oncoming train for you, and we had no idea that we could love someone like we love you. We pray that you will follow after the Lord and lead others to Christ. We pray that you would be a great big brother to Fisher and teach him what it is like to be a godly boy. I pray for your future wife frequently...that you would love and respect her in a way that would utterly amaze her (like your daddy loves me). I can't wait to many more years with you and I'm thankful for the time that I have already had with you. Thank you for filling our lives with a richness that we did not know existed.
PS...your uncle Matt Matt got engaged to Lesley on your 3rd Birthday! Congrats Matt-Matt and Lesley. We can't wait to have her as an official member of the family.

2011-03-14T12:22:00.000-06:00

I wish that I had some pictures of Harrison to post, but it isn't that easy any more. He definitely has thoughts about me taking his picture; most of which are negative. I have to start keeping a journal of the funny things that Harrison says or does. I don't want to forget...especially when he wants nothing to do with me later. Just last weekend, I was getting dressed for a wedding and when I walked out he said, "Mom are you a princess?" Seriously...it made my heart melt. I could have looked like donkey, but because Harrison said that, I didn't even care. After I told him that was sweet, he said, "Are you in a show?" I don't know what he meant by that. And then when Adam and I were going to leave, he said, "Mom, I want to give you a hug. I love you." That little boy just steals my heart. On that note, a few weeks ago, I came into the den wearing jeans, my wallabees (my hippie shoes as Adam calls them), and some regular shirt when Harrison asked me, "Mom, why are you going on a date?" At that moment I realized that he really only sees me in "workout" clothes...aka pajamas with tennis shoes. Major fail on my part. I'm sure my husband thinks the same thing.
And I'll just leave you with some pictures of my baby boy, who at this point, lets me take his picture all of the time.

2 Month Check-Up Stats

2011-03-14T12:07:00.000-06:00

We went for Fisher's two month check-up about a week ago. I can't believe it has been two months. It definitely goes by a lot faster the second time around. I'm already having a hard time keeping up with his age in weeks.

Weight: 13 lbs, 1 ounce (.5 less than Harrison at this age) in the 80th percentile
Height: 24 1/4 inches (1 inch longer than Harrison at this age) in the 90th percentile
Head Circumfrence: 41 cm in the 70th percentile (all I know is that H was in the 40th percentile for here)

8 Weeks Old!

2011-03-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

Holy Moly! Fisher is eight weeks old today! Time is speeding up everyday. We are loving every moment with this sweet boy. As you can see, he is quite smiley. Actually, he smiles a lot more than Harrison did at this age. We had to work really hard for a smile out of Harrison, but Fisher is a cheap smile and I love it. Harrison is a super-happy kid, so the ease of getting a smile at this age is not indicative of their happiness, but gosh, it is fun when it doesn't take much. By the way, Harrison told me two nights ago when I was putting him down for bed that he wanted me to have another baby because he wants two baby Fishers at the house. I think he is alone in that feeling, but I thought it was sweet, nonetheless.

Back To Work

2011-03-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

I'm headed back to work. I've actually been working, but tomorrow is my first day on the road. It is a bittersweet feeling. For me, it is harder to leave Harrison. He is the one that is most affected by my absence. I'm excited to get back to work, however. I actually love to work. I have a great job that I wouldn't trade for anything. For me, working makes me a better mother. I know that isn't the case for everyone, but it is for me. Sure, I have to miss out on things and will continue to miss out on things in my boys' lives, but it isn't the end of the world. I grew up with a working mom and yes, there were times that she missed things in my life, but it didn't change how I loved her. I actually remember her making more an effort to be at places for me. When she worked in Columbia and had to be out of town a few days, I remember her driving to surprise me at my school on my birthday. I also remember when she would be working all over the state, she would drive from who-knows-where to come to my volleyball games. Even though she had to work out of town, she was very present in my life. In fact, I would say that she made more of an effort to be present than a lot of moms. I also grew up knowing a lot about the workings of government because my mom worked. If she didn't, then, I may have never majored in Political Science in college. Now, my boys will grow up knowing a lot about chicken and how to effectively market a grand opening (which isn't nearly as cool as what my mom did). Either way, when my boys read back through this one day, and if they have any questions about why I worked, I want them to know that I worked because I love them, and I want to be the best mom that I can be to them. I will certainly miss them while I'm away, but I always leave them in good hands. And coming home is even sweeter now...look what I get to see when I come home.

Getting Close to Three and Fun

2011-02-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

Mothering Harrison is an absolute joy. I wish I could bottle-up his tender heart and take whiffs of it when I need it down the road. And even though it may sound like I'm bragging (I am), I am so thankful that his teachers tell me how great he is frequently. They tell me that he listens well, is a great helper, and they wish all of the kids were as sweet as him. I mean, seriously, that makes a mom so proud. Don't get me wrong...he has his moments. He has had more of them recently since his brother moved in to our home. But on the whole, he is a GREAT kid. We pray that he would be a blessing to others and I believe that he is so far. I know that our work has just begun though.
As we approach three, he really has turned into this little man, saying and doing things that only adults would. Yesterday, when I took these pictures of him jumping on the trampoline, I told him that it was time for monkey to have a bath to which he replied, "Come on, Mom. Monkey is not THAT dirty!" I can't believe that my little boy just said that. And when I ask him if he can help me with Fisher's diapers, he says, "Um...no mom. Those are too stinky for me." I remember about a year ago when he went for his two year check-up, I was a little concerned that he wasn't putting two words together very well, and this is what we get now. He remembers things that I don't even remember. He can give someone directions to our house from Highway 17. He knows most of the members of our immediate family's birthdays. Actually, he remembers Chewy's really well since they share a birthday. He even knows how to bargain with me (which is frustrating and hilarious at the same time because I know that I used to do that to my parents). I try to be so thankful for all of the words that Harrison expresses to me even when I am totally exhausted by them.

Funny To Me...

2011-02-20T14:34:00.002-07:00

Check out this video of Fisher from this week. I really thought he was going to talk to me. I guess I was seriously mistaken.

Bieber Fever

2011-02-14T14:55:00.001-07:00

Please don't judge me: I downloaded Justin Beiber's "Baby" on to my iPad a few days ago. I know, slightly ridiculous. I'm a grown woman with two kids. I decided to do it because I found myself singing the chorus to Fisher while trying to entertain him. Then, Harrison heard me sing it, so now he does. Then, I watched Ellen while feeding Fisher and Justin Beiber was on. After watching him on Ellen, I was really impressed with that kid. So, I decided to download that song. I may have a little bit of Bieber Fever. In fact, I'd be lying if I didn't want to see the movie. But since I'm not a tween, I'll have to wait until it comes on-demand. And at least three times a day, I ask Harrison if he has Beiber Fever and he replies, "Yes!" followed by a dance party to "Baby."

Anyway, Happy Valentine's Day to my three favorite boys!

Fashion Sense

2011-02-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

This morning, Adam sent him upstairs to get dressed and this is what he came back with: Clemson jersey, plaid shorts, and rain boots. I had to beg him to wear pants and then he picked wind pants. I'm feeling confident that he won't be getting a "best dressed" superlative in school like his dad did. Adam says that he must get his fashion sense from me. I was offended and then realized that maybe he was saying that Harrison isn't going to care what people think about him and won't dress for others...I'm sure that was the underlying message.

Where We Are

2011-02-10T12:31:00.002-07:00

the moments that I live for
they look so different sitting-up

prune juice laden spit-up...

I’m writing this post because I want to remember where I am right now with Fisher. I’m 90% sure that this will pass, as does everything in life. Right now, we are struggling with some serious tummy issues. Let me start by giving a brief history. I didn’t breastfeed Harrison. He wouldn’t latch on. So, I pumped for three weeks and then when I thought I was going to jump the roof from pumping, feeding, cleaning pump supplies, repeat, and getting over guilt (which is a whole different story) I decided it was time to switch him to formula. It was great. I’m so glad I did it. It worked really well for us. I never had an ounce of breast milk, and I turned out okay…for the most part. When I was pregnant with Fisher, I committed to doing the same for him, with hopes that I could breast feed normally. Well, he did latch on…to one side. This meant I still had to pump. This time around it seemed less tedious, which I think was due to me being prepared for it. So, Fisher got about three and a half weeks of just breast milk, and we still have some in our freezer. I actually quit, because I realized that something in my diet was making him beyond miserable every now and then. This stressed me out to no end, and the fact that I looked like Dolly Parton and didn’t want to be seen in public, made it pretty easy to quit (and I knew that formula is really not that big of a deal…I mean Harrison is pretty amazing). Well, his first day on formula, he struggled all day. Same with the next day. And the next. So we switched him to a gentle formula. Pretty much no change. At his 4 week appt, I explained to the doctor that he was uncomfortable 85% of the day. She told me to give the gentle formula a week and then try soy formula if it doesn’t get better. We also got him on a little baby Zantac. Because at this point, we aren’t sure if it is reflux, severe gas, milk allergy, or all/none of the above. I don’t want y’all to think we have jumped to any conclusions. We literally tried everything: feeding him less, more often; Mylicon and gripe water galore; burping more frequently and differently. You name it, I’m confident we tried it. But this is all new to me. I could’ve given Harrison anything in a bottle and he would’ve tolerated it well. So, we are at the tail end of the week trial of Soy Formula and Zantac. I’m not sure that he has gotten better. He got constipated just after trying Soy, so we had to give him prune juice. Bad gas and struggling to poo look pretty similar, and I’m pretty confident that gas is still an issue. He still spends 95% of his wake time in pain. And a lot of his bed and nap time he is struggling too. Not to mention if you read potential side effects in boys that are on soy formula, you want to run in the opposite direction of it. We are giving it our due diligence though. We may be onto a different formula tomorrow. We really just want to know if he has a milk allergy or has lactose intolerance. Here is what I do know…this is heartbreaking for me right now. For moms of newborns, you live for those moments when your child is awake and you get to interact with him and get the occasional smile or coo. And right now, Fisher spends pretty much all of that time in pain. Truth is… he handles it like a champ. He doesn’t cry at all…not unless it is piercing and then it goes away immediately. It really isn’t interfering with his sleep too much (I can just hear him groan all night). But there is nothing I want more than to take this pain away from him…and right now, I can’t do anything. And to feel like we have taken two steps back this past week and a half, is a little discouraging. When Harrison gets sick, we identify what it is and it takes it course…you know there is an end. And what this has made me realize is that parents who have kids that are ill…and I mean ill…cancer, serious defects, etc, are super-heroes. I have hope that this will pass…after all, we are talking about a tummy-ache. Clearly it isn’t life threatening. At this point, I think worst case scenario, my son has a milk allergy and I have to pay out the wazzoo for special formula. But for a lot of parents out there, their child’s condition won’t pass. I’m sure their hearts are just broken for their kids and not being able to take their pain away. I guess they get to a point where they cling to the hope that they have in the Lord. And move on. I don’t know how people who aren’t believers get through such trying circumstances. And as I put on the back of his birth announcement from 1 Samuel 1, “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So, now I give him over to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” This morning, I prayed over my little man’s belly and gave it to the Lord. He is the great Healer, after all. But I also threw my hands up and asked for direction. I’m sure many of you are thinking, “Mandy, get a hold of yourself, it is just gas.” Well, for me, it is tough. And this is where I am. So, when you ask me how things are going…this is how they are going. If you feel so inclined, please say a little prayer for my son’s belly. And on a totally related yet unrelated note, the sweet smelling poos that newborns allegedly grace you with are not present in our house. Apparently during the tummy troubles, his go through an extra fermenting process…gag.

It's a Funny Thing...

2011-02-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've been fortunate to get to hang out with my best friend, Allison, more regularly. Her husband has temporarily relocated to Myrtle Beach (which I count as divine intervention) thus, giving us more time to see each other. We've lived in different cities since college and since have lamented that we will probably never live in the same city again. It usually would just make me sad, but also thankful that our friendship has grown with the distance. Alas, we are within 30 minutes of each other every now and then.
But now when we hang out, it is different. When we go to dinner with our husbands and each other, it is different. Why? Because we have four kids between us. We each have two kids. What the? I mean, when did all of this happen? Just last week, she was coming over to hang out with her kids, when I had to make an emergency trip to dislodge the raisin that was stuck in my two year-old's nose. She still came over, but I never got to the pot of coffee that I wanted to consume while catching up with her. Actually, we did have 30 minutes during the day where all four kids were tucked away in their beds...maybe not asleep, but tucked away.
All of this got me thinking about my friends/time during college. I realized that some of my closest girl friends from college all have two kids now. And I really cannot believe all of it has happened. It seems like just yesterday we were all hanging out just watching a Baby Story on TLC (and me gagging, thinking that I could never do it). Now Leah has two boys, Ashley has two girls, Kristin and Allison each have a boy and a girl, and I have two boys. What in the world? None of us are even 30! I was sure that I was just going to be getting married by 30. It is like we all made a pregnancy pact. By the way, we didn't. Life is much more different than I imagined or planned. But I'm so thankful for it. I'm starting to realize that not until you give up yourself for someone else (husband and kids), that you have fully experienced life. Sure, I miss the times of sitting on the couch just hanging out with my friends; those were great times and really rich times too. But what we are experiencing now is much richer.

Found It

2011-02-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

So, I really thought I was losing my mind about the stats sheet that I received from the doctor. Fear not, I found it this morning. It was in the washing machine. Why didn't I think to look there? Harrison is really into being a "big helper" and he likes to put things in the washing machine. He must have seen it sitting on top of the dryer and thought it needed to go in the washer. So, there it was this morning when I went to do laundry.
PS...these are my boys this morning. Harrison continues to beg me to let Fisher sit in his lap. I love this picture because Harrison is holding Fisher's hand, which he did for about five minutes. I'm so thankful that he still loves being a big brother.

Whew...4 Weeks Down...

2011-02-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

I can't believe our little bear is four weeks now. We are having a great time with him. He went for his month check-up yesterday and I know that this comes as a shocker, but I have misplaced his information/stats. I know that I have it some where as I was looking at it today. As Allison reminded me today, we are just distracted these days. I do know that he is 10 lbs 4 or 6 ounces, and he is 22 1/4 inches long. I also know that his head circumference is in the 90th percentile, but I cannot remember anything else. He is pretty much exactly where Harrison was at one month. Fisher's measurements were taken probably about a week before Harrison's were, which does make a big difference. But I think Harrison was 1/4 inch longer and a few ounces heavier. I guess Harrison grew faster than Fisher is. Either way, they are both big boys.
Today, we celebrated Fisher's four weeks in the world with an emergency trip to the doctor because Harrison got a raisin stuck up his nose. Up until this point, I haven't taken the boys anywhere together by myself, other than school for pick-up or drop-off. And this morning, when Adam called me and told me that H stuck a raisin up his nose on the way to the school, I pretty much had to fly out the door (very much in my pjs and no brushed teeth) to meet Adam as he had a very important meeting. My diaper bag was a little lacking too...praise the Lord that Allison was already on her way to my house and could save the day and bring me necessities (which include the iPad for the waiting room at the doctor). So, we get to the dr office in the peak of the stomach virus and flu season, so there are literally no parking spots left. Once I talked to the lady at the front desk, and trying not to laugh at the fact that my son had a raisin up his nose, we headed off the well room as quickly as possible to avoid the cesspool of germs. Two hours later and five minutes with the doctor, the raisin was out. How, you ask? Once the doctor showed Harrison the tool he was going to have to use to get it out, he cried so hard, that it came out on it's own! If I had known it would have been that easy, I would've made him cry much earlier. So, now we are just crossing out fingers that we were able to get out of there without contracting the flu or stomach virus. Oh, and when I put Harrison down for a nap this afternoon, he told me that he wanted the raisin that was in his nose so he could eat it...gross.

3 Weeks Old

2011-01-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

After being in the world three weeks, Fisher and the Brantley family are starting to return to life as normal. Well, normal from now on, at least. I do hope being up in the middle of the night won't be normal forever, but I do recognize that it is a part of our life for now. So, we are getting used to it. I remember with Harrison once I approached the three week mark, I found myself severely burned-out of the up at night gig. Thankfully, my mom arrived somewhere in week three and graciously took the middle of the night feedings for the two weeks she was there. I remember it being uber-helpful then, and I'm certainly realizing again how great that was. It was amazing for her to do exactly what we asked her to do with Harrison and for me to trust that she would do that so I could lay my head on my pillow and get a great night's sleep. And since Harrison was sleeping through the night somewhere in the sixth week, it really was a great situation. But now, as I approach week 4, I'm not feeling the burn-out that I did with Harrison. I think I hit that two weeks ago! But I've rebounded for now, praise the Lord. Here are some thoughts/facts/tidbits that have been on my mind for the past three weeks:
1. Umbilical cord stump: this still grosses me out more than ever. It literally makes me gag. Harrison lost his around day 10, I think. Fisher apparently wants to go to college with his...it is still very much attached. Thankfully, Joan (Nana) showed me a way to clean it that may help it dry out more quickly and fall off...I just have to get past my gag reflex while trying to clean it. Fall off already!
2. Infant Gas: holy moly! I do not remember harrison having such bad gas issues. It is plaguing nap time and bed time and I'm ready for that to be over too. Mylicon is not doing the trick. I still give it to him like candy, in case it helps a bit, but Lord help me...I just want him to push that gas out. We laugh about tooting in this house; we don't cry about it.
3. Homeboy is a wiggle worm: Harrison used to just sit...so mild, so sweet. Nothing ever bothered him. Fisher, on the other hand, is all over the place. It was evident when he was in my womb that he would be a mover, but it is a little crazy to already see the difference in personalities.
4. I don't know who he looks like. Everyone keeps asking me and I have no idea. Truly, one moment, he looks like Adam, and the next he looks like me, I suppose. Mostly, he looks like Benjamin Button.
5. Skivvies: I'm ready to wear some nicer undergarments.
6. Keeping a Journal: so I thought my detailed blog would be sufficient, but there is some crucial information that I wished I would have kept record of with H. Things that I wish I wrote down so I know how to compare to where Fisher is: how much he was taking at each feeding; when we switched from three hour to four hour schedule; if he had bad gas; how many times I got up at night with him at each stage; I'm not going to do it now as this will be the last one and we won't have a newborn living at our house again. But, for those of you first time moms or soon-to-be moms out there, I highly recommend keeping a log of this information. It may seem silly now, but it will be super helpful when numero dos comes along. I find myself saying, "I don't remember it being like this with Harrison," but chances are it was, but I just blocked it out.

Harrison Our Patriot

2011-01-24T15:04:00.002-07:00

Harrison has learned how to say the Pledge of Allegiance and recently discovered that he gets an audience to listen when he says it. Here is a video of him saying it this weekend. This is one of probably 50 times that he said it.

oops...here are the 2 1/2 week pictures

2011-01-24T05:22:00.000-07:00