Fall is Here!

The year is flying by as the leaves are turning yellow, orange, and red. Which means....HALLOWEEN! I love autumn, it's my favorite season. Love the weather, love the smells, love the food, love the activities. We will be attending Becky and Mike's Oktoberfest party next weekend...looking forward to it! Since I am working on Halloween, the festivities will begin in the afternoon which include trick or treating at Grandma's and Granny's and then a kid party at Colleen and Abby's house. I am a little sad that Brody's skunk costume will be too small by Halloween, so I did have his pictures taken in it at JCPenney to forever capture the adorable Little Stinker. He will most likely be the blue monster that you can see in my last post. Brody is now pulling himself into the standing position and constantly working on trying to cruise and stand on his own. I've also started him on table foods like cooked vegetables, noodles, cottage cheese, and applesauce to name a few. He also has gotten 4 teeth on the top!! (For a total of 6 teeth!) He also has a minor case of thrush (infection in the mouth) which is yucky but under control and almost gone thanks to medicine. At the doctor on 10-5-09, he weighed 21 lbs 13 oz and was 26 1/2 inches long. He has grown SO much...no longer in the small percentiles...he's all caught up now in the 50th percentile for height and the 70 percentile for weight. Well, gotta go chase the little maniac around! Bye

Mama's Little Monster

Hello everyone...it's been a long time! Things here have been very busy. Brody turned 8 months on Sept. 1. He is officially crawling backwards and forwards. He is trying to get into everything!!!! Including this computer as I type. He has 2 sharp teeth on the bottom and is learning how to chew with Gerber puffs. He says "Mama" and "Dada" and can likes to play peek a boo and walk around in his car. He is about to have a cousin! Rudy's sister Klara is due on Sept. 27 and is having a boy. So they will be very close in age and I'm sure get into a ton of trouble together! I'm going to include some new pics. This Saturday we are participating in the 2009 ALS Walk 4 Life. So that is exciting. More later!

It's official! Brody's first tooth is at the wee beginning of surfacing! He has a white dot on his gums, which I've been told is, in fact, the corner of a tooth. I'm just so glad to get an explanation for his unusual behavior lately. One night last week, he woke up nearly every hour at night and needed to be held to go back to sleep. Let me tell you, I am not used to that anymore! Five or six people at work the next day asked me if I was ok or told me I looked tired. Ha! Who wouldn'tlook tired? But now that I know it's teeth, I will be more prepared and quicker to hand out the baby tylenol! So I'll be here in teething/drooling world for the next few weeks!
Brody is about to have a new friend, which he's very excited about. My friend Becky and her husband Mike (went to Western with me) are expecting their second son. He will be born on July 1! It is so exciting....He and Brody will be exactly 6 months apart!
Grandma and Uncle Phil are coming over to hang out today. Better clean up this mess of a house! Bye!

Brody has settled very comfortably into the life of eating food! Carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, applesauce, bananas...you name it, he's had it (on his face, clothes, hands, mom's hair!) He gets very excited when I strap him into the high chair, he has figured out that that means chow time. I am fairly sure that teething has begun...nothing showing yet but he is showing all the symptoms. He is chewing like crazy on ANYTHING he can get his mouth on...especially the stering wheel on his cool convertible bouncer! It has music buttons on it and I think the drool may short it out!

Brody rolled over last night! He was whining this morning around 5, I could hear him on the monitor. I went in to get him, and he was on his stomach! He's not a big fan of being on his stomach either. Everyday is something new. Can't believe he'll be 5 months on June 1.

It's official...Brody has begun eating solids! Well....semi-solids I guess is more accurate. He is eating rice cereal off of a baby spoon like a big boy! He is sitting at the table with us in his high chair and loving it! I'm pretty impressed that he caught on so quickly. And what a blast he has with it! Way to go, Brode! We are also working on getting him onto a more grown up feeding schedule which will consist of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bedtime bottle. I'm pretty excited to start sampling different foods and see his reactions. Next week we start oatmeal. Then the following week is orange and yellow vegetables.

Brody has his 4 month vaccinations last week...still tough to watch but at least I was prepared for it this time! And baby tylenol works wonders! Thanks for the tip Julie H and Paula J! He was still crabby but much better than last time. He weighs 15 lbs 11 oz! I couldn't believe it...he went from the 25th percentile to the 70th!!!!!!!!! No wonder my back has been killing me and i have a regular appt with the chiropractor! We got the go-ahead from the doctor to start introducing solids. I am going to start rice cereal tomorrow. Very exciting stuff! He's getting so big and funny! He is about to sit up on his own. He is close to rolling over. He squeals with delight (seriously a sound only mom can love...he hits a decibel and pitch that no one should have to hear!) It melts my heart. He met his newest (and youngest friend Rocco, on Friday night. Rocco is 1 month old and has bigger hands and feet than Brody! It was so funny. Brody looked like a giant. They are probably going to get into a lot of trouble together. We were making jokes with Kristin and Mike, Rocco's parents....trying to read their minds saying "you get the beer, and I'll get the chicks!" Stay tuned for more episodes of the Brody and Rocco Show. Hope everyone had a Happy Mother's Day! Mine was very special. Check out the pic of Brody in his cool convertible from Grandma and Grandpa J!

Brody is 4 months old today. He is moving around like crazy! I put him in his crib to go to sleep. Then later in the night I hear rustling around on the monitor. When I got to check on him, he is facing the complete opposite way, still sound asleep. I hope he is not going to be a sleepwalker! I was when I was younger. A co-worker of mine gave us an exesaucer and Brody is LOVING IT! I put him in it for the first time yesterday and he loved to be able to stand, jump, and spin around. He was laughing and talking the whole time. After about 10 minutes he got tired and needed a nap. It was pretty exciting!!! Tomorrow we are going to the Goose Lake Garage Sales. Most of my blog readers probably have no idea of the fabulousness of this annual event. Goose Lake is this rural community on a decent size lake south of I80. Many of the people in this community are wealthy and have waterfront property and huge pieces of land...so the saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure" was made for this event. Rich people's garbage rules!!!! Plus there are thousands of people that go, so you are guaranteed to see some heated arguements and a possible physical altercation or two! ALL THIS, Plus be home before 10am, which used to be the time I'd be waking for my first dose of Advil after a night of partying! I will be setting out in search of Little Tykes stuff. Wish me luck!

Forgot to include this in my last posting....does anyone want a Great Dane or a crazy looking mutt? The dogs are a little overwhelming for us now that we have Brody. They are not getting enough attention and to put it bluntly DRIVING US CRAZY! They do not have to be a package deal FYI. I've included a pic so that you can see just how cute they are.
Brody also attended his first birthday party this weekend. For Colleen's daughter Abbey (4 years old already!!) It was a Pirates and Princess theme. He did well, it was a beautiful day and we sat outside. I was nervous about sunburn but thanks to Auntie Julie and her "sunshield" he was just fine! Good to see Meghan, Jeff, and Maureen too. And Jeff made a little boy named Gage cry...

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter! Brody's first major holiday and what a day it was! It started off opening up Brody's basket from the Easter Bunny followed by breakfast for Mom and Dad. Then we headed off to Tinley Park to see my high school friend Beth C. and her mom, Mrs. R. Beth goes to Duke University and hadn't been able to meet Brody yet. So after a visit with them, we were off to my parents house for Easter with Mom, Dad, Phil, Lyndy, and my Grandparents. Everyone loved Brody's easter outfit. We had a great meal there and then had to run to the Fabian's. As many of you know, they have a very large family. So it was pretty exciting over there and by this time, Brody had a very overwhelming day without much naptime. So he was good when we arrived and showed off his outfit and hat but then had a meltdown and had to change into PJs. He had a hard time falling asleep with all the excitement and was pretty crabby. So we headed home around 8pm. What a day!

This morning, after getting up at 4:15am to get myself ready, pull Brody out of bed and get him into his carrier without waking him, scraping the huge amount of snow off of my car, driving out to Orland to drop Brody off at Carmella's, and turning around to get back to Joliet and be at work by 7:00, I GOT A FLAT TIRE!!!!!!!! Why can't I just have a normal life. Luckily, I got a hold of a co-worker that was able to pick me up at the gas station I had coasted into and get me to work on time. All this before some people are even hitting the snooze button. Unbelievable! At least Brody wasn't in the car. I was able to get my car towed to the tire store and replace the shredded tire without further incident. What a day! If anyone knows of a day care or babysitting person in Joliet, please let me know! On a more positive note, Brody is almost sleeping through the night. I think a couple more creative feedings while he is half asleep just before I go to bed and we'll be in business.

Today was Brody's baptism at St Patrick's Catholic Church. It was a very nice ceremoy. Brody did well. He was crabby and crying at the beginning then took a quick nap. When the water was poured on his head, his eyes popped open but no crying! He was awake for the rest and even posed for a TON of pics without a peep. His outfit, made by my Mom's friend Paige, from my wedding dress, turned out beautiful! We were affectionately calling him "Humpty Dumpty." Right now Brody is passed out on the couch...it's been an eventful day! For more pics check out my online photo album....http://lisafabian.myphotoalbum.com

Brody went to see the Easter Bunny today at the mall! He did very well, he was awake and didn't cry. He didn't smile either...but that's ok! The pic came out very cute. I'll try to get it downloaded to share. Tomorrow he is going to get his 3 month pics taken at JCP. I am pretty excited. We haven't had any professional pics since the hospital ones they took right when he was born. He is 3 MONTHS already tomorrow! I can't believe it. He is an eating machine and we are getting on a pretty good schedule. I went back to work March 19 and am still trying to get adjusted. It's really busy being a full-time working mom, but I will get it. No time to lay around and watch TV anymore...that's for sure. Good thing I got a lifetime worth of that while I was pregnant! My grandfather is having a hard time with his cancer treatment. He is close to being dehydrated and feels very sick. Please keep him in your prayers.

Today we made arrangements for Brody's baptism at St. Patrick's church. It is going to be on Sat April 4. We have asked Phil F. and Julie K. to be the godparents and they graciously have accepted! We are going to have a small lunch for immediate family afterwards. I am excited because my mom works with this great seamstress, Paige, and she is going to make his baptism outfit out of material from my wedding dress. She is also going to embroider his name and DOB inside. We decided to get the little suit with vest and bowtie vs. the traditional dress. I can't wait to see it! Hopefully my grandparents will be able to make it to the ceremony. My grandpa was diagnosed with cancer about a month ago. He is undergoing pretty aggressive treatment of radiation and chemo in preparation for surgery to remove a large tumor. His spirits are up and down, but I feel like Brody is a source of hope for him and our whole family. It is so special to me that Brody has great grandparents to love him!

I think the diet is working! I weighed myself today and I am down 3 lbs..not much but it is a start. Went to a baby shower for my friend Terri yesterday. So glad I'm not the preggo this time! Although she looks so great, you can't even tell she's pregnant except for a little bump. Brody continued to charm everyone by loudly pushing out a poop while Terri opened presents. Lovely! We visited both of our parents today. This is my last full week off of work. How depressing! I go back next Thursday.

Today was so beautiful outside (65 I think!). I took Brody for an hour long walk around the neighborhood. He slept most of the time. He really likes riding in the stroller. I am lucky to have a very scenic walking route, I look at huge 100 year old homes, some are mansions. I live very close to the historic district in Joliet, so it makes for good walks. So that is motivating me. I am officially trying to lose the baby weight now. I had the misconception that I would automatically lose the baby weight without much effort - WRONG! I should've known better because weight has always been an issue for me. So I am dedicating the next 6 months or more, if it takes, to get back to a healthy weight I feel happy with. It will help me to be a better, active mom, especially when Brody becomes mobile. And it will make me feel better about myself.

Today was Brody's 2 month check up and vaccinations. The good news he is now 11 lbs 4 oz and 22 inches long/tall. Everything looked great according to Dr Seebruch. But then.....THE WORST 2 MINUTES OF MY LIFE known as vaccinations! What a horrible thing that every mom has to go through. I have to admit I think I did well as I was instructed to hold down his little baby arms as he looked up at me with a beet red face, crying so hard no sound could come out as 4 needles were stuck into his fat little baby thighs. His eyes were saying, "why? why mom" He was pretty tough and calmed down dramatically after I picked him up and after about 5 minutes of consoling he had stopped crying. He slept for awhile and seemed ok. Then about 5 hours afterwards his legs must've been sore, because he was inconsolable again for an hour or so. It is the worst to feel so helpless and know that your child is in pain. Right now he is asleep on the couch but every now and then he jerks awake and cries for a little bit. Hopefully tomorrow he will be better. I think it was a rough day for the both of us. Luckily we don't have to go back to the Dr until May, but then he has to get 4 MORE vaccinations! Let's just say I am NOT looking forward to that...

Today I took Brody to Tiffany's house for a Pampered Chef party. They have an unbelievable new house! It's so beautiful. Brody got lots of attention and compliments from the guests. He has figured out how to put his fist in his mouth and suck on it. It takes him a few tries to get the fist in his mouth and has scared himself when he misses (and whacks himself in the face instead!) 2 month doctor appointment on March 4. I can't wait to see how much he weighs...my guess is 11 1/2 lbs.

Brody smiled a real smile for the first time last night! Rudy was singing and talking to him and he opened his mouth in a real wide smile. He did it 5 or 6 times as well as was "talking" to us. He did it again for me today, so I know it was not just gas. So exciting! The soy formula is working on his stomach much much better. I have come down with a cold, so that's not too fun. I am trying to avoid giving it to him at all costs. Check out the more pictures at my online photo album http://lisafabian.myphotoalbum.com

I took Brody for his first walk around the neighborhood in his stroller today. What awesome weather! I hope it stays a little while...He had his baseball hat on, it looked real cute. He's totally tired now though...passed out on the couch. Such a tiring life he has. Haha. He will be 2 months old tomorrow. Time is flying! I swear he's getting bigger everyday. Our main bathroom (and only shower/tub) is being remodeled right now, so that is a challenge with the baby. We have a scary shower in the basement...that might have to be broken in tonight. But it will be worth it when it's finished...going to be beautiful.