Dadadada

"Ma-ma does everything for the baby, who responds by saying Da-da first." ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

You know the Bill Cosby "Himself" routine from 1983 where he describes how as a father he works so hard with his son teaching him the game of football, letting the boy tackle him, etc....then the boy plays in a college football game on tv, makes a big play, and then looks in to the camera and says, "Hi Mom!" That's nothing compared to the moms who grow their babies, birth their babies, feed their babies, diaper their babies, clean their babies, Love their babies, etc....then have the first "word-like sound" that comes out of that same baby be "dada dada." I've heard countless stories of this from other mamas, but as a former speech therapist I know that these sounds naturally develop first. :) Today Brady finally started vocalizing the consonant-vowel repetition babble (when he wasn't upset). All he's been saying all day is "dadadadadada."

As Bill says, "Well, you don't mind that...you know who taught him." :)

By the time it occurred to us to stop laughing and take some video, Brady wasn't too talkative. But my mom and I were cracking up because he said "dada" for literally everything today. I was sitting on the couch with him. We're nose to nose and he looks at me and says, "da. da." and I said, "mama?" He immediately replies, "dada." "Dada" was his response to every word or sound we said to him all day long. It was comical!

Drinking and driving

So apparently Brady can hold his bottle by himself...he doesn't always tip it to get to the milk, but we learned yesterday that he can hold it up to his mouth independently. We haven't given him a bottle at home in a while because he nurses here and only gets bottles at daycare. This week daycare is closed for vacation and Meemaw is in town to care for him while I'm working. It was news to me yesterday when she told me that he holds the bottle himself, but sure enough he does!

Meemaw also taught Brady to drive his car yesterday. Previously he just sat in his Jeep and sometimes pushed backwards. If you wanted him to go forward, you had to tow his Jeep by pulling him along. ;p But Meemaw enticed him with toys and encouraged him to use his Fred Flintstone mobile like it was intended. He was motoring all over the place! Meemaw had to stop him and cite him for speeding a few times! Well, today he combined his two new tricks and our result is that Brady now drinks and drives:

Have you gone M.A.D.D.? :)

Deciding that drinking while trying to operate his Jeep was too distracting and that his Mother was Against it, ;p Brady sat with Meemaw and a pillow prop on the couch to have his early lunch.

IPlay @ IHOP

Some pictures from breakfast at IHOP this morning. Seeing as this is something like the fourth time I've mentioned the acclaimed International House of Pancakes, it's also my attempt to document my indulging Brett when he asks, "Can we go to IHOP?" Funny how the tides have changed. A few years ago it was always me always asking him that and he who begrudgingly went. I was hooked on cheese blintzes with blueberry compote. But then one day the love affair ended. Unfortunately it was about the same time that Brett struck up an IHOP romance of his own with the ham, egg, and cheese melt. So here we are again. It does make for some good people watching for Brady though...lots of babies and kids...and that keeps him amused and quiet.

TGIF!

Thank Goodness It's FAVday! Yay! The weather has been absolutely gorgeous the past two days (80's and low humidity...it's like early fall weather in July!). This morning we had a nice walk around the neighborhood, then we had breakfast, then Brady had a nap and I had cleaning time, then we sat out on the porch together. It was so perfect! I took a bunch of timer and self-portrait pictures to remember how fun it was just the two of us hanging out. As I was reviewing them I was LOL because in many of the pictures our facial expressions look similar...it's totally unplanned (I really was not mimicking him) and the results are funny!

Then we had a long overdue meet-up with our buds Kellan (and Danisa) and Oliver (and Christin). It's been forever since I've seen these wonderful women and Brady's seen his pals (well, it was April when the moms and boys got together. In May we had a mommies night out to see the Sex and the City movie). The boys are growing up so fast! It was really fun to stroll the mall and catch up on what the boys are doing and what we've been doing.The hives reappeared at around noon today. I noticed them when we got to the mall. That is really strange because Brady had bananas, but at 9:00 this morning. Again, they sort of went away by themselves. But when we got home around 2:00, I noticed Brady looked like his winter baby self- with rosy red cheeks and Rudolph's nose. I tried to take pictures of it in natural light (so the camera wouldn't flash and I could see the redness). I put him in the solarium where I knew the floor was clean. This was the first time I let Brady lay around on the hardwood and some of the pictures are actually pretty good (or funny as they depict real life and close-up drool).

He looks like a big boy the way he's sitting in this picture, doesn't he?

We also got to meet our newest neighbor Sawyer today! Riley (who is 6 weeks younger than Brady) is our neighbor to the one side and now Sawyer (who is 7 months younger than Brady) is our neighbor on the other side. I'm sure these boys will be best buds...they'll all be in the same grade in school! Riley, Brady, and Sawyer...how awesome that sounds together! Too cool!

Just a little "un-well"

We had our first unscheduled "un-well" doctor's visit today. Miss Omayma, Brady's daycare provider, called me this afternoon to tell me that although Brady was not acting any different, he had what appeared to be a rash develop on his right leg, both arms, and his face. She asked me to please come pick him up. I get there and little man does seem quite happy, but has red spots and raised bumps in those places. I called the doctor and we had an appointment within 15 minutes time (it was 4:15 and the receptionist said, "the next available appointment is @ 4:30...that won't work will it?" I replied, "Yes, we'll be there in 10 minutes.") Oh, by the weigh (pun intended- haha!) they weighed him so we have an official stat to update his 7 month mark- 18 lbs. 9 oz.

The doctor confirmed that they were hives and that his body was reacting to something. She said he appeared fine otherwise and that we could use Children's Benadryl if necessary. She advised us try to figure out what set it off. We've been following the 4 day rule when introducing new food. But the doctor informed me that some allergic reactions can appear weeks after the baby's been eating the food. Well, what's the point of the 4 day rule then? lol! So anyway, I'll be conducting my own medical research this weekend (and this week when he is home here with my mom since his daycare is closed for vacation). I'm going to feed him the same things he had today (oatmeal, bananas, and sweet potatoes) in isolation and watch for more reactions. We'll see.

I brought my camera to the doctor's office to document this first "un-well" visit, but the battery was dead. doh! I tried to take pictures of the allergic reaction after Brady's bath tonight (when the doc said it might flare up again). But believe it or not, it's gone already!

As you can see there's nothing wrong with little man...

as he gives me the hand in Hollywood star vs. paparazzi fashion:

Really there's nothing wrong...he's just goofy by nature. :)

Banker in the bath

Another "fun baby gadget/invention" brought to us by Aunt Dee-Dee...the shampoo visor. You use it to wash kids' hair without getting soap and water in their eyes and ears. It works okay now, but I imagine it'll be even better when Brady understands what "rinse! tip your head back" means. The visor is cute though...I think he looks like a banker.

It doubles as a toy for Brady. :)

Raising a "modern man"

As mentioned, Brady likes to be with me (and today that translates to every waking moment)...that works out pretty well because I like him too! ;p However, he also likes to be entertained...good thing it doesn't take much to amuse a 7 month old! Today I told him if he wanted to be with me, he'd have to help me check some things off my list including laundry. The laundry basket was of particular interest to him and he sat nicely as I folded. Towards the end of our task, my little modern man seemed to be getting bored with this household chore. He cried that he was done...yes buddy, sometimes I feel the same way about housework!

7 months old

Happy Birthday Brady! Brady's definitely becoming more and more of a "little person." He's independent- sits by himself and plays (okay mouthes and licks) his toys. But at the same time, he wants us to be close. He looks around for us and cries if he notices we're gone for what he deems too long. He still seems to have a slight preference for me. I love it though. It's God's perfect design (and some say reward) forging that mommy-baby bond from carrying and growing your child for almost 10 months and then feeding for another year. :) Someday this little boy will only want to be with his Daddy, but for now he's my baby.

We can tell he's on the verge of crawling. I'm discouraging this- haha! He rocks on his hands and knees like he's not quite sure what to do yet. He is motivated by objects out of his reach though and will stretch as far as he can go. ("Go go gadget-arms!") It's only a matter of time before he figures out that his body can move (other than rolling)...then the real trouble begins! He does pull to standing when you hold his hands, but he's been doing that since he was about 4 months old. Just the other day he pushed his own way to standing (unassisted), but I'm not quite sure of the position he was in so can't repeat it. He continues to get his thunder thigh workout by jumping around in the command center or the bumper jumper.

Brady babbles a little bit but we've only heard the repetition of consonant and vowels sounds a few times. He babbles when he is upset...so of course that is why we've only heard it a few times. lol! Seriously though, he babbles "bababadadamama" when he's upset but growls (or makes sort of boy/car noises) when he's happy. He's really in to growling...maybe he's watching Romey a little too much??? :) He seems to know his name and will look when called, but he's been doing that for some time now too.

Brady is a Very curious little boy...always has to know what's going on. When I'm holding him, he switches sides and whips his head around to look beyond me almost as if to say, "Move your big ole' head! I can't see! What's that?" I always tell him he's going to get baby whiplash from being so nosey. He tracks Romey and the Roomba a lot and is very interested in their movements.

We don't have a wellness doctor visit until 9 months. I'm not even going to bother with height and weight measurements @ home...we already know how inaccurate our scale is! Suffice to say, Brady is a healthy little boy (buddah belly and all) and is growing quite nicely.

Just your average Saturday

We enjoyed lunch out today at Not Your Average Joe's. Brady was good eating out and being with us at a restaurant again. He ate his favorite food (squash) and some applesauce before we had our meals. He loved watching people, and playing with the menus, the napkins, and the toys we brought along for him. He was really snuggly afterwards and we had fun cuddling him. I love Brady's little head with a hat on and the way his pudgy little hand falls on his Daddy's shoulder.

Later that afternoon, Brett was beginning the task of cleaning out the garage when we spotted our next door neighbors. Pat was out doing yard work and Rebekah was playing with the rake. Brett wasted no time in putting the energy of the kids to work and told her to rake up the leaves that had fallen from our tree. We gave Joshua our rake so that he could help his sister. No issues with child labor laws here! :p I mean really, Brett's put infant Brady to work already, of course he'll capitalize on 6-year-old Rebekah and 4-year-old Joshua. Afterwards the kids had fun taking pictures of all sorts of things including the grown-ups who were just chatting supervising while they did all the work! ;p

Pat and Brett
(aka "Mr. Luhring...the dad, not the mom" as Joshua calls him to clarify which one of us it is when he is not sure if he used the right Mr./Mrs. term...so cute!)

Then we cooled off and hung out in their backyard with Brady's pool and their slip-n-slide. It was so much fun for us All! Brett commented on how good Brady was being (especially since it was so sticky and hot outside). I told him it was because the kids were providing live entertainment for him. I think that's one of the reasons he enjoys daycare so much...every day is jam-packed with excitement to watch! I cited it as evidence to further the case for having a litter. :) The kids entertain each other...especially the babies! I still don't think he's quite sold on my "let's have four kids!" idea just yet though.

Kiddie Coffee Shop

Can we have any more names for the exersauser...one of the coolest kids toys ever? Brady loves this thing! They have 2 at his daycare too and the providers tell me he loves them just as much as he does the ones at home. In the morning, we call it the kiddie coffee shop. After he's been in it for about 10 minutes, he starts crying and raising his arms to get out. He also needs a diaper change every time (in the mornings). It is like clockwork...never fails. Must be all the gravity workin' for him. Brett says it's like coffee for him. So now after he eats and I need to wash my face and put in my contacts, I'll say, "Okay, time to go to the kiddie coffee shop!" and plunk him in there.

The photo above is from this afternoon. I was laying down beside it while Brady jumped around. The view cracked me up! I love his chubby little legs! He was having such a good time, I wanted to capture it on video. Even though he looks very serious jumping around, he is having a good time head-banging:

New patio for Daddy-o

Our new patio furniture that Brett's been wanting for some time now arrived today and the only assembly required removing the plastic and arranging the pieces...so about 30 minutes after the box was opened, our living space was extended outside. Brett is loving it and proclaimed that he "may sleep here tonight." The picture is blurry because we were trying to capture the serene essence of a (citronella) candle-lit porch with a super comfy couch without a bright flash (but we had to turn the porch light on to get the picture).

A Sunday afternoon in the country...

Okay so it's not really the country, it's Uncle Satish and Auntie Monica's house. But they have so much land, it's like being out in the country! We had lunch out at a fun little crab shack and hung out with the Unnis. Still-sick boy Brady got special TLC from Auntie Monica, who is a Physician's Assistant. She examined him and used her stethoscope to listen to his lungs to ensure they were clear. She even let Mommy and Daddy play with her cool toy! We got to hear Brady's quick little heartbeat. It was so cool! We haven't heard that since he was in utero. Brady also had a blast being tossed around by and climbing on his Uncle Satish. He's all boy...barely 7 months old and he loves to rough-house already! OH BOY! I have a feeling we are in for it and as he gets older we'll be visiting Auntie Monica in the ER in addition to at her house! doh! *crossing fingers that I did not just jinx us!*

STTN

That's online lingo for "sleeping through the night." At almost 7 months, I'm pretty sure Brady is now STTN. He's done so for the past 2 days...and you know what? Instead of celebrating, I've been freaking out! I have gotten less sleep the past 2 nights than I have in a while. That's because I wake up @ 2, @ 3:30, @ 4:30, @ 5:30, and @ 6:30 listening very hard and wondering why he isn't hungry. He has woken up, and either sort of cried out or just babbled. But it barely lasts a minute and it's not a cry...then he's back to sleep. Brett's like, "Sweet!" But I'm like, "What's wrong? Why is he not hungry?" I so prefer getting up once in the middle of night...the ~30 minutes it takes to get up, walk to Brady's room, nurse him, and put him back down is worth my piece of mind. So I think I now have to work on sleep training again...this time for ME. :p

At the head of the table

We met Murali for dinner tonight and then took him to the airport. This was Brady's first time using a restaurant high chair, instead of sitting in his car seat, and his first time having his dinner out. Thank you Guptas for our way cool shopping cart cover that doubles as a high chair cover...we love it! Brady was entertained sitting there watching people go by. Murali's sister just had her second child (which was his main reason for visiting; seeing the C Buds was just an added bonus!) so I don't think he thought I was too crazy for taking all these pictures of the little man just sitting in a chair (or maybe he did and he's just too nice to say so?). :)

On the way there, I took this picture of Brady because I love how he often holds on to his car seat when he's riding in it. Seeing his little chubby balled up fist like that makes me think he's relaxing in his own version of a barcalounger. So cute! He's gotten much better about being in the car. It always makes me laugh to look back and see him looking out the window. I'm always wondering what he's thinking about...