Welcome to the Monkey House

Dancing

2009-08-04T18:47:00.002-04:00

Brady has started dancing and it is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. He just holds on to a piece of furniture and starts stomping when music comes on. I will try to get it on video to share...

Movie Project

2009-07-24T08:42:00.005-04:00

Has it really been over a month since I've posted? I can't believe it but it is true. The summer is flying by and we've been keeping very busy. Since I last posted I turned 30, we went to Pittsburgh for the 4th of July & a friends wedding, I co-hosted a baby shower & an engagement party and I've been working on planning Brady's first birthday party & our trip to Napa next month. Oh, and I've been having fun with Brady.

Anyway, I hope you'll forgive me with this post because I have something super cute to share with you. I was going to hold on to this until Brady's first birthday but I can't wait anymore...

Standing

2009-06-10T10:03:00.007-04:00

Brady is all about standing and cruising these days. It took him about a week go from kneeling to pulling up to cruising. I hope he's satisfied with cruising for a little while because I'm not ready for him to start walking!!

Learning how to pull up

The first time he pulled himself up in his crib

Hands down, bath time is Brady's favorite time of day

Weekend in PA - take two

2009-06-09T22:08:00.015-04:00

After Memorial Day weekend, we hit the road one more time to visit Brady's old friends Chase and Nolan, and his new friend Bryce! Brady was much more interactive this visit as compared to January, when Chase had the whole coordinated-movement thing down and Brady did not.

On Saturday afternoon we headed into Philly for the CHOP Healthy Children's festival. The weather was perfect and the company was even better.

Two buddies just hanging out at the music table

The fam out in Philly at the music festival

Eating lunch out on the lawn

The Palskys!

After we got back from the festival, Christina & I took the boys for a ride in the wagon to the park. Brady absolutely loved the wagon. I'm afraid that I might look crazy toting Brady around in a wagon on the city street but I may have to get one any way.

Brady and Chase going for a ride

Boys love swings

On Sunday before we headed back to DC we stopped by the 'Berger's place to meet the newest addition to our group. Little Bryce Charles was just over a week old when we got to see him and he is precious!

Where's Bryce?

There's Bryce!

Anti-gravity hair!

Brady's future roommates

** Christina, thanks for letting me poach some of your pictures. You did a great job capturing the wonderful weekend!

Memorial Day

2009-06-09T10:01:00.013-04:00

We went to Pittsburgh for Memorial Day weekend and had an absolutely wonderful time with Jim's family. Saturday was the annual Sheriff/Shipe Memorial Day Picnic hosted by Jim's great aunt Betty & his second cousin Patty. There was a lot of family there, including Brady's great grandmother Marge and the newest addition to the extended Shipe family, Sophia, Jim's cousin Emily's daughter. We didn't get any pictures with her, but she is adorable!

The hosts of the party with Brady

Kisses for Mommy

Brady's first encounter with a balloon, apparently they are hysterical

Brady is quite the conversationalist

Brady playing with Amah

Mother's Day

2009-06-05T21:17:00.004-04:00

I know this is seriously out of date but I needed to share because I had a wonderful first Mother's Day. It wasn't fancy but it was perfect.

Jim and Brady started the day out by letting me sleep in and then bringing me Starbucks in bed. Yum! After a lazy morning my parents came over for a afternoon of grilling out. My Dad & Jim let my Mom and I sit back and drinking sangria all afternoon as they prepared the entire meal. And, it was so good! (No more excuses for not cooking, Jim!)

Showing off their good work

What's better than ice-cream cake? Ice-cream cake that Jim decorated!

Grandma & Brady

Hugs for Mommy!

Why is Six Afraid of Seven?

2009-05-26T20:38:00.004-04:00

Because 7 8 (ate) 9. Seriously, I think it really happened because I don't know where Brady's ninth month has gone. I'm sure several factors such as us moving, Jim being sick, Brady being sick, the hockey playoffs (don't get me started on how long and boring it is) and some traveling has had something to do with it. We were so unorganized this month that we didn't even get a picture for Brady's 9 month birthday! I bought some cupcakes to celebrate but then Jim had to work late that night and then the following night we were out and then those darn cupcakes started to look too good to just sit there so Jim and I ate them. We're bad.

Anyway, I'm very sorry we've neglected that blog lately. On top of all of the aforementioned events of the past month I also lost the cord to download pictures and videos from the camera in the move. Moving sucks and moving with a baby sucks even more. After about a month in the new place we are starting to feel more settled and are enjoying the new place so much. While I loved our old place, I did not love that we faced that back of Whole Foods, which provided us with the sounds of delivery trucks all day and night. Our new place is like a little oasis in the city with some beautiful outdoor spaces and we can actually hear birds chirping.

So, I found the missing cable today and I plan to do a massive download of pictures tonight so over the next few days keep a look out for some new posts. In the meantime, here's a cute picture from Jim's iPhone...

Let's go Pens!

2009-05-06T19:35:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter

2009-04-29T20:04:00.008-04:00

We had a wonderful first Easter with Brady & my family. My grandparents were visiting from Pittsburgh and it is always so nice for Brady to spend time with these two very special people.

The Easter weekend started out with an egg dying party at our friends Malena & Jameson's apartment...

At first, Brady was a little unsure of the dyed eggs...

Then he decided they looked delicious.

On Easter we went down to my parent's house and had a great brunch at their neighborhood's clubhouse. Then we headed back to their house for Brady to get his Easter present and for Jim & Aunt Kiki to compete in the annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Let's eat!

Let the hunt begin.

Brady's Easter present from Grandma & Grandpap

Cutest little Easter boy, ever!

Family shot

Extended family shot

8 Month Birthday

2009-04-13T23:04:00.005-04:00

Eight months. How in the world did we get here already? The months are flying by so quickly now and everything seems to blur together; it seems like yesterday that we were bringing Brady home from the hospital. It's so strange to see Brady everyday and not notice, on a day-to-day basis, how much he's changed over the last 250 days. But, the last month has ushered in several new things like swimming, crawling (well, almost), and a new grunting sound that he likes to belt out randomly. Brady also got to see a lot his extended family again (and Ken for the first time!) for a Shipe-filled weekend. Overall, a pretty great month!

Candles... oooohhhh, candles.

The little guy playing in his room.

Note: teething biscuits are very messy.

Mr. Adorable.

Hanging out on the bed with his favorite toy.

Brady in all his pseudo-crawling glory.

Thanks for a great month, Brady!

Love, Daddy

The Cherry Blossoms

2009-04-02T17:38:00.006-04:00

The cherry blossoms are kind of a big deal around here which translates to lots of tourists and traffic. Jim and I went to see them on a Saturday last year and it was ridiculously crowded. The blossoms were beautiful BUT all of the enjoyment was sucked out since we felt like herded cattle.

This year was much better because my mom and her friend Lois came up on a Thursday afternoon. And while there were some crowded areas there were also some very peaceful moments. The blossoms were at their peak and they were beautiful.

Brady loved seeing the petals falling. When the wind blew it looked like snow

Mommy & Brady

Grandma & Brady with the Jefferson Memorial in the background

Lois, Mommy, Brady & Grandma

Laughy Boy

2009-04-01T21:59:00.004-04:00

The boy just loves to laugh...

Jumping is Tiring

2009-03-30T09:17:00.004-04:00

I was in the other room and noticed that Brady was being unusually quiet in his jumper. I assumed he was just intently studying the parrot or gecko (which he has been known to do) but no, he had passed out.

I've worked hard to get him on a good nap schedule and I guess it has worked because he fell asleep within a minute or two of his nap time. He barely woke up when I picked him up to put him in his crib.

All Smiles

2009-03-25T16:52:00.001-04:00

Watch Out, Michael Phelps

2009-03-24T20:34:00.004-04:00

We took Brady to his first swim lesson this past weekend, hoping that if we start early, he won't turn out to be a terrible swimmer like me and Suzi. And if he happens to win 11 gold medals at the Olympics, then that would be cool too. Things got off to a slightly rocky start, Brady was a little unsure of the water and was stuck in a sitting position for the first 10 minutes or so. It was cute, but not very good form. Luckily, a rousing series of sing-a-long songs relaxed him and he started enjoying the water. He started kicking, splashing water (mostly in his own face) and having lots of fun. It was great -- we can't wait for next Saturday!

Brady in the water

Getting a little more used to the water

Brady starting to kick and splash

House Swap

2009-03-21T21:02:00.005-04:00

I love living in the city. I love being able to walk out the door of our apartment and having our grocery store around the block, the coffee shop on the corner, etc. But, I have to admit there are times that I long to have a house in the suburbs with a yard, extra space and a much coveted guest bedroom. I hate that when friends or family want to visit we have nothing more to offer other than an air mattress set up in the very unprivate family room. I know that sometime we'll make the leap but for now I'll settle on finding a loophole.

Last weekend Jim's mother, brother, his fiance, sister, her boyfriend and a close family friend all traveled down for a visit and I figured out a way to make it work... we swapped houses with my parents. We Shipes took over my parents' three bedroom house 30 miles south of DC while my parents spent a weekend up in the city hitting up fabulous restaurants and visiting museums. It was perfect! We played a lot of Wii and Brady got some good quality time with his Amah and Aunts and Uncles.

Brady and Amah

Playing with Amah

Family shot (minus Adrienne & Jennifer who had to leave early)

7 Months

2009-03-16T22:25:00.018-04:00

I know I'm really behind on this month's birthday post but we've been busy around here. Where is the time going? How could my little boy possibly be 7 months old (actually 7 1/2 now)? Not only is Brady getting bigger everyday, he's also becoming such a little person.

Happy seven months, Brady!

His likes and dislikes are becoming more apparent. He wants to get into everything, especially anything that Jim and I show interest in. His top picks are our cell phones, computers & remote controllers. He also loves his books and is starting to really show preferences to his favorite toys. While the little guy hasn't started crawling yet he's working his way up to it. He rolls around everywhere and can turn on a dime. Occasionally he'll push his stomach off of the floor but it's only for a split second.

Rolling around half naked in the crib = good times

Someday I'll stop posting pictures of Brady on the swing but for
now I can't stop. He's too cute.

Smiley boy.

Another big milestone is that he babbles all of the time. He mostly says "da da da da" but will sometimes throw in a "ga ga", "ba ba" or "la la". Sadly no ma ma yet but I know that will come with time. No pressure little guy. He also went through a short phase of blowing raspberries. It was around for about a week and he stopped doing it just as abruptly as he started, but it sure was cute while it lasted.

Jumping and blowing raspberries

Brady has also become quite an eater. He wasn't a fan of it at first (see: here) but now he loves it. I've given him apples, pears, sweet potatoes, mango, peaches, peas, avocado & butternut squash. So far his favorites are sweet potatoes, mango and peaches. I can't blame him, those are some of my favorites as well.

Pears... yummy!

The Aquarium

2009-03-10T20:15:00.005-04:00

Last Saturday we took a quick drive up to the Baltimore Aquarium. I tried taking Brady to the zoo a few weeks ago and he was less than impressed with the animals lazily laying around on the ground, but we were hopeful that the quick little fish would capture his attention more. We were right because he was absolutely fascinated by everything at the aquarium.

There was a group of these bubble filled lighted tubes and
Brady loved watching the bubbles float up.

Fish!

The rainforest room

Penguins!

Lunch time at the cafe

Morning Time With Brady

2009-03-04T10:28:00.001-05:00

A picture of our little buddy this morning before I went to work.

Off to the Baltimore Aquarium

2009-02-28T09:32:00.001-05:00

Cute Little Boy!

2009-02-21T09:29:00.001-05:00

Kitty Love

2009-02-19T19:33:00.004-05:00

Brady is obsessed with our cats. He honestly gets more excited to see them every morning than he is to see us. Oh well, they are pretty cute.

Hannah Grace

2009-02-15T20:38:00.004-05:00

Our friends Beth & Brian welcomed home their little daughter Hannah Grace on January 30th. She came 4 1/2 weeks early so she had to have a little stint in the NICU but is now home and doing well. It is hard to believe that Brady was only a few ounces more than her when we brought him home from the hospital.

Congratulations, Beth & Brian! She sure is a cutie!

The proud dads and their babies

Mommy & Hannah

Hannah Grace

Baby on the Move

2009-02-15T20:09:00.003-05:00

No, Brady isn't crawling yet but he is traveling around DC on public transportation. We had another beautiful day on Wednesday so Brady and I met up with my friend Rebecca and her son Kane at the zoo. The zoo is only one metro stop away from where we live so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to take Brady for his first ride on the rail.

Waiting for the metro to arrive

After the zoo we got caught up by the nice weather and decided to walk home rather than take the metro back. Brady took a little cat nap during the walk and woke up just in time for us to make a stop by the park again.

Loving the swing

On Saturday we took the bus to Georgetown to do a little shopping. I think he was more interested by the bus than the metro. He loved looking out the windows to watch the world move by.

At the bus stop

Heading to G-town

The Playground - Part 1

2009-02-15T15:23:00.006-05:00

Last winter, shortly after I found out I was pregnant with Brady, the bus I took to work would drive by this little park a few blocks from our apartment and I would get so excited for the day when I would be able to take Brady there. It wasn't a particularly nice park but since we live in the city I figured I had to take what I could get, at least I had a park. Then one day last spring the bus went by the park and I saw bulldozers tearing down "my" park. I was so sad, my dreams of daily trips to the park with Brady was being destroyed day-by-day right in front of my eyes. It was cruel.

Little did I know at the time, I should have be rejoicing because it wasn't another new condo building going up in its place, it was a new and improved park oasis! It reopened back in November but it has been too cold and Brady has been too small to go.

Then last Sunday we had some unseasonably warm weather in DC and it was heavenly. We walked all around the city, sat in Dupont Circle a little bit and we finally went to the playground. I absolutely loved it but Brady loved it even more. I fear we may have a little daredevil on our hands because he loved reaching the peak of the swing and would erupt in a bunch of giggles.

Brady loving the swing

Oh hello, Mommy

Trying out the slide with Daddy

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T16:20:00.001-05:00

Squirmy Worm

2009-02-13T16:59:00.002-05:00

As we have mentioned before, Brady loves to be naked right before bath time. Here he is squirming around the other night.

6 Months

2009-02-09T11:25:00.007-05:00

This 25 things list has been all over the internet the last few weeks. I have yet to do one for myself but I thought it would be a fun way to capture some of my favorite memories of Brady over the last six months.

25 Things About Brady

1. To say that we were surprised to find out we were pregnant with you would be an understatement. But, you turned out to be the greatest surprise we have ever received.
2. While I was pregnant with you I didn’t crave the cliché pickles and ice cream. Instead it was mangoes and oranges. Yum!
3. When I was eight weeks pregnant with you Popsy passed away, but he got to see your first ultrasound picture and he was so excited about your arrival. I’m sorry that you will never have the chance to know him because he loved you so much.
4. I was convinced you were going to be a girl and I was shocked when we found out you were a boy. So much for my motherly instinct.
5. You are an active little boy and I always knew you were going to be that way because you kicked and squirmed like crazy when I was pregnant with you.
6. Your arrival caught your Daddy and I off guard because you decided to come three weeks early. The nursery wasn’t ready and we had to scramble to get it all done in the weeks after you got home.
7. The 2008 Summer Olympics started a few days after you were born and we would record the prime-time coverage to watch during the middle-of-the-night feedings. Getting up at 2am didn’t seem as bad when we could watch Michael Phelps swim for another gold.
8. You were such a little bean when we brought you home and I remember thinking that our cats looked enormous compared to you.
9. You slept a lot for your first few weeks and we loved holding you, cuddling with you and listening to you breathe
10. There are two painting of Paris that we have in our living room and you were obsessed with looking at the picture frames when you were really little. You also loved staring at our ceiling fan.
11. You shocked us at three weeks when you decided to roll over from your tummy to your back for the first time. We thought it was a fluke but you continued to do it.
12. One of my favorite first memories of you was your first real bath. We placed you in the water and you were frozen in this confused looked at least 30 seconds. Your Daddy and I could not stop laughing!
13. You slept in a bassinet next to your Daddy for the first 8 weeks of your life. You were so loud and you grunted all of the time so we started wearing earplugs to sleep.
14. Daddy sang Rock A Bye Baby while rocking you to help you fall asleep at night.
15. One of your first favorite places was your changing pad. We have a mobile with animals hanging above it and you would kick and giggle every time you saw them.
16. You came to the polls with us for the historic election that elected the first African-American president, Barack Obama.
17. When you were three months old we took you to your first bar for the Annual Chick’s Tavern Penn State day. Unfortunately Penn State lost, but you were a huge hit!
18. Amah bought you a jumper when she came to visit you in November and it is your all-time favorite activity. You would spend the entire day in there if we let you.
19. Watching you wake up from a nap is one of our favorite things to do. You are just so happy and smiley to see us.
20. You love looking at yourself in the mirror. It is an instant cure for when you’re fussy.
21. Grandma and I took you to see Santa and you were such a good boy. You didn’t cry or get scared at all. You seemed perfectly content to sit in his arms all day.
22. You got Daddy (with just a little help from me) a train set for Christmas. It is similar to the one Popsy would set up under the Christmas tree when Daddy was little. I hope it will become as special of a memory for you as it was for him.
23. You started rolling over from your back to your tummy around 5 months. As a result, you move around your crib throughout the night and sometimes end up in the funniest positions.
24. You absolutely love being naked. When we get you undressed for your bath at night you erupt into a bunch of giggles and squeals.
25. You didn’t like eating solid foods at first, but you have since warmed up to them. And, you are the messiest eater!

We could go on forever, but remember that we will always love you more than you can imagine and you have brought so much joy and happiness to our lives. We love you, little buddy.

- Mommy and Daddy

Brady tries apples - part 6

2009-02-07T22:32:00.001-05:00

All done, he finished the whole cup!
>

Brady tries apples - part 5

2009-02-07T22:31:00.001-05:00

Not sure where this face came from, but it's a keeper.
>

Brady tries apples - part 4

2009-02-07T22:27:00.001-05:00

These are pretty good.
>

Brady tries apples - part 3

2009-02-07T22:26:00.001-05:00

These aren't too bad... maybe. (note: awesome hair day)
>

Brady tries apples - part 2

2009-02-07T22:25:00.001-05:00

No!
>

Brady tries apples - part 1

2009-02-07T22:24:00.001-05:00

> Let's try apples today!
>

Super Bowl MVP

2009-02-03T14:53:00.005-05:00

As our friend Aaron informed us, Brady will now grow up thinking that his team (the Steelers, of course) wins the Super Bowl every year. After all, he's 1 for 1 so far. As you'll see in the video, Brady was pretty excited for the game. Unfortunately, his bedtime was in the middle of the first quarter and he was sound asleep when the Steelers drove for the game-winning score. Go Steelers!

Playtime with Daddy

2009-02-03T14:48:00.004-05:00

Evidently, giraffes are hilarious!

Rice Cereal

2009-02-03T14:36:00.008-05:00

We were preparing to start Brady on solid foods on his 6 month birthday, which is this coming Friday. But, we got this new high-chair last weekend and what better time to start trying solid foods than right after we got it out of the box? We started with rice cereal and next we will be moving on to sweet potatoes. Hopefully, he'll like that better than the rice cereal.

Hey, Brady, you have somthing there... on your chin... yeah, there.

Yum! Delicious!

First Snow

2009-02-03T14:27:00.006-05:00

It's been a pretty snowless winter here in D.C., but we finally got the first real snowstorm (2" of snow counts as a snowstorm here) of the season last week. The city ground to a halt, but Brady insisted that we take him out so he could experience the snow. As you can tell by the video, he was very excited to get out there. Unfortunately, once the snow started hitting his face, he realized that maybe snow isn't his thing yet. We're sure things will change in the years to come when he gets moon boots and the day off school.

Yay, snow! Wait a second, this is weird...

Closing your eyes and sticking out your tongue,
a tried and true defense mechanism.

Inauguration 2009

2009-02-03T14:18:00.006-05:00

Back in November, when Barack Obama was elected, we were excited that we would be able to take Brady down to the Mall to watch this amazing moment. We could look back on that day, how we were there when the first African-American president was sworn in. Witnesses to history.

And then we found out that there were no strollers allowed, that there would be 2 million other people there, and how it was going to be REALLY cold. So, we decided that witnessing history from our cozy apartment was going to be just as fun. And it was!

Suzi and Brady watching Obama make his entrance

The 44th President of the United States!

Hooray! It's official!

Jim, Brady and Obama

Pre-Bath Brady

2009-01-18T22:47:00.000-05:00

Brady loves the freedom of no clothes right before his bath. He
squeals and giggles like crazy. What a funny boy :)

Sophie

2009-01-18T21:26:00.000-05:00

Teething sucks but Sophie is awesome. One of the mothers in my playgroup recommended Sophie the Giraffe and she has been a huge hit. So much of a hit that I think I will be buying every new mom one in the future. Brady just lights up when he sees her and hears her little squeak. Plus he just loves chewing on her legs. The best part is that she is made with natural rubber and food paint so I don't have to worry about it spending endless hours in his mouth.

Don't mess with dragons

2009-01-15T13:29:00.000-05:00

Our friends Britt and Justin gave us this adorable outfit at our shower and I've been dying to get Brady in it. It finally fits him but unfortunately it is 30 degrees outside so he can't go out in it. He still has some room to grow in it so hopefully we'll get him out in it before it is too late. If not, I guess we're just going to have to move south for the second baby so s/he can get to wear it!

Go Steelers!

2009-01-13T18:08:00.000-05:00

Watch out for aliens

2009-01-13T16:17:00.000-05:00

5 months!

2009-01-11T21:02:00.000-05:00

We can't believe that Brady is almost half a year old. It's been such an amazing journey with him and we are so excited to see what each new day brings - because it seems like he does something new and amazing each and every day. We love you little guy!

Christmas at Home

2009-01-11T20:43:00.000-05:00

Christmas #3! And we finally made it to Christmas Day! We got back from Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve, just in time for Brady to be all snug in his crib when Santa brought him his third and final load of presents. We're trying to start some Christmas traditions with Brady, and it helped to be home this year for Brady to "write" a letter to Santa and leave out cookies. It was a great Christmas, Kristin came over for the day and we played with the AWESOME train that Suzi and Brady got for Jim. It was one of the best Christmases ever!

A classic story before bed

Christmas morning!

The happy boy ready to go downstairs!

We don't remember what he was looking at , but he's cute!

The train!

Woo hoo!

We can't wait to get more trains and little houses and trees and...

Mommy and Brady :)

Paris is pooped

Christmas in Pittsburgh

2009-01-11T20:36:00.000-05:00

Christmas #2! This Christmas was also before the 25th (just barely, it was the 23rd), but it was especially fun because we got to introduce Brady to a bunch of new people: his great-grandmother Marge, Aunt Betty, Aunt Patty, Jennifer and Dave. There were many of the typical Decemberween events: Cheese O'Clock, MarioKart and Wrapping Paper Diving. We had a great time, and Brady was a champ at spending 4 nights away and at the 5 hour drives.

Presents!

Brady loved his dalmation from Great-Grandma Pearl

We have your baby surrounded, come out with your hands up.

Brady and Aunt Patty!

Brady and Great-Grandma Marge!

Aunt Kiki and Brady!

Brady and Amah :)

More smiles from Brady!

The Bradybean and Aunt Becky!

Brady being cute

We're Back! In Time for... Christmas!

2009-01-11T20:30:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the long delay since we last posted, the holidays and a few bouts with the flu have kept us pretty busy. Also, we had three separate Christmas celebrations, so get ready for multiple posts!

First up, Christmas in DC with the Jackmans! This particular Christmas happened a little early because the Jackmans were out of town over the 25th, but it was festive nonetheless. We started the holiday season shopping for a Christmas tree and found a great little 4 footer at the local elementary school around the corner. Here we are with the tree and Brady (a little sleepy in the first picture):

The Tree! Now let's take a nap.

Jim looks a little crazy here, but what's new?

We had a great time celebrating Christmas at our place, and the tree looked great. Also, we may have broken a record by taking it down only a few days after New Year's Day. Here we all are (except Jim, probably taking the pictures):

Kristin, David and Brady

Santa (or Dad), Mom and Suzi

Santa Baby

2008-12-18T22:21:00.000-05:00

I finally got Brady's picture with Santa this week. We tried last weekend but the line was 2 1/2 hours long and we aborted that attempt. That's what we get for going to a busy mall on the Sunday morning two weeks before Christmas. Since we live in the city and it isn't very convenient for us to get out to the mall, I had pretty much written off getting the shot. Luckily while my mom and I were out on Tuesday we ended up at the mall and there was Santa with no line!

Brady was so good. He had been fussy just a few minutes before, but as soon as he sat on Santa's lap he just relaxed. I'll be curious if he's that good next year...

Brady & Santa

Sporty Boy

2008-12-18T22:08:00.000-05:00

Just some cute pictures to share of the growing boy. I know I'm biased but he is just so darn cute.

Oh, hello

Brady's "Whatchu talkin 'bout, Willis?" face

More pictures?

Playtime is Exhausting

2008-12-15T18:27:00.000-05:00

The Tree From Brady's Perspective

2008-12-14T11:05:00.000-05:00

Brady Brunch

2008-12-12T22:20:00.000-05:00

In honor of Jim's 30th birthday and Brady's 4 month birthday we had a Brady Brunch to celebrate. It was so much fun to have everyone over to take part in the festivities. We have the best friends and we don't get to see them as much as we used to, so every time we get to is so special. As always, Brady was so good, minus the fact that he would not go down for a nap in his crib knowing that everyone was downstairs having fun. He just loves being around people so we decided that a nap in the bouncer would be our present to him on his 4 month birthday.

On Thursday we had his pediatrician's appointment and he passed with flying colors. He now weighs 15lbs 5oz. Almost 10lbs over his birth weight! I can't believe he is so big now given how small he was when he was born. Well, I guess I'm not that surprised since he still eats 8-9 times a day!

It also seems as if his development is in hyper-drive. He laughs and smiles all of the time now, he studies everything with such curiosity, he loves to sit, jump and stand, anything he can get his hands on goes in his mouth and he is starting to grab at things with purpose and intent. I know this is just the start but it is so incredible to watch this little person develop and grow. Every day we fall in love with this little boy more and more.

Malena, Lindsey, Brady & Jameson

Jim, Mike, Josh, Justin & Britt

Me & Brady

Happy Birthday Jim & Brady

Birthday boy

Popsy Day

2008-12-09T21:04:00.000-05:00

It has been a year of firsts for me and Jim. Some amazing and some not so good. You see, Jim's dad passed away, after a valiant fight against cancer, in January. So, as we celebrated Brady's first smile we also cried through the first Father's Day without Popsy.

Yesterday was Popsy's birthday and while we took time to celebrate his wonderful life, we couldn't help but be overwhelmed by sadness that he isn't here with us - in person. I truly believe Popsy is here with us and is looking over Jim with such pride. Jim is the most amazing husband and father that I could ever imagine and I completely attribute that to the wonderful example that he had in Popsy. It breaks my heart that Brady will never get to meet him but I know that Brady has the most amazing guardian angel looking out for him.

We love and miss you, Popsy.

Popsy & Baby Jim

Popsy & the Sibbies

Morning Jump

2008-12-09T08:09:00.000-05:00

Here's Brady during his morning jump session. He's yawning every 5
jumps, so it's probably naptime soon.

Brady's First Thanksgiving

2008-12-07T21:13:00.000-05:00

This is a week late, but we wanted to post a few pictures from Brady's first Thanksgiving. We went down to Woodbridge to Brady's grandparent's house and it was a great day of family and food. Brady was very well behaved during the big meal, he slept in his bouncer at the foot of the table the whole time. And he was kind enough to give everyone a Jumparoo show before and after the meal (he still LOVES the Jumparoo - best gift ever. Thanks again, Amah!)

The week of Thanksgiving was especially nice because I was able to use the last 3 days of my paternity leave that week, giving me the whole week off, and my mom came down to visit for the weekend on the Friday before Thanksgiving. It had been about 7 or 8 weeks since she had seen him and he had packed on quite a few pounds, so it was a slightly chubbier (and more alert and giggly) Brady that she got to see. It was a great visit and Brady can't wait to see his Amah again!

Getting the dinner ready

Gravy! Surprise!

The little turkey boy

Playing with Kiki-Doog!

Brady and his parents

Tummy time in his Gobble Gobble pants

So tired.

Mommy saves Brady from tummy time :)

Brady and the turkey-man!

First night out sans Brady

2008-11-29T21:19:00.000-05:00

We did it! To celebrate Jim's 30th birthday, we went out for the
first time without Brady and left him in the capable care of his
Grandma and Grandpap. We had a great dinner but also enjoyed coming
back home to our little boy.

Jumping Bean

2008-11-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

I had a feeling Brady was going to be an active little boy given how much he moved and kicked when I was pregnant. For that reason, I wasn't really surprised when he rolled over at 3-weeks or by the fact that he can now slightly catapult himself forward during tummy time. Jumping is another activity that he loves. For a while now we have been sitting in front of our full-length mirror in the hallway and letting him watch himself jump. It is always an instant cure for fussiness as he can't help but laugh at watching himself jump.

So, over the weekend, Jim and I ventured out to Babies R Us and got him a jumper, and, right now it may be the best purchase we have made to date. He LOVES it. His feet can't touch the ground yet so Jim made a little platform for him.

Slackers

2008-11-23T21:08:00.000-05:00

Jim and I have really been slackers with this whole blog thing lately. In our defense, November has been so busy and I can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving. Where is the time going?

So, let's see, what have you missed...

Our friends Mark & Fran took a quick break from all of their Obama campaigning and came to DC for a visit. Malena and Jameson hosted a wonderful brunch in their honor and we spent the afternoon catching up and reminiscing about our lives in California. It was great but made me so homesick for Palo Alto and our Thursday night meet-ups at Plutos... especially since it is FREEZING here!

The Rodcocks and the Sheepays

The boys and the baby

Franny & Britt with Brady

The following weekend Brady had his first road trip to Philly to visit his future college roommates, Chase and Nolan and to meet some of our old college friends at the 6th Annual Chick's Tavern Day. Christina and Andrew were the most wonderful hosts and had nearly everything that Brady needed. They spoiled us and I know our next trip won't be quite as easy.

Brady on his way to Philly

Brady suggests a monkey theme for their future dorm room

Chase vetos that idea by tackling Brady

sweet little boy

The Annual Chick's Tavern Day is hosted by our friend Amy at her family's bar in Bridgeport, PA. Every year for the last away game of the Penn State football season they host a party and it has become a mini college reunion for us. It was great to see everyone, although we missed you Jon, Fred & Liz. (thanks for letting me swipe these pictures from your blog, Christina)

All dressed up and ready to go

Brady bjorned at the bar

Maureen & Brady

Uncle Shortie & Brady

On Sunday before we left, we met up with the Gerstbergers for breakfast. It was the first time we were all together with our boys and it was so wonderful! We've come a long way since our days at 318 W. Nittany Ave.

Christina & Chase, Ashlynne & Nolan and Me & Brady

As I mentioned earlier, it is freezing here. Over the last week the weather has quickly turned from the refreshing fall weather to the bone chilling temperatures of winter that I always dread. Luckily I got Brady his warm fleece bundler early so we have still been able to get out for our daily walks. He's so cute all bundled up.

All bundled up and ready to go

So warm and cozy

3 months

2008-11-11T20:35:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday was Brady's 3 month birthday. I truly cannot believe it, our life pre-baby seems light years away. I remember the first week we were home from the hospital my mom asked me if I could remember my life before Brady and I remember thinking, hell yes, I remember it. It was so easy. Jim and I could do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. We could sleep as long and as much as we wanted (we were big fans of sleep pre-baby). Everyone tells you it is hard being a parent but until you are in the situation and have this little guy depending on you for EVERYTHING, you have no idea how hard it really is.

Fast forward, 3 months and I have such a hard time remembering life before Brady. He has brought so much joy and amazement to our lives. Each day brings new challenges and new amazing developments. We still can't do whatever we want at the drop of a hat and we are definitely not sleeping much (although that is improving everyday), but I wouldn't change that for the world. God has blessed us with this unexpected gift and I look forward to everyday that I have to share with him. Happy Birthday, Brady, we love you more than you'll ever know.

Woo Hoo

2008-11-05T09:54:00.000-05:00

What an exciting day! Jim and I actually stayed up for all of the coverage and acceptance speech last night. For any of you with infants that still don't sleep through the night, you may appreciate the significance of that. I am so excited that Brady is going to get to grown up in a country where anything is possible. President Elect Obama. Wow... what a wonderful day.

Election Day

2008-11-04T18:40:00.000-05:00

Brady proudly performed his civic duty today, which was to accompany us to the polls and look ridiculously adorable in his Vote Now onesie. We were a little hesitant to take him since we knew there would probably be long lines, but we were hoping that it wouldn't be too bad around 10:00am. We were lucky to find out that there was no line at all! We took a few pictures outside the church, voted in about 5 minutes, then went to Starbucks for our free coffee.

Brady patiently waiting for us to get ready to go to the polls

All bundled up and ready to go

Jim and Brady right before we headed inside the church to vote

Brady was completely wiped out after all of the voting excitement

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T19:38:00.000-04:00

All Bundled Up

2008-10-30T21:24:00.000-04:00

I started a Stroller Strides exercise class this week so Brady had to
get all bundled up to venture out into the cold windy weather. He was
a good sport for most of the class and only needed to be Bjorned for a
littled bit. It was so nice to get out and meet some other moms in
the neighborhood.

Bouncer Time

2008-10-30T19:27:00.000-04:00

Brady is starting to really enjoy his bouncer. There's a blue bird he
likes to look at and if he whacks it, it plays music and lights up. He
hasn't quite put that cause and effect relationship together yet, but
he's almost there.

Changing Table

2008-10-30T18:23:00.000-04:00

One of Brady's new favorite things is to hang out on the changing table. He isn't particularly fond of the actual diaper changing part of the activity but he loves talking to his animals or smiling and laughing at me or Jim. What a cutie.

Pearl & Tom

2008-10-30T17:15:00.000-04:00

My grandparents, Pearl & Tom were visiting my parents for the last two weeks and we had the opportunity to introduce Brady to them. I have been so blessed to have the most wonderful grandparents and I felt so much pride and excitement to introduce Brady to such amazing people. During their visit it was Pearl's 87th birthday and we had a great day celebrating with her.

Grandma and Brady having some mat time

Brady thinks Pearl is very exciting

Hanging out with Grandma & Grandpap before they head home

Go State!

2008-10-18T15:23:00.000-04:00

We're down at Brady's grandparents' place today and Brady is really
excited about the Penn State/Michigan game this afternoon. REALLY
EXCITED. Can't you tell?

Story Time

2008-10-09T10:01:00.000-04:00

Every night Jim reads Brady a book before bed and it is one of the cutest things I have ever seen. Brady is such a good listener and he even focuses on the book while Jim reads.

Bill and Adrienne Meet Their Nephew

2008-10-07T19:15:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, Brady met two more members of his extended family when Uncle Bill(y) and Aunt Adrienne came to visit. As much as we wanted Brady to be able to drool on Bill on command, we just couldn't teach him this skill before they arrived. Oh well, maybe next time.

Hanging out

"I'm cute!"

Not so sure about this guy...

I guess he's alright

Monkey Overload?

2008-10-07T07:42:00.000-04:00

We know Brady has more monkey- related clothes and toys than most
little boys (and we've mentioned this before), and this picture really proves it. We still need to find a monkey hat and monkey socks (and monkey mittens?). I hope
this doesn't cause any long-term damage.

Mobile Posting

2008-10-05T13:42:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the amazing Interweb and my iPhone, I can post on the go.
Here's my first mobile post, complete with a picture of Brady on our
way to Babies R Us.

Picture of the Day

2008-10-03T18:27:00.000-04:00

I've been back at work for a little over 3 weeks and while I've gotten used to working again, I still miss Suzi and Brady while I'm at the office. It's helped that I only live about 6 blocks from my office, which lets me bring home lunch or meet them out for lunch. But the best part of my day (other than getting home) is when Suzi sends me a photo of Brady in the afternoon. My absolute favorite is this one:

Monkey Boy

2008-10-01T19:27:00.000-04:00

No, Penn Staters, I'm not talking about the pitchers of delicious goodness from the Saloon, I'm talking about our little boy. I don't really remember how monkeys became associated with Jim but that association has now been passed on to Brady. He has received several stuffed monkeys, he has lots of clothing with monkeys on them, a monkey blanket and now we call him our little monkey...

Excited little monkey boy.

Brady in his monkey pants, on his monkey blanket being tackled by Banana.

Seriously, I didn't pose him for this picture but he is posed just like the monkeys on the blanket. What a cute little monkey.

Dressy Boy

2008-09-29T20:48:00.000-04:00

Joan and Greg sent us this handsome outfit for Brady. I was worried that it wasn't going to fit him at first but it was a perfect fit (even though his double chin is covering the collar) and he looks adorable. Thank you Joan & Greg!

Side Note

2008-09-29T20:40:00.000-04:00

Seriously, what is up with the sizing of the Gerber onesies. Brady isn't a big baby falling in the the 50% for his height and weight yet he is starting to outgrow the 3-6 month onesies. He isn't even two months old. It seems crazy that within the next week or two I'm going to be buying the 6-9 month size.

More Visitors

2008-09-29T10:01:00.000-04:00

Last weekend Brady had some very special visitors head down to DC - Ama & Aunt Rebecca. Ama was down soon after Brady was born and she couldn't believe how much he has grown in the 5-weeks since she had seen him. Needless to say Brady charmed is way into their hearts and Jim and I barely got to hold him all weekend.

Brady showing off his incredible neck strength for Aunt Rebecca

Cuddle time with Ama

More cuddle time

Mini Me or Mini You?

2008-09-19T10:03:00.000-04:00

As early as the 3-D ultrasound people have been saying that Brady looks just like Jim. And I have to agree...for the most part. I always knew that Brady had my hair but, after looking at some of my baby pictures I think there might be some of me in there as well. What do you think?

Me and my crazy hair

When we take pictures of Brady from this angle I think he looks a lot like me.

Cute little baby Jim. His hair was a little crazy as well.

So Alert

2008-09-18T08:41:00.000-04:00

Everyday Brady is becoming more and more aware and alert. It is so cute to see him looking around and exploring the world around him, especially when those stares are on me and Jim.

Brady checking out Dad

Brady has been smiling for a few weeks now and although it isn't a "genuine" smile yet it is still adorable.

Brady in the Bjorn. He really loves being in it whether we are just walking around the apartment or if we're taking a walk around the block.

One of Brady's favorite new activities is to lay in his crib and watch his mobile.

6-Weeks Old!

2008-09-17T12:29:00.000-04:00

Time has really started to fly around here. The first few weeks seemed to drag on forever (that probably had a lot to do with the fact that we were awake for a good portion of that time). But now, life is on fast forward.

Last week was a busy week for the boy, starting with a visit from some of my co-workers. It was great to see them and they were so nice to bring me and Jim some delicious pizza and wine! It was my first glass since who knows when and it was wonderful. Also, Jim gave Brady a bottle for the first time that night. Brady took the whole bottle but it was definitely a struggle. Since then he has taken the bottle a few more times and he is tolerating more and more each time.

It was also a busy week for visitors coming throughout the week. On Tuesday our friend Erik was in town for the day and he took time out of his busy schedule to stop by to meet the little guy. Afam was in town for the weekend for a fund raising event for his foundation and since we couldn't make the event, he came over on Thursday. On Friday, Stokes came in from NYC and spent the afternoon with me and Brady. Then on Saturday, Ashlynne, Matt & Nolan and Jill & Pete came down from Philly! It was great to see everyone and it was wonderful to show off our little man. Thank you all for making the effort to see us!

Jim went back to work on Wednesday last week and within five minutes of him leaving Brady had spit-up on me three times, had a leaky diaper, had an explosive poo on the changing table, and then one more spit-up for good measure. Thanks, Brady. Way to make the transition easy. Luckily, that morning wasn't an indicator of how the rest of the week would go.

And finally, last week Brady had his one month check-up and he passed with flying colors. He weighed in at 9.5 lbs! Four pounds more than when he left the hospital. He also got his second Hepatitis B shot and he was so good. He definitely cried when it happened but he didn't get too fussy afterwards and slept almost the entire evening.

Now we're at 6-weeks and I can't believe how far we've come. The first few weeks were amazing but they were so stressful and overwhelming. At this point we still have some overwhelming moments but for the most part we're just enjoying our wonderful little boy. Now on to the pictures...

Jim and Brady bonding over the bottle while I relax and enjoy a break from feeding

All ready for the Penn State game! Since all of the PSU outfits are too big for the little guy this Gap outfit has to do for now.

Either he just saw an alien, or he's about to poop

Nolan and Brady chat during a diaper change

Jill and Pete with Brady!

Totally wiped out after an exciting week

Growing Boy

2008-09-07T16:55:00.000-04:00

When we packed our bags in preparation for the trip to the hospital, we packed a little blue outfit compelte with a hat for Brady to come home in. Little did we know that he would be such a little tyke when he was born, rendering the outfit about 18 sizes too big for him.

But here we are, a little over one month later, and the outfit finally fits! Kind of... close enough. At least his head doesn't look like an orange rolling around in a salad bowl.

1-month Birthday!

2008-09-07T16:40:00.000-04:00

We can't believe that Brady is already one month old! We had to celebrate, so Banana whipped up some mini-cupcakes and we sang Happy Birthday after the Penn State game. He wasn't too thrilled that we didn't let him have a cupcake, but he'll get over it.

Hooray for 1 month!

A little help from Grandpap.

So cranky!

Go State!

2008-09-07T16:33:00.000-04:00

Brady got to watch his first Penn State game yesterday and he showed up in blue and white to cheer on the Lions. Unfortunately, ABC switched to another game after Penn State rolled up a big lead, but he didn't seem to mind. He was preoccupied with Grandpap and Banana.

Go State!

Naptime!

You're so silly, Banana.

Pants!

2008-09-07T16:26:00.000-04:00

Guess who knows how to wear pants? Brady!

A monkey outfit, go figure

So excited!

Bath Time

2008-09-01T20:07:00.000-04:00

Tonight we gave Brady his first real bath. He was very confused at first but then he really liked it. Unfortunately he didn't like getting his hair washed tonight which is usually his favorite part. It is so funny how quickly their likes and dislikes change.

Brady was frozen in this confused state for at least a minute. Jim and I could not stop laughing. He's just so cute.

Brady's First Playdate

2008-09-01T19:41:00.000-04:00

So, I don't think this can actually be classified as a playdate since Brady doesn't really "play" yet but Jim and I sure enjoyed Christina, Andrew and Chase's visit down south. We haven't seen them since they came down for our baby shower back in June and we were so amazed at how much Chase has grown up since then. As a matter of fact, we were completely in awe at just how big Chase is!! I can't imagine Brady ever getting that big and to know that he probably will be in 10 short months amazes me even more. As much as I'm looking forward to Brady getting older and more interactive, it just hit that we only have this "newborn" time with him once and that it will be gone before we know it. So, no more complaining about the fact that Brady will only nap while being held because there will soon be a day when he will rather be crawling around rather than snuggling in my arms.

The moms and their boys.

Chase in the Nittany Lion outfit we bought Brady. We got the 3-6 month size and thought he could wear it during the bowl game but it is huge and it fits Chase who is 11-months old! I don't think Brady will be wearing it any time soon.

Chase was obsessed with Daisy. Daisy wasn't much of a fan but she better get used to it because Brady will be chasing her around the house soon.

Andrew and Brady. So cute.

Everyone is doing tummy time.

Brady, this is Banana. Banana, this is Brady.

2008-08-31T12:36:00.000-04:00

This morning we introduced Brady and Banana and they really hit it off. So cute...

Brady wasn't so sure of this Banana character at first

But, they soon became best friends

An Exciting Turn of Events...

2008-08-31T10:55:00.000-04:00

As we mentioned below, tummy time has become an exciting part of the day for Brady and yesterday's tummy time at his grandparents' place was extra exciting.

Whoa! This was actually the third time he rolled from his tummy to his back, but we didn't have the camera ready the first time, and we didn't think he would do it again, so we missed the second time too. We're glad his big little head and gravity allowed him to roll over a third time. As you could hear, it was a very exciting moment for everyone!

To Grandmother's House We Go!

2008-08-31T10:15:00.000-04:00

Not only have we been tummy-timing it up, we headed south to Grandma and Grandpap's place yesterday for the afternoon and evening. It was a great visit because they could really tell how much weight he gained since they last saw him (about a week and a half ago). Everyone took turns hanging out with Brady and we had some exciting tummy time as well (stay tuned...). It was also the first weekend of college football, which Brady has been looking forward to for weeks. Sadly, the Penn State game was not broadcast down here (thanks, Big Ten Network), but we were able to keep track of the score on the Internet. Go State!

Here's the Brady bug with his grandparents and his aunt Kristin:

What an exhausting day, time to go home

Tummy Time!

2008-08-31T10:01:00.000-04:00

Brady has been lifting his head a lot lately, so we're doing tummy time more often to strengthen his neck (and his core - he's a Pilates nut). His head seems relatively heavy, to me at least, so he's going to need a lot of exercise to keep his noggin from rolling around uncontrollably. Here are some shots from a session this past week:

Working out his legs

And his neck

Whew, that was exhausting

"All that work and what's my reward? Rattle socks."

Old Man

2008-08-27T17:01:00.000-04:00

Today, Brady is three weeks old! Jim and I are still in the daze of first-time parenthood but we're starting to get the hang of things. We're learning to keep up with Brady's needs and he is sure to let us know when we're falling a little short. But overall, I can't believe how far we've come in such a short period of time.

Brady is also getting bigger everyday. We're weighing him on our scale (Jim weighs himself first and then weighs himself hold Brady to get the difference) and today the difference was 8lbs. Our scale rounds to the nearest half pound so that means he's somewhere between 7.5lbs and 8.5lbs. I have been looking forward getting to the 8lb mark for some unknown reason. I guess I think he'll be more substantial at that weight. Which he definitely is because he has already out grown the preemie clothes and is officially in the newborn category. Hooray!

Here's a picture of Brady from last week in his last preemie outfit...

Due Date? What due date?

2008-08-26T13:01:00.000-04:00

Today is a big day for us... today is Brady's due date. I can't believe that we've had him with us for nearly three weeks already and that he still could be waiting patiently inside of me. I also can't imagine the mixture of emotions that I would be feeling today since Jim and I were never really given the opportunity to sit around and wait for the big moment. Instead, we were thrown into this incredibly overwhelming and wonderful world of parenting.

It has been another incredible week with Brady. Jim's Mom left on Wednesday and we have been on our own ever since. We're doing really well and Brady has been pretty good at sleeping at night. He's begun to get more alert during the day and I love to watch him observing the new world around him. With this added alertness brings some more fussiness during the day and Jim and I are working on finding the most effective way to calm him down. Bouncing seems to work the best right now.

Here are some pictures from the week...

Jim playing with Brady in the Boppy

Brady saying hello to his Mom

Bath time, again

Post bath in what was supposed to be his first outfit. Still too big.

Cuddle time with Mom. My favorite time of day.

2-Week Checkup

2008-08-19T10:35:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Brady has his 2-week checkup at the pediatrician and I was anxious to see how much weight the little guy had gained. It's hard when you're breastfeeding and you can't tell exactly how much he's getting. At his appointment last week he was 5lbs 9oz - just a few ounces shy of his birth weight of 5lbs 11oz. I was hoping that he would be closer to 6lbs this visit because the little guy has quite an appetite and I feel like I'm constantly feeding him. So, you can imagine my excitement when the nurse informed us that he now weighs 6lbs 7oz!! 14 ounces in one week! Way to go Brady! He has also grown a bit longer as well and is now 20 inches.

So it appears the breastfeeding is working. I guess I'll keep it up a little while longer. Now, here are some more pictures...

A week of firsts...

2008-08-18T19:21:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it, Jim and I made it through the first week home with Brady. Granted we had a lot of help from Brady's Grandma & Ama. Grandma left on Friday and Ama will be leaving on Wednesday so tune into next week's post to see if we survive on our own! In the meantime, here's what's been going on in Bradyville...

First off, we were supposed to get new carpeting installed last Wednesday but that didn't pan out since that was the day Brady decided to make his arrival so we had it installed on Tuesday instead. This was just a tad bit stressful since we had to have the entire nursery and our bedroom cleared out. Hopefully I will sometime be able to look at these pictures and laugh...

Once we got the carpet installed we were finally able to start having some fun with the little guy. So we gave him his first bath...

And he got to explore his crib for the first time. He really hated it at first but then he calmed down a bit...

He also enjoyed some time in his swing...

And of course there has been lots of tummy time...

Meeting Ama and then his first walk around the block to go meet Britt & Justin. Later Lindsey & Josh stopped by to meet the little man as well...

It's been an amazing (and sometimes completely overwhelming) week and I can't wait to see what is still to come! We love you, Brady!

Brady's Big Day and More Pictures!

2008-08-13T10:19:00.000-04:00

After a night where we got more than 2 hours of sleep, we finally have the energy to post some new pictures of Brady from his first few days in the hospital. And since this is our first big post after getting home, we thought we should give a quick run down of how he entered the world one week ago.

It was Wednesday morning at 3:00am when Suzi woke me up. She said "I think my water just broke." Since we had a false alarm a few weeks before, I did not immediately poop my pants. We waited about 15 minutes to call the doctor and soon decided that maybe this was the real deal when her contractions started to get a little stronger. Both of us showered, we checked our bags for any last-minute items, and hopped in the car. Since it was about 4:30, there was no traffic, so we were able to get to the hospital, 5 miles away, pretty quickly. We checked in and Suzi was wheeled up to the labor and delivery wing.

Things didn't get off to a great start because all 10 labor and delivery rooms were full when we arrived, so we were placed in "Triage 2." Awesome. Suzi didn't seem very thrilled to deliver our son in Triage 2, especially since it was half the size and half as nice as the labor and delivery rooms we saw on the tour a few weeks ago (although, it could have been the inspiration for an awesome name: Triage Two Shipe). Anyway, things started to get interesting very fast.

Suzi's contractions were getting stronger and stronger, and after a quick exam, the doctor told us that she was already 5 centimeters and that she could feel the baby's head. Whoa. Suzi was getting seriously uncomfortable at this point and was hoping to get going on the epidural, stat. Unfortunately, they needed to draw blood, do some tests, and get a bag of IV fluids into her before they could get that going, at least an hour or so. This seemed less than ideal to Suzi, as she remarked, "This pain is INSANE." Not being able to give her the epidural myself, I was hoping for some miracle solution.

Things got a little scary when the Brady's heartbeat started to drop. Suzi was able to get it back up by switching positions, but after a few cycles of a low heartrate, her doctor had enough. She said that Brady wasn't too keen on labor and that it was best for him to come out now. Suzi was not opposed to this idea. So, they wheeled her out of the room to the OR and told me to wait in Triage 2 until someone came to get me. After the longest 20 minutes, a nurse came back and said that I had a son! She said he was kicking and crying, even though the cord was wrapped around his neck and body. Suzi was wheeled right back to Triage 2 about 15 minutes later, as she was starting to wake up.

As Suzi started to recover, with the help of some morphine, they let me go back to the nursery to see Brady for the first time. He was laying on a bed, all swaddled up and wearing a little hat. And he was the most adorable little boy I had ever seen. I watched them give him a bath and we were able to go back to see Suzi a little after that. We were fortunate enough to get a private postpartum room (likely due to the fact that Suzi delivered faster than all 10 women in the labor and delivery rooms), and left the comforts of Triage 2 in the late morning.

So that's the story of how Brady came into the world. Hooray for Brady!

Sleepy boy

There's nothing like a nap on mom

Tiny feet

Finally home!

Hmmm... someone just pooped.

Best baby in the world!

Welcome to the World, Brady!!

2008-08-06T14:28:00.000-04:00

Jim and Suzi asked me to update everyone on the big news, as they probably won't be spending too much time on the computer in the next couple of days. Without further ado, allow me to introduce:

Brady William Shipe
Born very early this morning, weighing in at 5 lbs., 11 oz. and strutting his stuff at a proud 18.75 inches.
Dad, Mom, and Baby are doing well!

-Christina

Baby Shower Pictures!

2008-07-22T20:50:00.000-04:00

We have these pictures from the showers and thought we would post them to Tini's blog. There's been chatter that this may also qualify us to be invited to a wedding in the future, which would be a good thing.

DC Shower, June 28th:

Guests enjoying the festive Dr. Suess atmosphere

Christina, Suzi, Stokes, and Tini (not pictured, well, kind of)

Kristin and Jim mocking the cupcakes

A blue monkey! A green box! Hooray!

Pittsburgh Shower, July 5th:

*Disclaimer: it may appear that Suzi is wearing the same outfit that she wore to the DC shower. But that would be a ridiculous thought. Why on Earth would she do that? It's probably just global warming or high oil prices that are making you see things.

Tini's not the only one that has his own crocheted
hat, this duck got one too! Thanks, Ama!

Tini and lots of his family!

Another monkey - what a surprise!

Thanks again to everyone who made it to the showers and sent gifts, we really appreciate everything! Especially the monkeys - all 6 of them!

Tinimeter: a honeydew melon!

So, apparently... we have a blog!

2008-07-10T21:19:00.000-04:00

Suzi is just past 33 weeks now, which means it's time to find a pediatrician or, at the very least, start looking. So, we had our first interview/visit this afternoon and it went really well. The four doctors there seem extremely capable and we both really like the primary doctor who spent the most time with us. To boot, the exam rooms have different cultural themes and they have key child-related services (that I didn't know existed 2 months ago) like a lactation consultant, baby sign language classes and baby yoga classes.

For those of you clamoring for pictures from the baby showers, we intend on posting some pictures from the past two weekends once we get them from Suzi's dad. Stay tuned... but don't hold your breath.

In the meantime, you'll have to settle for knowing that we met the Mayor of DC at our pediatrician visit today (by met, we mean saw in the waiting room with his two sons but didn't want to creep out by saying, "Hey, you're the Mayor of DC!"). And we know it was him because of these four clues:

1. His face looked just like the Mayor's face.
2. He had DC flag cuff links.
3. He had several Blackberries.
4. One of the doctors called him by his first name.

This was another reason we liked our pediatrician so much - if she's good enough for the Mayor's kids, she's good enough for our son!

Tini-Meter: pineapple!

Exciting Weekend!

2008-06-08T22:20:00.000-04:00

It was a pretty big weekend for Tini and his parents. First, Tini got a float around inside of Suzi some more. I know! Amazing! But even more exciting was our trip to a 3D/4D sonogram center where we got to see our son-to-be in 3D for the first time. It was ridiculously fun and exciting. We highly recommend that you visit one of these places if you ever find yourself growing a person inside of you.

Unfortunately, you won't be able to experience the joy of the what-we-figure-was-supposed-to-be-soothing music, some of which sounded like someone peeing, unless you see the DVD. But, the following pictures are the highlights of the 20 minute session. Note that he takes after his father and decided that sleeping was the best way for him to spend a Saturday morning.

Without further ado, here he is in 3D!

Oh, and we bought a car too. A black Honda CR-V. Did we mention that we got to see our son in 3D!?!?!

Tini-Meter (28 weeks): a 3D chinese cabbage! High five!

Hello, Third Trimester!

2008-05-28T21:25:00.000-04:00

I wish we had a good excuse for why we haven't updated TiniWorld in over a month, but we don't. I expect we'll pay more attention to the blog (and him) once he arrives in August. And no pictures to post this time, but we have our 3D ultrasound next Saturday, so check back then!

Suzi is still doing well, but she's not looking forward to the downsides that the third trimester brings. She gets tired a little earlier, and since she's been pretty busy at work, our favorite activities have become napping and loafing. I'm not complaining.

Tini has been much more active recently, which might explain why Suzi has had less energy. In addition to being able to feel him move more, we can even see him moving sometimes, which is ridiculously amazing.

Thanks for checking in, and we'll be back with pictures for sure in a little over a week!

TiniMeter: a two pound head of cauliflower! Whoa!