July update

Just because we haven't updated the blog in awhile doesn't mean there isn't anything going on. It's actually quite the contrary... there's so much happening here that we can't find time to tell you about it! As soon as Brady does something amazing for the first time, he trumps himself by doing something else for the first time right after it. I guess that's how his first year is going to be!

About 3 weeks ago, my Mom, sister and I took Brady to the Picture People in the mall to get a couple of photos taken for Matt for Father's Day. There, in front of the camera, he decided to sit up on his own for the very first time-- no support. It was break taking! And because the moment was caught on film, we of course had to buy a bazillion pictures. It was a good day for the Picture People! Since then, he's been able to sit a little longer on his own every day. Just yesterday he sat for several minutes and even played with some toys before he plopped over. He looks like such a big boy now.

Lock up your daughters!

And Brady isn't stopping at sitting... no sir. He's already up on all fours rocking back and forth. Much to the chagrin of his mother, this little man will be on the move very soon. Why can't he stay a baby for just a little while longer?!

Another fun milestone to note... Brady began eating vegetables this week! He's been eating cereal for the last month and a half, but we waited until he was 6 months to introduce baby food. Green beans was the first veggie of choice and he'll start peas tomorrow (ugh!) Doc says to get all the veggies in first before he gets fruits, or else he may never eat 'em. Maybe that's what happened to me...

His days in the Bumbo are numbered...

He liked the green beans, really!

No more pictures, please!

Brady had a great 6 month check-up this week, even though there were more shots :( He weighed in at a hefty 18 lbs. 2 oz. (75%) and 27 in (75%). His head is still off the charts at 47.5 cm (100+%) but appears to be "leveling off". Baby's got big brains!! And even though the drool is abundant and the chewing is non-stop, Doc says she doesn't think a tooth will be poking through any time soon. Guess we'll have to keep waiting to see his first pearly white.

The last thing to note (then I'll end this entry, I promise), is that this week was our last week with Nanny Manny. My sister will begin providing in-home therapy for autistic children. While I know Brady is going to miss her, we wish her the best of luck at her new job and hope that she comes to visit often. After lots of searching and interviewing, we hired a new nanny, Linda (no, not Matt's mom), who will begin taking care of Brady on Monday. Matt and I felt a connection with her right away and look forward to having her join our "family". She promises to teach Brady Chinese (she's fluent), so he'll officially be smarter than Mom and Dad in approx. 6 months... :)

Ok, signing off. Hopefully it won't be another month before we update again.

First Road Trip... to STL!

A couple weeks ago we braved the open road and took Brady on his first (of many) trips to St. Louis. Matt's cousin Greg was being deployed to Afghanistan, so we went down to wish him well and see other friends/family in the Lou. We left Chicago around 8pm so Brady could sleep the whole way down- which he did. It was wonderful. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the return trip home. Let's just say there were LOTS of tears. Brady was a mess too :) But we survived and will likely make another trip down soon. Thanks to the Baileys, Kathy & Sam and the Whiteheads for your hospitality!

Getting high-fives from his buddy Drew

Loving his first time on a swing!

At the park with Valerie, Drew and Mom

Meeting Kathy and Sam

Chilling at the hotel with Dad

At a BBQ with Bob, Great-Grandma Doris and Dad

"I can barely talk and I already hate the Cubs!" Yes sir!

Getting hugs from Aunt Julie and Ella

Grandpa's New Motor

Sorry for the delay since the last post.

Just over a week ago, we got an unexpected phone call saying that Grandpa Eatherton was going in for an angiogram. Within a matter of hours, we were dealing with the reality that he was going to have open heart surgery to relieve a blockage in his aorta. As scary as all of this sounds, it was a blessing, and a miracle, that we are able to write this blog post.

Grandpa had 80% blockage in one of his main aortas that almost never gives any warning signs. For whatever reason, he started to get chest pains on the treadmill in the last few weeks....that was miracle #1. Miracle #2 was when he proactively went to the doctor to say something was wrong. They caught the blockage in the stress test, an angiogram confirmed it, and the bypass surgery repaired it.

Fast forward a little over a week, and he's now resting comfortably at home after undergoing triple bypass surgery. Within 24 hours of surgery, he was out of his bed, breathing on his own, and totally aware of his surroundings. Just a few more days after that, he was eating, walking, and climbing stairs. Just a few more days after that, he was on his way home.

He's going to have a long road to recovery. However, it's a small price to pay given the alternative. We will all keep him very active and ensure that he eats well. Hopefully he'll be back on the treadmill and playing golf later this year. He's very thankful for all of the well wishes...he received a ton of support while he was in the hospital, so thanks to you all.

Let the Summer begin!

Brady loves being outside! Whether it's going for walks in the stroller or just sitting out on the porch, he definitely likes getting out of the house. I can't say I blame him! It was a tough winter, but we're looking forward to spending the Summer outside with Brady now that he's bigger and able to take it all in. Hopefully we'll get to the zoo in the next few weeks!

He's very interested in everything we eat and drink; he tries so hard to take a taste! We're still trucking along with the cereal and tried oatmeal for the first time this weekend. Doesn't really like that either. Can't wait to start giving him fruits and veggies, hopefully he'll like those more than the grains!

We got our very first cold over Memorial Day weekend and we're still fighting off the end of it. Lots of boogies! But he handled it like a champ for the most part and slept, and slept, and slept! He's also chewing EVERYTHING and drooling a ton, so we are hopeful that his first tooth breaks through soon.

We're taking our first road trip to St. Louis this weekend to spend some time with Matt's family. We're also going to see the Baileys and Kathy and Sam... very fun! We'll post pics from the trip when we get back. For now, enjoy a few from the last 10 days or so...

C'mon Dad, just a little taste?

It's true, every time he wears it

Swinging at the Durkins

Such a happy boy!

Touching grass for the very first time!

House Updates

Been a while since we updated everyone on Grandma and Grandpa's new house.  Mostly because all of the work done in the last month or so has been boring interior stuff like electricity, plumbing, hvac, etc....you know, the essentials.  Next update should be in a few weeks when the masonry, screened porch, garage, and drywall are up.

Exterior now prepped for masonry:

Front porch (decorative only):
Screened porch roof:

Old garage down, new slab poured:

Courtyard slab poured:

Family room:

Office & Dining room:

What's Brady up to?! Glad you asked...

It's been awhile since our last post, so I apologize for depriving you of Brady news! It's been a busy couple of weeks... Brady is growing bigger and stronger every day. He's rolling over like crazy, responds to our voices when we walk into the room, holds toys for long periods of time (and puts them in his mouth, of course!), and he loves to watch and reach out for his hairy big brother. We're not sure that Tinley likes Brady "petting" him, but we know that very soon the two of them will paling around together... getting into trouble!

We introduced Brady to the Baby Einstein Exer-saucer and he loves spending time spinning around and playing with all the toys. Especially the audio buttons... "moooo... cow... vaca". He'll be speaking Spanish in no time :) The other big news is that Brady started eating rice cereal last weekend. I use the word "eating" very, very lightly, as I'm not even sure that he's swallowed any of it. At first it seemed like he didn't mind the cereal, but the last two days he's become a little less excited about it. Maybe it's time to introduce fruits and veggies!

Matt and I still can't believe everything Brady can do at 4 1/2 months-- it's unbelievable! Watching him grow and learn has been the most amazing thing ever... I can't wait to see what he does next!

Here are a couple of recent pics... Enjoy!

Hanging out with his buddy Jack

With Aunt Lindsay and Uncle J (Brady loves Cubs fans too)

Big boy in his chair, ready for his cereal

I hope it tastes better than it looks!

Trying to give Grandpa Grits a kiss

Brady with his Mom, and her Mom and her Mom... on Mother's Day!

Giggle-time!

No matter what is going on around us, what kind of stress we're dealing with, or how tired we are...5 minutes of this everday is enough to wipe all that stuff away!