Tap, tap, tap.....is this thing on?

So today officially marks one month since we've posted anything new on this poor, neglected blog. I was gently informed in an email a few days ago (thanks, Mom) and a phone call yesterday (thanks, Dad) that some folks have wondered about our well-being during the silence. The hiatus really hasn't been intentional but life got so full we were too busy living it to write about it.

So here we are saying good-bye to August (the month, that is) and peering around the corner to fall. Brayden had his first vacation and his 4 month check-up in August. Fortunately, for all the nurses, he managed to resist showing off his impressive stream during this visit. He's a whopping nearly 13 pounds now - still a pound or 2 short of where all his sisters were at this age but still pretty good for a guy who started out looking quite skeletal 4 months ago.

We'll try to get some more vacation pictures up later on this week.

Happy Birthday Liv!

I still remember, very vividly, my first reaction when I learned we were expecting a second baby girl.
I began to fret. I worried that I could never love another little girl as much as I loved your big sister. So I did the only thing I could do. I prayed.
I prayed that God would make you a unique girl with your own set of gifts and talents all your own.Boy did He do above and beyond my wildest dreams!
How God must have been laughing at your worried mom while he knit you together. You're a treasure and we love you!

Eye Clutter

The girls think he looks "cute". I say he looks more like an obsessed tourist in the Museum of Natural History or maybe a prehistoric theme park. All he's lacking is a camera dangling around his neck and a fanny pack around his waist. What do you think?

Three Months

The calendar tells us you've been here three months but it feels like we've loved you forever sweet boy.

I can't believe our little, bitty, newborn preemie baby is 3 months old. He's growing and gaining and even (almost) has some rolls of fat on his thighs to prove it! He's smiling, cooing, kicking, drooling and doing his very best to take in all he can of his environment. The days of weight grain troubles and nursing difficulties seem far, far away. It's a good, good place to be. ;)

Friday Funnies

Brayden, please, please do not try this at home. I don't care that your dad enjoys the challenge of casting broken limbs. Just spare your mom some stress and don't do it, OK?!




(No time to post much lately. Hopefully, we'll get more pictures up soon.)

Sweet Sunday Surprise

We were walking out of church yesterday when, while August was being tapped on the shoulder by a tall, broad-shouldered 16 year old boy (the same size and height as our nephew), I was making eye contact with a guy who looked an awfully lot like August's brother from Atlanta. Both were snickering as their eyes twinkled. Following close behind were our sis-in-law, niece, and 2 other nephews. They had driven all the way from Atlanta and surprised us!

They arrived in town Saturday evening in time to catch the local fireworks, stayed in a hotel overnight, and snuck into church without us noticing. We, apparently, were sitting directly opposite them in church and nearly made eye contact several times. We were shocked and delighted.

We had a wonderful rainy Sunday afternoon together. I'll post some fun pictures later but for now I'll just say that it involved one cute baby, nine enthusiastic cousins, one jubilated senior citizen, and bowling! ;)

OK.....now I get it!

Brayden seems to attract admirers wherever we go. A common observation I hear is "Oh, he's SO small!" I'm always surprised to hear that since I know how far he has come. So today, I pulled out the girls' baby books and compared weights at 2 months of age. OK, now I get it. The smallest of the girls, Juliette, was 9 lbs. 7 oz. at 1 month of age. This was our frail little gal who wasn't supposed to make it through my pregnancy and eventually ended up having lung surgery. So when I look at Brayden, now 2 months old and a "chunky" 8 lbs. 15 oz. I'm reminded that chunky is a very relative term and I'm so incredibly grateful for his health.....and mine. ;)

Brayden with the founding members of the "Mr. B Fan Club".