Bradley and Abby

McDonald's Abby Meal

2012-01-23T03:47:00.001-08:00

I'm loving it!

Scooter Bradley

2012-01-23T03:46:00.001-08:00

Monster Truck Jam!!

2012-01-16T10:54:00.001-08:00

Bradley loved it. His favorite truck is Gravedigger...

Photos!

2012-01-09T06:11:00.000-08:00

Annual Diet Coke toast at New Years.
Eating a tag.
Bradley loves his Kermit the Frog toy from Grampa Mike and Gramma Julie.
Asleep at Dierdra and Derrick's New Years party.
Hiding out in a box.

We've been behind on posting -- here are some photos from the past couple of weeks. Abby had her first fever, from an ear infection. She was really, really upset. We had to resort to carrying her around in a sack mostly naked. As you can see, she's filling in quite nicely. She's putting on the baby weight. She is also sitting up pretty well, although she falls over some. And, she is taking to solid foods. She likes peas and apples with rice cereal, but not bananas.

Abby Laughs!

2011-12-31T13:39:00.000-08:00

She used to just grin, but she's starting to do some more belly laughing!

Christmas Pictures!

2011-12-26T07:48:00.001-08:00

Christmas this year was all about Mario Karts and Muppets for Bradley this Christmas and all about bears and clothes for Abby. After the hundredth time being forced to play Mario Karts, Mommy and Daddy are tired!

Abby Sits, a Christmas Miracle

2011-12-25T11:17:00.001-08:00

Parenthood Is a Rollercoaster!

2011-12-22T13:53:00.001-08:00

Boys' Day

2011-12-22T13:52:00.001-08:00

Daddy took Bradley to the Muppet movie, picked up a girl and let Bradley drive. Quite the boys' day!!

Sibling Love

2011-12-18T12:51:00.001-08:00

BabbleabbleAbby

2011-12-18T11:54:00.001-08:00

Abby starts to babble!

I Got Your Back

2011-12-17T14:17:00.001-08:00

Baby Abby!

2011-12-14T17:50:00.001-08:00

This is her Dr. Evil from Austin Powers pose!!

Firm Christmas Party 2011

2011-12-12T05:19:00.000-08:00

Bradley got to play drums with local guitar legend Joe McGuinness. Abby came down to the party for a minute, but the crowd was overwhelming for her.

2011-12-12T03:15:00.001-08:00

Abby 4 month stats

2011-12-08T11:06:00.001-08:00

Gravitating a little towards the middle!

Santa, Reindeer and Bradley

2011-12-03T13:35:00.000-08:00

Bradley went to the Christmas play today, and told Santa he wants a Mario Karts game, which luckily Mommy and Daddy already knew. Abby has her first little cold, so she missed the fun.

Love, Love, Love

2011-11-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

Bradley loves, loves, loves his little sister Abby. She touches his hand and he giggles like a little girl. "She's touching my hand!" Abby watches Bradley like he is the sun in the sky, too. We move Bradley and her head follows. It's so fun watching them get to know each other!

Swings!!

2011-11-28T03:31:00.001-08:00

Today's Bradley-ism

2011-11-27T17:27:00.001-08:00

"The floor is wet, did you pee pee in your pants?" "No, that's just the morning dew."

Happy holidays!

2011-11-26T16:39:00.001-08:00

Abby Laughs!!

2011-11-26T03:57:00.000-08:00

Roller Coaster Fun!

2011-11-25T08:01:00.001-08:00

Haven't broke it yet!!

Buddies!

2011-11-21T03:31:00.000-08:00

Sleeping Bradley

2011-11-20T18:29:00.001-08:00

Mirror Mirror!

2011-11-20T07:06:00.001-08:00

Kids!!

2011-11-11T13:45:00.000-08:00

Book of Bradley-isms, part 2

2011-11-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

‎"I go to your work tomorrow and order from Chick Fil-a and then eat in the lunch room and take some depositions."

"Mommy, where's your penis? We need to buy you a penis ... At Kroger."

"Mommy, you don't have a penis. I have a penis and also a butt."

"I want a french fry to calm me down."

(dumps mini-shopping cart of undies onto the floor) "Look what I made." "What did you make?" "A mess."

Bradley and cousin Ashley!

2011-10-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

Planking!!

2011-10-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

Bradley Bear and Baby Fawn!

2011-10-23T17:47:00.001-07:00

Bradley finally met his baby cousin Fawn this weekend during his Chicago trip with Daddy!! A few early hiccups, but they eventually got along great!

No Fear - Sears Tower

2011-10-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

True to his word, Bradley did really "go up the Sears Tower and [try to] get down by flying like a superhero."

Union Station with Grampa Mike!!

2011-10-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

Cousins!!

2011-10-20T18:48:00.001-07:00

Chicago-bound!!

2011-10-20T07:22:00.001-07:00

Just checking the safety information book first!!

Chicago Rules!

2011-10-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

Lil' Pumpkin

2011-10-14T18:05:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin patch!!

2011-10-14T11:17:00.001-07:00

Mommy, Brittany, Bradley and Abby are enjoying Mommy's last week of maternity leave. Daddy is enjoying work and more work.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

2011-10-13T05:55:00.001-07:00

Love!!

Fun times!!

2011-10-12T06:22:00.001-07:00

Bradley-isms

2011-10-03T01:03:00.000-07:00

Me: "You keep pooping while I run and get your iPad." Bradley: "You are running like you are on fire."

Me: "You don't want to break Rule 1 do you and not listen?" Bradley: "We'll get a new rule, because that rule is broken."

"Daddy, you don't want to go to work. Stay here five minutes and play with me."

"I want a blue Playtex." (thinking that Playtex are popsicles).

"I want to drive your car on the road, Daddy, and go to the Kroger store and buy Hot Pockets. One hot pocket for you, and one hot pocket for Mommy."

"Mommy, you don't HAVE a penis. I have a penis, and I also have a butt."

"Daddy's poop is shaped like a 'C' for Chuck-E-Cheese."

One big boy, one little girl

2011-09-30T09:02:00.001-07:00

Bradley always measured big, but Abby is measuring small! 6th percentile for height, 39th percentile for weight, 31st percentile for head size. Bradley was off the charts at this age, in the 97th+ percentile!

Friends!

2011-09-26T04:19:00.000-07:00

Bradley and his older buddy Cameron.

Content to be Held

2011-09-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

What you see here is a very happy baby. Happy because she is being held ... constantly, except at night. Abby has been making us hold her non-stop most of the day, sleeping very little during the day, and sleeping lightly when she does sleep so that any little noise (this means you, Bradley) wakes her up. At night, she's okay, up three times a night or so, but it is very hard to carry you around all the time, little one.

Starting to smile!!

2011-09-14T16:20:00.001-07:00

The Pursuit of Happiness

2011-09-10T23:00:00.001-07:00

Freedom ain't free!

Reading at night

2011-09-09T01:39:00.000-07:00

Family time!

2011-09-03T07:30:00.001-07:00

Abby time!

2011-09-03T07:29:00.001-07:00

First Pope football game!

2011-09-02T18:53:00.001-07:00

It's mine!

2011-09-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

Bradley and his friend Drew fight then dance!

Thanks Grampa Mike and Gramma Julie!!

2011-08-28T18:12:00.001-07:00

Reading together!

Gramma Julie got lots of Baby Abby time!!

Thanks for sharing my third birthday!

Double nap ride!

Happy third birthday, big boy!

2011-08-27T07:53:00.001-07:00

Baby face!

2011-08-22T18:45:00.001-07:00

Happy Family

2011-08-16T05:04:00.001-07:00

Back to Happy Boy

2011-08-12T22:50:00.001-07:00

Bradley is back to his old, silly self!!

Just Two Girls

2011-08-10T15:10:00.001-07:00

Baby Abigail Song

2011-08-10T06:20:00.000-07:00

Added the hospital photos!!

Big Boy Blues

2011-08-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

Big boy had his first seizure in slightly over a year last night, and he puked all over his favorite Winnie the Pooh blanket ("Pooh blankey") today. He's a very sick little boy. Grammas Sandy and Marcia have thankfully been here to help us through this time. Our house is on lockdown so Baby Abby doesn't get anything, since she can't take anything if she does get sick.

Bradley is such a big boy now that it's totally different watching him have a seizure than it was when he was a baby or even just two years old. The horrific gray color still comes. He still blows bubbles and the saliva drips down the side of his mouth. He still sounds as if he is struggling to breathe. He still clenches his hands tight.

But now he looks up in the tonic stage of the seizure (when he just stares up into space) with much bigger eyes that we know understand so much more in lucid moments. Because he has so much more to him, so much more of him leaves when he seizes. During the tonic stage and after the clonic stage (when he actually seizes), I (Dad) kept asking him questions, often waking him up to take his fever reducing medicine and ask him if he was okay. He couldn't or wouldn't answer. His sleep is filled with minor aftershocks to his system, his fists clenching and his body taking unnaturally deep breaths. I got no good sleep at all.

Bradley loves to answer questions, as part of his ever more complicated personality. Like, for instance, when he recently got a White Sox shirt from his grandparents. I said, "Oh, my goodness, what is that?" He said, with a big grin, "I have no idea." He laughed that inhaled laugh when he knows he's said something hilarious. Then, he wanted to tell everyone about how he said, "I have no idea." So, he asked everyone, "What is that?" hoping someone would ask him the question again so he could give his funny answer.

When Bradley stops answering questions, we have to have faith that he will soon answer questions in his own inimitable, silly way again. It was a relief when we got the first "yeeeah" in response to "Are you doing okay?" From there he became his old self during the day again, only to succumb later to vomiting, more fever and lethargy.

I asked him this morning and during the day what he remembers happening during his seizure. He said: "There were Cheerios balloons with a stick on it that flew away above the house. Then I went 'wah, wah, wah' and took a nap." Pretty accurate, actually, on the parts other than the Cheerios (only he will ever know if that is accurate).

The doctor I took him to today also asked him what happened. He told the same story and said that he also "went in the water, and went swimming and did all the strokes - backstroke, frontstroke, floatstroke, walkstroke..." The doctor looked at me (Daddy) for an explanation. I told him what I thought he was talking about -- that he saw circles of light from a rush of blood to his head and thought they were Cheerios.

I had an out of body experience when I was a young boy, too. I fainted from dehydration on a soccer field during soccer practice in the fourth grade. Before I passed out, I yelled to my teammate (and current Facebook acquaintance) Chris Hicks to help me. I told him I had "lobsters in my shoes." It was likely the blood rushing to my feet. When I came to, I remember seeing myself from above the earth, swooping down towards my body. I saw myself near an ambulance on the field, with my shoes off and paramedics and others all around me. It was exactly how things were when I returned.

Cheerios and lobsters lead to swimming pools in the sky. We pray and hope everyone comes home safely.

Abby is awake!

2011-08-05T18:32:00.001-07:00

Make up cone!!

2011-08-05T12:34:00.001-07:00

Treated Bradley to a cone to make up for some lost attention!

Awww

2011-08-04T23:34:00.001-07:00

Tickle face!

2011-08-03T14:41:00.001-07:00

And sleepy face!

Gramma Invasion!!!

2011-08-03T12:49:00.001-07:00

This week, Gramma Marcia and Gramma Sandy came into town to help the transition from Bradley to Bradley and Abby! They have gotten some great one on one love time! Not to leave out Gramma Julie, as she will be visiting soon!

Gramma Marcia:

Gramma Sandy:

and, Gramma Julie (anticipated photo):

Hi!!

2011-08-02T10:05:00.001-07:00

Home!!

2011-08-02T06:37:00.001-07:00

Bradley is carrying his own baby - "Bundled Chucky" so he can practice taking care of a baby.

Our little princess is making lots of messes and drinking lots of milk!

Bradley and Abby!

2011-07-31T05:36:00.000-07:00

Once we get the cd of this photo, we will post it without the notation on it!

This one, too!

First!

2011-07-31T04:12:00.001-07:00

First Gramma to see Abby - Gramma Marcia!

Spitting Image!!

2011-07-30T11:11:00.001-07:00

Bradley and Abby are the spitting image of each other at birth! There was 50% more of Baby Bradley than Baby Abby, but they look a lot alike!

Bradley Meets Baby Abby!!

2011-07-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

Bradley couldn't wait to meet Baby Abby. He says he is going to be nice to her, "take care of her," and "teach Abby how to tapdance."

Abby arrives!!

2011-07-29T10:16:00.001-07:00

6 pounds 15 ounces, 19 inches at 9:37 AM July 29th.

Smiles!

2011-07-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

We can't wait to see what Baby Abby looks like! Thanks to Gramma Julie for sending this!

Running of the video game players!

2011-07-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

Bradley could not wait after the Winnie the Pooh movie to get to the video games!!

Practicing for Baby Abby Dot

2011-07-17T15:23:00.001-07:00

Bradley got to play with Nicholas, Cameron and Baby Lily Roeder today. He had lots of fun and some practice, too.

Real Swimming!!

2011-07-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

About four weeks ago, we started feeling bad that we hadn't gotten Bradley in the water for months. At first, he didn't want to leave his Daddy's side. Then he started to gain some confidence with his "float stroke." This weekend, he mastered the "front stroke." Somehow, he figured out how to put his face in and hold his breath, all by himself! He also started venturing off the diving board. Still a little cautious with that one.

Love, Love, Love

2011-07-10T04:00:00.001-07:00

It's easy to get love when you take Bradley to McDonalds!

Steroids - Don't Do 'Em!

2011-07-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

Bradley was on a three day course of steroids for a rash this week. He literally was bouncing off the wall.

Bradley is helping me post this, and he wanted to say, "Phllft! I wanna tell something."

Breakfast Picnic!

2011-07-01T03:42:00.001-07:00

Bradley-isms

2011-06-28T05:02:00.000-07:00

Our favorite funnies from Bradley Bear:

"I'm not hungry in the kitchen anymore. I'm hungry in the living room." (nice try)
"I'm only hungry with the TV on." (another nice try)
Upon trying to get out of Abby's crib: "I can't get out. There's no door."
"Hi, little boy. Want to play with me?"
"Bye park, see you next time."
When crying: "I want something to make it better."
After repeatedly not listening when we are about to take him to his room (through tears): "I want to listen now! I want to say sorry!"
"I want to talk to Mario about his day." (Asking to talk to the red Mario fruit snack in the pack of Super Mario fruit snacks, at the dinner table. He refuses to eat the red ones, instead opting to have conversations with them.)
"Do Chuck E Cheese voice, Daddy." (Still a favorite.)

Thank you, Gramma Marcia!

2011-06-20T16:56:00.001-07:00

Gramma Marcia gamely subbed in for our regular Nanny Brittany this week while Brittany had fun in Wisconsin. Bradley got to spend lots of quality time with Gramma and watched Bambi in rapture.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

2011-06-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

Bradley picked out all of Daddy's Father's Day presents all by himself. Before Bradley, Mommy and Grandma Marcia ventured out on their Father's Day shopping trip, Bradley insisted that we find his Cubs wallet so that Bradley could pay for Daddy's presents himself. Below is the very happy Bradley once we were able to locate the Cubs wallet. Thankfully, Mommy did not capture the unhappy Bradley when we first discovered that the Cubs wallet was missing....

Bradley's first selection was this The Who concert t-shirt. Daddy is not a Who-fan, but Bradley didn't care.

Bradley's next selection was a tie for Daddy. He first picked up a bright purple tie and insisted that Daddy would like it. However, Mommy suggested that Bradley pick out a blue tie instead.

After picking out Daddy's presents, he paid for them himself and got an alarming amount of gifts for $1. Shortly after buying Daddy's presents, Bradley asked to go to the Disney Store to do some shopping for himself. When he went to the counter to pay for his newest car from the Disney Store, Bradley took a look at the lonely dollar bill left in his wallet and told the cashier: "I need to use my credit card."

Bradley took a break from shopping to ride on the Dillard's rhinoceros. Don't worry, we asked a salesperson first. Happy Father's Day, Daddy! We love you bunches!

Father's Day 2011 - two peas in a pod!

2011-06-19T05:57:00.001-07:00

Swimming!!

2011-06-18T09:16:00.001-07:00

On Being a Big Boy

2011-06-17T17:28:00.001-07:00

Bradley is wanting more and more to be a big boy, from helping with the shopping to not sitting in the "baby chair" at the dinner table. "I want to help" is a common battle cry these days.

New basement!!!!

2011-06-15T05:07:00.001-07:00

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.1

Bradley Earns a Medal

2011-06-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

Bradley chases his friend Caylee around the house, then she gives him a medal.

First T-Ball Practice!

2011-06-04T16:18:00.001-07:00

T-Ball for two year olds is pretty much what you might expect. No attention spans, sweat and tears. It's hard to teach kids that waiting their turn is most of the game of baseball. Bradley did hit the ball from the tee and ran the bases upon being coaxed, but he also found a barn to sweep, a basket he wanted to shoot on and a soccer net he preferred to throw the ball through and say he got points. Our stories about his hero Babe Ruth did not get through to him.

One parent asked the coach if they would play a "game" at the end of the season. Are you kidding me?? The coach politely said, yes, sort of, but it doesn't really ever go well.

New house!!

2011-05-31T03:31:00.001-07:00

You would think Bradley took a carload of stuff himself to move us all to our new house over Memorial Day weekend. Monday night, he fell asleep on the couch at 5:00 P.M. (waking up the next morning at 4:00 A.M.). He was exhausted, but he loves his new "car bed."

Big Brother Bradley, Tiger Woods Bradley and The Natural Bradley

2011-05-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

Big Brother Bradley!

2011-05-13T12:36:00.001-07:00

Bradley is getting ready for his little sister's arrival. Here he is tickling the feet of our neighbor Julie's granddaughter. He is in a "want to help" mood these days, taking things to the garbage can for us, etc. He says he is going to help feed Baby Dot "goldfish" when she is born and help us feed her milk. At night, he gives Mommy a kiss goodnight and also kisses and hugs Dot by kissing and hugging Mommy's belly! So sweet!

Best mother's day present ever - eating carrots!!

2011-05-08T09:28:00.001-07:00

Bradley Shops for Mother's Day

2011-05-08T05:41:00.001-07:00

We had a great time shopping for Mommy's gifts for Mother's Day this year!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

Babe Ruth

2011-05-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

Bradley loves Babe Ruth because of a book about Babe Ruth that we read to him at bedtime. Daddy was in Boston and got him the Red Sox Babe Ruth get-up. Bradley's surely holding out for the Yankees uniform, though, as he is well aware that Babe Ruth last played for the Red Sox in 1919.

Basketball House!!

2011-04-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we went to Gatlinburg, TN for Mommy's birthday present from a couple of months ago. We stayed at a chalet that had a f0ld a hoop basketball hoop. We actually scoped this basketball hoop out in advance and couldn't pass it up.

We started off poorly on this trip with an ear-shattering, lengthy meltdown at the Pancake Pantry. Most of the meltdowns this weekend were from starting to leave the "Basketball House," taking away his iPhone (Mommy's) or the iPad (darn you, Steve Jobs!) or leaving the aquarium. We had lots of "conversations" with Bradley about why hitting Daddy is not nice and wherein we provided some alternate strategies to hitting. In between, Bradley had a really good time shooting baskets, seeing penguins, driving by "Dick's Restaurant" (a restaurant with a man's face on it where patrons where condom hats -- "See Dicks with the face on it," was a constant hilarious battle cry), going to the toy store, playing at the arcade, etc.

We pretty much got it together eventually, and had a good time at a Mexican restaurant, and at the Applewood restaurant in Pigeon Forge late Saturday and early Sunday.

Putting the Boy to Work

2011-04-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

Next stop, rubbing Daddy's feet, big boy!

Bradley's "Best Girlfriend"

2011-04-17T18:32:00.001-07:00

Bradley loves his best girlfriend Logan. When she leaves, it's "Logan, Logan, Logan," through tears. In the top photo, they are playing hide and seek, but can't decide who is seeking!

Rolling Right Along

2011-04-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

We are rolling right along, waiting for Baby Dot to be born in August. Bradley seems aware of it, and he gives Baby Dot hugs and kisses on Mommy's tummy at night. He says, "Bye, Mommy," and "Bye, Baby Dot" when Mommy goes. He was so sweet the other night when we brought him into our bed because he was up at 4 AM. He turned to Mommy and said, "Hi, Mommy. I love you, Mommy."

I love my Mommy, Grampa, Crackers and Diego Easy Ups

2011-04-02T05:53:00.000-07:00

TWO Hi-C's!

2011-03-31T15:52:00.001-07:00

"There's Hi-C in there!"