April

Still lots of sleeping going on, but April is the month we got out and about! Life with a baby is starting to feel more normal, and the weather is warming up. At the beginning of the month we took Briggen to the beach for the weekend with the Fish Fam. 

First time at the beach! Clearly he was impressed . . . 

digging in the sand . . . baby and all 

We also made it to Seattle for a weekend! Traveling with a baby definitely requires more thought and planning, but we are starting to get the hang out of it. 

sitting in the Lambert theater - we had to take this picture very quickly before he fell over!

snoozing with Grandpa 

Back at home, we took Briggen on his first "hike", which was really just a walk on the Lacamas trailhead near our home.

In between all of these new activities, he naps throughout the day. We definitely don't complain about that! :)

After Spring Break, I took Briggen in to meet my class of fifth graders. They were SO excited - and Briggen was too! I was worried he might be scared of the large group, but he soaked in all the attention and gave lots of smiles.

There is an amazing program at my clinic called "Centering". Through this program I was able to meet 9 other moms whose babies were born the same month as Briggen! We started meeting together when we were in our first trimester. It was fun to see them each month as our bellies grew . . . until finally the babies came! At 2 months old, we met up for a baby play date, which really was a mix of picture taking and naps.

oldest to youngest - with Briggen at the oldest end

We went with friends to the Tulip Festival in Woodburn, Oregon. It's a 40 minute drive, but I think it's worth it! So many tulips, plus tractor rides, food, and a play park for kids. We brought Luna along, but when we got there we realized we forgot her leash. Whoops! So we had to use my diaper bag stroller straps, which we hooked together to form a very short leash. It worked until the very end, when she saw another dog and snapped the clips in half. That's when we called it a day and packed up to head home!

Tek came to visit at the end of the month. Yay! He was actually in town on Briggen's birthday, but his flight left just before Briggen's birth. Briggen is still unpredictable with his smiles, but Tek was able to get some out of him!

Briggen: 2 months

Two months old! Briggen is awake more and we are beginning to see his personality shine through. Still as happy and easy going as always . . . even despite a new medical diagnosis. Since birth he's been a very loud breather - we thought it was normal and actually kind of cute! However, at his two month check-up, the pediatrician noticed he wasn't gaining the appropriate weight. She attributed this to his labored breathing and frequent spit-ups. While he was still getting 100% oxygen, he had to work hard for it and was burning quite a few calories in the process. She diagnosed him with laryngomalacia - which is a softening of the tissue around the voice box. The tissue is malformed or underdeveloped, which causes it to be floppy and partially block the airway. She had us follow up with an ENT at OHSU to see if surgery would be necessary. Luckily surgery was not recommended and the doctor thinks his noisy breathing will disappear by the time he turns one. Brodie was the one who took him to the ENT in downtown Portland, as I had to work. They put a small camera down Briggen's nose . . . while he was still awake!! I guess Briggen handled it like a champ and didn't even cry. Way to go, buddy!  In the meantime we were given antacids to help with the spitting up (which aggravates his condition). So far it has been doing wonders!

weight: 10 lb 11 oz (14th %ile)

height: 23.5 in (74th %ile)

head: 39 cm (46th %ile)

enjoys: diaper changes, activity mat, bouncy chair, long naps 

firsts: Seattle, Long Beach, tulip festival, library story time, hiking

eats: every 1.5 - 3 hours during the day and every 4 hours when asleep 

             takes a bottle no problem - breastmilk or formula 

nicknames: Bubba, Buddy, Briggy (by his cousins)

 

 

  

 

March

As you can see, we spent most of March sleeping. Which was exactly what we all needed! I was still physically recovering, and Brodie was mentally recovering from intense board examinations. The weather is still cold, so we bundle up and cuddle all day long! 

taking an afternoon snooze together

good dreams :)

In between naps, Briggen spent his time . . . 

eating dinner with us - right on the table!

hanging with dad

taking baths

bundled up to go on walks

and practicing his smile . . . or lack thereof :)

Briggen: One Month

It's hard to believe that he is already one month old! He is still just a tiny little thing, yet has grown so much in the last 30 days. He figured out his days and nights pretty quickly, and has been an angel baby. In fact, his easy going attitude got us into some trouble early on! After coming home from the hospital, I noticed that he rarely had a wet diaper. At first, I wasn't worried, but after 36 hours without a wet diaper, I called the clinic. They were concerned he was dehydrated, so they sent me into the ER (which was quite the scare!) After an ER visit and 2 lactation visits, we found out that I was only producing 1/10 of his daily requirement of milk. I had no idea because I was dutifully feeding him every two hours and he never fussed or complained that he was still hungry. We supplemented with formula for about 3 days until my milk finally came in. Within 2 days, his weight was back on track and we were given the "all clear" to breastfeed exclusively. His first week of life was definitely an exciting one! 

weight: 8 lbs 4 oz (28th %ile)

height: 20.5 in (32nd %ile)

head size: 36.5 cm (58th %ile)

enjoys: being held close, naps, baths, and tummy time

dislikes: diaper changes, loud noises, and his legs tightly swaddled

sleeps: 3-4 hour stretches at night

temperament: chill, happy, and easy going

hair: lots of it! straight and auburn colored

just a few days old

we find his hands in the funniest positions while he sleeps

                 see no evil                                       hear no evil                                   say no evil

  

Brodie is already the "fun parent"!

doing push ups in the front pack

bath time

 

I love the way he looks at Brodie!

We love you, little buddy!