Brandon has an announcement to make

Coming July 2011

Santa Visit

Santa came to our house a few weeks ago on a firetruck with Stu's fire department. Bob, Sommer, Sydney, Addion, Dina, Andy, Abby, Tommy, Becky, and Logan were all here to see Santa come to our house. Brandon got a Sesame Street playdough set from Santa which he was so excited about. He wasn't too sure about Santa holding him.

Breakfast With Santa

Two weeks ago we went to breakfast with Santa at Stu's fire house. All morning before we went I would ask Brandon what Santa says and he would say, "ho ho." We got to the breakfast and went to see Santa. He walked up to Santa very willingly until he got two feet away from him. Then he planted his feet and refused to move. I finally got him to give Santa knuckles and a high five. Santa then swept him up onto his lap and Brandon was okay with it.

Logan's Party

Yesterday afternoon we went to Logan's second birthday party. Brandon had a lot of fun at the party. Morgan, Dylan, and Mia (my babysitter's children) were also there so he had a lot of fun playing with them. There was a woman who came to do music with the kids at the party so Brandon enjoyed doing that. He also had fun playing with the slide, play kitchen, and train table at the party. And he loved eating the cake!


the birthday boy


Brandon, Mia, and Logan

Brandon and Logan


shaking the eggs during music

Hanukkah

We have been celebrating Hanukkah since it started on Wednesday night. Brandon loves seeing the candles lit each night. The first night he signed more after only one candle was put in the menorah to light.

Our Weekend

Firday morning Brandon had his annual early intervention review. He started getting speech therapy in October and he has already gone up 4 months in age since then with his speech. He has really had a language explosion over the last month or so. On Friday afternoon Debbie, Ben, Rich, and Zack came over to hang out with us and then we went to Stu's parents for dinner.

Zack, Brandon, and Ben


Ben and Brandon

lying on the couch with Zack

On Saturday we went out to breakfast with Rich, Debbie, Ben, Zack, and Stu's parents. Stu couldn't join us since he had to work. Brandon enjoyed a chocolate milk shake and had fun building with the creamers.


On Sunday we went to Taylor's first birthday party at the firehouse. Someone from Gymboree came to do things with the kids. Brandon had a lot of fun.

Thanksgiving

We had Thanksgiving at our house this year. We had 14 adults, Brandon, and a baby here for it. My parents, Stu's parents, Stu's brother, sister in law, nephews, sister in laws parents, and our friends John, Rachel, and their baby Tori all joined us. Brandon loved seeing and playing with his big cousins.

eating a bagel in the morning


wearing his Thanksgiving shirt


giving Tori a kiss

Tori

Brandon and Zack

A Visit with Great Grandma

Two weekends ago Stu, Brandon, Grandma and Grandpa Newman, and I went to New York to visit Brandon's Great Grandma. We had a nice visit with her. I think it is so nice that Brandon has gotten to know his Great Grandma and I know she enjoyed seeing him.

National Prematurity Awareness Day

Before Brandon was born I didn't know a lot about premature babies. Now I know more than I thought I would ever know. Before he was born I thought preemies were babies that were born early but a little small. I never realized that preemies can be babies that are not finished developing and they can survive as early as 23 weeks. That is only a little past the half point in pregnancy.

Brandon was born at 26 weeks, 1 day. He weighed 1 pound 14 ounces and was 13 inches long. That is only an inch longer than a ruler. He had several blood transfusions, infections, ROP, a PDA, was IV fed, breathed with a vent, CPAP, and nasal cannula. I couldn't hold him for the first time until he was almost 2 weeks old except to lift him straight in the air to help weigh him. He lived in an isolette for more than 2 months. He had apnea spells and bradycardias. He spent 12 weeks in the NICU and came home on an apnea monitor.

Today Brandon is a 24 pound 2 year old. You can't tell by looking at him that he was born so early. He has come such a long way in the past 2 years. He has made me a much stronger person than I ever was. I am in awe of how much he went through and what a figher he is and has always been. He has taught me so much in the past 2 years and I am so grateful for him each and every day.

Brandon is not alone in his battle with prematurity. 1 in 8 babies are born prematurely. In a lot of the cases the reason for prematurity is unknown. Today is National Prematurity Awareness Day. Visit the March of Dimes website to join the fight against prematurity.

Ava's Birthday Party

We went to Ava's birthday party yesterday. It was at her house. Brandon had fun playing outside with his friends Brandon, Lily, and Savannah who were also at the party and loved riding on Ava's ride on train inside. Brandon also loved eating the ice cream cake and singing happy birthday to Ava. He signed more after they were done singing it because he wanted to sing it again.


playing basketball with Brandon

in the house with Brandon



the birthday girl