The Newman Family

Unseasonably Warm Day

2012-02-13T04:23:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago the weather was 62 degrees which is not at all normal for here. When we got home from work we decided to take the boys to the park. It was a little cooler when we went but still beautiful out. Brandon had such a good time running around and going on the slides. Wesley went in a baby swing for the first time. He was okay with sitting in it but as soon as I started to push him his whole body started to shake he was so scared. We will try again when it gets warmer out.

Saturday Morning

2012-02-11T05:24:00.000-08:00

Sick Again

2012-02-11T05:02:00.000-08:00

Wesley was sick again from last Saturday until this past Wednesday. He had a fever and his cough and congestion came back again. The pediatrician said he had a virus on top of everything else and to use his nebulizer two times a day. He finally seems to be feeling better.

Ice Skating

2012-01-29T04:53:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Stu and I took Brandon ice skating for the first time. Brandon had fun skating. As soon as we got there he wanted his ice skates on. We had rented him a pair but he had some trouble balancing on them since they were single blades so we finally convinced him to put on bob skates (double bladed).

7 Months Old

2012-01-29T04:48:00.000-08:00

Wesley is 7 months old today! At the doctor on Monday he weighed 19 pounds, 2 ounces with clothes and a diaper on so he is probably a little less than that. He wears size 6-12 month or 9 month clothes and a size 3 diaper. Wesley sleeps through the night (except for when he was sick). He drinks 5 bottles a day (three 6 ounce and two 4 ounce- sometimes the 4 ounce bottles are 6 ounce bottles) and eats three meals a day of baby food. His favorite baby food flavors are peas and green beans. He also really likes carrots, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash. Wesley LOVES Brandon. He gives him huge smiles and reaches for him. He also loves playing with his toys. He can sit by himself and can roll from back to front and front to back.

Finally Feeling Better

2012-01-28T04:46:00.000-08:00

Silly Boy

2012-01-28T04:44:00.000-08:00

Brandon loves getting in Wesley's jumperoo and jumping. He thinks it is so funny.

Poor Wesley

2012-01-28T04:37:00.001-08:00

Wesley had another rough week. I brought him back to the pediatrician last Saturday morning because he was coughing and had a low fever (100). The doctor looked at him and said it seemed he had a cold and that hopefully it wouldn't progress to anything. The next day his cough got worse, his fever got higher, his nose started to run, and he was just miserable all day. I brought him back to the doctor on Monday after work and he had another ear infection. He also had a ton of post nasal drip which the doctor said was causing the cough. His fever finally broke overnight on Wednesday but his cough has been lingering. I brought him back to the doctor after work yesterday for his recheck and his ear looks good but the doctor heard wheezing. He thinks he has/had rsv. He now needs nebulizer treatments for the next 10 days.

Flyers Fan

2012-01-27T18:26:00.000-08:00

Snow!

2012-01-27T18:23:00.001-08:00

It snowed last Saturday so Brandon went out to play in the snow for a few minutes. We didn't want to keep him out too long since he was getting over being sick. He had a lot of fun.

A Crazy Few Days

2012-01-20T04:33:00.000-08:00

I spent the past two days in the same emergency room with two different kids.

On Wednesday Brandon woke up a lot worse than he had been. He was coughing much worse, had a runny nose, and a fever. I brought him to the pediatrician and he sent him to the emergency room because he wanted bloodwork and a chest x ray to check for pneumonia. They gsve Brandon iv fluids because he was dehydrated and they also gave him an antibiotic and steroid through his iv. It really seemed to help a lot. After 7 hours we were sent home and told to continue using his 2 inhalers- xopenex every 4-6 hours and flovent two times a day. He also needed to be brought back to the pediatrician for the next 2 days for an antibiotic shot since he wouldn't take the medicine orally and he was also given oral steroids to take for the next few days. He sounds SO much better today.

Yesterday morning Wesley threw up his first bottle of the day. 2 1/2 hours later, when he hadn't eaten, he threw up again. He then was gagging and throwing up on and off so I brought him to the pediatrician. The pediatrician said his ears are clear now and to stop his antibiotic and said he had probably picked up a stomach bug. He said to give him pedialyte which I did in the office. He threw it up right away. We went home but I asked the doctor before we left how many more times were ok for him to throw up before bringing him to the ER. The doctor said 2 times in 5 hours. He threw up 2 more times in a half hour. So he had to go to the ER. They gave him fluids for dehydration and zofran for nausea and he was finally able to hold down pedialyte so they sent him home after 7 hours. Since being home we have been mixing one ounce of formula with one ounce of ater and he is able to hold it down. He is not happy that he isn't being fed more. I cn try 2 ounces of full strength formula for his next bottle and I need to bring him back for a recheck today.

Questions and Answers with Brandon

2012-01-19T04:44:00.000-08:00

I saw this on another blog that I follow and decided to ask Brandon the questions to see what his answers would be. I didn't realize how much he likes apples and peaches.

What is your favorite color? blue

What is your favorite toy? duck

What is your favorite fruit? apples

What is your favorite TV show? Max and Ruby

What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? apples and peaches

What is your favorite outfit? Elmo and comfy pants

What is your favorite game? doggy game

What is your favorite snack? peaches and apples

What is your favorite animal? tiger

What is your favorite song? ABC's

What is your favorite book? Elmo

What are you thankful for? cow and horse

What is your favorite cereal? fruit

What is your favorite thing to do outside? play

What is your favorite drink? yogurt

What is your favorite holiday? hockey

What do you like to take with you to bed at night? tiger and panda

What do you want for dinner on your next birthday? peaches

What do you want to be when you grow up? a girl like mommy

What's your favorite thing to do with Daddy? play wii

What's your favorite thing to do with Mommy? play wii

What's your favorite thing to do with Papa Earle and Grandma Marsha? make my new miis

What's your favorite thing to do with Papa Jim and Grandma Gail? make my new miis

Wesley

2012-01-17T03:16:00.000-08:00

Just some cute pictures of Wesley from the weekend.

Brother Playtime

2012-01-17T02:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I sat Wesley up and he started playing with some of his toys. Brandon came over and sat next to him and started playing with him. They played together for at least 15-20 minutes. It is so nice to see them playing together. They both really love eachother.

Now Brandon is Sick

2012-01-17T02:49:00.000-08:00

I brought Brandon to the pediatrician with me on Friday when I brought Wesley since he had been coughing all week. His cough hadn't been too bad...it mostly sounded like post nasal drip but I had been having him use his inhaler all week with his aerochamber (this has been the first time he doesn't fight it) so I decided since Wesley had to go to the doctor and Brandon would be with me I would get him checked out too. Dr. Noaz said he just had post nasal drip and to continue with his xopenex inhaler and also give him claritin to help dry him out and a nasal spray. On Sunday his cough became more frequent and it kept him up throughout the night Sunday into Monday. When he woke up on Monday it also sounded a lot worse to me. So I called the pediatrician's office and made an appointment to bring him in yesterday. Dr. Noaz listened to his chest and said he is wheezing now so I have to continue using his xopenex inhaler every 4-6 hours and also use his flovent inhaler twice a day. He also gave him an antibiotic because he is on the verge of having bronchitis or pneumonia he thinks. Other than the awful cough Brandon isn't acting sick. He has his energy and doesn't have a fever or any other symptoms. I have to bring him back to the doctor on Friday for a recheck.

Boston

2012-01-16T05:45:00.000-08:00

The weekend of January 7th Stu and I went to Boston for the weekend and my parents stayed at my house to watch Wesley and Brandon. We had a really good weekend away. On Friday night we went out to dinner in the North End to a really good Italian restaurant. On Saturday during the day we walked around Faneuil Hall and then went to the Sam Adams Brewery for a tour of the brewery. The tour was a lot of fun and at the end we got to sample three beers. On Saturday night we went to Frozen Fenway to see University of Massachusetts play. They won in overtime! We then met up with a friend of mine who I grew up with at Fenway Park for a little while since she was at the game too and then Stu and I went out to dinner. On Sunday we came home.

Pictures for Grandma Marsha and Papa Earle

2012-01-14T05:17:00.000-08:00

Brandon took some pictures a few nights ago with my camera. He then told me that he took the pictures for Grandma Marsha and Papa Earle. Here are some of the pictures that he took. He didn't do a bad job.

He's Reading

2012-01-14T05:11:00.000-08:00

Brandon amazes me every day. He knows all of his letters and letter sounds, can count to 40 and recognizes numbers to 40, and it starting to read. Everyday he spells words for me and tells me what they spell. I wrote them down on paper last night and he was able to read them all for me. I am sure there are even more he knows. These are just the words he has told me he knows- on, off, can, wii party, Wesley, Mommy, Daddy, Brandon, go, no, yes, Stu (thinks it spells daddy since that is his daddy's name), Grandma (thinks it spells Grandma Marsha since my mom taught him it), up. He can also recognize those words in books.

Good Morning

2012-01-14T05:04:00.000-08:00

Every morning when Wesley wakes up Brandon runs to his room and starts saying, "Hi Baby Wesley, Hi." He is always so excited to see him. Now that Wesley is sleeping in his crib Brandon wants me to put him into the crib in the morning so that he can see Wesley. He then lies down with his head on Wesley's stomach (Brandon's way of showing affection). It is the sweetest thing to see the two of them together first thing in the morning.

Dog Pajamas

2012-01-14T04:53:00.000-08:00

I put Wesley in his dog pajamas a few nights ago. Brandon wanted to wear his dog pajamas too so that he matched Wesley. He then said he wanted to sit in the chair in his room with Wesley so I could take some pictures of the two of them in their matching pajamas.

Sick Baby

2012-01-14T04:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Weley and Brandon's babysitter sent me a text message telling me that Wesley's eye was gunky and it looked like pink eye to her. So I called the pediatrician to make an appointment to bring him in after school. Good thing I did. He not only has pink eye but also another ear infection and sore throat. He wasn't even acting sick.

New Year's Eve

2012-01-01T07:53:00.001-08:00

Last night we had some friends over and their kids to celebrate New Year's Eve. Three of the babies there are Wesley's age, all within a week of eachother, and there was also a 1 year old and a 2 year old who came over. Everyone had fun playing together.

Ava

Rebecca

Wesley

Colin

2011 in Pictures

2011-12-31T12:09:00.000-08:00

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

6 Months Old

2011-12-29T10:23:00.000-08:00

Wesley is 6 months old today. He had his 6 month well visit this morning and weighs 17 pounds, 15 ounces (65th percentile) and is 27 1/2 inches long (90th percentile). His head is in the 50th percentile. He got a flu shot and two other shots so he was not so happy. His gums are also very swollen which means we will probably see some teeth soon. The pediatrician told me to continue to feed him a cereal and fruit for breakfast and dinner and to add on a vegetable and meat for lunch. When we got home from the doctor he was due to eat so I gave him butternut squash and chicken and he devoured both. He goes back in a month for his flu shot and his next well visit isn't until he is 9 months old. Wesley is still a great sleeper. We finally moved him to his crib about 3 weeks ago and he has been sleeping through the night in it. Wesley drinks 6 ounce bottles except for the bottles following his meals. For those bottles he gets 4 ounce bottles so he has anywhere from 30-36 ounces in a day.

Brothers Having Fun

2011-12-28T17:40:00.000-08:00

Brandon and Wesley were cracking eachother up tonight. They both kept laughing at eachother and playing together for a long time. It is so nice to see how much they both really love eachother. Brandon gets the best reactions from Wesley.

Exersaucer Fun

2011-12-28T17:35:00.000-08:00

Wesley LOVES his exersaucer and jumperoo. He figured out how to jump in his jumperoo and tonight was also jumping in his exersaucer.

Brandon playing in his jumperoo when he was the same adjusted age as Wesley

Just Hanging Around

2011-12-28T12:26:00.000-08:00

We haven't done much of anything the past few days. We have just been hanging out at the house, relaxing, and playing with some new toys. A big hit was the Hi Ho Cherry-O game we got for Brandon. We played several games of it a few nights ago. Brandon has also been enjoying playing some of his new games from his Leapfrog Leap Pad. Wesley got some new toys that are age 6 months and up that he has been having fun playing with. He really interacts with his toys now and plays with them.

Little Brother

2011-12-26T12:38:00.000-08:00

Play time

2011-12-26T12:36:00.000-08:00

Winter Pajamas

2011-12-25T13:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve

2011-12-25T13:29:00.001-08:00

We went to my friend Becky's parents' house last night for Christmas Eve. Growing up I went there every year but hadn't been in 4 years. We had a nice time there. Becky's son Logan is the same age asBrandon and the two boys are good friends so Brandon had a lot of fun playing with Logan.

Matching Outfits

2011-12-24T04:33:00.001-08:00

I love dressing Brandon and Wesley in the same outfit. I know I won't be able to do it for too long so I do it sometimes now when I can. I think they look so cute in matching outfits.

Big Smile

2011-12-21T17:11:00.000-08:00

Sophie the Giraffe

2011-12-19T19:15:00.000-08:00

Practicing Sitting

2011-12-19T19:10:00.000-08:00

Wesley is starting to last longer and longer while sitting up. He is starting to catch himself when falling to the side.

Edible Tree Decorating

2011-12-19T18:24:00.000-08:00

Stu went to Brandon's school today to help him make edible snow covered Christmas trees. They took ice cream cones and covered them with vanilla frosting and then put candy on for ornaments. After they decorated the trees they sang a few songs.

Hanukkah Dinner

2011-12-19T18:20:00.000-08:00

Last night my parents and Stu's parents came over for an early Hanukkah dinner. Brandon was really into opening presents this year.

Brandon loves Wesley

2011-12-13T16:27:00.000-08:00

I was sitting at the computer a little while ago and Brandon was playing with his leap pad. He put it down and went over to Wesley and put his head against Wesley to hug him. Then he went back to play with his leap pad again and then a few minutes later put it down and went to put his head against Wesley again. I then put Wesley on his blanket to lie down and Brandon kept lying down with him and holding his hand. Brandon really loves his brother.

Baby Food

2011-12-13T15:55:00.000-08:00

Wesley had his first taste of baby food on Saturday. To say he made some pretty funny faces is an understatement. We tried oatmeal in the morning and he wasn't a big fan. Since he has been getting it in his bottle for the past few months I know he isn't allergic to it so I felt ok trying something else Saturday night. We decided to try apples. Every time he took a bite he made the funniest face. Tonight we tried bananas for the first time. He seemed to like them a little better but he still has a pretty bad tongue thrust.

Ready for Bed

2011-12-13T15:53:00.001-08:00

Santa Visits

2011-12-13T15:46:00.001-08:00

On Friday Jungleriffic had a special open gym time from 5:30-7:30 which included a visit and picture with Santa, 2 hours of open play, cookies, and juice. My friend Heather and I decided it would be fun to bring the kids so I brought Brandon and she brought her kids, Jen and Olivia. Brandon had a fun time and wasn't at all afraid of Santa.

On Sunday we had some friends over at our house because Santa came to our house with Stu's fire department. Brandon wouldn't sit on Santa's lap but Wesley had his chance to sit on Santa's lap. Wesley also enjoyed seeing his friend, Ava, who is a week younger than him.

A New Cousin

2011-12-09T12:25:00.000-08:00

Brandon and Wesley have a new cousin. Nolan Hudson Jacobs was born on Sunday, December 4th. I have seen pictures of him and he is adorable. We can't wait to meet him in person. I wish my brother and sister-in-law lived closer to us so we could see him.

Wesley and Brandon had a good week. Brandon has finally adjusted to the new babysitter and has been going happily this week. He has even told me he loves her a few times which is nice to hear.

Wesley is finally off of his antibiotic which I am happy about. It was really messing with his stomach. We are going to try solids for the first time tomorrow morning which I am excited about.

Cousins

2011-12-04T15:58:00.001-08:00

Steelers Fans

2011-12-04T15:53:00.000-08:00

Practicing Sitting Up

2011-12-03T04:55:00.001-08:00

Wesley can last several seconds before he falls over. I am sure he will be sitting all of the time soon.

Big Smiles

2011-12-03T04:47:00.000-08:00

5 Months Old!

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

Wesley is 5 months old today! He weighs 16 pounds, 8 1/2 ounces. He is wearing 6-12 month clothes and 9 month clothes and a size 2 diaper. He drinks 6 5 ounce bottles a day and gets oatmeal in the last 3 bottles of the day. He has become a very happy baby. He smiles a lot. He loves his brother. Wesley had his first hospital stay this past weekend. On Saturday he started with a fever. Of course it was 10 minutes after the doctor closed for the day. I called the on call doctor and he said to give tylenol every 4 hours and if his temperature got to 102.5-103 to give Wesley a sponge bath and if his temperature didn't come down to bring him to the er. Overnight it got to 103.6 but I decided to wait it out until the morning. In the morning his temperature was 102.9. I gave him a sponge bath and tylenol and fed him his bottle. He threw up the whole bottle and his temperature was only down to 102.7 40 minutes later and he was acting lethargic. So the pediatrician told us to go to the er. They did bloodwork, a urine cath, and suctioned him to check for rsv and the flu. Everything came back negative but his bloodwork showed that his white blood cell count was double what it should be so they decided to admit him. His blood cultures never grew anything so it was probably just a virus causing the fever but it turned out he does have an ear infection so he is now on amoxicillin. Wesley was discharged late yesterday afternoon.

Random Pictures

2011-11-26T05:51:00.000-08:00

Lancaster

2011-11-26T05:43:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago we went to Lancaster for the night with our friends, Bob and Sommer, and their daughters, Sydney and Addison. We went to the Stroudsburg Railroad on the way there and had fun at the train museum. We went out to dinner at a really good family style restaurant. The next day we went to an Amish farm and saw what an Amish house looked like. We stopped at the Green Dragon flea market on the way home. The night we stayed there Brandon woke up two hours after he fell asleep and started throwing up. The next evening he had a fever that he had for the next 4 days. It turned out to be a virus but he was a mess.

Brothers

2011-11-26T03:58:00.000-08:00

It is so cute seeing Wesley and Brandon interact lately. Brandon LOVES Wesley and Wesley has noticed Brandon and smiles at him all of the time. It is so nice seeing a relationship forming between them. The reason Brandon has his hand in his mouth in some of the pictures is he is copying Wesley who always chews on his hand.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T13:19:00.000-08:00

I hosted Thanksgiving again this year. My parents, Stu's parents, brother, sister in law, nephews, sister in laws parents, and our friends, John, Rachel, and Tori, came over. It was a really nice Thanksgiving.

Disney World- Part 2

2011-11-20T15:40:00.000-08:00

Last 2 Weeks

2011-11-20T15:32:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a chance to post too much the last 2 weeks because I have been busy. I went back to work two weeks ago since my maternity leave ended. Both boys go to a new babysitter in the morning when I go to work. Brandon gets the bus to ride to school at her house and the bus drops him back of at her house after school and then he is at the sitter's house for the afternoon. Wesley is there all day. She watches a few other kids that are Brandon's age and a 10 month old and 16 month old. Brandon was fine there the first 3 days but then he got sick and was sick from Thursday until Tuesday. He has screamed when I leave him there now. He is happy when I pick him up though so I think it is more a separation thing. The sitter says he is fine within less than a minute of me leaving. It just makes it so hard to leave him. Brandon was pretty sick. He had a fever that just wouldn't break. The pediatrician sent him to get chest x-rays to see if he had pneumonia but his chest was clear. So it was just a virus. Wesley has been congested since Monday and Stu has been sick since Friday so it has not been so happy in our house. Hopefully everyone is feeling better soon.

Disney World- Part 1

2011-11-13T04:08:00.000-08:00

We went to Disney World from October 22-28. My parents came with us. We had a really good time even though our second day there Brandon got sick and was sick the rest of the trip. He had a fever of 103.9 our second night but it broke the next morning so he was able to still have fun. He really enjoyed seeing the characters and getting their autographs.

Morning Smiles

2011-11-08T04:03:00.001-08:00

Wesley is always SO happy in the morning after sleeping all night.

Wonder Wing

2011-11-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Becky and I brought Brandon and Logan to the Wonder Wing which is part of the Monmouth Museum at Brookdale. They had so much fun playing there.

Homework

2011-11-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

Brandon had homework this weekend. His teacher sent home a cut out feather for him to decorate any way he wanted. She is going to hang up the feathers to make a turkey. I bought several different things for Brandon to choose what he wanted to put on his feather and he chose fuzzy pom poms. He had fun gluing them on.

Exersaucer and Tummy Time

2011-11-06T05:32:00.000-08:00

Wesley used his exersaucer for the first time this week. He likes it for a short period before he wants to get out. Wesley is also getting better at tummy time. He csn really lift his head up high during it. He also sat in his bumbo chair this week and enjoyed sitting up in it.

Same Outfit

2011-11-06T05:28:00.000-08:00

Wesley is wearinbg one of Brandon's outfits again today. The first picture is Brandon and the second picture is Wesley. They definitely look like brothers although there are a few differences.

A Brandon Post

2011-11-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

I realized I haven't done a Brandon update in awhile so here it is.

Brandon started going to preschool in September and he LOVES it. He rides the bus to and from school and every morning when his bus comes he runs to it with a huge smile on his face. When he gets off after school he tells me that he had fun at school. He goes to school in the morning from 9-11:30 five days a week. I am so happy he is enjoying his first year in school.

Brandon knows all of his uppercase and lowercase letters, letter sounds, his numbers to 20, can count to 20, knows his shapes and colors, can spell his name, mommy, and daddy and knows that Wesley starts with W. He also tells you his name is Brandon Tyler Newman and Wesley's name is Wesley Matthew Newman. He just seems to pick up on everything he hears.

Brandon talks ALL of the time now and in sentences. It is really amazing how his speech suddenly picked up. Some of the words he comes up with surprise me because they are big words for a 3 year old.

Brandon continues to love Wesley. He gives him kisses often and strokes his leg. The other morning I was upstairs getting a bottle ready for Wesley and Wesley was downstairs crying. All of a sudden Wesley was quiet. I came downstairs and Brandon was standing in front of him shaking a ball that has a bell inside and had made Wesley stop crying.

Brandon loves playing on the computer. He loves playing games on pbskids, nickjr, starfall, and sesame street websites. He does a great job with the mouse on the computer which amazes me. Brandon also loves playing his leapfrpg leap pad, doing puzzles, and reading books.

Birthday Party Weekend

2011-11-02T04:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Brandon had three birthday parties. The first party was Sydney's 4th birthday at House of Bounce. Brandon loved it there. He had so much fun bouncing and even climbed up the stairs of the big slide and slid down on his own. Wesley slept the first half of the party and then enjoyed looking at the big kids bouncing.

The first party that we had on Sunday was for Brandon's friend, Jen, who turned 3. The party was at Chucky Cheese. It was Brandon's first time going there. He had a lot of fun playing the games and winning tickets. He also liked seeing Chucky.

the birthday girl

The last party of the weekend was Sunday afternoon for Hannah and Avery who turned 3. It was at pumpkin patch. The kids got to decorate pumpkins with foam pieces. Brandon also discovered how yummy apple cider donuts are.

the 2 Brandons

decorating pumpkins with Brandon and Ava

the birthday boy

the birthday girl

All Smiles

2011-11-01T11:44:00.001-07:00

Wesley was very smiley yesterday morning. I love how he sticks his tongue out when he smiles.

Happy Halloween

2011-11-01T04:29:00.000-07:00

We went trick or treating last night with our friends John, Rachel, and their daughter, Tori. Brandon at first gave me a really hard time about putting his costume on but finally decided to and had so much fun trick or treating. He even was saying trick or treat at each house. If you click on the last picture you can see a video of Brandon saying trick or treat.

4 months old

2011-10-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

Wesley is 4 months old today. He weighed a little over 15 pounds 2 weeks ago so he is probably almost 16 pounds now. He still sleeps through the night most nights. Sometimes he gets up for a bottle around 4 but goes right back to sleep as soon as he is finished with the bottle for a few more hours. Wesley drinks 6, 5 ounce bottles a day. He smiles all of the time and notices everything. Wesley has been doing gymboree for the past 1 1/2 months and just went on his first plane ride to Disney World. He is wearing 3-6 month and 6 month clothes but is almost in the next size and size 2 diapers.

Brothers in the Same Outfit

2011-10-22T04:00:00.001-07:00

The first picture is Brandon when he was a baby at 4 months adjusted. The second picture is Wesley in the same outfit at almost 4 months old. Do they look alike?

Wesley's 4 Month Well Visit

2011-10-18T03:43:00.000-07:00

Wesley had his 4 month appointment yesterday even though he won't be 4 months old until October 29th. His 2 month visit was when he was 6 weeks and 1 day so it has thrown off his appointments a little. Wesley weighed 15 pounds, 2 ounces and is 25 1/2 inches long...75th percent for both weight and height. The pediatrician suggested adding oatmeal to 3 or 4 bottles a day. He said to call in a month about what cereals and fruits to start feeding him. Wes had 3 shots and the rotavirus vaccine so he hasn't been so happy.

Busy Fall Weekend

2011-10-16T14:54:00.001-07:00

We had a busy weekend. Yesterday morning I took Brandon and Wesley to R Bounce to meet up with my friend, Becky, and her son, Logan, and my friend Heather, and her children, Jen and Olivia. The kids loved all of the bounce things.

Last night Stu, Brandon, Wesley, and I met up with Sara, Evan, and Marino at McDonalds so that Brandon and Marino could play in the play place there. Both boys had a lot of fun playing.

Today we went to the pumpkin patch and apple picking with Grandpa Jacobs and Grandma and Grandpa Newman.

Brandon's First Field Trip

2011-10-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

Brandon went on his first field trip today. His preschool class went to Atlantic Farms. Any parents who wanted to go could follow the bus so I decided to go. We had a fun time. First the kids went on a hayride and got to pick out a pumpkin to take home. Then they went to see the animals.

Some Pictures of Wesley

2011-10-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

Meeting Plex

2011-10-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

Plex and Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba were at the mall on Monday. Brandon was excited to go see them. He was excited to see Plex initially when he was sitting in his stroller and was even saying he wanted to see Plex when we were first waiting in line. When it was our turn to see Plex, Brandon did not want to get out of his stroller. I took him out and he cried the whole time. Later I asked why he didn't like Plex and he said he was too big.

Daddy's 5K, Brandon's Birthday Party, and Ava's Christening

2011-10-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

We had a busy day on Sunday. It started with going to watch Stu run in a 5K. He had his best time so far in the race we went to see. We are so proud of him! After Stu's race Brandon, Wesley, and I went to Brandon's friend, Brandon's, birthday party at Dorbrook Park. It was a beautiful day for it. Brandon had fun playing with his friends Ava, Hannah, and Avery at the party. After the birthday party we went to Ava's christening.

Watching Daddy run

Wesley hanging out with Dina and Ava

the birthday boy

Atlantic Farms

2011-10-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Brandon and I went to Atlantic Farms with Becky and Logan. First we went to see the animals. Brandon and Logan loved feeding carrots to the animals. Then we took a hayride to the pumpkin patch. Brandon and Logan each picked out a pumpkin. It was a fun day!

3 Months Old

2011-09-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Wesley is already 3 months old. The time is going by so fast. I am guessing Wes weighs between 14 and 15 pounds. He doesn't go to the pediatrician until the middle of October for a well baby visit so I am not sure how heavy he is. He is sleeping through the night and has been for awhile, anywhere from 8-10 hours a night. He is still sleeping in his rock and play but in his room. He is currently on zantac and prevacid for his reflux. Most of the time he is a happier baby than he used to be from the medicine helping him feel better but he does still spit up a lot. He eats every 3-3 1/2 hours a day and is still taking 4 ounce bottles. He is awake a lot more throughout the day and has become so much more aware of everything. We started gymboree classes and he likes those.

NICU walk

2011-09-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we walked in the Big Steps for Little Feet walk to raise money for the NICU at Monmouth Medical Center. That is the NICU where Brandon spent the first 12 weeks of his life. The walk was really nice. More than $61,000 was raised for the NICU. We saw some of our friends from when we were there and also met someone from one of my preemie message boards and her son who were there a year after us.

Happy baby

2011-09-27T10:42:00.000-07:00

Big Smile

2011-09-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

Fun Weekend

2011-09-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

We had a very fun weekend. Stu was working yesterday so Brandon, Wesley, and I met my parents in Point Pleasant at the seafood festival. There were tons of seafood vendors and craft vendors there and there were also pony rides for the kids. Brandon liked the pony ride when I was walking next to him. Before that he was scared. We had to stop so I could feed Wesley after we were there for a few hours and Brandon had so much fun running around and playing with his grandpa.

Last night Stu and I brought Brandon to Raceway Park. Stu won tickets for any event during the season and last night was the monster trucks. Brandon really enjoyed seeing the trucks. He wore earphones so he wouldn't hear the loud noise which worked out great.

This morning Stu ran in a 5K at Jersey Shore Hospital and Brandon, Wesley, and I went to cheer him on. After the 5K they had kid runs so Brandon ran in the 2-3 year old race. They then had a community day. There was a bounce house, characters, train ride, and lots of crafts for kids to make. There was also a ton of food.

Fall Weather

2011-09-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

The temperature dropped over night from 88 degrees yesterday to 48 degrees this morning. So I was able to dress the boys in some of their fall clothes today. I am ready for cooler days. I really love the weather in the beginning of fall.

Gymboree

2011-09-16T06:36:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday Wes and I went to our first gymboree class. My friend Nancy and her son Colin also came with us. There were 3 other babies there too. We had a good time. In the gymboree level 1 class (ages 0-6 months) you sing songs with the babies and do a few other things with them lying down but you also get to talk to the other moms about things that are going on. We joined gymboree and will continue to go to classes until I go back to work. Unfortunately at that time we will have to stop for a few months because there are no level 1 classes after work or on the weekends. We will start up again when Wes is old enough for level 2.

Naked Baby Pictures

2011-09-14T05:57:00.000-07:00

Play Gym

2011-09-14T04:16:00.000-07:00

Wesley has really started noticing things over the past week or two. I decided to try him under his play gym again a few nights ago. The other times I have tried him he has cried as soon as he was placed under it. This time he really enjoyed being under it and lasted for awhile. Of course once Brandon saw Wesley playing there he had to be a part of it and play too.

Jungleriffic Playdate

2011-09-12T04:40:00.000-07:00

We went to jungleriffic yesterday so Brandon could have a playdate there with his friends, Jen and Logan. It is so cute seeing the 3 of them interact with eachother. Their birthdays are within a few months of eachother. All 3 kids had a great time.

First Day of School

2011-09-08T14:38:00.000-07:00

Brandon's first day of school was this morning. The bus came to pick him up a little before 8:30. He was fine getting on the bus. It was me that had tears streaming down my face. He got home a few minutes before 12. When he got off of the bus he was wearing a bus hat that he made. Brandon said he had a good time at school. When I asked him what he did he told me he ate cookies and drank apple juice and that Mrs. Kathy changed his diaper. He came home with a PTA membership form, school picture order form, and first fundraiser.

Brandon and daddy before school

giving Hershey a goodbye hug

waiting for the bus

Wesley waiting for Brandon to get home from school

Brotherly Love

2011-09-08T14:36:00.000-07:00

3 pacifiers

2011-09-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

Preschool Orientation

2011-09-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Stu and I brought Brandon to preschool orientation. He is going to the public school preschool class for 3 year olds this year. Orientation was a chance for him to see his classroom and meet his teachers. His teacher's name is Jessica Olson and her assistant is Kathy Reu who we know since her husband is on the fire department with Stu. Jessica is pregnant and going on maternity leave in a few weeks so he will have a sub named Sue. Brandon had a good time at orientation. His favorite thing was playing at the vanity. There are 7 kids in his class.

A Trip to the Beach

2011-09-05T04:13:00.000-07:00

On Friday Brandon, Wesley, and I went to my parents' beach house to go to the beach with them. The waves were still really rough from Hurricane Irene last weekend so Brandon didn't get to go in the water a lot but he had a lot of fun playing in the sand on the beach.

Smiles

2011-09-05T04:09:00.000-07:00

Wesley recently started giving small smiles. I caught a few of them on camera this week.

Victory Park

2011-09-05T04:00:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday Brandon, Wesley, and I met Nancy, Justin, and Colin at Victory Park. It was our first time going there and Brandon loved it. There are three different play structures to go on and two sets of swings. We will definitely go back to there again to play. We were there for almost 2 hours.

2 months old

2011-08-29T04:46:00.000-07:00

Wesley is 2 months old today. He weighs close to 13 pounds and is probably almost 24 inches long. He sleeps 6-8 hours at night (usually 8), has a bottle, and then goes back to sleep. He is currently sleeping in the rock and play...best invention ever for a baby with reflux. Wes started taking zantac last Monday for reflux and finally seems a lot happier because of it. He has been trying so hard to get his theumb in his mouth and only uses the pacifier during the day. He is still drinking carnation good start formula. He drinks 4 ounces every 3 hours during the day. Wes just started smiling small smiles.

Puppy Love

2011-08-26T05:07:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago we went to our friend Aaron and Stefanie's daughter Rebecca's church dedication party. Stefanie's mom is a professional photographer and took this picture of Brandon with another friend's new puppy. I just love it.

Tummy Time

2011-08-26T04:33:00.000-07:00

Last night Wesley was doing tummy time and was actually tolerating it. I started him on his boppy pillow where he was happily lying down and lifting up his head until Brandon came over because I had put Wes in "Brandon's boppy" so I took him off of it and put him on the quilt on the floor. He was still tolerating tummy time there. And then all of a sudden he rolled onto his back from his tummy. I couldn't get him to do it again but he definitely did it the one time.

Puzzle Help

2011-08-26T04:30:00.000-07:00

A few days ago Brandon was working on a puzzle. I looked over and saw his stuffed Elmo helping him. It was the cutest thing. Brandon was taking Elmo's hand and having Elmo pick up the puzzle pieces and put them in the puzzle.

Tori's 1st Birthday Party

2011-08-26T04:18:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday we went to Tori's 1st birthday party. It was at a place called fireman's field which is next to Stu's firehouse. Brandon had a lot of fun playing in the wading pool that was set up and in the water table until it started to rain nd he had to stop. They also had a candy hunt which he enjoyed.

the birthday girl

having fun with the water activities

Rebecca and Ava, me and Wesley, Stefanie and Rebecca- Ava, Wesley, and Rebecca were born within weeks of eachother

5k and Danny's Birthday Party

2011-08-21T04:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning Stu ran in a 5k in Bradley Beach. Brandon, Wes, and I went to support him and cheer him on. My friend Heather, her husband, and their daughters, Jen and Olivia came to watch with us since they live in Bradley Beach. Jen and Brandon are only a few months apart in age. Jen was born 2 weeks after Brandon should have been born.

After the 5k we went to Danny's 3rd birthday party. It was on a pirate boat that went to treasure island. It was really cute. The crew was dressed up as pirates and they told a story while the boat sailed and the kids found a map on the boat that helped them find the treasue chest on treasure island.

Look Mommy, Two Elmos

2011-08-21T04:20:00.000-07:00

Brandon has a stuffed Elmo that he has had for a few years. He has slept with Elmo for a few years but it has only been recently that he has wanted to hold Elmo to fall asleep and he wakes up during the night and picks up Elmo to cuddle with. Elmo also comes downstairs with Brandon most mornings when he wakes up and hangs out downstairs with us during the day.

Brandon was playing Wii Elmo a few days ago and all of a sudden he stopped and picked up his stuffed Elmo and walked over to the tv and said to me, "Look Mommy, Two Elmos. One, two."

Weekly Wesley (and some Brandon too)

2011-08-21T04:09:00.001-07:00

There isn't really anything new going on with Wesley this week. He has slept 8 hours the past two nights which has been great. The three nights prior to that he slept 6 hours and the only reason he got up was because he pooped (not fun to deal with in the middle of the night). Brandon still loves his "baby Wesley". Everytime I put him on the floor to play Brandon comes up next to him and also lies down. It is so cute. Brandon also comes up to Wesley several times throughout the day to give him hugs. And my favorite is everyime Wesley sneezes Brandon says, "Bless you Wesley." Brandon also watches out for Wesley. Everytime he cries Brandon tells me, "Baby Wesley is crying mommy." I am so happy that Wesley has such a good big brother. I can't wait to see what their relationship is like when as they get older.

practicing tummy time

one of Brandon's favorite things to do is put all of his balls on the chair and then throw them over his head one at a time

First Shots

2011-08-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

Wesley had his first shots yesterday. He is 7 weeks old but this is when they scheduled our appointment and babies can start shots any time after 6 weeks. He had three shots and had to drink the rotavirus vaccine. He was not at all happy when they gave him his shots. Wes weighs 12 pounds, 3 ounces and is 23 1/2 inches long. He is still in the 75th percentile for his weight, height, and head circumference. I asked the doctor about his fussiness and he thinks he has reflux but doesn't want to medicate yet since he doesn't think it is that bad yet.

Stuffed Animals and Sickles Park

2011-08-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

Last night Brandon gathered up a bunch of his stuffed animals and put them on the couch. He then kept hugging them. He is so into his stuffed animals lately. He sleeps with about five of them on his bed and loves playing with them.

Today we went to Sickles Park with my friend Nancy and her sons, Justin and Colin. It was a beautiful day outside and Brandon had fun running around and climbing on all of the playground equipment.

Brothers on Boppys

2011-08-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

I put Wesley on his boppy pillow earlier when he fell asleep in my arms. His boppy is usually on the floor and Brandon likes to use it so when he saw me put Wesley there he told me, "Wesley off, Brandon on." I told Brandon that I had another boppy pillow for him so I got it and he now has a boppy and Wesley does too.