And Then There Were Four

Brennan's fourth tooth finally cut through today! We've been anticipating it for a while and hope he is more comfortable. He now proudly sports four bottom teeth.

Da-da

Brennan's new favorite sound is /d/, including saying "da-da-da." Last night, while I was feeding Brennan before bed, Adam came into the nursery. After kissing him goodnight, he left the room. Brennan watched him carefully and stated "Da-da" just after he closed the door. Coincidence? Likely. Intentional? Perhaps. Adorable? Absolutely!

Peek-A-Boo!

Brennan enjoys playing Peek-A-Boo. He likes all variations of the game: Mommy or Daddy removing the blanket from his head; Brennan removing the blanket from his head; Mommy or Daddy hiding behind the blanket; and, our personal favorite, Brennan ducking his head underneath the blanket!

7 Months Old!

Today is Brennan's 7 month birthday! He continues to amaze us everyday. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful son!

~Brennan continues to be very talkative. Frequent sounds include vowels, gurgles, raspberries, /b/, and /f/. He'll occasionally say /d/ and /m/ and we're anxious to hear "Mama" and "Dada" consistently instead of in babbling. His current favorites are "Abbaaaa" and "Abaaabaaa"
~He has the most beautiful smile that lights up his entire face and his laughs are adorable! Luckily, he's such a happy little guy and we get to experience them often!
~Brennan is quite the flirt. He loves attention, especially from women!
~We have yet to find a food that he does not like. So far, he's enjoyed rice cereal, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, avocados, peaches, bananas, pears, carrots, peas, and squash. Tonight at dinner, he enjoyed sucking on a lemon slice. Previously, he ate a grain and fruit/vegetable at dinner. Starting today, he'll get a fruit in the morning and a grain and vegetable at dinner.
~I returned to work two weeks ago (hence the lack of blog updates recently). Brennan spends his days at home with Grandma Lisa and Grandpa Bob two days a week and goes to Miss Tracy's house three days a week. I don't like spending my days away from him, but it's nice knowing that he's in good hands while Mommy and Daddy are at work. Evenings are a mad rush of play time, dinner, and a bath before his bedtime.
~Brennan sleeps 11-12 hours overnight. He goes down without a fuss and very rarely wakes up for short periods before putting himself back to sleep. Naps are still a work in progress. Some days he'll take a 2.5 hour nap in the morning. Some days he'll take a 2.5 hour nap in the afternoon. Some days he takes several 20-30 minute naps throughout the day. We're starting to see trends in times that he sleeps and are going to start building a more consistent schedule. Cues of fatigue include eye rubs (duh), yawns (of course), and attempting to bite/suck on your shoulder/leg/arm/etc.
~Brennan is very observant. Even in familiar environments, he looks around regularly. The babysitter jokes that they take a "tour" of her house every morning so he is able to look at everything. When observing, he has a famous look of awe--eyes and mouth wide open.
~Grandma Mealy recently gave Brennan a swing for our swing set. He loves it! He smiles and giggles every time! He also likes having someone swing next to him on the swing set.
~Brennan continues to enjoy books and songs. He's usually interested in chewing on the books, but also likes looking at the pictures and listening to the stories. His current favorite songs include "The Cupcake Song" and "The Wheels On The Bus." He'll usually smile when he hears them and they've even helped to stop fussing!
~As recommended by the pediatrician for his skin, Brennan gets a bath every night. He has fun playing with toys and splashing in the water. The nightly baths and occasional prescription cream applications are working wonders on his eczema!
~He has three bottom teeth. We think a fourth bottom tooth is on it's way. Some days we think we see it under the gums, but other days it disappears.
~Especially in the last few days, Brennan is making great progress towards crawling! He's easily able to lift himself on his hands and knees and is rocking back and forth! He's also more determined to get objects that are out of reach. Previously, he would attempt to get an item, realize he couldn't reach it, and would play with something else nearby. Now, he'll do everything he can to reach what he wants! We need to crack down on baby proofing!

Close to Crawling!

Brennan is able to push himself onto his hands and knees and has starting to rock back and forth in this position. He'll be crawling soon!

First Vacation!

Brennan, Mommy, Grandma Mealy, and cousin Ava traveled to the UP for a week to visit my oldest sister and her family. We had a wonderful time and spent our days at local beaches and parks, picking raspberries, and exploring sand dunes. Brennan enjoyed playing with his cousins, Tobin, Zac, Eliana, and Ava, Grandma, Aunt Renata, and Uncle Jason. With all of the excitement and new experiences, Brennan's naps weren't great, but he often found rest in Grandma's comforting arms. Despite the lack of sleep, he was a trooper and enjoyed the outings and activities. He also did great during the 12-13 hour commutes and spent his time playing, sleeping, eating, and being entertained by his cousins. He also cut his third tooth during the trip! We missed Daddy, but were able to talk to him over the phone. Brennan's eyes lit up and he frantically looked around the room whenever I put the phone to his ear to hear Daddy's voice.