1 Year Appointment

Brennan had his one year well-baby appointment this afternoon. He charmed the nurses and pediatrician with giggles and smiles and showed off some of his skills by waving, signing "more", and chatting. The pediatrician commented many times that he was "such a treat!" She gave him a clean bill of health, including his ears! We feared his right ear might be infected as he occasionally messes with it, but she assured us that it looked fine!

We discussed introducing dairy again at 14 months. The pediatrician recommended starting with yogurt and then introducing milk. She discussed that he should have 16-24 ounces of milk/breast milk a day. We've recently cut back on some of Brennan's bottles/nursings and are right within that range.

He received five vaccines today--ouch! The nurse that gave them was very slow, which didn't help. The poor little guy zonked out on the short ride home, but was not interested in continuing his sleep in his crib. He returned to his normal smiling, chatting, laughing, and dancing self while eating dinner. With the exception of one more at 18 months, flu shots (if he doesn't get the mist), and any "new" shots, he shouldn't need another vaccine until 5 years!

Current stats:
Weight: 24lbs 1.5 oz (up ~15lbs, 4 oz from birth!) -- 75%ile
Height: 31.5 inches (up 10.5 inches from birth!) -- 90-95%ile
Head: 47cm

Mr. Photogenic, Yet Again!

Brennan had his 1 year photographs taken today. He did a great job! We tried a few times to get a picture of him standing independently, but he would start walking away as the photographer tried to snap the picture! He would stand still long enough for a photo when we included props!

One of the winning shots! (We don't have this picture in our possession yet, please excuse the Sear's logo)


Another winning shot!

Our Toddling Toddler!

We tried to capture a decent video of Brennan walking today. Enjoy!

Yes, that's right, I called him a TODDLER!

Happy 1st Birthday, Brennan!

It's Brennan's 1st Birthday! The past year has been incredible; full of laughter and love. Brennan is developing into such a wonderful and amazing little man!

~Brennan is walking! He takes a few steps at a time and is walking more often each day. He's also starting to walk between Mommy and Daddy.
~He's standing more regularly and is very sturdy. He frequently pulls himself to standing on your legs, wanting to be picked up.
~He loves to talk! He continues to experiment with new sounds by coordinating his tongue, lips, and teeth.
~Brennan's vocabulary is growing! Some of the words he has independently spoken or repeated include: more, ball, cracker, Dada, Mama, up, tickle, and night night.
~Although he has known how to sign "more" for a while, he's expanded its use. It's used to indicate "want" as well as "more." He also uses it combined with pointing for objects other than food. He commonly uses it to communicate that he wants books, stuffed animals, toys to be turned on, and to leave a room. He continues to use it at meal times and is able to point to the food he wants and signs for more. He also points to the kitchen cabinet that holds his food and uses the sign! The actual sign involves tapping your fingers together. Brennan sometimes uses his fingers, but typically uses his entire hands similar to clapping, especially if he really wants something!
~He is also able to sign "all done" He's learned to sign it independently, only when eating, and usually then tries to lift his highchair tray. When you ask him if he wants more or if he's all done, you'll typically get both signs in response! The actual sign is raising your hands and turning your open palms. Brennan's version is raising his hands and opening and closing his fists.
~Brennan does a great job feeding himself. He is able to pick up small items, such as peas, and take bites of larger items, such as crackers and slices of fruit. Sometimes, after feeding himself most of his meal, he prefers to have someone feed him. He also likes to try to feed others. Current favorite foods include crackers, apples/applesauce, and bananas. He has yet to refuse any food, including olives, mustard, and dill pickles. He is also able to drink water from a straw cup and sippy cup.
~He goes to bed at 7pm and wakes up between 630am and 730am. During the week, he's up by 645 to eat and get dressed before Mommy and Daddy go to work. He takes 2 naps a day, varying in length from 1 to 2.5 hours. When he wakes in the morning, he's happy to talk and play in his bed for a few minutes. When he wakes from naps, he's not as patient and wants to get out and play immediately!
~Brennan enjoys rolling and throwing balls. He also likes to make baskets in his basketball hoops. He commonly says "ball" and points to the larger hoop.
~He received his third hair cut by Mommy and Daddy! His hair grows very quickly! Fortunately, he's very tolerant of getting his hair cut and is easily entertained by books and food.
~He's starting to have a "cheese face" when told to "say cheese" at the camera. You'll see a lot of this face in the upcoming photo album!
~Brennan thinks getting chased is hysterical!
~Peek-A-Boo is a favorite activity. He enjoys hiding and uncovering others. Just about anything can turn into a prop for peek-a-boo. He'll take objects and put them over his face and/or put them over his head and around back of his neck.
~Brennan also has a favorite bath game. He likes to stand, take his toys and throw them over the side of the tub, and reach for them to pick them up.
~When playing, Brennan will sometimes give his toys to someone and then take them back shortly after.
~In addition to giving sweet kisses, Brennan also gives precious hugs.
~He continues to enjoy exploring his world. He's finding new areas of the house to explore, including kitchen drawers and cabinets.
~Current fascinations include books, doors, balls, and clocks
~Brennan's personality is wonderful! He loves to smile, laugh, and learn!


Here's a sneak peek into Brennan's birthday!

"I want cake!"


After a few bites of icing, Brennan decided to dig right in!


I like cake!

He Walks!

Brennan is walking!

He is very proficient at crawling, leading us to think that he didn't have much motivation to walk. Over the past few days, Brennan has shown more interest in walking with an adult holding one or both of his hands. Even more exciting, he's taken several independent and unprompted steps a few times each day! Typically, he'll walk about three or four steps before falling, but he's pretty stable! Crawling remains his preferred mode of transportation, but we don't think it will be long before walking will take over! We're so proud of him!

First Birthday Party!

We celebrated Brennan's first birthday with family and friends today! Guests traveled from near and far to celebrate at his shape themed party. Brennan enjoyed spending time with everyone and playing with his new toys. There was plenty of food of various shapes for all to feast upon--round sandwiches with triangle lunch meat; round, square, and rectangle crackers; square cheese; and oval bread, just to name a few! Brennan enjoyed eating his (dairy free) cake, made with love by Grandma Mealy, and became a ham for his audience watching him eat it. A great time was had by all as we celebrated Brennan's first birthday!

Double Whammy, Part 2

Daddy took Brennan to the pediatrician this afternoon for his flu booster shot. The pediatrician didn't schedule a follow-up from his previous ear infection. Since we've noticed him occasionally pulling at his ears recently, Adam asked if one of the doctors could check them while he was there. Unfortunately, Brennan's double ear infection did not clear up, despite the stronger antibiotic. We were prescribed yet another antibiotic and his ears will be checked at his one year appointment later this month. We're hoping this will do the trick! If not, we may need to have a discussion about tubes.