Mr. Manners

Brennan typically says "please" when asking for things. When given a reminder, such as "how do you ask for ____?" or "how do you ask nicely?" he likes to cover all of his bases and will reply "Please, welcome, and thank you!"

Thanksgiving 2011

Our Thanksgiving this year was a bit more exciting than we imagined. Brennan woke up on Thanksgiving morning with a fever. We thought he might be a bit under the weather, gave him some ibuprofen and traveled over the river and through the woods to Grandpa and Grandma Swartz's house.

Once there, Brennan was a bit clingy, but played and had a good time. He didn't eat much, especially at Thanksgiving dinner. At bedtime, he had another fever. He slept in Mommy and Daddy's room and when Mommy went to bed, she noticed he was very warm and breathing rapidly. After several times of waking up unhappy, he slept in bed with Mommy and Daddy. Around 2am, Daddy woke up and noticed that Brennan was even warmer than before. His heart was racing and his breathing continued to be very rapid. We decided to take him to the Salem Emergency Room. His official temperature was 101.7 and his heart rate was 170. After a quick check of his ears and throat, we were told he had an ear infection in his right ear. Since he got sick while getting ready to go to the ER, he was given a medicine to keep him from getting sick again. He was also given an antibiotic and fever reducer. Unfortunately, the anti-nausea medication didn't work.

On Friday, Brennan seemed to be more himself, although he was very fatigued. He fell asleep before leaving Grandpa and Grandma's house, slept the entire drive home, and continued to sleep once we arrived home, a total of 4 hours!

Brennan again felt very warm when he woke up on Saturday morning and was very lethargic. We made an appointment with the pediatrician later that morning. His official temperature was 103.4 and heart rate was 150. His ears looked fine, but his throat was swollen with white spots. No official strep test, but the pediatrician did not think it was strep. He was prescribed a different antibiotic, and were told it would work better than the original prescription.

After his fever broke, we noticed a slight rash on his stomach and back which disappeared the next day. Grandma Mealy suggested that he may have Roseola. The symptoms seemed to match up and we wondered if he had Roseola and a throat infection.

Exactly a week after Thanksgiving, our happy, giggly little man returned!

22 Months!

~Our little chatterbox continues to amaze us with his language skills. He frequently uses new phrases and words. Some cute examples:
~~~"Here" or "Want it" when asking for or giving us an object
~~~"Say 'cuse me" and "Bless you" after burps/sneezes
~~~"Thank you, 'elcome" ..we're still working on the give and take of "thank you" and "you're welcome"
~~~"I reading a book!"
~~~"Hi guys!"
~~~"I sleepy"
~~~"I did it!"
~~~"Uh-huh!"
~~~"Mommy's home!" or "Daddy's home!"
~~~"I snuggle Mommy/Daddy"
~~~"I want some more please" or "I want some _____"
~~~"I swimming!" as he kicks while laying on his belly or back in the bathtub
~~~"Right theres" or "Right here" when showing where he wants something or locating something/someone
~~~"Hmmm...Ummm..." when he doesn't know the answer to a question

Some not-so-cute toddler language examples: "Mine!", "No!", "No this!", "Na-uh" and "Stop it!"

~We've come to the conclusion that he enjoys songs and music in television shows and not the actual show. For example, he'll ask for a show, but after the opening song, it's an immediate "No this! No this, honey!"

~He continues to love all fruit, but it's becoming more difficult to get him to eat vegetables. We typically try to give him his vegetables first. Condiments for dipping also help a lot. "I dunk it!"

~Daddy and Brennan have added a new and adorable step in our bedtime routine. After reading him his books, getting snuggles, and handing Brennan over to Mommy, Brennan and Daddy play a fun game. Daddy leaves the room and closes the door. Brennan calls out, "Daaaddddy!" and Daddy pops back into the room. Repeat a few times with laughs all around!

~He's cut one 2 year molar. We think we feel another coming soon. Teething is almost over!

~He likes to count objects, especially in his books. He's not always accurate, but it's cute!

~Kisses are accompanied by "Muah!"

~You have to be on your toes when reading books. If he's not turning pages, you'll frequently hear: "Next page! (turn page) Read it!" And don't think about skipping the title page because he'll go back to it!

Our Little "Reader"

Brennan enjoys helping us "read" his books!


An added cuteness bonus, he gives a "cheese!" for the camera!

Happy Halloween!

Our little Dr. Seuss lover dressed as The Cat in the Hat for Halloween this year!

We went trick or treating with Grandma on Saturday night in a nearby neighborhood. Mommy and Daddy joined in the festivities, dressed as Thing 1 and Thing 2. We had a great time! Brennan enjoyed walking up to houses with his candy bag wide open.



On Halloween night, Daddy stayed at home to pass out candy while Mommy and Brennan went trick or treating in our neighborhood. We had a good time, although Brennan insisted on carrying his loot rather than putting it in his bag. This lead to frustration, which lead to a tired and upset little cat on the walk home! Once home, he enjoyed greeting the kids that came to the door.

Over the weekend, we practiced saying "Trick or treat." At times, Brennan replied "Trick or treat, Honey!" He clammed up during the real deal, but did thank our generous neighbors for the sweet stuff!

Thanks, Grandma Mealy for making my costume!

21 Months!

~Our little man continues to be a big talker. In addition to new words, he is repeating and independently saying many phrases. His pronunciation also continues to improve. Some examples:
~~"How 'bout this one?" or "How 'bout ____?" when asking for books or toys
~~"I made a mess again"
~~"What happened?"
~~"Mommy/Daddy coming" when he wants us to follow him
~~"I coming" when coming to us when called
~~"Where's Mommy/Daddy?"
~~"What's Mommy/Daddy doing?"
~~Some of the preschool-age girls at the babysitter's play house, frequently saying "honey" while playing. Brennan has picked up on the term of endearment and uses it often. "Ok, honey!" "Up, honey!"
~~"Other one?" or "Something else" when asking for something different
~~"I dink (drink) it"
~~"Mommy/Daddy/Brennan do it!"
~~"Right there!" when telling us where he wants something (e.g., ketchup on his plate)
~~"I found it!" or "I found it, _____!"
~~"I want ___, too!" or "Mommy/Daddy have _____, too!" (e.g., "Daddy have chicken, too!")
~~"That one", "This one"
~~"Open the door!"


~His memory is like a steal trap!
~~After a small book was missing for a few days, we asked Brennan if he knew where it was. He immediately went to his room and repeated "Count book!" Sure enough, the book was between his mattress and the crib rails.
~~He has similar themed books, one about shapes and another about colors. It had been several weeks since we read either. After bringing Mommy the shapes book and reading it, he ran to his basket of books saying "Colors!" and dug through his books until he found it.
~~He recognizes coffee/sippy cups that visitors used, even if it had been weeks since he saw them. "Grandpa cup!" "Madison drink!"

~He can consistently identify 2, 5, 8, B, and Q. Earlier this week, he impressed his sitter by picking up a numbered block and correctly identifying an "8."

~He continues to be a fan of music. He enjoys singing songs, listening to music, and being sung to.

~He seems to think that all books are written by Dr. Seuss. After reading the title, he'll state "by Dr Seuss!"

~Mommy and Daddy regularly get a hug, (sloppy!) kiss, and "Wuv you!" when we leave for work and when Brennan goes to bed.

Color My World

Brennan enjoys naming colors in his environment. It's not uncommon for him to name colors of cars as we walk through a parking lot. He also identifies colors of his toys, objects/backgrounds in books, and articles of clothing. Sometimes, he'll name colors on television--the weather map during a rainstorm is very exciting!