We started out this year visiting Brody in the NICU. Jeremy and I had been working hard to get Brody to take all bottles (as opposed to being fed through the tube) for 24-48 hours so he could come home. I was especially hoping to get him home while my parents were still visiting to help. They were scheduled to leave on January 4th. On New Years Day we went to one of our visits...which were every three hours, and we were surprised to see that they had removed his feeding tube! A few days later, on January 3rd, he was able to come home.
January 1st, Happy New Year!
Brody's room at the Nicu.
Ashlyn writing notes for us to read through the window.
Grandma Carol helping Grandpa Kerry with his physical therapy. (rotator cuff surgery).
Dinner out at a Mexican restaurant. This was a great dinner, to me it was feeling like old times, eating out on New Year's with family.
Grandma and Grandpa watching the girls while we visit Brody. They walked them around the duck pond and Quincy kept trying to avoid the duck poop by walking like a bow legged penguin.
Jeremy got a chance to work on the tree house again.
When we first saw Brody without his tubes it took a minute to register. Jeremy was holding him and I gasped...it scared Jeremy and kept asking "what?! what?!" I said, "his tube is out!"
2nd
Concentrating hard to get him to eat all his bottle.
Ashlyn finally wears her Christmas dress and feels pretty sassy.
Quincy looking super cute in her new hat and scarf. Probably begging grandma and grandpa to try for a stuffed animal in the hospital cafeteria.
Grandma gets a turn to cuddle.
Escaping the swaddle.
3rd Our final visit to the NICU!!
One of our nurses, Kim. She was great to show us some ways to help Brody's range of motion. We were pretty nervous about taking him home in the car seat because of his low muscle control in his neck. We wanted to make sure he was getting air so I sat in back with him.
The girls meet Brody! Welcome home! They had some welcome signs posted too. Grandma and Grandpa had them all dressed up for pictures.
No filter.
Jeremy kept his hospital band on until the day Brody came home.
January 4th enjoying a day home with Brody, so glad grandma and grandpa got to spend some time with him before they head home later today.
First bath at home.
There were a few fun outfits we wanted to get some pictures with. Grandma and I had a photo shoot with him in this football outfit he got at my shower.
Ashlyn wearing the earings Christmas gift from Dawn Skinner.
Opening Brody's better.
5th - 7th
Ashlyn just loves holding Brody, she gets so relaxed and they both just sit there in peace.
Quincy helps feed Brody.
Jeremy finishes the ladder!
First bath in the bathtub!
It's a family affair.
Showing us her pony toys. These are the ones she always brings to us, "play ith me."
First walk on the Trace.
Jeremy was teasing me about something and caught me pretending to be put out.
Posing for post-partum picture!
9th I was trying to get some sleep (sleeping in) and the girls made me breakfast in bed.
One Saturday morning we had our neighbor and friend Melissa come over to take family pictures. I had all the outfits for the girls but wasn't sure if Jeremy and I would be in them, then she encouraged us to join in. We found some things in our closet and I am so glad we did! Ellia was trying out her photography with our new camera by mimicking Melissa.
Just as we were finishing Laurie and Cynthia came to visit. It was such a happy day, I felt like such a close family and really enjoyed the company. A great feeling of peace and joy.
Ellia trying out one of her new Christmas cooking toys.
10th back to church and 11, 12
Jeremy takes the girls to church.
Helping Jeremy do his hair.
Brody wearing the pajamas I bought for Jace 8 years ago.
Taking a thank you picture for the gifts Brody got from his co-workers.
13th Taking a bath, getting ready for a big eye appointment. Mallary was visiting to help us and it was so nice to have her there. I was really nervous about this appointment, worried that he might not be able to see, fortunately they said his eyes looked fine but asked that we come back in 6 months.
14th or later
Getting pictures of the hat Grandma Betty made Brody before he grows out of it!
Quincy holding Brody's hand.
Ellia at a glow in the dark dance party with her friend Courtney. This was one of my first outings and I wasn't really looking forward to going. It was on a Friday night and I just wanted to have a movie night dang it. 15th
A walk with some valentines.
Enjoying the nicer weather.
18th
Brody playing with Aunt Mallary. She was so much help, washing bottles, cleaning house, and especially playing with the girls.
Moving into the treehouse.
Playing dress up. These strawberry shortcake costumes are the same size. Cynthia Little from Bakersfield gave them to use after babysitting Ellia one day.
Ashlyn fits in the sleeping beauty dress now!
21st (out of order) Relief Society activity, learning how to make KING CAKE!!!!! This was another one of my first outings, but I was super excited for it. Plus, I got to introduce Brody to so many of the women from church.
To fill, stretch and braid the bread is quite the trick. You have to swing the filled rolls out...before I knew that, she started swinging the dough up and down and I gasped!
Hailey Blackstone's cooking birthday party. The girls had a blast and came home with some fun recipes, Teresa sent me home with half a cake since she had borrowed my cake carrier. (16th)
Playdate with friends in the treehouse. The girls had a Monday off school...I don't know what I would have done if Mallary hadn't been there to entertain! (she stayed the 11-19)
The morning weather can still be pretty cold, so this time the girls had to get bundled up to go on a bike ride run with dad.
but they made it all the way to the park. Feet jammies work great to stay warm.
First Mardi Gras parade of the season. 16th or 17th
Jeremy got to go to another Pelican's game with great seats! (this was the same night 21st, that I was making King Cake!)
Some of my favorite jammies on Brody.
Trying out some new hairstyles. I thought I was going to get out of doing hair with a boy, but I had a lot of fun playing with it!
A super cute outfit he only got to wear a few times.
Good morning Brody!
Enjoying some sun shine.
Ashlyn's Kinergarten PTA performance. She was by far the tallest one in her back row.
Later that night my parents flew in to stay again while Jeremy went to visit Gunner in Utah before he left for Tennessee on a mission. Mardi Gras season is just about to start so when we ran into the mall for Canes, (which was closed by then) we saw these fancy costumes.
Since my parents were here to help I decided to attempt my first homemade king cake...I must say that it was a great success!
My new favorite outfit on him.
Modified tummy time, plus a great angle to get a picture of his new hairdo.
Jeremy persuaded me to take my parents to the Eve parade in Mandeville. I was super nervous being the one to navigate road closures and ladder spots, but we did ok by parking at Kmart and not getting a front row spot. It was really fun to take my parents again when the weather was a little better (compared to when they came to ZULU a few years ago and we froze in the rain). I tried to warn them about getting hit with stuff and we put a chair behind the ladder so whoever was holding Brody would be somewhat protected, but alas, my mom still got hit while sitting there.
Brody's first Mardi Gras parade.
Ellia has mostly graduated from the ladder and the step stool took her some getting used to but it wasn't long before she was hollering, "Throw me somthin mister!"
Quincy acting bored.
The finished King Cake!
With some extra dough we let the girls make their own small versions of king cake.
Pictures from Jer's trip to Utah...he got to spend some time hunting with his brothers.
...and of course it would snow. The girls were so jealous and quite frankly so was I!
To hone my skills a bit (and share the wealth of a good king cake with the Breedloves as a thank you and Ellia's class for a half birthday celebration) we made another batch!
It's like a bakery!
We had a great lunch out at Friends on the river. It was especially nice because my dad was willing to watch the kids on the playground on the main level and my mom and I got to sit outside and enjoy the weather and each other.
I was feeling true joy and some distraction from all our questions about Brody on this little walk. The girls were being so fun and really enjoying their sisterhood, it made my heart happy.
not sure when in January these were taken (from Mall's phone??) Playing in the treehouse, enjoying some early spring weather.
