4-weeks

Braden is 4-weeks old today! I can't believe it. He's had a great visit with his Grammy Carla. She leaves tomorrow. We've all been spoiled by Grandma visits and will have to start figuring out how to do everything on our own now! The help with cooking, cleaning, diaper changing, holding, burping, night shifts... has been awesome! Plus, Braden has had a great chance to bond with his Grandmas.

He's growing very fast. Carla thinks he's grown an inch just since she's been here. He's great to take places and usually sleeps when he's in his car seat (unless he's hungry!). Daddy fed him his first bottle yesterday and he had no problem adjusting. He pounded down 5 oz in the course of 10 minutes... wish he would nurse that fast, especially at the 4am feeding! Now Daddy can take a 4am feeding every once in awhile!

He just gets more and more fun. It's awesome to see how he changes. He can hold his head up at times and when we do tummy time he turns his head from right to left on his own. He also holds his gaze for a lot longer and is more observant. He loves taking a bath as long as the water isn't too warm or too cold. He's smiled, but not intentionally at us yet and we can't wait for that!

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Getting Bigger.

We think Braden is having his first growth spurt! He wanted to eat more than normal today and seems bigger. Here is a new Smilebox that my Mom put together with pics of Braden! He's been having a great time with his Grammy Harmon this week. He also had a visit from his girlfriend Kyndal (our friends Nicole and Ryan's daughter). She's an older woman (5-weeks older)! :-) He also went to Angie Sanich's baby shower - his first party. Otherwise , he's had a fairly uneventful week because it's too hot to spend too much time outside for adults, let alone precious little babies.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

"I'm so glad my Daddy is home!"

A picture says a thousand words!

A Sunday afternoon.

Braden is taking a nap and I thought I would post a quick update. Things have been going pretty well here with a few little challenges along the way. We went to the pediatrician on Friday because Braden had some diarrhea last week and some gas issues. The doc thinks he has some reflux, so we've made some changes to the way he eats and sleeps and that seems to be helping a lot. Basically he doesn't lie flat on his back much anymore! Unfortunately, he does has some pretty bad gas pains and it's so hard to see him in pain and not able to get that awful gas out of him! It does come eventually, so that is a relief for him.

It is Father's Day and obviously Anthony's first. However, he is flying and in New York. He actually had to go on a 6-day trip that started last Wednesday and is the longest he's had to be gone since he started flying for this new family. It's too bad that it had to occur before Braden was even 2-weeks old. And it was back-to-back to another 3-day trip. Hopefully that won't happen again soon, but it is his job. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the charter part of the trip was to the Bahamas! Can't wait for him to get home tomorrow. I told him to be sure and get a lot of sleep while he was gone! It was hard for him to get away and we sure missed him! Thankfully my Mom was able to stay and help with the baby and she leaves early tomorrow morning. Anthony's Mom gets here on Tuesday, so we'll have even more help!

I've attached a few new pictures of Braden. He's growing fast! He was 10lbs 4oz at the doctor on Friday. Dr. Sotelo said he is doing awesome and thriving. It was Braden's first time meeting Dr. Sotelo and he loved him as much as his Mommy and Daddy do (and Grandma, too). We do have some videos that we'll get posted at sometime, but I don't know how to download them. Have to wait for Daddy to get home for that one!

Happy Father's Day!

10-days... now 11-days old!

Braden's been with us for 11-days now. I've been wanting to either blog or journal to capture some of the things that have happened, but when the down time comes there is often something else to do including capturing some of that needed catch-up sleep! Thank God my Mom is here to help or these 10-days would have been pretty challenging! She has really made a huge difference by helping with everything from cooking, to laundry and also making me sit down and rest. Of course giving Braden lots of love is another thing she does regularly! I am dreading the fact that she is leaving on Saturday, so we'll change the subject.

Braden has already done some fun things in his first 11-days! He gave himself a hickey on his arm! I was burping him after a feeding and heard him sucking... he loves to suck on his finger, hand and thumb when he finds them, so I figured that was what he was doing. By the time I looked, I found that it was his forearm in his mouth and he had given himself a hickey! Hopefully it will be years down the line before we deal with that subject again!

He's a great little eater. He's pretty consistent with eating every 3-hours during the day and thankfully breastfeeding is going great. I am so relieved about that. He does good with sleeping, too. The challenging time has been between 12 and 2 am as he thinks those are still awake times. Although last night he only woke up once during that time! He likes to be swaddled when he goes to sleep because otherwise his little arms get going and keep him awake. He also likes to use a pacifier, but I think he might move to his thumb once he figures out how to control his little arms! Another thing he likes to do is sit in the chair that his Uncle Mike and Aunt Brandy got him. He usually sits there while we're having dinner. He also got a cool elephant chair from his Grandma Carla and he likes sitting in that, too! The pictures show him in his chairs.

Basically he is the most amazing thing in the world and I can't imagine life without him. His umbilical cord came off today, so that's a relief! He'll get his first bath where he gets to sit in the water in the morning, so that will be something to look forward to! Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Braden Smilebox

This is a fun thing that my Mom makes and we figured out that we can post them to our blog!

Braden Ernest Harmon Arrived!

He is finally here! Braden came into the world on Thursday May 29th at 8:08 am! We couldn't be more happy and baby and mom are doing great.

We were scheduled to be induced on Tuesday, but results of an ultrasound showed that he was a pretty big boy so the doctor changed us to a C-Section as the primary course of action.

It is Sunday night now, and we are leaving the hospital tomorrow. We truly had unbelievable care while we were here. I swear the nurses acted like they made money on tips, going out of their way to make sure everything was in order. At first we had quite a bit of attention, as Angie and baby were monitored quite regularly. But now, we rarely see the nurses, unless we need some help.

One of the first nights, I needed some help. Angie was still had her IV's, and it was up to me to change Braden and get him ready to nurse. I don't know if you know about meconium, but its the babies first poops. The stuff is like tar. Well anyway this stuff was plastered to him everywhere and I was having a hard time "getting baby coordinated." I just coined that term. The dad's get baby coordinated just about the 3rd late night diaper change, when you're absolutely exhausted, poop is everywhere, and the baby throws in a good cry just increase the level of difficulty. Mom's on the other hand are born baby coordinated. Well that night was one of those nights. Braden was crying, the meconium was adhered everywhere, and I was trying to keep my cool. To push me over my limit, a stream of urine started to shoot up and out of the bassinet like the water show at the Bellagio. Realizing I had reached the end of my capabilities, I said to Angie, "push the call nurse button!" Very soon a nurse was in the room and had everything under control in no time.

Other than a few moments like above, Braden has been the sweetest little boy and tomorrow we get to take him home. A home without a nurse call button I might add. But we're ready, and besides, isn't that what grandmothers are for :)