In Remembrance

Braden's Great Grandpa passed away but not before we had some great memories and pictures. Great Grandpa Charlie was a good man who served his country for many years while being a loyal and dedicated family man. Here is a picture of four generations of Betts men. Too much trouble in one room if you ask me :)

Braden has surgery this week and the recovery will be hopefully straight forward. He is crawling up on all fours and into EVERYTHING! Just put a swing in the front yard and he is enjoying it so much!

Ringing in the New Year

Braden is doing great! He has fought off a few colds and tonsillitis. He is crawling and pulling up everywhere! It is fun but a tad stressful as he is such a hazard to himself! We enjoyed a nice holiday break and he got a little attached to momma. When I am in the room he will crawl as fast as he can towards me, throwing toys to the side that stand in his way.

He takes a bath like a big boy. He flails around on the changing table so I often find myself on the floor which makes it interesting for other reasons but removing the 3 foot drop sure makes mom feel better :) He has favorite books, toys, and sounds. He is just so much fun and such a sweet baby. Still having a tough time with actual solid food. We tried egg for the third time and it resulted in puking all over himself for the third time. He is still at home with Nana during the day and will venture into daycare in a few months... I cannot believe it!

We took a new picture with daddy's Aggie ring and WOW what a difference in a year. Day 3 versus 1 year.

Merry Christmas!!

Birthday Party!

We celebrated B's 1st birthday with friends and family and it was so much fun. B enjoyed his cake... although he was skeptical.

He is starting to crawl and constantly wants to pull up on mom. We are certain he will walk before he crawls! I have tried some solids (actual solids) which have resulted in projectile barf so we are taking some time off from the next step.

One Year Later

It is amazing that a year has already gone by. It is hard to think about where we were a year ago because it was such a difficult place. However, when I think about what a miracle our little boy is and the trials he went through to get here I am overwhelmed in the best way. A few pics of the little man and his journey towards turning 1. Happy Birthday B.

Football Fanatic

Our little man got decked out for the game Thursday and yes he is still a torn fan..... however, he is leaning towards Aggies or Horned Frogs this year.... I cannot blame him!

He is a whopping 22 pounds! I call him my bucket of lead, kid is giving mom some biceps! No crawling but lots of good efforts. He broke a tooth so he is not the happiest camper at times but he really is a love given the circumstances! A tooth pic will come once it is more visible. Right now you can only catch a look if he is laughing or a feel if you stick your finger in his mouth.

He spent a wonderful Thanksgiving with Uncle Scott, Geoff, Brent, Aunt Sue, Grandpa Bob, Gammy, Papaw Betts, Nana, and even Great Grandpa Betts! All that was missing was Ama and Poppa Godley but we will see them at Christmas. He has attempted all foods and on to some real solids which include pasta noodles and bananas. Does not help mom has a fear of choking which is slowing my urgency to introduce food that is not pureed!

We celebrate his 1st birthday with family and friends next Saturday so stay tuned for pics. Love to you all who continue to follow his journey. He is an amazing little boy and I hope you all get a chance to meet him as he is the best part of my life along with my sweet husband. :)

Did You Say...

Da Da? Yes. B had his first words and it is "dada". I look at him constantly and say "mama" and he looks right at me and says, "dada". Kind of wonderful and at the same time I think... do you know what "mama" did to get you into this world! :) :)

He is motoring around on his walker all the time and moves with so much intent! He is an independent attitude and I already see the rebel developing. He is also obsessed with Daisy our dog! He stalks her in his walker and once he gets close to her he reaches for her, opens his mouth and proceeds to let her lick him everywhere! That is until I see what is going on and yell at the dog. Hope this habit breaks.

He is also eating well and insists on helping us feed him. our friend V was over and took her turn feeding him. You be the judge but I think he has a crush.... he is torn between Daisy and V :)

My Little Smurf

So I call Braden many things, B, Mr Man, Bug, Boo Boo, Papa, Angel, and my personal favorite, Smurf. Why? Do most of the other nicknames make much sense either? No reason. But it was the inspiration for his Halloween costume and also the reason I "voluntold" my husband we would dress as a smurf family.... at our work party. He was such a good sport. While a very quick trip to the party we managed to look completely ridiculous and get plenty of laughs from people.

On a more serious note, today marks one year exactly from when my water broke. Wow, what a difference a year makes. That experience felt like an eternity and it is amazing how long ago it already feels. Our boy is so strong and thriving and we are so grateful to all of you who still follow this blog and keep track of his progress and the true miracle he has become.

Look Ma No Hands

Braden is continuing to do so great. He has finally discovered his tummy at night and almost immediately flips over to it for his 12-13 hours rest at bed time... yes we know we are lucky.

He is eating all sorts of things including anything in his reach. He loves his car keys and is already asking about his wheels when he turns 16.

We just celebrated the marriage of Brian's brother to my wonderful sister-in-law Suzanne. B was at home but he got to hang with the family including his great grandpa over the course of the weekend (yes there are FOUR generations of Betts boys walking around).

He reaches with intent and is really such a joy. All his blood work came back normal and now we are just keeping up on shots to keep him protected from all the kiddo viruses flying around.

He is still as stocky as ever, hence the crazy amount of rolls in his first picture.

Braden Taste Test

Braden weighs 20lbs 9oz and eats everything we put in front of him. Lately anything he can get into his hands goes immediately into his mouth. I call it the Braden taste test. It is hilarious to watch him get a hold of things, put them directly in his mouth, and then watch his facial expression either approve or disapprove. One of the worst reactions came when he gave my blackberry a taste... guess it looked more fun than it tasted.

Braden is sitting up and rolling around all the time. He wants NOTHING to do with his tummy and always rolls to his back, even when he sleeps. As a result he is not crawling or even close to attempting. We even try to put objects in his way, sometimes even ourselves, to try to keep him on his tummy but he is just not having it!

It is so fun to watch the discovery process and how he is connecting things. For example when he hears the front door open he looks up for who the new person is that has entered the house. Seems like a small thing but it is huge to us as another step in his development.

His determination inspires us every day!

Just a Reminder

With football season in full swing I went back through some pics and found this one of Braden wearing a hat knitted by nurse Lily, representing our in-home rivalry and a time when he was much smaller (this hat fit on my fist).

These pics are good reminders of how far he has come. He is thriving... looking around more, recognizing people he loves, grabbing for toys, and in true boy fashion getting his first bonks and bumps.

All his appointments have gone well so far. We go to check on his potential blood disorder later this week and then get more news on precautions we would need to take for additional surgeries or procedures based on those results.

That's What I Call a Bib!!

I could not resist this bib pic. Braden getting ready for the UT kickoff this Saturday! Thanks for the adorable clothes and bibs Aunt Kelly!

Braden had a hearing and eye exam this week and checked out with flying colors. He is desperately trying to talk and is making more and more noise to make sure we know he is part of the conversation. His latest trick is spitting and making bubbles.... constantly at times. Could be worse :) He is moving on to meats and pretty much chows down anything we put in front of him.

Thank you to all of you who continue to follow the blog and ask about our little angel. We are so blessed he is doing so amazing!

Now on to the clothing battle every Saturday for the next few months.... burnt orange or maroon??

My Best Bud

Braden got to hang out with his best buddy Luke Panko today. They sat in the chair and talked all about the upcoming college football season. As you can see they were in Longhorn gear, despite the disapproval of our respective husbands. Luke and Braden had a great 2 minute convo until Braden leaned in too close and gave Luke an innocent headbutt.

Braden had 2 appointments last week and we were nervous his PDA had not closed properly and he would need surgery, but the miracle baby keeps on delivering with a perfect looking heart. He also saw his pediatrician and Braden is officially off the charts for preemies and is catching up to a 9 month old. He weighs 18lbs and 9 ounces and is 26 and 3/4 inches long. He is developing well ahead of his adjusted age and even started sitting up on his own this week!

He continues to amaze us every day!

Big Appointments

I wanted to give an update on Mr. B's health. We have a series of appointments coming in the next month including a meeting tomorrow to check on the valve regulating blood from his heart and lungs. An appointment later this week to get his regular vitals and weight progress. Another appointment at the end of the month to check his vision. Finally a big appointment next month to check on a likely blood disorder that makes it hard for B to clot appropriately. This is crucial because we had to postpone some procedures that would put him under and be invasive enough to result in him needing a blood transfusion to help with the procedures.

So, fingers crossed all these appointments are just details and more milestones we can move beyond. That said, it has been awhile since we have had a reason to be nervous, but I am staying positive that this will just be more boxes we can check off the list.

Three Amigos

Been meaning to get around to this post for a few weeks. These are 3 miracle babies who we met while in the NICU. We have Mr. Will on the far right and he is so happy and chill all the time. We have Mr. Reece in the middle who many of you know spent twice as long int he NICU as Braden and had quite the roller coaster ride but is doing great. Then we have Mr. B on the far left. They are all intently looking at Reece's mommy Kate who was making really funny noises.

B is doing really good. Sleeping and eating well. We survived our first trip out of town to Houston to see cousin Emily. She is so beautiful and loved meeting baby Braden. He also spent his first sleepover with Nana and Pawpaw while Brian and I worked the busiest week of the year, NIWeek.

He is still not rolling over and frankly hates being on his belly all together. He is getting stronger at sitting up and if he could walk/run he would!

Open Wide

Braden has had some great firsts this week including swimming in the pool, grabbing for things with intent, and starting to eat a variety of foods which must be helping his almost 17 pound frame!

He is moving through the veggie group fast and furious. Some have been bigger hits than others. For example he LOVES sweet potatoes. As for peas, the jury is still out... see for yourself in the video. It is also quite the messy experience but so wonderful to watch him get better and better with each feed. Moving on to fruits this week!

Help Me Help You

Our sweet little man is so big and strong. He weighs 16 lbs and 12 oz. He passed the 7 month/4 month marker... a vague age that blurs more and more each day as he grows. He is moving to formula and veggies this week.

Almost every day he does something that makes me realize he has such a strong will and sense of intent. He gets frustrated that his physical body is not quite ready to do what his mind is trying so hard to make happen.

For example if this kid could walk yesterday he would have. He continues to want to stand, bounce around in his jumparoo and push himself around on his walker. When eating his bottle he wants to help hold it so bad but little does he realize he is pushing it out of his mouth more than into his mouth. When we give him solids he raises his hands to help and puts them in his mouth, only to pull out about 90% of what I put in.

All these moments crack us up and every now and then we get a few giggles out of B. A special moment between Dad and Mr. B included in the video below.

Anything You Can Do I Can Do Cuter

Lately Braden has started imitating our sounds and actions which apparently includes sticking out our tongues. Braden loves to talk and sing with us. Good thing he is unaffected by our inability to carry a tune.

He wants nothing to do with laying around and all he wants to do is have us help him stand, stand, and stand! He facial expressions when he gets a different view of his world are priceless.

We are so fortunate he is sleeping 10 hrs a night and he continues to gain weight at 15 1/2 pounds. He is an absolute joy and we are so lucky to have a smiley baby loving life!

Solid as a Rock

Braden continues to thrive and we attempted semi-solid food tonight by mixing rice cereal with milk. This is the first time B has taken food other than from the bottle and needless to say he did a great job!

B was rooting for the Ags and Longhorns but unfortunately he is left disappointed. In fact he usually barfed on his UT outfits :) However, he is rooting for the TCU Frogs in the College bball World Series!

He smiles, laughs and tells us all about everything on his mind. He love baths, the outdoors and he wants to do nothing but stand up when you hold him.

I also survived my first time with daddy out of town... We take our first trip on the road with him July 4 weekend, fingers crossed.

Looking Good Kid

Braden had a doctor appointment today and I am proud to say the doc thinks Braden is developing great!

He is 15 lbs and 6 oz! He is being taken off a few supplements to gain weight but is still on breast milk with some rice cereal to help with the reflux. We get to start to introduce solids this month which scares me to death!

He loves sucking his fingers (esp the inside ones so he makes a longhorn), continues to smile, laugh and discover the world around him. He is so vocal talking to us all the time about the latest dream he had, the happenings of the day, or just what is on his mind!

Look for a video soon as he is so amazing live and in person :)