1000 Words

 1000 Words

Road Trip and Lake Chelan 2021 (part 1)

 When Brady was about 3 week old we hit the road for our first family road trip as a crew of 8 to Washington State for some time with my side of the family -- my parents, my brother, his girlfriend and my nephews.

Our trip was about ten days total and included driving through Utah, Idaho, and Oregon to arrive in Lake Chelan, Washington.  We stayed at a vacation home on Lake Chelan for about five days, and then we drove three hours West to my brother's home in North Bend, Washington where we stayed another three days before driving home through Oregon, California, Nevada, and Utah.

Here are some pictures from our drive and part of our time at Lake Chelan.  The water was SOOO cold -- but it did not matter to our crew.  We had a few days at the Lake Chelan house before our family arrived and then a few days all together.  It was a great time.

Twins

 Its like when we had twins, except one baby is significantly easier to please than the other...

Prepare

 

Brady -- One Month

Wow -- my LAST ROUND of baby growth updates as our little Brady is now one month old, so this update and 11 more, and then there will be no more there after.  WOW!

Here is Brady at 1 month of age:

And here he was as a newborn

 

 

And here is the comparison of all five kiddos at one month of age:

Top left to right - Tracey, Brady, Hunter

Bottom left to right - Lee Lee, Caroline, Howard

Weight: 

He just had a 1 month check-up and he was 9 lbs 4 oz (7 lbs, 15.8 ounces at birth).

Length:  

His 1 month check-up measured him at 21 inches.

Clothing size: 

He is just starting to grow out of the newborn sized clothing.  We went on a trip to visit family, and he actual began growing out of some outfits while we were on the trip... so I was lucky to get home before he outgrew EVERYTHING I had brought for him.  He's now still in a few newborn outfits, and mostly 0-3 month clothing.

 

Eating:  

Brady is a GREAT eater.  From the time he was born -- literally his first latch after he was born, the nurses were commenting on how impressed they were with his eating.  It is such a blessing that he has naturally taken to nursing SO well.  He nurses on demand... with the caveat being that I have five other children... so he nurses on demand as soon as I can drop everything and get to him. 

Sleeping:  

Brady sleeps in a bassinet next to our bed.  He spent about a week or so sleeping in a dock-a-tot bassinet in our bed, but now he has moved to the bassinet.  When were were traveling we brought the dock-a-tot and he slept various places while we were traveling -- in a pack-in-play, in our bed, or even on the floor.

 

 

New things/discoveries:

• Brady has experienced ALL new things for the past month as he's adjusted to life outside the womb.
• First baths - both in a sink and very carefully with siblings in a big tub and first showers with Daddy
• First time at home
• First time to Daddy, Tracey, Howard, and Caroline's school
• First time attending field day (he was about 30 hours old when he attended this event)
• First time meeting grandparents
•  Being circumcised
• First time out to dinner
• First time meeting Lexie, Lloyd, and Maizey
• First time attending church
• First time on a family road trip
• First family vacation
• He's using his eyes better and better -- he's just starting to make eye contact with us, and we're excited that a smile might be coming soon

 

 

  New Accomplishments: 

• Sleeping through the loud chaos of our rowdy home
• Adjusting to life as the youngest of six

 

Likes: 

• Being held
• Pacifiers
• Nursing
• His siblings
• The car seat
• The stroller
• Being worn in a carrier
• Mama

Dislikes:

• Being hungry
• Spitting up
• Burping

 

  Places He's Gone:

• The Pediatrician's office
• To his siblings' schools
• The grocery store 
• Tracey's Field Day
• The twins' preschool graduation
• A friend's birthday party
• Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
• Our favorite breakfast place in Rifle
• He's attended a memorial service (more on this in a later post)

Special Memories:

•  His birth was very special 
• Telling our children that he is a boy!
• His siblings taking turns asking if they can hold him -- the novelty has lessened a little, but usually at least one sibling asks to hold Brady everyday
• Meeting both sets of grand parents
• Getting newborn and family pictures taken when Brady was about ten days old
• Family road trip through Utah, Idaho, Oregon and Washington 
• Family vacation with the Sanden family
• Meeting my brother and nephews (his Uncle and cousins)
• First boat ride (Hunter's first boat ride too)

Nicknames:

• Brady
• Buddy
• Brady Boy
• Brady Blue Eyes
• Braidster
• Brady Brady Brady

Pictures in no particular order: