Potty Time!

He did it! Tonight Brody pottied in the potty! He seems happy...probably because of the M&M reward.

Halloween Highlights

This was Brody's second Halloween, and this year he went as the King himself, Elvis!

Brody with his cousins, Clare (butterfly), Jane (ladybug) & Sydney (bumblebee).

Brody with his beautiful butterfly friend, Taylor.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Untitled

B. Jennings (b. 2008 - )
Mixed Media (watercolor, crayon & sticker)
10.08.09

the artist at work

tortured already?

let's hope not!

Bubbles in the tub

Brody loves bathtime. This week he enjoyed a tub full of bubbles. All was well until they ended up on his face ;).

My Three Boys

Colorado

Each summer Nathan and I visit his parents (LoLo and Pop) in Colorado. This was Brody's second summer and it was a perfect 10 days. He was in his element riding the four wheeler with Pop and Nathan, swinging, going to the park, playing in the creek, blowing bubbles, throwing rocks, eating at some of our favorite restaurants, being outside non-stop, and getting some really quality time with LoLo and Pop. Here were some of my favorite moments.

Rock On!

Buzz...

Brody got a haircut this week. Not just a trim...a buzz. It makes him look a lot older than 18 months!

Before/After

Maybe Nathan was tired of people saying Brody looks like me!

On another note, Brody had his 18 month check-up this week. Everything looks great. He is 35 pounds (99th percentile) and 36 1/2 inches tall (99th percentile).

Happy 60th Anniversary, Granny & Grandad!

Today Granny & Grandad have been married 60 years. They are a beautiful example of a loving partnership that has produced three fine sons, six grandchildren, and four (and still counting?!) great-grandchildren. We love you so much, Granny & Grandad.

Here is the entire Jennings family! Everyone came to town last weekend to celebrate with G&G.

Brody with Granny & Grandad.

Here are all the great-grandbabies...poor Jane. But look how cute Brody and Clare are holding hands!

Red River

Brody and I returned this week from an almost two week trip to Red River, New Mexico. We joined most of the Miller side of the family for a beautiful wedding of my cousin Tori and her new husband Scott. The wedding was the last weekend in June and then we stayed until after the 4th of July. Brody had the best time in the mountains. They are just what any young boy would love...lots of rocks, water, fish, activity, bugs, sun, trucks, dogs and much more. It was a wonderful trip, but it feels great to be back home (we missed Daddy.)

Brody and I at the wedding. He is holding a rock...his favorite New Mexico treasure.

Uncle Marcus and Brody.

Uncle Marcus, Brody and Aunt Anna.

Great times with Uncle Andrew.

Brody loved meeting many cousins for the first time, but cousin Matt made a lasting impression!

Opa went to the stream and fished most days. Great outfit.

Success!

Andrew, Chelsea, Taylor, Carrie and I went for a hike to Lost Lake. It is a 6.5 mike trek (each way), going to an altitude of almost 11,000 feet. I have to brag about this because it was really hard, so I will probably not be going again!!!

Almost there. What a view.

There is snow up there! In July!

Is it unnecessary to say that Brody really loved the Jeep?

He also loved swinging with anyone he could talk into it.
Uncle Austin and Uncle Marcus both got suckered.

Uncle Austin, Brody, Uncle Andrew, Cousin Matt, Uncle Marcus, Aunt Anna and Chelsea on the bridge by the Miller cabin.

Moving Announcement

New Home, New Friends

Brody, Nathan, Zeke & I moved into our new house last week! There are still lots of boxes to unpack, but we love our new house. Brody spends a lot of time looking out the window...

and quacking at the ducks who visit our pool every day!

I will post pictures of the house once we get it a little more together.

We took a walk today...

and I took a few pictures

Conquest!

Some of Brody's early steps...

Boy Time

One Year Pics

Brody had some REAL pictures taken this morning and I am so pleased with the sneak peak! Our friend Abby was the photographer and she did such a good job.

http://abbywhitephotography.com/blog/?p=105

A couple of pics

TWO STEPS FORWARD (one tiny step back)

Hooray! Brody took two legitimate steps today. No assistance! I know, I know, our worlds are about to change, but I for one am pleased to know that my days toting a 30+ pound baby are coming to a close :).

Unfortunately our poor boy took his first two steps on the same day he was diagnosed with RSV. For those of you who don't know it's a viral infection that doesn't really affect adults with much more than a case of the sniffles, but can be pretty tough on little guys. He's on quite a bit of medicine for all the other problems it has caused (double ear infections, chest infection, reduced oxygen intake), but there isn't much we can do for the RSV except watch it and make sure it doesn't cause bigger problems.

Brody is going to be fine, but if you get the chance, say a little prayer that he will heal up fast and return to his super-smiley self!

Brody pushing his Cozy Coupe (a bday gift from DD and Opa) with his new puppy and get well balloons from Uncle Andrew and girlfriend Chelsea and Uncle Austin and girlfriend Katherine.

Brody's First Birthday

Brody turned one yesterday. It is with complete sincerity that I say it has been the best year of our lives. We are so blessed to have him complete our family.

On a less sentimental note, Brody's big blow-out was on Saturday. We had a great turn out! It had a construction theme and everything turned out pretty cute...excuse me...tough.

Brody and his daddy outside pre-party.

The cake!

Brody's first cake experience.

Everyone enjoying the loot.

Merry Christmas Y'all!

Brody's first Christmas was wonderful! We spent the days with grandparents, great-grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles and (lots of) dogs too! Brody soaked it all in and was spoiled rotten, which was no surprise.

We hope all of your holidays were as joy-filled as ours.


Brody showing off the loot from his stocking. Note the fancy bib and froggie "boxers!"

His first clubs. These might be his favorite gift. He crawls around with the clubs sticking straight out of his mouth. Very safe.

Brody in Pop's lap, next to Clare. Jane and Sydney are sitting with LoLo.

Clare and Brody are so funny together. He is fascinated by her. She calls him Bobo.

Brody, Jane, Clare and Sydney in front of the tree after a packed Christmas Day.

Brody meets the Man in Red

We've moved!

Brody, Nathan and I made the cross country trip last week and we are back in Dallas! Brody and I flew home with most of my family who had come out to Michigan over the Thanksgiving holiday to help us move. Nathan and Zeke made the long drive to the Big D.

For now we are staying with family while we search for our new home. It feels good to be back in Texas, although we are already missing the wonderful friends we made in Detroit.

What a Monkey!

Brody's new favorite pastime is "feeding" Nathan and me whatever he is supposed to be eating. He grabs his peas, cheerios, green beans or whatever is on his tray and holds it out to put in our mouths. It is really so funny!

Fall in MI

Fall in Michigan means:

bundling up

visits from friends

Jenny & Derek



(Chris) Green & Sonya



Sonya & Jenny

trips to the cider mill

Brody's first apple cider donut


Brody learning to crawl

is this the face of a troublemaker?

who, me?

What could be better?

Brody got a new pair of shoes today.

And his first balloon.

I've had 10 minutes of peace to add this post, while he plays with his new toy.

What could be better?

Although he is now eating his shoe!

Brody says it's been too long!

I've definitely fallen behind on blogging lately, everyone. Sorry! Here is the latest on Brody.

• He is eight months old.
• He says "da da" and "ro ro" and "MA" but the last only when he's mad and yelling, so that doesn't make me feel very good!
• He has six teeth. Four on top and two on the bottom.
• He just started barely crawling yesterday. He only gets arms and knees moving in unison for a moment or two before giving up and rolling where he wants to go, but he's getting there.
• He weights 25 1/2 pounds...more than the average one year old.
  
• He still has the bluest eyes you've ever seen (see below for proof).
  

In Jennings family news, we've decided to list our home in Royal Oak and try to get closer to home (Texas). The market here is pretty rough, so it could take some time, but we're cautiously optimistic. If you were looking to visit Michigan and wanting a place to stay, come and see us soon!

Colorado

Over Labor Day week Nathan, Brody and I went to stay with LoLo and Pop at their cabin in Colorado. Hayley, Casey, Clare, Jane & Sydney met us there and it was a wonderful week. The tone was a little different than in years past with three babies and a 2 1/2 year old, but it is still our favorite getaway and it is such a blessing to be able to spend the time with family.

Brody had a fun week. He really enjoyed LoLo and Pop's swing. He watched Pop catch a fish in the creek and even grabbed a fin!

Nathan and I had a great time with Chuck and Lometa, Hayley and Casey. LoLo and Pop were kind enough to babysit (yes, all FOUR!) so we could go to a couple of dinners with Hayley and Casey. The boys played golf and fished and the girls all went into town for lunch and a massage. I think in the end everyone had just the vacation they needed and I'm already thinking about next year!

Brody waiting for the action in the "baby pit."

We tried to have a photo session with the babies one afternoon. About 90 pictures later this is the closest I found to three smiles!

Sydney, Brody, Jane

The other 89 look like this...

Sydney, Brody, Jane

Or this...

Jane, Brody, Sydney

Brody and LoLo are still having fun!

Jane, LoLo, Sydney, with Brody in the front

Nathan and Brody early one morning.


Brody can hold himself up!


All four kids on LoLo and Pop's bed. Not the greatest picture, but one of the few Clare would participate in! Notice Brody's arm around Sydney! So cute.

Clare, Jane, Brody, Sydney

Fun one morning with LoLo and Clare.


A great shot of Jane. I love that wrinkled nose.


A rare smile from Sydney. I think it's because she is escaping the "baby pit."

Brody, Sydney, Jane

Rub a Dub.

Sydney, Brody, Jane

I'm sure he'll kill me for this pic one day!

First season opener

Today Brody gets to enjoy his first Cowboys season opener. As you can see above, he's prepared. When he woke up this morning, the first thing he said was that the Boys road to Tampa begins today. A new fan is born.

Photo Session

I know it's been too long since I've posted. It seems like a lot has gone on!

Let's see...
- Brody has two new teeth! The bottom center.
- Brody's uncle Andrew and his girlfriend Chelsea came to visit. We all had a great weekend.
- Brody had his first "real" pictures taken. Here's a sneak peek, but there are a lot more.

http://mod4.com/blog/2008/08/baby-brody/

Halfway

Happy Six Months, Brody!
Now blow out those candles.

This Little Light of Mine

Yesterday was Brody's first outing to church! He had lots of attention in the nursery (when we checked in there were three very cute girls and he was the only baby!). I think he enjoyed himself for the most part and it was great for Nathan and I to start getting plugged back in.

Roly Poly

This was a big week for Brody. He started rolling over! Monday night he rolled over from back to front. Then on Tuesday morning he started rolling over from front to back! He is still a little smoother going from back to tummy. He has a tendency to get stuck on his stomach and forget he knows how to fix it. He loves to roll over in his crib at bedtime, get stuck and start panicking, so we have to go in there and roll him back over.

He continues to be more and more engaging. After a few minutes no one is a stranger and he is full of smiles for all. He has become very easy to make laugh, too, which is just so much fun (see "compressed air" below for a demo!).

hey ladies

The Miracle of Compressed Air

It's a bit tough to see it, but I'm spraying him with compressed air. He obviously likes it.

So blessed

We are just so lucky we get to raise this boy and see his smiling face every day.

Back to Texas

Nathan, Brody & I went back to Texas this past weekend. Nathan had a training in Dallas, so Brody and I decided to hitch a ride home. It was a great visit. Brody did much better on the plane so we are less nervous about traveling with him in the future. We took him to some of our favorite places...Blue Goose, Zorbas and Mi Cocina. Yum.

Some new things about Brody...
- he is eating solids. he LOVES sweet potatoes, but hates peas.
- he is sitting up incredibly well, but still won't roll over!

on Opa's chair

on Opa

laughing with DD

lounging on Gamma & Granddaddy

killer smile

Only five months, but already ALL boy!

Last night I was feeding Brody before bed and I put him up on my shoulder to burp. You would not believe the trucker burp that came out of this baby! It must have lasted 10 seconds. He was quite impressed, too. Half-way through he decided to start "talking"...kind of like the boys who would burp the alphabet in elementary school. At the end he was so proud of himself he burst out into a huge grin and started laughing. Not exactly the soothing bedtime routine I was going for, but hilarious, nonetheless!

my three boys

Man of the House

Last week Nathan and I had our first trip away without Brody. It was bittersweet, to put it mildly. It was so nice to get some rest and really talk with one another, but it was excruciating to be away from our son. We were only gone four days, but it felt like a lifetime.

LoLo and Pop came up from Colorado to babysit and I'm not sure who was having the most fun...

Boing boing

Body By Brody

In order to achieve a killer bod like Brody...

You have to really enjoy your dinner!

Happy Father's Day!

The First Supper

Brody had his first meal last night. Not sure he gets it quite yet. He's managed to figure out the bottle just fine though if you go by the size of his man boobs...

The Big 4-Mo.

Brody celebrated his four month birthday on Sunday. He has been the most amazing blessing during the the first quarter of his first year. Yesterday was his doctor's appointment and he is 19 pounds, 27 1/2 inches, which puts him in the 97th percentile for both height and weight! Everyone we come across is surprised when they find out how old he is. He is laughing and smiling a ton, is almost rolling over (we think) and will be starting solid foods as soon as I get to the store to buy some rice cereal!

The Prodigy

Happy Memorial Day!

Hope everyone has a great holiday. Brody's changing every day, getting bigger, talking more, and looking less like a baby and more like a little boy. Now if we could just get him to sleep!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Brody asked me to wish every mom we know a very special Mother's Day.

Whether you are a mom to be or are a mom to many, if you are a brand new mom, or a mom whose kids (or grandkids) are moms, you are all so important to us.

Brody especially wanted to wish Happy Mother's Day to:

DD
LoLo
Gamma
Mamma
Granny
Hayley
Katie
Erin
Rachel

We love all of you. Enjoy this day!

Big Tex

Brody made his first cross country trip to Texas this past weekend. He met a lot of relatives and friends for the first time! We loved showing him off. Most of the people seeing him for the first time were surprised by his size (hence the title of the post). Thanks to everyone for making us so comfortable and indulging our little treasure.

We took tons of pictures. If you read the Eoff blog a lot of these pictures will look familiar. My apologies :)!

This was in the airport when our flight was delayed about an hour and a half. He took one of his best naps of the weekend in this carrier!

Granny, Brody's great grandmother.

Mamma, Brody's great grandmother.

Pop (Brody's grandfather) holding Sydney & Jane (Brody's twin cousins), Clare (Brody's cousin) in the middle, and LoLo (Brody's grandmother) holding Brody.

Casey (Brody's uncle), holding Jane, Hayley (Brody's aunt) holding Sydney, Nathan holding Clare and Me holding Brody.

Clare giving Brody kisses.

LoLo making Brody laugh!

All the babies on the quilt!

Tummy Time!

Anna (Brody's aunt) and Marcus (Brody's uncle).

Gamma (Brody's great grandmother).

Brody enjoyed meeting everyone at his open house. The last three pictures are from the party. Thanks to Gayle for taking those pictures!

Travelin' Man

Brody has had quite a week! First DD came into town and the two of them had so much fun together. She got to see his big grins in person for the first time.

Then Opa flew into town and Brody, DD, Opa and I went on Brody's first road trip. We went to Grand Haven on Lake Michigan. We stayed in a great condo right on the water...if you look over Opa's shoulder you can almost see it!

The four of us took Brody to the beach for the first time. Unfortunately it was about 40 degrees and VERY windy, so he wasn't really enjoying himself. What you cannot see to the right of us is a group of girls in their prom dresses and heels getting their prom 'do's all messed up in the wind! We wanted to get a picture of Brody with them, but the weather was really not cooperating with any of us.

He had more fun when we got back inside and he could play with his grandparents. I guess we could have done that in Detroit!

The sun will come out

The sun has occasionally been shining here in Michigan, so Brody needed a new hat for all his outdoor adventures.

Enjoying Every Minute

Wake up stretch

Brody has quite a little routine of heavy stretching after a nap. I especially like the little grunts.

My Little Chunk

Our little chunk weighed in at over fourteen pounds this morning and I've just finished putting away his 0-3 month clothes. I cannot believe how much he has changed in just a few short weeks.

Happy Two Months!

Yesterday Brody turned two months old. He went to the doctor and despite getting a heavy round of vaccinations had a good visit and a good day. He is 24" long and 13 pounds, 12 ounces, which puts him in the 95th percentile for both height and weight!

His latest tricks are smiling at that other Brody in the mirror, reaching for toys and sitting in the Bumbo.

Fishy Faces

Brody's new favorite pastime is watching me make fishy faces! It amuses him to no end. I kept trying to snap a picture of him smiling, but it's really hard to take a picture and make a fish face at the same time. Nathan almost caught one here! We'll keep trying.

Momnesia

This weekend I went to the laundry room to start a load of whites, when I noticed the washer was standing wide open, full of water and the load of colors that I had started an hour or so before. On top of the dryer the messy pile of dirty burp cloths and blankets had been neatly folded for some inexplicable reason. I stuck my head out to ask Nathan and my brothers why they would have stopped the washer mid-cycle and neaten up the dirty laundry. Odd stares were the response I was given. Of course they had not gone into the laundry room. I had started the laundry and forgotten to close the lid and decided to fold the dirty pile on top of the dryer for no reason at all. I have no memory whatsoever of these occurrences.

Momnesia.

Andrew and I made a quick trip to the mall on Saturday to buy a shower gift for a friend. I also picked up a cute pair of shoes. On our way out to the car I realized my shoes were no longer in my hands. Where had they gone?

Momnesia.

I have been repeating myself, asking the same questions over and over and generally forgetting absolutely everything for the past few weeks. Good Morning America says there are actually scientific reasons new moms cannot keep it all together and they appropriately titled the ailment "momnesia". Thank goodness I'm not alone.

Now where is the baby?

Some Special Visitors

Two of Brody's Uncles came to visit him this weekend. He is loving every minute with Uncle Andrew and Uncle Austin. He locks in on their faces...or maybe it's all that hair! As you can see, he's waving hello to everyone out there. He welcomes visitors anytime :).

I love this!

Hittin' the Gym

Brody has been hitting the gym this week!

As you can see, he really likes it! He especially enjoys hitting his ladybug friend (good luck, you know) and making faces at that other baby in the mirror.

Dancin' Fool

He Did It!!!

Sunday night Brody slept through the night!!! We are so happy. He went to bed at 10:45 and slept until 7:00. Hopefully we can make it a pattern!

Last night he did wake up once to eat, but I blame Fisher Price, whose swing broke in the middle of his second nap, messing up our delicate routine :(. We have borrowed a swing from a friend until we can figure out what is wrong with ours, so we should have better luck today.

Brody has been such fun the last week or so. He has much more alert time, is smiling more frequently, cooing constantly, and loves to watch any action. I cannot believe how much he develops each day. Right now he is enjoying a book about penguins while I write this quick entry.

Here are a couple of cute pictures that have nothing to do with this post, but I thought you all might enjoy!

Working 9 to 5

Brody joined his Daddy at the office for lunch yesterday. It was one of his first outings. He ate some lunch (milk, of course), dirtied his diaper and fell asleep! Pretty much what he does at home, but Nathan and I loved showing him around the office.




He has been much more interactive that last few days. Lots off cooing and even some smiles! You have to act fast to catch them on film, but here was my best attempt.

Happy birthday Brody

Today's Brody's one month birthday. In honor of this occasion, here are a couple of pics:

He's already reading!


Check the mohawk!

Chillin' with the grandpeeps

Brody's had the pleasure over the last couple of weeks of getting to know his grandparents. First, DD helped Megan and I get our feet under us. Then Opa came in last weekend.



Finally, this weekend he's been hanging with LoLo and Pop.

Healthy checkup

Brody had a healthy week 2 checkup today. He's weighing in at 8 lbs, 10 oz., now back above his birth weight. He's also sleeping like a champ (knock on wood). Last night, he went down at about 11:30 and didn't wake up until 5:45. His mom and dad are thankful.

Here's a couple of shots...the latter being right after chow time. Life is good.

A butt, a tuck, and some smiles

Rockabye baby

Family pics

Brody's YouTube Debut

First day at home

Day 2 - Brody

More pictures of the Brodster

Introducing Brody Reece Jennings

At 7:27 AM EST on February 1st, weighing in at 8.5 lbs and measuring 21 inches long, Brody arrived. Enjoy the pics of our little miracle...

Overdue!

Okay everybody...this is what one week past due looks like.

We just got back from the doctor and I have been scheduled to be induced on Monday, February 4th. We are still hoping that Brody decides to join us on his own terms BEFORE Monday. Everything looks great. The doctors are very surprised that he hasn't already arrived. At least we know we will have a baby very soon!

Expect this blog to get a lot more exciting after Monday!

Come on Brody!

Brody's 37 week Portrait

The Jennings family went to our 37 week appointment yesterday. We started with an ultrasound. Brody is weighing in at a very normal 6 1/2 pounds. His measurements all indicate a January 24th due date. That has been very consistent since our very first appointment at 8 weeks. His heartbeat was good at 139 bpm. We got a few pictures, but in this one you can see him sucking his thumb! Nathan and I have fallen in love with our son and the more we learn about him and get to know him the harder we fall.

Next we saw the doctor and I am progressing right on schedule. Everything measures normally for this stage in my pregnancy. We will keep you posted after the next appointment.

Brody's room - The Video Tour

We got a new video camera yesterday and wanted to show it off. Here's a tour of Brody's new room, video style.

Belly Alert!

It has come to our attention that the "belly shot" is very important to those of you who live far away, so for all of you, here I am today! Only one month to go.

Nursery Update!

Well, the nursery has been an ongoing source of joy/stress for Nathan and I. For those of you who cannot just swing by, here is the latest...

This is Brody's crib and his pal the giraffe. Dale (Clare, Jane & Sydney's grandmother) tells me all giraffes are named Stanley, so meet Stanley!

Here is the changing table and his yet-to-be named Monkey.

Here is the bookshelf. Brody is going to be a reader, like his mom!

Finally, here is the infamous rocking chair. After MONTHS (literally four months) of agony, the rocker is in place and covered in the correct fabric. I am so happy with the way it turned out.

Many of you have had questions about the animals on the walls. The giraffe and monkey are vintage wallpaper that have been laser cut into animal shapes. I love the way grandma's ugly old floral wallpaper makes really cute spots for a modern, hip giraffe! Nathan and I had a "fun" evening with wallpaper glue and a brush getting these critters on the walls. Hopefully one day Brody will appreciate the effort...or at least you guys will like it!

There are just a few finishing touches left...some pictures that need to be framed and hung, etc. and then we will be all finished. Thanks to everyone who gave us advice throughout this process!

Introduction to Brody

Welcome to our blog, focused on the life of Brody Reece Jennings. This is the perfect opportunity for us to keep all of our friends and family afar up-to-date on the latest happenings with Brody.

Megan is now in her 35th week, which means if Brody arrives on time...only five weeks to go. Brody's heartbeat at last check was a healthy 150 beats per minute. Our next appointment is 12/27.

Brody's already got a wardrobe bigger than most thanks to showers in both Michigan and Texas. Some pictures from the Michigan shower are below. Also, don't forget to vote in the poll by New Year's Day.