tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87267863068483888772024-02-19T10:51:09.580-05:00My Two DadsPatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-34276995132217898012011-02-28T15:24:00.004-05:002011-02-28T15:29:50.768-05:00Let me give this some thought...Brennan has lately really been thinking about his actions and been learning to control his frustration, and it has been fascinating to watch.<div><br /></div><div>This morning, we were ready to go to daycare, and Brennan wanted to take one of his cars with him while he walked down the stairs to the garage. I've been trying to impress on him lately that he shouldn't go up and down stairs carrying things. So I told him that he couldn't bring the car with him. He started to get a little upset. Then we had about a 20 second staring match -- my eyes basically telling him "yes, really, put the car down, and let's go." Finally, without any real fuss, he relented, and walked over to his bag of cars, put the car in the bag, and then walked over to the stairs. It was great not needing to physically remove the car from his hands -- that now he'll just pause and think, and then do what he's told.</div><div><br /></div><div>Same thing when we got to daycare. He was playing with a leapfrog drawing thing in the car on the way over, and when we got there, he wasn't done playing. He wanted to take it in with him. I told him he couldn't. I could tell he was annoyed, but after about a 20 second pause for thought, he said "okayyyy," dropped the leapfrog toy, and reached out for me to pick him up out of the carseat.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hopefully this agreeableness isn't just a fad for Brennan and he sticks to it. I much prefer this approach to the old way -- tantrums, crying, etc.</div>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-87572107012747860922011-02-25T15:58:00.003-05:002011-02-25T16:03:20.947-05:00Brush Teeth<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmpiOutkORcSxhjPrJ8vSAgUO3ZA6smifuoHkL3MUiu0b_cvsMjQwmS0fGhXOda_c0qnbm76NdrEjPpNEUFxW9kYx_nxngKE_3oM68c5fjRu-DZPgLJOj9xyz81Z6vvE1pZqa5DyEua50/s1600/brushteeth.JPG"></a>Brennan loves to brush his teeth. One of the many things he observed us doing for the longest time, so when we started brushing his teeth, he jumped at the opportunity to be able to do another thing that Daddy and Papa do. Other activities falling into this category include washing hands, putting lotion on, putting chapstick on, and others.<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmpiOutkORcSxhjPrJ8vSAgUO3ZA6smifuoHkL3MUiu0b_cvsMjQwmS0fGhXOda_c0qnbm76NdrEjPpNEUFxW9kYx_nxngKE_3oM68c5fjRu-DZPgLJOj9xyz81Z6vvE1pZqa5DyEua50/s400/brushteeth.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577734986935714274" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div>It's now to the point where he doesn't want <i>us </i>to brush his teeth. He wants to do it himself. He's actually pretty good at it so this is mostly okay with us. And when he sees a toothbrush lying around, he wants to brush his teeth regardless of whether they've been recently brushed.</div><div><br /></div><div>He's certainly making Mommaw--his grandmother/former dental assistant--proud. </div>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-40374994072921070292011-01-07T16:45:00.004-05:002011-01-07T16:58:31.438-05:00The Class Clown<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGJj7S18EIotktw8gHml6l1_7k2tYsRS4PO_Q5XoY00HMorSlULmQJyRCbg9zdnuG3urFrOMEzTZ0jI_029GVUG2BQ4eHLjA25WKvvueoDKLoUMIq8JzO6AvHCCOQq9a0W0xEtIAlDzs/s1600/IMG00054-20101230-1951.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGJj7S18EIotktw8gHml6l1_7k2tYsRS4PO_Q5XoY00HMorSlULmQJyRCbg9zdnuG3urFrOMEzTZ0jI_029GVUG2BQ4eHLjA25WKvvueoDKLoUMIq8JzO6AvHCCOQq9a0W0xEtIAlDzs/s400/IMG00054-20101230-1951.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559566625979568898" /></a><br />I've often thought, since Brennan was very young, that he had the potential to be somewhat of a class clown. I've always thought he is very smart and will be successful -- just with how curious he is and how he is determined to figure out how things work. But he also likes to make people laugh, even it if requires being a little naughty. He always has been a performer around crowds. Whenever we take him to a party, he wants to be the center of attention -- dancing, singing, doing whatever he can to get people to watch him. Or when he was younger, he would run all around the waiting area at the airport clapping and saying "yay," getting everyone in the terminal to clap and cheer with him. He would make a great mascot in high school if he's not on the sports team.<div><br /></div><div>At his family daycare, I think we're getting a little preview of what's to come. Apparently, this week, when all the kids go down for a nap, Brennan has started trying to keep them all up and and get them to play. Which is sort of funny, because he loves to sleep, and even nap.<div><br /></div><div>The picture above is a little hard to make out -- crappy Blackberry camera. But it's Brennan trying to make a cat laugh.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-7508554616624439942011-01-04T12:35:00.005-05:002011-01-04T12:44:18.820-05:00Vacation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtKWdC4AXIkvyFGtlmyueoYMSZ6UX4qxioGjHAjyVoiGMKLPdpbrWh3z4Ro_vpLA3zVmdLO62zgKSWL4zSSIO8rbhIXuzpXrXgoG2N_3SczhzG7Fsp2E3B-bi6Q5MbL0jv-hRLtzeFj8/s1600/IMG00051-20101226-0743.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtKWdC4AXIkvyFGtlmyueoYMSZ6UX4qxioGjHAjyVoiGMKLPdpbrWh3z4Ro_vpLA3zVmdLO62zgKSWL4zSSIO8rbhIXuzpXrXgoG2N_3SczhzG7Fsp2E3B-bi6Q5MbL0jv-hRLtzeFj8/s400/IMG00051-20101226-0743.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558386124846998962" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>The above picture pretty much summarizes our whirlwind, 12-day, 3 city vacation for the holidays. Although we got to see a lot of family and friends, and we ate a lot of good food, the vacation was thoroughly exhausting. </div><div><br /></div><div>Brennan slept in a total of seven different places (not including naps in the car, stroller, or planes). Fortunately, he's a pretty flexible kid, so he was able to sleep everywhere we went. But he was definitely getting fed up with the trip near the end. Acting up, throwing a few punches, throwing some food off the table. Now that we're back in town, it's time to eliminate those bad habits. Also fortunately, Brennan dodged the Christmas cold that always circulates around our families, but I didn't, and I'm still suffering from it. </div><div><br /></div><div>This trip included a few "lasts" for us, for at least as long as we have young children:</div><div><br /></div><div>- This was our last multicity trip </div><div>- This was our last trip longer than a week</div><div>- This was our last trip in which we take EIGHT pieces of luggage (including carry-ons). </div><div>- This was our last trip with Brennan as a "lap infant" on the planes. Both because he's turning two and because we wouldn't want to do it again anyway.</div><div>- This was our last trip with Brennan sleeping in a pack-n-play. He just doesn't fit anymore. Time to get him used to the big-boys bed. </div>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-34832721686075733372010-10-21T18:13:00.002-04:002010-10-21T18:17:50.879-04:00Dipping in the KatsupBrennan has become a big fan of dipping things lately. Doesn't matter if it's even something logical to dip. Dip a cookie in some salsa? Yummy. Dip some pumpkin bread in syrup? Why not? Here he is doing some more traditional dipping:<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy3YF7q7yjUcYEKxJd9b4MAOkVc5Iwx2MTcIh2cjHOVzJ03vwFUwjK1FhVpXTJsz5wKF-zvdch5XyPvb02szQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-30715428229494053892010-09-29T21:42:00.003-04:002010-09-29T21:50:30.327-04:00No More Broccoli Until You Eat Your Quesadilla<div style="text-align: left;">Brennan has for the most part not been a picky eater. But he certainly does have some preferences emerging. He's becoming a less of a fan of meat, particularly when its not strongly seasoned. Blackened chicken and the like he'll eat up, but plainer forms of chicken and other meats are not as interesting. He loves vegetables, with lettuce and broccoli being his favorites. Nancy from his family care tells us that when she takes the kids to Bertucci's, Brennan is all about the salad and not as much the pizza. Well at least he's learning to eat healthy. I'm not sure where he gets that from -- not from us certainly.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-xtv85lRu9-Y8C0TDLo2uPnrW2jLF0D09AdYbzOzx-ODLM2zILgBZyQKb-huoGLfs3V3nfBBEeMugHz6MOil5KZIp4oOqPZ9yNaD4Fg82m7hOouZer_fdQ2YrNfXY0MmeN-6QjiFWS8/s400/quesadilla.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522517572183024818" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span> Same sort of thing happened at Chili's a couple of weeks ago. We got him chicken quesadillas (Hmmm... Blogger suggests that when I say "quesadillas" I have simply misspelled "peccadilloes"--sort of the same but not quite). I tried the quesadillas out and can confirm they were yummy and definitely deserving of the party in Brennan's tummy. But we also got a side of steamed broccoli. Brennan wasn't the least bit interested in the yummy cheesy quesadillas; all he wanted was broccoli. Never thought I'd be saying to a nineteen-month old, "no more broccoli until you eat more quesadilla." </div>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-26544890760427204312010-09-28T14:03:00.003-04:002010-09-28T14:05:23.750-04:00Fun at the Mall<div style="text-align: left;">Brennan loves the play areas at the malls. Since it was a little hot out Saturday for taking him to one of his favorite outside parks, we headed over to the Natick Collection for a bit, just so Brennan could run around and have some fun outside of the house. We get there and realize -- no stroller. This is sort of a big mall too. But fortunately, the Natick Collection has something even better. Every mall should have these. Grocery stores too, for that matter. Brennan was thoroughly entertained.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiU-yy_PdsHxupSDlQc8fIKUFsAsJ7OaiEETFNzvcaQQQmy-RNPNBIoRcM3-q89rcOGRbde7vjbkPqd-kD9px3DgmNMzI-p0_Q-0v-Wpzdp2LF0TD7DK1wWGHIv0GC404N96u_KVZmJKU/s1600/taxi.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiU-yy_PdsHxupSDlQc8fIKUFsAsJ7OaiEETFNzvcaQQQmy-RNPNBIoRcM3-q89rcOGRbde7vjbkPqd-kD9px3DgmNMzI-p0_Q-0v-Wpzdp2LF0TD7DK1wWGHIv0GC404N96u_KVZmJKU/s400/taxi.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522027005023392898" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-8003864151351645102010-09-23T15:54:00.002-04:002010-09-23T15:55:43.332-04:00Superhero<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOJgxcs6485jx3kfAOcAqSkYFXj1h2tTg24hQxNndB9V7eK6doBhqIBAuXa7CAsnriu7gElbQnJmxuqVH0-IUUFf2tAr0-SWiFQIm0FyuTRlic8e6uiKe5_S6dSOpKfP9a2_0UQMh9jA/s1600/superhero.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOJgxcs6485jx3kfAOcAqSkYFXj1h2tTg24hQxNndB9V7eK6doBhqIBAuXa7CAsnriu7gElbQnJmxuqVH0-IUUFf2tAr0-SWiFQIm0FyuTRlic8e6uiKe5_S6dSOpKfP9a2_0UQMh9jA/s400/superhero.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520200004842332514" /></a><br />Daddy sent this picture to me without explanation, so the best I can guess, Brennan has decided to be a superhero of some sort today. Or a wizard. I'm not sure.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-84455450647536069162010-09-17T11:56:00.003-04:002010-09-17T12:02:50.287-04:00Brennan & Papa DayOnce a month or so, I try to have a day with just me & Brennan. Not that we don't like Daddy, but it's nice to have some one-on-one bonding time, and Daddy could use the break. Last weekend, we went into the city for the "Ahts" festival (i.e., the Boston Arts Festival). We walked along the harbor for a while. The tide was very high. Brennan was mesmerized by the waves and the boats. The water was really as high as it looks here -- occasionally splashing over the top.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaB9BNpXB0uC5ieAzw339eS0jbJr7hQbjXvFMeLtnl8NwJzlKqeL3jAckL0ofs8uNiOZyOyhL81hXktdBjHtQvt2KBBiYf9OSkLUwdDrbIdOtvFhJMk9e0p7mLOJ92tAsA2v6m_kVKOBw/s1600/IMG00013-20100911-1432.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaB9BNpXB0uC5ieAzw339eS0jbJr7hQbjXvFMeLtnl8NwJzlKqeL3jAckL0ofs8uNiOZyOyhL81hXktdBjHtQvt2KBBiYf9OSkLUwdDrbIdOtvFhJMk9e0p7mLOJ92tAsA2v6m_kVKOBw/s400/IMG00013-20100911-1432.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517912553514014418" border="0" /></a><br />Brennan was also thoroughly entertained by the seal exhibit outside the acquarium. We spent a half hour watching that exhibit, with Brennan yelling "fish" every time a seal passed by, mixed in with some "wows." He was really annoyed when we left. <br /><br />Probably the most amusing thing the whole day was how it ended. We spent a fair amount of time in the playground at Christopher Columbus Park, and I could tell Brennan was getting pretty fatigued. We had been outside for a long time and doing a lot of walking. On our way walking back to the car, we stopped by a ballet performance and decided to sit down and watch for a while. It's hard to see from this picture, but Brennan was thoroughly entertained. He sat there and just watched the dancers dance and listened to the music, clapping along with the audience in between numbers.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nyzVwVJFheR60OoLKD2vFuNjmXnLzdVqZSQJ7Gt6XrGcf04k6VqVWDXoKWkG1Tp7iLfcVjjeZSHLXP1g6_ISeByM0oiNiwI-QhTwt68zL6mzCCw0Ah5vl9vvJEIY5HxelwFM1vI8M0I/s1600/IMG00018-20100911-1601.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nyzVwVJFheR60OoLKD2vFuNjmXnLzdVqZSQJ7Gt6XrGcf04k6VqVWDXoKWkG1Tp7iLfcVjjeZSHLXP1g6_ISeByM0oiNiwI-QhTwt68zL6mzCCw0Ah5vl9vvJEIY5HxelwFM1vI8M0I/s400/IMG00018-20100911-1601.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517912562950556018" border="0" /></a><br />So perhaps we have a ballet fan on our hands? Who knew?Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-27362463851994321792010-09-14T18:44:00.005-04:002010-09-14T18:51:43.746-04:00Our Morning RoutineWe have a pretty set morning routine. Brennan starts making noises around 6 a.m. We ignore him for a while because that's just too early for us. He has gotten in to the habit now of flipping on and off the light switch in his room to further note that he is up. But he remains pretty content for a while -- having deep conversations with Winnie the Pooh and Donald Duck. And if you go in his room right when he starts making noises and ask if he wants to get up, he'll answer "nooooo" in a giggly voice.<div><br /></div><div>Eventually, one of us will get up and bring him down for breakfast. He's overall been a flexible eater from day one, but lately he's gotten a little pickier. He's caught on to the fact that I give him the oatmeal from the variety pack that isn't as tasty (plain oatmeal and "banana" oatmeal that tastes nothing like bananas). Oh well. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then, it's off to snuggle and watch Yo Gabba Gabba. He gets super excited when the show first comes on. Below is a relatively modest version of his daily excitement:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzFV2jueKSy7T1z0Gj3EoHMGwpw5SFK3ApA8QL5UeMl8py-hLZOAWoumO4ZJlSD9u8Vr08Z6siKqtCGPuLE' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><div><br /></div><div>...and then it's off to the rest of our day.</div>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-31689377705690018362010-08-27T13:25:00.007-04:002010-08-27T13:31:13.207-04:00Food and Hair Come TogetherOne of Brennan's favorite things to do when he is having a messy meal: show us where his hair is. "Hair, hair," he says, as he sticks his fingers in his hair, spreading around as much as possible of whatever he's eating like it's shampoo. Yes, Brennan, that is your hair.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFy9Kny0gt8XWcYNPnk2PZJoUuRqVrysBsWdt1W9lz78_D5N1-cT3ZARmfcmKCRyFOtVEP7DSLMp-tv2RrpcBLJ0IUX509eiHS34MJDaTV4ATy0JIbZwYQroqLMiL2N2IhBIDFGJzdr0/s1600/foodandhair.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFy9Kny0gt8XWcYNPnk2PZJoUuRqVrysBsWdt1W9lz78_D5N1-cT3ZARmfcmKCRyFOtVEP7DSLMp-tv2RrpcBLJ0IUX509eiHS34MJDaTV4ATy0JIbZwYQroqLMiL2N2IhBIDFGJzdr0/s400/foodandhair.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510142870348430274" /></a><br /><div>He knows the word "mouth" too, but that would not be nearly as much fun.</div>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-90028355263218986862010-08-26T16:50:00.008-04:002010-08-26T17:18:15.548-04:00Back to Nancy Care<div>Ok, it's been a while, but I'm going to act like it hasn't and just jump right in to things, because I just don't feel like doing an "it's been a while" post in which I would have to summarize the last two months.<br /></div><br /><div>Brennan goes back to family care (day care in someone's house) on Monday, as Carl returns to work part time. We got a little preview on Tuesday of how things might go next week, as we left Brennan at "Nancy Care" for most of the day because Carl had some meetings at work. Even before we woke up, Brennan somehow knew something was going on. Rather than waking up at 7 as is usually the plan, he stared fussing at 5:30. We just don't wake up that early, so we caved and brought him into bed with us for a little bit. Fortunately, we don't do this so often so he's use to it -- he's pretty much incapable of falling asleep in our bed just because he almost never sleeps anywhere but his crib (except for travel).</div><div><br /></div><div>Then, he was pretty fussy throughout the morning. Snuggling with Mickey and watching <a href="http://yogabbagabba.com/">Yo Gabba Gabba</a> helped a little bit, but as you can tell from the picture, he was still a little upset:</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNp6g-AZLFDDXhyphenhyphen1zAlkY5VLvOenNYHuW1PcxI8oGcZZlQvnGs6-7OwVHlxpjbmKIMrxwcOA9RCRN659-ovWoswkSfsR6AnUNySvr5fmZditZ3yj5UJelwkYg2rFcBSokq4TX3EnhkYpc/s1600/withmickey.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNp6g-AZLFDDXhyphenhyphen1zAlkY5VLvOenNYHuW1PcxI8oGcZZlQvnGs6-7OwVHlxpjbmKIMrxwcOA9RCRN659-ovWoswkSfsR6AnUNySvr5fmZditZ3yj5UJelwkYg2rFcBSokq4TX3EnhkYpc/s320/withmickey.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509825191165473890" /></a><br /><div>Then we took him to Nancy Care together, and he was not very happy. He's had two stints in Nancy Care before -- this past spring and the spring before, each about a month -- but since then he has developed some attachment issues. The second we walked in he knew what was going on. He clutched on to me tightly, and when I put him on the floor to walk over to Nancy, the tears started flowing. Trying not to make things worse, we made a quick exit.</div><div><br /></div><div>Turns out that he ended up sleeping for most of the 5 hours he was there. He had been sort of sleep deprived the last few days, having refused to nap, and he had a little fever, we think from teething. Also, it was a dark & rainy day. Poor kid. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hopefully next week he'll get back into the swing of things and be happily playing with all the other kids. He really is a social kid and especially loves hanging around with the older kids. Especially now that he's finally walking, he should be able to keep up with them too. We're keeping our fingers crossed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of Yo Gabba Gabba, it's coming to town in September. We might just have to go. At first I was unsure. As much as Brennan loves Yo Gabba Gabba, he'll only be 19 months old. A little young for his first concert. Then I read that <a href="http://yogabbagabba.com/?setEntryID=201#/biz-beat-2">Biz's Beat of the Day</a> will be included in the show. DJ Lance Rock, Brobee, Foofa, Plex, Muno, Toodee, <u>and</u> Biz Markie all on one stage? That's a hard concern to turn down.</div>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-11224055004200213272010-06-10T21:04:00.005-04:002010-06-10T21:46:54.294-04:00Daddy in NYC<p>Daddy went to NYC this week with Adrienne, so Brennan & Papa had some fun together at home. We went to the playground every day, went on plenty of walks, and had a lot of fun. He always wants to do whatever the big kids are doing. Even playing on the big kid equipment at the playground:</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz8k05q8IxkzTB_MecNPvtI6AGO7WFsBc3iUG78Q0OQtNICTgxI3uyrfPENXWQwsyTQPdfs1smKpB6wgovBJw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></p><p><p>Yes Papa called himself Daddy when he was ready to go down the slide. No wonder Brennan sometimes gets our names mixed up too. Brennan's not quite walking yet without help, but he has fun pushing things around.</p><p></p><p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyssYrfTKsAEK8NfYBigUzQh3iPFC7Xc2bngiodTEPkvIjpdOAzjTeu6JcnFrLllKE2_GDY0l1DDt4FRFx8PA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p>The baby dolls in the stroller escaped with only minor injuries. This was in a great indoor playground we go to on rainy days. After practicing with the stroller, Brennan tried his luck on the "race track" in the indoor playground, pushing around little cars until he was exhausted. Then at home after a refreshing nap, Brennan was ready to go again, pushing a whole train:</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyRRU_7_xCOrDod5bXhIKkxaXQ6sBA_CIYahyRIixKQ3BSwIiXCZgCNfDeHoRIGgR-vXdiYFlJcCvfnp8KD' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxDl7W59WSO4e__M0au4Yn70Y715r275ZxQfB5nefiATmQWovdNSUOA77Zh2m3ADUsy7IKYgoRo9p96VFFJTw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-74897456464187128922010-04-12T11:37:00.003-04:002010-04-12T12:06:55.780-04:00Talking and Almost Walking<p>Brennan has been talking up a storm lately. He says "daddy," "papa," "night-night" (when he's tired), "no" (when you're doing something that annoys him, he <u>will</u> discipline you), "yes," "ducky" (both ducks and dogs both get called "ducky", and of course, "hi," which he says to pretty much everyone who looks at him. He's stood up a couple of times, but hasn't quite made it to walking yet -- he gets where he wants just fine by crawling, so why bother? </p><p>He climbed up the stairs yesterday, which he hadn't done in a while, but we wanted to see daddy (who was upstairs), so he was determined to find him. </p><p>He loves the noisy things attached to the fridge, which we finally took out of the boxes:</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2ExJyeFTRLulz5d2Xrhp0sR9H86myTzfxxqRdgvfC9AeBDjvqe8w7PoFggFVi_TaSjX7lZUCq_0qaZtCyaezAyrTH6V9DR0M1QMvPVnD_U_r_QOE8YS5DAAZtlm1G7QFV0x6_iTCmPw/s1600/IMG00548.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2ExJyeFTRLulz5d2Xrhp0sR9H86myTzfxxqRdgvfC9AeBDjvqe8w7PoFggFVi_TaSjX7lZUCq_0qaZtCyaezAyrTH6V9DR0M1QMvPVnD_U_r_QOE8YS5DAAZtlm1G7QFV0x6_iTCmPw/s320/IMG00548.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459282219420755170" /></a></p><p>The only downside is this is all the way across the room from the other noisy toys, so he can't quite get all the noisy toys making noises all at once, despite his best efforts.<br /></p>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-84159510643886830912010-02-10T15:12:00.004-05:002010-02-10T15:15:05.846-05:001-Year Old<p>Brennan turned 1 on Sunday. He had his one-year checkup this morning. He had some blood taken from his finger (he is braver than me). Here he is with his band-aid on his finger:</p><p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1udtsPhRUqiVe7JoaQTfbYFMwp37woiAJUcWd2sux2QaIu_2cUEY04lz84M1sGR6WL2Q4PThEn3Exn1a1AOphxI-vPHNT7U1XiuABR9A40-8FHyF5K5THzSHiUELGUN_Z_gVY3zJrvY/s320/IMG00467.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436710569558624674" /></p><p>He's a big boy -- 30 1/2 inches, and 22 lbs 8 ounces, but we already knew that. Now he & daddy are staying in for the big snow storm (aka flurries and drizzle so far), while papa's at work, hoping he can get home this evening!<br /></p><p><br /></p>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-25651923014811768222010-02-01T10:33:00.004-05:002010-02-01T10:42:29.715-05:00Hockey Day in Canada; Papa & Brennan DaySaturday was a fun day for two reasons. First, it was Hockey Day in Canada. We're not Canadian, but we still celebrate this holiday. What better way to start off HDIC then watching last night's Sabres game on DVR with Papa?<p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEO2MZDg3WYXcsh1ru0UlDab2P7aGxgsNTRNZb-_VZkfZ2fSYlM71BZU_aznWHG4_PgZORojDyvjVzY4VdNYeIPf3A_FqeCMV2Bvwo8dZuhbC6H9DPyCZESUbOsZV-Lr4njsW48JIW30/s320/IMG00049-20100130-0732.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433299091540220546" /></p><p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOURNIYXStBkUdAJ9iOM1BX5-F-slw1cp5Pef5qRzk29VJPxA5ou7XcSrQ6tJ6tJ4r1i_wTaDVtXbeuS-XSQO482fyRzTn0G3E9juQsibpAr6UkoIQslIjx-NC8MVmPS41I891DyixOP0/s320/IMG00051-20100130-0733.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433299084746864626" /><br /></p><p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXG_SUYs0zA1ijIWQpwBn6gtACXRuNE_d0n2ufOYPUd8PYIvtGpifb37C9Pp56eXo-00cQ_LEqKJmDdu6ti0PrMMwev0jGsoXcdVdwDBbLqVfW9uUfzJP9stKGxLN8nOYUSAZWk5V3sQ0/s320/IMG00065-20100130-0752.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433299083027708290" /></p><p>Then, while Daddy was away for the afternoon, Brennan & I got a whole afternoon to hang out. We went to an indoor playground, where Brennan crawled from toy to toy to toy for an hour and a half straight, making some new friends along the way. Here's Brennan playing in the ball pit:</p><p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymEJycfM6wnXYfbcX9aYjFeL2Xu4z0f2IyAMvgyTFhyfHvmh_0KaLIDEE_Fc5i72p_Gb5JiZ7K-nSWCpsSDL3fVdo18iSUDgx5FlKe2kfovflY39AAJqanZMuC6u2g9DdNfXGTxBaWmg/s320/IMG00070-20100130-1505.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433299076623584338" /></p><p>After all this fun, Brennan was thoroughly exhausted, and needed a nap. He stayed in this position for a full hour and a half, not moving an inch:</p><p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJ2HFyG8kb7ggX1JibfHShi-KwYhSlKcbirmEFMbGjSAzwjFcfv5ZTD3m3AXfSspj-yXNvaiLjwiv6rarkldhQrbVT7-IY46eG2leHOPGH7AqKIIj19HkPJMi80yjFODN6b83RF-0hhw/s320/IMG00071-20100130-1727.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433299072505855378" /></p><p>He was sleeping so hard I actually had to wake him up. It was 5:30 pm and he needed to eat dinner and get a bath. But to round out the fun day, we went to Burger King for dinner. Here's Brennan trying to win the "see how much hamburger I can stuff in my mouth" contest:<br /></p><p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26ViNDE5I2tdF9T1o51jBsv0wsRHDcXUV4o3jvUR4I-sIepKkbtyED_XuTnXkxzAgQeiAUtdBuAMtJqhXi4HhPne_DEpzhBpr6j-lQfCfVJPi5pBXIRVp3fOrF9vJ-G5BDx9I42-ZKgc/s320/IMG00073-20100130-1829.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433300404575602722" /></p><p><br /></p>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-31650804948384624922010-01-29T15:37:00.004-05:002010-02-01T11:18:47.997-05:00Good sleeper, or...?Here's Brennan from yesterday -- hanging out with Daddy on the third floor. <p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi323MOxPhtARLmpDuLGrPxnqj_OUAJcaeiXsyOMuH5gD-LOr2E_iBWTm8pK6m13weAsr7j4oaCSFSuQWU0NWG2J_C-A-OpnyKVhtb2qbuqMN1jNoMz7hHbb6MLmbBhp-P2JzCPb_4xyyw/s320/IMG00455.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432264484989907586" /></p><p>Nice and innocent, right? Well, he's decided lately that he wants to be a little devil in the middle of the night. For the longest time, we had it pretty easy. Brennan was sleeping through the night at around 4 months old (really through the whole night, not 11pm to 5am, but 7pm to 7am). He stayed pretty consistent until just about a month ago, when he decided he wanted to start waking up a 2 or 3am for a late night snack. It's partly out fault for facilitating it, but when you're in a daze at 3am, it's much easier to give him a bottle and put him back down then it is to outlast his fussing and begging for "Daddy."<br /></p><p>A couple nights ago, Daddy had had enough. He had given Brennan a bottle around 2, and Brennan woke back up at 5:30, which in our house, still counts as the middle of the night and is too early to wake up. So I went in there and snuggled with him on his chair, and we both fell asleep there until 7:30. Very enjoyable for one morning, but nothing I want to make a habit of.</p><p>Then came last night. Usually, even when Brennan has been getting up at 2 or 3 am, he has a bottle, goes right back down, and sleeps until 6:30 or 7. Last night, after having a bottle at 2, Brennan woke up again at 3, very unhappy, and inconsolable. So I sat there with him while he more or less tantrumed for 15 minutes in my arms, then eventually, he stopped, instead deciding it was playtime. He started giggling and grabbing my nose and hair. Not amused or in the mood to play, I put him back down, and fortunately, he did not protest, instead falling back asleep til 7.</p><p>Overall, these haven't been awful nights -- last night, when I was probably awake for 20 minutes with him, was among the worst. But after we get past his birthday, we're definitely going to make an effort to stop this midnight snack and/or play habit. Wish us luck!</p><p><br /></p>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-30024633912609980752010-01-25T15:36:00.002-05:002010-01-25T15:39:47.537-05:00Weathering the storm...<p>While Papa is at work, Daddy and Brennan are staying inside today because it's stormy out (just rain -- no snow, fortunately). Here's Brennan, lounging around and snacking on a bottle before his nap:</p><p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJwv-yCeuMQ46M4WlTHJA6o8q4cLsF0j4dPr5iABQLaXbib518rGHPuQA-JAeibBDLAV3NgOeluwBPOE3Xq8wjo98HaKKh-IrTZN6BC39JCtFZepOsS59R3tY9EB1jMAymncnWesojGU/s320/IMG00450.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430779347355442146" /><br /></p><p>With his first birthday approaching, Brennan is on his last week or so of bottles. He's actually been becoming less interested in the bottles and much more interested in whatever we're eating, so we think it will be an easy transition off the formula. And he's gotten a lot better at his sippy cup too, so we don't think he'll miss the bottle itself either. </p><p><br /></p>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-8421064602202751682010-01-21T12:55:00.004-05:002010-01-21T14:09:10.262-05:00What's been going on the last few months...<p>Well, there's plenty that has gone on. I'll just have to address the last few months' events one at a time. First, Brennan likes happy meals!</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCro2PT_5-g5Xp1ucwHuH3HkrglGY5n43yz6-brE33zvBZXPg7Pjk6X-DCjlBjiSiI298-d02bBHFsnzBwm7-P3slwMOcNNsY7-fss_3kiQcHXKam2V3Ygq4dPzh2Mkj06HMMWdYl41rM/s1600-h/New+Image.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCro2PT_5-g5Xp1ucwHuH3HkrglGY5n43yz6-brE33zvBZXPg7Pjk6X-DCjlBjiSiI298-d02bBHFsnzBwm7-P3slwMOcNNsY7-fss_3kiQcHXKam2V3Ygq4dPzh2Mkj06HMMWdYl41rM/s320/New+Image.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429253499395174898" /></a></p><p>Update: I'm told that Brennan finished his hamburger (this picture was taken today), and then he was pretty mad when it was all gone, so he demanded another one. Our son loves to eat!<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-5689661058223047842009-11-10T16:01:00.003-05:002009-11-10T16:08:34.547-05:00CrawlingA few weeks ago, Brennan began crawling. Brennan's a motivated kid -- just put one of his favorite toys a little out of his reach, and he'll crawl to get it. And by "favorite toys," we're not talking about a teething toy, or a device with buttons that play songs when you push them. We're talking about things like junk mail, the TV remote, and my blackberry. Below are a couple videos from a few weeks ago of Brennan going after my blackberry.<br /><br />For, the first one, it was about naptime, and Brennan wasn't too thrilled about me making him crawl to get my blackberry:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyEzqBm_-bpgnkJv_UyUYT4CzIkj0sPk-UCHV2Ps49cFozRwuYZqANd9eHd9360ulWNStO_VieVIt_eeOw0_A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />He was a little happier for video #2.<br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwPTKbuZp_iAQFQ1dMVfDq5r_Wm2XeObVx2tXcjvSnzr0zjQrOqlL79uycOeXJlEFWXURAW8CFS6-yT8WHAnQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-33839011732151489442009-09-24T10:14:00.002-04:002009-09-24T10:20:31.944-04:00"Papa"<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzR4yrWyu1hU90MQx3ew5YDv3_mvqnQb0TElaoyPd_Z9_9N_8Jvl0K69IxwQTFyIleFE_hgjZuoyQa1FGnOCA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxB4vnwFXiF1-wwlEqHnTNc6cHs2zAtB-6SX00mA3JiQWbZIHuOHxihoBqHljJxOISyRbzhBjWlgUYeU5QKEA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-77841300955260948912009-09-19T11:26:00.001-04:002009-09-19T11:27:40.592-04:00Bring your Brennan to work dayIt's bring your Brennan to work day! Aka Saturday. Brennan doing some snuggling in my office:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6irt_EM97Kfpeh9d8mPPwCMaXPD1E668lF2PGtdqwsoAgzdHCxFt1GpuCw7f1NEgoPlLFUnoJrP4R1DEkWyh3y23mQGZnECTTsN4fImFTosrWeOnV8vqMlyLr6Q8MW92koFfyihwhfk/s1600-h/IMG00014-20090919-1124.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6irt_EM97Kfpeh9d8mPPwCMaXPD1E668lF2PGtdqwsoAgzdHCxFt1GpuCw7f1NEgoPlLFUnoJrP4R1DEkWyh3y23mQGZnECTTsN4fImFTosrWeOnV8vqMlyLr6Q8MW92koFfyihwhfk/s320/IMG00014-20090919-1124.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383200534245814530" border="0" /></a>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-14928800373587870702009-09-15T11:54:00.004-04:002009-09-15T12:04:50.340-04:00SnugglingThis morning, I had a nice moment with Brennan. Usually, our agreement is that if Brennan wakes up after 6am, I will get up with him, feed him, and play with him for a while before I get ready for work. If he wakes up before 6am, Daddy gets up and feeds him, and then puts him back down to bed. I had to get to work early this morning, so when Brennan woke up at 5:15, I decided to give him his "night" feeding because I figured I might have to leave before he wakes up again. The fun part was when Brennan was done with his bottle, he just turned around and snuggled into my chest. Somewhat selfishly, I let him snuggle for about 10 minutes before putting him back down in his crib. This was special because Brennan is going through a not-so-snuggly phase. As he's been getting so strong with his arms, whenever you try to snuggle him chest-to-chest, he will do a pushup away from you, sometimes with just one arm, so he can keep looking around the room, rather than being smothered in your chest. Nothing personal against us, it's just that he wants to be able to look around and observe. Because of this, I haven't had a good snuggle session with him in a while, so this morning was nice, even though brief.<br /><br />Brennan is doing all kinds of fun new stuff lately. As always, we have a large backlog of stories and pictures. He's becoming very vocal and using a variety of sounds. He might be catching on to saying "baba" when he sees or wants a bottle. Daddy has been calling bottles "babas" for a while now to see if Brennan catches on. Brennan now seems to sometimes say baba when he might be hungry (although not consistently enough to confirm that this isn't just coincidence). Yesterday, he was rolling around the floor and started smiling and saying "baba." Daddy figured he was just babbling, but then Daddy noticed that under the couch, in Brennan's view from the floor, was a bottle. So maybe he's catching on.<br /><br />Speaking of bottles, Brennan now holds his bottle, which is great:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rEEJCTFXwhWQE-_3sjjOMkZyMzZqvrkGlMwRml6VDHzopzbJuIcgbQ8H-Qm4WO0zOVK65iOfM2FVk0sg0Vid_2SzO22h8SOcBBo2dnD7Cpv4v6WE61nHY5Flas_S9JA9A9-sSKKCQdw/s1600-h/IMG00224.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rEEJCTFXwhWQE-_3sjjOMkZyMzZqvrkGlMwRml6VDHzopzbJuIcgbQ8H-Qm4WO0zOVK65iOfM2FVk0sg0Vid_2SzO22h8SOcBBo2dnD7Cpv4v6WE61nHY5Flas_S9JA9A9-sSKKCQdw/s320/IMG00224.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381724982953931698" border="0" /></a>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-58611181617986249312009-08-17T21:08:00.003-04:002009-08-17T21:09:52.629-04:00Six Months Old!Brennan turned 6 months old a couple of Fridays ago. You know what that means -- formal pictures in preppy clothes!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3tFwKBnoIcrnoqdFNL6DXXRzlQLUDsLD30lllhUfGDhULMTJSSfgYJVlMiowBeEw-m1uhu7PJDVpYYYMpnIh18jHZuDdA3w2aYTB70MdwUUzrbYA-C9DR1Gg0Jju1B6y0YbwIcgEetY/s1600-h/sitting.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3tFwKBnoIcrnoqdFNL6DXXRzlQLUDsLD30lllhUfGDhULMTJSSfgYJVlMiowBeEw-m1uhu7PJDVpYYYMpnIh18jHZuDdA3w2aYTB70MdwUUzrbYA-C9DR1Gg0Jju1B6y0YbwIcgEetY/s320/sitting.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371104672959762930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNDV65q83f5ywI-nInI_i2FXnlna998uJcZE9ZNvM_qXaJvCpS3fa1I82vCpa6yGoAVxl8hzT_VPYHaecuCF-jSGFPmPdspU2yS2GtO_nHrxrd2cc322lKWFkyVSU7o8BNktAUmmTk7Y/s1600-h/sitting2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNDV65q83f5ywI-nInI_i2FXnlna998uJcZE9ZNvM_qXaJvCpS3fa1I82vCpa6yGoAVxl8hzT_VPYHaecuCF-jSGFPmPdspU2yS2GtO_nHrxrd2cc322lKWFkyVSU7o8BNktAUmmTk7Y/s320/sitting2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371104672124188850" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22ZKUZHakPi2Jq1822z1ksquhwFayV5lzv7kzOo2hwK30HQbpTPnHCnK3DzENmJvrlRsMhkizZ1z20OG_zOg_zsvW0RswTUEL1j4DXqFyhoODiN6jFQdulknsWuoxNywu-wTDDvg5Rto/s1600-h/feet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22ZKUZHakPi2Jq1822z1ksquhwFayV5lzv7kzOo2hwK30HQbpTPnHCnK3DzENmJvrlRsMhkizZ1z20OG_zOg_zsvW0RswTUEL1j4DXqFyhoODiN6jFQdulknsWuoxNywu-wTDDvg5Rto/s320/feet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371104655315863010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAnDIWSKTP2Zx1uG5gqcfy_h8DcG-pEGYiBsRpcdxzR4J23byrDoJA4Di6ST19QjnZLV5eEWj0WJ7LhZttxq9vO7YEUkf3E7mhyzPHvo9xcQiY0GgBK-M-sv9Pfw3Ze6XgJt8A1SVgT5Y/s1600-h/family.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAnDIWSKTP2Zx1uG5gqcfy_h8DcG-pEGYiBsRpcdxzR4J23byrDoJA4Di6ST19QjnZLV5eEWj0WJ7LhZttxq9vO7YEUkf3E7mhyzPHvo9xcQiY0GgBK-M-sv9Pfw3Ze6XgJt8A1SVgT5Y/s320/family.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371104647067886498" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbi3H4nvcN-cWHFJe99-qBPoyxEY_BhIvQzS5lSR68GQ1ex2EuSZSdJp7Oa4GbzsgF7aaQ5YTLJ0Z0ns-SDQcua70IRKGqfUJZ7Ch3PNkM57sITseQ1GiwrL7qZRC_AjwhILDAVBR_nhE/s1600-h/face.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbi3H4nvcN-cWHFJe99-qBPoyxEY_BhIvQzS5lSR68GQ1ex2EuSZSdJp7Oa4GbzsgF7aaQ5YTLJ0Z0ns-SDQcua70IRKGqfUJZ7Ch3PNkM57sITseQ1GiwrL7qZRC_AjwhILDAVBR_nhE/s320/face.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371104644551366002" border="0" /></a><br />There's plenty more to update on. Hopefully I'll get around to it!Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726786306848388877.post-8952130722116939182009-07-27T21:42:00.005-04:002009-07-27T21:53:16.049-04:00Garden in the Woods & Hanging out on the BalconyA couple weekends ago, Brennan, Adrienne, and Papa went to the <a href="http://www.newfs.org/">Garden in the Woods</a> in Framingham. We saw some beautiful plants and had an extremely peaceful stroll in the woods. Brennan <span style="font-style: italic;">loves</span> trees, so this was right up his alley.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YzARMOYRgaVRo7nB-iDuAr-89lJ2t_n3NRuAc5Dw2j-m4JJK2D9F3rkt-BFFkgfu7zQBjfmjwGfLNHP1js7SWo5MFBIVW5sqlGbWeFZi-WNqWW8JomOsklI7T5arfkFDRMGgJc9avGo/s1600-h/SDC10117.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YzARMOYRgaVRo7nB-iDuAr-89lJ2t_n3NRuAc5Dw2j-m4JJK2D9F3rkt-BFFkgfu7zQBjfmjwGfLNHP1js7SWo5MFBIVW5sqlGbWeFZi-WNqWW8JomOsklI7T5arfkFDRMGgJc9avGo/s320/SDC10117.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363322490162414434" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb08j0_AOjsMGYtz0X3O7-P1_pLYNudxydgBHk4yLt8ZsYN0pkXMO5BeoxkX5T4JwbL6jsYIY46WeVzFtgKv0Sp9bZYImrqCuMW24k7fBCcKUHxZ2BK6mzYlEuFfl9puRAUa69Z-lUZqI/s1600-h/SDC10120.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb08j0_AOjsMGYtz0X3O7-P1_pLYNudxydgBHk4yLt8ZsYN0pkXMO5BeoxkX5T4JwbL6jsYIY46WeVzFtgKv0Sp9bZYImrqCuMW24k7fBCcKUHxZ2BK6mzYlEuFfl9puRAUa69Z-lUZqI/s320/SDC10120.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363322084702348034" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWniTseAkPZWV9H8Fsch0NP__sCRFkVJiNOnjhtOq2G9lwscC13tQurtNlqcSrO8dgbYm_FHrQFwLilj0qKY-1cCk0rhPO6sys4vffPHyPlxNQmGQtZLVyFwqGLE3FCuRpWRtuHnZdBv4/s1600-h/SDC10121.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWniTseAkPZWV9H8Fsch0NP__sCRFkVJiNOnjhtOq2G9lwscC13tQurtNlqcSrO8dgbYm_FHrQFwLilj0qKY-1cCk0rhPO6sys4vffPHyPlxNQmGQtZLVyFwqGLE3FCuRpWRtuHnZdBv4/s320/SDC10121.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363322081249372978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHUbllGB6qO-r1niz8SDVUBULu5oIAXZxMQE4jtL-U1QVh4l6RVQYXeYyD0qfc3C2sBQEMBBkDOxcV4aWVl5sd2Z7gOAXNZaLjIbEQvqofTs8TjwGRKnkijsOl6345Rtyi9d39mLCjc8/s1600-h/SDC10123.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHUbllGB6qO-r1niz8SDVUBULu5oIAXZxMQE4jtL-U1QVh4l6RVQYXeYyD0qfc3C2sBQEMBBkDOxcV4aWVl5sd2Z7gOAXNZaLjIbEQvqofTs8TjwGRKnkijsOl6345Rtyi9d39mLCjc8/s320/SDC10123.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363322077423869986" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnH9qfTqMvix_M8YG8MKFNYTcHR3ohV7UHqXLKvruH4p3iIovzOM8Ks6NGad54fD6PGBq1E7xqdmaCmAwz7F02FUrrIJp_ow0qgEjLnJRw4Shm2H9xMpbzMwMT6F7dCnINQYQcJPKTw4/s1600-h/SDC10125.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnH9qfTqMvix_M8YG8MKFNYTcHR3ohV7UHqXLKvruH4p3iIovzOM8Ks6NGad54fD6PGBq1E7xqdmaCmAwz7F02FUrrIJp_ow0qgEjLnJRw4Shm2H9xMpbzMwMT6F7dCnINQYQcJPKTw4/s320/SDC10125.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363322073792044802" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5mBXp04a1sKIb8SXeGa3k9tlIbs8tFrkJWeoX3dsyYnY2blCVwlo6CQUaVbX-5TkgtaLY0YN56C4SN2nG1VuBjsOBe4SQYTZqBKHVH8DjQ1OB_HhHGBqq2WKKU_Yjo1sGJ-SS4b2BBJk/s1600-h/SDC10127.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5mBXp04a1sKIb8SXeGa3k9tlIbs8tFrkJWeoX3dsyYnY2blCVwlo6CQUaVbX-5TkgtaLY0YN56C4SN2nG1VuBjsOBe4SQYTZqBKHVH8DjQ1OB_HhHGBqq2WKKU_Yjo1sGJ-SS4b2BBJk/s320/SDC10127.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363322065290043010" border="0" /></a><br />After the gardens, we kept enjoying to beautiful day. We all met up with Daddy back at home to hang out some on the balcony.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EIFIE8xvJRpdefYDLrh2lpG5D5B-Jw53drAqY_7JY4ozctuHZmop6ya-iS5jtDeLOfbG_W2H3jU2SlHXT_JHB_7ahlOYkPuRrtOenqic0XkWUhIypyEnljIfdL4jQn2rTZjqQf-QH_k/s1600-h/SDC10142.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EIFIE8xvJRpdefYDLrh2lpG5D5B-Jw53drAqY_7JY4ozctuHZmop6ya-iS5jtDeLOfbG_W2H3jU2SlHXT_JHB_7ahlOYkPuRrtOenqic0XkWUhIypyEnljIfdL4jQn2rTZjqQf-QH_k/s320/SDC10142.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363322485173680290" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SmuATs8oxzmpLZK2Wwu3xp98V1TOQUtxaournJKgRG-Pg1qtuulhXAYcGdWM2L57tSkdKFToF6fPwygY2cpuc752bOIJif-Z7ufjeJVgG2P8leQrr7fSfJk1Kus2j2rmgfs6LGWGsMI/s1600-h/SDC10149.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SmuATs8oxzmpLZK2Wwu3xp98V1TOQUtxaournJKgRG-Pg1qtuulhXAYcGdWM2L57tSkdKFToF6fPwygY2cpuc752bOIJif-Z7ufjeJVgG2P8leQrr7fSfJk1Kus2j2rmgfs6LGWGsMI/s320/SDC10149.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363322483427398514" border="0" /></a>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881635948206890925noreply@blogger.com2