Today is my grandparent’s anniversary. (My mom’s parents.) And Monday is my grandma’s birthday.
I want to wish these two very special people a happy happy anniversary and a very happy birthday to my grandma. I love you both dearly and I miss you so much. As soon as Aubri can travel, I promise that I will be on your doorstep with two short nuggets looking for hugs and Vernors.
For those that do not know my grandparents, let me paint you a picture of these beautiful people that I adore.
My favorite childhood memories include these two.
I remember sitting in their La Jolla beachfront condo in their over-sized brown leather chair, spinning around in circles in front of the windows overlooking the rocky coastline. I remember walking down to the beach to jump on the seaweed as my grandpa held his breath with every hop, worried that I would slip. I remember their love for butter pecan ice cream and the white bowls with blue edging that they would serve to me, ice cream heaping over the sides. I remember the jicama that they would cut into sticks and put in dixie cups for me and Matt to munch on in the living room as we sat on their white looped carpet. I remember my grandpa building Lego towers on that same carpet and the laugh I would get out of destroying them right before his very eyes. I remember covering my grandpa’s head with barrettes and bows and how he wore them with pride. I remember how my grandpa could never complete a Christmas dressed as Santa without spilling at least a dozen curse words. I remember (and still enjoy) the way my grandma calls out his name with vigor, “Bob!” I love my grandma’s big smile and how her glasses frame her gentle eyes. I love the way my grandpa watches my grandma’s every move with sweet, gentle love. And how my grandma watches with quiet wonder at the family that she has built. I love the way they love me and my little girls. I love them so much it hurts.
This Christmas, my grandparents gave Taylor and Aubri a gift that I will cherish forever. Here is the video of Taylor opening the present.
Taylor may not fully understand its extreme preciousness just yet but I am certain that our entire family will cherish this book always. Almost every night since Christmas, I have heard my grandparent’s voices echoing down my halls. What a great reminder of an amazing love.
I love you two.
Hilly
Given the 2% chance that we’d get an inch of snow today, all schools within a 100 mile radius shut down, as well as the area’s biggest corporations, our airport and government offices.
Hey, it’s the coast. That’s how we roll.
When I woke up this morning after two beautiful hours of sleep (thank you, newborn), I had a toddler turbo-fueled by grape juice for breakfast (thank you, daddy). Add to that, I had three projects on deadline and not a bit of quiet time (thank you, canceled school) or brain power (thank you, no sleep) to get them done.
But at least somebody had fun.
And, just for the record, I was successful in completing one of my three projects. Thanks only to toffee coffee and a carton of milk duds. Only took drastic measures like that lovely diet, six hours of sporadic brain barfing, industrial strength earplugs and a brief stay in a padded room.
Snow snow go away, come again on a Tuesday or Thursday.
Thank you,
a Monday/Wednesday/Friday working momma
When we came home with Aubri, we expected our fill of sleepless nights. Frequent feedings, fussiness, diaper changes and all that comes along with having a newborn. Sleep deprived, we are. But not for the reasons we predicted.
For the most part, Aubri is an excellent sleeper. She currently eats about every four hours which means, if I time it right, I only have to wake once to feed her. That’s awesome, considering most newborns wake every two hours.
Taylor has always been an excellent sleeper. Since she was nine weeks old, the girl has slept through the night without ever waking up. But, since Aubri came home, that pattern has changed. She’s up several times each night with a new-found fear of the dark. We’ve heard from many other families that behavior changes like this are common when baby #2 comes home. Friends have said, and we believe, that she’s likely dealing with anxiety surrounding all that we have been through over the past ten weeks. And she is coping by wanting to be near her mommy and daddy.
After a few nights of threatening her to stay in bed, praying with her about ridding her mind of bad thoughts, and implementing all sorts of strategies for her to feel safe in her own bed; we finally decided that it would be best that we allow her to stay with us if she is scared. Last night was our first night of approving her request to snuggle at midnight. She tossed and turned and told Daddy to stop snoring all night long. She kept me company when I woke to feed Aubri. For me, I enjoyed it. I took the advice of friends and chose to savor the moment. Realizing that she won’t want to sleep in our bed forever, that these fears won’t last a lifetime. So, for now, we will welcome the tot that comes running into our room crying with her pink zebra pillow under her arm and her messy blonde ponytail bouncing in the wind at 1am. After all, she won’t stay short and sweet forever. And, I do love having a second set of arms and legs available to nudge Daddy when his snores reach earth-shattering levels.
Aside from the addition of Taylor’s little voice in our bedroom at night, we have another new noise in the air as well.
See below for a sample.
Yes, we have a family of loudmouths. Or, should we say “young performers.”
You’ve heard what the Brady vocals sound like at 7 weeks old. And, now, here’s what they sound like at almost 4-years old.
Sweet little silly girls, aren’t they?
We love them too.
Picture day for Tay.
Aubri Lee at 7 weeks.
As previously explained, life is different now that we are home with Aubri. We, obviously, have all that comes along with a new baby — midnight feedings, diaper duty, lots of laundry, and the like. But with a preemie at home comes a lot of new things: phone calls from specialists, follow-up appointments with doctors, lots of conversations with the insurance company and lots of bills to pay, the task of keeping a house germ-free, and the worry of “is my baby thriving?”. (The answer to that question, so far, is “yes” — as of yesterday’s “weigh-in” at the doctor, we have ourselves a 5 pound, 4 ounce baby!)
Aside from getting mini munchkin to eat more frequently than every 8 hours, my biggest challenge is getting everything done without exposing Aubri to the outside world. The doctors want her quarantined until she reaches at least 40 weeks adjusted age (i.e. her due date, October 25). They also want her out of public places until RSV season passes. That means no stopping by the drug store, no running into the grocery, and no bringing her into preschool when dropping off or picking up Taylor. It means I have to put a lot more thought into the logistics of accomplishing my daily duties. We’ve done well so far, though, with a lot of help from friends and a little bit of brainpower.
While there are so many new twists and turns in our world, at the same time, it’s business as usual.
Business as usual when it comes to Daddy and his quality time. He will always adore spending time with his girls, whether it’s playing princess with Taylor or catnapping with Aubri.
Business as usual with the weather. When living in coastal Carolina, we will always be blessed with hurricanes and tropical storms. This week, we were hammered by a large tropical storm that dumped a record amount of rainfall on our area (the most since Hurricane Floyd). This was the sight in our neighborhood this week. (Pictures courtesy of North Brunswick Magazine.)
Business as usual with silly big sister Taylor. (Outfit courtesy of Aunt Landon and Aunt Rhiannon.)
In an effort to keep Taylor entertained and not completely annoyed with our constant “please use your inside voice,” “please don’t use your Barbies as drumsticks,” and “please stop doing headstands on the coffee table,” the family of one of Taylor’s good friends offered to take her out for a day on the town. Taylor was picked up by Tyler (you may recognize him from the birthday video — he is Taylor’s favorite buddy) and the two of them headed to UNC-W for an exhibit about whales put on by the Marine Science Department. (Pictures courtesy of Tyler’s daddy.)
This was Taylor’s face when she saw the giant whale.
So, she hung out with Tyler’s dad outside while Tyler and his mom enjoyed the exhibit.
After the field trip to the science exhibit, Tyler’s parents brought the kids to get frozen yogurt and then to the park. I hear they had a blast, and we were blessed with a quiet afternoon and a deep-sleeping toddler that evening.
As hectic and life-changing as the past few weeks have been, I never for one second wish any of it away. It’s a good crazy. A blissful overwhelmed. Taylor is a handful right now, yes, but I’ll take every tantrum, every sugar circle, and every meltdown in exchange for the sweetness of new sisterhood. She is stepping into a new role and her response to the job, while sometimes wacky, is the most beautiful thing in the world. The sisterly love she has for Aubri satisfies my soul in ways that words cannot explain.
Maybe a video can do it justice.
Full of kisses, hugs, sweetness and silliness. Now, that is pure and perfect love.
Tomorrow marks one week since we’ve been home with Aubri. Finally. All Bradys under one roof!
Here’s how it all went down, and a short novel (sorry) about how life has been during our first week as a family of four.
As I mentioned in my last NICU post, the doctors announced to us that we’d be released on the following Wednesday (September 22). Well, that Friday, they surprised us with “we’re thinking Monday now.” I called Jimmy at work and delivered the early-release news. He quickly got off the phone to vomit. We scurried around and did all that we could to be ready for her arrival home.
We spent our Saturday celebrating Tay’s birthday, and, on Sunday, we went to see Aubri at the hospital only to get some disheartening news. She had lost a significant amount of weight the night before, and they would not be able to release her under those circumstances. I was bummed, but we both understood that she couldn’t go home until she was gaining weight and the doctor’s were comfortable. I asked the doctor, “so, there’s NO WAY she’ll come home tomorrow (Monday) now, right?” The doctor replied, “no, not unless she absolutely blows my socks off with an huge weight gain. It won’t happen. She’ll come home on Tuesday.” She scribbled out “Monday discharge” on her chart and wrote “Tuesday discharge” in its place. In pen.
So we hung our heads and headed home. We asked our friends and family to pray that Aubri gains weight so she can, indeed, come home on her new date … Tuesday. And that her weight loss wasn’t indicative of something serious.
On Monday morning I walked into Aubri’s NICU room and called her nurse. She came in and said “Aubri gained THREE OUNCES last night. That’s incredible. She’s going home today.” I responded with a loud, “SHUT UP” and a huge smile. Talk about answered prayers! I quickly called Jimmy to induce another vomit session.
We both ran around like happy chickens with their heads cut off; he wrapped up loose ends at the office and I met the steam cleaning man, picked up clothes for Aubri to wear home, and attempted to wrap my mind around what was happening. Definitely threw my controlling/agenda-requiring mind for a loop.
Jimmy and I met at home and headed to pick up Taylor from school to surprise her with a trip to the hospital. Not only was she going to meet her baby sister for the first time, but she was also going to learn that she was coming home.
I have to admit that I had been dreaming about this moment for years. Typically, when I dream about something that long, I develop this fantasy-like scenario in my head. Like when we told Taylor that Aubri had been born, I imagined that Taylor would jump up and down and hug us and yell “I want to see her! I love her already!” Instead, Taylor immediately bawled when we told her Aubri was born. All she heard come out of our mouth was “we named her Aubri.” Taylor was mad because she wanted to name her “Butterfly.” SO, as you can see, my imagined/desired responses are not typically what I get.
So, we arrived at the hospital and I headed in to get Aubri. Jimmy and Taylor waited in the lobby and Taylor was told that I was “picking something up.” And then I rounded the corner with the nurse, who had Aubri in her hands. This was Taylor’s reaction.
YES! That’s exactly the reaction I dreamed of. The rest was a little more realistic than what followed in my fantasy scenario. Taylor was excited, but reserved. Here’s the introduction on tape, plus some footage of our car ride home.
Before we headed home, we were able to capture a few moments in the lobby, courtesy of my good friend Katie Mathews.
And then life began. A family of four all under one roof. A long-desired dream come true. An answered prayer, to put it mildly.
The past week has been a learning experience for sure. Aubri went home on an apnea monitor — a big box that is attached via a long wire to her chest that counts her heartbeat and breaths per minute. The monitor will alarm if her heart rate drops too low or hits too high, or if she stops breathing for more than 20 seconds. The alarm, which we have been blessed to experience twice so far (not for medical reasons … instead for “operator error” (read: Mommy doesn’t know how to connect it correctly)) is LOUD. Loud like a smoke alarm on crack. Thank goodness we haven’t had any true medical “events” so far. We are grateful to have the peace of mind the machine offers, but it definitely stinks to have her still connected to wires. No quick baby pick-ups or easy snuggles. There’s always a machine to carry when moving more than three feet, and wires to be conscious of when walking or just hugging. Because Lord knows you don’t want to pull a wire loose … or you get the dreaded, eardrum bleeding “beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!”
Having a preemie at home is much different that having a “term baby.” Aside from the monitor, we have the fear of “overstimulation.” For the first few days, we were extremely fearful that even the tiniest sound would overwhelm Aubri. The nurses warned us that, for tiny babies, one loud voice could send their heart rate souring to dangerous levels. With a toddler and two horse-sized dogs in our home, loud noises are a constant. And that scared the snot out of us. As Aubri has shown that these loud noises don’t affect her as we thought they would, we have relaxed a bit. She is still sensitive and will startle every now and then when a door shuts or a toddler yells, but she’s much more tolerant than we anticipated. She’s a trooper. But we all knew that already.
Preemies sleep. A. lot. Thank you, Jesus. For the first several days, she would sleep for six hours, eat, and fall right back to sleep. She was awake for maybe 1 minute at a time, just five or six times a day. That meant we were only waking to feed her once or twice a night. What a blessing! As days have passed, she has shown that this six hour eating schedule will not be the norm. Some nights, we’ve been up several times to feed her. And others, like last night, only once. She has also showed us that, as days go by, she is capable of staying awake for longer periods of time. We get to see her big bright eyes for about ten minutes at a time, several times a day. She’s starting to “track” and really focus on/analyze the things around her. Making eye contact with her and watching her focus on my face, followed by furrowed/intrigued eyebrows, is one of my favorite things in the world. It’s right up there with her squirrel noises.
Another difference with preemies is their lack of “voice.” Their little lungs aren’t big enough to project as loud as most newborns. Instead of cries, we get squeaks. We’ve heard the most hilarious sounds come out of her adorable little lips. I just love it.
An obvious characteristic of preemies is their tiny size. We have very few preemie clothes because they are so hard to find. We have bought out all preemie clothes that we can find but, still, we run out very quickly. (I forgot how many loads of laundry tiny babies require). So, in a state of desperation when all of our preemie clothes were dirty, we had to dress Aubri in a 0-3 month sleeper. This night, we called her “Beetlejuice.”
Does she not look just like Beetlejuice when his head shrunk?
Whether it’s her hilarious chipmunky voice, her powerful toots and tiny tooshy, or her incredibly skinny yet adorable chicken legs, there are so many things about Aubri that I will want to remember forever. But, witnessing the love that Taylor has for her little sister is likely the most heartwarming thing in this whole experience.
She jumps at the opportunity to help (which we try to offer at every possible occasion) and she is already protective of her. She’s shields Aubri’s eyes from the camera flash when I take a picture (which is sweet, but places a big white hand right in the middle of my picture), and constantly tells us to “shhhhh” if we talk too loud. (When she’s too loud and we tell her to hush … well, that’s another story). And, of course, she wants to hold her as much as possible.
When she’s not begging to hold Aubri, she’s playing “Mommy” to her babydoll.
We’ve only had a few instances of sibling rivalry so far, and definitely our fair share of balancing time between the girls. Some moments are absolutely a struggle with Taylor — teaching her how to be gentle, keeping her behavior in check, and constantly requesting that she stop acting like a human wrecking ball. But, all things that, according to friends, are typical and will pass in time. I do, however, try to look past the sometimes-stressful behavior changes and appreciate all that we have been blessed. Because it is significant.
An adorable miracle baby. A beautiful and intelligent 4-year old. A marriage that has been through so much, and has become so strong because of it. And an unwavering relationship with God. All components of a strong, happy family that feels more complete than ever.
Thank you, Poppy, for what you taught us and where you brought us. Thank you, God, for this blessed life.
Welcome Aubri. We love you.
Taylor does not officially turn four until November 6 but, with the impending “release” of her little sister, it was in everyone’s best interest to thrown her party early. So, on Saturday, September 18, Taylor had a party fit for a princess.
Enjoy the video!
Just one day after Aubri’s one-month birthday, the doctors announced that all medications have been weaned and all tubes will stay out unless Aubri tells us that she needs otherwise. If Aubri sustains and/or improves over the next week, we will be going home! This was yesterday, so the countdown is on. SIX days left! I’m overwhelmed with excitement, fear, anxiety, gratitude, sadness to leave the nurses that have become our family, and happiness to start our life as a family of four. A dizzying combination. I still can’t believe that, after seven weeks in the hospital (two in Labor and Delivery, five in NICU), we might be going HOME! I was really getting comfy here. Well, kind of.
It’s been a little over a week since I last posted. Things have been getting more complex, busy, and slightly overwhelming. I keep hearing in my head, “my plate-eth runneth over-eth.” That’s the saying, right?
I think I’m running on fumes of pure adrenaline. Can you tell?
Ahem.
So, Taylor’s birthday planning is in full effect. Her party is scheduled for Saturday. Trying to plan a 4-year old’s birthday party in one week is extremely difficult. Add to that, me — a person that always tries to be creative and cheap (read: frugal). THIS is not the time for THAT, Hilary. I am trying to do too much that involves my brain, my hands, and my time. But, it’s getting done. And I hope with all of my heart that it turns out as cute as I imagine in my mind — and not a mess of silly ideas smooshed into one wanna-be princess party. Either way, the 4-year olds won’t care as long as there is cake and friends. Or so Jimmy says. I think I have those two things covered. I think.
We have the party, we have me working several hours a day from the hospital room/lobby and Jimmy working 50 hours a week, we have both of us attempting to be good parents to our toddler, we have calls to insurance and doctors that need to be returned, and we have, of course, the news that the tiniest new addition to our family will soon be residing under our very own roof. I can do this I can do this I can do this.
Now, let me get to the good stuff. Pictures and a new video of our sweet Aubri (who is tooting in her crib as I type this — even her gassy sounds are sweet).
Many think that we are on the brink of losing our minds. But, no worries. Amidst all the craziness, we still laugh. For example, at Daddy, as he shopped for party goods.
Taylor still acts silly. Like at the Fire Station as we were getting Aubri’s car seat installed.
What else gets us through this overwhelming time? Obviously, prayer. God. Eachother. Our friends’ love and our friends’ prayers. Our family feeding us and taking care of our bigger baby, Tay. Tackles and hugs from Tay as we walk in the door after a day at the hospital. Milkshakes and frostys after our bedtime routine with Aubri. And, of course, the sweet sweet cheeks and smiles we see from Aubri Lee.
And then there’s these looks that just make you laugh no matter how much anxiety weighs on your shoulders. Seriously. This girl sounds like a chipmunk and acts like a nut. I. Love. Her.
I just love this girl. Silly, sweet, and ohhhh-so-kissable. What an amazing gift from God.
And here is the promised video. More moments of snores, squeaks, silly expressions and lots of smiles. I think this is the happiest baby I have ever seen. Judging by the amount of smiles she hands out on a daily basis, you would never know she’s “sick.”
What a smile. What a story.
Yesterday, Aubri was interviewed by the local news for a piece on March of Dimes. The footage aired on the Friday 6pm and 11pm news as well as today’s morning news. I’m hoping to get a copy of the tape but, in the meantime, you can see a sweet picture of her on the news story webpage.
Because she has already been photographed and featured on television, we thought it would be appropriate to do some video training to prepare her for future notoriety. And so I brought my video camera to the hospital last night to capture some of her daily actions, and reactions to the world around her.
I am totally aware that only a select few will be entertained throughout the entire three minutes of baby watching. But so many people have spent hours on their knees for our little munchkin, so I want to share the beauty of answered prayer with sweet Aubri Lee “smiles, squeaks and sleepiness.”
Enjoy!
The entire Brady family just returned to their respective homes after seven full days of family vacation — a staycation for us, but still a great getaway from the daily grind and overwhelming to-do lists. All eight adults and five children bunked together in an oceanfront condo at nearby Carolina Beach for an entire week, while consuming mass quantities of biscuits, ice cream sundaes, silly memories and sunshine. I now have a vast collection of fun family memories, a deep tan, and a larger rear end.
It’s the longest vacation that I can remember, but it felt so short. It’s the most laughs, the most cackling children, the latest bedtimes, the best food, the most time spent at the beach, and the most memories I’ve made (and pounds I’ve gained) in so little time.
Here’s a two-minute glance at the type of activity that was experienced non-stop for seven days:
And here’s a photo journal that shows the other activities that we enjoyed, aside from the daily cousin-on-cousin tackles and pillow fights.
Taylor braved the big water for the first time since our traumatic experience last year of being caught in a riptide and pummeled by waves. Her cousins gave her courage that her momma couldn’t offer. Just look at that confident strut.
Well, most of the time.
There was sunbathing.
Body surfing.
Wave jumping.
Body boarding with cousin Michael.
Boogie board riding with cousin Charlie.
Kayaking with cousin Gus.
Playing with bait. (You can’t see Mommy squirming in her seat. That is squid! ICK.)
Fishing with Daddy.
Wading with cousin Michael.
Being buried by cousin Charlie.
Face painting on the boardwalk. See sad kitty…
And content kitty.
Lots of eating out.
Lots of sunrise snuggle time with MeMaw.
Lots of Taylor’s typical silly faces.
All activities that resulted in lots of passed-out turtle sightings.
And, the adults had fun too. The handsome husband, for example…
Body boarded his pregnant body down the coast, making waves for many.
The happy, round couple.
And the happy, clothed family.
The MeMaw and the PaPaw and the crew of cousins.
We all had a blast and are looking forward to making more memories next year, with another cousin on hand!
Between a full-day pool playdate on Friday, a pool party on Saturday, and six hours of mommy/daddy/T time at the pool today, Taylor is finally making leaps and bounds (or should I say bubbles) in the swimming department. It’s as if she’s been logging all of the swimming advice I have been chanting in her ears over the past year, and finally realizing that it’s worth something. (I’m sure this isn’t the last time I’ll experience daughter denial of mommy brilliance).
She has recently started getting comfortable with putting her face under water (the hardest part to teach a toddler). And, since she realized it’s not so bad, she’s just taken off. She’s even opening her eyes under water (another huge milestone for a 3-year old), and told me that she can see the baby (my belly) while she swims. I swear today might have been my proudest mommy moment to date.
Here’s a little video — 6 hours of swimming condensed into 2 minutes. I am not joking when I say that, except for a few popsicle refuels, we did this same activity for the entire day. At her request, not mine (for once).
Enjoy!
Peanut and Poppy 
