The Ups & Downs of a Longhorn Fan

Daddy & Britton spent Sunday afternoon on the couch watching the Longhorns play Memphis.


Hook 'Em Horns!


Danny instructs Britton on the benefits of the box and 1 defense versus the 2-3 zone.


And ... It's over. Britton was so sad that Texas got beat.

11 Weeks/11 Pounds

Britton's 11th week is significant because we have finally been home with him as long as he was in the hospital. We have had 5 1/2 wonderful weeks at home where we have given him all the loving, kissing & holding we want!

Britton is also tipping the scales at 11 pounds this week. He is now less than a pound shy of doubling his birth weight. Big strides for our (once) little guy!

Homemade

We have gotten so many really special handmade gifts in honor of Britton's birth. I didn't realize how many talented friends and relatives we have out there. Just wanted to share a couple of them...


This fabulous quilt was made by our friend, Marie! It is so special & sweet (the photo really does not do it justice). We have used it a lot for playtime these days.


Look at what a chunk this little guy is becoming?!


My aunt Ali cross-stitched this scene from Guess How Much I Love You for Britton's room. It is way bigger than the picture indicates, and it took a long time to finish. We love it!

Britton's New Ride

Here is Britton on the maiden voyage of the BOB. It got here just in time for our beautiful springtime weather and we are loving taking him out for walks lately. We have a great walking neighborhood with just the perfect amount of hills and flat, and a lake with ducks, swans & a walking track nearby. What's funny about the new stroller is that the sunshade comes over & down so far that Britton can't see out, so he just looks straight up out of the plastic window at the top. It is cute. He is loving the outdoors!

B is for Bevo

Where is Britton?


Wait ...


There he is...

;o)

Britton's First Easter

We had a great first Easter as a family of three! We enjoyed a wonderful Easter lunch with our friends, the Andersons. They were so sweet to invite us over knowing how babies can be so unpredictable. Britton, though, was so well behaved and was the star of the show.  Thankfully, he has been so good when we have taken him out. Then, we spent the afternoon relaxing around the house, taking naps, and watching basketball. Here are some pictures of our day...

Britton after a morning bath in his bunny wrap.

Britton's first Easter basket! He got some toys, a bunny hat, and some cute swimming trunks for our trips to the beach this summer.

Dad & Britton sacked out after a big day.

Happy Easter!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..." 1 Peter 1:3



Happy Easter to you & yours!

First Day of Spring

Today is the official first day of Spring, and we celebrated this beautiful, chilly day by dressing Britton in a cute new sweater outfit. It's the little things, folks, that make our day. Britton's Aunt Lizzie bought this for him as soon as she got the news he was born, and we have just been waiting until he was big enough to wear it. Boy, does he look precious in it! So, pretty much from now on, every cold (or slightly cool) day we have, he'll be wearing it.

We also enjoyed the first day of spring with an evening walk. It was actually Britton's first walk to take while he was awake, and we think he liked it.

So, anyway, here's wishing you a beautiful Spring season! Enjoy the videos...




Enjoying Dad just getting home (No, Dad had not partaken of any adult beverages before this video was shot):


Not digging the hat so much (we're working on getting this video rotated):

First Dinner Party

Well, he is single, so Danny thought he should make his debut at the Fuel's monthly dinner club. And, as you can imagine he rocked the party. It never hurts that Natalie had Journey's Anyway You Want It playing on her stereo (vinyl too!). It reminded me of my college days.


Hannah got to feed him, Goodhew sang a little lullabye and Dad even tried to change a dirty diaper (thankfully, it was a false alarm!) It was a great time had by all, especially since Emily got to relax and stay at home. It was the first of many guys' nights out! And considering there were only 4 other guys and like 20 ladies, Britton was playing the field!

It's Bumbo Time!

Since we got our Bumbo seat back when I was pregnant, I have really been looking forward to the day our little one would use it. It is such a cool little seat. Well, it's finally time! I sat Britton in it yesterday and realized that he is able to sit in it and hold his head perfectly upright. He couldn't do this just 10 days ago. He is getting bigger & stronger every day, and it is so much fun to see him grow & change.

He looks so precious sitting in the Bumbo ... Enjoy the pics.

(Totally Random) Photo Update

Here are some pictures from the last week ...

Britton & his Aunt Liz (Emily's sister) came to visit this weekend! She was looking all tan from her Spring Break cruise. She brought Britton some Sassy Pants (in photo), which we look forward to dressing him in during the long, hot summer!


Feeding time with Dad & Piper. It's pretty much a given that where Danny is, there is Piper also.


We have loved slinging lately! This sling was made especially for us by my talented friend Amanda. When Britton is fussy, I can carry him around in here and he goes right to sleep.


Baby Boys & Baby Daddies. Visiting with friends Lee & new baby boy Weaver.


Britton & Weaver.


Danny & I got out and about ... to a wedding & then out to dinner this weekend while my sister stayed home with Britton.

We had a great lunch today with Emily's friends from work! Britton always does so well when we have taken him out, and he was really loving all the holding he got.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

From our little leprechaun...


Love this sweet pose...

Buds

Britton met sweet baby Miller for the first time the other day. Miller & Britton are just a week apart in age, but there is more than a 6 pound difference in size! Miller is hanging out at the high end of the growth charts and Britton the low. Britton is closing in on that gap though (he finally outgrew his newborn-sized diapers this weekend ... woohoo!). We look forward to lots of play dates down the road with these two boys!

Getting Bigger

To chart Britton's growth, we are taking his picture next to this stuffed lion each month for his first year. Here are pictures from the first two months (at 1 month on the left, in the NICU, & at 2 months on the right) ... it is so much fun to see how much he's grown already! He is more alert and responsive now, and has gained over 2.5 pounds between the two pictures. Can't wait to see what the picture sequence looks like at the end of the year.

As Good As It Gets

Britton had his latest round of doctor's appointments this week, and we have good news to report! We saw the neurologist on Tuesday, and, actually got the best news we could hope to hear. After evaluating Britton, he said that he looks so good clinically that maybe (here's the best part) he was wrong about the last MRI reading. He said there had been a dispute between him and the radiologists over whether a gray area seen on his 3rd MRI was an accurate image of Britton's brain or the result of a technical issue with the way the picture was taken. He said they were probably "more right" than he was. We also found out from our pediatrician that the radiologists who read Britton's 3 MRI results are very "picky" so the fact that they concluded the results each time as normal is a bigger deal than we previously thought. In Tuesday's office visit, Britton's neurologist said from a clinical standpoint that he looks "excellent" & is doing "very, very good" and is on track with other 2 month olds. We are overjoyed! This news is about as good as it gets for a baby with Britton's birth history. The biggest test, of course, will be the test of time -- to see whether Britton hits his developmental milestones. But as of now, there is every indication that he will do just fine. We are beginning to wean him off the phenobarbitol, and we will go back in for one more EEG in 6 weeks.

Britton also had his 2-month check up with our pediatrician yesterday. Here are his latest stats:
weight 9lbs., 11 oz. 25th% (up from 8 lbs., 3 oz. 3 weeks ago)
length 22 inches 20th%
head circumference 13.5 inches 10th%

He is starting to catch up on size ... three weeks ago he was in the 6th percentile or so. He actually gained over an ounce a day for the last three weeks. I can tell now when I hold him that he is becoming a little chunk. I can't wait for him to start fitting into all these cute clothes that many of you have bought him.

Britton also had to get his first round of immunizations yesterday and that was horrible (probably moreso for the mama). Even though he's had tubes running down his nose and throat, lines in his head, feet and belly, and about a million heel sticks, those four shots still rocked our world. He cried all night. Horrible. But he is back to his normal (mostly) content self today. He is a little trooper.

Just wanted to share our good news from this week! We continue to hope for the very best -- that Britton will be as "normal" as can be. We are overwhelmingly grateful for our neurologist's excellent prognosis for baby Britton. He is truly a miracle ... any way you look at it. Every day we hear of more people who have been praying for Britton, and we are so thankful for you, and to God who has and continues to answer your prayers for our son.