Happy Party Day for the Bear...

I went to see the movie Twilight, Breaking Dawn, last year the Saturday before Bradley was born and remember thinking that a year sure was a long time to wait to see the second part of the movie...Well, as I sat in the theater yesterday watching the second part I thought...man, this year really has flown by. I cannot believe my Bradley bear will be one in a few days. He is walking, drinking milk and does everything he can to keep up with his brother. He will pretty much eat anything and has gotten better about taking naps... although, I cannot guarantee how long they will be.  He loves dancing to music and he will hum along with you when you sing to him while rocking him to sleep. When he started taking his first steps we took him to get shoes...he fit in an extra wide shoe. He can wear anything from an 18 month to a 2t depending on the brand. We catch him watching TV and he tries to repeat words. He is in cahoots with the dog because he sneaks food to her over the side of the high chair. He is a paci baby and he smiles with his entire body (just like his brother did, the smiling, not the paci).

We celebrated his first year on Saturday with family in AL. Here are a few party pics...

I made this cake from scratch.  I love Caramel cake so I kinda made this one for myself...Bradley got his own little birthday cake...

Muffins instead of cupcakes...

The only family shot...

Bradley got his very own cake.  He really wasn't sure what to do with it.  It took him a while but he finally figured it out...

Thank you all for celebrating Bradley with us!

Dentist

Bryant went to the dentist today for his first cleaning.  I wasn't allowed to go back with him, so I can't really tell a good story.  Maybe Bryant will remember it, one day.  He went right into the room with one of the assistants.  He was back there 5 minutes and they gave me an update that he was getting his teeth brushed and playing with the other kids.  I didn't know what that meant until I went back there after they were all done.  It's basically a big playroom with dental chairs in the middle. I guess that's a pretty cool approach...

I was able to meet the dentist and see Bryant's x-rays.  He has two cavities.  One is small, but still needs a filling the other is pretty large and needs a root canal and cap.  Poor B!  Teeth cleaning is a challenge and it is going to be even more of a challenging with out my brib...a sucker, go figure.  His appointment to get all fixed up is Tuesday.  

3

Halloween isn't just for ghosts, goblins and all things spooky...my baby boy turned 3.  The birthday/halloween fun started early this year with our neighborhood fall festival on Saturday, 10/28...Food, Fun and Fellowship.  The kids got to wear their costumes and Bryant jumped in the bouncy castle...

Fire Captain, Bryant

 Firedog, Dalmation, aka Doc, Bradley

Complete with the Red Wagon, Fire Engine

Bradley and Madison...

Bryant enjoying the bouncy castle...

Bryant and his buddy, Katie...

 

Sunday morning brought the best surprise of all, the Gaga!!! We got home from eating lunch out and Gaga was at the house.  Bryant was so excited!!! and Bradley too. 

The only picture I snagged...Snuggle time with Bradley bear...

Mom and Bryant doing a Halloween craft on Tuesday...

Bryant opened presents before school on Wednesday and he got to play with his new kitchen from Gaga and Pap-pap...

Me and my baby boy on his Happy Birthday...

 Mom and I went to Bryant's school on Wednesday and had cupcakes.  We also decided it would be fun to take Bryant's favorite book and read it to the class.  I asked Bryant who he wanted to read the story and he said, "Gaga", so she gladly did...

Gaga reading Ferdinand the Bull...

Bryant shoving his cupcake in his mouth...

His teachers could not get over how much he came out of his shell while we were there.  He was so proud to have his Gaga there and also to have his favorite story read.  He even sang "happy birthday" while we all sang to him.  It was so awesome.  He has never done that before.  I cried, of course.

More kitchen time on Wednesday before we headed out trick or treating....Bryant saying, "It's almost ready..."

Halloween night we went over to our friends house, the Belcher's.  They were generous and hosted us and others for a night of Halloween fun.  The kids had a blast...complete with a bouncy castle, cupcakes and a hayride...

 Bryant and his buddy, Annaleigh (aka Oo-Ee 'cause that is how Bryant will pronounce her name...don't worry he is improving)



Bryant actually went trick or treating this year.  He did so well and had a really good time.



Happy Halloween!!!

It was still kinda early when we got home.  We knew we would have some trick-or-treating kids ring the door bell, so Bryant got to open his last couple of presents before bedtime and watch Ferdinand the Bull...

A spectacular birthday for a spectacular boy!!!

Bryant's Mickey Mouse Happy Birthday Party was on Saturday.  Here are a few pictures of the party...

 

 

Thank you to everyone who came out to show B some Happy Birthday love.  Especially all of you from AL.  We are so blessed!  Thank goodness Alabama pulled out a win last night.  Otherwise the day would have been a bust...just kidding. 

IEP

We attended Bryant's IEP meeting today at a near by elementary school.  It went very well.  The kids behaved despite Bradley having an ear infection and Bryant having been at school.  I picked B up from school early and the meeting was at 12:30.  As thought, Bryant will receive speech therapy through Cobb County.  He will attend a small group speech therapy class at Tritt Elementary School one time per week for 1 hour.   We did not inform the school of his PDD diagnosis as we felt that it wouldn't hold any merit.  They strictly look at the scores from the testing they perform as well as parent interviews.  While he did score a low average his scores were in an acceptable range for his age which disqualified him from receiving additional special needs services.  Based on their evaluation his sensory issues and other behaviors should not impede on his ability to learn and thrive in a preschool environment.  Next steps will be to enroll him at Tritt Elem. then determine what day and time he will go there.  His teacher should be contacting us next week.  We will also need to decide on which private speech therapist to continue with.  He can continue receiving speech privately with his existing BCW therapist, just not under the BCW umbrella, or we can have him see Melanie at BB where he receives OT.   Decisions, decisions...we might have to change his wee school schedule to two days/wk vs. three to accommodate therapy...especially if his OT needs to move to Wednesday.  I may have forgotten to mention that his OT therapist needs to change her schedule.  So many moving parts.  Bryant is too young to have such a complicated social calendar. 

October

We are half way through October which means a very special boy of mine is having a birthday very soon.  I cannot believe how fast time is going by. 

I love this picture.  He was sitting in his chair working his puzzle and we were talking about his birthday.  He turns around and if you notice he is kind of counting with his fingers.  We were naming all of the people coming to his birthday party.  He was so cute.  I think he understands a little bit.  They have celebrated a couple of his school friends birthdays so he knows "happy birthday".  My brother also celebrated a birthday so we talked about that a lot.  Plus, his birthday party decorations have the dining room pretty messy right now so he knows that it is his "happy birthday party" and "happy birthday suckers".  Poor buddy is being so understanding about having suckers in plain sight and understanding those are for his birthday and he cannot have them until his birthday. 



Other than party planning, not much else is going on these days.  The boys and I have been sick with colds/sinus yuck, again.  Not fun.  Moms don't get sick days.  Nick has managed to stay well, but he is predicting that he will be sick by tomorrow.  We will see...

Nick's dad drove over for a visit.  The boys enjoyed playing with Awgie...

I found this picture and had to share.  We switched Bryant's crib to a bed last month because he started trying to climb out.  It really wasn't a difficult transition, but we would find him in this position, a lot...

Sometimes he would even be in floor.  I would look at the monitor and he wouldn't be in his bed, so I'd go in the room, and he would be in the floor, asleep.  I started watching him more on the monitor...he would get up and get a book and bring it to his bed and look at it and just fall asleep.  So cute.  I snagged this picture when I went in there to put him back in the bed.  Dixie has to be a part of everything...