3 Weeks and Cuter Than Ever!

So here is Brendan at three weeks. He looks so much like James as a baby.....
We got great news this past week! Brendan's blood work for his thyroid came back within normal limits. His T4 and TSH levels were both elevated at birth. It seems now that those levels were just residual levels from my system. I had my follow up at the endocrinologist and should be hearing back on my levels soon too. I have been feeling cold and that is a feeling I have not felt in a long time! Could be due to too high a dose of medicine or simply that I am now not pregnant in this August heat.

Our Sweet Cheeks at Two Weeks

Brendan is the easiest baby so far and just such a joy! We are really enjoying having a tiny baby in the house again and it is amazing how quickly we have fallen back into the routine required to nurture such a little person. I am pretty sure the best feeling in the world is feeling a baby tucked into your arm. I must admit cuddling with Brendan makes me think about having another one some day. But for now, I will just savor these moments with my second born.

We took Brendan for his two week check up and he weighed 9 lbs 8 oz and was 21 inches long. He is nursing exclusively and we were all surprised to hear he had gained 1/2 pound in two weeks. He looks good but we are doing follow up blood work since his thyroid levels were abnormal at birth. Hopefully (fingers crossed!), it was just some residual effects from me and things will be good now. We should have more info in a few days.

While they are fresh on my mind, I must share some of my observations about Brendan so far. He is SUPER cuddly and just molds into your arms for a long snuggle. He has the most beautiful blue eyes right now and at some times is so alert that I get a kick out of his curious and inquiring face. He has long, long fingers and long toes that feel like they are made of jelly! There surely cannot be any bones in those tiny, soft toes. We have taken to calling him Mr. Jelly Toes, along with numerous other silly nicknames. We are big on silly nicknames in our house. At 20 months James has quite a collection of them and I know Brendan will be the same way. He looks very much like James looked at this age, but perhaps has chubbier cheeks and is a little more plump all over. He is a mellow, go with the flow baby (knock wood!). He loves to sleep and has been sleeping in his basinette a few nights with the exception of nursing. I have actually had to wake him up to eat! He is just the perfect addition to our family and I am taking great honor in being his mother.

I have been thinking about it, and a change in our blog name is a coming! Stay tuned....should be happening in the next week!

Baby Brendan Makes his Debut

Brendan Neal Duffy
August 5, 2009
12:48 pm
9 lbs 20.75 inches long

Welcome baby! We love you!!!!

A note to my first born...

Dear James,
So today is your last Friday as an only child. I can't believe you will be becoming a big brother in a few days. Of course, we are so excited to meet the baby, but I have mixed emotions about you losing your spot in the limelight. I feel little pangs of guilt now and then knowing you will have to share the attention. I guess that is normal for moms. I hope you adjust well. I hope you still know that you are my special boy. You are such a sweet little doll of a thing and I could not love you more. Being your momma has been the best experience and it made me want to grow our family!

I wanted you to have a sibling because I feel that it is really important and I think that you and your brother will have a wonderful time growing up. Daddy and I cannot wait to watch you play together and take you on adventures, like vacations and camping. We can't wait to see you riding bikes together and falling asleep next to each other, my two sweet cherub faces turned into each others in the comfort or deep sleep. We can't wait to see you both tearing into Christmas presents and getting all dirty and grass-stained at baseball games. We know you will fight and argue, but we know you will form a strong and unbreakable bond. You will have someone to share childhood with, someone to go through life with. I am hoping and praying that you become best friends over time. I hope you make amazing memories together. I never had a brother or a sister and even though my life has been WONDERFUL, I think that people should have siblings and I wanted that for you more than anything.

Today you are in the best mood and such a little cuddle bug. I feel in my heart that you understand something big is underway. It is as if you know that I am tired and need to rest. You are willing to settle for playtime with me on the couch under the blanket. You are trying to read me books instead of the other way around. Every now and then you lean over an put your head on me, your version of a hug. You keep patting my stomach and calling it "booooon", your word for "balloon". You LOVE balloons and Daddy and I keep telling you that it is not really a balloon, but instead your baby brother. We have tried explaining to you that your baby brother will be coming to live here next week. We have read you a book about becoming a big brother and showed you where the baby will sleep.


I have read many things on how to help an older sibling adjust to a new baby. I have tried to follow the advice so the transition is easier on you. One thing we have done is to get you some new toys, books and videos that you will get whenever I am in the hospital and then bring the new baby home. You will get to play with the new things while I am feeding the baby or when people come over to visit the baby. I know that I will be exhausted and overwhelmed at first, but I PROMISE to take time every single day to make you feel as special and as loved as you are, just me and you.


No matter what, you will always be my baby too. I will always have room in my heart and my lap for my first baby, my special baby, my baby that first made me a mother. And made me love it.

I love you forever.
Momma

This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth......

James LOVES to brush his teeth! The only problem we have is that he is not the most effective brusher and he gets REALLY mad if we try to brush for him. To make up for it, we let him brush his teeth 3 or 4 times a day. Here are a couple of shots of our big boy being independent.