Attack of the Bray-My!!!

Lillith Pie sat down by her baby brother for a little love. What started as some nice petting quickly turned into a vicious attack! He just can't resist those ears!!!!

Breakfast of Champions

It's been a while since I posted a food pic, and in case you haven't noticed, I love the food pics!! This one was waiting on the camera for me (thanks DH!), and it looks like Bray-My had some freeze dried strawberries for breakfast this morning. He absolutely loves finger foods, but as you can see, his aim is a litle off sometimes!!

Brayden Boy is the Proud Owner

Of a brand new tooth!!!! "We have a tooth, we have a tooth!" I shouted from the backseat this evening on the way to eat dinner. I knew it was on the way -- actually, there are several teeth that Bray has been working on for a while now. I checked earlier today and there was nothing. But now there is a tooth on the top right & I'm expecting the top left to be through by morning, too. Don't expect any tooth pics for a while though, Brayden does NOT want us looking in there :)

Over Due Update

Sorry that I've neglected the blog for a while and deprived you all of new pics of Bray-My. Here he is with a new walker -- he has a love/hate relationship with this thing. Sometimes he will walk behind it slowly, and other times he goes into frantic cry mode when it moves. Either way, Brayden Boy looks really cute in his Hawaiian shirt :)

Yesterday Bray started speech therapy and tomorrow he will start physical therapy. The speech therapy went very well yesterday, and the ST even gave us a sign language DVD to use b/c I told her that I wanted to teach Bray some signs. I've been using the sign for "eat" when I say the word for a while now, and sometimes I do Mother and Father. He hasn't tried to copy anything yet, but he definitely knows the word and sign for eat -- his raises his eyebrows to answer "Yes, yes, yes!!" The sign language has nothing to do with his hearing or speech, I just want to use it b/c I think that it will be helpful. I've read good things about the program "Signing Times" and now that is shown on KET, so DH & Bray are going to start watching it (if they remember and if they're awake!). PT is during the day, and I hope that I can make it most weeks. I would like to watch what the therapist does and ask questions myself, but DH has promised to tell me everything if I miss a session.

I know you're looking at the pic above and wondering why he's in PT, but he's been standing for months now. . . it's some of the "simple" stuff that he skipped and can't do that we need to work on so that he develops all the necessary skills - rolling in all directions, crawling, transitioning from one position to another, etc. I have no doubt that Brayden Mynor will master all of these things in no time :) He's an incredibly strong little guy and very, very smart, he has just faced some serious life issues that got him off track in some areas. . . hey, you deal with a complex heart defect, e-coli infection, language change, international relocation, and culture shock and you might not be too concerned about rolling to your right side or twisting your trunk either!!!

Happy 4th of July!!

Here's Brayden Boy celebrating his Amercian Citizenship on Independence Day 2006.

Watching the parade . . .

Posing with his cousins . . .

Swimming in his red, white, & blue trunks . . .

Fun in the Sun

Since I've been neglecting the blog all week -- here are some super cute pics of Brayden in the pool. I love the one of him with Jordan and Tia because it captures Jor's personality so well -- that girl is always having the time of her life no matter where she is!!!

Sophia -- Upcoming Surgery

Please pray for Sophia, who is an amazing little girl scheduled for open heart surgery on the 5th. Sophia has ToF, like Brayden, but her condition includes pulmonary atresia while Bray has pulmonary stenosis. This is not little Sophia's first surgery, and it will not be her last. Michael's blog about Sophia (link at the right) is one of the first that I found detailing the daily life of a ToFer and her parents, and it has been a great source of information and inspiration to me.

Los Tiempos Buenos con Amigos Guatemalteco

Yesterday we had brunch with some families from our adoption agency and with 2 ladies who worked very hard to get our Brayden Boy home -- Cinthya (our attorney) and Ana Maria (who is what I think most people call the facilitator - all I know is that she works with Cinthya and that she took very good care of us while we were in Guatemala). We were so happy for Brayden to get to spend some time with some other beautiful Guatemalan faces :) Here is a pic of Bray with Cinthya. It's not a very good pic, but I guess I was too excited to focus on the pic. We really feel like Cinthya went out of her way to get Brayden home as quickly as possible, and we are forever grateful!! Ana Maria is in the background. The only other pics I have of her have other kids in them, and I don't want to post those w/o the parents' permission. Anyway, we LOVE these girls and what they do for children and families :)

Also, Bray-My *finally* got to meet one of his best buds, Kaleb. Kaleb is 6 days older than Bray, and his parents got his referral on the same day as us. His Mom and I e-mailed a lot during the process, and most days we just tried to keep each other from going insane :) It was so helpful to have a friend who understood what you were going through. Kaleb is such a cutie (obviously, just look at the pics!), and he had a MAJOR personality. Smiley, happy, and fun :) Doesn't Brayden look like a total beefcake next to him???

Where did they want us to look?

Hey, Chubbs -- you gotta little something on your shirt.

Ha, ha! Made you look!!

Proud Mommas!!!

Look Who's at the Zoo!

No, that's not Panama Jack, it's our Brayden Boy! Maybe today wasn't the best day to go to the zoo -- it was HOT! Bray still had a good time though :)

Can anyone believe that Brayden Mynor is 10 months old?!?! Here's a super cute pic of Bray in his muscle shirt yesterday. I've said it before, I'll say it again -- Model!!!

Happy Father's Day!!

Happy Father's Day :) In short, I love my Dad (who is also a very sweet Papaw to Brayden), and I love my husband, who is a new Dad (and a really great one at that). Here are a couple of pics of Bray-My with his Daddy:

Relaxing in their matching shirts

Laughing this morning

DH asked a little earlier if I had posted to the blog today -- instantly thoughts ran through my head -- was he expecting the same emotional turmoil as Mother's Day, was he expecting me to write about my thoughts of Brayden's birth father or foster Dad, was he expecting me to be sappy and depressed?
"Not yet", I said.
"Hehe, I want you to post about the sunburn," DH laughed. OK, so he's not as emotionally disturbed as I am. . . or maybe he is. I'll post about the sunburn separately.

The Sunburn (posted for DH's enjoyment)

So here's the embarassment of the sunburn -- First of all, believe me when I say that I (usually) do not burn or tan in the sun -- no burn, no tan, just pasty white. So when I went out on Saturday to spend a few hours at the pool, I didn't think anything about it. I was all concerned about the nieces and about Brayden being slathered in sunscreen, but not about myself. A couple of hours into the day, my sister and mother told me that I was going to get burnt and that I should put on sunscreen. I just rolled my eyes at them and said, "I don't burn."

Boy, do I burn!!! My shoulders and chest are "lobsterized" (a term that was born in Hawaii when DH sizzled himself after we both feel asleep by the pool, even then I didn't get burnt so what's going on now!!) It is very embarassing and extremely painful. I guess I am a good example for the children about why they need to get sunscreened all summer!!

On a good note, Bray loved the pool! He splished & splashed and kicked his cute little legs :) The water was a little cold, but he didn't mind. I was thrilled to see that he did not change colors AT ALL in the water or when he got out. This kid is amazing!! This is the best pic that we got. Brayden didn't like the bright sunshine, so he was looking down the whole time. . . He didn't spend much time outside due to his general intolerance for heat and sunshine, but he still had fun while he was out there!!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Here's a pic of Brayden chillin' with his cousins, Andrew & Chris, at the ballpark this weekend. Bray loves going to baseball games when it is sunny, but not too hot, and Andrew gives his fans lots to cheer about!!

Comb-body Comparison

OK, I promised this a while back -- The Comb-body Comparison ("The Comb comparison" if you're not a Woolum). The pics at the top were taken 11/28/05 and the ones below are from today. . . 6.5 months can make a lot of difference!! I took the original pics during our visit trip b/c I was afraid that no one would understand JUST how TINY he was. Remember, Bray was 3 months old, not a newborn!! The comb was the best measure reference that I could find in our hotel room :)

Party Animal!

Well, it's another Friday night & Bray Boy is having a party. It's 10:30 now, a full 2.5 hours past his bedtime -- is he snoozing in his crib? Oh, no, he's down here laughing at Lillith and bouncing in his exersaucer. I know, I know, I shouldn't let him play, but we tried to put him down to sleep for an hour, and then we just caved in. Last Friday night, we stayed in the nursery until after midnight before he ever decided to go to bed. I just wasn't willing to stay in there that long tonight. Please ignore (like you can now that I've pointed it out) all of the stuff in the floor beside the basket -- I'll post about that later.

Brayden went to the dr for his shots this morning. He weighs 18 lbs now!! Yes, that's over a pound gained in less than 3 weeks! Michael said that he hardly cried with the shots, and he is obviously not bothered by it now. The ear infection was all cleared up, so we should be able to schedule the hearing test again.

If you're happy and you know it . . .

CLAP YOUR HANDS!! He did it, he did it :) Brayden can clap his hands -- Yeah Baby!!

Play and Rest, Play and Rest

Brayden has a new game -- he actually lets you lay him on his tummy for this one! He raises up (play) for about 2 seconds, then he lays down (rest) for about 2 seconds, and then he repeats, repeats, repeats. It's almost like he's doing push-ups!! Maybe he's in training . . . I tried to get a few pics of the sequence, but it's hard to capture this quick moving little guy ;)












This outfit is so cute on Bray My, and I think it's one of my all time favorites. Of course, I couldn't get a good pic, but in real life these shorts are quite spiffy!

Bray My and Lilly Pie

I've really been slacking on the blog this week, but I've been in a bad mood, so you guys wouldn't want to read that stuff anyway. Brayden is still having fun playing with Lillith - laughing at her when she barks (which is pretty often), petting her, and trying to pull her ears (or eat them). Li-Li is still being the sweet little doggie that she has always been, and most nights she ends up in Brayden's room curled up in his chair or in the glider. She's either missing him or just keeping an eye on him to make sure that he's not getting too much attention -- actually, I think it's a little of both.

Bray had his evaluation through the 0-3 program today -- just as I thought, he qualifies for "further testing" for speech and motor skills.

Ah - those velvety ears!! I just don't understand why Mom won't let me chew on them . . . she lets me chew the other toys.

Hey! I thought she was MY dog!!!

My Favorite Breakdown Lyrics

He's My Son - (Mark Schultz)

I'm down on my knees again tonight
I'm hoping this prayer will turn out right
See there is a boy that needs Your help
I've done all that I can do myself
His mother is tired
I'm sure You can understand
Each night as he sleeps
She goes in to hold his hand
And she tries not to cry
As the tears fill her eyes

Can You hear me?
Am I getting through tonight?
Can You see him?
Can You make him feel all right?
If You can hear me
Let me take his place somehow
See, he's not just anyone
He's my son

Sometimes late at night I watch him sleep
I dream of the boy he'd like to be
I try to be strong and see him through
But God who he needs right now is You
Let him grow old
Live life without this fear
What would I be
Living without him here
He's so tired and he's scared
Let him know that You're there

Can You hear me?
Can You see him?
Please don't leave him
He's my son

Appt Update

Well, I'm not going to go into much detail here -- I'm still steaming over this, so I don't want to get carried away with my venting. Basically, we didn't find out anything at our appt. The dr wasn't in, so we saw the nurse pract., and all she told us was to come back in 3 months. I don't feel like Brayden was evaluated very well, and I don't think our questions were answered. Anyway, here is a pic of him getting the EKG. Sats were 88 today.

PC Appt Tomorrow

Brayden has an appt with his pediatric cardiologist tomorrow. I am so, so anxious to get to that appt and find out what the dr thinks. I'm not sure if I want her to tell us that we can wait or if I want to her say that it's time to schedule the surgery -- both options are scary to me. I want the "wait" opinion b/c I am scared of the surgery and at times I just don't know how I'll make it through it without going crazy. I want the "schedule" opinion b/c I want Brayden to be relieved of any distress that he is in, and I want him to have lots of energy, and I want him to roll over, reach, crawl, and just do the things that kids do. I want the blue hands to go away forever! I want a lot of things, but I totally accept that this is out of my control. I know that I need to let this go, to give it to God, and to stop worrying about it. I know that, but I don't know how to DO that right now. Well, at least it's only one more day until we find out what the dr thinks. . .

Brayden, The Model

OK, you've just got to love these pics. They were taken for a photo display at our pediatrician's new office. Sarah Havard is the photographer, and she is wonderful. She even got Bray Boy to smile a little in some of the pics, and that is quite an accomplishment! You can find out more about Sarah at www.sarahhavard.com .

Sarah McLachlan Video

If you haven't seen Sarah McLachlan's World On Fire Video, I suggest that you watch it at http://worldonfire.ca . I love it when people use their fame and fortune for the good of others. I realize that $150k may not be that much to her, but it does mean a lot to others in this world. Maybe this will encourage more of us to give what we can. Although it isn't detailed in the video, it looks like some of the $ went to Guatemala.

Dr Appt Updates - or lack thereof

Can you believe that Brayden Boy is 9 months old today??? He is leaving his baby days in the rear view mirror and getting dangerously close to that big birthday in August. We'd better start planning the party now -- oh wait, I hate almost all children's characters. . . I doubt they make party favors in any pattern that I will like! Maybe we should have started a long, long time ago.

Anyway, dr appts today -- the first appt w/ the pediatrician went well. The new office is very nice, and Brayden (of course) delighted the dr with his charm and beauty. Here are the stats --
Weight - 16 lb 13 oz (4%-5%)
Height - 27 inches (7%-8%)
Head Circumference - 42.5 cm (0%, but a big gain for him)
O2 saturation - 96 (excellent for a pre-repair ToFer)
Peas eaten at dinner - 0 (we tried some "table" food today, but it didn't work out so well)
Brayden didn't get any shots today, because we couldn't get the shots records faxed over from the other ped office. He goes back in 2 weeks to get the shots. We did find out the Brayden has an ear infection! No symptoms -- the dr looked a couple of times to make sure b/c she was surprised. So, we have to do another round of Augmentin (actually Augmentin ES this time). We had to cancel the hearing test b/c of the ear infection, so hopefully we'll be able to re-schedule soon.

We did go and meet with a person at First Steps (KY's 0-3 program) about getting Brayden evaluated for a possible Speech/Language delay. Now that I've looked over their material, I have no doubt that he will qualify for speech (unless he has some more major breakthroughs like he did last night) and I won't be surprised if he also qualifies for physical / motor skills. I have no idea what is going on with the speech thing, but I am pretty confident that his delayed physical development is all related to the ToF. I am also confident that he will become much more active after the repair.

We're still scheduled for the cardiology appt on Friday, and that is the one that I am very anxious to get to. The O2 sat from today was good, but it will be interesting to see what the echo looks like. Brayden has been showing a lot more symptoms in the past couple of weeks, so I feel like we are getting closer to surgery time.

The Floodgates have been opened!!!

While I was uploading the pics for the post below, we had MAJOR developments!!! I have been concerned about Brayden b/c he doesn't make much sound. That is the reason he is having a hearing test and evaluation tomorrow. Brayden doesn't (or didn't) know how to laugh. He had only done it a few times, it doesn't last long, and it's a low pitched haa-haa. Yesterday morning and this morning, I was able to get some real giggles out of this boy. I was quite pleased with myself ;)

So, while I was working on the blog, Brayden was beside me in his exersaucer. I heard him "haa"! I looked down, and there was Lillith chasing her tail -- Bray started "haa-haa-haa"ing at her! I started laughing at him, which made Lillith bark at me, which made Brayden laugh at her. Oh, I wish I had the video camera!! Michael heard him and came to watch. When we thought it was over, Michael picked him up and we all walked went to the kitchen to get his bedtime bottle. Lillith followed and caught his eye again. The baby cracked up!! I tried to get it on video on the camera. It's a little dark, but I definitely got some of the laughter. I wish I knew how to post it on here, but I'll try to figure it out later. It went on for a long, long time, and I have never seen this baby so happy! Lillith is definitely getting some extra treats tonight :)

Watch me grow :)

This is NOT one of my favorite outfits, but it just so happens that we have a chronicle of Brayden's growth in it. There are actually 2 sleepers -- one that was 0-3 months that we gave him in Guatemala and one that he has at home that is 3-6 months.

The first pic was taken Nov 25 when Brayden was 3 months old. This was only the 2nd day that we visited him, and he got SOOO mad at us when we changed his clothes before he went back to the foster mother. I was worried that she would think that he cried like this the entire time that we had him and that she wouldn't want to bring him back to us the next day!!!

The second pic is the last one that we got before we went for our pick up trip. We got it at the beginning of Feb, so Brayden was probably around 5.5 months when it was taken. We loved this pic, because it showed how much he had grown. He was finally "busting out" of the 0-3 months clothes!!

This last pic was taken this morning. While I was feeding Brayden his morning bottle, I realized that I needed to get a pic in this outfit quick b/c he probably won't wear it anymore. He is so cute, but he hates those little bears on his feet. He is much too serious a boy to wear "baby stuff" like this!!

I hope you like this chronicle of growth -- I'm planning on doing a comb-body comparison soon, so we can see how chubby his arms and legs have gotten :)

I am such an idiot!!

Please don't tell the social worker, the agency, the attorney, the birth mother, the foster mother, the Embassy or anyone else that I made promises to that I am such an idiot -- I promised that I would take good care of Brayden, but apparently I am TOO STUPID to do that!!

We were at Mom's earlier this evening. Brayden was sitting in his booster chair watching me and playing with some toys. I was putting together some little dessert things with involved Jello pudding. Now, if you know me at all, you know that I'm pretty concerned about what the baby eats -- strict, some would say. Not a lot of table food, no junk. For some reason, I gave Brayden 2 small tastes of pudding (1 chocolate, 1 vanilla). As I pulled the spoon from his mouth, I said, "Hey, pudding is dairy. What am I doing?" Mom replied that most babies grow out of that, and since we never really knew for sure that Brayden had a dairy issue (he came home on soy formula and we kept him on soy), I just said, "Well, I guess we'll find out if he has a problem with milk."

Fast forward to 2 hours later - Michael is upstairs putting Bray to bed, I'm downstairs mentally preparing for the new episode of Lost. Big scream from Michael, I run upstairs, projectile vomit from Brayden (out of the mouth and nose). Oh, my poor little baby! Why, oh, why did he get the worst mama in the world? Why don't I have any sense? Had anyone else given him that pudding, I would have bawled them out -- why wasn't I thinking!!!! I'm guessing that he has a serious allergy to milk, not just an intolerance. I'll be drilling the pediatrician about at his appt on Monday morning.

Lots of dr appts next week -- Monday morning appt with pediatrician (the "real" dr, the one we love) for shots and now a crash course in food allergies, Monday afternoon hearing test and evaluation by audiologist (a whole 'nother issue), and Friday afternoon checkup with pediatric cardiologist. I can't wait to get to the Friday appt so that we can find out what is going on. Now that it's close, I am reading into every move, breath, or nap -- hopefully, I'm just being paranoid.

OK, summary of the day -- I am a terrible mother who poisoned her precious baby boy with dairy product. So sorry, Brayden Boy, I wish I was a better mother :(

I'm a Big Kid Now!

Here's Brayden Boy playing with one of the "new" toys we got out this week. Bray has several toys that he got for Christmas that we hadn't opened yet because we didn't think he was big enough to play with them. Today he proved that he is ready and had a blast playing with this learning table. I was caught off-guard by just how well he did standing up there and playing with the toy . . . Well, there was more banging on it than playing with it, but you know what I mean. He is getting so, so big!!!

Freedom!

Apparently I've got people crying all over the place, so I guess the warning on my last post wasn't clear enough! Someone (we'll let them remain nameless) actually yelled at me and told me to keep my feelings bottled up inside from now on ;) She said that she knew exactly what to get me for Mother's Day -- a *PRIVATE* diary with a lock. Too funny!! Other people are patting me on the shoulder and saying "Sorry you don't like Mother's Day". . . well, that's not exactly what I meant, but OK.

Now, on that a cheery post -- I had to go to the archives for my fav pic of Bray and his Daddy for this one. This pic was taken a few minutes after we met Brayden, and Michael got to give him the first bottle in the Marriott lobby. I think it's appropriate today, as our family is celebrating a new beginning. Today was Michael's last day at his job. He is now a full-time, self-employed, work-at-home dad! This means a lot for our family - no more babysitter for Brayden during the day, no more worrying about Brayden at the babysitter during the day for me, and sweat pants just became acceptable office attire for Michael-- what more could you ask for?? I feel like we just stepped off a train and decided to walk instead -- our lives will move at a much different pace now. Maybe it is slower, but sometimes you miss seeing some really great stuff if you're moving too fast. I know this will be the BEST for Brayden, and I marvel at how God has brought us here. It is so amazing to look at the events (some that seemed small at the time) over the past 2+ years that have lead us down this path and have enabled us to make this decision. It is so awesome to know that God had the great plan for me this whole time! Wonder what He's working me toward right now??

All that I have gained. . .

Let me start with a disclaimer, a warning for the weepy -- I am pensive and maybe even a little sappy today. Why? Well, there are a few reasons. 1. Today is the 3 month anniversary of our Forever Family Day. 2. Today is Mother's Day in Guatemala. 3. Someone (again) remarked on how "lucky" Brayden is to be so loved. This well meaning comment always sends me into deep thought about just how "lucky" I am. I don't really believe in lucky, I believe in blessings. . . and I have been so blessed to have this little boy in my life.

Mother's Day -- man, this is a hard one for me. I've not been a fan of this holiday for the past few years, since it served as a stinging reminder that I was not yet a mother. Now that I am, it seems like there should be celebration. . . but I am still coming to terms with what all this mother stuff means. As I think of all that I have gained in the past 3 months, I am reminded of all that she had to lose -- she being Brayden's birthmom. His first mother, the mother that gave him life, biological and otherwise. The mother that made a culturally unpopular decision to allow Americans to adopt her child because we could give him the life that she wanted for him. The mother that loved him in a way that most people can't understand. Today I am sure that she is thinking of our little boy. I pray that she has peace when she thinks of him and that she can somehow know that he is doing well.

I have been trying to think of a way that we will honor Brayden's birthparents on Mother's Day and Father's Day, but I haven't come up with anything yet. I am looking at different organizations that work in Guatemala to make a special donations, but I also want us to do something active that Brayden will be able to share in. . . I'm open to ideas and hoping that something seems "right" soon. For now, we will just send our love and prayers -- Happy Mother's Day, Birthmom.

Empty? Are you kidding me?

What can I say, Brayden is serious about eating! Sadly we are not trying to self-feed here, this is actually what it looks like when I feed him. He takes a bite of food and then chews on the highchair tray, which smears food everywhere. It's actually pretty funny, except for the fact that we have light beige carpet in the dining room -- well, it used to be beige. . . now it's more of a polka dot pattern!

Our Little #5

Well, first things first -- the dr thinks that the lump is getting smaller. The diameter is the same, but it seems flatter than before. She wants to give the antibiotics more time to work, so we go back on Monday. I'm just going to give up worrying about this b/c it's going to drive me crazy! Brayden is feeling fine, so we can just focus on that.

I got good reviews on the fun pic, so here is another. I tried to get the pic in at the beginning of the bath before the blue hands showed up, but now that I've mentioned it, you're all going to think he looks blue. He doesn't -- his color has been GREAT lately. We are very thankful for that.

I saw this in a 2nd magazine, so I have to say something about it. . . When did I become so mainstream? On the list of most popular baby boy names, Brayden is #5. Even worse, Aidan, Caden, Hayden, and Jaden are also in the top 10. Now I actually chose the name Brayden in 2003 (or maybe 2002), so maybe it wasn't that popular then, but who would have thought that I'd be a top 5 kinda gal? He is my Brayden Boy, but part of me wishes we had known his birthname before we named him. Mynor Elias is so much cooler than #5 Brayden! Maybe we should just go secret agent and call him #5 :)

Mystery Illness -- No News

Well, the visit to the dr was pretty uneventful. The lymph node hasn't really changed, but hopefully the antibiotics just need some more time. Brayden goes back on Wednesday for a follow-up. If the lymph node has not gotten smaller by then, they will do a cat scan to determine how big it is and how deep. If it is a resistant infection, he will either have to get a series of shots or IV antibiotics. We would rather not have either of those, so let's all pray for good results on Wednesday. Thanks for all the e-mails today, it's so wonderful that so many people are checking up on my Brayden Boy each day!! I got some negative reviews on the "sad" pic below, so here is a pic of Bray having some fun. Can you believe those arms -- It's like the Stay Puff marshmallow man is back!!

For the adoptive parents reading this, I got an AWESOME personalized storybook for Brayden. It came in the mail today, and I love it!!! They customized the story (you can write it all yourself if you want), and incorporated our pictures along with some illustrations into it. The book is a hardback storybook, and it was only $24.95. It is a great, great value and a treasure that I look forward to sharing with Brayden forever. www.booksnstuff4u.com It's called "In all the world, I'm special" (although our book doesn't actually contain those words!)