Brayden Boy had a cardiology appt today, but AGAIN we have no new info. Yeah, you read that right, no new info!! The PC suggested that we wait until after the TB treatment is over "if we can". No reasoning why. . . but this dr is never really interested in explaining things. Also, she didn't want to see him again for another 6 months. OK, that plan doesn't work for me. I knew it last time, but for some reason I didn't do it -- we'll be going for a third opinion as soon as we can get an appt with another PC. They did take blood for the FISH test today based on the ToF and his speech delay. . . I'm not sure when we'll get the results. Drawing the blood was a disaster, they poked around and made him cry his heart out for a long time before they finally sent us to the main lab. Luckily, the people at the main lab were able to find a vein on the first try.

Life's Little Complications

I've been out of the loop for a little while -- I haven't been blogging, I haven't been reading blogs, and forget about keeping up with all of my online groups. Sorry, everyone, I really like you, but life gets in the way sometimes!!! Anyway, here are some things that have been going on:

Brayden Boy has latent TB. Yeah, you read that right, TB. . . we're looking at 9 months of antibiotics -- that sounds like fun, doesn't it? He tested negative when he came home, but the 6 month re-test was positive. PAPs and APs -- please follow the recommendations of an international adoption doctor when you bring your children home!!!

Brayden got his carseat turned around, and he loves it!!! DH and I also love it, since we can turn around and see him or look in the rearview mirror to see him.

Bray-My is doing OK with the soy milk and bottle transitions. He was fine at first, but now he signs for his bottle all day. We've tried a few different soy milks so far, he definitely hates the vanilla flavor :b I'm still giving him his bottle at least twice a day, and I've got no problem with that!!! You can see his disapproval of this sippy cup in the pic :)

One more update -- Brayden Boy is going to be a big brother!! We are expecting a new addition (the old fashioned way) in March. Bray is sure to be the best brother ever :) Please no one make the adoption - pg comments, I am sooooo over hearing them! We wanted to have children through adoption and birth, so we are very happy for find out about this blessing from God! No worries, AP friends, we are still planning to adopt again -- hopefully in the not too distant future :)

12-Month Check-up

Brayden had his 12-month check-up and his 6-month International Adoption check-up today. I couldn't go b/c I am too busy at work :( However, DH did a pretty good job at taking notes and he even got this pic for me. This is at the dr's office -- who's that famous face on the wall? Well, it's our very own Brayden Boy!! I can't believe how grown up Brayden Mynor looks compared to that pic -- it's like he turned into a toddler overnight!!! Here are the stats from the check-up:
Height - 29" (40%) Wow -- that is a huge % for Brayden!!
Weight - 19 lbs 15 oz (10%) One more oz and we can turn that carseat around!!!
Head Circ - 43.5" (2%) Hey, we're just glad to finally be on the chart!!

We'll be phasing in soy milk instead of formula over the next little bit, so Bray-My will be waking up to some yummy Silk tomorrow morning -- we'll see how it goes. He's also going to start taking Poly-Vi-Sol w/ iron drops, which should be fun considering the fact that Brayden hates taking any "medicine" type stuff! Also, the dr suggested that we start trying to move him away from the bottle. . . I'm not so sure I'm going to be able to comply with this one! The boy L-O-V-E-S his bottle, and it is such a comfort to him. I guess we'll just have to see how that goes, too.

My Boy Likes to Party All the Time!!!

We had Brayden's birthday party yesterday. His birthday is on Tuesday, but we thought it would be easier for everyone to have the party on the weekend. Brayden loved having everyone at our house -- the noise was very relaxing for him :) The cake was the first time that he has really had any sweets, and I think he liked it pretty well. He never actually ate any cake, he just swirled around in the icing for a while.

WHHEEEEE - I got a new slide!

This tastes pretty good - I can't beleive that Momma hasn't said "no, no" yet!!

That's right -- it's MY party!

I don't know why we're hitting this thing! Are we mad at the bulldozer driver or something??

Quick Note --

Today makes 6 months since our Forever Family Day!! This has been the best 1/2 year of my life :) Also, Brayden Boy now has 2 teeth :)

On the Move!!!

Brayden has *finally* started crawling :) He's been working on it for a few weeks, but this Saturday he finally just took off. Now he's all over the place and getting faster as he goes. Poor Lillith has no rest now -- Brayden heads straight to her pet bed to pull her legs and tug at her ears!! Bray-My also has a tooth now. The first one that he got is no longer visable because the gums swelled back up around it. Now there is one sticking through on the bottom, and I'm pretty sure it is here to stay. He's still working on about 7 others, including the one that came through first. Bray has really blossomed in his 11th month -- he learned to roll in all directions, he learned to transition from laying down to sitting, he learned how to pull up, he learned to cruise, he learned to crawl, he learned to sign for his bottle, and he got a tooth (I'm not sure which one to call his first!). Way to go Brayden Boy!!!

173 Days!!!!

Today is a very special day for our family :) Brayden spent 172 days in Guatemala away from his Forever Family . . . as of today, he has been with us for 173 days!!! One day more may not be much, but I am so thankful that he has been home for so long!!!!!!!

Mr. Amazing

Brayden Boy is amazing. . . I know you guys know that already, but just in case anyone forgot just how special this boy is, I thought I would point it out! Here are some recent accomplishments --

Communication -- We have been using a few signs to try and introduce sign language to Brayden as an additional method of communication. For the past couple of months, we've used Eat, Momma, and Daddy on a regular basis. Brayden definitely recognizes the Eat sign, but he hasn't used it yet. This week we started using a few new signs, since he had not be recipricating, I thought maybe the ones that we had been using were just hard for him to create. We added Milk (I had previously not used this one since Brayden doesn't really drink milk, but we decided to add it in and use it for bottle), More, and Sleep. This morning, six days after we first introduced the new signs, Brayden signed that he wanted his bottle when we were hanging out together after waking up. Tonight, again, he signed that he was ready for his bottle at bedtime. Who-hoo!! My boy's a genius :)

Mobility -- Brayden still does not crawl or walk. He can, however, sit n' spin his way anywhere that he wants to go. The sit n' spin is a new move that Bray recently created. He turns around in a sitting position and moves across the floor. Also, last week, Brayden pulled up for the first time in his pack n' play.
Daddy had to lower the pack n' play and the crib right after these pics!! Yesterday, Brayden pulled up in his crib. Then today, he finally got the confidence to pull up on one of his toys. Once he did it, he was so pleased with himself that he did it over and over!! He actually pulled up and then sat down 12 times in a row before he got too tired to continue.

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!!