The Bratton's

Saturday, May 7, 2011

My 'old man' just got a little older!

Jeremy's 36th birthday was a couple of weeks ago. Joyce (Jeremy's mom) came up so we could go out for the night(thank you Joyce!) We went to a movie (Rango- which by the way, was really cute) and out to the Atlantis buffet for dinner. We've been wanting to go for months but now that Paige is here, we really have to stay away because of the smoke. I think we've gone out twice since Paige was born! So needless to say, we had a good time out!!

Hope you had a good day honey! Love you!!

Paige is growing so fast...

It's hard to believe that Paige is almost 6 months old. It seems like I was just pregnant with her yesterday. She's developing so quickly and it is so fun to watch her learn and accomplish even the smallest things.

At our 4 month appointment the doctor told us that we could start feeding her solids. We started her on rice. The doctor told us to make it really thin so she would like it but she wasn't really that fond of it. I thickened it up a bit and she seemed to like it however it started to give her diarrhea so we stopped that for a couple of weeks then I started her on barley cereal. Well that just seemed to make her constipated so I stopped cereal all together and started her on veggies. She has had squash, sweet potatoes, carrots and we do give her prunes on a pretty regular basis. She doesn't seem to have a preference to any of them but loves them all. It's so cute because when she knows it is time to eat, we put her in her little bumbo and her little feet both start moving in circular motions, her eyes get really big and her mouth opens like a little baby bird. It is adorable!

I think this is a photo of one of the first time I gave her squash. Now that she is used to eating I rarely see any extra on her face or bib!

She has learned to grab her feet, take her socks off and put her toes in her mouth! She LOVES to play with her feet, usually just around shower time.

She is not rolling over yet though. She gets about half way and stops. The doctor said she has the muscle tone and when she is 'motivated' enough she'll do it. In fact tonight she almost rolled all the way off the bathroom counter!

She is sitting up now! I don't know what other babies are like but to me she seems to have really good balance. She can sit up on her own unless she reaches for something a good distance from her body, then she loses her balance. But I've been pretty impressed. She just started sitting up in the past two weeks.

Paige's hair has gotten long enough on top for me to put it in a ponytail. It looks so cute on her. She doesn't mind me doing her hair, at least not for now. We'll see if that lasts!
You can sort of see it in these pictures...

One of Paige's favorite things is to ride along in her Moby carrier! I got this carrier as one of my baby shower gifts. It is so wonderful and she LOVES it. I think she feels like a big girl!

Grandpa bought her this sun hat the other weekend. It's a little big on her still but it keeps the sun off her face.

The one thing she still LOVES is falling asleep on mommy. I know it's a bad habit that we have developed and maybe with the next we'll change how our children go to sleep but for now, Paige falls asleep on mommy and I adore it!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Check Up; already 4 months

Since I haven't posted any of Paige's "stats" her they are:

Newborn
19", 5lbs 14oz

2 weeks
20.5", 6lbs 8oz

2 months
22.5", 9lbs 2oz

4 months
25", 11 lbs 1oz

And we took her in 2 days ago for something else and she had gained a bit more weight, she's now 11 lbs 11oz.

She's just ity-bitty but the Doctor says she is very healthy, strong and happy. I was worried that she wasn't gaining enough quickly then that lead to me worrying that she's not eating enough to maybe I'm not producing enough, blah, blah, blah. The doctor actually told me that most breast feed babies will usually "fall off" the growth chart and not to worry.

I don't know what it is about becoming a mom but my anxiety level regarding having a little one depending on me makes me crazy and nutty with worry all the time! If I'm not worried about her eating I'm worried about her pooping and if I'm not worried about that, I'm worried something is going to happen to her. (I'm close to asking for some xanax.) I'm sure it will go away by the time we have our second but for now I guess I'll just be a nut job!

Here are some pictures from the last month

Auntie Michelle, Brock and Everett stopped by to visit on their way to Sacramento.

She's finally started to love her swing

Auntie Nickie came with Auntie Michelle and the boys

She has started to grab for everything and she rolled from her stomach to back for the first time this past weekend. I was giving her a bath the other night and she wanted the wash cloth. She started crying until I gave it to her. She's a bit young for that!

Unfortunately, she knows how to hold her bottle. Boo for mommy! It's very strange because she only gets a bottle a few days a week but she sure loves it.

ALL of my little girls hair is gone, well except for on the top!

We started her on cereal this month. The doctor told me to make it really thin so she would eat it but she really didn't love it thin. I thickened it up and she LOVES it. She grabs for my drinks and food. I feel like we're being stalked when we are eating and don't give her any. The doctor told me that I could start her on fruits and veggies but I'm not in any hurry. She'll probably write me off as soon as I start her on "real" food.

Grandpa stopped by Reno on the way back from Utah.

The most adorable towel ever. Paige after her nightly bath.

Grandma came up this past weekend. (Dad was out of town) We all had a good time.

Paige is finally sleeping through the night again. I say again because about 1 1/2 months she was pretty much sleeping throught the night. Then at about 3 months she stopped. She started teething and so she wasn't eating as well, especially at night. She'd wake up sometimes twice but I'd only feed her once. Usually the 2nd time she was waking up she was just upset and wanted us. Now she goes to bed about around 9:00pm and wakes up around 4-5am. Which is perfect because I get up for work and feed her before I go.

She's still sleeping in our room. Not in our bed but we have a playpin in the room and that is where she is sleeping. I'm trying to gain the courage to put her in her own crib but it just seems so far down the hall. But, I'm starting to notice her waking up a lot through the night and making noise a lot more. She goes back to sleep and it's no problem for her but for me, it's broken sleep! Hopefully the next month we'll be moving her to her own room.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Paige's 3 month pictures by Bellamena Photography

My sister-in-law was so wonderful and took Paige's pictures. Paige did pretty good although we had to stop a few times for food and tantrum interference! She was pretty good considering we took our time. I will also say that I didn't let her edit any of these.

Changes...finally

Jeremy has been working for the hospital as a per Diem respiratory aide for more than and 1 1/2 years. He's been flip-flopping between day and night shift and irregular days through the week. It's been very difficult on him. Not only is it hard to have to switch back and forth between day and night shift but he has other health issues that make it even harder on him. He was also being required to work EVERY Saturday night which meant no church and it has basically been that way the entire time he has worked there. He's maybe been to church 5-10 times since he started working there. It's been really hard on our family as well.

He was actually promised that they would make him full-time within 3 months of being hired but obviously that didn't work out. He has been made promise after broken promise but FINALLY they made him a full time employee with a semi-regular schedule(at least at this point). Just in the knick of time as well because he and I have worked out a schedule to where Paige is only with a babysitter one day a week. That may have to change in the upcoming months but for now it makes me very happy. It could be a lot worse.

Our hospital offers a program for people who would like to become respiratory therapists. This is originally why he applied for the position. He does his schooling online and the clinical he would do in the hospital(which he starts this upcoming week). They also have an apprentice program throughout the hospital which basically means he would be doing respiratory treatments and things that pertain more towards the actual job of an RT rather than being an aide. However, budget cuts meant that they still offered the apprentice program but he would not be able to get into it until 2 months before graduating from school. LAME! We're hoping with prayers and luck that they will reconsider this in the next few months as their current apprentice's graduate and they have none left.

We're excited for the new change. Steady income, schedule and he's able to go to church every Sunday. Going to church has probably been the best part of the new job! We hope it stays this way!!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Paige's Blessing; Feburary 2, 2011

We had such a wonderful day! The majority of our "local" (AKA California family) was able to make Paige's blessing. Jeremy gave a wonderful blessing and she didn't cry at all! I can't say the same for her father. It was very emotional for both of us. We've always been in the congregation when other father's have blessed their babies and although it's always spiritual and wonderful, it's not your baby. But when it was our little girl, everything seems so different.

It's so wonderful to think that our little baby was just with Heavenly Father. There is always a special spirit around her and sometimes she just looks just passed us and I wonder what she is looking at.

Grandma and Papu Sargetis