Sara Larva: August 2008

Branden Has A Cold

Branden hasn't been feeling so well the last few days, he has a really bad cold. It started out with a few sneezes in the afternoon and then he woke-up around 10:30pm crying because he didn't feel well and his nose was running really bad. That night I was up with him all night. I probably only got an hour or so of sleep because he kept waking up because he couldn't breathe so I had to keep proping him up in the bed and once he fell back to sleep it would take me forever to fall back to sleep and of course once I did he would wake up again.

Now today he still has a runny nose and still not 100% himself. Gets crabby easily, I think because he is tired because it is hard to get good sleep because of his nose running. He hates getting his nose wiped, like most kids. So he has been getting baths twice a day with bubbles that help with colds. That helps to get his nose cleared out.

I want to wish my Grandma and Grandpa a Happy Anniversary! Hope you had a nice day! Love and miss you both!

Night Awakenings

Branden has been waking up a lot at night lately because of his teeth I am guessing. It has been so hard on me because once he gets up he wants to stay up forever. I try to let him cry a little before I go running in there, but before long he is standing up shaking on the crib screaming for me and I don't want to wake David because he has to work in the morning so I don't want Branden to cry too long, but of course David is already up from the crying. Last night Branden had actually leaked through his diaper and was all wet, but once I got him changed he still wouldn't go back to bed. I even tried letting him lay in the bed with me, that only lasted a few minutes before he was crying again. I hate giving him milk at night now to help him go back to sleep, but now when he wakes up he starts saying "yum, yum" and then he wants a cracker after his milk. And then he wants his gaint stuffed animal cat "Shadow." It starts to get a little crazy. Because he was falling asleep while I rocked him I tried to put him in his crib, but every time I would try he would cry. After being up with him for almost 2 hours I finally just put him in his crib to cry it out. Its wierd because he has no problem going down to bed at his bed time or at nap time. I just lay him in there and he will fall asleep on his own. But when I try that in the middle of the night he screams bloody murder! After letting him scream for 20 minutes I finally went back in there and got him. I brought him into the spare bedroom and him and I were up for another hour and some. We were up for almost 4 hours lastnight, I couldn't believe it! So today I am pretty tired. Its like you finally get your baby on a sleep schedule and then they start teething and those teeth ruin everything!

Congratulations David

A few months ago David tested to make the next higher rank in the Air Force and on Wednesday he found out that he passed and will be putting on Staff Sargent! He was pretty happy because he did pretty well on the test scoring in the top 1/4 of the group who passed. We are both happy because now this means he will get a raise in his pay check. Also, I'm sure more responsibility for him at work.

Great Job David!!

Branden's Play Groups

I have been taking Branden to a playgroup in our neighborhood every Thursday morning. It lasts 2 hours which almost gets to be too long for some of these kids, by the end of the group most of the kids are crying because they are tired or the hitting has started. Branden does really good though. Always shares with the other kids and doesn't cry if someone takes the toy he is playing with he just goes and finds another one. But he pretty much plays with himself though. The group is OK for me because most of the people there speak German so I don't really get into the conversations much.

Also, on Thursdays we added a Gym Playgroup. It just started a few weeks ago, but we have only been able to make it to 2 classes so far. The first time we went to the group Branden was so nervous. He hung onto my leg the whole time. I just think it was because it was a new building. Most of the kids that are in the gym group are from his playgroup, so he knows a lot of them. In this class we dance and then they set up a bunch of mats for the kids to play on and also a balance beam for them to walk across. The only time he let go of me was when the teacher threw out a bunch of tennis balls for the kids to play with. Branden quickly ran out to the middle of the gym floor grabbed 2 balls and ran back to me.

The second class went a little better. He was still scared, but this time he played on the mats a little and even walked across the beam once. But most of the time he played with the balls that the teacher had set out. He likes to throw them and he is also really good at kicking the balls. I think this Thursdays class will go really good now that he is getting use to everything.

So are Thursdays are really busy!

Branden Playing With Water

Here is a video of Branden playing with the hose. He loves to walk around with the water running and water the plants and fill up his buckets with water.

Pictures By David

In his new Elmo shirt and Elmo hat

Loves to kiss his animals

Did this pose by himself

Castle Pictures

On Sunday we also went to look at a castle with Branden. We just happened to go on the right day because there was a mid-evil fest going on at the castle so there was a lot for Branden to see. His favorite part was a pile of dinosaurs they had out for the kids to play with.

Pictures In The Woods

Here are some super cute pictures of Branden that David took of him while we were in the woods watching some mountain bikers. Branden loves bikes so we brought him to watch them ride down the mountains and do tricks. He had a fun time playing with all the sticks and climbing on the logs.

David is getting really good at taking pictures. These pictures look like a pro took them.

Branden is wearing his new favorite Elmo shirt from Grandma & Grandpa Stawski. He has worn it two days in a row. I think he thinks he is Elmo now. He keeps pointing to himself and saying "Elmo!"