The Vorels

2011-12-15T10:11:00.000-06:00

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Beginning to look like Christmas

2011-12-05T09:11:00.006-06:00

Pictures from Robyn

2011-11-03T10:34:00.001-05:00

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2011 Family

2011-10-31T13:47:00.001-05:00

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Family Pictures

2011-10-19T13:46:00.013-05:00

About a month ago we had some family pictures made... well, at least attempted to. Brayden did not want anything to do with posing or even looking at the camera. He cried threw most of the session and through a huge fit a the end. It was exhausting. However, through all of that we did manage to get a few good shots. Enjoy!

IVF Updates and Trip to MP

2011-10-19T13:32:00.004-05:00

First my update... I am currently in the 2 week wait... Torture! We had the IVF retrieval last Tuesday and the transfer this past Sunday.. We transferred two embryos; 1 was a excellent grand and the other was good. We unfortunately did not have any that developed enough to freeze. So I have been praying that this works!!!

I will go for my first beta test next Tuesday and a follow up to see if the number has doubled on Thursday. Prayers are welcomed!!!!

The day after my retrieval Brayden and I made a trip to MP to visit my parents and my cousin that came in from St. Louis. She has two kids; Emmy who is 4 months younger than Brayden and Cole that is in 2nd grade. Brayden was attached to Cole the entire time! He absolutely loved him. We had a great time visiting and letting the kids play outside. Here are a few pictures and will upload more soon.

"Cold"

2011-09-26T08:28:00.005-05:00

Happy Monday!! Here is a pic and a quick video of Bray. He made us laugh the other day when he showed us what he does when he is "cold".....

A NEW DISCOVERY!!!!!!!!!

2011-09-12T13:21:00.006-05:00

I have one word....PINTEREST. I have found a whole new world and I am OBSESSED!!!!!!
There is a million of DIY and I am feeling really crafty now. I have saved a few items that I will be making within the next week! Like these wooden boards and candy dishes!

I also am realizing that I need a sewing machine. Hmmm....

There are tons of home remedies for things. Like, did you know you can fix your broken makeup (eye shadow or powder) if you have dropped it and its in a million pieces? Yep by mixing it with alcohol!
Did you know you can use silica gel packets to keep pumpkins/gourds from molding?? My Mom will like that one!

Bubbles, Buzz and Injections...Oh My!

2011-09-12T08:44:00.013-05:00

Time keeps flying by and Brayden grows more and more each day. He is talking more and being a rough and tumble boy. He definitely has his likes and dislikes and will tell you about it. He loves being outside playing whether that is in the back yard or at a park. He has NO FEAR and that scares me. He will climb up anything or try to jump off.
He loves bubbles as you can see in the video.

He has a Buzz Lightyear OBSESSION! Anytime he sees a Buzz lightyear toy, picture, anything his face lights up. I counted he has 10 buzz light year items at home so I think he has plenty!

A few weeks ago we took him to Grapevine and there is a Lego Land there. Well in the entrance was this:

He was so excited!!! I think if Buzz were to move or talk he would have freaked!

I have gone back and forth on whether I wanted to post/tell anyone but I decided to keep my insanity I need to.... We are starting a new cycle of IVF this week. IVF is not a easy thing to do. There are numerous injections, your hormones are messed with, there are side effects (I get MAJOR headaches) and just mentally stressful. Not to mention expensive. However, with all that said I do want another child. I want Brayden to have a sibling.
I start my first injection of Lupron on Wednesday. That will last for about 2 weeks and then I will add another injection to the equation. I will do both of those for about a week. Then I will have the embryos removed. They will get 'fertilized' for a week and then they will put a few back in. Hopefully by Thanksgiving we will know if we are expecting or not. Prayers are welcomed!!! :)

Brayden dance moves....

2011-09-06T09:35:00.001-05:00

Brayden was on a roll the other day and we captured a few of his "dance" moves...
This boy is a hoot!!

Vacation 2011

2011-07-04T15:09:00.000-05:00

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Beta Round Two...

2011-06-22T13:57:00.003-05:00

Well, I went today for my round two blood test and the results actually showed that my numbers went down. So we are to stop all meds. I am so heartbroken but at the same time so blessed that I have my little man.
Thanks all for the thoughts and prayers!!!

Beta Results Round #1

2011-06-20T13:45:00.003-05:00

I just got the call and my number was 44. So that is a positive but it is a low number. However, with a frozen embryo they show lower numbers. I go back on Wed for another test so until then keep the thoughts and prayers coming!!!

Waiting.....

2011-06-20T09:30:00.002-05:00

As I am sitting to let time pass for our results I figured I would send out a quick post...
I should get my results after lunch. This will be this first Beta test. I anticipate having to go back probably Wed for my second one.
I will post as soon as I hear the news!!!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-16T09:23:00.001-05:00

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Possible new chapter for our little family??

2011-06-13T13:33:00.005-05:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, we did forgo the round two IVF. Everything went very well and the embryos looked great. Thanks to everyone that sent prayers, text, and calls!!!

We just have to wait and see how it all plays out. I will know more next Monday (June 20th)as I will be going in for the initial pregnancy test and beta test.

I was on bed rest for 48 hours (which was sooo boring!) while Bryan and Karen helped out with Brayden. I do have to say that I appreciate EVERYTHING they did this weekend. (Thank you both!)

Here a pic of the embryos right after they were "thawed"...

Updating on what has been going on.....

2011-06-07T12:30:00.006-05:00

This year is going by so fast!!!! I can not believe it is already June! Wow!!

Anyways, since I have posted last we have made trips to Mt. Pleasant to visit family, the family has come here to visit. Brayden has been playing in the water fountains and swimming pools. He absolutely loves the water. He is currently in Lil Tots swim lessons to get him started on trying to blow bubbles and kick his legs.

He is very quick to pick up on what "things" are. Animals, colors, tangible items, but he will not speak. Well unless he is playing with his Toy Story characters and he will say "Wooodie" (Woody) all day long! He says a new word for about a week and then will never say it again. This week since we have been in the water so much he has now said "Waa wa" (water). Everyone has said not to worry he will talk when he is ready... He will be 18 months next week so I guess we will see....

He is growing up so fast. Even though he is 110% all boy and very rambunctious, he is so sweet. He will give me hugs and kisses all the time and lay his head on my should and say "awwww". Melts my heart!

Something else that is in progress is I am doing our round two of IVF...SO Brayden could have a sibling next year sometime.

I have been taking medication to get my body prepared for the transfer and have starting the injections. The injections don't seem to be that bad this time around which has been good for me! We had two embryos left over from the first round of IVF so we are going to use both of those. We did two as well when we conceived Brayden. So I am hoping that we end up with only one and not two!!
We are doing the transfer this Friday and I will be on bed rest all weekend. I will go back to the doctor on the 20th to check my beta numbers to see if it all worked. Fingers crossed and lots of prayers for baby #2!!!

Easter Spring 2011

2011-04-14T11:09:00.002-05:00

Spring 2011

2011-03-31T15:26:00.002-05:00

Brayden's 1st Birthday Party and Christmas 2010

2011-01-28T15:15:00.000-06:00

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HAPPY 2011

2011-01-27T07:39:00.002-06:00

I am trying to play catch up with the posts.
We have had lots of new first with Brayden. He is trying to talk but still very limited in the words. He will say "DaDaDa", "Ohhhhh", and his favorite is "Uh oh". No Mama yet....Just "Mmmmm". He knows where his nose, eyes, mouth, and toes are by pointing. He also knows the word dog and can point to the dogs. If you ask him what the bird says, he will say "Ca Ca". He room and playroom is done in pirates so there is a parakeet sitting on the pirate ship on the wall.
He got this first hair cut and did really well. I will upload a pic later. He has also got his first year molar and was REALLY cranky! We are still trying to get rid of the snotty nose and coughing that come with teething.
I think that is about it for now. Will try and post more often! Until next time....

Christmas 2010

2011-01-27T07:04:00.004-06:00

I am so behind on posting.... Here is a quick recap of our Christmas.

We traveled to MP the Thursday before Christmas to visit with my Parents and brothers. Brayden had a big time as always with all the open areas to run and play. He got a 4 wheeler from my parents to keep out there so he rode it all around. Between that and the swing set he was busy. My Dad surprised him as "Santa"...Brayden spotted him in the back yard. He was curious but we couldn't get too close. Brayden is not too sure about any jolly guy with a long beard. We will try again next year to see if he is still scared.
We came back home on Christmas day to have our own Christmas with NaNa.

Over all, we had a fantastic Christmas and Brayden got so much stuff he didn't know what to do. Completely overwhelmed!!!

Brayden and his 4 wheeler...

2010-12-28T14:54:00.002-06:00

This is a video of Brayden and his 4 wheeler. He might not be able to steer it just yet but he sure can hold on and push the button! This one was from his bday that will stay at our house and then he got another one for Christmas that will stay at my parents....this kid is already spoiled rotten!!!

365 Project for Brayden

2010-12-18T07:36:00.003-06:00

We took a picture of Brayden everyday for his first year. Here is the result video, it is around 12 minutes long so enjoy!

Brayden's Project 365 from Bryan Vorel on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday Brayden!!!

2010-12-13T08:29:00.012-06:00

Wow!! This year has really gone by fast! I can not believe my baby just had his first birthday party! It was a success after lots of prep and stress. ;)

There were about 10 kids, ages from 7 months to 9 years old. Thank goodness for the bounce house to entertain the older kids!! Brayden did very good with all the people that were there. He was a little overwhelmed at first but he warmed up to everyone.

The theme of the party was Sock Monkeys.

(Thanks to OMG for the great invitations! - http://www.etsy.com/shop/ohmygluestick)

I made party hats and a jar of "Silly Monkey" Cookie mix. (I got the recipe from http://www.bakerella.com/mix-things-up/)

Favor Bags for all the kiddos!

The cake and smash cake! I made the sock monkey on top out of clay and painted it.

The spread...

Brayden ready to eat some CAKE!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-02T09:25:00.000-06:00

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Bray walking videos

2010-10-29T12:51:00.003-05:00

Here are a few videos I captured last night.

Bray and his first whole apple...

2010-10-28T15:20:00.000-05:00

Brayden has teeth coming in from all sides and he was miserable last weekend when we were visiting my parents. So my Mom had a apple in the fridge so she peeled it and handed to him. Of course, I was not too sure about the idea. But he LOVED it! It was cold and hard so he went to town gnawing on it. That poor apple looked like a rat got after it when he was done.

Check out the video!

10 Months.....

2010-10-28T13:47:00.004-05:00

Wow time is flying by!!!!!!!!!! Here is a few 10 month pics. We can't ever get him to sit still long enough any more.

He is eating on his own and eats whatever he can chew. He is walking about 4-8 steps and falls. He has NO FEAR! He has it now in his head that he can walk a few steps and just takes off. Of course, I am always holding my breath! I give him a few more weeks before he is running! OH BOY we are in trouble....

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-26T08:43:00.003-05:00

Here are some pics we had made for Halloween. As you can see in a few of these Brayden looks like he is about to cry. He didn't like the photographer very much! ;)

We have left our camera in MP this past weekend. We took Brayden to a pumpkin patch and got lots of great pics. However, we wont be able to post them until Thanksgiving (when we go back). Bummer!!!

Big Boy!

2010-10-04T08:43:00.005-05:00

We had a really good weekend! NaNa came over on Saturday to watch Brayden while Bryan and I did yard work. We then cooked out Burgers and Hot Dogs and watched the OU vs UT game....:( My Horns lost... I think it is b/c Bryan had the good luck charm. (Brayden in a OU shirt)
We ended the afternoon by taking Brayden to the park to swing. He LOVES to swing!!

On Sunday we took Brayden to the State Fair of Texas. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed hanging out and eating lots of fried foods!

Brayden is learning more and more these days. Here he is learn how to "scoot" on his car... He is too darn cute!

New things and being sick...

2010-09-29T12:42:00.004-05:00

Last week Brayden started feeling bad around Wednesday night. I originally thought it was just teething. Daycare was closed on Thursday so I was working from home that day. Around noon Brayden and I both started feeling bad and running a fever. Friday Bryan took him to the Doctor to find out he had respiratory virus and apparently gave it to me. Here is a picture of him in the doctor's office... Poor guy you can tell he didn't feel good.

Before he started feeling bad on Wednesday we were in the playroom with one of his new toys. It has different stations on it; a laptop, a phone, a book and a piano. It plays music, teaches colors and numbers. Brayden has always showed an interest in phones so every time he would pick up our phone or one of his play phones, I always said "Hello, is Brayden there..."
With this new toy you can remove the receiving part of the phone. So every time he had it in his hands I would say, "Hello...". Here is a video of him where he is now putting the phone up to his ear.

"Where's Brayden?"

2010-09-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

Here is Brayden playing our version of "Peek-a-Boo"...

Jabber Jaws....

2010-09-26T13:26:00.003-05:00

Here is Brayden at my parents house. He has just learned how to throw the ball and he started jabbering away!

Growing Like A Weed!

2010-09-26T12:33:00.008-05:00

I haven't posted in awhile so I thought I would get caught up...

Since the last post Brayden has been to a water park, the zoo, to my parent's and just growing up so fast! He is now standing/pulling up like a pro. He will stand and if you let go he will stay standing. He might take a step but then he will quickly squat. He will clap his hands if you say "Yeah, Brayden" or start to play "Patty Cake". He likes to play "Where's Brayden" (Peek-a-Boo).

At his 9 month wellness check and he weighed 20 lbs and was 28" long.

Here he is at the Zoo....

Brayden LOVES the water. Here he is playing in the water fountains.

8 Month Pics

2010-08-17T08:57:00.007-05:00

Last weekend we took Brayden to get his 8 Month picture and some family pics. He did really well and was a ham as usual! However, we could not get him to stop eating his shoes. Yes, you will see the pic of him trying to eat his shoes! He did this for like 5 minutes.

I have Teeth!!!!

2010-08-05T09:09:00.003-05:00

Brayden has been teething since he was about 4 months old and there was never a sign of any teeth coming through. Well, starting last month we finally started to see some one of those pearly whites appear! Now he has two bottom teeth!!

You can teeth his mouth has been bothering him b/c he is constantly rubbing his mouth and trying to chew on EVERYTHING. He thinks teething biscuits are the best treat ever and BOY are they messy.

Here are a few pics we tried to get of his chompers. Sorry for the quality of the photos....he is way too active to make him try to sit still.

Gerber Baby Contest

2010-08-03T08:45:00.002-05:00

Well I have sent in two pictures of Brayden for the Gerber baby contest. Please go out and vote for one or both at the links below. You can vote 1 time per day with the same email address but votes as many time as you want while the contest last. (1 month)

http://www.gerber.com/Photo/?entryid=65062&source=10086654&utm_source=Gerber&utm_medium=email&utm_content=PhotoAcceptedReminder&utm_campaign=GerberGeneration#/detail/

http://www.gerber.com/Photo/?entryid=68430&source=10086654&utm_source=Gerber&utm_medium=email&utm_content=PhotoAcceptedReminder&utm_campaign=GerberGeneration#/detail/

Trip to Edmond OK

2010-08-02T20:20:00.003-05:00

We made a quick trip to Edmond OK last weekend to see Bryan's grandparents. This was the first time they have seen Brayden in person. This trip was long over due!! It took Brayden a little bit to warm up to Grandma and Grandpa but about after an hour and a quick nap he was good to go!

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for having us!! We will be back soon!!! Love you both!!

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse....

2010-08-01T08:28:00.003-05:00

Brayden has been watching cartoons and he is starting to recognize the cartoons he sees every day. Every morning when Mickey Mouse Clubhouse comes on he will stop whatever he is doing and turn to the tv. He just loves hearing Mickey talk and just will smile from ear to ear!!

Grandma comes to visit

2010-07-29T20:17:00.000-05:00

Mom came in for the weekend to see Brayden. We had a great time visiting and cooking out. Here are a few pictures of her with the boys!

Mom bought Brayden a monkey bean bag chair and he loves it! He has started pulling up and crawling all over it!

7 Months!

2010-07-16T20:19:00.004-05:00

Wow how time flies!

Day in the Park

2010-07-15T20:01:00.001-05:00

We have a nice park right down the street from our house so we decided to take Brayden. This is his first trip to the park. As you can see he really enjoyed it!

Happy 4th!

2010-07-07T08:53:00.003-05:00

My 3 boys!!!

We had a wonderful 3 day weekend!! We enjoyed hanging out with Nana cooking hamburgers and hot dogs and drinking some strawberry margaritas. We even took Brayden swimming for a little bit. It was a fun filled weekend with family and friends!!

Week at home with Brayden

2010-06-28T12:36:00.004-05:00

This past week daycare was closed due Mari going on vacation so I stayed home with Brayden. We had many new things happen so it was an exciting week for me!! I have already posted below he started the army crawling the weekend before my vacation started. That has progressed and he pretty fast now and even getting up on all 4's and rocking. It wont be long before he is actually crawling like a big boy!!
He has now progressed from staying in the car seat or stroller to being able to ride in a cart at the grocery store! That was a blessing for me!! :) He can sit up for the most part but he hasn't got the balance down if he starts falling backwards. He can hold himself you leaning forward and side to side.
One very funny and exciting thing is he was able to figure out how to walk in his walker. So now he likes to chase the dogs!!!
I have posted a few videos below of him this past week.

You will have to over look me laughing in this first one...he is chasing the dogs in the walker.

Being silly - laughing at the dogs. He loves his doggies!!

Telling Daddy off.... Brayden got a little upset with Bryan..notice he even points his finger at him!

Another great visit in MP

2010-06-21T09:12:00.004-05:00

For Father's Day weekend we made another trip back to MP to visit Mom/Dad. Here are some pics from the trip along with Bryan's various pics of the place.

Watch out world....he's mobile!!!

2010-06-21T08:35:00.002-05:00

Last Friday Brayden started trying really hard to do the "army crawl" and would scoot a few inches and then stop or roll over. Well over the weekend he practiced more and more. By the time Father's Day got here he got pretty quick. Here is a video of his action! What a great Father's Day present!!

Let's go swimming

2010-06-18T09:08:00.004-05:00

Last weekend Bryan and I took Bray down to the pool. He wasn't to sure of the cold water at first. But after about 10 mins of observing he LOVED it! He splashed and kicked his legs and couldn't stop smiling.

I am sure there will be many more summer days at the pool!

6 Months

2010-06-15T19:58:00.002-05:00

1st Birthday Party

2010-06-12T10:07:00.003-05:00

On June 12th Brayden attended his first birthday party and it was at McDonald's. We went to celebrate Keller's 4th birthday!!(My friends Cara little boy)

Here are a few pics Bryan caught.

Brayden and Daddy

2010-06-08T09:56:00.004-05:00

A child's laugh never gets old... Here is Bryan playing with Brayden and he is a little giggle box.

Working from home...

2010-06-02T09:35:00.009-05:00

Brayden got sick on Sunday with Hand, Foot and Mouth disease and is contagious for 5-7 days so I have been working from home. Figured it was a prime time to update the blog on all that has been going on...

First of all, you are probably asking what is HFHD? Well it is when infants get an extremely sore throat with ucler like blisters in their mouth. Brayden has them at the back of his throat and was screaming non stop all of Sunday and part of Monday. We finally got some relief with giving him some Benadryl and he was able to rest. He finally started drinking his bottle on Monday evening and has slowly start getting his appetite back. Boy, it is stressful having a sick little one!!!

I had a birthday on Saturday and my Mom and Sis-in-law came up for the weekend to hang out. We had a very good visit!!

Here are a couple of shots of Brayden... He is growing so fast!!! He will be 6 months old in just a few weeks!!! He is trying to crawl and can sit up, well at least if he doesn't move! Then he falls over. Before we know it he is going to be into everything!!!

5 Months!!!

2010-05-30T10:51:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics from his 5 month day...

Mother's Day Weekend

2010-05-19T10:35:00.003-05:00

This year was my first Mother's Day so we decided to make a weekend out of it and go to my parents for a little visit. We took off of work on Friday and enjoyed a long weekend. Bryan was able to go fishing and enjoy his time. Theron and wife and family came out on Saturday. We ate hamburgers and brats and enjoyed the company. We had a really good visit!!!

Here are a few pics we shot of Brayden with the new camera!! :)

4 Months!!!!!!!

2010-04-20T10:45:00.002-05:00

Brayden turned 4 months on April 14th!!! He had to go to the doctor and get his shots and as you can see he turned out okay! He screamed for about 5 minutes then all was well!!
He weights 14.5 lbs and is 26 inches long.

Spring is here....

2010-04-20T10:34:00.004-05:00

So that means yard work! Blah!
Since last year I was pregnant with Brayden I really didn't get to do a whole lot in the yard towards the end of summer so the weeds were taking over! My sweet Mother came in town to help me get things back in order. We had a good time not only working in the yard but we did get out and enjoyed some margarita's and went shopping!

Thanks Mom!!!!!

Growing up!

2010-04-20T09:37:00.005-05:00

Brayden is growing and changing everyday!! He is now eating cereal twice a day, grabbing and holding onto things. Reaching for items that interest him, like my hair! He can push up on his tummy and roll over both ways!! He laughs out loud and is always smiling! Before we know it he will be sitting up and crawling!!!

So behind!!!!!

2010-04-20T09:21:00.005-05:00

Sorry I have fell so behind on my blogging!!

We are still taking a picture everyday of him however, it is just too time consuming to upload all of those to the blog. Here are a few and you will see a trend in all the pics.

Just in case you didn't see the trend, I even have a video....

Yep, everything he can get his hands on goes straight to the mouth. Especially his favorite....his fingers!!! We do think he is teething as his bottom gum line is turning white. :)

3 Month Family Pics

2010-04-20T09:10:00.003-05:00

We went and had pictures made for Brayden's 3 month. Here are a few of them!

3 Months Old!!!

2010-03-15T10:22:00.003-05:00

On Sunday Brayden turned 3 months old! He is such a big boy!!
He is "talking" and making lots of noise. He is very alert and watches everything that moves. He laughs and smiles and so fun to watch.

Trip to Grammie & Pa Pa's!

2010-03-15T10:04:00.004-05:00

On Wed afternoon we made a trip to Mt. Pleasant to visit Grammie and PaPa. My cousin Brooke and her family came in for a few days from Missouri. This is the first time I have seen Brooke since our wedding and it was her first time back out in Mt. Pleasant since our grandparents passed away.
We had a blast catching up and the little ones got to meet! Emmy is only a few weeks younger than Brayden so it was a hoot watching them.

Brayden is now drinking 6 oz and seems to be hungry all the time so I tried to give him cereal just to see how he would do. He seem to take it okay but he was so hungry he was getting frustrated. LOL! I think we will wait a few more weeks and try again.

Hmmm....pretty good...

Now, not too sure....

Emmy!

Brooke and Brayden

Emmy and Brayden visiting

My big boy!

Day 80 - 84

2010-03-15T09:59:00.002-05:00

Day 75 - 79

2010-03-15T09:53:00.001-05:00

Family time

2010-03-15T09:39:00.002-05:00

Nana came over to see Brayden today since he had been sick all week. We were able to hang out all afternoon and went out to eat dinner. Bryaden was feeling much better and on the mend!

Thanks Nana for the afternoon!

Day 70 - 74

2010-03-15T09:23:00.004-05:00

Bryaden got his first "illness" around day 71. He had a sinus infection and had to be on antibiotics for 10 days. He went to daycare on day 70 and then was home the rest of the week.

On Monday...feeling good.

Tuesday, Bray not feeling good. :(

Still sick.

Resting....

Feeling better!!!

Still feeling good!

The "tough" week....

2010-02-23T13:47:00.005-06:00

Well, it was my first week back at work and Brayden's first exposure to day care. I think I did pretty well dropping him off at day care and getting through the day. It was hard and I missed my little man. However, going to get him that afternoon and getting that big grin made it worth it!

The new schedule had me going nonstop and I was exhausted!!! Here are some pics from the first week.

Days 63-69....

First day of day care and work!!

The goofy grin....

Ready for another day...

Happy boy!

Handsome.....

Cutie pie..

Lazy Sunday....

Ohhhhh.....

2010-02-23T13:29:00.005-06:00

Brayden has started "talking". I couldn't resist catching it on video...

Days 56-62

2010-02-23T13:14:00.005-06:00

Sorry I am sooo behind on the blog!!
Here are days 56-62...

2 Months old!!!

SNOW!!!!!!

2010-02-11T14:12:00.004-06:00

Today we woke up to it snowing! These pics were taken around 2:15pm and it has been snowing since 5am. We are still expecting it to continue to snow up til midnight.

Bryan had to go into work so me, the boys, and Brayden were able to be home and enjoy it! I wish Brayden was a little older so he could play out in the snow with me. :)

Here are a few pics.

Front of the house.

Back yard.

The boys playing in the snow.

Nicky!

Of course, when you have snow - you have to make snow cream!!! YUMMY

Days 49 - 54

2010-02-08T10:38:00.006-06:00

Here are pics from days 49-54. We have had an eventful week! Brayden started his medication for his reflux and I have seen some improvement! I can tell when the medication has started wearing off and we may need to give it twice a day. He has also "graduated" from being swaddled while sleeping!
Brayden has started "talking" more and more. He smiles non stop and is a ham! He absolutely loves attention! He definitely knows his mommy and daddy's voice.
We went to Mt.Pleasant this past weekend to visit my parents before I go back to work next week.

Mr. Ham!

Not a happy camper! Notice the outfit...Karen and Jerry bought this for him. It is the cutest thing...the little socks are little cowboy boots.

Sleepy boy!

Good Monkey!

On our way to Grammie's!

Being a good boy in Mt. Pleasant!

Glad to be back home!

2 Month Checkup

2010-02-03T13:31:00.006-06:00

Brayden had his 2 month check up this morning...can't believe he will be 2 months old in 10 days!!
He weights 11.2 and 22 1/2 inches long. He is over all in 50% growth percentile expect his head and that is 75% :). He has had a rash on his face, neck, and ears and we found out that is Cradle Cap. I will need to put Aveno baby lotion on his face and if it gets worse the Pediatrician will get him a medicated ointment. He got 4 shots and he screamed!! He also got a prescription for his acid reflux. He will take 1 1/2 pill one time a day. I am hoping this will help the little guy!!!
I think I have found something that will finally help with his constipation...prune juice!! I have been putting some in his formula. I think I actually gave him too much on Monday because he had a blowout on Tuesday. The pediatrician said if I give 1 oz a day he should be good!

Days 40 - 48

2010-01-30T16:31:00.004-06:00

This past week Bryan has been on vacation and it has been nice to have him home to help out with things. We were able to get out a few times and get some errands done. We have also been able to start getting Brayden in a routine that will match our schedules.
Brayden is almost two months! I can't believe it. He is doing good for the most part. We are still battling with the acid reflux (hence some of the crying pics this week). We have found that when he lays or sleeps on his stomach it helps relieve the pain. Of course he is not able to sleep like that all the time, only when we are able to watch him.
He has his 2 month check up on Wed and I am pretty sure he will be put on meds for reflux. I think it will be a good thing since we have changed formulas and bottles and he is still having a hard time.

Here are some pics from the past week and I will update on his status after the doctor's appt on Wed.

Day 37- 39

2010-01-22T11:19:00.006-06:00

As you see on day 37, he was throwing a little fit. ;)

Day 38...I almost forgot to take a pic so this was last minute before bedtime...

Day 39...one during the day and one at night...

Like my new hat?

Active Monkey!

2010-01-22T11:12:00.004-06:00

On day 36 Brayden was being very alert and active so I couldn't help but take more pics. :) He has moved to 4 oz and sleeping 4 hours between feedings. He is being more alert and awake during the day so it has been fun playing and watching him develop and grow.

Day 29 - 35

2010-01-22T11:02:00.002-06:00

Here are days 29 - 35. Enjoy!

I'm a BIG BOY!!!

2010-01-11T18:09:00.002-06:00

We got a "Bumbo" as a gift from one of our showers and I was curious to see if Brayden would be able to use it yet and if he would hold his head up. Sure enough, he sat right in that seat and smiled!!

Bryan's iphone application

2010-01-11T18:00:00.003-06:00

Bryan is always playing with his iphone and finding new applications to download. The latest one is a camera application and here are a few pics of Brayden with that application. Pretty amazing that these are all from a camera phone!

Playing catch up!

2010-01-11T17:35:00.006-06:00

Sorry I haven't posted sooner...just not enough hours in the day! When Brayden is finally napping I am trying do chores around the house, trying to get a shower or even eat!! Having a child does change your world but it is all worth it especially when I wake up and see this every day!

Updated pics - Day 22-28

2010-01-11T17:24:00.003-06:00

First Bath

2010-01-11T17:17:00.004-06:00

Brayden got his first bath (FINALLY). His umbilical cord came off after almost 3 weeks and I was excited to actually be able to bath him rather than doing a sponge bath. However, I know how he hates being cold so I was prepared for the worst fit ever....

Nope, he actually enjoyed it!

After and all clean!!

A New Year!

2010-01-04T13:31:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year!!! Welcome 2010...I am looking forward to what this year has in store for us.
We rang in the New Year by being in bed by 10pm! I guess that is what having a newborn will do to you. ;)
Bryan had New Year's Day off so we decided to make our first road trip with Brayden to Mt. Pleasant to see my parent's and brother. Other than having to pack up the house it wasn't too bad. Brayden rode really well and slept the whole way there and back. We had a short visit and stayed only 1 night and was back at home by 2pm on Saturday. It was good to go home and visit. I know everyone was happy to see Brayden.
Updates on Brayden, his umbilical cord has come completely off today so stay tuned to for the first REAL bath pics!! He hates being cold so I am sure he probably will cry the entire time like he does with his sponge baths.
He is still taking 3oz of formula every 3 to 4 hours. I will be glad once he moves to 4oz so he will sleep a little longer at night. Over all, he is a really good baby! We are truly blessed!

Here are the latest pics. Enjoy!

2 weeks old!

2009-12-30T12:08:00.002-06:00

Brayden had his 2 week Dr appt this morning. Everything checked out good! He now weighs 9.2 lbs and is 22" long. We are making good progress!! I think the new formula is working out good. He has his times that the reflux acts up and he does get really fussy during or after a feeding. We are working on it!

He is moving his head around and has really good control of it. I would say in just a few more weeks he will be able to hold it up all on his own. His next appt will be in 6 weeks when he is 2 months old.

Updates...

2009-12-29T08:47:00.003-06:00

Since I last posted we have had to switch formulas...AGAIN! Poor Brayden had major constipation from the new formula the Pedi suggested. It was way too thick for him to process. We are now on formula #3 and so far it seems to be going good. We have the occasional spit up but nothing too concerning. The Pedi also suggested just 1 ounce of sugar free apple juice once a day to help regulate his bowel movements.

Here are some updated pics! Enjoy!

Brayden has met his insurance deductible already for 2009....

2009-12-24T08:35:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we had a little scare with Mr. Brayden. We noticed after his feeding that his mouth under his nose and around his chin was blue. We looked it up online and most of the comments is that he had got wind and it would go away. Well, then we continued to watch him and nothing changed so we called the Pediatrician and she asked us to come in. She was able to check him out and everything seemed normal but she was not satisfied with that so we had to go over to the hospital to get chest x-rays and a upper GI tract test done. Of course, with my hormones/emotions I tried so hard at this point to hold it together.

After getting him registered at the hospital and paid the $500 out of pocket, they were able to do all the tests and everything checked out and looks good. However, they do see he has acid reflux and very gassy. His reflux is up high in his esophagus rather down low so when his milk comes back up it goes over to his overflow causing him to sound congested and that also could be the reason for the blueness around the mouth.

The Pediatrician contacted us and asked that we change formulas over to one that is specific to that and also get him a "Nap Nanny" to allow him to sleep propped up at all times.

The good news out of all of this is that he will grow out of it when the muscles get strong enough to keep his milk down.

We are starting all the new items today and I pray that it all helps. Last night I was that parent that just sits and watches their child sleep just to make sure they are breathing!!!

Just updating some pics

2009-12-23T11:30:00.007-06:00

Bryan is home now for Christmas vacation and he had all the pics on his laptop so here are a few!

The First Week

2009-12-22T12:20:00.002-06:00

It has definitely been a roller coaster ride and a challenge. Not too bad but it is all new to us and it takes time to figure things out. Oh, and then you have the ups and downs of your hormones!!! Which is just FUN.....
Brayden is a little sweetheart and it is a wonderful feeling to be a Mom! He had is first Doctor's appointment on Monday and everything looks good. He has lost more weight (down to 8.4) but the Dr was not concerned at this point b/c he is eating good (3oz every 3-4 hours).
My Mom left on Monday as well. It was bitter sweet as she was a tremendous help and I don't think we could have done it without her. However, I know she was getting home sick and with Christmas coming up, she was ready to get home.
Speaking of Christmas, it will be strange this year - my first year to not be home. My brothers will be at my parents for Christmas and we will be here. However, we will be able to have Christmas with Bryan's Mom and Jerry.
Hopefully, Bryan, Brayden and I will be able to travel to MP within the next few weekends to make up for it. :)

We are home!!!

2009-12-17T16:23:00.004-06:00

Brayden and I came home from the hospital today. I was so glad to be back in my home. The boys (Toby and Nickel) got introduced and everything went well!!
I am feeling good just really swollen and sore. I went my whole pregnancy with no swelling of the feet or ankles and now I have it! They said it was from the c-section and all the liquids they pump you full of.
Bryan is taking a pic of Brayden every day for 365 days and then we are going to do a little video clip of it. Here is the pics of the first 4 days and his pic coming home!
We couldn't be happier parents!

Brayden Austin Vorel

2009-12-15T05:58:00.003-06:00

Here is a little gallery of Brayden's first day.

38 Weeks and 3 days....

2009-12-09T17:58:00.004-06:00

On Tuesday I had a Dr appt to see what Brayden is measuring for weight. HOLY BIG BABY!!! From the measurements they are thinking he is 9.3lbs!!! WOW! Of course, they can be off and he not be that huge. I have gained a total of 39 lbs during this pregnancy so if he is that bad I think I have done pretty good! ;)
During the sono we did see that he is oblique transverse so the tech thought my Dr would want to talk to me about a c-section.
Today I had an appt to talk to my Dr and she does suggest given his weight and position that we do a c-section. So it is scheduled for Monday at 7:30am...my Dad's b-day....how cool is that?
I cannot wait for Monday to get here so I can meet my little chunky monkey!!

9 Month Dr appt

2009-11-24T17:31:00.002-06:00

I went to the Dr today for my 9 month appointment. Everything went good. I am measuring 37 weeks and Brayden is still head down. They are saying he will be about an 8 pounder...I just hope he's not any bigger than that! My cervix has not starting making any progress. I am hoping all that changes when I go back next week.
I am officially on vacation until the 9th! We are getting ready for Thanksgiving with the families. Thursday we will have lunch at Karen's and then we will head to MP after that and will be there until Sunday. Should all be good times! We have so much to be Thankful for!!!

All Ready for Christmas!

2009-11-21T18:26:00.007-06:00

Our Tree!

Our stockings!! Including Brayden's on the end!!

This past weekend Bryan got all the Christmas stuff down from the attic and we decorated. I know it is early but we wanted to have it all complete before Thanksgiving.

We plan on going to MP this coming weekend for Thanksgiving and then my Mom will be back up here the following week to go shopping. We are going to try and get all of our shopping done...we will see how that goes. ;) Hopefully all the running around will help move me closer to going into labor!

I will be on vacation starting on Wednesday through December 9th! I cannot wait for a break.

I am still counting down the weeks and here is my 36 week belly shot!

34 Weeks.... and counting down

2009-11-10T19:11:00.004-06:00

I am now 34 weeks and counting down. I have 6 weeks left to go and really hoping he comes at week 5. I will be on vacation the 25th of November through December 9th so I REALLY don't want to go back to work. LOL! We go on Sunday for a tour of the Labor & Delivery wing. I am still currently looking for a in home daycare and a pediatrician. I have been trying to stay on top of working out...well, walking now. Bryan and I went on a 4 mile walk last weekend and found out that my bladder just won't hold up for that amount of time. LOL! So I am going to scale it back a mile or so. Well until next time here are the lastest pics....

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-11-10T18:45:00.007-06:00

Well since the last time I posted we have been really busy getting ready for the arrival of Brayden. We had two more baby showers the following week. My work was nice enough to throw me a shower and I am blessed for all the gifts!!

After that shower we traveled to Oklahoma City for a shower there that was given by Bryan's cousin and his mom. It was good to see all of his family and it was a time for part of the family to come together to visit.

We got lots of goodies and now Brayden's room is full!! We are truly blessed to have such great friends and a wonderful family!!

Baby Shower

2009-10-20T08:20:00.007-05:00

On Sunday three of my closest friends; Amy, Cara and Jenny threw me a baby shower at my house. They did an awesome job getting everything together and set up! Thank you girls!!!
We did have 1 issue with the cake...poor Amy....She drove from Rockwall to McKinney and during the transport of the cake, it shifted. However, we managed to rig it up and hide the missing part of the cake and it all turned out great! Here are a few pic from the shower.

Preggo Pics....

2009-10-19T12:35:00.012-05:00

On Saturday a good friend of mine came over to take some pregnancy pics. She does this a hobby and I don't think I could found anyone better! She also did my wedding pics and I love how those turned out. Here are just a few of my favorites.

Finish....Finally

2009-10-12T08:13:00.011-05:00

This past weekend we worked hard to get Brayden's room completed before the baby shower on Sunday. Here are the pics of the finished room...

My Mom/Dad sent us money to by the stroller/car seat so we went to Babies R Us and picked one. I think it is all really starting to hit home now that we will have a new addition to the family soon!

Brayden's Room and Updates

2009-10-07T18:27:00.006-05:00

We have been making progress on Brayden's room and a few people have asked for me to post the pics so far.
But first, I am now 29 weeks and the belly pic is at the bottom of the page. I passed the Glucose test...Yeah!
Updates on the pregnancy...I have starting having the lovely acid reflux at night when I am trying to sleep. I figured out that if I take Maalox before bed it helps! My energy has really gone downhill and I get out of breath doing anything! What happened to having a "glow"?? I never saw that. Brayden is moving no stop and loves to kick. You can actually see my stomach move. Above it all this has been a easy pregnancy and I really don't have any complaints. :)

Anyway...back to the room. Here is the pic of the pirate paintings.

Here is a pic of the bed and bedding...

Here is a pic of his name on the wall...

We still have some more work to do and once it is all completed I will post the final product!

Texas State Fair

2009-10-05T13:52:00.005-05:00

This past weekend Bryan and I made it out to the State Fair with his mom and her finance. The weather was perfect! We made it out there right in time for lunch so my first stop was to get me a Fletcher's corny dog! Man, those things are sooo good!!

The big thing at the fair this year is fried butter...that just sounds gross. None of us could bring ourselves to trying it. I will tell you that the line was LONG! I am not sure if they were waiting for the fried butter or the other fried concoctions. (fried cookie dough or fried moon pie!) I don't know where they come up with this stuff.
We walked around looking at the normal booths and crafts they have at the fair every year and before heading out we decided it was time for dessert. We kept hearing about the fried peaches and cream. So here it is before we ate every bit of it! It was really good!!

3rd Trimester

2009-09-30T12:35:00.003-05:00

Well, I am officially in my last trimester! It is all downhill from here right??
I had my 28 week Dr appt and Glucose test. That stuff tastes like orange syrup and made my stomach hurt...anyway, I should get the results back on Monday. Fingers crossed that I pass!
Everything else looked and sounded good. I gained another 4lbs. Cant really complain about that. :)
We did get the baby furniture in yesterday so the room is really coming together. I will post pics of the final product once we have it all done.
I am set to have 2 baby showers this coming month...Looking forward to those and oh, I am getting Preggo pics taken on the 17th!

Brayden 4D Ultrasound Video

2009-09-29T08:00:00.004-05:00

Here is the video. Make yourself comfortable b/c it is about 20 mins long. Enjoy!!