Rodeo Fun for our Honey Bun

Playing catch-up for the sake of capturing my memories...

Back in March, Cary took the day off and his mom babysat David, so we could have our first big fun outing since David's birth.  I was itching to get out of the house and Margo was eager for some excitement!  What better than the Houston Rodeo?!?

Margo is still asking to go to the rodeo at least once a week, so I know she loved it this year without a doubt.  We did everything... petting zoo, tractor rides, the farmer's market, rides, ate bad food, pet bunnies and so much more.  I absolutely love what the rodeo has to offer for kids.


Everyone loves babies!

We arrived just as it opened which was perfect as there was hardly anyone there and no lines plus front row views of baby pigs and calves.  Margo said her favorite activity was the petting zoo.  She was so sweet to all of the animals and probably could have spent the whole day hanging out with them.  Her least favorite activity, judging by the picture, was the Jeep ride.  Bless her heart, she was so excited until it took off and mommy could not get to her.  Just another growing experience for our sweet girl.

Feeding the chickens!

Poor baby!

I relished in my special time with our girl and love nothing more than experiencing these moments through a child's eyes.  The awe and excitement is contagious and makes everything especially fun again.  We can't wait to create many more memories for year's to come at the HLSR! 

David Grew in Month Two

Month Two was much of the same with our sweet David.  Poor guy has struggled so much with his little immature tummy.  His sweet demeanor is really apparent behind his tough times and when he does feel good, he is an absolute joy!

Our Darling David!

Some days were good in month two and some were terrible.  On the upside, David started sleeping for period of 5 to 8 hours in his second month, thanks to the help of our night nanny.  Yes, the fatigue was becoming so overwhelming for me that we hired an AMAZING night nanny.  Seems weird, I know, but I am not ashamed to say I needed the help and it is the best possible thing I could have done for our whole family!  Thanks to my sister's generosity, we were able to have Tracie's help two or three nights a week for a few months.  She was previously a NICU nurse, had several children of her own (one being very premature) and she was incredibly knowledgable.  She was able to explain things and recognize things in David that I would never been aware of.  I highly recommend it if you can afford it, expecially after your first child when it is much harder to rest.  It was like having a live-in doctor/super mom at nights.

Sometimes he sleeps like an angel!

Back to our beautiful boy, right when he turned two months old, he started giving us great big smiles and is cooing and gooing just like Margo did.  It looks like we are going to have two talkers on our hands.  I will probably not get a word in edgewise!  He is holding his head up very well and is already pushing himself up on his tummy, probably because I am breaking the rules and sleeping him on his tummy.  He is eating well, taking in about 4 ounces per 6 feedings a day and is not the best napper.  With the encouragement of my sister, my niece, the night nanny and our pediatrician I have already let him cry it out for no more than five minutes at nap time and it has worked wonders after only about three times.  Now, he goes down without any kind of a fight, but unfortunately his tummy keeps him from staying asleep.  He wakes screaming, I will burp him or help him toot and then he refuses to go back down, so I am just going with the short naps for now.  Inevitably, he will have a really sleepy day to make up for it every few days or so.

Our little Go Braghs!

In David's second month, we went on his first road trip and it was a long one.  Actually, it was the longest even Margo had ever been on at 6 hours.  David and Margo both did awesome and it is funny how much easier it is to do things with the 2nd.  I would have never dreamed of a road trip with Margo at that age.  We went to my sister's amazing river house in Menard with my dad and his wife, Connie, and my nephew and his family.  I miss my dad terribly, so I treasured every moment.  Margo got to play with Lucas, her cousin who is only a month younger, and my dad and Connie finally got to meet David for the 1st time.  Although I was tired, it was a wonderful visit and it was beautiful in the pecan grove on the river--did my soul good and was so good for Margo to experience Mother Nature in its purest form. 

Grandpaw and David!

A Happy Morning to You!

Precious girl!

A Love Affair with the World's Largest Sucker!

Despite all of the tummy issues, David is growing beautifully.  At his two month visit, his stats, according to the CDC growth charts for premature babies, were:

Weight:  10.2 lbs (71%)
Height:  22.2" (81%)
Head:  14.8" (49%)

I was so scared to have a boy and not know what to do with him, but I am so happy to have a boy.  It is fun to experience the other side of things and I love him to bits!  We are an incredibly blessed family of four!