8 Months

My little guy is 8 months old today! Where has the time gone? It's amazing to think all that has changed in such a short amount of time. These photos are actually from about a month ago - I'm just finally getting around to posting them. I'm having so much fun being a mom and it is just about to get even better...

I quit my full time job as the director of business operations for a medical supply company so that I can stay at home with Bray and focus on my photography business! I'm so excited to be able to give being a stay at home mom a shot! Now if someone would just pay me to take photos of Braylon I'd really be set!

Bray is doing great and getting bigger every day. He weighs a little over 16 pounds and is 27 inches long. He babbles all of the time and loves to laugh. We get "dada" and "mama" occasionally but that is about it at this point. He isn't quite crawling yet but he is close. He just scoots on his back or rolls to get where he wants to for now! He loves to eat anything we give him and still sleeps great too. We are seriously the luckiest parents ever. We took him to his first Broncos football game 2 weeks ago and he had his first plane ride that weekend too! Next weekend we are off to California for a little much needed time with my family. He gets to see his Grandma and Papa and meet 2 of his uncles, an aunt, his cousins and his g-ma for the first time. I'm SO excited to go home. I can hear the beach and In-N-Out calling to me!

Sweet Hope

In case you didn't notice there is a new button for Sweet Hope on the right side of my blog now. Sweet Hope is an organization dedicated to helping orphans worldwide. Lisa founded Sweet Hope in 2006 and is an amazing, funny, talented and just all around kick-ass chick. Her truffles and caramels make wonderful Christmas gifts too. She writes a fabulous blog that you can find at www.lifeofelle.com. Follow along - you won't be disappointed! And consider purchasing some of her amazing candies for gifts this year!!!

growing up...

My little boy is growing up! He got his first tooth about a week ago and yesterday his second one popped through. To top that - he said his first word! Aghhhh! Now dada-dada-dada-duh-da-duh-da-a-dada can be heard regularly throughout my days. It is pretty freakin' cute - it's just that these milestones seem to sneek up on me every once in a while. I realize how fast time is going by. On a lighter note... we gave Bray a pickle for the first time the other day... check out his reactions! Too cute! It took him a minute or so but he decided that he is a big fan of the pickle!

evelyn & braylon's lucky day

Here are a few of my favorite images from a photo session last week. This was actually Braylon's first time on the swings. He doesn't look super impressed in this photo but he really liked it! I'm having so much fun with my photography and I feel like I'm starting to find my style. I can't believe I wasted so much time not doing what I love! It's been scary, challenging and a little overwhelming getting things started and every once in a while I question whether or not I've got what it takes. When it comes down to it though - I'm the only person I need to impress. I only have to live up to my own standards and I'm not in competition with anyone because there is only one me. Someone famous said something like that once. The coolest part has been the support that I've gotten from the most unexpected people. Pretty cool.

6 Months Old

I can't believe that my little boy is a half year old! This is a photo of him crashed out after his doctor's appointment and shots :( on his 6 month birthday. Look at those eyelashes and pudgy cheeks! I guess our scale at home was a little off because he is only 15 pounds, 3 ounces and is 26 1/2 inches long. He is kind of a little guy but we think he is perfect. Besides, the lighter he is the easier it is for me to carry him! He is doing great with eating solids foods - so far he has conquered rice cereal, bananas, sweet potatoes, peas and pears. He LOVES his pears! He seems to like everything though and has been really chowing down the last couple of days. We are desperately trying to find a solution to help me stay at home with him but until my photography is established (or we win the lottery) we are kind of between a rock and a hard place. We can't afford (and don't want him in) daycare but we can't afford for me to quit my job either. Thank God I work for an amazing company that is letting me take him to work with me everyday. It isn't ideal - it's actually really hard on me but at least it is helping us get by for now. My website is finally up though - www.luckyfridaystudios.com. It kind of feels like a first draft to me but I can tweak it as time goes on.

Maybe I should have called the last post "A Lot Busy"

Wow - things have been CRAZY around here. I've have been working way too much - I've been putting in about 45 hours/week at my regular job (where Braylon comes with me every day) and trying to get my photography company off the ground in the evenings and on the weekend while I'm also taking care of Bray. It's just nuts. I shot my first wedding a couple of weeks ago and now I am busy editing all of the photos so that I can get them to the newlyweds soon. My website will be ready to launch as soon as I'm done editing some more pics and I can't wait to launch it. We named the company Lucky Friday Studios in honor of Braylon being born on Friday the 13th. The website is www.luckyfridaystudios.com. Yay! Now on to what everyone really wants to know...

Braylon is doing great. He will be 6 months old next week. Where did the time go? We go to the doctor so I will have to post after his appointment to let you know how much he weighs. Our scale at home puts him at 16 1/2 pounds! He can roll from his belly to his back but hasn't quite figured out how to move his arm to get from his back to his belly. He LOVES his toes. He started eating solid foods a couple of weeks ago. So far he has tried rice cereal, bananas, and sweet potatoes. He wasn't too sure about the whole eating thing to start but the past few nights he seems to be liking it more and even grabs my hand to shove the spoon in his mouth faster. I feel like I'm living out that Bill Cosby skit - the one where he talks about the baby's poop changing! I gagged for the first time yesterday!!! He has quite the easy going personality still. He is super mellow and loves to laugh if you sing songs to him and make him dance. His favorite tunes right now are "Shake that Booty" and the song from Madagascar "I like to move it"! He's finally getting a little chunk on him too! I need to take a photo - the kid finally has some thighs on him. I'm just like my mom - I pinch them and squeeze them and pretend to eat them all the time! They are just way too cute!

We are loving the new Mac - especially the webcam! Andy's parents got one and two of my brothers have them so we have gotten to chat with a bunch of the family over the last few weeks. My parents should have one soon - I can't wait! It is so much better than talking on the phone and I love that they all get to watch Braylon grow since we live so far away from each other :(.

A Little Busy

And this gorgeous specimen is the reason why! Yep. I got an iMac. This baby is SO beautiful - I think I actually have a crush on my computer!!! I upgraded the graphics on it since I will be using it for photography and it has a 2 foot screen! Speaking of photography... I ordered my new camera equipment too. I can't wait for it to all come in so that I can really get things started. Andy and I have decided that I am going to take the leap of faith and start my photography business!!! I've only been talking about it for about 10 years now :). I'm really jazzed to get things going and I can't wait to get into the nitty gritty of designing a website and sharing my work with the world.

Father's Day and First Laughs

This weekend we got to celebrate Andy's first father's day! He decided that he wanted to go to lunch at Steamwork's Brewery downtown and then wander around the shops for a bit. The weather was beautiful and we were able to sit out on the patio and enjoy it. After lunch we walked around before treating ourselves to shakes at Cold Stone Creamery. We actually spent part of both days this weekend downtown. There was a car show and festival down there on Saturday. I love taking Braylon out and about. We always run into friends who love getting to see him. We get a lot of strangers stopping us to admire him too. And I absolutely love the nice comments people make about what a good baby he is and how beautiful those huge, blue eyes are. Of course like all parents we get our fair share of stupid comments too and this weekend was no exception. The first was was directed at Andy. He was holding happy little Bray and hanging out in the front of a boutique while I tried on a shirt in the dressing room. A woman our age walked in and immediately asked "where's his mom?". Andy said that the way she said it was like she thought Andy had no business holding his own son! The next one wasn't actually directed to us - it was just said loud enough to make sure that we overheard. A woman and her teenage daughter walked past us on the street. Braylon was in his stroller hugging his stuffed mouse. The girl commented on how cute Bray was and then asked her mom if she looked like that when she was that little. Her mom said "yes except you weren't allowed to play with stuffed animals when you were that little because a baby that young might choke"!

A couple of days ago Andy got Braylon to really laugh for the first time! I wish we had it on video - it was way too funny. Andy was getting him ready for his bath and undressing him. When he started blowing on his stomach Bray just started cracking up. It was awesome! He has been giggling a little here and there for a long time but this was the first time he just kept laughing out loud. Needless to say every bath since then we have been trying to get him to laugh like that again! I think we can add stomach kisses and funny noises to our nightly bathtime routine now!

Stats

Name: Braylon Brant Vanous
Age: 4 months
Weight: 13 pounds - 20th percentile
Height: 2 feet, 1 inch - 50th percentile
Eyes: bright blue
Hair: light brown/dark blond
Likes: gagging myself with my own hands, napping in my parent's arms
Dislikes: 4 month shots :(
Favorite food: milk

4 Months

My how things have changed! Braylon turned 4 months old on June 13th. It is so amazing to look back at not only how he has changed but how our life in general has changed. I never knew how one little person could make me so happy. Just look at the glow on my face in this photo. Okay so I used the "glow" enhancer in my photo editor - but still! I have never been a morning person but this little guy makes me look forward to my mornings because he almost always wakes up so happy...


Suddenly we look forward to the weekends so that we have time to assemble the jumperoo that we have been so excited for Bray to be big enough to use. I look forward to bed time so that I can lay there and watch my son sleeping. He is so beautiful and peaceful... And I live to take pictures of him as he grows and changes. You can tell from the expression on Bray's face that he loves it too...


And just like everyone said - our dogs are totally neglected now. Poor little puppies...

Braylon & his Mousey

Look at that big boy! Yesterday I went to the hospital to visit a friend who had just had her baby. It made me realize how big Braylon has gotten in the last 3 months! He has almost doubled in size and developed the sweetest little personality. A few nights ago we decided it was time to start transitioning him into his co-sleeper at night. He is doing so well. I wish I could say the same for myself! I find myself waking up just to look at him and being anxious for his 3 or 4 a.m. feeding so that I have the excuse I need to put him back in bed with us. For someone who swore she was never going to get in the habit of sleeping with her baby I sure am having a hard time letting him sleep on his own!

He has become super expressive and it is so easy to get him to smile and laugh! I love all the funny little faces that he makes. Lately he has been smiling at me when he is trying to fall asleep. He will almost be out and then he half opens his eyes. When he sees me he gets a huge smile on his face. I've got to tell you - there is NOTHING like being adored by your baby boy.

Happy Friday!

3 Months

Wow - I seriously suck at keeping my blog up to date. For as much as I love reading blogs and seeing new posts everyday it is pretty ridiculous that I post once a month. I will try to do better! I had a fabulous 1st Mother's Day with my boys. Braylon is doing great - he is 2 feet tall and weighs 13 1/2 pounds! We have a pretty good routine down so things are surprisingly easy. It is rough working full time and taking Braylon with me but hopefully we will find a solution to that soon. We are so happy that spring is here though so that helps to keep me from losing it!

2 Months Young

Little "B" turned 2 months yesterday, the day after his first Easter! He goes to the doctor tomorrow so we will find out then how big he has gotten. We spent the weekend getting some of our much overdue "to-do" list done. One of the more fun projects on the list was putting Braylon's hand and foot prints on some 5 inch square canvases that I painted. The hand was challenging - I didn't think how difficult it would be to get a sleeping baby to unclench his fist - but they turned out awesome and it was totally worth it.

Braylon is such a good baby - we feel super lucky. He is super easy going and usually only wakes up once or twice at night to nurse. He really only fusses when he has a dirty diaper or when he is hungry (oh yeah - or if his mom eats tomatoes or cabbage!). He is low maintenance for sure. I think the fact that we he is still sleeping with us and that I wear him in his Moby wrap a lot has a lot to do with how content he is. He gets to come to work with me so he gets my attention all day long too. It really is much easier than I thought it would be to take care of him and work at the same time.

He is smiling a ton (but has already learned how to stop as soon as I grab the camera). I've gotten a few shots of the elusive smiles but I still haven't captured his huge "something is SUPER funny" smile. When he does that one it looks like you should hear him cracking up laughing even though no noise is coming out of him! It's awesome. I'll leave you with some photos from Easter...

Big Day

Today has been a big day and it isn't even 9 a.m.! The shoulder straps in Braylon's car seat had to be adjusted because he has already outgrown the first setting! Holy moly!!! I guess it shouldn't surprise me because he had almost grown 4 inches since he was born at his last appointment. It just seems so soon. Almost as exciting is the fact that for the first time in MONTHS I decided that I had the energy to wear real shoes! Since I got uncomfortable during my pregnancy I have been wearing "easy" shoes like my Ugg boots or flip flops. But this morning I decided that I had enough of that I finally put on my much missed Doc Marten's. It felt good. I'll leave you with a couple of precious photos - compliments of Heidi Chowen Photography!!! She took these amazing shots when Bray was only 8 days old. If you live in Durango you absolutely MUST have her take photos for your family - she is the best!!! (This is a little glimps into what we be on our birth announcements).

7 weeks ago

7 weeks ago I had just found out that my bag of amniotic fluid had ruptured. It started leaking at about 1:45 a.m. but it took until after 8 a.m. for my doctor to get into the hospital and confirm that it had indeed broken because every test the nurses did came back negative! I was sure I was getting sent home for a false alarm until my doctor walked in after examining a swab under the microscope and said that we were having a baby that day. Little did he know that my labor would last 30 hours and we wouldn't have our baby until the next day - Friday the 13th of course! It seems like ages ago and just yesterday all at the same time. Braylon changes every day and we just keep falling deeper in love with him.

As of Tuesday he weighs 9 pounds, 1 ounce and is 22 3/4 inches long. I just can't believe how fast he is growing. Apparently, breast milk does a body good! He is getting chubby little cheeks and a round little belly too - way too cute! I don't know how I lived before he was here.

Braylon...

Wow - I can't believe that it took me over 6 weeks to post after Braylon was born! Being a new mom is definitely challenging but it is also the most amazing thing ever! This is going to be a short one because I need to get some work done but here is the important stuff...

Braylon Brant Vanous was born on Friday, February 13th at 7:45 a.m. after 30 hours of labor and 3 hours of pushing (yikes). He is perfect and beautiful and Andy and I are totally in love. He is now just over 6 weeks old and is doing great. He sleeps like a little champion so Andy and I are actually doing really well. More later but here is a photo of the little peanut.

Truckin along...

I just got back from the doctor's. I'm dilated to 1 cm, 80-90% effaced and the baby is at zero station. Doc said it could be any day now - he thinks I will definitely deliver in the next 2 weeks!

The Nursery

The nursery is finally done! We are really happy with how it turned out. Of course, as soon as Braylon can talk we are sure he will demand that it be re-painted! I really didn't think we were going to get it finished before he was born but now that everything is ready for him I feel so much better.

I have been having lots of contractions over the last couple of days. I hope that is a sign that he is coming soon. I don't know how much longer I can keep up with my regular work schedule. To say it is difficult is putting it lightly. So think thoughts of labor for me!!!

36 Week Checkup

We had our 36 week check up this morning. Things are going great. I'm actually 80% effaced and the baby is almost to zero station. No dilation yet but the doc said that is typical because of the cervical surgery I have had. Typically after surgery a woman's cervix will totally thin out before it dilates instead of thinning and dilating at the same time. He also said that I could deliver anytime! Sweet! The baby looks great and we are guessing that he will be about 7 or 8 pounds - perfect as far as I'm concerned. My doctor and my husband actually decided that it would be really convenient for their schedules if I had the baby this weekend. Babies always come when it is convenient right?! I let them know I would see what I could do to make that happen for them!

We ordered the last of the must-have items a couple of nights ago so once those get here we are totally ready! It is really exciting to be so close and to feel so prepared. Now all we need is the little one... :)