Brayden's first Christmas

I know I'm way late but since my last post we have been busy. Brayden has been battling with what we think is silent reflux, meaning he doesn't actually spit up but the reflux hurts him. We finally got medicine for him at the end of December that seems to be helping. I actually tried two days off of it the last couple days and all the symptoms came back so he's going back on the medicine for now. Anyway this struggle pretty much consumed our energy the last few weeks of December before the medicine kicked in - he would scream during feedings like it was hurting him and then just scream probably because he was hungry.

Anyway, back to Christmas...

On Christmas Eve, Brayden went to church for the first time! We went to the 7pm candlelight service and had to sit in the overflow section due to the crowd which ended up working out great with Brayden who was due for a feeding at the start of the service and got tired and fussy by the end. Since we were in overflow outside of the sanctuary it allowed us to easily walk around to put him to sleep and give him a bottle without disturbing too many.

Brayden's first Christmas was great but of course he wasn't really aware of what was going on. Thus, he didn't really get much from Santa this year. :) One of my things is that we wake up in our house Christmas morning and spend time as a family before going to spend the day with others. So, the three of us got up and opened gifts at our house. While opening gifts, Brayden gave me a large present down below if you know what I mean. :) Jimmy got me a Nook which I absolutely love and he mostly got workout stuff from me (that's what he wanted - I wasn't trying to imply anything)

After we were done at our house, we went to my parents house to open gifts. We are so very blessed to have the constant support of my parents and they generously got us some great gifts! My big gift was a jogging stroller which Brayden and I love and Jimmy's big gift was a bicycle which he also loves. Both gifts have gotten a lot of use already. Brayden got a few little things and the start of a college fund.

My aunt, uncle and grandparents came over to my parents house for Christmas lunch and we ended the day watching football and relaxing. It was a great day! Below are pics.

Brayden asleep after opening gifts at our house with his two new toys from us


Brayden asleep again during gifts at my parents


Jimmy opened a bunch of packages with pieces of paper that pieced together a little poem pointing him to his bike... this is him finding it in my parent's shed


New bike


Riding around with Molly following




My brother got a snowboard helmet and Brayden gave him the bib :)


The helmet boys :)


Trying to get a pic of Brayden in front of the tree in his new bumbo




Worn out


All bundled up for our first run in the new jogging stroller (it's a Joovy and is awesome if you wanted to know!)


Also on Christmas Eve my good friends Mike and Kelly came over to hang out for a bit. It was the first time Mike got to meet Brayden although Brayden wasn't the one he held the whole time. It was too funny Gracie and Molly's obsession with Mike... the pictures do not do it justice - they were all over him the whole time! :)