I love My Rice Cereal!

Daddy feeds me my rice cereal!  It sure tastes funny.  We have only tried it a couple of times before this, but this time I finished the whole bowl!  I am such a big boy!  

Thanksgiving Table Talk

You can always find the brothers sitting at the kitchen table after they've filled there bellies.  Like old hens clucking away about this and that.  

Dad is sporting his new haircut.  They shaved Logan's hair for his brain surgery.  Uncle Jeff told Logan that he would do the same thing.  Way to show great support Dad!

Thanksgiving At The Schafbuchs'

Bo was a hit at Thanksgiving!  Everyone wanted to kiss those chubby cheeks.  Bo sure loves sitting on Uncle Casey's lap!  We all filled our bellies with Turkey, mashed potatoes, scalloped corn, and MY specialty shrimp salad.  We all made a get well sign for Logan.  He was a patient at the University of Iowa where he underwent brain surgery.  We are happy to report his surgery went well and is now home.  We are always thinking of you Logan!  

Whitney and Jordan's wedding is still being planned and we were all excited to hear the updates on planning.  

Corrina and Kevin sciped so we were ALL able to see them.  There were have 18 people over to there home that evening for there Thanksgiving.  It was after everyone got off work, as it is not a recognized holiday in the UK.  

Casey is still looking for Red.

Bo's Baptism

Bo was baptism was this morning.  We all gathered at St. John XXIII just outside of Cedar Rapids. It was an emotional moment when Father Vu held Bo up to the church.  We met back at the house for a very enjoyable brunch.  

Happy Halloween !

Bo's first halloween!  Boy did Mom and Dad make it hard on him.  We dressed him in two different costumes, carved a pumpkin and stuck him in it, and took pictures of all of it!  He will thank us someday.  Cousin Sara Simmons gave us a bumble bee outfit that fit him the best and looked the best in the pictures.  But, since it was our first halloween with a baby we had to buy a costume for him too.  Heath picked out a monkey outfit. 

Big Boy In My Bumbo

Grandma Sue's Birthday

Grandma Sue turned 52 today.  We had big deli sandwiches and chocolate birthday cake at the cabin.  Great Grandma Lynn was there to help celebrate too!  We snapped a family photo since it has been since Bo was in the hospital since we did that.  

The Brandts Go Green

What a big day we had!  First we went to Pecks to purchase another tree.  This has become a yearly tradition.  This year we bought a Linden tree.  We planted it in our backyard.  Later this afternoon we drove to Marengo where we picked up our long awaited Ford Escape Hybrid vehicle.  We ordered our hybrid in May and it finally arrived.  How GREEN can you get in one day?  Plant a tree and buy a hybrid!  We ended the evening at the cabin where we celebrated Grandma Sue's 52nd birthday. We were all pooped by the time we got home.  But, still had enough energy to take a ride around the block in our new hybrid.  I think Bo really enjoyed his first ride on Mama's lap in the front seat.  

Grandpa & Grandma Roux From Wisconsin

Bo sure enjoyed meeting his great-grandparents from Wisconsin for the first time.  It was an enjoyable weekend to visit with G&G.  It had been about a year since we'd seen them.  Thanks to them for making the long drive to come see all of us.  They were able to skype Corrina and Kevin in England too.  It was a great time!  

Four Generations

A Day At The Hillcrest Garden

We made a trip to the pumpkin patch!  This is Bo's first Halloween so we thought we would create a tradition of going to Hillcrest Garden which is just down the road from the winery where we were married.  We were able to pick out a pumpkin and weigh it on there big ancient scale.  We picked out a 32 pounder.  Bo wasn't in the mood to hunt too long for the perfect pumpkin.  He received his 4 month old shots at Dr. Momany's office just an hour before this.  

First Day At the Park

Bo's World

What a cute close-up!  Bo has his 4 month appointment with Dr. Momany this week.  We will see just how much he has grown since last time!  

Trying on Hats!

Fun With Uncle Casey!

Uncle Casey came to visit this weekend.  As you can see Bo was all smiles!  Casey says he will teach him how to "Bo" hunt soon enough!

Happy Hands

Bo has found both of his hands this week.  He constantly has them in his mouth.  He went to church with Grandma Brandt this weekend.  He slept through the whole service.  Heath and I are planning a baptisim for possibly November 9, 2008.  We will certainly get the final date out to all of you soon.  I got a brand new camera last week.  My "investment" for the family memories for years to come.  I have been having lots of fun just taking pics of our little guy.  I will post them for all of you to enjoy.  

Fast Asleep

Baby Bo fell asleep in a really funny position.  So, Mommy had to snap a picture.  

Our Little Cutie !

It took Heath and Dad 3 hours to put Bo's crib together.  It was midnight before Mom and Dad left our house that night.  Thanks Dad!

Bath Time !

Bath Time at the Brandt house. Daddy and Bo get clean after a long,hard, day in the sandbox. Baby Bo just loves the warm water. He sure is a good swimmer.

Our Baby Is Discharged From NICU

Baby Bo is strong enough to go home! It took Heath and I a half hour to get the base for the carseat secured in the car. We were so nervous to drive with him in the back seat. He was discharged at 4 pounds 13.5 ounces!  Bo will meet his pediatrician tomorrow in Amana.

Mommy is Sick AGAIN

I woke this morning with severe right flank and pelvic pain.  I had to call Mom at 8:00AM and say "help me".  I couldn't take care of Bo because of how uncomfortable I was.  I got a 1:30PM appt. to be seen in the OB clinic again.  They did a CT of my torso.  It turns out that I have a 8mm right kidney stone. The stone is blocking the urine going from my kidney to the bladder.  Causing the urine to go right back into my kidney.  Not to mention 2 other kidney stones in both kidneys that are 2 mm in size just waiting for another rainy day.  Mom spent the night with Bo and I in the hospital.  I was put on some strong narcotics for pain.  The doctors put me on a special medication that will help me pass the kidney stones.  

Bo had to do a trial run in his car seat.  He passed the car seat test! Hopefully he will go home tomorrow.  He could have gone today, but I was too sick.  

First Year Wedding Anniversary

Heath and I have been married for a year!  What a fast year it was!  Heath brought our wedding topper to the hospital.  We both took one bite and spit it out.  Year old cake is never good.  Bo was circumcised today.  It turns out the doctor that did the procedure was a gal that I went to high school with.  

Bo Loses His Belly Button!

Heath and I were changing Bo's diaper and his belly button fell off.....and  yes we kept it.  He is no longer in the isolet bed.  They have put him in a normal baby crib as he is able to regulate his own body temperature.  His weight today is 4 pounds 7 ounces.  Grandma Alicia and Jeff brought Mommy and Daddy Olive Garden for supper in the hospital room this evening.  It was so good.  I haven't eaten anything for a couple days because of the mastitis.  

Mommy Very Sick

I woke up this morning with a fever of 38.8 degrees celsius.  I have the chills.  I had to walk to the OB Clinic here within the hospital.  They diagnosed me with mastitis.  I have never felt so miserable.  I was put on antibiotics and hopefully this never happens again.  I was so sick that it was too difficult to take care of Bo.  The nurses stepped up and helped me.  

Baby Bo Has Hit Four Pounds!

Our little guy is growing up.  His weight today was 1842 grams or 4 pounds 0.9 ounces.  A big victory to celebrate on the same day as Auntie Corrina's birthday!

Bo is now 3 pounds 12.04 ounces.   I introduced him to the breast for the first time.  No suck swallow.  Just a proper first introduction.  He was transferred to Bay 4 this afternoon.  This is a more family driven unit.  It encourages parents to room in with the babe and provide all the cares.  This is right up my ally.  The nurse showed me how to get Bo in and out of the isolet by myself.  The nurse made me feel like a real mother, taking care of my baby.  I have held Bo for every feeding today.  This "isolet" bed is what keeps him warm enough that he won't waste his calories trying to keep warm.  He can be out for short periods of time during each day.  

Holding our son for the first time!

Bo is 3 days old. The doctors have slowly reduced the oxygen in his nose. He is now being fed 8ml of breast milk every 3 hours. We have found that he digests better on his side or laying on his belly.
This was the first time I was able to hold Bo. When the nurse asked me if I'd like to hold him, my eyes filled with tears. I was finally going to hold our little boy! This made the moment real. We were really parents. Heath just grinned as he watched me cry with happiness. This was a moment I will never forget. Bo felt tiny and warm as I cradled him in my arms. He was connected to so many tubes that we had to sit still as statues. I was able to hold Bo for 30 minutes. Best moment yet! Daddy was able to hold Bo for his first time later in the evening.
I was finally discharged from the hospital. Heath and I checked into the Ronald McDonald House down the road from the hospital. This is a facility provided to families of babies in the NICU.

First Family Photo