The Magic Shoes

We went to the pediatric orthopedist a few weeks ago and assessed Brendan's feet. He has moderate to severe tibial torsion. It's really just a fancy doctor way of saying that Brendan is bad to really bad pigeon-toed. The perscription was for him to wear orthopedic shoes when he goes to sleep at night (not during nap time). They are lace-up shoes with wooden soles, held together with a metal bar and are set at a 30-degree outward angle. The specialist said that after reviewing Brendan's x-rays his bones are not the problem, it is the muscles he uses to walk. They are basically turning his feet in with every step that he takes. So the night shoes (we call them his 'magic shoes') are going to train that muscle to pull the feet out instead of in.

We have been using them every night for a few weeks now, and though they took a few nights to get used to, he has grown accustomed to having them on. He is really good at letting us put them on every night, not much complaining or whining. He does have a hard time falling asleep some nights, but it's nothing we can't work through. The worst is for us parents, as he kicks his feet through the night which cause a huge ruckus...wood shoes on wood bed. It sounds like construction is going on inside our house. We have started sleeping with ear plugs because it is so loud. And he is destroying the finish on his bed with the banging. But if it fixes the problem with his feet at this early age, it is worth these small hassles.

Let It Snow!

This morning we were able to play in the snow for the very first time as a family. Brendan was able to see snow last year, but he was far too young to enjoy it. We were surprised at how much fun he had! Thought he'd be a little whiney because it was so cold, but we were dead-wrong. We had a blast. He loved chasing Belle around the yard. And watching Daddy throw snow at Mommy. He would say "Ball" every time Daddy made a snowball. Mommy made a snow angel and tried to do the same with Brendan. He was not too happy with being layed-down in the snow so it turned out a little messy. What a wonderful memory.

Daddy and Brendan, all layered and ready for the snow:

Brendan says "ball" for each snowball.

Walking in the snow is tough!

Brendan likes to chase Belle. Belle has fun, too.

Oops! Bubba fell down. But he's no worse for the wear.

"Yum! Snow lunch." -Belle

Mommy's snow angel:

It sure is tough to get a 20-month-old to lay down on his back anywhere, not to mention in the cold snow! Brendan making his snow angel.

So it's more of a snow-blob than a snow angel. We weren't looking for perfection.

More running in snow:

We love snow!

Some Pics to Catch You Up

We thought we's catch everyone up on what Brendan has been up to the last few months by showing off some pictures. Here's what's up:

As promised, pictures of Brendan with his new kitchen. It is his new favorite toy, and he plays with it daily. Amazingly enough, he has learned to put everything away in its rightful place at clean-up time (IE: pots and pans in one drawer, toy food in a different drawer, spices on the top rack, utensils in the basket, etc.) That's Mommy's little O.C.D. child...so proud!

Though he's always had a love for music, Brendan has recently shown specific interest in the guitar. He is most skilled at the air guitar, although we have not been able to catch him on video...yet.

Finally! Enough hair to do this:

First thing every morning, Daddy and Brendan curl up on the couch to watch the hockey high-lights.

He's learning how to brush his teeth like a big boy on his big boy stool.

Brendan helps Mommy make cookies. He likes to taste test all the ingredients: first sugar, then brown sugar, them he was cut off after a handful of flour...yuck!

Christmas 2009

This Christmas was busy as always. Because of the bad road conditions, we had to post-pone Christmas day with the Pelhanks until the weekend after. Though difficult as this holiday was with the passing of Ryan's mom so recently, we managed to enjoy ourselves as always--though she was on our minds through most of the festivities. Brendan got so many wonderful things from his loving family members that we were able to stuff some things away to get out at a later date. Most notable, Santa Claus brought him his very own manly-kitchen. (More pics of this we're sure will follow.) And the most exciting thing...Mandy's brother, Shane, and his girlfriend, Lilly, are engaged! We are so excited for them. We hope that anyone who might read this knows how much they are loved by us and we wish you all a happy holiday season.

The following pics are some of our favorites from our Christmas Photo Shoot. This year, a friend took our photos and did such a fabulous job. We recommend giving her a call if you plan to get family photos taken soon. And yes, she does weddings. Check out her website, Tanashe' Martin, at: timelessphotographybytanashe.com

18 Months!!!

Today was Brendan's 18-month doctor's appointment. It's so hard to believe that he's already a year-and-a-half old. Time sure does go by quickly when you have a little one! As always, the pediatrician raved about how well B is doing. He is such a big boy! 60th-percentile in weight and 96th-percentile in height. Can you believe it?! He may end up tall, yet.

He tested at a 18 1/2 month level on his denver developmental tests, which does not surprise us one bit. There are so many things he has learned to do since our last appointment. Here are just a few:

• He can sing (and he enjoys it).
• He helps around the house.
• He's getting picky about certain foods (this one is a bummer).
• He's starting to climb (and fall A LOT more).
• Can kick a ball forward.
• He can spoon feed himself (although he still prefers his fingers).
• He can brush his teeth with help.
• And he has a much more complex vocabulary including "tah"=hot, "puh"=up, "dao"=go, "ba duh"=bad dog (guess what that one's about), and Mommy's personal favorite..."WOW!" (this one is super cute.)

With all this growing going on, it's no wonder we haven't posted in a bit. Thought we'd catch you all up on a few pics while we were at it.

These pics show his milestones. This one is his new climbing skill. Mom was in the kitchen doing dishes when Brendan started laughing one of those "I'm doing something I shouldn't be" giggles. When she looked over here he was...on top of the dining room table.

These pictures are of Brendan's spoon-feeding milestone. It's a messy business:

This video isn't that interesting, but Mom was pretty proud at that moment. Brendan feeding himself:

This picture doesn't show a milestone, but we thought it was pretty funny. This was his face after he touched one of the branches on our Christmas tree this year. Ha ha.