Bradyen's Actual Age

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Bradleigh Nicolynn Dowdney

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Sunday, December 19, 2010

THE DRESS!!!

Yesterday was such a fun day!  David & I have begun to treasure our Saturday mornings at home as a family.  Since David works downtown he usually leaves the house around 6:45. This means that Brayden very rarely gets to see his Daddy until he gets home.....EXCEPT on Saturdays. I usually bring Brayden downstairs to our bedroom and for the next hour we cuddle and play and laugh! It's is SO SO much fun. 

So that's how our day started yesterday and then it was up to try to put our house back together from the Christmas party we had the night before.  All the WyldLife Student Leaders gathered here Friday night to eat, play games, and hang out. I just LOVES those kids!!!  We did a few chores around the house and then Mimi (my mom) got here about 11:30 and it was off to meet Kaysi and Kristi for a fun afternoon of wedding stuff.  Kaysi found THE DRESS and it was absolutely beautiful!!!  It is perfect and looks JUST like her!  I am so happy for her! It was good to spend some time with our cousin Krisit, who lives in Waco, and for us to all be together again. 

Mimi stayed with us and so we went out last night do a little Christmas shopping for Brayden. It was fun to be out and just be together. We missed having Papa (my dad) with us but they will be back up here in 4 days to celebrate the birth of our King!!  Tonight is the YL staff Christmas Party so David is straightening up, Mimi is playing with Brayden, and I'm setting the table and getting food prepared. 

Yes, It's starting to FEEL a lot like Christmas......

K

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Blessed

I am just so overwhelmed at the Grace and Mercy that the Father has showed us this year. Just reflecting the on the miracles that He has allowed us to be a part of this morning. I guess I am a little bit like David, this time of year just gets me all sentimental and gushy. But then again, WHAT part of the year am I not sentimental and gushy!  Just thinking about how amazing our little boy is...I wish you could see how hard he works and with such joy.  Our therapist says that she has been doing this for 13 years and Brayden is one of the hardest working little boys she has ever seen.  We teach him something new and just studies and works and works until he can do it. It's like he has his mind set that there is NOTHING that he is not going to do. I wish I had that spirit...unwilling to give up. How often do I give in to the voices in my head telling me I can't or I will never do this or that!  And he works so hard with joy and laughter. How often do I complain about having too much to do or something is too hard?  This little miracle has taught me so much. I am starting to understand what Jesus meant when he said "Let the Children come to me, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them." 

And to see how quickly The Father allowed our family to move through Dad's fight against Cancer.  Many of my close friends know how much I revere and treasure my Dad.  I have never met anyone on this earth that is as pure, kind, generous, unselfish, strong, and honorable as my Father.  His character is above rebuke and he is so very bold in sharing the good news with all that God brings into his path.  I am just so grateful for his health and continued healing.

Both of our mothers have just been such a blessing to us this year. I can't imagine how we would have managed through all the hospital trips and doctor visits and...LIFE without our Moms!  They have helped us so much with Brayden and just loving and supporting us.  Then to think...we have wedding coming up!! I am so very thankful and excited for my sisters engagement! To see her and Robbie just make me smile. I am so thankful that they have found each other and pray for their future.

Then for all of our friends.....knowing when to call and encourage or just let us sit and freak out a little! Having such great friends and family that will speak truth to us and love us...despite that fact that hardly EVER really have things together.

Just wanted to share my heart this morning...now it is off to spend the day with Kaysi, Mom, Kristi, & Mr. B doing all kinds of fun, girly wedding stuff!! Love you all...

K

Thursday, December 9, 2010

What a Year It's Been...

Yesterday marked the 1 year anniversary of bringing little man home from the hospital. If you've been reading our blog for any amount of time now, you probably know what our "rooming-in" experience was like at Cook Children's in Ft. Worth. What an amazing night that has led us on this roller coaster ride of raising a little boy with so many challenges laid out before him.

Over the past 12 months I have watched a little boy fight with all his being -- who was supposed to come home from the hospital on breathing machines, apnea monitors, feeding tubes; who may not see/hear/walk/talk/etc. Sometimes I feel like all we focus on is what he is/was not supposed to do instead of thanking Jesus for all the things He can do with those who have the desire to look defeat in the eye and overcome it. This baby boy has no clue that he isn't supposed to be doing these things. It is so much fun to watch him do things that Doctor's say he won't or can't do. He is very much an inspiration to me, as I like to put constraints on myself and then tell myself I can't do it. I'm not sure why I do that, but I just do. Brayden has opened my eyes to realize that without limitations, the human body (and brain) can do wonderful things. That's not to say that Bray J has no speed bumps ahead of him, but it gives me courage to stand beside him and fight with all my being to give him the best life possible. He will always have a "brain injury" as it will never heal (it's basically a "hole" in his brain, which is not fixable). He has a cyst on his spine that will more than likely need surgery as he gets older (a 15 hour surgery, no less). He has shown antibodies for Hep C...but we are hopeful that his body will "clear" (heal) this from his blood and he won't have to worry about all those things that come with Hepatitis C. So, again, these things would tend to put "limitations" on what he can and can't do as he gets older, but having seen him overcome so many things already...anyways, here I go again with all the things he won't be able to do or the challenges he has ahead of him.

Let me tell you what I've learned:

1. I'm not a perfect dad, but I LOVE being a dad.
2. I want to find BJ a "sibling" -- don't care about the sex...just hoping to find/make a healthy baby. :)
3. I have loved watching our parents (the grandparents) handle Brayden. They have showered him with love and affection and I am so proud of them for that. If I'm honest I can say that I was worried about what they would think about this situation when we first mentioned it, but it has been a miracle of God to see them welcome BJ with open arms to our family.
4. I find myself saying, "I can't wait until Brayden can do..." while at the same time wishing I had my little baby back. He has gotten so big, and Kelli and I have caught ourselves talking about how much of a little boy our baby has turned into. To me, this is a weird dichotomy of being excited about the future, while "missing" (longing for) the past.
5. It melts my heart when he smiles at me, hugs me, or laughs at me. I could literally just watch him all day long...he does some of the funniest and cutest things. His laugh is contagious to all who hear it...he scrunches up his nose and mouth when he smiles (we call it his Flirty Face). He always has a rebuttal for when we tell him "no." (that could be interesting as he gets older)

We have such a wonderful little boy, even if I am a bit biased. He does so well around other people, he really doesn't cry all that much (unless he's hungry or sleepy). I can't wait to watch his continued growth and development, and am doing my best to log all our wonderful memories with him so I will always have them to fall back on.

I never want to be the Dad that stays at work longer because I dread coming home to my family. I've encountered a few dad's along the way that would rather not come home due to selfish reasons of wanting to have "me" time. To me that's selfish, and they are missing out on so much love, joy, and happiness. I hope Brayden never stops "lighting up" when I walk in the room, and I hope I never stop yearning to come home to him to play. Of course, I can't neglect the wife, but once BJ goes to bed I try to do what I can to help with the house. I hope Kelli agrees with that statement, but I'm sure there's always something more I could do to help.

Anywho, another long post, but with Christmas right around the corner it has gotten me a little gushy, and I hope to carry that thru the new year.

Thanks for stopping by,
DD

           Me and B at Paradise Canyon for T-giving!



                  We loved this outfit...had to show it off.   :)

Brayden on Nana and Pawpaw's ATV...he loves it!!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Somedays I look at Brayden and how big he has gotten, all the new things he is learning, and I think...my little baby is not a baby anymore! He is getting to be a Big Boy! He has a tooth on the top and bottom that you can clearly see when he wrinkles his nose and smiles at you. We also three more that we think will be visible by Christmas.

Then at night, when I place him in his crib and he flips on his tummy pulling his little knees up under him until his bottom is sticking up...I think, "There's my baby!" Nothing in the world like bedtime!