Thanksgiving 2015

Happy Thanksgiving! We hope you enjoyed your Turkey Day as much as we did, and we are so Thankful for our family, friends and delicious food! We celebrated Andy's first Thanksgiving, although unlike the girl's first Thanksgiving, he wasn't able to sample any of the food yet ;)

Mr. Turkey Bootie with his Daddy! LOL

Andrew Brooks's First Thanksgiving

We ate the traditional Grandma Rosie dinner: Turkey, Ham, Potatoes & Gravy, Cornbread Stuffing, Cranberry Relish, Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potatoes, Rolls, Pumpkin Pie, and Chocolate Lush. We were eating leftovers for days :) I tried out a few Thanksgiving leftover recipes, Gluten free Turkey Pot Pie and Potato Pancakes. 

We enjoyed Grammie's visit during Thanksgiving!

Silly Girls having fun crashing our family photo. 

While I cooked, my two little Turkey's did a craft with Grammie.

Thanksgiving is the time of year where I feel closest to Grandma Rosie, especially when reading through her hurried-cursive handwriting on her recipes. I can almost hear her voice of encouragement while I would whisk the gravy and carve the turkey! I miss her so much, but smile and even giggle remembering some of the sweetest moments spent under her supervision in the kitchen. She would have loved meeting Andy, and would have gotten a kick out of him. Oh, what a joyful reunion we'll have someday in heaven ;) Happy 1st Thanksgiving Buddy, can't wait until next year when you can dig in with us! 

Andrew Brooks, 2 Months

Andrew Brooks, 2 months old

Stats:
Weight...12 lbs, 9 oz
Height..... 23.5 inches
Clothes Size...3-6 months
Diapers... Size 1, almost a size 2

"Well, hello there." LOL

Eating: Our boy still LOVES his milk. He lets out this little cough-cry when he is hungry, and will throw himself back in my arms to eat. Boy is he strong! He has just about mastered control over his head/neck. Will eat every 2-3 hours, and likes to cluster feed in the evenings.

Sleeping: Andy's been having a great sleeping stretch from 7:30 or 8pm to about 12am! If I went to bed after I fed him I would get in 4 hrs, but no such luck.. I will watch TV with J until 10pm. LOL. He will then wake up around 3:30- 4am to nurse and diaper change, and wakes for the day around 6:45-7am. The last few mornings I have heard him cooing in his crib before I went in to get him ;)
I'm trying to get him to nap in his crib during the day, instead of the swing.

Hair: Blonde, The hair loss has stopped and is growing in on top!

Eyes: Blue

Likes: Bath time, Nursing, His Sisters Playing/Talking to him, Laying on a blanket and kicking his legs and trying to roll over, Tummy Time (for a little bit), Cooing, Naps in Swing, Someone holding him and walking around.

Dislikes: Pick up time at Lindsay's school, doesn't like the car seat. Being over-stimulated, and hasn't been into his Pacifier lately.

New Discoveries: Loves to use his voice, says "Ah Goo" and "Ah Boo". He has become fascinated with his right arm and has discovered he can move it. He is almost grasping and pulling things towards his mouth.

Loves his bath time... is there anything better than fresh baby smell? I don't think so.

Sweet Happy Boy! Drew's still pretty laid-back little dude, and goes with the flow most days. He is wearing his Christmas Jammies... size 3 months!

Drew's been giving us some melt-your-heart smiles... Look out ladies!

Here's a quick video of him cooing! Enjoy! 

We love you our handsome boy! We love seeing your little personality shine through each months! xo

Happy Halloween 2015

Halloween 2015 was a fun one, with Papa visiting from California and celebrating Andrew's first official holiday!

Madison and her "Pops" as she has dubbed him

On Friday, Lindsay's school put on a Halloween Parade for all the kids to walk around the bus loop and show off their costumes. Papa, Madison (who wanted to dress up too) and Andrew and I walked to see her!

Lindsay chose her costume, Southern Belle, mostly for the girlie factor of pink/purple/poufy/hat. I don't think she really even knew what a Southern Belle was, but I showed her some pictures. We curled her hair and she was really excited to wear the hat. LOL. The little girl in front "Cleopatra" is her best friend at school, Mackenzie.

Andrew was a little trooper and napped in his stroller under his cozy blanket, a special thank you to Lucas and Jena for the adorable monogrammed blanket!

Papa and his Grandson getting in some snuggle time

 Papa and Lindsay carved a huge pumpkin on Halloween!

Daddy and his mini-me Andy

  Our little Pumpkin gave us a smile for his picture :)

Happy 1st Halloween Andrew Brooks! 1 month, 6 days old

Lindsay "Southern Belle" age 5.5 and Madison "Princess Sophia" age 3.5

The girls couldn't wait to get their costumes on, and Madison still wears her Sophia dress just about everyday. They had a blast going with Papa and Daddy to a few houses and got just enough candy and said hello to all our neighbors, while Drew and I stayed home to hand out candy ;) We love you Papa, thank you for all the fun memories during your visit!! xoxo

Andrew Brooks, One Month

Andrew Brooks Fisher Stats (10/26):
Height: 21.5 inches
Weight: 10 lbs, 13.5 oz
Clothes: Size 0-3 months
Diapers: Size 1

Eating: Breastfeeds every 2 hours, sometimes we can get a 3 hour stretch, but not very often. He likes his milk! His weight was great at the doctors, and they said just keep it up :) I have  an abundance of milk, and have been feeding each time on one side to prevent the spitting up. He is a "happy spitter"
so we don't think he has reflux, thankfully. He is all boy and is very loud when he is gassy and going #2, and often looks so proud of himself when he lets one rip. LOL.

Sleeping: His best stretch is after his bath at night, going from 7pm-10pm. After that, he will go around 1.5 to 2 hours. He's been sleeping in his crib and in a swaddle. Andy is a regular Houdini when it comes to getting out of it! So far, Drew like his nap times in the swing or someone's arms for about 1.5 hours, and can sleep amazingly well with a ton of noise going on around him. He is awake more and more of the time, and rotates between a sleepy-day and a really alert/awake day.

Hair: Light Brown with a Red tint in the sunlight

Eyes: Blue Grey

Likes: Bath time, getting his hair combed, tummy time (more than the girls), watching his sisters play and when they talk to him, sometimes his pacifier. Loves to nurse and snuggle, and push up on your chest while you are holding him to get a better view.

Dislikes: Sitting in his car seat when the car is not in motion; he abhors Lindsay's pickup car line and cries the entire 20 minutes, then falls asleep as soon as we pull into the driveway. LOL. He doesn't get mad very often, but when he does he will ramp up and give us some warnings.

Our sweet boy wakes up in the morning a happy, smiley guy. He always has a big smile for his sisters, and I think they will probably elicit the first giggles too!

Andy B has been losing his hair in front and sides, and has quite the receding hairline. He looks like a sweet little old man!

Boy, is this boy STRONG! He has been trying to launch himself out of arms since day one, and will fling his wobbly head around while pushing up on your shoulder. He's a wiggly one!

Sissy Love: Drew has been getting plenty of love and kisses from his doting big sisters...

In the afternoons he likes to fuss and as soon as I put him down on the floor to kick and stretch, he is a happy camper. It's as if he is telling us, "Mama, let me loose, I want to MOVE!"

Andrew makes the cutest noise, a grunting that sounds like he is clearing his voice... it sounds a little like a dolphin. He gurgles and coos and will say, "Goo".

Rocking an unintentional faux hawk

Tummy Time Fun... Look out Sissy's, I will be after you in a few months!!

Andrew's little personality so far is a thoughtful, observant and easy-going little guy. We love you our precious boy, and are loving every minute of joy you bring to our family!

Andrew First Weeks at Home

Andrew Brooks, 1 week old

* Eating: Little Buddy loves to eat, probably every two hours. He nurses well, and gets so cozy that I have a hard time keeping him from falling asleep! He is a spitter-upper, especially if I lay him flat before he burps at least twice :) At our one week check up he had gained back almost all of his birth weight, minus a half an ounce, and at two week check up he weighted almost 9 lbs.

* Sleeping: Andrew has been spoiled having so many arms to hold him while he sleeps! We have all been loving our snugly little boy, and enjoying watching him snooze. He sleeps through the girls crazy dance 'shows', the TV and blender. I think it is just survival skills of the 3rd child LOL. He is sleeping in his crib at night in a swaddle for 1.5-2 hour stretches...not to bad! He is not a big fan of the swaddle, and is so strong he wiggles his way out.

Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed

* First's: Andrew got a sponge bath on Monday after he came home from the hospital. He did well (thanks to the heater) and LOVED getting his hair combed! Daddy did a nice comb-over ;) Nothing like that sweet, fresh baby smell!

After the first week his umbilical cord fell off (really fast compared to the girls!) and he got his first real bath and loved it! 

We visited Terhune Farms to get our pumpkins and a cherry pie :) The girls had fun picking out a tiny pumpkin for baby brother.

Thanks Auntie Annie for the cute warm outfit! 

*Alert Boy: Andrew's been having more and more alert awake time, and has been trying hard to focus on faces and prints. He really enjoys laying on the floor kicking his legs and watching his big sisters! He is so strong and lifts his head really high when he is being held over your shoulder or during tummy time :)

Laid-back little dude

*Appearance: Andrew's eyes are blue (for now at least!), and his hair has a touch of strawberry in it, especially in the sunlight.

Little Mr. with his tie shirt like Daddy

We love you Handsome Boy, and all the joy you bring to our family! xo

Andrew's Arrival & Birth Story

 SURPRISE!! This one word summarizes this entire pregnancy and delivery! Andrew decided to make his debut into this world almost two weeks early, and came at 38 weeks and 3 days. All Praise to God for a healthy baby boy and delivery!

Andrew's Birth Story

On Friday, September 25th  I woke up in the morning completely not knowing I would be having a baby by 11 pm that night! I fully expected to have to be induced like I was with the girls, and showed no signs labor was approaching at all. I didn't even bother asking the Dr.'s when to go to the hospital if contractions began on their own. LOL. 

After picking up Lindsay from school, I began feeling what I thought might be contractions, and so I thought, "I bet if I move around these will go away." So I proceeded to get the grill some chicken and make dinner. By the time Jarrett got home around 5:45 pm, I told him, "I don't want to freak you out, but I think I have been having contractions since 4 pm. They will probably stop after I eat dinner. By the way, have you by chance packed your hospital bag yet?" He hadn't. Mine wasn't fully packed either. So we ate dinner, and Jarrett gave the girls their shower while I did the dishes. By this time they were getting a little more uncomfortable and definitely not going away. So being the crazy lady I am, my first thought was, "If I am going to the hospital tonight to be checked for labor (because it was probably just a false alarm), my neighbor will stay with the girls and I need to clean house." 

The sweet ladies at church were throwing a baby shower for me the next day, Saturday, and my second thought after I cleaned house was, "I need to take a shower and blow dry my hair so it looks good for the shower tomorrow!". I put on my pajamas and then it started getting real. After J packed his bag and I finished up packing mine, we talked to the girls before bed and told them that Miss Liz might be here when they wake up in the morning. The girls were excited Baby Brother might be coming tonight, and then Madison's lip quivered and she said, "If I miss you Mama, I will just look at your picture!" Aww. I held it together ok, but a few tears slipped out ;) 

Jarrett and I began to time the contractions around 8:30 pm, and after about 15 minutes coming 2.5-3 minutes apart and becoming more uncomfortable, I was thinking I would like to have some pain meds sooner rather than later. J called the hospital and the Dr. and they 'calmly' told him to get to the hospital NOW since it was my 3rd baby. So I called Miss Liz, but she didn't answer. Yikes! We waited 10 more minutes and I told J, run across the street to our neighbor and see if she can stay with the girls until Liz can make it over. Luckily, my neighbor Nancy was home and came right over. 

We pulled into the hospital parking lot around 9:42 pm, and I slowly made my way to the ER. They offered me a wheel chair to get to L&D, but I refused because I was thinking, "If I walk, maybe I will be dilated enough and they won't send me home!" Well, after getting to my room and putting on a gown, things were getting increasingly uncomfortable, and I was ready for an epidural, but couldn't get one until they admitted me and started my IV. 

When they finally got around to checking me, I was at a 6 cm, and they were working on completing admission paperwork. Five minutes later my water broke, and then the room got really busy! They called the Dr. (who was already on his way) while tables and scales with delivery equipment rushed into the room. My hopes for an epidural passed by quickly when the checked me and said, "Get the Dr. in here, she's ready to push!" Jarrett said it was about 12 minutes (felt like 12 hours!) later and he was here, arriving at 10:47 pm! Hats off to all you ladies out there who do this L&D thing without pain medication... it is not fun. So happy to have a beautiful, healthy baby to make it all worth while ;) Afterwards we could hear the nurses laughing and filling out admission paperwork... they asked, "Can you sign this that it is ok that we delivered your baby?" LOL.

The Dr. asked me how big my other kids were before he put him on the scale. (8 lbs 1oz and 6 lbs, 9 oz) Then told me, "Well, this guy is going to be your biggest! Whoa baby.. and he was EARLY!

Hi Daddy!! 

Daddy and his look-alike

Saturday morning Jarrett picked up Lindsay and Madison from our house where they were staying with Miss Liz. The girls both wore their Big Sister shirts and were thrilled to stop by the gift shop and pick out two cute stuffed animal presents for Baby Brother. They couldn't wait to love on him ;)

That night we saw fireworks from Princeton's football game from our hospital window!

Handsome boy in his going-home outfit!

Late Saturday night Nonna arrived, thankfully she was able to change her flight and come sooner! Sunday morning we came home from the hospital and saw this adorable sign the girls and Nonna made for Baby Andrew!

The girls were so excited when he came home, and said, "We really get to keep him!" They couldn't wait to take turns holding their new baby brother!

Big Sis Madison

Big Sis Lindsay

Things have been super busy around here, and Andrew has been such a sweet, mellow little personality! He is nursing like a champ and is quite the little snuggler. Andrew fits right into our loud, crazy bunch and is the perfect addition to our family! xo

Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Psalm 127:3

Hello World...

Let us introduce you to Andrew Brooks Fisher! 

Andrew Brooks Fisher

Born September 25th, 2015 at 10:47 pm

8 lbs, 7 oz | 20.25 inches

Welcomed with Love by Jarrett, Katie & Big Sisters, Lindsay and Madison