Today Brady turns 1 (this post was written last Friday, but wasn't posted until Sunday due to internet difficulties!)
No one at the 554 (who notices the passing of time) can believe it's been a whole year. Brian and I are both a bit sad knowing that this is our last little one. We so love the babies!
Everyone keeps asking what to get Bear for his birthday or for Christmas, but after having our 3rd little boy in 3 years, there really isn't anything out there that we don't have (and nothing more that we could possibly need!!) Aiden, Logan, Bray and I went in search of a birthday present and came up with nothin'! We aren't even having the big "you're 1" birthday bash this time around because we just hosted a big neighborhood Halloween party, Thanksgiving for the family and next up is Christmas at our house. From past experience, I know they don't even get the whole birthday party thing until they are 2 anyway. Do I feel bad? YES! So...I spent the better part of today digging through the past 12 months of Brady pictures for this special post. I'm planning to make this into a special birthday book for him in the next few days as well using Snapfish or Shutterfly.....or maybe just my own 2 hands if I can find the time.
And now....a year of Brady:

One year ago today, Brady was born at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in downtown Chicago. We went in WAY early in the morning for my induction. I kept telling Logan that his brother would arrive "when there was snow on the ground". In the early hours of December 5th, 2007, the snow accumulated for the first time that year. Something about a low pressure area meant that there were quite a few women going into ACTUAL labor so we had to sit in the waiting area for a good hour before a room opened up for us. I think our original induction time was 4:30, but we didn't get into a room until around 6. Blah blah blah on the labor part. Brady was born at 11:15am weighing 7 pounds and measuring 20.25 inches.
Here he is sleeping in his little "baby tub" in our postpardum recovery room.

His brothers and other family members arrived and we had a birthday party! (notice the zero on the cupcakes!)
When I see this picture, I first look at how tiny he was and then how much stuff I had all over my arms!!
Daddy and his "mini me"
I can't believe he was ever that small!

Bray is the 9th boy in a row born to Brian's side of the family starting with Brian's oldest brother. Bri is one of three boys, his older brother has three boys and Bray made three for us. I made my guys all shirts with our last name on the back with their "birth order" number. Bri is 2, Logan is 6, Aiden is 8 and Brady is 9. Here they are on our couch the first day Bear came home...all wearing their "jerseys".

I took today's picture in the same bean bag, in the same corner of the kitchen as this 1 month picture....wow have you come a long way baby!

2 months old....

3 months old enjoying some tummy time (notice Logan dashing by in the background)

3 months old....no more hair...hanging with daddy in the office / playroom

April 2008: 4 months old - more tummy time with his mirror toy.

May 2008: 5 months old. Here comes the lighter colored hair and the beginning of his love of leaning backwards.

In June, Brady and I traveled for the second time together to San Francisco for my sister's baby shower. Here, Brady dips his feet in the Pacific for the first time.

7 months: This is the first time Brady fed himself puffies! Logan and Aiden came over and started eating them too.

6 months: This is one of Brady's favorite sleeping spots: our friend Jeff's shoulder.

The obligatory Sears photo session: I waited until Bray was 7 months old and Aiden was 2...which made Logan 3 and 4 months.

8 months: This is from a series of pictures I took for the blog post "The Boys Have a Message" Brian and I traveled shortly after this picture to Mexico for a week....leaving Brady for the longest amount of time since he was born.

9 months: The first day of his "gym" class. Here, Bear crawls under one of the big toys.

10 months: "playing rock band" with daddy and his brothers.

November, 11 months: swinging for one last time before it got cold.

We had a party on Saturday for our little man. Pictures will be posted soon!!!