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October 17, 2002
Hey, everyone. I'm really tired, so if there are a lot of typos, sorry.
After the hpt, I went to the doctor and found out I was definitely pregnant with our third child. Everyone was excited and very SURPRISED. The OB ruled out a tubal pregnancy, which was a big concern due to my scarred and blocked fallopian tubes.
I had a perfect pregnancy with Brady, except I was exhausted from taking care of twin girls, who weren't yet 2. We were so happy we were expecting a boy!!
After being almost 2 weeks overdue, I begged and pleaded to be induced. It's August, and very hot in Texas, and I was tired of being pregnant. On August 4, 1999, I was induced, and after eight hours and a very easy labor, I gave birth to Brady Matthew, 7 lbs, 7 oz., 20 inches long. He came out very active and alert, which was to change almost immediately.
The second night after our baby was born, Brent and I decided it would be best if Brady stayed in the nursery, since my dad had just had a massive heart attack and stroke, while visitng us in the hospital. I was exhaused and needed some rest. Brent was busy taking care of my mom, who was worried sick about my dad.
The next morning, about 4 am, the nurses woke me up to tell me that Brady had been throwing up the formula they were giving him, and they were concerned. Also, he was very lethargic and not responding to much of anything. I was hysterical. First my dad, and now my little baby was sick, too. The pediatrician requested a CT be done, and thanfully, everything was okay there. After several other tests, it was determined that Brady had a severe case of Acid Reflux. The doctor prescribed medication and that took care of the problem. We were released from the hospital on August 7, unfortunately my dad was in the ICU for another month. After that, he was sent home to Oklahoma City, via ambulance, for another month at a rehabilatation hospital. It was a hard month for my family. My dad is okay now, but has since retired from his job.
The first night home, Brady only woke up once to be fed and he went right back to sleep. PERFECT!!!! Oh I forgot, the pediatrician also determined that Brady was tongue tied, so he was having a really hard time nursing. I didn't breastfeed the twins, but I was determined to nurse him. However, it was nearly impossible for him to latch on, so I just pumped the breastmilk. It would take about an hour for him to just drink a few ounces from a bottle. I was told he could have surgery to repair his toungue when he reached 12 lbs.
Brady continued to be an easy going, layed back, very happy baby. I constantly bragged on how easy he was. Maybe he was so easy, because the girls had been so HARD. Maybe God was preparing me for the hard road ahead. He smiled, ate, pooped and slept. So easy!!! Brady only cried when he was hungry.
At 3 months, Brady had the surgery on his tongue, but he refused to breastfeed by then, so I continued to pump the milk. This was very time consuming, but definitely worth it.
At 4 months, I took Brady to have pictures made, and that's when I really noticed a delay. When the photographer put him on his tummy, all he did was lay flat, he couldn't hold his head up or lift his chest at all. I had noticed this before, but Brent said I was just overreacting.
However, at 5 1/2 months, Brady started sitting up (how he was able to sit up, I just don't know). Finally, at 7 months he rolled over for the first time. At 9 months, he still wasn't even trying to crawl, as he was just too weak. Although, Dr. R. wasn't too concerned, he had ECI to do an evaluation on Brady. Of course, he qualified. Neeedless to say, I was hysterical and cried nearly everyday for the next 18 months. We had 2 very special physical therapists that worked with him; Erica and Christie. Erica and Christie, if you are reading this diary, THANK YOU.
At Brady's 1 year checkup, he still wasn't crawling and continued to be very weak. However, he had his own special and unusual way of getting around the house. By this time, the pediatrician was very concerned. Dr. R. referred us to a pediatric neurologist in Dallas. At that appointment, the neurologist didn't seem concerned. The doctor told us to come back when Brady was 18 months, and he assured me Brady would be running by then. I had my doubts, but tried to remain optimistic.
At 15 months, Brady receives a contract with a Dallas modeling agency. Brady has very big blue eyes and long, long eyelashes, I'm sure that's what won the agent over. Plus, he has a great personality and loves to smile. The photographers loved him, because he couldn't run away while they were taking pictures. Great for them, but I was terrified that he might never run. We gave the modeling up about 9 months later, it was just too stressful to have to tell the photographers Brady couldn't walk, or even stand.
At 18 months, we returned to the pediatric neurologist, and Brady still was no where near walking. The doctor requested an MRI be done. The MRI showed an abnormaility of the brain. I'll get into that later, but it's nothing to be that worried about. The neurologist wasn't nearly as optimistic at this visit, and he didn't give us a very bright picture of Brady's future. I blamed myself and was devastated. I prayed and cried everyday.
Right before Brady's 2nd birthday, we moved back home to San Antonio.
Well, I am totally exhausted, and must shut this computer down. Each child on this site will be in my prayers. I hope everyone has a great weekend.
Debbie and Brady
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