Broyles

A quick update: Where do I begin? The past two months have been completely crazy. We successfully sold our house in Mountain Home (hurray, hurray!!) and moved to Boise! Todd is out of the Air Force (as of the end of June) and purchased a dental practice on the east side of Boise. We bought a home in Boise, close to the office, and are finally settling in. It all sounds so simple now in three little sentences -- the stress of buying a business, the unknown of where we were going to live, the hard work of getting it all done in a short amount of time, and the uncertainty are behind us. But the one constant throughout all of it is simple: God is in control and He continues to bless our lives. There is no other explanation for it coming together and working out.

Our miracle baby boy is a year old. Where o' where does the time go? Konor is a happy boy and loves to "tell jokes". Okay, they aren't really jokes, but he will mumble some jibberish and then laugh when you ask him to tell you a joke. The fact that he gets the concept is just as funny as the jokes. As you can see, he still looks like his Daddy -- and loves him just as much -- as soon as he hears the garage door open around 5:00, he will say, "Hi, Daaad". He is so grown up and hardly a baby anymore. Konor loves music. He dances to the beat with his left hand in the air and loves to play the piano with Grama.

Konor is seven and a half months old. I find myself feeling like repeating what I wrote on my last post – “Wow, time is flying by. . .and yet it seems like he’s been here forever.” It is so true. Konor is growing and changing each and every day. One thing is still the same -- he is full of smiles.

Bath nights remain big fun at our house. Konor has “graduated” to Momma and Dad’s soaker tub and still manages to splash water on the walls.

Konor says, “Da”, “Dad”, “Daddy” and all other forms of the word for the guy he looks so much like. And it just melts Todd’s heart. He sits up like a champ, loves to play with toys but still hates being on his belly. To that end, he won’t roll over on a consistent basis. He is able to but as Aunt Stacy says, “It’s a matter of want. . .and he just doesn’t want to.” What a kid.

Konor has developed an infectious laugh. In fact, his Dad can get him to all out belly laugh when they play. You can't help but laugh just listening to them.

Here is Konor at six months. He fell over while sitting on our bed but was not in the least bit bothered by it and continued playing. He is such a happy baby.



Reading books. . .Konor loves to be read to. I read him stories before every nap and at bedtime. It is incredible how he responds and pays attention at such a young age. Some people say it makes your kid smarter. Who knows? I do it because he likes it and it helps to prepare him for sleep. Todd would say something smart like, “no state school for you, think Ivy league”.

When Konor was almost five months old, we started feeding him rice cereal. What an adventure it has been! For those of you that have seen his Buddha legs (as PopPop calls them) you know he doesn’t push away much food but learning to eat from a spoon was sure fun. And as you can see, he doesn’t mind eating straight from the bowl if we would only let him. Once he had the rice cereal conquered, we slowly added fruits and vegetables – the first being sweet potatoes. I’ll say this, Konor loves sweet potatoes. In fact, he cried when he realized they were gone and I had to capture his response to the last bite with a picture.

A quick update on the Disney Baby Einstein activity center: It has now been dubbed “Konor’s Poopin’ Stool”. Konor conducts business on a regular basis while playing in the chair. One day I texted Todd at work to let him know things had gone a bit far -- Konor figured out how to use the handles for leverage. It is actually quite funny to watch.

Konor is four and a half months old. Wow, time is flying by. . .and yet it seems like he’s been here forever. He is such a fun, happy baby who loves to laugh with his Daddy. Todd calls him “his little clown”. Konor does, however, have his Daddy’s temper too – which rears its ugly head when he’s overly tired. Not so good.

Konor sports the “Eat, Sleep, Poop (isn’t life great)” shirt Uncle Cody got him with pride. And as you can see he is not starving – in fact quite the opposite. He has turned into a chuck. He is growing up so fast and looking more and more like a little boy every day. He has so much to say! New sounds emerge all the time, but my favorite is his soft, “O” mouth that sounds like a cooing pigeon.

We have started putting Konor in the Disney Baby Einstein activity center and he loves it. He’s a little wobbly in it but shoving a blanket behind him does the trick for now. It is funny to watch him discover all the buttons and bright colors. His favorite seems to be the yellow bird. His facial expressions crack me up each time he looks the bird in the eye.

Konor loves bath time. Todd and I bathe him in our bathroom (more room),on the counter, in his little tub. It doesn't have to be a two man job but we all enjoy it - so why not? So every other night is bath night. I undress him while Todd gets his water ready and the fun begins. Konor tests the water with his toes and then I lower him in. His facial expressions are hilarious. He has started to kick, which splashes water EVERYWHERE, so the baths on the counter may be short lived. I keep his head out of the water and wash his top half while Todd takes the business end. Todd wraps him up in his towel to get him warm and dry then we both lotion him up. Wouldn't that be nice? Then it's jammies and Konor is squeaky clean.

Let me start by saying Konor is a ton of fun. He is so much more expressive and his personality is emerging more every day. Todd props Konor on his legs shortly after he gets home from work and Konor "tells" him stories of the day. He is grabbing at toys and chewing on his hands. His smiles warm your heart and we have heard him giggle twice. Todd and I both laughed so hard - Konor looked at us like, "Why are you laughing at me?" He loves to snuggle into his blanket and Todd thinks it's never too early to show him how to ride a bike or be a Colts fan.

College Game Day came to Boise! Lee Corso, Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, and Desmond Howard set up their ESPN desk in the middle of Boise State’s blue turf. Over 13,000 people showed up early Saturday morning for the event. Some fans were already tailgating for the evening game against Oregon State. Todd and I were crazy enough to wake up extra early (which included taking Konor in his jammies) to drive 45 minutes to check it out. We parked far enough away to avoid the crowds and walked along the Green Belt to the stadium. It was a beautiful morning. We bundled Konor up in his stroller and we were off!

Todd had a grand plan to use his cute son to con a picture with Erin Andrews but once we got close and saw all the people it was obvious that was not going to happen. Sorry about your luck Todd. The stadium was completely open and people were EVERYWHERE. The ESPN desk was facing away from the crowd but they had a huge TV screen facing the opposite direction so you could see them. It was cool to see all the support people and equipment that allows it to look so seamless on TV. Todd was even lucky enough to go to the game that evening. BSU won! All in all, great exposure for Boise.

Konor is starting to smile!! It really is the cutest thing ever. He also tries so hard to find his voice. Half the time no sound comes out. But then he will oooo and cooo in the tiniest little voice which simply melts your heart.

Whenever Konor is fussy and we’ve tried the usual – change diaper, full tummy, etc. Todd and I have discovered if you prop him up on your chest, while patting his back, and let him fight out the gas bubbles his will always settle into what we call “his spot” in the nape of our necks. He can be all riled up but once he finds his spot he is instantly so content. In fact, most nights you will find Konor on Todd’s chest nuzzled in his neck. He prefers this spot over any other but it leaves me to wonder who likes it better – Konor or Todd?







Konor is a thumb sucker. Yep, I said it – a thumb sucker. More often than not, it is his right thumb with his fingers stretched across his face. My OB nurse claimed this fact way before Konor was born when we told her how often he got the hiccups. It’s cute now but I have a feeling it won’t be so cute when he’s older and we’re trying to break the habit.

Todd is always saying to Konor, “Tell me a story.” Whatever response he gets from Konor, whether it be a squawk, cry or coo he will respond with a “Really!?” or “Are you serious?” It’s as if they are having their own conversation – which I suppose on some level they are.

The funniest and probably most priceless “story” happened a week after Konor was born. I was in the bathroom getting ready for the day and Todd and Konor were on our bed telling stories. They were literally nose to nose and Konor was taking in each and every word. (Luckily I was quick enough with the camera to get the picture.) I overheard just bits and pieces so I came out of the bathroom to see exactly what they were up to. When Todd saw me peeking over him, he asked Konor if he was ready to tell Momma the story they had been rehearsing. Todd started in with the series of events that had happened one week prior. . .”A week ago we drove to Boise, went to Momma’s doctor, got a test ran, went to the hospital to wait for the results. . .” About this time Konor let out a wail – WAAAAAAAH! Todd immediately responded with, “We aren’t to that part yet! That didn’t happen until we were in the operating room! You totally jumped the gun!” I was laughing so hard I had to sit down and hold my incision – afraid it would split open. Too funny and totally precious.

The first days home from the hospital are a total blur. I will say this: Sleep deprivation does some funny things to you. I could list many stories that would make one wonder where my brain has gone. Poor Todd would get up for each feeding (since I couldn’t jump out of bed), change Konor’s diaper and hand him to me to nurse. Try as he might to stay up he would inevitably fall asleep and end up saying extremely funny things in his sleep. Too funny. So we have learned to grab sleep when and where ever we can – as shown by Todd napping while holding Konor on the couch.

The green and white outfit was one of the few things (that was not pink) we could use of Kloe’s. Green looks good on Konor and this picture will always be special to me. I also use Kloe’s Boppy multiple times each day with Konor. My friend Stacey in Indianapolis bought it for me – a must have for a nursing Momma. Todd propped Konor up in one morning in his Silly Bug pjs – I had to get the picture.



We were all so grateful Aunt Stacy was here for Konor’s birth. It was so nice for me to pick her brain about all things baby. Big sisters are simply the best. She came to the hospital everyday to help me shower and brought Todd his egg sandwich for breakfast. Once we were home she brought Joey and Deanna to meet their new cousin. They were very sweet with him. She also brought his baseball jammies – we ran short on newborn clothes.

We got Konor's newborn pictures taken at B&B Photography in Boise. They did a great job! Here are a few of them. Konor was so alert when we first got there and then zonked out for the rest. We were worried about having him naked since he hates having his diaper changed and heaven forbid chaning his clothes. But they had heaters in the room so he wasn't cold. However, he did manage to pee four times over the hour and a half! The first one is our absolute favorite. A classic Konor look for sure.

The baseball mitt was Todd's grandpa's and of course Todd had to get Konor a personalized Louisville Slugger bat. I loved how the picture turned out.

I had to post pictures of the first time the grandparents got to hold Konor. They are all so excited for the little guy. Going clockwise: Richard or Papa Ricky (Todd's Dad), Fabian or Pop Pop (my Dad), Debby or Grama (my Mom), Jo or Grama Jo Jo (Todd's Mom), Jim or Grampa Jim Jim (Todd's Stepdad), and Gwen or Grama Gwen (Todd's Stepmom). It has been fun for Todd and I to watch each of their reactions to Konor. One thing is for certain, he will definitely have lots of love to go around.

Born: August 6, 2010 12:36 pm
Weighing: 6 lbs. 15 ozs. 20 ½ in.

Our baby boy is here!! And we couldn’t be happier. He is healthy, strong and simply the best. . .more than we could have ever imagined.

As many of you know, I was scheduled for a c-section on Monday the 9th. At my last doctor’s appointment, Dr. Seyb informed me he was going out of town and would not be there on Monday. The panic quickly set in. His first option was to do it later in the week – I said no before he could even finish the sentence. We discussed having one of his partners fill in – I wasn’t so comfortable with that either. I suggested moving it up to Friday since after all it was my birthday. And he went for it!

We arrived at his office at 9:00 am on Friday. I had to get an amino to see if Konor’s lungs were developed – hospital policy for anyone under 39 weeks (I was three days away from it but rules are rules). The number we needed was 55. Todd and I walked over to the hospital after the procedure so I could be monitored and await the results. We sat and listened to Konor’s heartbeat on the monitor and watched my contractions go up and down when the call came in – it was 75 – we were good to go. They started an IV and prepped me for surgery. My leg started shaking uncontrollably as the anesthesia doctors came in to explain their part . . .I was getting really nervous. By the time they wheeled me back to the OR, my teeth were chattering. Poor Todd didn’t get to watch as much of the c-section as he would have liked to because he was too busy settling me down. Being awake this time definitely had benefits but as they say “Ignorance is bliss” and for that, I have to say, being sedated has its benefits too.

Words cannot describe the feeling and emotion that engulfed the room when we heard Konor cry for the first time. It was perhaps the sweetest sound I have ever heard. Dr. Seyb held him up so I could see him for a brief second before he handed him off to the pediatrician and nurse who were there to make sure he was okay. Todd went over to be with Konor (as previously instructed) and I just laid there crying while they put me back together. I heard Todd talk to Konor and he immediately quit crying and started looking for that all familiar voice who had talked to him from the outside of my belly every day.

Konor and Todd moved over to the recovery room and I was soon to follow. A nurse was there to run some tests on Konor while another monitored me. We didn’t anticipate being there longer than the 2-3 hour time set (we knew family was anxiously waiting to see little Konor) but when they checked my vitals one last time, they discovered my temperature was only 94 degrees. They put a blanket hooked up to a machine that blew warm air into it on me and we waited for it to warm me up. Meanwhile the nurse allowed Todd to shuttle in one family member at a time to visit. My Mom, Dad, sister (Stacy), brother (Cody), Todd’s Mom and Stepdad came back one by one to say hi for the first time. Their faces said it all – joy, relief, excitement but mostly pure happiness.

Because of the c-section, I had to stay in the hospital a total of four days. They also monitored Konor closely because he was a high risk for jaundice. We found out that Todd and I’s blood types don’t necessarily mix well – I am O negative and he is A negative. Kloe must have been A negative as well because my body developed some AB antibodies which I passed on to Konor. All would be well and good except Konor’s blood type is A too. His poor little body contained antibodies that were fighting his own blood type, thus putting him at a high risk for jaundice as the red blood cells were breaking down. They poked his poor little feet so many times over those first few days checking his bilirubin levels – it was so sad. Luckily and thankfully, he took to nursing really well (after the first night) which helped flush out the bad stuff and he never had to go under the lights.

The day to go home finally came. We dressed Konor in one of the two outfits we had brought along with us to the hospital. His last growth ultrasound at 36 weeks estimated him at 7 lbs. 5 ozs., in the 88 percentile so naturally we thought he was going to be big. We packed 0-3 month clothes – so you can see in the picture the poor kid drowned in his “take home” outfit. We quickly changed him into a newborn outfit when we got home and Todd had to go out and buy some more newborn clothes to get us through. Too funny.

Todd and I are extremely thankful for all our family and friends who have prayed on our behalf and held us in their thoughts over the past couple of weeks. We truly couldn’t have made it through without you. We thank God each and every day for this miracle baby and pray we will be the parents He wants us to be.

As promised in an earlier post, here are some pictures of Konor’s nursery. We aren’t “officially” done decorating it – we are looking for a few specific things – but it is done for the most part. I love the light blues and browns together and of course Todd has added the baseball/sports touch wherever he can. My sister, Stacy, masterfully made the beautiful quilt hanging on the crib edge and the blanket draped over the glider. She is amazingly talented.

Grandma Jo Jo got Konor the “Little Slugger” baseball piggy bank, along with some of the other books and toys on the window seat. Joey and Deanna (Konor’s cousins) made K-Rod, the stuffed ball, at Build-a-Bear. Stacy had to convince Deanna to quit playing with him so she could send it for baby Konor and after he was here a few days, I had to do the same with Todd! Pop Pop made Konor’s shelves – and after much debate on size, materials, and color – they turned out perfect! Todd ordered Konor’s personalized blue bat from Louisville Slugger in hopes he won’t want to play with his sister’s pink one. Konor will get to use some of Kloe’s things. . .most notably in the pictures are the pink bunny on the window seat, green dog on the changing table, and Topps, the giraffe on the shelf from my Mom.

As you all could probably guess, Todd lost his mountain bike partner this year. . .in a good way. Well, not to worry, because Dad gladly stepped up and took my place. Not only that, but they have both cranked it up a level and go riding any chance they get. One such example was Memorial Day weekend. Todd had the long weekend off and they decided that if one day was fun to ride, why not four in a row? Am I the only one who sees the problem with this idea? Although neither one of them would admit it at the time, they agreed with me in the end – fatigued, sore muscles along with a few crashes makes a big difference in perspective. Boys.

I have to say, and Todd would whole heartily agree that Dad is awesome! He is 61 and goes at the foothills like he’s 31. He is in great shape and doesn’t let anything stop him. Some of Todd’s friends from work have ridden with them over the summer and they all ask, “How old is he?” So as modest as you are, Dad, great job on staying fit and having fun!! You set a good example for us all to follow.

My Mom and I have enjoyed hiking the foothills while the guys ride. The views of the Boise valley are amazing from up high. But as the summer progressed and my belly grew, we took to the downtown streets instead – exploring the farmer’s market, and the green belt.

The dental group at Todd’s work had a potluck and baby shower for us. It was fun to see the people he works with, spend a little time with them, and meet the new faces that have come in. Sylvia organized for everyone to fill out a “birthday advice card” ranging from Konor’s first birthday to his 18th to be given to him on each corresponding birthday. Obviously the advice varied based on the age appropriate year and who was filling out the card. She had each person read them aloud – it was a lot of fun.



Angela, (who puts “craft” in crafty) made us a diaper cake. It was totally comprised of diapers and wipes, with all sorts of baby accessories tied to it for the decorations. She rolled up baby washcloths for candles – it was too cute! I hated taking it apart so I had to get a picture of it.

A small group of wonderful ladies from church hosted a shower for me at Lori’s (second picture on left) house. Everyone who came was extremely generous and supportive. I was a little overwhelmed but it felt so good. My Mom and Grama sat on either side of me while I opened gifts. Mom compiled a great list for me to help in the thank you card writing later, while Grama checked stuff out and passed the gifts to be organized. My sister-in-law, Jennifer, came with my nieces, Bailey and Cassidy (first picture on right). It was great to see them – I don’t get to all that often – and they were a great help. Bailey took some awesome pictures, while Cassidy organized gifts and hauled out chairs when it was over. Todd’s Mom, Jo, and sister-in-law, Kelli, (picture on bottom right) were there along with Todd’s Aunt Norma and three cousins. It was a beautiful day, we enjoyed great snacks, had fun, and Konor got spoiled for sure.

July 24th. . .our little curly haired Kloe girl would be 2 years old today. This year, her Daddy brought home two pink roses (with a balloon) for her and I got a dozen - just like a year ago. It’s truly amazing how much our lives have changed in just two years and yet the impact of our angel is still as strong. We were so blessed to have her. Happy Birthday, Kloe. . .your Momma and Daddy love you.

Todd and I decided to take “one last trip” before Konor comes in August. We debated on several places before we chose to go back to Portland. Portland is a great city – great shopping, good food, cooler weather for my hot pregnant self – and we enjoyed our time there in October. We picked a long weekend, booked a hotel downtown and we were set. We visited Powell’s Books (a bookstore that spans a whole city block) which is full of new and used books – a reader’s paradise. Of course we had to go to Chipotle – the best burrito place ever – a couple of times, Voodoo Donuts, and Nordstrom Rack. I even talked Todd into talking me to Tiffany’s. What could be better? I know! Leaving Tiffany’s with a little blue box – which I did. Yep, Todd totally surprised me when he bought the ring I’ve had my eye on for some time now. What a guy.

Our big discovery and adventure this trip was the waterfalls. We had seen Multnomah Falls from I-84 our first visit to Portland and made a mental note to check it out sometime. Well, we did. Just outside of the city, off of the Interstate runs Columbia River Gorge Scenic Highway. The strip of road stretches parallel to the freeway and has to be one of the prettiest drives in the Northwest. On both sides of the highway is lush, green foliage, combined with native flowers, and beautiful waterfalls. Multnomah Falls is the second tallest year-round waterfall in the nation, dropping 620 feet. We hiked halfway up to a bridge that passes in front of the falling water. The sound of the crashing water was loud enough you had to raise your voice to talk and you could feel the mist of the water as it sprayed up from the force of the fall. The temperature dropped dramatically the closer you got.


Further down the road is Horsetail Falls. We hiked up a very steep trail to the top of the fall. I had to stop several times to catch my breath – my lung capacity is certainly not what it used to be before I was toting around a watermelon. During one such stop, Todd found a tree with the center carved out and waited patiently. (I had to get the picture.) As we weaved back and forth on the switchbacks up you could look down and see a tiny dot that was the car. The really cool part about this particular waterfall is you can walk underneath it! It was amazing!! The trail continues on but we'll have to save that for another day - one where Todd can carry Konor.


We also stopped at the Vista House at Crown Point. The Vista House was build in 1916 and serves as the symbol for the Columbia River Gorge. It has recently been restored - the marble and stained glass are beautiful. The basement contains a neat gift and coffee shop. The views from Crown Point were breathtaking. A nice volunteer gave us a map showing all the falls and recommended his favorite stops along the way.