The Second Year | ...back to the basics...

A trip to the Zoo

June 10, 2011 by julie · 3 Comments

There is a small zoo not too far from here, so Laura and I decided to take Brayden and Caden on Tuesday, before our (successful) attempt at the pool!

Momma, I love the zoo!

Caden looking at the wallabies.

Best buds.

Brayden wanted to kiss all the animals.

Brayden really loved the zoo, despite the heat. We watched the trainer feed the sea lion and show off her tricks. Brayden signed “more” when it was over and was crying when we started to move on. I need to get this kid to Shedd Aquarium this summer!

He didn’t love the carousel. But he didn’t totally hate it either. I think if I would have put him on one of the animals that didn’t move up and down, he would have been ok. Two laps in and he was wanting to be held.

These boys are so fun- we have a blast taking them out and about!

Filed Under: playdates, the second year ·

Photographic Evidence

June 9, 2011 by julie · 4 Comments

As some of you know, my child loves bath time but until Tuesday, hated swimming pools. He hated them last year, the times I tried taking him to the indoor pool this winter, and when we spent an entire weekend at the water park. Yes, how much fun can you have at a water park with a kid who is afraid? Not a lot, I will tell you that.

This all changed on Tuesday, thanks to my friend Laura. Her in-laws have a fabulous pool, so we did a play date at the zoo (another post) and then went there to swim. She was smart and grabbed the wading pool at her house beforehand, and Brayden actually liked it.

I have photographic evidence of my son enjoying the swimming pool! I also feel like I should have bought a lottery ticket.

How handsome is he in his tank and trunks? I love it.

YAY! In the pool and NOT crying. Success.

He had a pretty horrible farmer’s tan so I slathered him in SPF 70. These photos make him look red but I promise, he isn’t sunburnt. I am on the other hand? Look slightly lobsterish.

Look! He is in a pool! BY HIMSELF- NOT CRYING. Seriously, where is that lottery ticket?

Better yet: he went down for a nap in a strange-to-him place for almost 2 hours (as did Caden!) allowing Laura and I some kid-free time in the pool. Gloriousness. I am hoping this is the start to Brayden really liking the pool!

Filed Under: the second year ·

New Slide

April 16, 2011 by julie · 1 Comment

It’s no secret that most of our outdoor time will now be spent going up and down the slide. Brayden is in love!

Filed Under: Brayden, the second year ·

YouTube Addict

March 2, 2011 by julie · 8 Comments

Brayden loves the computer. He loves to watch tractor videos on YouTube, music videos from the movie Cars, and Mickey Mouse. He will literally grab you by the hand and drag you in there, while making tractor noises, and climb up in the chair and wait patiently while you bring up his favorite videos.

While he is there, he likes to do some easy figuring on the calculator as well. Such a daddy’s boy in this aspect!

LOVE those eyelashes!

And of course, if it isn’t loud enough, he can take care of that himself.

Filed Under: Brayden, the second year ·

Brayden’s 2nd Airplane Ride

February 26, 2011 by julie · 8 Comments

Brayden’s first vacation adventure was last October when we went to Colorado for 10 days. This time, my parents asked if him and I wanted to tag along back to my hometown in Western Nebraska for a couple of days to see some family. I couldn’t say no! My aunts, uncles, and friends haven’t gotten to meet Brayden, so it was definitely worth the trip. As most of you know, my dad is a pilot, so Brayden had his first plane ride with Grandpa this week.

The 4 hour plane ride really beats 12 hours in the car. And Brayden LOVES it. Actually, he sleeps through most of it, but for the time he is awake, he is really content.

We had a great visit with family and friends, they all loved Brayden, and I was so glad we went. But it was so nice to be back home to my husband, comfortable bed, and routine.

Filed Under: the second year, vacation ·

Wordless Wednesday

February 16, 2011 by julie · 6 Comments

Someone got a haircut!

Filed Under: the second year ·

Brayden: 18 Months

January 24, 2011 by julie · 1 Comment

18 months old? Really? I can’t grasp this concept. My baby is a year and a half old, and somedays it feels like he just got here! This will be the last monthly post I do (I think… I don’t know, it’s kind of sad yet amazing at the same time) so I figured I better have some pictures.

These are just a few of the outtakes I took before I had my photo shoot on Friday.

Brayden has learned how to put himself to sleep this past month! I started rocking him just for a couple of minutes to transition him to bedtime/naptime and then laying him down awake. The first couple of nights he cried out, but only for a couple of minutes, and I never went in there. I was going to wait 10. Since then, I have been doing the same thing, and it’s working really well. He has been consistently going to bed by 9pm for the last month or so as well, and sleeping between 7-8am. Even if he took a long nap, I still put him to bed at the same time.

Brayden is still not verbal with us, but he sure is vocal. He is really good at getting his point across (for the most part) and tantrums when we provide the wrong thing? Are driving me crazy! It is so hard to know what he wants, say, when he is pointing at the refrigerator or the pantry cabinets. And even if he is pointing at something, that may not always mean that he gets it either!

He is really good at giving “loves” before people leave the house or when he leaves somewhere. Always a big kiss, a hug, and lots of waves. It is so cute. He also does this before bedtime.

He is a total ham, and plays it up for anyone around. He loves to chase us around the house, play peek-a-boo and hide and seek, and set up all of his trucks in the living room. He is really into Cars and Toy Story movies, and that’s how we pass the time in the cold months. I recently got out a puzzle for him, but he stacks the pieces and then shoves them around- so maybe he isn’t quite ready for that! He doesn’t do great in the nursery at church, so that is something we are working on as well. He will stay there, just not the entire time. I am looking forward to his 18 month well check the first week of February!

Filed Under: Brayden, the second year ·

Teething

January 19, 2011 by julie · 1 Comment

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate the teething process? It totally steals my sweet, happy, go-with-the-flow little boy and replaces him with a whiny, crying, miserable boy. It breaks my heart every time.

{yes those are pliers. he was helping, and I was trying to take them away. doesn’t he look guilty?}

He has been absolutely miserable for the last week. He is cutting his eye teeth (I call them the fang ones!) and I think? 2 year molars. The back of his mouth is pretty swollen and when he chews on something? It goes straight back into his mouth, not on the sides. I gave him one of my new spare toothbrushes and he LOVES it. It is like the greatest teether for his age because he doesn’t try to gag himself with it. And the little tongue scraper on the other side? Probably feels really good on his gums.

I am trying not to wish his life away, but I will be pretty happy when he has all of his teeth.

Filed Under: teething, the second year ·

Non-vocalness

January 18, 2011 by julie · 1 Comment

Brayden is knocking on 18 months of age right now and still no words.

None.

Just grunts and uhhhs and pointing and grabbing and tantrums. He knows HOW to communicate, just not vocally. And it is driving me crazy. He doesn’t even say “momma”, which I SO long to hear.

I used to repeat everything to him- such as this:

“Do you want this red cup? Do you see the tree? It is green. Oh you want this box? It is brown.” I quickly realized that this? Was not going to work. I was going to drive him AND myself crazy. And for what? For him to learn it faster and be able to talk back? Yeah…not so much.

I know that he will in his own time, but it is so frustrating. Our pediatrician isn’t worried (yet) and I am hoping to ask her about it at his 18 month appointment early next month. Until then? I will just keep exposing him to things, reading to him, and pointing out what he is looking at- only without being super annoying.

Filed Under: Brayden, the second year ·

Daddy’s Helper

December 2, 2010 by julie · 5 Comments

It is no secret around here that Brayden can be a HUGE daddy’s boy. He wants to help Brandon do anything! It’s cute to watch. On this particular day, they needed to put new batteries in a toy drum.

After they fixed the drum, we let Brayden run around outside for a little bit to burn off some energy. He loves to be outside- I think it will be a long winter around here!