Our Family

Easter

2009-05-19T10:17:00.010-06:00

Here are a few pictures of this last Easter. As you can see in the background there is snow. Yes, it snowed on Easter morning. It was so cold. Braxton didn't seem to mind the cold, but it took him a minute to figure out what everyone was doing. Once he caught on he did really well. In fact I think he got 75% of the prize eggs. He was nice and shared his duplicate prizes with his cousins.

Braxton at the starting gate. All his cousins just ran right past him.

Starting to figure out what he is supposed to be doing.

Still working on it, the snow was a little confusing.

As you can see he learned quickly, or he had a lot of helpers. Ha, ha.

At the end of the hunt. He is all worn out.

Braxton sitting on the Easter bunny's lap. He did NOT like her.

Bust a move

2009-03-27T21:29:00.003-06:00

This is the warm up phase of the dance. . . head shake, shoulders, then arms, then . . .

. . . turns. Oh man! You can tell when he starts to get dizzy. It is so funny. He just sits there dazed and confused. Funny kid. He definitely gets his dance moves from Tom. Ha, ha. Good times.

That's hot

2009-03-23T13:33:00.003-06:00

Braxton will make sure to let us know when something is hot. But it is not just hot it is "hot, hot" with a wave of the hand to indicate not to touch it. Then he will help cool it down by blowing on it before he eats it. He is such a good helper.

Catching up

2009-03-23T12:59:00.014-06:00

I know that I am a huge slacker when it comes to blogging! Our computer has been very temperamental lately, meaning extremely SLOW! I just would rather not try to use it because it is just frustrating. The last few days it has been better so Tom must have figured something out. Yeah! So, here is recap of the last few months. One of the things that we did was take a trip to see Tom's sister Jaime and her family in Minnesota. You think it is cold here in February try living in Minnesota. YIKES! It hurts your skin and lungs to go outside. It was a lot of fun to see them, especially now that Braxton is older. He had a good time following his cousins around. The next time we visit we will have to make sure the temperature is going to be above 0 degrees. We had a blast though and can't wait to go back.

Tom, Gabrielle, and Braxton playing. Braxton loves to climb on everything. And as he gets taller he loves it even more because it is easier.

Tom, Gabrielle, Madelynne, and Braxton playing the Wii. You have to love this game. It is so much fun. We were playing Mario Kart. We were so much better when it was on Nintendo. We are old!

The family at the aquarium part of the zoo. It is a cool place. Because it is so freezing cold there they have an inside zoo as well as an outside zoo. Let's just say we only made it indoors.

Braxton trying to pet the baby sharks. Not really, he just likes to play in the water.

Walking around the inside zoo. Notice we had to have our coats on INSIDE! It is just too cold there.

Braxton on his first Merry go round. We thought he would love it because from the moment he wakes up he wants to play with or watch horses. You tube is a great site for any animal watching FYI. It turns out he HATES riding on horses. The whole time he was trying to get off the horse and just have Tom hold him. Poor kid.

What do you know Braxton found the only dirt in the Mall of America. Of course he did, it is his favorite thing to play with. His other favorite thing is sitting and walking on curbs. He was in heaven right here.

Another try at the rides. Turns out he didn't like this one either. We had to get off before it even started.

We finally found a ride he liked. The train! He actually just liked it because of the seat belts. He loves to latch and unlatch seat belts. He says "click" when he gets it to go in right. It is pretty cute.

Another ride he likes because it was big trucks. As we drive down the street he will point out all the trucks and make a "vroom vroom" sound. He always knows when Tom is home because of the diesel truck noise.

Going home. Braxton loved watching all the airplanes and trucks drive by.

This kid loves to fly! So exciting!

Big boy steps

2009-01-04T12:54:00.003-07:00

Braxton has now learned how to go up and down the stairs. Down with the army crawl, and up with the big boy steps. He is a funny kid.

Elmo

2009-01-04T12:43:00.004-07:00

Braxton received Elmo Live from his uncle Ty for Christmas. He LOVES it! The first thing he wants to do in the morning is find "melmo". He used to have a regular stuffed animal Elmo that he slept with, but since Elmo live we had to take it out of his crib. Instead of sleeping he would try to make Elmo talk, which of course he couldn't, which would just create anger and frustration and therefore no sleep. Now they both hang out in his "box" wagon in the front room. Thanks for the awesome toy Ty, especially for the warranty! We are already on the second Elmo, the first one broke after being played with 24/7.

Braxton has to take Elmo everywhere with him around the house. We won't let Elmo come with us when we leave. I could only imagine how that would work.

Braxton with Elmo, so happy!
Elmo even gets to play in Braxton's boxes. They have a good time.

Jump Jump

2008-12-31T12:57:00.004-07:00

Braxton loves balloons. His favorite part is letting them go and watching them float to the ceiling. Then he will try to jump and get it, and when he can't he will come and get us to help. It is so funny. Sorry the second video is sideways but I couldn't figure out how to turn it.

CHEEEESE!

2008-12-31T12:18:00.004-07:00

Braxton learned to say cheese when taking a picture this last Sunday. His uncle Ty was trying to take a picture of Braxton when he was covered in cheese, he loves to dip stuff just like his cousin Gabrielle, so we all said "cheese" when he was taking the picture. Kids are too smart!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-28T15:42:00.011-07:00

We hope that you all had a wonderful holiday! We enjoyed ours very much. Poor Tom had to cut it short due to the horrible weather. We love and hate the snow. We love it because it is beautiful, but hate it because Tom has to remove it. He spent the majority of his Christmas "break" pushing snow, digging people out, and helping neighbors get in the driveways. He is a good person and such a hard worker that is hard for his to not help out when he can. We hope that his New Years "break" is more relaxing and family oriented. Here are a few clips of our holiday.
Christmas morning. The family by the tree. Notice there are only a few ornaments on the tree, and they are at the very top. Braxton thought they were balls, his favorite. The lights are also all on the ground. He loves the tree. He always has to remind me to plug it in in the morning, and if I forget he tries to do it himself. Not good. He was successful one time. He is too smart for his own good. It will be hard when the tree is gone. He has really gotten used to it. Maybe we will have to get a fake tree and leave it up all year long. Instead of leaving Christmas lights on the house all year we will have a tree all year.

Playing his favorite game, "where did it go". He loves this little barn. There are a lot of hiding places!

The blizzard on Christmas morning! These are our patio chairs and table on our deck. We got about 14-16 inches at our house in 2 days. That is why the picture is from inside and not outside. I didn't want to go anywhere. I made Tom drive me to my mom's house. It is nice to have a truck with a blade on it in case you get stuck.

Braxton playing with his puzzle. Of course he is trying to get the horse out, his favorite animal.

Braxton sitting in his "box" as he calls it. It is actually a wagon but we left it without wheels and a handle so he could play with it as a box until it is warmer outside. We thought about trying to use it as a sled. We will let you know if it works out.

Grandma Bonnie and Braxton playing with his train. You put the blocks in the chute and it shoots them out onto the caboose. It is pretty fun.

Braxton making some phone calls to let people know what he got for Christmas.

Braxton reading his book.

Braxton trying to figure out why his horses are just sitting there. He likes us to ride them around. He also likes us to ride him around like we are the horse. It is funny, he hits us and makes horse noises as we ride around. Funny kid.

Nice ride

2008-12-07T21:40:00.003-07:00

Braxton testing out his driving skills at the San Diego Zoo.

San Diego

2008-12-07T20:19:00.017-07:00

We just got back from our annual trip to San Diego for Thanksgiving. Although we did not attend Thanksgiving dinner due to the fact Braxton is a little challenging at meal times. He has started to throw food when he is bored or done eating. A habit we are trying to break. Any suggestions?

We were able to visit family in more neutral surrounding during our week stay. It was so much fun to be around family and just hang out, share stories, and tour houses, my grandpa currently owns 2 houses in his complex and is under contract for a third. He has done amazing renovations to his new house. Braxton loved his new house because it had a pond. He helped my grandpa fill it up with water. We changed clothes 4 times that day. They had a good time. We also visited the San Diego Zoo. I haven't been since I was in high school. It was not like anything I remembered. It was very impressive. Braxton loved all the animals and the other kids. We were there for 6 hours and he did good the whole time. He was exhausted when we were leaving. I think he fell asleep before we left the parking lot. He slept from the time we left at 430pm until the next morning, we tried to wake him up a few times but it didn't last more than a few seconds before he fell back asleep. What a long day for him. We visisted the local beaches. Braxton LOVED them! He wasn't even phased by the freezing cold water. It took some effort for us to go in and he didn't even realize it was cold. A few times it took our breath away and he just squealed and kept running. He tried to help build sandcastles, found seashells, and drug seaweed along the shore. It was fun to see him having such a good time. We also visited the aquarium, not very impressive but fun to see Braxton react to the fish. He would point, try to find the fish, and then play peak a boo. The staff even let him play in the pond until he pulled the grass off the tank, then we were asked not to play in it anymore. What do they think kids are going to do? What do the fish care if the grass is on the ground or on the side of the tank? Whatever. We had a great time and look forward to going back again next year.

Braxton getting the feel of the ocean. He liked to play in the sand with puddles.
Braxton trying to direct Tom to take him to where the waves are.

Braxton after taking a few face plants in the sand. The waves would make him a little dizzy and he would fall over.

Family on the beach.The boys strolling along the shore.
Trip to the San Diego Zoo.
The boys in the children's petting zoo. Braxton was a little bit afraid of the goats. He touched the pig once and then ran away. He tried to get to the pony's but they were taking a rest behind the fence.
Family photo on the turtle statue.

Braxton looking after the sick monkey in the nursery. I never knew that they had nurseries for sick animals, but if the mother can't take care of them I guess someone else does.

Braxton's hand compared to the gorillas, remarkable isn't it.
Braxton loved this ride. He sat in there for about 20 minutes before we took him out so the other kids could take a turn. He wasn't sure how to react when we turned it on. He just sat there and looked around.

Braxton's favorite thing at the zoo, the penny press. He wanted to help everyone as they made their pennies so we let him make his own. He was very focused and determined. He went around the back of the machine to find the penny. We eventually showed him where it comes out and he was so excited.

Braxton thought the elephants were pretty cool. Now he likes to mimic the action of their trunks when he sees them.

The end of the day. Good times.

One more

2008-12-07T10:41:00.003-07:00

For a bedtime treat Tom and Braxton share one or two popsicles depending on how much Braxton shares with Tom. As you can see sometimes he hogs the popsicle.

Things I like to do or say

2008-12-07T10:03:00.008-07:00

A little update on things that Braxton is doing and saying these days. . .

He can say the following, most of the time with attitude of actions. . .
-No, no, no with a finger wave
-milk, using pointing towards the fridge or walking over there and trying to open the door
-more, "one more" when eating a Popsicle with dad
-door, the first thing he says every morning because he wants to go outside
-horse, his new favorite animal. He does they head shake with accompanying horse noises, very cute
-nose, either picking his or yours when he shows you where it is
-ears, he can't just pull one of your ears it has to be both
-mouth, sticks his finger is his or your mouth
-eyes, if you aren't paying attention he will poke you in the eyes, people with glasses are lucky they have protection
-bowl, not to be mistaken with ball. One night he kept going around saying what we thought was ball but was actually bowl after we had gathered up the entire ball collection he has and that still wasn't good enough he went over and opened the drawer and got out a bowl. He was so happy when he found it.
-ball, he is very specific with what ball he wants to play with and when
-balloon, he loves to play with balloons. We were worried for the day that he popped one thinking it would scare him, luckily when it just happened he handled it very well. He just looked at it, put his hands up "where did it go".
-dog, woofs to accompany
-dark, when we go for car rides at night he makes sure to let us know it is dark outside
-wow, he really likes all the Christmas decorations. When we are driving or in the store he lets you know when he spots them
-cool, substitute for wow when it is just OK
-boo, when playing peek a boo, he will put his hands over his eyes when he wants to play. Also when you are holding him and there is someone behind us he will sway from one side to the other playing peek a boo. It is fun but hard to hold onto him.
-Tom, he learned Tom's name, sometimes he calls him Tom instead of dad, Tom isn't a fan of this
-down, when he needs help getting down, for the most part he can figure out how to get down.
-up, when he wants you to pick him up when you haven't figured it out from the pushing or pulling
-can show you what the elephant sounds like and does with its trunk
-can tell you what a sheep, chicken, bird, and cow sound like

Things he likes to do. . .
-push you around to get you to go where he wants you too
-point you in the direction he wants to go once you pick him up
-bath, it is hard to get him out of the water. He loves it!
-outside, he doesn't seem to be affected by the temperature. He will play outside forever if we would let him
-radio, he likes to put cd's in the radio, change the radio station, feel the tape player fast forward or rewind, and control the volume or equalizer. It is cute. At my mom and dad's house he has his own little radio and he will go over, take the cd out of the cover, open the lid, put in the cd, close it, and then press play. Most of the time it works but occasionally he puts it in upside down. I was amazed the first time he did it.
-flashlight, he likes to point it at the ceiling and watch the light move around
-books, he loves to read.
-coloring, he has brought home several art projects from daycare. We have them on the fridge and he likes to take them down and show us. He is very proud.
-climb, he is now tall enough he can climb on the couch, chairs, and stools. It makes it even more fun to watch him
-hiding, he loves to play hide and go seek. A lot of the time he just puts it under or in between his legs and thinks it was a clever hiding spot. He laughs and laughs when you play with him.
-crawling, just under the bed or table. He will army crawl underneath our bed from one side to the other, same with the table. Needles to say he has sustained a few bumps and bruises but learned from them. He is really good about watching his head now. Sometimes he needs a reminder but all we say is "watch your head" and he ducks it.
-snapping, he will put his hands in the air and try to snap. He will look at you if you don't snap for him.
Here are a few other things that we captured on film. . .

When Braxton's fingers are just not strong enough or he is too tired to push something he will borrow our fingers.

Braxton likes to watch the Jazz games with us. When he is not trying to shoot his basketballs at the T.V. then he is trying to put them up his shirt. This time he had a little help from dad. It was funny, shortly after this we went to a baby shower and Braxton was trying to figure out what was underneath the girls shirt. I think he thought it was a basketball but was too scared or shy to find out. It was hilarious. He just stared at her and slowing inched his way closer and closer throughout the shower. He never did get close enough to find out. Silly guy.

Braxton not only thinks that bananas are good on the inside but the peel is pretty tasty too. YUM!!

Braxton still likes the door stop. Lately he figured out how to take the rubber part on and off. He thinks it is a fun toy. The sound is cool too.

Twist and shout

2008-12-07T09:26:00.002-07:00

This is how Braxton twists. He will do this when he wants you to take the lid off of something or when he is really excited he does a little twist. Too cute!

Happy Halloween

2008-11-01T13:25:00.011-06:00

Braxton was still not so sure about Halloween this year. We still did not take him trick or treating, we will for sure next year. He liked to see all the kids as they came to the door. He wasn't sure about his costume. He was a spider. He really enjoyed the candy though. We created a monster I think. Now every time he sees the candy bowl he points at it so we will give him a piece. He catches on too quickly! We hope you all had a great holiday!

We had our friends and their kids over for a Halloween party. We ate the best soup and carved pumpkins. It was a lot of fun.

Tom and Braxton carving our pumpkin. Braxton liked to grab the guts and throw them. Occasionally he would hit some of his friends. They thought he was hilarious.

The family photo carving pumpkins. We didn't have our costumes on because we didn't want them to get dirty. Tom was the cookie monster, I was a cowgirl, and Braxton was a spider.

Braxton and his friends at the party. We should have taken pictures at the beginning and not the end. Braxton had it by now.

Playing on the front porch waiting for the trick or treaters to come. Braxton was helping set up the pumpkins, sort of.

Braxton playing with the pumpkin in his costume. He was so cute in his costume. I just wish he liked it more so I could have gotten a better picture.

Family photo at the end of Halloween.

The big game

2008-10-31T15:53:00.005-06:00

After all these years and endless tags Tom finally shot a deer. He is pretty excited about his "trophy" deer. I'm sure you will see it in our garage soon if you come over to our house. Tom is trying to get Braxton used to the deer so in 7 years he can take him along. We will see about that.

Minnesota

2008-10-31T14:28:00.016-06:00

Tom and I along with his brother, mom, and dad went back to Minnesota to visit his sister and her family. I was there for a week and Tom joined us for the weekend. It was a lot of fun to see Braxton interact with them. It took Braxton a few days to warm up and recover from the ruptured ear drum he got from the plane ride. We had a horrible experience trying to get him into a clinic to have his ears looked at and an antibiotic prescribed. Lets just say that I am glad to live in Utah and have the pediatrician we do. A bad experience like that makes you re-evaluate how good you have it. Once Braxton got feeling better he warmed up to everyone and to his new surroundings. He loved that his bed was on the ground. It was a toy rather than a place to sleep. We went for a lot of walks because the weater was beautiful. The neighborhood had a playground which Braxton thought was a lot of fun, along with the neighbors sandbox. I guess we will have to get him one next summer. We also watched Madelynne play soccer. Her team won the state championship, YEAH! It was really fun to watch her play. I wish that I lived closer so I could watch her play all the time. We went to a local apple orchard. There were a lot of apples and green and red pumpkins. I have never seen pumpkins like that before. A lot of the apples they grew I had never heard of before either. They definitely don't make there way Utah. We carved pumpkins, well the adults carved them and Braxton took the tops off, took the lights out, and tried to eat them. He thought they were pretty cool. We were sad to leave but look forward to the next trip. Hopefully it is sooner than later. Thanks for having us!

Gabrielle, Braxton, and Madelynne on the slide at the park. The cousins.

Braxton trying to lay on Madelynne. He likes to snuggle.
Braxton loves bean bag chairs. We had to dig out our old one when we got home for him to play on. He uses it more as a climbing tower at home than place to sit and relax.
Playing in the sand box.
Playing on the neighbors swing set.
Playing in a leaf pile. He likes to be buried in the leaves.
The apple orchard.
On the tractor ride.
The petting zoo at the apple orchard.
Taking the lids off the pumpkin.Taking the lights out of the pumpkin.
Eating the pumpkin. YUMMY!
Tastes Good!

Braxton likes to point where to go, it is how he guides us to what he wants because he can't say. We think he is pointing towards home.

Where did it go? I don't know

2008-09-21T11:09:00.004-06:00

Here are a few funny clips of Braxton's new imitation. If you ask him "Where did it go?" he puts his hands in the air and says "I don't know". I know it just sounds like a squeak but that is what he is trying to say. It is the cutest thing ever. We always try hard not to laugh but it is pretty funny don't you think?

The innocent "I don't know."

The frustrated "I told you I don't know!"

The "I'm trying to look for it but I really don't know where it went."

It's a secret

2008-09-14T20:26:00.009-06:00

We went for a hike in Little Cottonwood Canyon on Saturday. We went up to Cecret Lake. It is a one of our favorite hikes. It is a little tough, but not too long. We took our engagement pictures there, we took Braxton there for his first hike and exposure to the cold and snow. Good memories surround this lake. The family on the shore of the lake.Braxton and I throwing rocks into the lake. Braxton likes to throw the rocks and see the ripple and splash of the water. He really enjoyed throwing the bigger rocks and getting me wet.

Braxton hanging out on the rocks along the shore.Braxton trying to get into the water. Braxton took a face dive into the mud as he was going downhill a little too fast with his hands full. He doesn't quite get the concept of dropping what is in your hands to try to catch yourself.

Family photo by one of our favorite trees. It is where we took our favorite engagement picture 6 years ago.

Braxton and I hanging out in our tree.

Hide and go seek

2008-09-14T20:15:00.005-06:00

Braxton had figured out that you can put things down his shirt as well as others and then find it. He thinks it is great fun. Braxton putting a wicker ball down his pajama's.

Braxton making sure it is still there. Standing up to try to take the ball out. Then he precedes to put it back in when he gets it out.
Proud of his accomplishment, hiding the ball.

Good times

2008-09-12T12:18:00.009-06:00

Here are some fun pictures of what we have been up to when we are hanging out around the house. Braxton playing with his Bob the builder toys. He loves the songs the belt play. He has learned to put the screwdriver in the screw and twist. He is so proud of himself when he does it. He looks at you to make sure you saw him. Silly guy.

Braxton does not like to wear hats so this was a rare opportunity to have a picture with a hat on.

Braxton is getting better at eating solid foods. As you can see he really got into eating his spaghetti.

Braxton likes to help with the dishes. I was washing some dishes in the sink one night and bent over to put them in the dishwasher and found my assistant there waiting to help.

Braxton trying to pick out what lawn mower he wants to ride. So many to choose from. He tested them out by pushing on the wheels.

His final decision. Doesn't he look like a natural?
Braxton LOVES playing in the cupboards. Recently he discovered how to climb in them. Good times.

Climbing out of the cupboards.

cousins

2008-09-12T10:48:00.012-06:00

Braxton had a great time with his cousins. It took him a few days to warm up to Graham, but it was instant bonding with Grace. Poor Grace was so sick of him trying to give her a hug and a kiss by the end of their stay. I am so excited for these guys to grow up together. They are 5 months apart so it will be fun for them. I am only sad that they live a few states away. We love to travel though so that works out. Here are some cute memories of their weekend together.

Grace hanging out on the activity mat. She is so close to crawling. It will be anytime now. Watch out!

Braxton overseeing the playtime. He is the oldest you know.
Braxton mauling Grace for the millionth time. She would have run away from him if she could. So sorry. He learns that from his dad.
Becky, Grace, and Braxton playing with his car. He loves to ride the car, but his favorite thing is to dance to the music. Notice that he is not sitting on the car. He would rather just push the buttons and dance. I will try to get it on video. It is hilarious.
Braxton pushing Graham in the jumparoo. Graham loves to jump. He could have jumped forever if we would have let him. He has a funny one legged jump. Cute guy!
The Olympic swimmers. Well, Graham and Grace anyway. Those kids LOVE to swim. Grace is definitely the champion. She really gets into it. It was adorable.
The family swimming at our pool.
Braxton pushing Graham around in his other car, just a cardboard box if you can't tell. It is so funny to watch him in it though. He starts to make car noises as soon as he sits down. Graham had a great time in the box as well. Such good friends.

Graham having a good time on his car ride. I love his little laugh.

It's official

2008-09-12T10:02:00.021-06:00

My younger brother Greg got married a couple of weeks ago to a Kate. They have a great story of how they met and I am sure they will have a lot of great stories as their marriage continues. Kate is a great addition to the family. They had a amazing ceremony and threw quite the party. Here are a few pictures of the celebration. The rehearsal dinner at Sugar House park.
The boys and Grace hanging out during the rehearsal.
My uncle Scott performed the ceremony. He did an outstanding job. We were all very touched and impressed with it.

The beginning of the ceremony.

Exchanging their vows.
Getting ready for the big finale, the kiss.

The family at the reception at Rose Sachs Garden in the mouth of Parleys Canyon. I didn't even know it existed until my brothers wedding. It is in a great location with beautiful mountains surrounding you. It was good to see everyone and catch up.

Braxton enjoyed cleaning up the leaves under the benches. Whatever keep him occupied and not crying I was okay with.

So, I went and got a spray on tan for the wedding so I wouldn't be ghostly white. The funny thing is that after I got the spray on tan it didn't look like it had done anything and then slowly as the day went on I got tanner/ oranger. The majority of the orange was located on my hands, especially my thumbs. It was hilarious. I was just glad it got dark when it did or people may have noticed.
The family hanging out at the reception. It was fun filled with stories, food, and dancing. I love having family around. It helps you realize what is really important in your life.

Our trailer

2008-09-12T09:02:00.011-06:00

We recently bought a trailer, a 2009 Jayco Jayflight. Poor Tom has been sleeping in his truck the last two years when he has gone hunting. He was determined not to have to do that again. We knew a guy and got a pretty good deal. We took it out for the first time the end of August to Strawberry reservoir. We had a great time. I had never really been to Strawberry before, it had a couple good hikes but is is definitely more of a fisherman's paradise than a hiker/ campers. Nevertheless it was great to just hang out with our family and enjoy the outdoors.
The truck and trailer. We arrived at 11pm so we had to find a pull through. We didn't think we would be able to back up into a spot our first time out and in the dark. It was a good location though, 5 minute walk to the lake.

Braxton was helping Tom unhook the trailer from the truck and lower the jacks. He is very helpful.
Braxton hanging out at the kitchen table after breakfast. He likes to draw on things now so he has his pen and paper to doodle on.

Tom and Braxton cooking our hobo dinners. They were DELICIOUS!
Why does food always taste better in the mountains?

Tom and Braxton skipping rocks. Well kind of, Braxton would just throw them in the lake. They had a blast.

The first night at our campsite. The sunset was beautiful, my favorite part of camping though is the stars at night. They are amazing!

Me and Braxton by the campfire roasting marshmallows for smores. He liked to fling the marshmallows off the stick. Luckily none of them were on fire.
The following day we went for a hike and ran across some red kokanee and the biggest bird I had ever seen. At first we thought it was a deer but it turned out to be a crane. It was crazy!

Happy Birthday

2008-08-16T20:33:00.013-06:00

Braxton had his first birthday on August 14th. It is hard to believe he is already one. We have had a great first year with him and look forward to the all the years to come. He is such a great kid and we love him more than anything. This are a few of the things he has learned and things he loves to do: play with toys, outside in the dirt, and in water, walking and try to run, drinking from a straw- especially from my mug, eating with utensils (we are still trying to master the transition to real food, he has my horrible gag so it has been a little more difficult than anticipated), talking (current vocabulary= mama, dada, hi, yeah, og or oggie for dog or doggie, papa, ool for cool, na for no, and nigh nigh for when he is tired), pushing things- lately he prefers shopping carts, his trucks and lawnmower, fans, climbing on anything and everything, going on walks or hikes, unraveling toilet paper, opening drawers and cabinets and then inevitably emptying them, throwing, tackling me (Tom and him play "get mom" where they both tackle me and then tickle me- Braxton mostly bites and slobbers on me), playing "I'm going to get you" (we crawl after Braxton and hide from him so he can find us- he thinks it is hilarious), books (when he reads he really gets into his books, I mean that literally- he sits on them, kisses them, and carries them around, he loves to turn the pages and feel the different things on them), and the most precious is my hug and kiss when I get home from work. Well, those are the highlights. I know that I am forgetting some things but those are my favorite. He is an amazing kid and I have been so blessed to have such a wonderful child. He reminds me a lot of Tom and I am so grateful for that. I am a very lucky wife and mother. Two days old, coming home from the hospital
One year old. The change is remarkable isn't it?
Decorating the front porch for the party, it was a construction theme because Braxton loves trucks and tractors.
Decoration by the front door. I had to have some construction cones to complete the decor. Thanks Tom they were the perfect touch.
Braxton was not sure about the cake. He just kind of poked and played with it. He didn't really eat it. His favorite part about it was the candle, he tried to eat that.
Licking the frosting off his hands.
I tried to be creative and make construction cakes, the one on the right was Braxton's cake of a dump truck, sorry no before destruction picture, and the one on the left is a excavator.
Braxton and I playing with the toy we gave him, a four wheeler. Tom is getting him prepared for what is to come. He loves it though. He is not sure how to move it with him feet without running them over but we are working on it.

Braxton playing with his other presents. He loves the lawnmower Becky gave him. He is a little Tom just like everyone says.

Friends and fun

2008-07-31T15:32:00.019-06:00

My best friend Brianne and her 9 month old son Isaac recently came to visit for a week. It was so much fun! It is always good times with her, and it was even better this time because of her adorable son. Our boys started off a little rocky but ended up being good buddies by the end of the week. The day after they left Braxton was looking around for Isaac and was frustrated he couldn't find him, that is the one bad thing about developing a memory.

The boys at wheeler farm. They are checking out the bunnies. Braxton's favorite was the black one.

This is my favorite picture ever! Braxton is trying to show these sheep who's the boss, notice he is puffing out his chest to make himself look bigger. He kept doing this all day and still does it randomly at home. So funny!

Trying to figure out what that ugly thing is.

Hanging out with the cow. I guess he was trying to feed him something, he has his spoons in his hand.

I guess he decided he will just feed Isaac, or steal his binkie. It was the weirdest thing, Braxton hasn't used a binkie since he was 4-5 months old but when Isaac came, who always has his binkie, Braxton was interested in binkies again. Not to use, just to play with.

Me and Braxton at Wheeler Farm. He was scared of the sheep so I had to hold him while we looked at them.

Braxton making a run for it. Isaac liked to try to steal the toys that Braxton was playing with so Braxton figured he would just walk away to avoid the situation. Smart guy.
Trying to sneak by Isaac to get to his toys or the pantry.
He decided to share his pantry items with Isaac. So good.
The boys were finally able to play with separate toys by each other by the end of the week.
Occasionally they would still want to play with the same toy, they were nicer about it by the end of the week though. No more tears anyway.
Me and Isaac at Cabella's aquarium. He was amazed by the fish.
Tom and Braxton, Me and Isaac at Cabella's aquarium. Braxton never takes his eyes off the fish. We can't wait to take him fishing. He will either love it or be traumatized by it. We will see.
The family at Donut Falls. We still didn't make it to the top of the trail but we got a little closer. We were to chicken to cross the river with the little guys.
Braxton hanging out after the hike having a snack, a rock.
Tom and Braxton walking back to the car. Sounds easy enough but every time you would try to walk Braxton would spot another rock and want to bend over and pick it up. You can imagine how excited he was that there were rocks everywhere. We finally gave up and carried him back to the car.

I can dance, sort of

2008-07-31T14:54:00.002-06:00

Braxton has learned a new dance move. His first move was the knee bounce, now he has the head move, no, no, no. Sometimes in the car I can hear his head just going back and forth, back and forth, jamming out to the music. He has my rhythm I guess, which is not saying a lot but better than Tom's. Poor kid.

Heman

2008-07-31T14:28:00.002-06:00

Braxton learned a new trick, I'm sure from my dad. He has the athlete scream down! Maybe he thinks if he yells he will throw the balls harder or farther. Who knows. Silly kid.

With mobility comes injuries

2008-07-19T10:59:00.006-06:00

Braxton has been walking for a few months now and is gaining speed. He is a little over confident sometimes and misjudges something. He is also started to climb on everything and everyone he can. If you are sitting on the floor leaning against the couch watch out because he is going to climb up on you to get to the couch. His new favorite thing to do. The problem is sometimes he trips over things instead of climbing over them.

Fat lip and bloody nose after tripping on the broom as I was cleaning. He fell and landed on the box he was carrying around. I was so scared when I heard him scream. It was the loudest cry I have ever heard. Then to find him covered in blood with blood on the floor was a little frightening. When I finally got him cleaned off he had just cut his upper lip, probably with his new bottom teeth, finally they came in- yeah! He had a bad night after that because his lip was so swollen it felt weird to him so he didn't want anything to eat besides a popsicle. Which was okay because it helped with the swelling. In 2 days he was as good as new. Kids are so resilient.

Goose egg after tripping and hitting his head on the dresser. He wanted to document it with a self pic. Good job!

Bear Lake

2008-07-19T10:24:00.011-06:00

For the 4th of July we went up to our condo at Bear Lake. Braxton LOVED the beach and the water. He could have stayed there forever. He was mad when we made him leave. He took a couple of face plants in the sand and water puddles but only swallowed and threw up the water once. I don't even want to think about what gross things are in the water! We also took him swimming in a pool for the first time. He thought it was hilarious when Tom would go under the water and then pop out of the water. He is definitely a fan of the water. He didn't make it to the fireworks so we will introduce them to him on the 24th of July or next year. On our way home we stopped at a few of our favorite stores and restaurants in Logan. We also drove by our old house. It was fun to travel down memory lane again. We had a lot of good times there. Justin and Kortni, Cafe Sabor was just not the same without you.

Braxton was so excited to play in the water. He is pulling me along. I guess I was a little too slow for him. If he tries to run without holding someones hand he usually falls over.

Braxton playing in the water. He didn't even notice that it was cold. 62 degrees is all. BRRR!

Building a sand castle.
Tom and Braxton building a sand castle. Tom built it and Braxton demolished it.
Braxton playing with his shovel on the beach. He carried that thing around for most of the day.
Braxton playing in the sand. He was trying to dig a little bit. It didn't work out very well.
Braxton was wearing half the beach by the end of the day. It was funny his pants were so wet and sandy they were weighing him down and he would fall ever other step. He was determined to keep playing though and would just right back up.
Braxton after playing all day at the beach. He was so dirty! We stripped him down to get him in the car.
I tell you he did not want to leave. The sun was going down and he was still playing. Funny kid.Family feet photo.

Family at the beach.

Raging rivers

2008-06-23T10:15:00.014-06:00

We went for a family hike yesterday in Big Cottonwood canyon. We attempted to see Donut Falls but the rivers were so high we would have had to wade through the raging rivers, so we decided not to. I have never seen the rivers that high. At some spots the river was almost even with the road. Braxton loved the hike, he just sang and looked at everything and everyone. I look forward to going on more hikes. We are going to try to go somewhere every weekend I have off. I am really excited, I love summertime. Tom and Braxton on the hiking trail to Donut Falls.
Dodging obstacles on the trail are more difficult when you are carrying a child on your back. Tom figured it out though, no injuries either.
Hiking by the raging rivers. The water was almost touching the bridge as it ran underneath it. Watch your step!
Braxton hanging out in his kelty pack. He loved it!
Family photo by the river.
Family photo by the river.
Me and Braxton hanging out by the river. I am trying to have him look at dad for the picture, instead he is watching the cars and bikers.
Braxton and I watching the river. He loves the sight and sound of water. He kept trying to get down to touch it so we found a calm area off to the side of the river, where it had overflowed on the ground, and let him touch it. He did not like that, it was freezing cold. It was funny after he got a chance to feel it he did not want anything to do with it again or to be put down for that matter. Smart kid.The raging river!

Like father like son

2008-06-10T21:13:00.006-06:00

Tom takes out the garbage, so Braxton is trying to help dad with his chore. He is very helpful. Braxton helping Tom with the yard work. He loves to be outside and play with Tom in the dirt. He is also really good at spotting dandelions and pulling them out. My parents yard doesn't have anymore left. He is very thorough.

He loves to dig in the mud and try to find dirt clods or rocks to eat. Yummy. Hopefully bugs don't get added to the mix.

He also enjoys climbing these days, it doesn't matter if it is dirt, objects, or people. He is trying to get to the tree to pull the leaves off, another fun thing to do. In a few weeks all of the lower branches of the trees won't have anymore leaves.

The walk

2008-06-10T20:43:00.002-06:00

This past Sunday, June 8th, Braxton decided it was time to walk. Now he just walks from one place to another without holding on. I don't know if we are quite ready for this. Ready or not here we are.

Washington

2008-06-04T09:00:00.009-06:00

We just got back from our family vacation to the state of Washington. It was Braxton's 5th time flying. He is getting to be a pro. It was great to just relax, visit with family, look through old photos, share good stories and laughs, walk through the forest, and visit some tourist attractions. This year we went to Multnomah Falls, a really cool waterfall. It reminded us of the waterfalls we saw in Hawaii. Braxton loved it because he could hear the water and he was getting wet, he must have thought it was a big bath tub. He also was fascinated with the tree mold. He kept trying to feel it as we would walk by. His favorite thing the whole time we were there was Boomer, my aunt and uncles dog. He would giggle and start talking up a storm as soon as he would see him. He would then proceed to try to get close enough to pet him, sometimes requiring a little bit of a chase. He would throw the tennis ball to him but didn't get much of a response because it didn't go very far. The dog was a little disappointed. Braxton had a great time, Boomer on the other hand just tolerated the pestering pokes and pulls.
Braxton was so excited to fly this time. He just kept staring out the window watching all the airplanes and trucks drive by.
Multnomah Falls
Tom and Braxton on the trail to the falls. Braxton loved the stream. We couldn't see any fish though.
From left to right. My aunt Lynette, uncle Paul, me, Braxton, and Tom.

We made it to the base of the falls. It is 542 feet tall. It was quite impressive and wet.

Braxton checking on the mold on the trees. He wasn't sure at first but when he figured it out he really liked it.

Braxton throwing the ball to Boomer. It was so much fun to watch those two interact. Little buddies.

From left to right. My mom, grandma, Braxton, and me. We were hanging out in the "backyard" playing and visiting. Braxton likes to pull the grass and dandelions. He couldn't find one at first but grandpa brought him one. Great grandparents are the best!

I say "backyard" because my grandparents have several acres of forest land to call their backyard.

From left to right. Tom, Braxton, me, my mom, aunt Lynette, Boomer, uncle Paul, sister Becky, grandma, and grandpa. We have such a great family. We are going to miss hanging out with them.

Catch and release

2008-05-23T21:28:00.001-06:00

Braxton loves to play catch. Most of the time the ball just hits him in the chest but he thinks it funny. He is good at throwing the ball, mostly with his right hand but we are working on the left. Sometimes he throws it pretty hard and far. It is surprising. Maybe he has some athletic genes after all.

Finally some real food to eat!

2008-05-22T16:55:00.003-06:00

Braxton is nine months old!! I know it is hard to believe. He is growing up so fast. We saw his new doctor for a check up, she is okay but nothing like Dr. Good. She gave us the go ahead on real food. Hopefully it will help fatten him up. He is 27.7 inches tall and 17.2 pounds. We started off with vegetables and he LOVES his green beans. That is all he has tried, we are going slow on rotating them through. I know all of you out there are rolling your eyes because I do everything by the book but that is okay. I will do anything I can to try to avoid Braxton developing allergies like I have. They are horrible. They next thing up on the rotation is squash. We both hate it but think we should let him try everything and maybe broaden our horizons if he really likes something. That way we might cook it for everyone later on. We also got him some of those finger foods disolvable treats to have on hand when we are out and about and he gets hungry. He downs those things! He just eats one right after the other. It is funny. We tried them, they aren't bad. Other interesting things he has picked up is playing catch, throwing, and kicking things. It is the cutest thing when we are kicking the soccer ball around because he will try to say "kick it". My most favorite thing that he does it running away from us when we play "I'm going to get you". He tries to hide in the couch and then he will stand up and run along the edge eventually crashing into one of the sides of the couch. I will try to get it on video one night so you can get a good laugh. He is always great entertainment. We are going to Washington next week for a family vacation. We are very excited to see my family. They haven't met Braxton yet. I am really excited to hang out with Tom for 4 days. He has been really busy lately so we haven't seen much of him. He always comes home and does the nightly ritual with Braxton, playtime, bath, reading, milk, and then to bed. It is very cute. Such a good dad.

I thought I would include some action shots of bath time. Can you tell this kid likes to splash and take baths? We usually have to refill the bath a couple of times because he splashes all the water out.

His first meal, green beans. YUM! He likes to explore his food before he eats it as you can tell by the first photo. He is such a good helper. I think he liked his first meal seeing how he had to lick the container. He almost got it all. Silly guy.

What's new

2008-05-08T15:11:00.016-06:00

Sorry it has been awhile since an update. I have gone back to working a week on and then a week off for the summer. All three of us are recovering from a bunch of different things. We are our own petri dish. Good times.
This is how Braxton likes to sleep. He is officially a nerd I know. How is that even comfortable?

Braxton LOVES to walk around holding onto anything and everything. As long as he is not sitting down he is happy. He always has to be doing something, crawling, walking, or scattering toys and papers all around. Busy baby for sure!

Braxton threw his propel bottle under the table accidentally when he was chasing it around. He is trying to figure out how to get to it when the chair is in his way.

He finally decided I will just crawl underneath the chair. Smart idea?

Well, it got him a little closer to the bottle but he couldn't figure out how to get out once he got under, you see the other bar is lower then the other side so he didn't fit. After a few attempts and hitting his head he gave up and tried to stand up. That didn't work either. Oh well, it was a good thought. Nice try!

This is how Braxton tries to figure something out, he uses his thumbs to feel it. Not his other fingers just his thumbs. It is so funny.

Braxton loves to look out the window and watch the cars and people go by. He also likes to eat the window seal. Oh well, wood or paint chips never hurt anyone right?

Braxton is tall enough that he can start peeking and grabbing things off lower shelves and tables. He is such a curious fellow.

Braxton learned how to kneel. Now when he wants to transition from standing to crawling he doesn't fall on his butt and take off, he kneels down nicely and then goes. Much better.

On our bed we have these wood pieces to cover up the screws as you can see. Braxton loves to pull them out and throw them or eat them. He gets so excited when you put him down in our room because there are tons of these things to pull out. So much fun.

He is reading his book. He is so advanced that he can do it standing up. He doesn't need our help anymore obviously.

Applause

2008-05-05T16:00:00.003-06:00

Braxton likes to give himself a round of applause when he is able to stand up without holding on to anything. As you can see it makes him loose his balance. Oh well. It is still pretty cute, don't you think? I think he learned it from us because every time he would stand up we would clap and say "good job". Now when he stands he just begins to clap anticipating the "good job". Maybe Mr. Pavlov was right after all.

Will sing for food

2008-04-16T15:40:00.002-06:00

Braxton loves to sing. He's as good as his mom and dad, ha,ha.

Fists of fury

2008-04-11T20:44:00.003-06:00

This is one of my FAVORITE things that Braxton does. He will sit there are rub his fists together when he is frustrated, bored, or tired. I love it!!

Look no hands

2008-04-09T15:01:00.007-06:00

Braxton playing with his toys. He likes to stick his tongue out when he is doing anything. I guess in anticipation of eating it. Or maybe he does it when he is concentrating, his uncle and grandpa do that.

Not only has he started to crawl, he likes to climb. You used to be able to barricade him in with objects or pillows, but now he just climbs over them.
Step one: pull up on whatever is an inch off the ground. His first attempt was with the book, and when that failed he moved over to the truck.

Step two: get into a better position for optimal standing, get a good grip with both hands, fully extend the legs and then . . .

Step three: let go with your hands and stand up. Oh man we are in such big trouble. It looks like he is going to take after me with walking. I walked when I was eight months old. He has a couple of weeks. I think he will make it.

Standing tall

2008-04-05T20:06:00.003-06:00

This is a little clip of Braxton standing up by himself. He can stand without holding onto something for a few seconds. It is pretty unsteady though. He can walk along the couch for a few steps if you have something on there he really wants to get. He tries to hold onto one thing and then transfer to another, ie from us to the couch or vice versa, but sometimes falls short. I think he thinks his arms are longer than they are. Since he has figured out how to pull himself up he always wants to be standing. If there is a toy on the ground he wants he doesn't want to sit down and get it. He tries to bend over without bending his knees to pick it up. Of course he can't so he gives in and sits down. Funny guy.

The walk crawl

2008-03-31T11:28:00.003-06:00

Braxton figured out how to crawl. He did it about a week ago. At first it was really crooked but now it it pretty straight. It is not a normal crawl though. With his left leg he uses his foot as he would be if he were walking and kind of drags along his right leg. It is pretty funny. He will try to follow you around the room and if you leave he tries to follow. He gets tired after about 2-3 feet and has to sit down and rest. He also started pulling himself up to a standing position without our help. It happened for the first time last night, he used to require us holding onto him but not anymore. We are in trouble now!

First words, Tom won

2008-03-25T22:53:00.004-06:00

So, when Braxton and I were in Texas we practiced saying "hi daddy" because Tom was really sad while we were away. We thought it would cheer him up if Braxton's first words were "da da". I tried to get him to say it in the airport when we first got there but he was asleep. Eventually he said it. Well, we think he says it. What do you think? Now we are working on "ma ma". I just think it is so cute the way he "talks" now. I also love that when you say his name he looks at you, and when you say where is mom or dad he will look at us. Good times.

Happy Easter

2008-03-24T18:07:00.011-06:00

Happy Easter. I hope you all had a great holiday. We spent Braxton's first Easter with family. Tom's sister Jaime and her 2 daughters were able to come and visit from Minnesota. It was really good to see them. I bet they were glad to be somewhere warmer and without snow. I guess everyone is sick of the snow, not just Utahans. We went to the annual Easter egg hunt at Tom's aunt's house. It was pretty intense. Braxton was not sure what was going on but he was able to pick up a couple of the eggs that we found. He also met the Easter bunny himself, well in our case herself, but he was a little afraid of her. I think he will enjoy it more next year when he understands a little more.

Braxton first time dying Easter eggs. We just let him play with the egg before we realized he cracked the shell and was eating that. Oops. After that he only got to play with plastic eggs.

The start of the Easter egg hunt. There was about 30 kids lined up behind the gate and Tom's aunt yells go and then all take off. It was hilarious. Braxton is just watching all the kids running around. He liked holding his basket. He would not let it go. We had to pry it from his little hands so he could try to pick up the eggs. Funny kid.

Braxton picking up his first egg. As you can see he is trying to do it one handed. For some reason he has resorted back to "the club" action with his hands. He will try to grab things without opening up his hands. Oh well, he eventually figures it out.

He picked this one up out of the grass. He was more interested in the grass then the egg so it took awhile. He takes after Tom is more ways than just his looks.

Tom, Braxton, Gabrielle (Tom's niece), and Madalynne (Tom's niece) after the completion of the hunt. Their baskets are full. Good job!

Tom was teaching Braxton the secret behind the Easter egg hunt. You just steal the eggs from other people in your family. He caught on pretty quick.

Braxton trying to get away from the scary bunny.

I'm bigger than you are

2008-03-16T11:12:00.019-06:00

Braxton and I took a trip to Dallas, Texas to visit my brother Ben and his twins. We met up with my sister Becky and all hung out together. The twins are 7 weeks old and very cute. Braxton didn't notice them at first because they are so small and then when he figured out they were there he would try to play, a little rough for the little ones so we kept our distance. He did however like the dogs and played with them. His favorite thing they did was lick his feet. He thought that was so funny. We also took daily walks to the park to play on the playground, watch the people and wild life (sometimes it is hard to tell which is which, ha, ha). It was so great to be outside!!! We both got a little sun which was really needed. Lucky us it snowed the day we got back to Utah. UGGGH! It was a lot of fun to be with family. We look forward to seeing them in August.

The twins, Graham on the left and Grace on the right. So cute!

Becky holding Graham with Grace by her side. They love to be snuggled while they sleep.

Look at me! Braxton showing off his backward crawling skills. Still no forward action yet.

Braxton at the park in the swing. He just sat there and watched all the other kids. He loves to people watch, just like his mom and dad.

First time down a slide (thanks Becky for helping me out during my injury- I hurt my back lifting something, probably Braxton, and wasn't able to get around very well so Becky stepped in). He kept trying to hold on to the side but he couldn't reach. When he reached the bottom he just just looked at me kind of confused. No smiling or crying, he just stared at me. It was funny. We will have to go again so he can figure it out.

Braxton crashed after one of our walks. He is holding his favorite thing, the propel bottle. Some kids need a blanket to get to sleep, he just needs his bottle.

Ben and Braxton playing with the dogs (Daisy on the left and Tempe on the right). He loved watching, playing, and petting the dogs. The only time he didn't like it was when they barked loud or growled. They didn't like it when he growled at them either though so it was fair.

Braxton finally realizing the babies are there, he is trying to play with Graham.

Braxton playing with Graham. Doesn't he look big? It is hard to believe he was that small a few months ago.

Scale picture. Braxton playing next to Graham in Becky's lap and Grace by her side. He's HUGE!!

I'll push you. Such a nice boy.

Braxton sneaking a peak at Graham.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-03-05T11:22:00.001-07:00

Our day

2008-03-04T17:15:00.010-07:00

I know I take a lot of pictures but I love this kid. He always makes me laugh. I hope you enjoy the clips of our day yesterday.

Braxton loves to try to grab the camera. As soon as he sees the flash start he lunges for it. I think he just wants to eat it, like everything else that catches his eye.

He is giving a big smile for the camera. Good job!

We are practicing wearing hats for the summer in hopes that he will actually leave them on. So far so good. He is a little bored of our daily routine I guess. YAWN.

What did I tell you, he LOVES these Easter eggs. He just squeals in delight when we get them out.

Braxton started doing this tongue and lip sucking thing the last few days. We don't know where he picked this up. We thought it was a cue that he was hungry but he does it when he's not hungry too. It is amazing how they discover their bodies and figure out what all the little parts can do. Everyday is a new discovery.

To crawl or not to crawl.

2008-03-03T17:29:00.006-07:00

Our latest efforts have been trying to help Braxton crawl. He is SO close. He can scoot himself in circles, move side to side, and go backwards but not forward. The funny thing is he used to hate being on his tummy when he was younger and now he always wants to play on his belly. He even rolls over first thing after he wakes up and plays on his stomach. We find him every morning on his stomach playing with his blankets. Funny guy.

Crawling position, good form.

After attempt to go forward. Oops.

I found one! We have been practicing for the Easter egg hunt. He LOVES these eggs. He plays with them for hours. We put them in the basket and he dumps them out and then we repeat. It is good times.

Food and Fun

2008-02-25T14:59:00.010-07:00

Braxton went to visit the doctor on Feb 19, sadly it will be the last time he sees Dr. Good for awhile because he is leaving for a medical mission to North Columbia in April. We are sad to see him go but know it will be a good experience for him. He will return to his practice in 2 years so we look forward to seeing him then. These are Braxton's latest measurements: Weight 15 lbs 4 ounces (25th percentile) height 25.5 inches (25th percentile). The doctor gave us the go ahead with rice cereal and so we have been doing that once a day at night right before bedtime, as you can see why. He seems to like it, although his favorite part is trying to do it himself. He is so independent. I wonder who he got that from, ha, ha.

This is the first time eating rice cereal. He catches on to everything so fast. He wanted to feed himself. Too bad he is not that coordinated yet.

After his first meal. YUMMY!

We took another trip up to our Midway condo last weekend. I had a work retreat for a few days so the boys came along so I could see them a couple hours a day. The weekend was fun to just hang out as a family and not worry about anything. We just got to enjoy one an others company without any distractions. It was really nice.

Braxton playing in tissue paper. He loves noisy paper. You should have seen the paper on the table at the doctor's office. He destroyed it. When the doctor walked in he said "Someone is having fun". Braxton then looked up at him and smiled innocently. It was hilarious.

Action shot of Braxton trying to headbutt Tom. This is his new thing lately. He will try to headbutt on head or our chest. It is cute but sometimes he hits us a little too hard and hurts his nose.

Braxton loves people, even if they are not close by. He will look outside and yell or grunt (his new noise, it sounds like a growl/ grunting noise) at anyone going by. He will also hit the window in excitement or in an attempt to get their attention. I'm not sure.

Don't bother me I'm thinking. Braxton now has this move where he will be playing and stop to touch his forehead. I'm not sure why but it is so funny.
Braxton's all time favorite toy, the propel bottle. I'm not sure why I buy him anything else. He prefers this over anything else. Lately we have been letting him try some of this as well as juice and water. If it is a little tart he does this full body jerk. I have yet to be able to capture it in film. I will continue to try.

Take care. Talk to you soon.

toys toys toys

2008-02-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

Lately when Braxton is trying to focus on something he doesn't make any noise. But then when he wants to play he makes noises again. It is so funny.

I let Braxton pick out what toy he wants to play with from his basket of toys, as you can see he gets bored easily. He usually empties the whole thing in 10 mintues. Then I put them all back in and we start over.

This is his new toy. It is like the jumparoo without the industrial springs. It has TONS of toys. It is very stimulating even for me. He just turns in circles trying to figure out what toy he wants to play with or eat.

Baby talk

2008-02-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

Braxton loves to talk. He is like us and uses his hands to tell his stories. It amazes me what traits they inherit. We always try to have him tell us at night what he did all day. Tom likes to participate in the coversation and mimic his sounds.

Is it time for a haircut?

2008-02-06T14:15:00.001-07:00

Bath time! Yeah!

Nice mohawk!Tough guy. Check out those muscles.

Get those feet.

Sitting all by himself. Good job!

Jumparoo jig

2008-02-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

Braxton loves this thing as you can tell. He would jump all day in it if we would let him. My favorite part is his feet, he barely touches the ground with his tip toes. I hope you enjoy his jumparoo jig as we like to call it.

Snow, babies, and fun

2008-02-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

Braxton and I in the back yard after the big snow storm. It is not really waist deep. It just goes up to my knees, a little trick photography by Tom. Tom and Braxton behind the pile of snow in our park strip. This is all from the last two days. Yikes.

Braxton loves this hand puppet. "Mr. Froggy". He likes to eat his eyes and arms. The beginning of the "pop" noise.

The completion of the "pop" noise. He exagerates the ending as you can see.

Braxton sucking on his lower lip. He is such a nerd.

Braxton in the tub. He loves to chase his toys around, and when he catches it his reward is sucking on it. His favorite thing to do, along with drooling.

Braxton mesmorized by the fish monitor.

My brother Ben and his new baby twins, Grace and Graham. Aren't they cute!

Snow, babies, and fun

2008-02-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

Hello from the south pole. Just kidding. We have had a TON of snow this year. Yesterday we had 2 Feet of snow at our house. It is unbelievable. Poor Tom is so sick of the snow. If he didn't have to remove it he probably wouldn't mind. Braxton doesn't like it either. We took him outside today in the snow and he didn't quite know what to do or think. Then he figured out he was cold and wasn't happy at all. There are a few new things that do however make him happy. He is happy not to be sick anymore. He had his first cold last week. The poor kid was miserable. It got so bad one day we had to take him into the doctors to be checked out. The doctor told us to hold off on the milk and try juice, gatorade, etc until his stomach wasn't so irritated. He HATED it. He wouldn't drink any of it. We had to resort back to milk so he wouldn't become dehydrated. Let's just say it was a rough week last week and almost ran out of diapers. He did however pick up the habit of trying to drink what we drink, not that he likes it. He will try to grab our drinks and have some. Then when he gets a taste he makes a sour face. It is so funny. He just started sucking on his bottom lip, I'm not sure where he learned this from but I think it is adorable. He also likes to make the "pop" sound with his mouth. He has become fascinated with our faces. He is always trying to grab our nose or mouth, and my hair. He just thinks it is so interesting that his fingers can go into these holes in our faces. Funny guy. He is learning to tolerate tummy time and his arms are getting stronger. Some people have bet he will be crawling in 3 weeks time. We will see. If so I better start baby proofing the house now. He also is learning to tolerate the bumbo but only with his fish monitor. It is mesmorizing to him. The thing that makes him the most happy these days is bath time. He now takes his bath with Tom and he loves it. He likes to jump and chase after his toys. It is quite entertaining to watch but more difficult to accomplish the task of actually bathing. We are excited to say that Braxton now is a a cousin to my brother's twins, Grace and Graham. They were born on Sat Jan 26. Everyone is out of the hospital today and are doing well. We are excited to go see them in a month. Take care.

First tooth

2008-01-21T14:26:00.001-07:00

Braxton's first tooth. It is the little white dot by my index finger. It is harder than I thought it would be to take a picture. He kept trying to eat my finger. Silly guy.

He doesn't enjoy the teeting process. Poor guy.
He is rubbing his binkie on his gums to try to make them feel better.

Braxton playing with his favorite stuffed animal. "Mr. Turtle"

FIrst tooth

2008-01-21T14:09:00.001-07:00

Braxton got his first tooth already. We found it yesterday. Poor kid has been a little cranky lately and now we know why. We can't even imagine what it feels like to a baby to have a tooth come in. I know that when I have a cavity it hurts really bad, so I really sympathize for him. We got some teething toys for him but he doesn't seem to like the cold. He likes the ones that vibrate on his gums though. He will take the toy or his binkie and just rub it as hard as he can across his gums. He likes his binkie the best because it makes a squeaking noise. He will do this for about ten minutes and then take a little break and then do it again. If there are any know tricks out there to help with teething let me know. Other than the teething thing we are all doing great. Tom is enjoying his time watching Braxton while I am at work. He is taking advantage of this time with him because he only has another month of this and then Braxton will be going to daycare starting March 6. We think it will be good for him. He likes other kids and babies. He will just stare at them and try to talk to them. He isn't really around other kids seeing as he is the first grandchild and I have a small family. He only sees his "extended" family and their kids on basketball nights. He is a little active so we will have to see how they handle him. Hopefully he doesn't attack the other children like he attacks his stuffed animals. He will sit there and play with them and then all of a sudden he will tackle them. It is funny. Well, I hope that all is well with you and your families. Take care.

New Year, new tricks

2008-01-07T18:05:00.001-07:00

Braxton likes to play with his feet whenever he is on his back. He will eat them only if he has socks on.

Braxton is so advanced. He is already learning how to type so he can update the blog.

Braxton not only likes to play with his toys with his hands but also with his feet.
Tummy time. We have to put a toy down to help keep him occupied.

The jumparoo. His feet don't hit the floor yet so we have to put a pillow underneath him to allow him to jump.

New Year, New tricks

2008-01-07T17:44:00.000-07:00

Happy new year. We were sleeping when the new year began. We are like old people, no offense. We barely make it to the 10 o'clock news these days. Oh well. Braxton is enjoying the new year. He is so much fun. He loves his voice. He will talk and talk and talk and then scream with excitement. His new noise is like he is trying to hauck a loogy. I don't know where he learned that from, dad I'm sure. He also tries to cough, laugh ( he makes this ha sound that is so cute), and roll (he is able to roll from his stomach to back but not from his back to his stomach, we are practicing a lot with tummy time). It is quite amusing when he "talks", especially when we are at the store, it scares the passersby. He also is trying to figure everything out. He will just stare at things or people trying to find out who they are or what they do. He is so focused when he is doing it. He doesn't make a sound or move which is very unusual for him. He is getting bigger by the day, Becky and I measured him last Wednesday, 14.8 lbs and 26 inches long. I had to retire all of his 0-3 month clothes. It was exciting to get out the new outfits. We also have been introducing his new toys from Christmas. His favorite is the jumparoo. He loves it. He just bangs on it and squeals with delight. He has outgrown his bouncer chair, not in size but interest, so we are glad that he likes the jumparoo. It would make it hard to do anything if he didn't. He has also graduated to his crib, he has been in our room up until a few weeks ago. He sleeps through the night so he must like it. Well, I hope that you all have a great year. Take care.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

Braxton at the doctor's. Weight 13 lbs 6 ounces. Height 24.4 inches. He is getting big.

Braxton loves to look in the mirror. He thinks the other baby is so funny. He doesn't know it's him. Silly guy.

Braxton meeting Santa for the first time.

Braxton posing in his new Santa hat. It didn't fit his head anymore. He is so smart his brain has got to big. Braxton opening his presents. He ate his way to his presents as you can see. He was more interested in the wrapping paper than the toys.

Braxton playing with one of his new toys. He is having a good time as usual.

Braxton playing with another toy.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas everyone. We hope that you had a wonderful holiday. Our Christmas was great. Tom spent half the day plowing but other than that it was enjoyed by all. Braxton was spoiled by us and the rest of the family. He has enough clothes and toys to last for awhile. That is a good thing though because he gets bored really easy so now we have a good selection of things to keep him occupied. We took him to see Santa on Christmas eve. He just looked around at everyone and everything that was going on. That is his new thing lately, he just looks at something and tries really hard to figure out what they are saying or what it is. It is cute. We went to the doctor on Dec 19th. Our doctor was impressed with how active and happy he is. He did however drop in his weight. He is down to the 25th percentile from 50. His height is still in the 50th percentile. He is just tall and lean like his dad. The doctor said that we could start feeding him rice cereal but we are going to stick to milk for a couple more months. Tom tries to offer real food to him to sample and smell so he will be excited when he can start eating real food. Mt. Dew is his favorite just like Tom. Take care. Have a happy new year.

New things

2007-12-16T16:39:00.000-07:00

Braxton likes to play with his binkie. He will take it out his mouth and chew on the side of it. Sometimes he is able to put it back in his mouth.

He found his ear. He pulls on it pretty hard. Once he finds it and gives a good tug then he is ready for bed.

Braxton is playing on the couch with is book. He will sit up by himself know but sometimes slups over so we pad him with pillows. I surprised him with taking a picture, you think he would be used to it by now.

Braxton likes to look at the Christmas tree with the lights and ornaments. He laughs at the big tree. He likes the real tree better than the fake one, just like his dad.

Braxton likes to play with plants like his dad. He will grab onto the flowers and leaves and not let go. He likes to smell them also. He doesn't like how they feel on his face though, when he gets to close and it touches his face he is startled.

Braxton blowing bubbles.

New Things

2007-12-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

So, there are a few new and exciting things that are happening around the Rekoutis household. I went back to work on Nov 29. It has been fun to be doing something I really enjoy and am good at, but it is really hard to be away from Braxton. I find that I have a hard time staying until the end of my shift. When all the critical things are done I find myself trying to leave a little early. Everyone at work has been very understanding. Most of them has kids of there own and know how hard it is. I am sure it will get easier but I just miss the little guy. While I am at work Tom has been watching him. I think it is a great experience for both of them. Tom likes to take him on field trips to Cabella's and Sportsman's Warehouse. He is getting him into hunting now so he will really enjoy it later. Braxton liked the fish aquarium at Cabella's and all of the animals. We are going to take him to see Santa and get their picture taken. I wonder if Santa at Cabella's wears the red suit or if it is camo? We will let you know.

Braxton is so much fun to hang out with. He has started discovering his body and all its little gadgets. He loves to play with his feet, and use his feet to play with. He will try to hold his books with his feet and kick his toys. He will lay on his back and just try to grab them, and once he finds them he doesn't want to let go. This makes it a little hard to change his clothes of diaper. He also found his penis. As soon as the diaper comes off his hand goes down to see if this part of his body is still there. This makes it quite a challenge to change him , especially when there has been a blowout. We need both of us when this happens, one to hold his hands and one to change him. He also enjoys tugging on his ears, especially when he is tired. He will stroke his hair and try to find his ears. It is cute. I just hope this doesn't make them bigger than they already are, he definitely has Tom's ears. He can't not chew on his hands. If we hold his hands away from his mouth so he can't reach them he moves his head closer to try to get at them. Sometimes he puts them so far into his mouth that he makes himself gag. I feel bad when he does it but he gets mad when he can't chew on his hands/fingers. The funniest thing is when he tries to fit both of his hands in he mouth. Another thing he discovered his mouth can do is blow bubbles. He will blow bubbles and slobber all of the place. It is the cutest sound. He thinks he is funny when he does it. If you look at him while he is doing it he just smiles and keeps blowing. He is such a cute little man. We see the doctor on Wed 12/19 so we will see what he has to say and how big he is really getting. We will update you after the appointment. Take care.

Beach Boys

2007-12-07T10:18:00.001-07:00

Waiting in the airport to fly to LAX. We were grateful for a shorter flight, less worries.

Family at the beach before Thanksgiving dinner.

Tom and Braxton at the beach.

Grandma Jane and Braxton playing.

Tom, Braxton, and Grandpa Max playing Boche. Our team lost.

Out to dinner with Great Grandparents Max and Jane. "Chin up".

Beach Boys

2007-12-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

We recently took our annual trip to California for Thanksgiving to visit family and friends. We arrived a day early and we able to meet up with one of Tom's old friend from Utah. We went out to dinner with his wife and son. They had a good time telling stories of landscaping and being dads. We spent Thanksgiving with my family in San Diego. On our way to Thanksgiving dinner we stopped off at the beach. It was the first time Braxton had been to the beach. It was windy as we walked along the shore and he didn't know how to react. He couldn't figure out how to breath in when the wind blew in his face. It was a struggle but he finally figured it out. We then meet up with family at my aunt's house for dinner. It is always a good time seeing family. I love being around them. They are such great people. Braxton meet a lot of his family for the first time, including aunts, uncles, and great grandparents. Braxton was able to spend the day after Thanksgiving with his great grandparents. They played, told stories, played boche, and of course fussed and cried. It is a day I will always cherish because it was the last time he will be able to see my grandma. She passed away the following day. She was an amazing person and I am so grateful for her being a part of my life. Truly one of a kind. She will be missed greatly.

Halloween

2007-11-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

Family photo at Schmidt's pumpkin patch.

Posing for the camera. Isn't he cute?

Go Jaguars!!

Bingo Halloween with Grandma Gladys.

Hanging out with his friends Max and Zane.

Halloween

2007-11-19T23:53:00.000-07:00

Braxton had his first Halloween. We went trick or treating to several places throughout the day. The first stop was the high school, go Jaguars, to see Tom's mom. It was funny because some of the office staff thought I was a student. Are there a lot of students with babies? Worrisome thought. He has a cute jaguar costume in honor of being an alumni son. Next stop was my dad's work. The office was excited to meet him for the first time. We then took a road trip up to my work. He loves my office because all the attention he gets while he is there. They just love him, and there are a lot of file cabinets and lights. He likes shiny things. Later on that evening we put on our cute chicken costume and went trick or treating to our friends houses. He hung out with some of his buddies. I love getting all the children together, they are so funny. We just sit there and laugh as they entertain us. It is always a good time.

Duke Fest 11/7-11/12/2007

2007-11-19T23:39:00.000-07:00

Tom and I recently went to see our friends Brianne, Jarod, and their new baby Isaac in North Carolina. It was a great trip. Braxton did awesome on the plane ride there and back. Everyone commented on how good a baby he is. We would have to agree. Even a random grandma liked him so much one day while we were out to eat that she took a picture of him. It was a little strange but whatever. People just love babies, especially cute ones like he is. I am a little biased but I'm allowed to be.
Tom and I had never been to North Carolina before, it is beautiful. It is surrounded by trees. It is literally a town in the middle of the forest. You can't see anything when it is dark, and they don't believe in street lights for some reason. It is a little scary. We were lucky to be there when the leaves were changing for fall. Breathtaking. The campus at Duke is amazing. It would be hard for me to go to class because I would just want to sit outside and enjoy mother nature.
It was a lot of fun to go see my best friend and he cute son. It is wonderful to be able to experience motherhood with those that you grew up with and love so much. I love to see how people change when they become parents. You just look at the world differently I think. Well, at least I do. I appreciate the people I have in my life more than the things. Take care until next time.

DUKE-FEST

2007-11-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

We went to Raleigh Durham to visit our friends Brianne, Jarod, and their new baby Isaac. Braxton is excited to go on his second airplane ride.

We were able to go on the court at Cameron Indoor Stadium. It reminded us of the movie Hoosiers. It was a lot smaller and older than we thought it would be. It was really cool.

Tom wanted to try to see Coach K in action.

We visited a local tabacoo plantation. The Washington Duke Homestead. He is the man who founded Duke University.

Tom got to go to a Duke basketball game. He was sitting about 15 feet behind the Blue Devil bench. The fans are louder than Utah State. We never thought the Spectrum could be trumped but I guess so.