16 months old

Well... it happened. Somehow my little baby is now an opinionated toddler. He has grown SO much recently, he is now even taller and skinnier than he was as a baby, but it's adorable. He is in the 90th percentile for height and 35th percentile for weight. 

He is OBSESSED with any type of ball. He loves to play catch and loves to shoot hoops with Blake. Everywhere we go he is on the look out for balls, especially basketballs. I go to zumba on MWF and he carries around basketballs most of the time while I'm there. He also likes putting basketballs into the toy stroller there and pushing it around like a baby. 

 At the edge of our apartment complex with Brayden's friend Kyla who lives in our complex also.  

 He is quite the daredevil. 

 Techie Baby. hahaha he put it on himself. 

 His favorite place to be is running around outside, no matter how cold or rainy it is. He throws a fit every time we come in from playing outside. I can't wait for summer so we can play outside all the time without freezing our buns off! 

 He loves these while he is in the tub. 

 He likes coloring with crayons, and then snacks on them in between. 

 The sunsets in Washington are pretty beautiful, this crappy quality picture doesn't do them justice. 

 He is getting all of his 4 molars in at once which is good and bad. He hasn't been sleeping or eating well, which is never easy on me. 

 It is so fun watching him grow up and find more things he loves doing. He is really a happy, fun kid that brings so much joy into our lives. 

 He didn't want to take this hat off at Carter's. 

 He is getting to be more and more cuddly the older he gets, which I am loving :) He will actually sit with me and read a book now too. He loves reading books that have pictures of balls in them (big surprise). One other thing he is loving lately is animals, anytime he sees an animal he yells, "COCO!" Coco is my parents dog. He also says doggy, but he prefers coco. 

 Little cheeser! 

 Firing up his new grill. 

 Superbowl sunday! We got together with our good friends here and had lots of unhealthy food, that's what the Superbowl is all about, right ;) 

It was crazy hearing all of our neighbors banging pots and screaming when the Seahawks won! 

Blake got a grill this week, just in time for the Superbowl! 

Grandpa Weldon gets here tomorrow, since he has had jobs here in Washington. My mom flies out on Thursday and we are so excited to see them! 

A little update on our life!

It's been awhile since I've written so I figured while Brayden takes a nap I should sit down and write a little.

Brayden is 1! Plus a month :) I can't believe how fast the time has gone by (I know everyone says that). It's crazy to think about how a year ago I was so tired and dealing with the baby blues. It wasn't easy moving to a new place, Blake starting a new job, and having a baby. I felt so lonely and depressed, but I have become so much stronger and will know what to do differently next time. Now whenever I see a new mom I have a whole new level of sympathy for what she is going through. It honestly is so hard and if you aren't a mom yet, once you are you will see just how hard it is. I thought before I had kids that is was super easy and if ALL you are doing is being a stay-at-home-mom that it's much easier. That is SOOO not true. You never get a break. Ever. Sometimes I wish I had other things I could go and do without my little shadow following me around. It's gotten easier since I stopped nursing because it has given me a little more of my own space. But the fact is that no matter what kind of a mom you are, whether it's a working mom or a stay at home mom, they are each very trying in their own ways. I've learned that God keeps an extra watchful eye on mothers and I feel his love and comfort daily. I try to think about how very blessed I am that I have a little messy angel that poops way too much :) Seriously... 4 poopy diapers a day?

He is so much fun now that he's older and running around. He is starting to talk more, and is doing great with sign language. He signs eat, milk, more, thank you, and please. He says dada, mama, mo (more), ba ba (bottle), ball, hi, yeah, and no. (That's all I can think of at least). The other night he was saying "Ball! Ball!" in his sleep and it was so cute!

He also loves to clean up his own messes. This morning he gagged on a piece of apple and spit up on the floor so he promptly went and got the diaper pail refill box out of his room and smeared it all over the floor. Good thing it was a brand new one so we will be able to smell barf for months to come. I tried to clean it up and I think it helped a little. Haha sweet boy, just trying to help but just made it much worse :)

He gives Blake kisses all the time whenever he is home and hardly ever gives me kisses (so not fair!) and when he does he just licks my face?! and then laughs at me. Haha.

We had a great birthday party for him with friends and family. It was blue/gray/whale themed and I had lots of fun planning and decorating for it. Here are some pictures:

 Sorry some are sideways! 

Yay! 

We recently got back his 1 year pictures also, and they turned out really cute! We went and shot some outside first with all the pretty fall leaves and then we went back to her studio. Trying to get a toddler to stay in one spot while he gets his picture taken is no easy task. ha! 

Brayden's Nursery

I realized I haven't posted pics of Brayden's nursery, so here they are!

 

 View from the hall. The rocking chair is the same one Blake's mom used to rock him to sleep when he was a baby.

 

 Thank you Aimee for the cute pictures! The one in the middle was from Brayden's great grandma (I had the same picture in my bedroom growing up, one of my favorites.)

 His bumpers.

 I hate the video monitor receiver cords but oh well :)

 The pictures above his closet I am debating taking down and putting something else up there but for now that's what's there!

The shadow box I made him (at the entrance of his room).

 

It's nothing special by any means but just for future memories I decided I should probably post this :) Still a work in progress!