A wedding, an escape artist and a pair of boots...

Just hanging out before church starts... at 2:00PM!!!

I look like a dork, but included it because Braeden looks so adorable! My big guy and my little guy.
Braeden loves bath time!
My escape artist!
Braeden's favorite pass time.
Our little family at Joyel & Eric's wedding (unfortunately taken at the end of a long day).
The wedding party.
Braeden on the dance floor mesmerized by the techno lights.
Braeden still not warmed up to his "crazy" Uncle Spence! =)


Where do I begin? Well, about two weeks ago we visited California to attend Cameron's sister's wedding (Joyel). It was a beautiful occasion and one we won't soon forget. Eric's a lucky man because Joyel was absolutely stunning! And then the following weekend Cameron's parents (Grandma Mia and Grandaddy-o) and brother, Spencer, came to visit. We, especially Braeden, had a great time and always enjoy the visits. Breaden really seems to be warming up more and more to his distant grandparents (from both sides) and it's a joy to see the relationships develop.

Updates on Braeden... man, oh man. This kid is on the GO! He's a climber now... and a quick study taking tips from his cousin (and partner in crime) Lincoln, giving me daily mini-heart attacks! Ah! Just the other day I woke up to find that Braeden climbed OUT OF HIS CRIB just casually playing in his room!!! Needless to say, this mommy freaked out! I don't even want to think about how he accomplished that or the broken bones (or worse) we avoided. Cameron (as most of you already know) works in the Radiology department at a hospital. So he takes x-rays of little kids from time to time for this very reason! Braeden's crib was already at the lowest setting so I actually had to put his mattress to the floor of his crib because we're not ready to have our little one roaming around his room just yet with an open toddler bed. Oh yeah and he opens doors now too. sigh.

Braeden loves, loves to brush his teeth and I don't mind indulging him. Actually, he's pretty good at it! He loves to dance and will show off his moves anytime he hears music come on. It's adorable! Oh yeah, and as of yesterday Braeden officially graduated from taking two naps to just one a day... ugh. Not a milestone I would say I welcomed. Braeden is learning new words... his latest favorites are "doggie"(and "ruff, ruff"), "fish", "ball" and "shoes". Although they sound a bit more like "joggie" (and "ooh" "ooh"), "sish", "baw", and "shoosh". =)

Speaking of shoes- the boy is OBSESSED! We have a rule in our home... all shoes up high and out of reach of our little guy (did I mention he enjoys licking the bottoms? sick). We often find him sneaking into our closets just to play with our shoes. If he sees a pair of his shoes, he has to have them on his feet. He'll get frustrated if there are two he wants to put on simultaneously and can't accomplish it. You'll often find him walking around the house with two different shoes on just to accommodate his insatiable urge to wear them all! And the boy just can't let go of the shoes he's outgrown. In fact, those are his favorites. So tomorrow arrives Braeden's big surprise... COWBOY BOOTS! We're so excited to see his reaction! haha. Sounds silly, but we just know he's going to go bananas. They're for his cowboy costume for Halloween! Yay.

We are loving our life, our home, our friends and our family.

We feel blessed beyond our deserving...

Our Pride and Joy

So here are a few select pictures of Braeden at his one year photo shoot... doesn't he just make you melt? Below are instructions on how to view all of the photos from that day...







Step 1
Go to the following link:
https://www.smilesbywire.com/home.asp?AC=LTPP0652108508JCP

Step 2
Enter the following in the "Customer Name" field:
type my first and last name

Step 3
Click on "View Images" on the left hand column.

Enjoy!

p.s. You can even order pictures on this site. Note to Grandmas/Grandpas - talk to us first before purchasing anything as we do have a picture (or two) to give you!

It's official... he's ONE!

Braeden's birthday was full of firsts! Well, his day started with a first mommy wasn't really planning on... pooping for the first time in the bath tub! Yeah, disgusting. I'll spare you pictures of that momentous event. Okay, so we turned Braeden's car seat facing forward. It was so funny to watch how Breaden's eyes just lit up like a whole new world had been exposed to him. He was even in awe of the dashboard! haha. Next, we took him over to a place called Snip 'n Snap. There, our little guy got his very first hair cut!!! He was such a big boy through the whole process and the ladies were quite impressed. They kept asking how old he was because they couldn't believe that a one-year-old would sit so soundly and not protest or cry! Yes, I was a proud mama.

After the big makeover (and believe me I'm still mourning the loss of my baby's locks) we took him to take his one year pictures! He was a ham and gave us some really great shots that captured the essence of Braeden's little personality. Although, we only got a couple of shots with the number one in his hands. It sort of became a weapon and daddy the victim. haha. I'll add another post when those pictures come in. We headed over to Uncle Randy and Aunt Jenn's who treated us to dinner and Braeden had some father/son time in the pool. It was a perfect day...

Sigh. I can't express how sad and nostalgic I've been about my baby turning one. It's really given us the opportunity to reflect on all that has transpired since July 23rd, 2007... the day we finally met Braeden and our world officially began revolving around our little man. We haven't taken a single minute for granted and thank our Heavenly Father everyday for our precious miracle.

Below are pictures taken on Braeden's actual birthday. For those that are new to blogging, just click on the collage or any picture for a close-up...

 

The Big Birthday Bash

So our precious little guy turned one! I know, I know... we can't believe it either!?! Well, the Saturday before Braeden's birthday we had a swim party joint with his cousin, Lincoln, who turned two. The theme was Elmo/Baby Sesame Street. We were surrounded with family and friends and it was a really great occasion. We started the party off with pizza... lots and lots of pizza! Then we headed out to the swimming pool. Braeden had a blast and didn't want to get out, despite his blue, quivering little lips.

Next, we sang "Happy Birthday" to the boys! Lincoln cried a little and Braeden was in awe. He pretty much sat there with his eyes and mouth open wide (sort of his trademark). haha. We stripped him down to his diaper all ready for him to make a big mess of himself with his very own piece of chocolate cake! We pulled out the camera and camcorder and it was a go! ... (queue the crickets) Braeden just stared at the cake and looked at everyone like, "What? You eat it!" Finally we coerced him to at least touch the cake. He wasn't fond of the frosting on his fingers and started to shake his hands to get it off! haha. Not the reaction we expected. So after a couple of hand-fed bites from mommy, he started to spit it out. I guess he's not a big fan of cake. I'm not sure why we were suprised? Neither are his mommy and daddy. I guess we should've tried a brownie. So after cake was the pinata and the opening of the gifts- everyone was so generous.

It was a really great day. Braeden stayed awake for the longest stretch yet and didn't complain even once. He had so much fun! Here are a few moments we captured that day...

Elmo didn't make it. Moment of silence, please...

The birthday banners...
Lincoln and Braeden giving kisses...

Braeden looking genuinely concerned about Lincoln...
The Birthday Boy holding onto his number one candle

after Lincoln took a big bite out of it. Yummy!
Not loving the cake so much...

Braeden's first Fourth of July!

Last year's Fourth of July I was growing bigger by the second with Braeden in my tummy. He was so jumpy and startled (even in the womb) from every little firework, that I was forced to go inside where it was quiet. So, needless to say, we were anxious to see how Braeden would react here in the flesh! As it turns out, he's much the same. The sparklers were fun, although he was frustrated he wasn't allowed to touch or eat them... mean Mommy! So we did a trial run the night before the fourth celebration and he faired well. We were far enough away from the actual firework show that it didn't intimidate him and he spent most of the time reaching out trying to touch the pretty lights in the sky.

Then came the true test... the up-close and personal show, presented by none other than the master himself, Patrick (Braeden's future father-in-law)! It was fun at first and then along the way he decided that enough was enough! He started to cover his eyes and then buried his little face into his Mama trying to make it all go away. Eventually that became his resting place for the night... Braeden out!

With a little (or a lot) of pushing...

Here we are! So we've joined the world of blogging... the world can start turning again. ;-)

Here are a few updates on our precious little man, Braeden Lucas. He is turning ONE in just a couple short weeks! I can hardly believe this day is here... it's a bittersweet occasion for this mommy. I can still remember my tender, little seven-pounder, so fragile, with that perfect new baby smell. Now he's walking all over the place getting faster with each step! He loves to laugh, dance, play peek-a-boo, clap his hands, eat shoes, wave hi or bye, shake his head, pat his mouth like an Indian, say "Mama", "Dada", "No" and (his all time favorite) "Uh-oh"! Ah yes, and Braeden gives thee best wide-mouthed, slobbery kisses... the kind only a mother can truly appreciate.

A month or so ago Cameron's co-worker asked if she could take pictures of Braeden to build up her portfolio (http://www.rafalilyphotography.com/). Attached is a slide show of several shots that were taken. He's our little heartbreaker.

More to come after Braeden's birthday bash (to be shared with his cousin, Lincoln, who is turning the ripe old age of two)!