Brayden update!

Spider man photo shoot!




































We went to get Brayden’s flu shot this week. We were all prepared for the flu mist, but at the last minute they said it was going to have to be the shot. I didn’t have enough time to prepare Bray. He is normally really good with shots, but with the surprise he was a bit upset and yelled out. Then, after is was all over, he said, “it felt like a speeding bullet!” I thought that was a great description, because the way the nurse went at him, it probably did feel that way. (Oct, 13)

As you can tell he loves, loves, loves to pretend he is someone or something else. He had three Halloween costumes this year and got three more on clearance holiday sales. He has been black spider man for 3 days straight now, even out for a picnic at the park. He loves to use his imagination and shoot spider web everywhere and catch people in them.

He longs for days he gets to spend alone time with Nonnie and has a lot of trouble sharing her with others. His favorite things to play with her are doctor and school. Playing doctor the other day he said, “Nonnie, you will be the doctor and I WILL BE GOD!” He also loves jumping on her sofas. It has a red throw blanket that is so soft and Brayden asked “Can I hold this forever?”

He says he is getting a dog and a cat some day. His dogs name will be “Soda” and his cat, “Rubert.”

He comes up with the funniest saying sometimes. The other day Ben was telling him it was time to go potty and he yelled, “Bring it on, Dad!” Later he was trying to tell Ben something and said, “Do you see where I’m pointing?”

He is actually using many of our words against us. He is so clever with his words and understanding of them. He knows how to stump us when we are disciplining. I know you are laughing, but it is not always funny! He tries to put us in time outs and scolds us in a big voice. And, he continues to say a third choice when we offer two for him to pick from (“I choose ------- instead!”).

He knows his birthdate now. It is “30 May 1st.”

Bray loves chase, playing hide-n-seek, computers, dress up in costumes, imaginative play with television characters and super hero figurines, bouncing/jumping, ball games, and riding bikes. He does not like shopping, stopping to eat, or taking a bath.

We love how he uses the phrase, “This day!” for saying “today.” An example might be
“Are we going to the park this day?”

Things we have been working on for the past 2 months:

He has been in a big boy tall booster seat for a few months.

He has dropped most of his naps. We take one if he has an evening activity at the library or something, but otherwise we just make sure he is asleep by 7:00pm.

We are potty trained during the day and wearing big boy pants everywhere.

He won tickets to the Backyardagans on stage (one of his favorite Disney channel shows). He took Cousins Jon and Will Grice. It was boys day out and was great. He won Circus tickets that he will attend next weekend. He is a lucky guy!

He was eating his favorite - whip cream- and busted out with, “I am a whip cream man!” It was so cute!

He still struggles with bathing and getting ready for bed. He does not like to slow down.
Bath time is a time when he uses my words sometimes. One night we wrote it down, “I don’t want to take a shower. I don’t want to take a bath. That’s my choice!”

We have to remind Brayden to have patience some times and sing Nonnie’s patience song to him from time to time. I was in a hurry one day and was asking him to potty quickly because Mommy was in a hurry and he began to sing to me, “Have Patience, Have Patience, don’t be in such a hurry!”

I have often tried to make Brayden laugh when Brynn is fussing by saying, “Chill, baby, Chill!” so he doesn’t stress from it as much. The other day Brynn was fussing in the high chair and we hear Brayden tell her, “Chill, baby, chill!” Then he proceeded to be silly in his chair so I asked him if he was done eating. He said, “I was just joking around.”

Well, our basement flooded a month ago, so I’m off to buy big plastic tubs to put everything in so nothing will be effected the next time it happens. I do hope to turn the basement into a playground area for the winter months. But, I never seem to have enough time to devote to putting things away and organizing down there. It is all I can do to put away laundry and clean up the house every night. Even with that, I don’t get to shower until 10:30 at night or later.

We’ll see when I can get another update on the kids to you all. It has taken me 3 months to get these together and I have missed writing down so much. Life sure does get busy with two kids. Until next time...

She is on the move...

Here is our our messy eater feeling proud of herself...












She climbs the stairs now saying, "Up, Up, Up" as she goes.











She is on the move and often doesn't even what a hand for help. She is Miss Independent!

















Here she is cleaning for me.





















































She sits on one knee all the time. It is so cute!
















Wash the car! Finally, another cleaner in the family!

Halloween Night!

Brynn update!

Oct. 30

Brynn’s new words for this week are “up”, “neigh”, makes an owl noise, a “roar” like a lion and still continues to say “no” often (normally when she is not getting her way, does not want a food I’m giving her, or got hurt). She is at that age were she does something new or says a new word every day. She blows bubbles in her drinks, can drink from a straw, and climbs up the stairs quick as can be. She pulls off her bib at eating time. And, every time we turn around her drink is crashing to the floor. She loves to draw with a crayon, pencil, you name it and is doing the actions to Pat-a-cake, Itsy Bitsy Spider and Wheels on the bus. She took 7 or so steps Oct. 23 then she started officially walking across the room Sunday night at the church Halloween party Oct. 26th) and is becoming fast and steady so quickly. She loves to have a good time and have someone do silly things to make her laugh. After washing hands after meals she loves it when I cup some water from the sink in my hands and let her drink from it, then pat her mouth as she makes the “ahh” sound. She giggles and giggles. She is so ticklish and giggles anytime I say “I’m going to get you!” She is trying to do everything Bray does and at his preschool Halloween party today she would not settle down until she got a sucker, too. She tries to comb her hair, brush her teeth, put on her shoes, clean out her ears, you name it. She MUST feed herself her spooned food. We thought she was a messy eater before, you should see her now! Refried beans are the best for staying on the spoon and not flying across the room. She pats Brayden lovingly every day as to say, “Hi bro, how are you today? I love you!” She is very in to sitting alone looking through her books. She loves the park and tube slide rides on Mommies lap. She was really directing Nonnie to do something for her today. She points, looks and makes noises to get what she wants. She has always been a girl that knows just what she wants and will find every way to get it and keep it. She is a bit of a feisty one. She waves goodbye and often says “Hi” with her hello wave. She loves to make noises and flick her lips with her fingers. Brayden also taught her to raspberry her tongue. When you ask, “How big is Brynnie?” she opens her arms out wide and smiles. Then she will often clap for herself. She says "all done" and puts her arms out to the side in sign language when we ask her if her is done at the dinner table. She has always been a bit of a fussy one in the high chair. She has 8 teeth now.

We were at story time the other day and the books had a lot of animals. Whenever Brynn noticed an animal she knew she would chyme in with its noise and when the storyteller said they live on a farm and she sang, “EIEIO!” It was so cute. She loves story time and getting involved in the songs we sing there. She dances and coos. She is very social.

This is an old one that never got posted: Sept. 24rd - 9-10 months

We have so much to talk about. We’ll start with what the kids have been up to the last few weeks and back track so I have every bit of news documented for the future.

Brynn is growing up so fast. She has started saying some words other than “Mommy” and “Daddy.” Her word for this week is a sweet, innocent “NO!” Last week she said “Hi” and “Hello” as she pretends she is on the phone. She has been saying “Uh Oh” for a long time now and loves to play the dropsy game. Her complaining noise is “Nah, Nah!”  Brayden likes to copy all of her sounds and speak baby language with her and us. She seems to be whispering some words too, but it is hard to make out if they are real words or not. I’m sure she was playing with the word “Ouchy” for a while.

She has started the elephant noise, just like Brayden, with her arm up in the air. Her noise is more of a blowing through her lips. She seems to be trying other animal sounds, too, like Meow and Moo.

She turns pages of books very carefully
She loves shaking and banging on things
She is very good at ball games where she has to put a ball through the hole
She is drinking from a sippy cup - no more bottles of water
She initiated peek-a-boo around objects
She kisses babies in books and dolls and her reflection in the mirror

She has so many different looks. All her pictures look so different. I think they used to say that about Ben when he was growing up too.

She blows air out her wrinkled nose and smiles all the time. It is very funny!

She is considerably smaller than Bray at 9 months. She is just getting into 9 month clothes.

Her hair is wispy and curly at the bottom on humid days. Everyone calls her a strawberry blonde.

Four new teeth came in the first week of Oct. She is having a time cutting her next two. She has had a high temp for 3 days now. She will soon have four on top and four on bottom. She spent a lot of time with her tongue hanging out during this process.

She has a cute wiggle and head bob when she hears music. She loves to open these music cards that Jennifer gets us for special occations, and dance to the music.

She is standing on her own very steadily and starting to move from one place to another - like from the couch to the coffee table. She uses her walker toys to get around a bit and is keeping up with them, so they do not run away from her as much as they used to. She is even attempting a few steps here and there.

She gimp crawls most of the time. That means, on one foot and the other knee. I think it is to keep the pressure off her knees on the hard wood floor. She gets around pretty fast this way.

She loves finger food. Baby food is old news. Her favorite is dried peas, just like Brayden.

She is beginning to say words. She says “No” a lot and uses it appropriately. Sometimes she says apple and other words that sound very much like real words.

She loves to clap for herself and others. She waves “Hello” and “Goodbye” to everyone. She likes to put her hands in the air and yell, “Wow!” or “Whew!”

She enjoys taking time out every day to read quietly to herself. She takes books out of her basket and off shelves and looks through them for 10 minutes at a time. We are amazed how she even turns the pages on the paperbacks properly.

She still bangs things together to see what noise they make.

Church Halloween party!

We can see Brayden as a baby in these pictures of Brynn.













She really started walking Sunday night.


















She feels more confident with something in her hand for balance. I remember that with Bray, too.
























































She always lays her head down on something soft when she gets tired and wants to snuggle.


























She likes to be in the middle of all the commotion.


















We are proud of Bray and how he gets in an does things on his own a bit now.






























She blows bubbles in her water.


















So proud of herself!