Braden is One Year Old!

Can you believe it?  Our baby turned one year old last Thursday!  He is getting so big!

I'll warn you ahead of time - there are LOTS of photos in this post!

Stats

• Height: 29 5/8 inches (50th percentile)
• Weight: 19 pounds 7 ounces (5th - 10th percentile)

Here are some of the new things he is doing:

• Clapping - he recently figured this out and loves doing it.  You can say "Yay Braden!" and he will smile and start clapping
• Running - he rarely walks anymore... he has one speed, and it's fast!  Try to catch him if you can!
• Side stepping - this is new in the past few days.  He stands there and just starts side stepping across the room
• Climbing - he loves to climb anything he can
• Playing in the pool - he loves water!  But now that he has been swimming in the lake and a pool, he's not fond of bath time...
• Jumping - he will grab the side of his crib and start bouncing up and down
• Dancing - he LOVES to dance to music and will stomp his feet too!

Eating and Sleeping updates:

• Generally sleeps pretty well at night... somewhere around 7:30pm until 6:30 or 7:00am
• I think he is transitioning into taking only one nap a day.  Yesterday it was one 2.5 hour nap, but today it's a two nap kind of day
• He LOVES to eat as long as he can feed himself.  If you are feeding him from a spoon, he wants nothing to do with it.  He's really not picky either.  He will try anything and will often try it more than once.  We have only found one food that he doesn't like so far - blackberries.

Birthday

On his birthday Kevin came home early so that we could celebrate with him before I had to go to work that evening.  We let him open most of his gifts from us and then gave him a cupcake.  He got some new bath toys, some clothes, and a toy lawnmower (but we didn't give him the lawnmower until his party).

Opening one of my gifts from Mommy and Daddy

It's a new duck bath toy - I love it!

I'm getting good at opening gifts!

Mommy had to help me a bit :)

Taking my first bite of cupcake.  Actually it was straight icing!

Enjoying it!

Clapping because I'm so proud of myself

We had his first birthday party on Saturday and he had SO MUCH FUN!  He loved playing with his friends and seeing everyone.  He also enjoyed getting new toys!  It was pretty hot that day, so we were stuck inside, but it all worked out great!

My first birthday cake!

It had monkeys on it

Looking surprised that the party is for me!

The banner Mommy made for my birthday.  It had a picture for the 14th of each month from the last year

Playing with my friend Lila

Opening gifts

Rock and Rock Mickey!

I really like the tissue paper :)

Checking out this cake thing...

I think I like it!

I decided to try to eat the whole thing at once!

Braden also took his first trip to Michigan this past month.  Unfortunately, our trip was short lived because Braden had some kind of virus and wasn't feeling well.  He did have fun in the lake while we were there though!  He also got to go swimming at the hotel pool with my parents while I got ready for the party - here are some pics of both!

Playing in the lake

My first boat ride

Having fun with Grandpa Davis in the pool

Swimming with Daddy

Playing with the beach ball 

Baby #2 is Scheduled to Arrive...

On Monday July 30, 2012.  Yay!  That is SUPER close to right now!  

I have so much to get done still!  Scheduling our c-section officially put me in nesting overload and I can help myself from doing some sort of prepping/organizing every chance I get.  I am pretty sure that I have made Kevin crazy because I keep talking/fretting about everything that needs to be done.  He doesn't quite feel the urgency that I do, but he is super helpful about doing whatever he can to help.  Maybe he just wants me to stop talking about it :)

We have to decide what bedding we are going to get for Braden's new room.  After that decision is made, we have to paint bedroom #3, which is currently being used as our guest room/room where we have put everything that doesn't have a place.  Then we have to move Braden into his new room.  

After that is done, we have to paint Braden's current room because that will be the nursery.  It's a nice shade of green right now, but because we are confident that the baby is actually a boy, we are going to go with some shade of blue.  If Kevin had his way it would be North Carolina baby blue.  We'll see...  Yes, I already have the bedding for that room.

Then it's pretty much getting out all of the items for newborns and washing the clothes.  

I'm also trying to prepare meal ahead of time and store them in the freezer.  I think that was one of the most difficult things after having Braden - you just don't want to make anything and can't afford carryout every night.  Yes, people bring food, and that's great and super helpful, but it doesn't last much after week 2.  So, with a 14 month old and a new baby, things that are already made and just need to be warmed or thrown in the crock pot sound fabulous.  

There are a few items that still need to be purchased, though we have most of the crucial items.

I'm still going back and forth on the idea of using cloth diapers... I really REALLY want to.  But, I also don't want to cause a lot more work for myself with having to wash diapers all the time.  I would use them for both kiddos,  so that's potentially a lot of diapers.  But, a huge cost savings from what I hear.

I was able to mark one thing off of my "Pre-Baby #2 To Do List" this past weekend.  I really wanted the double stroller that is made by Chicco because we have the Chicco infant car seat and it just clips right into the stroller really easily.  I was just going to purchase it new for $300 at Babies R Us.  One day, I just happened to stumble across one on Craigslist.  It was half the cost and was in nearly new condition.  Seriously, you can't even tell it's been used unless you really examine the tires.  I was so excited!  I literally made the lady get up earlier than she wanted so that I could get it before we went out of town.  

Once we get at least one of the rooms done, I'll post some photos.

Updates, Updates, Updates!

Wow!  It has been awhile since I have posted!  We have been BUSY - and that might just be a really big understatement :)  Here is some Braden cuteness to get this post started!

House Updates

We finally moved!  We said goodbye to our first home and have moved into our new home.  We really liked our old home and will really miss our neighbors (ok, really just the Morrison's), but we are really happy in our new home.  The thing that I love the most is that it's a ranch!  No more stairs!!!  I will likely NEVER go back to a house with stairs again.  We are almost completely settled in, and I promise to post pictures just as soon as there aren't boxes everywhere!  The neighborhood is awesome and convenient to everything.  Braden likes it too, but more on that later.  We have a HUGE yard that will finally be fenced this week - Rocco will enjoy that I know.  We had a very difficult sale of our previous home but luckily an easy purchase of the new one (after the mortgage documents were in order).  If you need an awesome Realtor, I have one!

Heather Updates

I started my new job at St. Vincent last week.  It's not really a different job, just new hours.  I work Monday to Thursday 4pm to 10pm and Friday 4pm to midnight.  I love working in the evenings because I get to be at home with Braden almost all day but still be able to work.  It's been an adjustment with scheduling, but we are getting used to it now.

I am now 31 weeks pregnant and only have ~9 to go.  Can you believe that?  I can't!  It has flown by!  Still feeling good except for the daily heartburn. 

Kevin Updates

Kevin has been working like crazy getting the house in order - you know, the non-decorating type of things :)  He has been adjusting to life as a single dad in the evenings, but is handling it well!  He braved the Indy 500 this year in the record heat and had a great time despite the fact that I wasn't there.  He will be going to the Iowa race at the end of the month as well.

Baby #2 Updates

Still no name.  He is fairly mellow and has only had the hiccups once!  Hopefully it stays that way.  I love to feel the hiccups, but Braden had them constantly when I was pregnant, and then got them every time he ate after he was born.  I really hope we don't go through that with this baby!  We tried to have a 4D ultrasound done on Sunday, but he is turned toward my back and wouldn't show us his face :(  But we were able to confirm that it's still a boy!  No surprises this time!  His heart rate was 130 on Sunday - he was sleeping.  We have another doctor appointment this week, so we will see what it is then.  Hopefully my doctor will go ahead and schedule our c-section at this appointment.  Not that it really makes much difference because if he wants to arrive early, a scheduled c-section doesn't make a bit of difference. I just like to get things on the calendar!  

Last But Not Least, Braden Updates

Braden turned 11 months old on May 14.  He is now running all over the place.  He tries to climb everything.  He is B.U.S.Y.  He is much more self-entertaining now and really is only crabby when he is hungry or tired.  His development seems to be right on track.  We are working on clapping - he has done it a few times, but nothing consistent.  He loves feeding Rocco.  You know he is done eating when he starts dropping his food to Rocco. His favorite toys are things that he can push.  He is eating strictly table food these days and really is not picky at all.  The only thing I can't get him to eat is blackberries.  He uses a sippy cup and drinks a TON of water.  Seriously, I'm surprised we don't go through more diapers.  He has a new obsession with ducks.  He loves them!  He sees them, gets excited, and says "duh" over and over again.  Luckily, our new neighborhood has a lot of ducks and geese, so we see them almost every time we take a walk.  He will also go look out the window and say "duh" hoping to see them outside.  He loves books.  He doesn't really like being read to yet, but he sure likes to flip through the pages.  If he sees a picture of a duck, dog, or ball, he can identify them.  His vocabulary is growing so quickly!  Here is what he consistently says:  mama, dada, ba (bottle or ball), duh (duck or dog).  He is listening to 'no' much better than before.  

He is such a good sleeper now - as long as we don't mess up his schedule!  He goes to bed around 8:30pm and sleeps until 6ish when he has a bottle and then goes back to sleep until about 8am.  He still takes 2 naps a day, usually one hour nap and then a longer 1.5 to 2 hour nap.  

We got the baby pool out Memorial Day weekend and took him swimming for the first time.  Here are some photos of that and some other Braden photos:

Hmm, it's a really big bathtub!

Not to sure about this Dad...

Getting my feet wet

Ok, maybe this is pretty neat...

Nope!  Let me out of here!

Running around the yard

Wait, I think I want to go back to my pool

I do like this!

Just hanging out!

Having fun with Daddy!

Happy baby eating dinner!

On a walk in my PJ's and I see some ducks!

Eating watermelon - I love watermelon!  I have to be without clothes to eat it though :)