1st Haircut and More

Braxton got his first haircut! I meant to do before/after pictures, but he never holds still for more than 2 seconds so it just didn't happen. His hair was getting so long he was getting a little tail in back, so I figured it was about time! My mom trimmed it for me since I was nervous about messing it up, which turned out good since it definitely took two of us to get it done. We had him sit in the swing in back of my parents house, and he did good for about the first 3 minutes, and then he was done and not happy.

I like the Mohawk look...don't you? :)

We went to the zoo again last week while the weather was still tolerable before it gets too hot. We went again with some of the other women in my ward, but we had alot smaller group this time so it worked out better. Braxton was such a good boy the whole time and loved playing in the splash pad after looking at all the animals. Our favorite this trip was the gigantic turtles. These things are huge!

Momma and Braxton

Having Fun in the sun! (and water...)

This is what happens when I let Braxton feed himself. (Which he INSISTS on doing all the time now) MESSY!! All well...he is learning. Slowly.

I am almost 8 months now. I think I am smaller in size than I was with B-rax, but I am having alot more aches and pains alot earlier on this time. I found my first vericose vein the other day...not a happy woman. And a pinched nerve in my back just won't let up and makes for very unpleasant, well, anything. 9 more weeks to go!

Easter!

We had a simple but good Easter this year. We had a nice church service and then just chilled here at home together as a family. The weather was nice and breezy, so Braxton and I spent alot of time outside. Justin hid some eggs for him in the backyard and we had a little Easter egg hunt. B-rax loved it! He is a great egg-finder, and even after we told him that he found them all, he kept walking around the yard looking for more. We had a roast for dinner and just enjoyed being together.

He is off!

Where are they?

He found some!

B-rax is such a big boy. He suprises me every day with how much he understands and how smart he is. He still isn't saying too many actual words, but just recently his noises have started to sound more like words. He says "more" and "drink" and "ball" really well, and he has his certain sounds for "fishies" (gold fish crackers) and "shoes" that sounds alot like the actual words. He loves reading books and can point to pretty much any animal or object I say in his books.

He is the best little helper, too! He loves vacuuming with mom and always pulls his little toy one out to help me when I vacuum. He loves sweeping, and makes messes purposefully sometimes just to be able to use the broom to sweep it up! Any trash bag I set out he immediately picks up and drags it to the bin on the side of the house. My favorite so far was just the other day when he found a plastic grocery bag and took it out back. I looked outside a few minutes later to find him picking up doggie poop WITH HIS BARE HANDS and putting it in the bag to throw away! It was gross, but cute. I couldn't help but laugh. He is such a sweetie.

New Do and ER Visit!

I CUT MY HAIR!!! This is the shortest I have had it since I was a little girl, and I am LOVING it! I was so ready to just have it all gone, with the weather warming up and me getting fatter and more tired every day...it was time! I had it re-highlighted as well and added some low-lights, but you can't see them too well in these pics. I really like it though! Its so much easier to take care of, and I can actually wear it down without feeling like I am suffocating. I feel like a new woman! :)

Me and my baby boy. Don't you just want to eat him?!? I do, every day. He's my little sweetheart.

I just think this is so funny! I can't get enough of just watching him wrestle with the dogs. He finalls ends up just laying on one of them until they stand up and slide him off. I am glad they are patient with him, for the most part.

We had our first emergency room visit yesterday. Braxton was playing outside with the dogs right before conference, and Marley got a little too excited and started sprinting around the house. I looked over from doing the dishes just in time to see him bolt through the back door and run full speed head on right into Braxton. He was thrown like 6 feet and slammed his head into the concrete. I ran out there and picked him up - he was crying so hard he couldn't breathe. He was limp and pale and his eyes wouldn't focus, and soon after he started getting really drowsy and falling asleep. After about 20 min there was no change, so we decided to take him to the urgent care here in town. Their hours are so weird though and they didnt open until 10. While we were trying to decide what to do he started coughing, and every time he would cough he would cry harder and hold is head like it hurt, and THEN he started throwing up. Of course thats when we both started freaking out and decided to take him to the emergency room. It was a battle to keep him awake on the long drive there, and I tell ya I dont think I have prayed so hard in my life. We finally made it there and thankfully it wasn't very busy, so we got to see a doc pretty quick. Well, after all was said and done, we decided not to do a CAT scan because he started being alot more alert and got his color back once we got there (of course). So they just put us in a room for an hour and had us watch him to see how he did, and within about 30 min he was totally fine and the docs said he looked great and we were able to go. They gave us a list of things to look out for the rest of he day and told us to come back if the vomiting continued. I'm glad we were in and out pretty quick-I think a total of an hour and a half, and I'm grateful Justin was able to be there with us. And of course I am SO grateful he didn't have a cuncussion (sp?) or something worse. Many thankful prayers were said on the way home! I was pretty upset at Marley the rest of the day, but its hard to be mad at the dog when I know he didn't do it on purpose and he was a saint the rest of the day. I think he knew he hurt B-rax and was sorry. So anyways, all is well now, and I'm glad our first visit to the ER was a good experience. I'm sure with a little boy there will be many more to come!

6 Mo Comparison

So here is a picture of me at 6 mo with B-rax, and now at 6 mo. I thought I was alot bigger than I was with B-rax, but in these pictures I actually look about the same! I guess i just FEEl alot bigger. Especially with the summer heat kickin' in...man...I don't know how I am going to survive!

Pregnancy Update, for those who are interested!

I kept waiting for a day when I could actually get ready and look halfway decent for a belly shot, but then I realized that day would never come! So, here I am in all my glory (notice the snot stain on the front of my shirt?) at 6 months and counting!

I have been feeling pretty good the last couple months. The second trimester is always the easiest - the nausea is pretty much over and you can actually eat again without puking it right back up. Food actually TASTES good again. Your not too big that you are uncomfortable yet, but your big enough that people can tell your pregnant and not just fat.

Just within the past couple of weeks I have felt myself getting winded and more tired easier, but other than that I still am feeling great. I love feeling this little baby girl move inside me...thats probably my favorite part of being pregnant.

And here are a few things that I have noticed with this pregnancy that are different than my last:

1) I wasn't quite as sick during the first trimester as I was with Braxton, and it only lasted about 16 weeks rather than 25.

2)Cold cereal has been my LIFESAVER, literally, especially while sick. It is quick and easy and ALWAYS sounds good. Even while sick, it was the only thing that stayed down, most of the time... With Braxton, it was pizza and ice cream. (Hence the weight gain..)

3)With baby #1, my chest was so sore I had to sleep with a pillow and it hurt to even wear a bra all day. With baby girl, they feel great!

4)I started feeling her move alot sooner. Wahoo!

5) Nothing makes me happier than chocolate!!

6)I get light-headed easier and out of breath alot, even if its just walking from one room to another.

7)I haven't had nearly as many weird (and vivid) dreams, nor hardly any that involve the baby to come.

8)Braxton-Hicks contractions started a couple weeks ago already. Didn't start those until the last couple months with baby #1.

9)I am WAY more emotional than with Braxton. I probably cry at least once a day, and most of the time its over the stupidest things. But I can't help it! The tears just start flowin'.

10) I still have to eat small snacks in between meals, but I don't get that gut wrenching hunger pangs when I am hungry that i did with B-rax, and I am not as hungry as much.

I can't believe its already been 6 months. Only three more to go! She will be here so soon. I am nervous to have two babies wanting all my attention, but excited to add another fun personality to our home.

Can't think of anything else right now.

Update!

I know its been awhile since I've really posted, so there is alot to catch up on! Alot of pictures below, pretty much all of Braxton of course since he is the center of my life! Some have asked for a belly pic/pregnancy update. That is my next post...I promise!

I the meantime, here is my little man. Last weekend we went to a golf tournament town in Marena (sp?) Az. It was a fun little family outing. Braxton did pretty good, for the most part. We only had one little episode when he was running and fell and of course starting crying right when one of the pros was hitting the ball...but after that he was a good boy and enjoyed being outdoors all morning. It was WARM here though...high 80's...so after we got home we decided to cool off a bit by playing in the water. His first time since last summer! Whats funny is that last year on exactly the same date, Feb 28th, was his first swim ever when he was only 4 mo old!


Loving the water!

Marley wanted in on the action!

This was by far his favorite thing to do with the hose. He thought it was so cool that he could actually drink out of it.

Marley and Braxton sharing a drink together...

Here he is enjoying an evening snack. Gotta love cookies! (And he does, let me tell ya! This kid has a sweet tooth...I wonder where he gets it from?)

He knows he gots the goods...

Last week a lot of the women in our ward got together and put together a zoo trip. It was Braxton's first time, so it was fun watching him enjoy seeing all these animals for the first time. Justin joined us for the last hour or so while he was on his lunch break, since he just works down the road. It was a fun day!

This was probably the coolest part of the whole trip. The tiger was on the move! He was roaring and roaming around and he even jumped up into the tree and climbed to the top to getter a better view, probably of how to escape his confining prison! It was awesome!

Daddy and Braxton! They both look a little drunk. Probably from the heat! It was another warm one here. (Aren't they all?)

Rhinos are always fun to see. They are such strange but cool lookin things!

Braxton loves the monkeys! He couldn't take his eyes off them and got really excited every time he saw another one.

Driving the big tractor!

Enjoying the kiddie playground and a moment of freedom out of his stroller! Gotta love that big toothy smile!

While he were in the petting zoo, he barely even glanced at the goats. He tried to pull their tails once or twice (I think he thought they were dogs!) and then was more interested in climbing the fence than anything else. Thats my boy! :)

Here is some of the "group." And this was only about 1/4 of them all! We had a big crowd that day!

Enjoying the ride!

And then here is my man helping mom take out the trash. Thats right...I'm starting him young! He is such a good little helper...:)

And lastly, this is how he likes to relax...just chillin' on TOP of the dogs. Luckily, my dogs are big enough that they don't mind. I love all my boys!!

Clean and Clear and Under Control!

Braxton had his eye surgery on Feb 11th. He had a clogged tear duct in his left eye that was causing it always to be so goopy and watery, and it finally got so bad I had to take him in to get it taken care of. The surgery itself only lasted about 30 min and everything went well. The doc put a tiny little tube in the eye connecting his tear ducts to help it drain and stretch the ducts out, and he cleaned out the nose and got all the gunk out that has been in there since the problem began. (Since he was born!) It was just a small outpatient surgery, but it was sure hard to watch the nurses take my baby away and hear him cry out for me. The hardest part by far was watching him wake up from the anasthesia. He was in and out of conciousness and had the IV in his foot and his eye was bleeding a little bit and he was just screaming, not knowing what was going on and why he felt the way he did. I knew he was going to be ok, but to have to hold him while he was going through that and having no way to confort him...it was so hard. I seriously think I cried more than he did throughout the whole morning! After we finally were able to leave he settled down a little bit and as soon as we got in the car he was out. He slept the rest of the morning, was up for just a few hours then slept a few more hours and after that he finally started acting like himself again. It was a hard day for us and I am so glad its over! On a positive note, though, the surgery was a huge success. His eye is completely clear and clean and beautiful! He looks almost like a whole new boy! Its so wonderful to see him without all the gunk and goop. He is a beautiful kid and I'm glad and grateful people can finally see him as he is.
(Sorry no pics...I was to emotional to remember to take any that day!)

He's All Boy!

Last week alot of women in the ward got together and all took our kids to Tumbleweed Park in Chandler. It was a little bit of a drive, but I think it was worth it. This park was HUGE and was covered from the sun (SO NICE) and had so many different toys for kids of all ages to play on. We stayed for about 2 1/2 hours, and all the kids still had a hard time leaving cause they were having so much fun. This picture doesn't do the size justice, and its only one part of it, but at least you get the idea of the theme of it all...

Braxton loved climbing all over the kiddie cars and trains. He spent some time on the swings and on the big main jungle gym, then spent the rest of the time chasing birds and seeing how far he could run away from mommy before she caught up with him. A bit harder now that he is starting to run and I'm getting fat!

He also loved this wobbly walkway thingy. I think he thought it was a trampoline or something.

B-rax loves the dogs! He goes up and just gives them the biggest hugs. Marley tends to take it better than Lou. Maybe cause he's a bit bigger? Braxton spends so much of the day just chasing them around with his toys. He gets a kick out of it when he scares them and they bolt off in the other direction. My poor baby girl. I wonder what he will do to get a reaction out of HER when the time comes...

Braxton's latest love? Any cooking utensil big and black. He won't put them down! I usually have to pry them out of his hands after he falls asleep for his naps or at night. I don't know what his fatuation is with them, but he can't get enough of them. Here he is with his two faves: The ladel and a spatula

My sweet boy loves to pose for the camera!

Here are just some random pics of Braxton playing in the backyard on different days. He would spend all day every day out there if I let him! He just loves being outside.

He dumped the dogs water all over him so I had to take his pants off - hence he is not wearing any in these first few pics. And he is still so adorable in his onsie and moccasins G-ma Bibi sent!

Just chill-axin' in the cool winter weather!

Teasin' the dogs...again...

And finally, my son has mastered the doggie door and now thinks it is his primary mode of access to the backyard. Its cute, but not when I block it so he can't go out and forget its on...only to wake the next morning and find the dogs have used my carpet as their bathroom. UGH! Guess it comes with the territory...