Brayden's first birthday pics!

Brayden is a lucky boy! He got two birthday parties in two different states with our respective sides of the family. That meant two homemade dinners and two homemade cakes! :-) I wanted the dinners to be stuff that Brayden liked, and although E and I initially wanted to do the full decorating thing for the cakes (we had some great ideas), we let time and energy limit to us to just really good tasting cakes. I loved cooking and baking for him! 

The first dinner was spaghetti!

Grandma Ruthie was at this party!

His special cake was chocolate with amaretto butter cream frosting.  Yum!

Grandma Wegener playing with him on the floor

Opening presents

He's liking the cake....

Playing before dinner with the other side of the family. Daddy smoked chickens for dinner-
pic below. Football in the background!

Me and the smores cake... chocolate cake with marshmallow cream filling, toasted
graham crackers, and chocolate ganache. 

Reading one of his new books!

Oh my goodness!

More cake!

happy first birthday, Brayden!

One year ago today, Erik and I were in the hospital meeting our little baby. Love!

newborn

I am happy to say I'm so content with this past year. I'm grateful to be home with my baby and get to enjoy him with my husband and just watch him grow. Amazing! I don't wish time to be faster or slower or anything. I'm enjoying every moment as best as I possibly can.

a few weeks old

I do feel like Erik and I have an extra special appreciation for Brayden that makes him extra special to us since our first son and my brother are in heaven. I know I talk about them a lot, but it's true. :-)

three months

So in honor of Brayden's birthday, here are a few things about him. I love watching his personality grow!

Walking? Yes, but not on his own. He prefers to hold onto couches, tables, walls, etc. He will walk with people, but he does like doing things on his own, so he's not quite as much a fan of walking with people it seems. He stills scoots and crawls, of course!

six months

Favorite things: TV remotes, cell phones, eating

nine months

Favorite brag moment: he whistles while he plays.

Favorite food: chili, bananas, and after his birthday cake, I'm sure he'll add cake to the list!

Here is a favorite pic from his recent one-year photo session. Thanks to Beyond Photography for taking it and thanks to my hubby for suggesting the idea!

Happy 1st birthday, Brayden! You bring such joy to our lives! We love you. :-) 

an ode to mommyhood

You know you're a mom when...

-you put your child down early to nap/bed just so you can have a few minutes alone
-you decide to run an errand just so your child can stay in one place for a few minutes while you drive
-you forget how long it's been since you washed your hair--but you've probably set a new record (don't ask!)
-you think, "My kid is taking a beautiful, quiet nap" and then you realize you just forgot to turn on the monitor
-you eat lunch while you and your child are sitting peacefully in a parked car
-you get very excited when you realize one of the books you've been reading for months to your baby has some pages that stuck together... new material you haven't yet seen!
-you realize that Ritz crackers are an excellent time saver for a screaming, hungry baby and an almost cooked dinner
-you do much of life with one arm... because the baby is in the other one


Other random thoughts...
-The best $100 I spent on baby materials was on cloth diapers. I've had some ups and downs with them, but overall, I'm very happy with the investment!
-The best mommy trick I know (at this time) is when your baby has a runny nose, take them to the sink, get your hand wet and wipe the snot away from outside and inside the nose. Keeps the snot away a little longer. Pleasant, huh?

That's all for now... I'm sure more mommy posts will come in the future!


**This post is in honor of a few people who recently had miscarriages early on in their pregnancies. I hate hearing about miscarriages, and I wish all babies could stay here on earth with us. I've also come to learn that there is a special honor in knowing you have a baby safely tucked away in heaven. It puts life in a different perspective. I guarantee that angel babies have a much greater impact on earth than you might imagine given they only stayed a few weeks or a few months in the womb. Special blessings, hugs, peace, and love to all families with angel babies, recent or not.

Happy New Year!

Today we celebrate my big brother, who would be turning 34. Yay! Happy birthday, Brian!

I feel like I write tributes often about Brian, but occasional posts about B are nothing compared to how much we think about him and miss him. :-) 

Today is a good day. It's the start of 2013... another year to grow in God, spend time with my hubby, family, and friends, and watch my little boy grow. 

I look back on 2012 fondly because every day Erik and I watched Brayden grow a little bigger, stronger, and more interactive. And that process won't stop. Amazing!

I hope you have a lot of good things coming to you in 2013, especially in your relationship with God.