10 months already?!!

peeeeek!!


Chillin' in the hammock with cousin Gillian. (We pick her up after school on some fridays :))


Anything can be a drum...yeaahhh!!


You promise you didn't eat any dirt?? Show me



Wow...well Brayden has achieved some major milestones since Jan. He finally became mobile over a month or so ago, hes got the gangsta crawl...using his right foot and left knee. He is pulling up on things but has yet to really have his balance figured out up on his feet. Hes getting teeth, and being quite stoic about the whole thing. Although, the little booger has bitten me already in play, and man those things are sharp! We miss music class, which was a welcome fun activity everyweek for 10 wks! B was just starting to really feel compfy enough to ham it up to everyone in the class, and know what to do when the instruments presented themselves. But warm weather is hopefully on its way and we'll be spending a lot more time outside playing. He does love music and bobbs up and down and claps his hands or waves his arms to certain songs...some favs are Bob Marley, this one wierd little german polka melody, and his music together cds. Schedule is still key and hes a rockstar at sticking to it. All is well, Brayden is a huge flirt, very happy and healthy. As are Adam and myself...aside from the flirt part...that gets us into trouble :) We plan to have a big party for his 1st, and I'm just pretty much crossing my fingers for warm weather and sunshine to head our way sooooon!! :)))

the holidays are over

Sand is so coooool! And summer in JAN??

But I want to go ALL the way in!

Awww. our babies :)

Whew! Jan 2009 has been a crazy new start to the year! The weather...tho I'm lovin it, feels a bit more like Colorado than Portland, snow and sunshine and brrrr!! No complaining here, but it is out of the norm. We, sadly, had to say goodbye to Indica a few weeks ago. It was SOOO hard, he woke one morning and couldn't straighten his front R leg, and his back legs, already rendered pretty useless, he couldn't walk at all. A TOUGH and very emotional decision. HE had an amazing life of 14yrs, and leaves us with SOO many fun, funny, and great memories!
Anyhooo, on a brighter note; Brayden is amazing and more fun...yes...again, even MORE fun! I think this is becoming a trend...can't wait for next month! He's rolling all over the place, is hillarious in the walker we recently got, or should I say Runner! HE understands certain words, and is all about gadgets, and LOVES an audience. He says "mum" often, but totally randomly. He can feed himself tiny bits of things..good when its edible, not so good when its DIRT, or a hairball! He can spend all day "walking" and not so much time just sitting or being held, he wants to be on the go all of the time. I think it might be slowing his "actual mobility" tho, because he doesn't want to spend anytime trying to figure out how to get around for himself. If he can't be upright, he thinks it sucks!! He actually has his first cold right now, which I found out today is pnemonia and an ear infection, its HORRIBLE to see! I can't believe how happy he is, I'd be crying and pissed! No one warned me how INSANELY stressfull motherhood is, I feel the gray hairs making their home in my scalp!! UGH! But we'll pull though this, and I'm so amazed how happy he is...biggest ham ever! Hes so entertaining, my favorite is his little exploratory index finger!! Life continues to be great through the ups and downs, but I AM feeling a warm vacation is due here pretty soon. Maui...here we come?

Goin on 7 months

You're getting more and more fun...you're like the toy with endless surprises and levels that never end! You've been sitting your own for 2 months now, and are quite good at it, no more random back throws...its a softer gentler lay..to get someone's attention that you're done sitting in the spot you were in. You've just started reaching out when you want to be picked up...I love it...I've been working with you on that one for some time now! yay! You roll from tummy to back...INSTANTLY!!..cause you HATE being on your tummy...i think you may skip the crawling and head straight for walking...unless it suddenly clicks that you can actually gain some independence that way (you've surprised me before) You are just so aware of your surroundings and LOVE new things and people and want to be in the actions all the time. You LOVE dada...and when hes home for the day...naps are battle! You don't want to miss a minute! You're eating solids 3 x a day, usually, and love it! You want to expand your food horizons way before you're ready...like gabbing a huge leaf of lettuce and cramming it down your throat before I can snatch it back, or taking the PB&J out of my hand faster than I can react...its kinda fun to watch... hee hee! Hmmm, since our evening walks have been halted due to amazing snowwwww fal, we have been skypeing Nana and Cookie nightly to fill that rough hour right before your 8pm bedtime. You still sleep through the night beautifully, but I think your starting to realize I leave when I lay you down, and are learning that I do reappear when cry...darn it...but I'm staying strong... and usually a reinsertion of good ol' binkie and a gentle head pet get you to sleep. I'm looking forward to your "music together" class that begins mid Jan, and getting my painting flowing again after the holidays are over. Life is great!! You are growing faster than I realized possible and your little unique personality is starting to bloom...sooooo amazing to watch and witness your little "being" evolve...incredible!!! love you sugar muffun!!

holidayyysszz

CRAZY...where are we?? up to the seats of the chairs!


love it!!

"I'm gettin a little cabin fever... when is it summer again??"

Wow..tomorrow is Christmas eve...and its canceled! Too much snow and ice out at the Holmgreen ranch. We plan to have a cozy evening and make our own yum grub...we've got a tuuurkeeey! Weird! First X-mas eve in my life not with family!! Guess we've got our own little fam now...it'll be so cozy. Soooo....Crazy snow-land! I love it...wish little B loved it a little more...next year he'll get it...for now its just, "why the hell are you dressing me 5 times on top of each other #$%@!!..and then, K its white, bright, and my face is cold, lets go inside!"

horsetail falls

6 months...whaa??!!!

Wow, 6 months...can't believe it! WELLLll... what a month! I think you have decided that you are going to walk before you crawl. You can pull yourself to standing, and walk all over the house if I hold your hands (slow and wobbly) You can totally prop yourself up to your knees as long as your not thinking about it...but the second you really notice that mama has done the dirty trick of "tummy time" you revert to "super man" with arms and legs rigid and start grunting unhappy #$@!! words. You an sit on your own...although every once in a while...(and always when I've decided you're so good at it you don't need pillows surrounding you "just in case") you decide to spontaneously fall backwards...ooooh, makes me feel like a horrible mom. Really the biggest thing I have to say this month is, you are the BEST baby!! So easy going, and as long as you eat and sleep on schedule, and have new fun and exciting things to paw you are all good! You said "mama" today!! Clear as day, and then it turned into mamamamama, and maaaaa, baaaaa, aaaaaaah. What ever though...you totally said "mama" and meant it, I'm marking today as "the day"!! :) You are so suddenly, just like the sitting on your own, understanding words, and are so proud of yourself when you get it! It seems to be rare moments when you get up the courage to try to speak, arranging your mouth in awkward ways, but when you have "the zone" all of a sudden you bust words out clear as day....its so insane, but then they are gone, and you won't say anything but aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh oooooooooooooooooooooohhhhh for days. I love it, I feel so lucky to be there for those "zones." Love you baby, you amaze me everyday! xxx