Dance Off

Each weekday, the Hammond household usually holds a post-lunch dance party. The boys go crazy. I finally captured it on video. There are a lot of laughs and it wears off any last energy before we head upstairs for naps. It also speaks volumes to who inherited dance moves from Dad and who got Mom's. :) Dancing does wonders for your mind, body and soul! Ellen would be proud.

Braden John: 2 years + 8 months

With another month under his belt, Braden has gained many new skills. Here are a few that I can think of: riding a bicycle, putting on his own shorts, putting on his own shoes, using the potty more, turning on the TV, smacking baseballs with not many missed pitches, saying the full ABCs and the list goes on. I can also probably add, saying "I don't want to" or "I don't like" to this list.

Braden is one funny little dude. He is a joy to be around. What are some of his other skills at 2 years and 8 months?? Well, he has a steel trap for a memory- nothing slips by him. He can name more construction trucks and Brewers players than I can. He just got done with ECFE for the year, and next year he will begin one day of preschool. He is super excited to wear a backpack, bring a lunch and get dropped and stay there all by himself for the day. Braden picks up things I have no idea that a dude his age would understand or recall. He asks a lot of "what does that mean Momma". He wants to understand and know it all. The other day he wanted to know the difference between a lake and a river. He also is very social, knowing everyone's names and running up to say hi.

This summer will be a super fun one for Braden. He can finally run around with the neighbor kids and can keep up. He wants to play baseball and football all the time, so he and Joe will be very busy together. Like his little brother, he loves the water too so there will be endless amounts of pools and lakes for us this summer not to mention parks. I am excited for all the things yet to be discovered by Braden, watching him get excited over new found traits is so fun. I also am a little in shock to see him growing so quickly. He feels like a little man to me. I will soak all of this up and enjoy my last few months of having him totally at home before he starts his school days- eeeeekkkkk.

Liam Jude: 9 months

It seems at nine months, Liam is more determined than ever. His crawling is what we call "the worm"...something similar to a dance move that his Momma does. Besides his newly discovered worm skills, what else is Liam up to at nine months? Well, he loves water. Today he went to the pool for the first time and he kicks and flutters like a fish. Liam is also one determined little guy. His determination is obvious in all things he does. He sees a toy, he goes after it. He tries to grab things off the table. He gets upset if you take something away from him or turn him back over after he flips during a diaper change. And man, this guy is strong! Holding him down during a diaper change is no small feat. Liam is also fast. You can't leave him alone with small things on the floor, he will crawl (or worm) to them and shove them in his mouth, so we always need to watch him now. He loves to stand and walk, taking steps if you just hold onto one hand. He stands on his own if he can hold onto something like a crib or the ottoman. He is one fun little dude, always chatting, babbling, or making crazy noises. His tongue hangs out a lot and that smile of his is infectious. Poor little guy had his first ear infection. He took his first pontoon ride, he had his first bloody nose from his big brother (pushed him over at the playground), he loves to watch other kids and loves to crawl in the tunnels at parks. Liam loves music. If the music is on, he does a little bounce type dance on his own while sitting. He is a funny little man and his big Baptism is coming up in two weeks. We are very proud of our littlest son, growing and transforming by leaps and bounds. It's crazy to think he has been in our family as long as it took to grow him in my tummy. What a fun summer it will be with Liam here to keep us entertained and of course, busy!

May Fun

May has been super busy, but fun. We are enjoying spring with our two little dudes. Here's what May has brought us:

• Cinco De Mayo party- Braden got to experience his first pinata.
• Woodbury Garage Sales- a lot of work, but well worth it when you can get rid of some baby items and make enough money to book a trip to Chicago to visit a friend! :)
• Mother's Day- an early celebration with my sister for lunch and massages, then dinner with my three favorite dudes, followed by breakfast on Mother's Day at our favorite crepe place.
• Ear infections- Braden has had 4 in the past month and now Liam has one. Here's hoping we are getting it out of our system so this summer the boys can be healthy.
• Anniversary- we celebrated four years of marriage this May. My how time flies!
• Travels- Joe was gone for four days so it was just the boys and I for a week
• Towhome- we have new renters in our townhome as of May 1, I did some touch-up painting over there and checked out the previous renters and checked-in the new renters. 
• Painting- I finished all the main level painting and started heading upstairs. I am taking a break for a bit, but hope to finish the upstairs hallway by early June.
• Cousin sleepover- We had my sister's three kiddos overnight so they could be away celebrating their anniversary.
• Yard- now I need to start planting some flowers and plants, but as you can see May has been a little busy so I'm going to slow down this week and maybe start next week! :)

Time seems to fly by when you are distracted and busy. June is closing in on us, it's crazy to think summer is almost officially here. Hope the month of May is treating you all well!

Bike Riding Season!

I took this video of Braden last week, first time bike riding on a big-boy bike (versus his tricyle on the ground). He did awesome. He had a few falls (one scared mom to death and involved a good amount of blood), so we are currently taking a slight break on the biking but I am sure we will be back at it soon. My how they grow and change so much in just one year.

April Milestones- Liam and Braden

So, we were on our "holiday" and I missed writing my monthly updates for the boys. Bad Mom, no I take that back, just busy Mom. So, yes I am going to put them in one post so I don't bore you with out-of-date information.

Liam turned 8 months on April 22. What is Liam up to lately? He is almost crawling. I think it will happen any day now. He can go backwards and turn a complete circle. He just has to lift his belly off the ground AND go forward at the same time. He hasn't put the two together yet. When he does, I am in big trouble. This kid is BUSY. He is always grabbing for things and cries when I take them away. He splashes like crazy in the tub. He has the best belly laugh and loves to be bounced on the bed. He loves watching other kids run and play. He always wants to be a part of the action. He is finally a good sleeper, although some separation anxiety just started this week at bedtime. He loves walking if you hold his hands, taking bigger steps than his little legs even go. Liam is a good eater, which is obvious by his adorable rolly polly thighs and legs. He is such a funny, smiley boy. I can't wait to see what his personality is like as a toddler. Right now, he is the most smiley infant I know!

Braden turned 2 years and 7 months at the end of April. Braden is my little sponge. He hears something and can then use it in a sentence. Yesterday he asked me if I disappeared when he couldn't find me. He asks questions like, "what did you do" and "what did you say" alot, instead of the typical "why" question asked by toddlers. He is funny and adventurous. Braden can finally reach the pedals on his tricycle, so we have been out riding a lot. He loves to hit baseballs, no more tee, just straight up bat and ball. He can walk far now, we walk to the park and back. He can put his own shoes on. Today  he put his own shorts on. He was boycotting meals a lot, but in the last week he has increased his appetite at meal time- thankfully. (I was worried Liam would weigh more than him soon.) Braden is still a great helper. He loves to get involved in everything. He helped us put down mulch the other day. He grabs things for me when my hands are full. He loves art projects, movies, and doing anything outside or that involves being active (kinda like his mum). I love hanging out with Braden, he feels like a little man to me. He can now recite the Brewers starting line-up, yikes. He likes to sing and he can count to 10 and sing the ABCs.

I am a lucky lady to have such two wonderful little dudes in my life. Everyone says it goes so fast, I don't doubt that for one second. They are growing before my eyes and I'm enjoying it all.