Playdate!

Braden, Ryne and Max chilling out together.

So these three little dudes are between almost five and eight months old. We had a little playdate on Sunday and it was fun to watch them all roll around, play with toys (since Braden is crawling he can steal toys, that little stinker) and stare at eachother. Of course us Moms got to talk and catch up too(as much as you can with little ones anyway.) Their Dads are all St. Olaf Alumni- and athletes of course so it will be interesting to see what activities they will grow up to like. It will be great to watch them grow up together so I hope there are a lot of future outings so they can become great childhood lifelong friends. I also hope they will not be trouble like their Dads are when they get together but I have a feeling that is impossible! :)

Fast Track!

Since I last blogged on Sunday, Braden has now added "Da-da" to his vocabulary and he is doing a lot less army crawling and more full on crawling. He also has mastered getting up the step by the entry way. He can pull himself up to standing when holding on to things...so watch out! Our guy is on the move and everyday there is progression! I can't keep up!! :)

Another Month Goes By!

Braden turned eight months over the weekend. It happened to be the day we had tickets to the Twins vs. Brewers game so Angie came over to watch Braden so we could go to the game. Braden did great and it sounded like Angie enjoyed her time with him. We are so lucky to have family close by to spend time with Braden and help give us some time out together here and there.

This month, this is what Braden is up to: he eats three to four times a day (we are starting more foods like real bananas and avacados), he takes two naps and sleeps 11 hours at night (there was some regression but we are back on track now), he is doing the army crawl and is FASTLY moving from room to room, he is only saying "Mom" and "Mama" still along with ba-ba and some other baby jargon. He is very smiley and happy. He knows how to give zerberts, he still likes playing peek-a-boo, he can stand up while holding onto something, he loves dogs, playing in the bathtub, laughing with Dad, exploring during the week with Mom and enjoys the parks.

It is very fun to watch him so determined and motivated. He sees something across the room that he wants and goes right after it in a matter of seconds. Scary yes, but fun. We had to move the crib down a notch because he is starting to pull himself up a bit when he wakes up. Oh, yet another milestone! Each month gets more and more fun with Braden and we are excited for all the adventures to come.

Last Day of ECFE

Braden enjoying the toys on the last day of class.
Most of the ladies in our ECFE class on the last day (we were missing a couple of them.)

Braden and I have been going to an ECFE class since the end of January. ECFE stands for Early Childhood and Family Education for those of you who aren't familiar with it. We signed up for a "Baby and Me" class that meets once a week. There were about fifteen other ladies and babies in our class plus a licensed early childhood teacher. It has been a great four months getting to know these first-time-moms, their babies and learning and talking about our kids' development and growth. I will miss this class and hope to stay in touch with the ladies. Perhaps we will also see some of them in the fall if we sign up again.

We're Back!

Cooling off in Charleston, S.C.
The view to the left on our balcony- towards north Myrtle Beach.
The view directly out from our 7th floor oceanfront room.
The Charleston bridge.
One of the many historic homes in Charleston, S.C.

We had a great time in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The weather was great- 80 to 85 and sunny each day. We had the perfect mix of sight seeing and relaxing. The beach was gorgeous as you can see by the pictures. Our room overlooked the ocean and the 60 plus miles of Myrtle Beach. Our hotel not only was on the beach, but it had pools, a lazy river, hot tubs and a pirate ship for kids to splash around on. We rented a car for a couple of days and headed down to Charleston and took in the historic town. The old homes built in the 1700s were amazing as you can see by the one I posted above. Charleston has so much character and history. We spent that day walking around and hitting as many things as we could: the waterfront park, the battery park (statues and fire arms from the war), the homes, market street shopping (like a nicer flea market), and trying a few restaurants. The city is on the water and it's just gorgeous. We didn't get to a plantation tour, but maybe next time. On the way back to M.B from Charleston, we decided to hit a few of the close by islands- Sullivan's Island (just because of it's name- ha) and Folly Beach. On the very last night we drove a little north of Myrtle Beach to explore and had to stop at Mike and Pat's Irish Pub because it's named after my two brothers. :) It was a great way to end our trip.

Joe's parents had a nice time with Braden and he did such a great job while we were gone. He stayed his smiley and happy self. I am so thankful to have such wonderful in-laws who love to spend time with Braden and help us out. Thank you!!! Even though it was hard to leave Braden for the first time, the time away was appreciated. I am not going to lie, the first day was hard for me - I regretted not doing an overnight or a weekend away instead of having my first time away be a five day trip. :) But after the first day, it got easier and easier and I appreciated the time to have with Joe, to be spontaneous and not have to be on a schedule and to relax and get good sleep. :) I think it was good for Braden to have someone else care for him for a few days too. I came home feeling refreshed and rested, and SOOOO excited to come in that door and see my smiley guy who is now doing an army crawl around the house!!!!

We recommend Myrtle Beach for both families or couples looking to get away to a fun-filled beach location with lots of things to do! We stayed at The Breakers Resort- www.breakers.com.

My First Mother's Day On This Side

My first Mother's Day as a Mom was fabulous. I got a charm necklace with Braden's name and birthstone on it, I got breakfast made for me, I went for a jog, we had a picnic at Lake Nikomis, and Joe and I did the gardening out on the patio in the later afternoon. The only downfall is that I am sick- both Braden and I have colds. Not very good timing with going on vacation in just over two days. Boo! Here's a picture of my boys frolicking in the lake today!

On my jog this morning I did a lot of reflecting on how I am so lucky to get to experience this side of Mother's Day. Mother's Day has been hard for me in the past, as I miss my mom and all the memories come flooding back. But today I have a new perspective - a love that I never thought possible. In honor of that, I wrote a little something for Braden:

Ode to Braden on My First Mother's Day
The day you were born changed my life,
I can now add the role of Mom, just after Wife.

The past seven months have made me smile like no other,
I am so proud and honored to be your mother.

We laugh, we explore, we go places and play,
I am so lucky that with you, I get to spend each day.

I hope to to be as good of Mom as my own,
constantly making sure, to you, my love is shown.

You have taught me so much about a love I never knew,
A Mom's love is so amazing, I pinch myself to see if it's true.

I can't wait for all the memories of new,
Forever we are bonded- me and you.

First Mother's Day Together- Lake Nikomis, May 9, 2010.

Countdown to Vacation...

Braden holding the bottle himself, thankfully!
Zooming around the house in a diaper box!

Here are some pictures from this week on what Braden has been up to this week while I have been getting ready for our vacation: feeding himself while I get some cleaning done and taking rides around the room in a diaper box inbetween my vacuuming sessions. :)
We are heading to Myrtle Beach, S.C to celebrate our anniversary and use up free plane tickets that Joe won last year. We picked Myrtle Beach because we both have never been there and always thought it would be a great place to check out but we may not ever have a reason to go there. So, the free tickets are our incentive to explore this eastcoast beach spot! We are looking forward to relaxation, the beach, going to dinners, exploring a new place and mostly just having some nice quality time together.
The last seven and a half months have been dedicated to Braden for the most part (rightfully so), so this time for us will be much appreciated and needed. Joe's parents are kind enough to come and take care of Braden while we are gone. He will be entertained, loved and in wonderful hands. I am curious to see how I do since this will be my first time away from Braden. It is a little bittersweet right now- I am excited yet a little sad and feeling guilty to leave my smiley side-kick for five days. I know I deserve the time away and it will help me to be a better Mom all refreshed and relaxed. Come Sunday I am sure I will run in that door to see my favorite little one! I will definitely post pictures and some highlights of our trip! Please send positive vibes that Braden does great for grandpa and grandma for the five days away from Mom and Dad for the first time.

Mission Impossible or No?

Braden scooting backwards from underneath the play gym all the way to the TV!
Proud face after traveling across the room! He is on a mission to figure this out!

Our little guy is trying so hard to crawl. He is one motivated little dude- doesn't surprise me. He can go up on his arms and toes, and sometimes knees but doesn't understand that he needs to move his hands forward to crawl. So, right now he's doing the backwards scoot. I watched him go from the middle of the living room (underneath that play gym shown in the picture) to right up against the TV. He then tried putting his hands right into the old VCR that we have sitting on the shelf...so his first experience scooting was already trouble! :) Needless to say, this weekend we did some major spring cleaning which included baby proofing! I will keep you posted on our "dude on a crawling mission." Right now it's a no-go but soon enough it will be mission accomplished!