Goodnight Bray

Brayden and I have this sweet little nighttime routine that I love and cherish just like I remeber the one I had with my Mom when I was little.  It has changed through his almost 4 year long life, but been about the same now for 6 months or so and it's so sweet.

We do the usual stuff like get him in his jammies, teeth brushing, maybe read a book, etc. Then he craws into bed with his beloved Blankie and favorite dog Bruttie at the end of his bed, and we sing a song (usually Skid-a-marinky-dink, his favorite), we do nose kisses, eye lash kisses, growly bear hug and then a quick kiss (usually involving him wiping it off and starting a tickle fight where I smother him with kisses). And it ends with prayers and I love yous.

It's nothing big and no different then what I bet lots of mommas and daddys do with their kiddos, but I wanted to blog what it consisted of right now in his little life, because I know before I know it the days of song singing and eyelash kisses will be long gone! Love my little Momma's Boy :-)

Paytin's 10 month pictures

Paytin has a LOT of expression, but the three basic ones are Happy, Sad, and Inquisitive. I think the one I see the most is inquisitive. She is always investigating stuff!

Who loves a chubby baby? I do!

Smiley girl (albeit blurry, argh Mom!)

Mid talking to brother who always help me get my shots!

Looking up at Daddy :-)

Love her drooley face and drooley kisses!

Easter Pics

Just a couple of my cuties on actual Easter Day. They weren't in the picture taking mood, but I at least got a couple! I was in love with Paytin's Easter Dress and would have bought one in every size if I could have so she could wear it for years to come ;)! Hopefully one day her daughter or Bray's daughter will wear it if I get my sentimental way ;).

10 months old!

Let's get going on my little P Lily Pumpkin Face:

• still in size three diapers
• still wears 6-12 month, 12 month, and some 18 month old clothing.
• still sleeps on her tummy, and wakes once a night to eat.
• eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner baby food and eats quite a variety of things.
• just like her brother, she seems to prefer the consistency of store bought baby food versus mommy made baby food. We do both to save money and still make baby happy.
• Just in the last week we have introduced Paytin to supplementing formula. It's gone a LOT better then I thought it was going too. I thought she was either going to refuse it, or she was going to take straight to it and not want to nurse anymore. However, she's gone exactly to my hopes and is still nursing 3-4 times a day and taking 2-3 bottles a day. It's been a blessing already to have this transition gone so smoothly. Paytin is happier because she isn't so hungry all the time, Mommy is happier because her body isn't being pushed to the breaking point, and it's easier to be able to leave Paytin with someone else for Mommy time. I wasn't ready to stop breastfeeding all together just yet, so I am thankful for this transition time.
• takes 2-3 naps a day. She's been taking two naps lately and is kind of on a weird schedule that actually seems to be working well for me. She's been skipping a morning nap, but napping a long time in the afternoon, and then taking a cat nap while I cook dinner. I'm surprised how much I have enjoyed that and hope that she keeps it up!
• she's crawling, in her own way. If I just let go of the "traditional" sense of crawling, I can say P's been crawling for a couple months now, and is excelling at it in her own way. She does she army/rigid leg scoot thing and has mastered getting around the entire house in it and even into the kitchen. I'm still working with her on trying to get the body parts to all work together but she's happy with what she's doing.
• her hair is definetely growing in and is getting SO long in the back. It's fun to see it and be able to brush it and play with it (at least a little). 
• still no teeth and no signs of teeth, following Brayden with that too. 
• still loves Daddy to pieces and laughs the hardest with him. It's been fun for Daddy being able to giver her a bottle too.
• plays with Brayden constantly, chases him around, takes his toys, and drools ands begs him for his food when he eats.
• Oh yeah, she loves finger foods and is getting better about not gagging so much. She's been eating banana pieces, and baby cheese puffs, and the regular puffs, and LOVES her little mesh snacker thing. Brayden never took to his but Paytin chows down on it like her life depends on it!
• She doesnt sit in anything anymore, so she rarely ever uses the exersaucer, hates the johnny jumper, etc. It's her highchair and the floor for our wiggle worm.
• she loves to shake her hands and wave at you all the time and loves to try to "dance" when music is on too. She just gets to wiggling and shaking and waving her arms like a mad woman :).

I think those are the big things. I'm sure there's a million more but the laptop is about to die and I have other things to get too. I did get her pictures taken today and will be putting them up hopefully tonight!

Gender Time

It's that time, the birds and the bees and all that Springtime stuff, and about time to post about Brayden's newest funnyism.

For about a month (maybe longer) Bray's been doing this thing where he categorizes things by if boys would say or do it or if girls would say or do it. The funny thing is, half the time, it's gender neutral stuff, like what we eat or what we say, and other things it fits quite well, like colors that boys and girls prefer or types of toys.

I'm not quite sure where he got it, but I'm sure it helped that his room is blue and Paytin's is pink, and all the toys follow suit. It also probably doesnt help that his little sister that has the pink and purple toys and princess and butterfly everything would rather play with his black and blue action figures ;).

Anyways, like I was saying, Brayden says this stuff at the most random times. Sometimes in questions and sometimes matter of factly. "Pink toys are for girls." "Only girls can be princesses." "Girls wear dresses." "Only boys play with boy toys." etc. But its really funny when he uses it completely out of context. In some movie, he heard a character say "Cheese and Crackers" as if saying "Aww shucks" So he's been saying it lately (in the right context). But yesterday, I copied him and said it and he told me "Mommy, you can't say cheese and crackers, only boys can."

The best part of it though is trying to teach him to be a gentleman. We've been talking about that in our house lately and one of the ways we've been talking about it, is when a door isn't too hard to open, it's polite to open it and hold it for people. Brayden says "Gentleman boys hold doors for ladies." Even though I've explained he can hold it for guys too ;). It's fun seeing this stuff in action and seeing him be the Curious Case of Brayden Button that we know him to be!

Toys

I'll always remember that my kids just don't love "toys" like other kids. It started with Brayden and is already kicking in with Miss P, they love the ordinary everyday stuff that doesnt seem all that exciting.

I noticed a couple months ago how much Paytin loved playing with and ripping up my old magazines (closely supervised so she wouldnt eat them), and today, her and Brayden played for almost 45 minutes straight literally ripping a magazine to shreds. Then Brayden piled it up on the carpet and jumped into it like it was a pile of leaves. He had just about as much fun cleaning it all up by shoving it into various plastic bags too. Who woulda thought?

Paytin and Bray alike still love my kitchen spoons and spatulas, P to chew on, and Brayden to sword fight with.

Paytin played for 20 minutes with a coat hanger while I was folding laundry today.

There was another one I thought of earlier that was a good one that I cant remember now.

I love imaginations and creativity and am totally down with them "creating toys" out of the everyday house stuff that I take for granted. Brayden will play with the laundry basket every week whether its riding in it himself, hiding under it, or putting stuffed animals and cars in it and giving them a ride. Paytin loves everything not labeled a baby toy.

Today was rough, P wouldnt nap, we're all still sick, and despite the moments of household play, Brayden was a straight out PILL, but I'm thankful for these little golden stolen away moments that make me appreciate the little things we take for granted, and the little ones that remind us to enjoy all things!

Everything....

I'm loving about my 9 month old beauty, and then some :). I can't decide between all these shots, so I will post them all! I could just eat her up, and I do :). It's a miracle I got these taken today, so they are all SOOC.