Braxton's First Snow

Braxton got his taste of his first snow this past week! To make his first snow even better mom got two snow days in a row and was able to stay home and cuddle her little man all day long! We had 6-7 inches of snow and then the snow drifted to make it even deeper! Mom and Braxton stayed in and did a whole lot of nothing! It was great for both of us! We did sneak outside for a few pictures and boy was it sure cold and wintry outside!

Sitting, Kneeling, and Standing

Sitting, kneeling, and standing, oh my! Braxton has realized that he no longer wants to crawl around or play on the ground, but that he wants to be up on his feet! He is now pulling and standing up on anything and everything he can get his hands on. This of course means that he is toppling and falling all over the place. I have to remember that he's a baby and this is the stage where he does all of that, and to take a deep breath and not run over every time he bobbles! I'm definitely getting better at it, but still have a long ways to go. Another favorite of Braxton's is to sit, kneel, and then stand up in his crib! He realized last week that he could do all of this and boy has it interrupted his night time routine to say the least. I know that it'll get better! He's learned a new task, so he just wants to practice, practice, and practice! I'm glad to see that he has determination to tackle this new skill, even at 3 am when I find him sitting, kneeling, or standing in his crib! It really is a cute sight!

First Thanksgiving

We ventured back to Western Kansas for Braxton's first Thanksgiving! While home we got to spend quality time with both sides of our family! We are thankful for this time we had with them. Braxton enjoyed his Thanksgiving feast of mashed potatoes, fruit salad, banana pudding, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream of course! He enjoyed being a "big boy" at the table and getting to explore so many new foods! Thankfully he wasn't allergic to any of the new "many" foods he had! Enjoy the pictures and video!

Beloved Nikki

For those of you that are unaware on November 9 we lost our beloved Nikki dog. Nikki got sick and had to have emergency surgery. During this surgery she lost a lot of blood and the infection she had, spread to all parts of her body. We were able to bring her home for one day before taking her back to the vet. It was during this trip, that she passed away. It was an extremely hard time for us as we had to cope with losing our mans-best friend, Nikki. Nikki and Braxton had become great buddies and we were looking forward to Braxton growing up with our beloved Nikki dog as his pet. We are peace with losing Nikki and know that she is out of pain and resting peacefully. We are thankful for the time that we had with Nikki and the joy that she brought to our family. She is deeply missed!

Hiatus Ended

Wow, it's been over a month since I last blogged about Braxton! Oh boy, do I have a lot to catch everyone up on. My apologies to my faithful blog readers and let me just say that my hiatus has ended!

So first things first, Braxton! He is almost 8 months old and is EVERYWHERE and into EVERYTHING!!! He is crawling on all fours and can get to whatever he wants very quickly! Dave and I can no longer take our eyes off of him, even for an instant, or he's into something he shouldn't be! He is also into pulling up on toys, his Exersacuer, and the couches! He wants to be up on his feet! He's learning all about his balance and he'll try to push his play table around the room. He'll get a few steps or pushes in before he comes crashing down to the ground.

It's also been a tough past month for Braxton in terms of sickness. This poor boy has been sick on and off the past month and a half. It seems just when we get him well, he's sick again. He's had bronchitis two times, he's had a viral bug, the terrible cough, runny nose, and the list goes on and on. I am happy to say that I think, fingers crossed, that we might just finally be done with all of this sickness! Thank goodness!

Playing, playing, and playing!!

Braxton enoys playing with all of his toys! He's recently found joy in playing with his blocks! He likes to try to eat them, throw them, and stack them!

Happy Halloween!

For Braxton's first Halloween he was an elephant and the cutest trick or treater ever! Braxton had the chance to go around and visit some friends and good neighbors last night. He obviously isn't old enough to have the candy, but our friends made sure that mom and dad got their share of sweets for the night! A good neighbor of ours also had a treat bag just for Braxton that included a teething ring and crackers to chew on. Thanks Darren and Marcia! Braxton enjoyed his costume for the most, but wasn't too fond of the ears. Good thing the head part just snapped on, so we could easily take it off.

Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend we took Braxton to his first pumpkin patch! Nana and Papa were down for the weekend and helped Braxton pick out a perfect-sized pumpkin! It was a fun trip with lots of smiles!

6-month Pictures

Braxton turned 6 months old last week! Wow, where has the time gone! He is all over the place! At half a year he is rolling everywhere, sitting up all on his own, drooling at every possible chance, and babbling like crazy! We took him to JcPenney's in Topeka with his Nana and Papa Odom and had his 6-month pictures taken! He did such a great job!

He even got spoiled by Nana and Papa while at the mall! He got several new outfits and a winter coat! Thanks Mom and Dad! We ate lunch at Red Lobster and Braxton enjoyed chewing on a French fry! He's well on his way to real "people" food! We hope you enjoy looking at his 6-month pictures! We can't wait until they are in so we can mail them out to all of our friends and family!

Sitting Up!

Braxton is officially sitting up on his own without assistance! He seems to be enjoying the new view! It won't be long before he's crawling and then walking! Watch out mom and dad!

First Wedding

Braxton attending his first wedding this past weekend. Congratulations Uncle Daniel and Aunt Haley!

Go K-State

Braxton is officially a Wildcat! He went to his first tailgate and first football game two weeks ago! The weather was perfect for the little man! He enjoyed the game and even took a 40 minute nap! I can already tell he's going to bleed the color Purple! Go State!

First Concert

Braxton and mom attended dad's first concert a few weeks ago! We weren't able to stay in the auditorium for the concert because it was too loud, but we watched in a TV sitting room! Braxton and mom enjoyed the lights and music! By the time we got home it was way past Braxton's bedtime, but he adjusted and slept well!

Watermelon

Braxton is mastering foods quite well! He now has officially tried applesauce, pears, sweet potatoes, squash, and bananas. This past weekend he also tried watermelon and loved it! Yummy! Now if only he'll get some teeth in, then he can try some steak!! :-)

Coffee Table

Braxton doesn't stay for long in one spot! He is all over the place! We'll have him on his blanket and in no time at all he is off and exploring the floor all around him! He recently made it to the coffee table and then just sat and played with the legs. It was too cute! Before long, he'll be using this to help him learn how to pull himself up and walk! I don't know if mom and dad are ready for this though!

More toes!

Toes, toes, and toes! Braxton loves his toes! Any chance he has to get them in his mouth, he'll go for it! He's succeeding quite well!

Bumbo Chair!

Little man has recently been enjoying spending time in his bumbo chair! One of the best gifts ever! Braxton will hang out in the bumbo on the counter while I cook dinner, while I wash dishes, while we eat dinner, and the list goes on and on! He loves to be at eye level with us. He also thinks it's fun to throw his rings or toys on the ground and watch mom and dad hurry to pick them up! As soon as we give them back to him, he'll throw them back on the ground! :-) Such a fun game mom and dad!!! Right?