Brayden {2.5+ years}

I haven't done an update on Brayden since he turned 2 over 9 months ago. So, I figured it was about time I sit down and talk about what this crazy energetic and independent little man is up to these days. I've been really awful lately at updating this here blog. I have so much to talk about and several drafts started just waiting to be finished and published. Brayden is my number one priority and always will be so blogging about life has to happen when time and energy allow.

 

Brayden's Stats at 2.5 years old (I was a little behind in his 2 year well baby check)

Height-34inches

Weight-26.6lbs

 

Brayden is growing up at record speed and as usual I think I just might be about 10 steps behind him most of the time. Seriously, how is he just 4 months away from turning 3? It just can't be possible. He is such a sweet, energetic, independent crazy handsome little boy. He loves to sing while he plays, enjoys making us laugh and is ALL.BOY! Being loud, making extreme messes, being rough and tough is what Brayden is all about. His vocabulary is out of this world and his speech is so clear. He loves to be Mama's little helper to which really brings out his independent side. He wants to do EVERYTHING by himself and he lets me know it if I have done something he wanted to do.

Favorite TV Shows/Movies

We are still huge fans of Disney Jr over here but he has added in a few new ones into the mix as well.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse & The Great Clubhouse Hunt (All time favorite show)

Thomas & Friends

Super WHY

Daniel Tiger

Leap Frog

Favorite Activities

{Puzzles}
Brayden LOVES doing puzzles and is so quick in putting them together. We started out with the age appropriate puzzles but he quickly became bored with them and was putting them together in a blink of an eye.

We then came across some really nice 24 piece puzzles with his favorite Disney characters on them to give him a little more of a challenge. They really are not difficult for him to do at all and has them together within a couple minutes tops.

 

He's a little smarty pants!

 

While browsing the puzzle section at Target I came across this puzzle of a Barnyard by Crocodile Creek. Not only did I fall in love with the beautiful picture of this puzzle but I thought it would be perfect for Brayden and a little challenging for him as well.

 

No joke...this kid puts this 48 piece puzzle together all.by.himself.
 

 {Coloring & Other Arts & Crafts}

Coloring is still a huge activity we really enjoy doing on an almost daily basis. We've recently tried water paints and he also loves cutting paper into as many pieces as possible (supervised with safety scissors).

 

 

{Alphabet, Numbers, Shapes and Colors}

Shorty after Brayden's 2nd Birthday he had his colors and shapes pretty much mastered. By the time he was 2.5 he could count to 10 and could sing his alphabet from start to finish.  Not only could he say both his numbers and letters he also recognizes them in any order. With just under 4 months until his 3rd birthday he can now count to 20 and wants to trace over letters. I have one smart cookie, I am blown away at the knowledge he has at just 2.5 years old. I am one proud mama. 

We spent most of our summer evenings sitting in the driveway using chalk. It was probably one of our favorite outside activities to do. Brayden always gives me strict demanding instructions on what to draw or write. Shapes, numbers and the alphabet are always the first things he asks for.

 

We officially turned his crib into a toddler bed about a month or so ago. He is super excited about his bed and talks about it often through out the day but we have just one problem...he won't actually sleep in it. Its definitely a work in progress.

 

Potty training has been in progress for probably a year now. (Potty training post to come soon) We introduced him to the potty just before he turned 2 and has shown an interest in it ever since. It has not always gone smoothly but he officially goes most of the day(and outings) with just undies on now and goes pee on the potty all by himself (standing up). He loves being able to go by himself and is so proud. He still wears a diaper to nap and at bedtime but we are working on it. Going #2 on the potty is a completely different story. He pretty much refuses to go so at this point I do what I can to encourage him to use the potty but I don't force him because then he just freaks out and doesn't want anything to do with the potty. I didn't force going pee on the potty so I don't intend to do that with #2 either. When he is ready he will do it. It has worked for us this way so I am sticking with it. At the end of the day we are buying less diapers and having less accidents so I say that's progress and I am very happy with that.

Life Lately

Life seems to be moving at an incredibly fast pace these days and I find that there are just not enough hours in the day  to complete everything I want to do, as usual. I'm sure this is the story of almost every ones day. I try hard to just roll with the punches and enjoy the days but often find myself feeling a little defeated and exhausted at days end. I guess that is just part of life. Although, we some how find ways to push through and make the most out of these precious moments with the little ones. This is how most of our days are spent... 



Playing with chalk is one of our most favorite things to do while outside.  

Bath time has been either a good thing or a horribly bad thing these days. He either enjoys it and wants to stay in forever or he throws a giant fit. We have found that bubble baths make bath time so much fun.

 Just sippin on my juice.

I am usually the one taking the pictures so I am obviously not in very many. I am trying to include a few more mama & son selfies.

This kid is pretty serious about his coloring and we often get them out a couple times a day. 

This kid has my whole heart.

Being a Boy Mom

From a very young age I can remember wanting to be a mommy. One of my favorite things to do was play "house". I always had my baby dolls and loved dressing them up in cute little dresses and taking them where ever I went. I suppose that could be the reason why I always thought I would be a girl mom or maybe just have a little girl first. I never really saw myself as a boy mom or even truly "LOVE" it as much as I do. I of course knew that I would love being a mom but nothing can come close to explaining how crazy amazing it is to be a "mommy".

"Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart" -Winnie The Pooh 

via pinterest

I am pretty sure that every little boy needs to come with a very detailed book describing all the absolutely crazy wild things that little boys are capable off. Boys are messy, loud, energetic, rough & tough. ALL.THE.TIME. Seriously!

There is NEVER a dull moment around here and to say he keeps me on my toes is an understatement. Its almost never quiet with the exception of nap time and I am convinced that his mission is to completely destroy as much as he possibly can. I wouldn't trade all the craziness and insane amount of energy that he has for anything in the world.

He is always trying to climb on me and tackle me down to the ground like a pro linebacker. He also climbs on the arms of the couch and jumps into the couch like its a ball pit. Lets not forget his love of being loud, he jumps around the house, literally jumps from one end to the other while belting out Old McDonald had a farm as loud as he can. It don't wish these days away even if they are a little loud. He will not be this little forever, so I try to embrace his wildness and enjoy it.

boy, n

 a noise with dirt on it 

This is the MOST PERFECT definition of a boy. If you are a boy mama, you know EXACTLY what I mean. It is SO TRUE. I wouldn't trade being a boy mama for anything though. If I am blessed to have another child there is part of me that secretly hopes it will be another boy. Heck, a house full of boys would be ok with me. Don't get me wrong, I would be completely overjoyed to have a girl. Cute girly clothes and bows and headbands and shoes to match everything. I am sure every mama dreams about that, at least I do! It's a true blessing no matter what.

In those rare moments when he is not trying to tackle me to the ground or emptying every basket of toys onto the floor or attempting to climb up on the counters he can be the cutest, sweetest most loving kid EVER and can melt my heart into a puddle on the floor in an instant. I can't help but melt when he walks up to me and says "I hold you mama". When he lays his little head on my shoulder and wraps his arms around me while softly patting my back and whispering "Its Ok Sweetie", my heart bursts.

Kissing his "ouchies" and snuggling up on the couch watching a show or doing whatever it is that HE wants me to do is what being a mommy is all about. The days are loud and sometimes long but seeing that adorable smile on his face and receiving those sweet hugs and kisses makes being a mama the BEST.JOB.EVER!

Friday Photo Dump

I am jumping back into the swing of things here on the old blog. I have several posts sitting in my drafts just waiting to be finished and published. I also have a few things in the works that I can't wait to share.

I thought I would start out with a Friday Photo Dump with a recap of our week. We are definitely enjoying the summer like temperatures we have been having this last week and taking advantage of the pool. We are hoping to maybe hit up our local pool sometime next week for toddler swim. Brayden is going to LOVE that. In the meantime, we were busy learning how to ride our trike, coloring, doing puzzles and hanging outside.  

 

 

 

Happy Friday!



Spring

I think that it just may be safe to say that spring is finally here. The beginning of the week started out rainy and cooler but the last couple days have been AMAZING and seriously refreshing. We have been outside a TON and even opened the windows to let the fresh air in. Its amazing how sunshine and perfect temps can change your mood.

 

I think that this may be the best summer yet with Brayden. He is so excited to be outside and is seriously interested in all his toys. I have a feeling I may be living outside till winter. I am so ready for fun in the sun with my little man.  

He asks to play in his "house" everyday! He has played with his mower more in the last couple days than I think he did all last summer.  

 Chalk has been a huge hit again this year. Having Mama draw shapes and numbers is one of his favorite things to do. I can see my driveway covered in chalk all summer long. As I was taking his picture while sitting in his chair he says "Mama, I relaxin". The kid is always cracking me up.

Life Lately

Its officially spring and I feel the need to clean and freshen things up around the house. I need to reorganize, de-clutter and rearrange stuff. I would love a fresh coat of paint on the walls but I have been thinking seriously about moving at some point so not sure that's something I want to tackle just yet. Painting is a lot of work. So, I think I will just try and clean and rearrange things first and hopefully that will do the trick.

 We are definitely ready for warmer weather and exploring outside. We have had a very cold and snowy winter so we have spent a crazy amount of time inside. I know that we are in need of some fresh spring air and a change to our daily routine.

 

Life here lately has not exactly been going how I thought things would be going at this stage in my life but we are embracing the changes and are excited for what the future holds for us. 

A Day In Our Life {Vol 2]

I did a post very similar to this one last year and I wanted to do another one as things in our daily schedule have changed greatly.

A typical day with Brayden at 2 Years Old

6:30-7:00 AM Wake Up

This is one of mommy's favorite times of the day. We usually cuddle up on the couch under the covers and watch a little Disney Jr for a bit while Brayden enjoys a cup of milk. Mickey's Clubhouse, Jake, Doc McStuffins & Sofia are his favorites.

8:00-8:30 AM Breakfast

Around this time Brayden decides he is ready for some breakfast. This usually consists of scrambled eggs and banana with milk or bowl of cereal. Every once in a while mommy whips up some French toast or pancakes but almost daily (per his request) he wants eggs and banana.

830-Noon Playtime, Activities & Get stuff done around the house

This time of the morning is almost always spent at home unless mama needs to run some errands. The weather this winter has been awful so we have stayed home more than I think I normally would. Some days he plays independently and mama can get some things done around the house and other days he very much wants mama to sit and play with him. He loves to sit and play with his cars, trains and build with blocks. His new favorite activity is coloring. He loves picking out his page to scribble on and often makes mommy do most of the coloring. We have been working on shapes and he can clearly identify (by pointing at and telling me) circles, triangles, squares and stars. I am a proud mama. More about Brayden at 24 Months old HERE.



12:30ish-1:00 Nap Time

 

Up until a couple months ago I always had a pretty good idea when nap time would be...usually 11:30AM. Putting him down for a nap was not going as "smooth" as it used to so I decided to transition him into a later nap time. Brayden also still refuses to nap in his crib which means I still lay with him until he falls asleep in our bed. Trying to get him to nap in his crib has been a battle for the longest time. It's also a battle I gave up fighting, it's just not worth the fight. Our way works so we are sticking with it. Nap usually lasts anywhere from 2-3 hours.

Somewhere between 3 & 4PM Wake Up from Nap

3:00-7:00PM

This time can be used in several different ways...one of them is running any errands that we may not have done earlier in the day. More than likely we spend the late afternoon/evening at home. Playing with toys and then getting some dinner made is as exciting as it gets sometimes around here. If this time falls on a day that mommy has to work then Brayden spends time with his daddy.

7:00PM Bath time
For the most part this kid LOVES bath time. His favorite thing to do is fill his cups with water and then empty them repeatedly. Mommy has a garden tub with a ledge so he can fill and empty as much as he wants and keeps all the water in the tub.

8:00-8:30 Bed time
Some may say that this is a little late for a 2 year old to go to bed but it seems to work for us so we are sticking with it. Our normal bedtime routine consists of brushing teeth, reading a book or watching an episode of his favorite show and then rocking with mommy for a few minutes before laying him down in bed. Rocking him to sleep has always been one of my all time favorite things to do. Something so peaceful about a sleeping baby in your arms. He actually doesn't fall asleep on me anymore. We usually rock for a minute or two and say goodnight and give hugs and kisses before I lay him on his pillow.  

Brayden {24 Months}

I am not really sure how this happened so fast but my baby is officially two years old. I have a 2 Year old. I am still trying to wrap my mind around yet another milestone. Brayden is such a sweet, loving, silly, energetic & smart little boy. I am absolutely amazed every day at how incredibly smart he is.

Taken the morning of his birthday

Favorite Words or phrases
Brayden's speech continues to grow everyday and the fact that he is starting to form more sentences other than just short phrases just blows my mind. He repeats just about anything we say or anything he hears us say.

"I Don't think so"
"What Happened"
"Nice to see you Mama"
"Where are you"
"I found you"
"What doing"

Me: Brayden, I think it's time to get ready for a nap
Brayden: I don't think so Mama

Brayden: Mama, I hungry
Me: What would you like to eat
Brayden: Chocolate Milk


Favorite Activities
Brayden is always super excited to do just about anything. His favorite things to do right now include:
coloring or being given a pencil and a piece of paper
building with blocks
doing puzzles
playing with his train on his new train table
(I of course wanted the biggest and best table we could find but unfortunately I am not made of money so we had to go with a smaller cheaper one for now. He loves it and plays with it several times a day.)

Brayden is a big "helper"  most of the time and loves to clean with mommy. I often give him a towel and he will go around washing things down. He also must get his little vacuum out every time I get the big one out. It's just the cutest thing.


Other Milestones
Brayden knows his basic shapes and is also well on his way to being able to count to at least 5 or six but with a little help still. He is very interested in his colors but often still gets them mixed up. It's a work in progress but I am sure my smart little man will have it down pat really soon.

Potty training has been in full force for a good month or two now and I have to say I am very proud of Brayden. He wears his "undies" most often if we are at home and while we still have a lot of accidents we have made some great progress. He stays dryer longer and is even starting to tell us when he needs to go. Consistency really makes a difference.





 

Our Week { or 3 } In Photos

These last few weeks seem to have flown right by so here I am catching up on three weeks of weekly photos. We have been pretty busy so I did not have a ton of pictures to go through but these are my top favorites from the last few weeks.

Possibly my most favorite picture of my little cutie right here. I am so blessed.
 

 

Thanksgiving with Mama's family on Black Friday.  

 

Sharing snack and watching Mickey together. He loves his cousin.

 He loved this and played with it most of the afternoon.

 Brayden LOVES the lights and gets excited to turn the tree on every morning.

Doing puzzles in my favorite Christmas jammies he has.

Hopefully I can get him to sit still again to take more pictures like this.

My crazy kid loves a piece of paper and a pencil. Of course he is supervised. He thinks he is so cool.

He LOVES the Chrismas Tree.

 

And another super cute pic from this week.

The weeks are seriously flying by and we are somehow just 12 days away from Christmas which means we are fast approaching Brayden's 2nd Birthday. Time needs to slow down.