Happy Easter

This 13 month old looked pretty darn cute toddling around the yard in his Easter suit!

This picture makes me want to smooch his cheeks.

He was really more interested in the gravel, rocks, bark, and anything other than his Easter basket, and eggs.

We had a great Easter which was spent with my sister and her family.  Mel cooked a DELISH Easter dinner, and we hung out together at her house.  We ate until we were sick, and Brody played with his cousins until he was all tuckered out (or maybe it was Brent and I that were worn out from following Brody around their house doing damage control. He's literally into everything these days-- especially those things that are off limits).  

12 Month Photo Shoot

Recently we had Brody's 1 year pictures taken.  The talented Amy Nielson was our photographer.  Check out her photography blog (amynielsonphotography.blogspot.com).

Here are just a few of my faves. . .

Brody wasn't crazy about getting the frosting all over himself and it made him a little bit sad-- he cried.  This surprised me because figured he would dive right in.

Brody is always learning something new.  I swear he changes every day, and it's so fun to watch him discover, and learn new things.  Here are some fun things he's doing at 12 months:



The cutest thing ever-- he is obsessed with anything satin.  He clutches on with both fists to his blanket with a satin edge, or onto his daddy's tie, or anything satin or silky.  I guess he likes the way it feels.  He especially likes to hold on to something satin when he's trying  to go to sleep.  Sooooo CUTE!

He has finally gotten past the stranger anxiety.  Thank goodness!

He has figured out how to open doors- nothing is safe at our house anymore.

He points at everything.  When you carry him around the house, his cute chubby finger is always pointing in one direction or another.  Sometimes he's really pointing at something he wants, and other times he's pointing just to point.

On March 5th, he took 2 or 3 steps.  By March 16th (two days before his birthday), he was fully walking! 

On March 8th, we could feel his lower central incisors had broken through the gums.  Hooray, he got his first two teeth before his first birthday!

His vocabulary is growing. . . a little.  He says:

"Da da,"

"Mama,"

 "no no no,"

"dog" (sounds like "da"),

"more" ("mo"),

and "thank you" (it kinda, sorta sounds that way).  

He also says:

"oh,"

"uh oh,"

and "there."

He plays pretty well, and today I watched him leaning over a book, blowing bubbles, while drooling up a storm, and saying "maaaa, maaaaa, maaaaa. . ." repeated over and over for about 5 minutes.  He likes to carry various stuffed animals, or toys around the house and talk gibberish to them (and he uses his hands while he's talking). 

Brody now copies us, and loves to gibber jabber, and talk on his pretend phone.  (He's also obsessed with our cell phones, and house phone, the tv remote, pretty much anything electronic).  He kind of gets in trouble for trying to climb on things to get to the computer, or printer. 

He's a little bit of a stinker when I catch him doing something he knows he's not supposed to.  He'll jump like he's startled, then smile at me, and when I turn back around he's back to doing, or touching what he's not supposed to.  He's starting to learn what "time outs" are. I have a really hard time getting mad at him, and keeping a straight face. He's just too darn cute!

He likes us to read books to him, and I often find him sitting down with a book "reading" it out loud to himself.  Currently his favorite one is a Sesame Beginnings book called, "Bubbles, Bubbles."

He waves bye-bye at everyone, and everything.  Last weekend we were shopping, and he waved each time we exited a store.

Loves puppies.  About a month ago, one of Brent's working cow dogs had puppies.  Everytime Brody is outside, he makes a bee-line over to the puppies.

Sticks his tongue in, and out.  If you ask him where his tongue is, he'll abruptly stick out his little, pointy tongue.

Hmmmm, what else?

In a nutshell, he's just a cute, happy toddler that lights up our days.

Brody's Birthday Bash

 On March 18th our big boy turned ONE!!!

So we did a little celebrating, and had a party at our house with the family.

Here's our birthday boy!

First things first.  The presents, of course.

The kids played "Pin the Tail on the Donkey," and Brody won with a little help from his Aunt Mel.

 Brody had some very special guests come. 

Grandpa Max (Brent's dad) sitting back, and surveying the partying.

Lauren, Landon, and Nate indulged in some grub.  Good food is a must at a birthday party!

Brody, and Aunt Nell (Brent's sister, Janelle).

Here's Grandma, and Nate.

Brody, and his cousins.  He has only 3 on Suzanne's side, and gobs on Brent's side (36 I believe).

Grandpa and Grandma Jones, Jared (Brent's youngest brother), Me, my parents, Melanie, Jason, Nate, Landy, and Lauren, Janelle, Brent, and the birthday boy!

Time to blow out the candle, and have cake and ice cream!

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you. . ."

It took a little bit of coaxing to get Brody to try the cake, but once he got a taste, there was no stopping him.   He dove right in, and made a huge mess.  Just the way it should be on his first birthday!

Is it necessary to smear it all over your hair?

"Hold me, Mom."

So messy, but so fun!

The next day Brody, and Grandma played with balloons left over from the party. . .

What a cute birthday boy!  Happy Birthday Brody!!!

Have you ever seen a more perfect set of lips?  I haven't, and they're sooooo kissable!

Brody actually sort of had two birthday parties.  We had the family party the first part of April after my parents got home from Arizona.  However, the day of Brody's birthday, his birth parents came by to wish him a happy birthday.  We celebrated with dinner, cake and ice cream.  

Brody partied his pants off.  Literally. 

His feet got stuck in the crack of the couch.  When I picked him up, his pants stayed there, and he was partially naked for a moment. 

I honestly can't believe it's been a year already.  Sometimes I wish I could slow down time, and stop Brody from growing up so fast.  We literally enjoy every moment we have with him, and we're so thankful for our little boy!

Daddy's Helper

Brody and Brent are pals.  The past few months Brody has REALLY become a daddy's boy.  He gets so excited when Brent gets home in the evenings, and he loves to go everywhere his daddy goes- he's his little shadow.  I'm so glad they have each other.

Brent has started taking Brody along to do small chores, and he loves every minute of it.  I'm sure as he gets older, he'll be Brent's full time buddy.

A few weeks ago we tagged along while Brent took some horses up to Birch Creek to turn them out on the mountain so they could get out of the wet, sloppy corral and get some exercise.

One of our mares, and her brand new colt.