Braden's Mohawk!

Miss Sonya gave Braden a super-cute mohawk one day at daycare. Sadly, if we hadn't already cut his hair several times, it would have been bigger. He would look adorable in a burlap sack, but I think the mohawk kind of suits him!

Braden Really Walks!

Braden Really Walks! from Vanessa Dirheimer on Vimeo.

First Snow!

Dad's (Early) Birthday

We went to Springfield this weekend to celebrate my dad's birthday. We did it a little early since his actual birthday is on Thursday. Braden decided to help his Grandpa out with his cake. After dad opened his presents, we slid the cake in front of him to give Braden a taste. Before we even had time to react, he lunged forward and planted both hands in the cake. He then proceeded to suck the icing off of his fingers one by one. It was hysterical. After that, any time someone was eating cake and he was around, he would cry until we gave him some. What a little stinker!

January Rolls On

It is SO cold outside. We haven't done much lately due to the weather. Braden continues to take steps, even venturing out on his own on 2 occasions. Of course I was home alone with him and couldn't get the camera in time. I was sitting on the couch and he was holding on to my knee. He decided he was going to walk to the middle of the room. He fell, but only because he ran into a pile of toys. It was so fun to see him just make the decision to take off, without anyone coaxing him into it. Only a few pictures to post today. My dad's birthday and my birthday are coming up, so I should have more fun pictures to post after that. Enjoy!

Braden Walks!

Braden has been taking steps. These past few days, he has been bold enough to let go and try it on his own. Today, without the help of a camera, I counted ten little steps he took with no assistance. By the time I got the camera, I only got the 2 steps shown here recorded. His problem is 50% self awareness (he is a camera ham and always looks toward it) and 50 % balance issues. He can stand on his own, but when he goes to walk he gets SO excited he actually knocks himself over. Usually he takes a face plant after frantically waving his arms and taking steps. He really doesn't cry when that happens. Chalk it up to being a boy, so I have been told. Many parents have told me they have seen their child take step upon step and then when they grab a camera, nothing! Now I get it! My child, who has never been camera shy, has suddenly decided all of his best moments happen without the camera. While I know he certainly doesn't plan these things, he has always done things on his own timetable (example: holding his head up at 1 month old!). I have long harbored the thought that he is more advanced for his age than he should be. I don't mean that in a physical or mental sense. I think his emotional intelligence is off the charts. I think at one month old, he did not want to miss out on what was happening around him. He sensed things, and had to see what was going on. And now, my camera-friendly child is sensing that we want to capture these moments on film, and instead of obliging, he is allowing these moments to happen off-camera, with only our memories as witness. Or maybe he is just stubborn. Either way, the memory remains!

Braden Walks!

Braden Walks! from Vanessa Dirheimer on Vimeo.

Braden's First Christmas!

Braden got lots of practice opening presents. When it came time for our Christmas together, he was a total pro. Brad and I were both exhausted, since it was about 7:45 am. However, Braden was ready to go. He attempted to pull down the Christmas tree at least twice. For those of you who don't know, we reinforced our tree with baby gate throughout the season. It was harder to access than Fort Knox! This was the first day he could really get near the tree, and of course he took full advantage of it! He loved the toy cell phone and the Doodle Pro that he got. Elmo Live was supposed to be the big toy this year, and I have to say that Braden was not impressed on Christmas morning. However, it has grown on him and now whenever Elmo talks, he goes over to him to listen. Most times he knocks him down or puts his fingers in the dolls mouth, but he still listens! We had a great Christmas and hope everyone else did as well. More pictures to come!