Those blinking lights!!

Northwest Arkansas is lucky to have so many fun activities geared toward getting families out and about together. One of my personal favorites is the Lights of the Ozarks which takes place at the Fayetteville square. 

It's beautiful and so fun for the kids. Last year we went on the first night during the actual lighting event and it was FREEZING. This year we planned better and waited for an unseasonably warm December night which worked out great because uncle Nick was in town.
 We started the evening with dinner at Hugos because it just isn't right to visit the Fayetteville square without stopping in for a burger and beer! Tonight was no disappointment...mom and Nick enjoyed the atmosphere also.

Braxton was completely mesmerized. He walked around staring and trying to get as close as possible to all the lights. It was so much fun to watch the sweet innocence on his face as he took it all in and explored the entire square. Then of course we also got to enjoy a toddler size fit when it was time to leave and he had to part with his winter wonderland. Ha

I love the curiosity on his face!

Here comes Santa Clause!!!

It is a lifelong tradition for Braxton and his friend Ansley to visit Santa Clause together each year. Last year both kiddos were in the infant stage of life so it was pretty quick and painless to get a photo with the big guy. This year was another story....the infants have grown into toddlers and they are INTO everything. Once they were corralled in the North Pole area, two very different personalities emerged.

Ansley is a social butterfly and walked right up to Santa like they were best friends. She explored the entire North Pole area and sat up on Santa's lap like such a big girl. Braxton on the other hand was terrified of the Big guy. He was glued to my side and WOULD not sit with Santa. How can I blame him...I mean seriously....this guy is a little intimidating. So for this year mommy is in the Santa picture with Braxton. Luckily we somehow ended up with a photo where it appears that he is smiling even though he was not. HA

Braxton melting into mommy

 

They enjoyed Santa's chair when he went on break

Braxton liked the trucks way more than Santa

Family photo

Christmas in November....Why not?!?

Since Luke and I both have big families with lots of traditions we have to get started early to find time for all of our Christmas festivities. The weekend after Thanksgiving seems as good of time as any to start sharing a little Christmas cheer.

Due to our busy and hectic lives along with the fact that we live 3 hours away in NWA, we are unable to visit with my grandma (nana) that often anymore. It is such a treat for her when we are able to bring Braxton to her apartment in the assistive living facility. Its also always good to catch up with my dad since he lives in Cabot these days!

Wrapping paper is fun

Toddler chronicles November: 14 months

Man keeping up with a blog is difficult with a toddler. Ha!!! Braxton loves computers so working on this during the day is no longer an option since he wants to "help" mommy.

Braxton and Piper!

Here is a list of new things that Braxton is doing:

*Try's to imitate any word

*Can shake his head for yes or no

*Learned to say "Pop"

*He is a dancing machine. His favorite jam is "hot dog" from Mickey Mouse clubhouse but he doesn't really discriminate. 

*Loves peak a boo

*Braxtons favorite people in the world are "agger"(jagger) and dd

* Favorite and only show is Mickey Mouse clubhouse. He will sit for a whole episode....this is the only time he sits still other than eating or sleeping

*Terrified of the vacuum cleaner

*Sings E-I-E-I-O

Sweet snoozin babies

Decking the halls...

There is not much in the world that is cozier than cuddling up on the couch in a dark room with a beautifully decorated Christmas tree lit up and a Christmas candle burning! Mindlessly staring at a Christmas tree is therapeutic to me and turning on those little lights is the first thing I do on most evenings when Braxton and I get home. 

This year I decided that in addition to our big family tree in the living room, Braxton also needed his very own tree in his room to admire. In the perfect dream world in my head I imagined him laying in his crib and staring at the lights as he drifted to sleep. In reality, the lit tree is a huge distraction at bedtime so it must be unplugged before the milk and storytime segment of our evening. 

I decorated his tree with Santa but decided that it had to be personalized so I placed our favorite Instagram pictures from 2013 on his tree. Braxton loves to run into his room and point at each of the pictures one by one. He stands and points while listening to you label each person in the pictures which are mostly all Braxton because let's face it he was our favorite thing about 2013!! Most of our evenings consist of a 5 minute period of Him pointing, me stating that's Braxton and him repeating "B" over and over! And as if this routine could handle anymore cuteness, B also must lean in and land a big fat smooch on several of the pictures each time.

So glad my little man loves his tree but even more so I'm so glad he is already so sweet and affectionate! 

Toddler Chronicles October-14 months.....

November 5th 2013: I cannot believe that our baby boy is 14 months old. In my mind that is soooo old and yet the days of him as an infant are still so fresh on my mind. Luke frequently comments on how strange it is that he cannot recall exactly what Braxton looked like as an infant without looking at a picture as a reference and I must agree that its true! How crazy is that? I mean obviously I know that he was adorable and he had a thick head of dark hair and his eyes were a grey in-between color that no one could pinpoint (they still are). I can remember that he was so small and so helpless but I cannot remember specific features without the help of "old" photographs. I cannot imagine what our recollection will be like when he is a teenager.

Braxton now has 10 teeth total....his 4 front teeth on top and bottom, and then a molar on top and bottom on the right side of his mouth. Luckily, our sweet boy has never had a lot of problems with teething so its hard for us to know exactly when his chompers bust through.

I am coming to the realization that Braxton is a sensitive little guy. He has always been a snuggler for sure and now he loves to give great big hugs with a sweet pat on the back to all of his friends and family.....just last night in church he gave a little boy behind us about 15 big hugs and even a smooch. Braxton loves to pucker up and pass out kisses at home and at school. A few weeks ago his teachers sent us a note home stating that Brax had been hugging and kissing all of his friends. And our guy is not a cheek kisser, he likes a big slobbery kiss right on the lips with the smack noise included. I love it! And I love that my lil man is a lover and not a fighter because this momma still cherishes every time he falls asleep on my chest with his arms wrapped around me.

Braxton Cole also LOVES music! He loves music of all kinds whether its the radio or someone singing. And he loves to dance to said music whether its with hand movements that he has learned at school or if its his own signature "white boy" moves! It would be a rare occasion if we didn't have at least one dance party at home daily!

Other things our lil dude loves: wagon or truck rides outside, playing with trucks or balls, and being outside with daddy while he is working on projects (I would say crafts but projects sound more manly...hehe)! Braxton loves pictures of all sorts and loves pointing to people in pictures at school and has just started kissing the people in the picture at home. We are also working on catching a playground ball with inconsistent success right now!

Braxton is still not much of a talker but does say.....mama, dada, more, "dis" for this, bye-bye, hi, pop, ball, and dog. I'm sure he is saying so much more but I don't speak baby so I can't make out most of it. He signs more and all done. This past week he has started nodding for yes which is pretty darn cute!