Easter, Randomness, and Mother's Day...Oh MY...

I'm going to try and post at least one more time this month...we shall see.

 

Since my last post, we've done lots.  Easter weekend was packed full, and we had a lot of fun.  Saturday morning, we went to meet Miss Madelyn June and visit with her parents, Cory & Katie.  Nick and Cory were very good friends in high school, and they were groomsmen in each other's weddings.  Madelyn was born just a few weeks before this and they live in northern Arkansas, so this was the first time we had met her.  She was precious and tiny!  Brayden & Madelyn will get to play when they're both a bit older. :)

 

After our short visit with the Thompsons, we headed to our church's Easter Egg Hunt & Picnic.  Brayden, obviously, can't hunt eggs right now, but we wanted to go for the fellowship.  We also picked up Subway because I didn't want to actually prepare food for us. :)

Bray with the Easter bunny (Don-Don).  This is our Pastor's wife for those who don't know her. :)

The Mayben children wanted a pic with Brayden.  Kenlie said, "It's okay, I can hold him!"  Brayden's not too far from her weight.  Keyton helped hold him up and I was just to the side ready to grab if things started falling.  But they did great!

Sweet family. :)

Nick said I had him and Brayden all gussied up for Easter.

She loves her "Bray Bray.)

After lunch and the Easter Egg Hunt, we headed to New Boston to celebrate a few birthdays with family and celebrate Easter.  My sister has been wanting to dye Easter eggs with Brayden.  We stripped him down, but he wasn't too sure about the whole thing.  My cousins, Sister, and I had more fun than he did. :)

 

Easter basket from Bibi & Harpo.

My Granny always got her grandchildren Peeps every year.  Mom had to keep the tradition going... I ate them. :)

 

Nick was using the bug zapper and having way too much fun.

 

Joe & Melanie had lunch on Sunday with us to celebrate Easter.  Chelsy and I tried our best to get a good picture of Bracton and Brayden together.  They were way too interested in the grass, so we ended up picking them up for a photo.  These boys will be great friends growing up.



Easter parade during church service.

Brayden's Easter basket from us.  He had just woken up from his nap, so he was a bit sleepy eyed still.

 

 

That evening, we went fishing at Highland Club.  Brayden wasn't too sure about the fish Daddy kept catching.

 

I'm having to document his cute clothes because he's growing out of them all so quickly.

And fun sunglasses...

And fun hats....

This was Brayden's first time to sit in a high chair at a restaurant.  Funny enough, this was the first restaurant we ever brought Brayden too once he was born, and was what I craved very often during my pregnancy with him, Dairy Queen.  He was stealing the hearts of all the ladies in there with his big, blue eyes and awesome fedora.

Oma & Joepa gave Brayden beach toys for our upcoming vacation.  He enjoyed eating them.

Little man is finally big enough to play with the Christmas present Santa brought him.

Another new outfit...

Sweet smiles in the morning...

Brayden: "This is my puppy."
Satchel: "Quit touching me, tiny human."

Satchel was worn out for days from all of the Easter festivities.

Little mister trying blueberries for the first time.

Tummy time in the beautiful weather.

Visiting the Maybens one evening.  The kids wanted pictures taken with Brayden.

New outfit...

I bought a new hanging basket for my front porch.  It's called "fuschia."  I had never seen fuschia before.  I'd only ever heard of it at Bath & Body Works.  I posted the picture to facebook, and some people said that the blooms look like tiny ballerinas.  I'd have to agree.  I love the way this basket looks!  Hope I can keep it alive.

Dr. Who onsie that my Aunt & Uncle got Bray for Christmas.

Saturday, May 3rd, the women's ministry at church put on a "Spring Fling Brunch" for women of all ages.  I'm on the committee, so I helped plan and put on the event.  We had a great time!  Each committee member was in charge of decorating a few tables with their own china for the event.  Below are my three tables.  My sister and Mom came, and I also brought Bray because Nick had to work.  It was so much fun, and I hope to be able to do this many years in the future.  We had almost 50 women attend and hope to grow it year after year.

Nick's Memaw gave me these dishes.  I love them!

My Vera Wang casual china I received when we got married.

My Lenox china I received when we got married.

Our food table.

Casey, Kenlie, Presley, and Chelsy at the photobooth.

Some of our crazy ladies!

My lovely family.

Brayden has been going through a growth spurt this past week.  I can always tell because his food intake increases and he sleeps a lot!  He fell asleep while eating the other day.  This boy likes his food, so that is a first!

First time sitting in the bathtub like a big boy!

New outfit, hat, and sunglasses....STYLIN'!

Sweet sleeper...

New hat...

Onsie Brayden received from the Wiggins a while back.  It's just too precious!

Playing at Oma & Joepa's house like a big boy!

This past Friday, I had to go answer the door when I was feeding Brayden.  I left the bowl on his highchair, not thinking.  I came back to this...  I was wondering why he wasn't crying.  Normally, when he's eating, if you aren't shoveling the food in, he's not happy.  Then I knew why he was content.  I took the bowl away and tears ensued.  I had to strip him down to the diaper and warm up new food.  Goodness gracious son!

New trick with Daddy!

I made my Mom's and Melanie's Mother's Day presents this year with a little help from Brayden.  For my Mom, I made a canvas that said, "You are my sunshine" with a sun and footprint rays.  I also put a frame where the picture can be changed when they want to change it.  For Melanie, I made a canvas that said, "I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck" with a heart made out of footprints.  It also had a frame.  Melanie sings that song to Brayden and her other grandson, Owen, all the time.  Owen calls it "Oma's song."  Both grandmother's loved them. 

 

We celebrated Mother's Day with the Robertsons on Saturday.  Brayden was a complete toot all morning.  He wanted to be held, he didn't want to be held, he wanted to be outside, he wanted to be inside, he wanted this toy, he wanted that toy...on and on it went.  He only took an hour nap in the afternoon.  Normally, he takes a two to three hour nap, so I was concerned how the evening was going to go.  Alan, Tovah, and Owen came down and we did a photo session with Jessica Brummel of Treasured Moments Studios with Joe & Melanie.  Jessica did Brayden's newborns and our maternity photos.  I cannot wait to see them!  She was so patient and worked so hard to get some smiling photos of all of us.  Despite how Brayden acted that morning, he did GREAT with the photo shoot.  I think Jessica got lots of smiles.  Nick & I gave both of our parents' photo sessions for Christmas.  We're planning on doing my family's photos in a couple of months when Brayden has gotten a little bigger.  After pictures, everyone came to our house for dinner.  Nick grilled chicken and sausage.  I made mac and cheese, green bean casserole, and baked potatoes.  Melanie brought drinks, and Tovah made brownies for dessert.  We sat on the back porch, enjoyed the nice weather, and we had a great time.  Our friends, Larry & Jess, dropped by for a visit.  The family left around 9:00, but the Sullivans stayed until 1:00am!  We had a great time visiting and miss them.  Hopefully we can catch up sooner rather than later. :) 

 

We celebrated Mother's Day with the Brays on Sunday.  My parents and sister came to church with us.  Brayden went to big church with us.  That doesn't normally happen, but I got him out of the nursery after Sunday school so he could spend a little more time with my family.  He takes afternoon naps, so I knew he'd be out of it for most of their visit.  He did nap through the whole sermon.  Brother Steve would say he'll make a good deacon one day.  Then we all headed back to our house for lunch and Joe & Melanie joined us.  I had put a pork roast and potatoes in the crock pot the night before and had made corn on the cob and baked beans as well.  Sister brought rolls, drinks, and a delicious strawberry pie.  We enjoyed our time visiting with everyone.  A little puppy showed up in our backyard towards the end of lunch.  I think he saw his puppy life flash before his eyes because Tex, Satchel, and Ranger all bolted towards him.  Satchel & Ranger probably didn't scare him, but Tex sure did.  We don't know who he belongs too.  I saw him in someone else's front yard this morning when I took Brayden to church.  Hope he finds his family soon.

 

Brayden gave me three new charms for my Brighton bracelet for my Mother's Day present.  One charm has his little picture in it, one has crosses, and one says, "Mom."  I'm so blessed God chose me to be his momma!  My family got me a sweet card.  Nick prepared dinner for me last night.  He told me, "I'll make whatever you want."  I chose pancakes, bacon, and eggs.  He said, "You don't want steaks or something?"  I told him I was perfectly content with breakfast for dinner and not having to do dishes.  Brayden went to bed right before Nick finished cooking, so Nick & I enjoyed a nice dinner on the back porch.  I am blessed.

Nick only had to snap one picture to get this sweet shot.  I'm impressed.

Sassy, my sister, made Brayden some adorably cute tank tops for the summer.  I'll be taking pictures of him as he wears them.  This one says, "HEYYYY MAMA ROCK ME" like the Bob Dylan/Old Crow Medicine Show/Darius Rucker song. I originally heard it while living in Stephenville when one of the radio stations played a version Cross Canadian Ragweed recorded.  She also made two Harry Potter themed shirts and one shirt we saw on Pinterest that we both liked.  He'll be styling and profiling this summer (as long as he doesn't grow out of them too quickly).