zoo day!

on monday, memorial day, we headed down to the denver zoo - all fourteen of us!!

you were very excited & started clapping as we walked in.

the ever-present ball in hand.

it was a hot, hot day so we found a shady area to rest after lunch and let you out of the stroller for a bit to crawl around.

your cousins really love you!!

by the train ride, you were way overdue for a nap and had a small meltdown while we waited for the train to start moving.  once you had something different to look at you were cool.

 naptime immediately followed the train...

"helping" feed yourself lunch!  mama forgot to pack a hat for you so daddy found you one in the gift shop - and it made you look like such a big boy.  you're so cute in ball caps i can't stand it!!

we borrowed the huntington's sequoia for the zoo drive to maximize seating options - and you and your cousins looked so cute packed in the back row. 

let the family mania begin!

the family is all here!!!!  saturday afternoon we went down to the airport to pick up the final missing pieces of our family weekend - the lootens!  you were very excited to see your favorite cousins.

we got back to the house and fully immersed ourselves in lolling about, like good price family members.

 

that evening was a big dinner out at freddy's steakhouse - YUM!  you were passed around & ate off everyone's plate & touched every surface in the place i think.  and just generally had a GREAT time!!

let the family mania begin!

my first mother's day.

my first mother's day.  what a special day with my boys!!  i was able to sleep in, was treated to toad-in-the-hole breakfast by my lovey, and lots of smiles & snuggles from my bubba.  and then i got to open my present!  they got me this awesome hiking back pack which i'd been wanting.  i missed hiking season last year having a newborn, and have been eager to get out on the trails again. so after brady's morning nap we loaded up our gear, headed to firehouse subs for lunch, and then hit horsetooth for a long beautiful afternoon hike.  bubs did SO good for his three hours in the pack, and didn't complain once.  he took his bottle in it and got to touch leaves occasionally and he screeched with excitement over the gazillion dogs we saw on the trail.  it was an absolutely perfect day.  i'm so grateful to be a mama, and to get to be his.

p.s. mother's day happened to fall on mike's birthday this year, but since it was my first mother's day he insisted we celebrate his birthday on the 11th.  what a special hubs i have.  i think he was happy to spend his birthday outside in the mountains, too, though.  it was perfect for all of us!

easter firsts.

easter firsts: peeps, which he loved!  and sitting at the table for the first time with the fam.

easter 2013.

we had a wonderful easter surrounded by our sweet family - and bubs was to DIE FOR in his sweater & hat!!!

a little irish baby.

happy st patty's day weekend, everyone!  from the sweetest little leprechaun ever!

craftiness.

second craft of the week - by aunt kake, for valentine's day!!!

LOOK at his baby feet, i love it.  there were several out-takes as he is a squirmy little dude especially with paint on his feet :)

valentine.

hello, heart-breaker.  you're my most charming valentine ever!  dad & i are so happy you're ours.

community.

we are sooo lucky to have the community of friends here in foco that we have.  even though mike was gone from us for Christmas this year, we had so much love & support through our community.  i'm so, so grateful to have that here where i live so far from my family.

on Christmas afternoon after opening presents with grandma trish, sarah, kate & kevin - brady & i loaded up and headed over to rob & suzanne's house to hang out for a couple hours.

rob took these darling pictures for me which i just love.  i don't get to be in many photos with brady, being the family photographer:)  i love these.

rob & suz gave brady some super fun edgy blocks to play with when he's older and he loves them!  they are so funny - for example, one of the K blocks has "kitty litter" as it's word :)  haha!

sickness.

we made brady's first trip to the ER on 12/29 - his seven month birthday.  after two days of cough and fever and serious fussiness while in missouri on our belated Christmas vacation, i finally caved and took him in.  i'm glad we did though, as he was diagnosed via x-ray with pneumonia and RSV.  poor bug was so miserable, and getting on antibiotics sooner really helped him turn things around.  we hit him hard with tylenol & motrin as well, along with lots of lovey time and snuggles.  not a good way to spend our vacation, but this single-for-a-time mama was super grateful to have family support & lots of arms to hold the baby.

sicky snuggles.

being sick while on vacation with the family constitutes many snuggles.  and brady took full advantage & wasn't laid down the whole weekend i don't think.  which was perfectly fine with me, because who doesn't need a little extra attention when they don't feel good?

matching jammies.

thanks aunt yaya for the matching Christmas jammies for brady & mindy.  they are adorable!

girls!

two of my favorite girls in the world.  we loved our belated Christmas weekend in missouri with the fam.  even though i don't have ONE picture of liz's girls with bradykins since he had the contagion, rsv :(  boo for being sick on family vacay!

Christmas babies.

Christmas eve was spent with dear friends & family this year.  i loved it so, so much.  we went to a candlelight service at church and then onto the koepps' house for an amazing dinner & fellowship.  Christmas eve is always such a sweet night for me, i just love the anticipation of the next day, but the fact that Christmas hasn't yet passed...oh and the LIGHTS on the trees and in windows and it's just perfection to me!  this year was particularly magical because of a sweet fat snuggly boy to love & the fact that as we left the koepps to drive home, a snow was just starting to fall and continued to all evening.  it was PERFECT!

okay onto the pics.  brady was super excited that his girlfriend was at the dinner with us...and the two of them rolled around on the floor together or were happily carried around by everyone in the room all evening. love these pics of them though.

"you're invading my space, cora - for real."

"oh gosh mom she is sucking on MY thumb!!!"

"ohmygosh he is soooo cute!  eeee!"

well at least that's what i gathered they were saying!

hurry up everyone!

SOMEONE wakes up at the crack of dawn regardless of what day it is, and was forced to wait for everyone else in the house (kate, grandma trish, sarah & kevin) to wake up for present opening!

he rolled all over the place grabbing bows & crinkling wrapping paper.  and was just generally smiley & happy as usual.

merry Christmas bradybug.  Christmas this year has been amazing watching you discover all the lights and the tree and wrapping paper and new presents.  you are the best thing in life and you've made my heart overflow with joy this year.  thank you for being the best gift ever.  so sorry your dad was gone for the holiday but i know he missed you terribly.  we sent him lots of videos today to keep him close.

christmas loot.

Christmas morning.  i think the baby was well loved & certainly well gifted this year.  he was the star of the show!!  and the cutest little bug ever in his Christmas jammies.

just learning to sit up.  presents help with balance!

he's as excited about getting his stocking as i am when i get mine:)

Christmas eve duds.

sicky.

not feeling so good tonight.  laying under the Christmas tree for an evening nap helps.

comparison.

'tis the season for torturing animals & small children with all sorts of holiday decor!

i think my boys bear a striking resemblance don't you?  (2011 vs 2012)