Nine Years of Nail-biting!

And what a fun and crazy nine years its been!

Nine years ago I became a mom for a second time.

Brayden has been my little energizer bunny since moment he could get down and go places.
Childproofing? Nah, didn't stop him!
Baby gates? Forget about it!
Locked doors? He always found a way.
He's been a go-everywhere, climber, and explorer since I can remember.

He's also very creative and independant. He took it upon himself to ask for a piano and piano lessons two Christmases ago. He loves to jump fully in to whatever he's learning about or doing. If he can't figure it out, he'll keep trying until he does. He's helped me cook dinner since he was high enough to see over the countertops (safely of course)!

I'm proud of who he is - which is his own unique little person. I can see great things for him in the future. :)

Nine Fun Facts About Brayden
1) Brayden was my smallest baby, weighing just under 8 lbs at birth.
2) He is 1/16 Cherokee Indian, according to my hubby. yeah yeah, I know everyone has stories like that...but really, his great grandma was half Cherokee - his great great grandfather (? Grandma Beki correct me if I'm wrong!) being full Cherokee. He tans well in the summer. :)
3) Brayden loves art and loves to make crafts.
4) He loves the piano (but not to practice) and will sit and watch endless Youtube videos of piano performances.
5) Despite his video game crazed brothers, he's not big on video games. He'll play them, and he likes to play them...but not to the extent of his brothers. He loves to just go hang outside by himself...ride bikes, climb the treet, etc. I'm always kicking the other boys outside to go play with him.
6) He is a FAST runner, even outrunning his older brother.
7) He once put the cat in the drier...and turned it on. He was pretty little and I was told about it right away so I was able to get kitty out, mostly unscathed. ;) He did feel bad afterward!
8) He is a noodle KING. He loves noodles. He'd live off noodles every day if I let him.
9) He secretly likes Justin Bieber's music, but don't tell him I told you! shhhhh :) His brothers tease him too much about it, so he'd never admit it.

Now...nine years of Brayden....

Birth Day! Born the night after Alex's 3rd birthday party...two days after Alex's birthday. My first thought when I saw him was "look at his big nose!". He grew into it quickly...it was just a newborn thing I guess. haha

First birthday!

Second birthday - I LOVED his hair! The only one of my boys born with my thick, long hair. Notice the bald trend on his younger brothers...haha

Third birthday...Mr. Grumpy that day I guess..

Fourth birthday - yes that's a pink diary and pen that he's playing with. Deal with it. ;)

Fifth birthday - Got his bike and helmet! :)

Sixth birthday - Chuck E. Cheese = CHAOS ;)

Seventh Birthday - In the far corner...couldn't get one of him sitting still enough for the camera I guess!

 Eighth Birthday - Same thing, just an around-the-cake photo...he must have been too busy that year!

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9!!

Happy 9th Birthday Brayden

Terrific Twelve

Guess who's turning TWELVE?!

If you guessed Alex, then you are correct!

I can hardly believe myself that its been twelve years. I still remember when he was a drooling toddler scribbling on my walls. And now he's entering the pre-teen era.
Yikes!

I'm blessed to have Alex as my oldest child though, because he helps a lot!
He is a caring, trustworthy kind of kid.

12 Fun Facts About Alex:
*Alex was actually due March 9th, but as is my "norm" -he liked that last week of February. ;)
* He would have been a BIG baby if he had gone up to his due date or overdue...as it was, he was just 2 oz. shy of 9 lbs.
* He had horrible eczema as a baby/toddler and we'd have to tape socks on his hands at night. But those didn't even work. Many baby pictures I have of him, he has scracthes all over his face. :(
* He had a scary ashtma attack when he was just over a year old. He had to be life-flighted via helicopter to a bigger city hospital. I wasn't even there! I was at a training for work. It was super scary to get that call and then hop on the plane in the wee hours of the morning to join him and my mom in the PICU. :( He was there for three days, but he  never had another asthma attack after that. Weird.
* He's scared of the dark ;) (Shhhhh Don't tell him I told! hehe)
* He's half Native American (thus the dark coloring...incase any of you didn't know and were wondering)
* I was a teen single mom with him for two years until I met my hubby!
* Alex hates spaghetti and Dorrito chips. Weird kid, huh?!
* Alex loves animals, especially reptiles. He desperately wants a snake. ummm no.
* Alex is learning to play the piano this year and his teacher says that he's very "musically talented", something he and Brayden have in common. I don't know where they got it from though! Not me!
* Alex "hacked" into the school computers in 1st grade. Really he just saw the teacher's password and memorized it, then used it later to change his reading scores to 10,000 words per minute. But the teacher wouldn't admit that he could have seen her password, and instead she accused him of "hacking". The school comp. tech. team had to go and change all the passwords on the computers.
* Alex is allergic to everything...at least according to the allergy test he got a few years back. He reacted either through skin/scratch test or blood test to all the allergens they tested him for. And there was a LOT. He's taken two allergy shots a week, then eventually every other week, for the last five years. This should be his last year for that. :) His allergies are a LOT better!!

Okay on to the pictures!

Birth Day, going home from the hospital!




Year one - so cute!


Second birthday - what a ham!


Third Birthday - And that night I went into labor with his first brother :)


Fourth birthday, the first combined birthday party :)
 

Fifth Birthday


Sixth birthday


Seventh birthday...ya got a little something on your face...


Eighth birthday


Ninth Birthday


Tenth Birthday...enter Mr. Cool



Eleventh Birthday...he didn't know the bow was on his head, haha


Number 12!! Happy Birthday Alex!
My goofy guy!

Four Fun Filled Years!

Someone has a birthday!

 And thus kicks off our birthday madness week (Brayden and Alex are in the next few days too...so watch for my posts!).

Billy Jr was born 4 years ago today. Its amazing how fast time goes.

Fun facts:
* He's also number four in birth order.
* He was my BIGGEST baby at 9 lbs. 12 oz.
* He was due on February 16th, but in keeping with his other February birthday brothers, he came just a couple days before Alex's birthday on the 23rd...who came a couple days before Brayden's birthday on the 25th.
* He has asked for a "blue cake with candles" for his birthday

I will make sure to post pictures of cake and presents later. :)

But for now, pictures from his last four years.... *sniff*

Newborn Billy Jr:


Billy's First Birthday (At Chuck E. Cheese):


Billy's 2nd Birthday:


Billy's Third Birthday:


Fourth birthday photos to come...Stay tuned!