Braden, the Birthday Boy

Today, Braden is ONE year old!! It's so hard to believe, because I will probably picture him as my "baby" until that third one comes around. It's been so fun watching him grow up though. In the womb, I could tell he would be an energetic little guy, but as a newborn, he was surprisingly calm and so serious! Now he's a funny little go-getter. He smiles all the time and loves to laugh at us. Today, we visited Trapper at work in downtown Cleveland and we met all his co-workers. Braden was so happy and friendly with everyone. He walked up to just about everybody and smiled at them.

Here are some things he's doing now:

• Going to bed on his own! This is probably one of my favorites. haha After he drains his bottle, he immediately wants to get in his bed. When I lay him down, he turns over on his back and waits for me to put his blanket on top of him. Then he turns over on his belly and then grabs the top of his blanket and cuddles with it. It's SO cute!
• He's a sweet sweet cuddler. When I pick him up, a lot of times, he will lay his head down on my shoulder and hug me. THIS is my Favorite.
• Eats mostly food that we eat. He still eats some baby food, but he will actually eat ANYTHING.......well, almost. He doesn't like bananas. Weird, huh? Dirt and rocks taste good, but not bananas.....or broccoli.
• Has 4 teeth. We have yet to see another one pop in.
• Loves to wrestle.
• Likes digging in the trashcan. Not sure what kind of sick pleasure he gets from that. haha
• He's walking like a maniac. Sometimes I'll just catch him walking around the house in circles, babbling to himself. "Da da da da...."
• Folds him arms to pray....but then he stops. He WAS praying and even bowing his head!! But as soon as he realized Jackson wasn't doing any of that, he stopped. It was darn cute though.

He looks so funny in his hat.

Jackson, my sweet and compassionate child

Opening presents

Enjoying his birthday cupcake

Braden has such a happy spirit about him. He's a sweet little baby, and it's been a joy raising him. He loves to smile and play. And he loves people. Even if he doesn't look much like Trapper, he seems to have Trapper's personality all the way.