1 year family pic
Braden's "screaming" face. I couldn't resist- he cracks me up!
Big boy walking :)
The big 1 year birthday party
Happy Birthday Braden!I figured it's about time for another update. Braden continues to change so quickly. What was cautious toddling steps a month and a half ago is now nearly running. Walking is definitely his preferred mode of transportation and will crawl only when trying to fit in tight spaces. He also has learned how to throw a ball (and at times other things. . . . ) quite well overhand. I'm fairly certain he is ahead in this skill as overhand ball throwing isn't usually seen until 18 months. And, he also can kick a soccer ball by walking/running and kicking the ball as he is going. As you can imagine, Daddy is quite proud and the two of them dribble the soccer ball all around the kitchen. :) He can also say a few words- Mama, Daddy, "hi"- his most common word, and he can answer the question of what does the sheep say?- "Baaa" and with prompting. . .what does the puppy say? "Ruff ruff ruff". Recently he is starting to learn some sign language and has been able to do the sign for "All Done". We are still working on More, Please, and Drink and hope he'll eventually get it. The biggest challenge for Braden right now is with eating. Most kids his age are eating an increasing amount of table food. Braden is such a gagger that he struggles with textured food and after a few bites and a few gags, will then refuse it all together. As far as "Big Boy" foods, he can eat Cheerios, munch on a Ritz cracker, gnaw on a slice of apple and eat a few other fruits in his Nuby mesh food strainer. I know some other kids his age eating chicken nuggets, bites of hot dog, slices of cheese. . . . oh well. . . . I guess we'll get there eventually, but this Mommy is a little impatient to stop buying baby food. Braden is still drinking his milk from a bottle. I know, I know. . . all the "experts" on babies will tell you they should be weaned from the bottle by 1 year. I have tried a few times, although not that hard. I've tried to give him milk in a sippy cup and he wants nothing to do with it. He'll drink water or juice out of a sippy cup, but he thinks milk in a sippy cup should be against the law and after 1-2 sips will quickly push it away. Part of me doesn't want my "Baby" to grow up, so I've not been pushing the bottle weaning. I figure I'll give him another month or 2 and then try to push it. Most likely we'll just have to go cold turkey and only let him have the sippy cup and either he'll drink it or he won't and we'll have to get his dairy in him another way.
More and more I'm hearing of friends who have babies Braden's age pregnant with their next. Even though I'm not ready to be pregnant again yet. . . . . it still pains a little bit. I wonder if that will ever go away even when we're done having babies. I guess it's just the injustice of their being able to conceive so easily, seemingly whenever they want. But......then that is tempered by other friends who are currently on the same infertility journey we were on 2 years ago wondering if they will ever have a child at all. I must then sit back and count my blessings over and over and over. Braden is such a perfect gift from God and even if he never blesses us with any other children, I'm overjoyed with being able to have him.
I have started on birth control pills to try to keep the endometriosis under control by being on a continuous dose so that I never have a period. We hope to try our one frozen embryo this summer and are already praying for God's hand in that process. He knows the future of our family.
