May 2012

May was such a beautiful month this year in Portland.  It was unusually warm and dry.  There was 14 straight days of no rain and it got into the 80’s even for several days.  I always love the month of May because spring is really starting and the flowers are blooming and the weather is finally starting to get better usually after all those nasty and rainy winter days.  I also love May because it is my birthday month.  

Rooting for the Portland Timbers!

With Daddy after playing in the fountains in Tualatin one hot day in May

Brandon loves playing with the faucet out in the back of our house

 

I turned 31 this year and I can’t even believe it that I am now solidly into my 30’s.  Not a fun feeling.  On my actual birthday Sean, Brandon, and I went to the Olive Garden.  Sean got me flowers and I got a new Nikon DSR camera from him and my parents.  The weekend before my birthday I got to celebrate with my parents and Sean and Brandon down in Corvallis just before my parents left for Europe.  We went out to breakfast and played in 2 parks with Brandon.  We also went out to dinner at Big River which is becoming a tradition for me on my birthday (I love their Lemon Drop martinis!).  

 Gramsie and Brandon going down the slide

 Brandon loves his Callie Pup in Corvallis

 Playing in the giant sandbox at Wild Cat Park

 Loving his swing time at Cloverland Park

 So happy swinging

 Brandon at my birthday breakfast in Corvallis

 My second Mother’s day weekend was a really fun one.  It was a really hot and beautiful weekend on both Saturday and Sunday, in the 80s.  Sean and I took Brandon to swim lessons on Saturday and then we went out to Sokol Blosser winery where we are wine club members and did some wine tasting and had a picnic lunch.  Brandon loves going out to Sokol Blosser because he can run around the big deck that has a gate so he is contained.  He always is making friends too.  On Mother’s Day we went out to Sean’s Aunt Cindy’s house for a BBQ with Sean’s mother’s side of the family.  That was a lot of fun and I got to see Lily (my kitty that Sean’s Aunt has adopted).  

 Family shot at Sokol Blosser Mother's Day weekend

 Logan came over to play with Brandon and have a BBQ

 Cool dude in jammies and shades!

I took the Friday off after my birthday so I had a three day weekend to celebrate my birthday.  Brandon and I went to the zoo to celebrate.  It was so much fun watching Brandon enjoy seeing the animals through his eyes.  Brandon loves animals almost as much as I do.  We loved the elephants the best.  The weather was also beautiful during that day and was nice and sunny.  I also took Brandon to the Portland Children’s Museum for the second time (it is free the first Friday of each month).  Brandon had a great time running around the Museum and loved the Dig room (a room full of fake dirt) and the Water room, where he got to play with fountains and containers.  Brandon also did swimming lessons this month as well as Gymboree class.  He loves the water and has started to blow bubbles on his own.  He puts his head in the water for a few seconds and is not scared of getting his face wet.  Brandon loves jumping off the side of the pool too and will even let his head go under.  

 Playing with the Duck in the water room at the Children's Museum

 Weigh scale at the Children's Museum

 Carrying a bucket of fake dirt around

 Brandon at the beginning of May at Logan's birthday party

 Mommy and Brandon in front of the elephant display at the zoo

 Feeding the bird honey

Brandon has become so verbal this month.  He can say now about 20-30 words and loves to chat up a storm.  He is also repeating words quite often and I swear he is almost saying a new word a day.  He also loves to sing.  His favorite song is Ring Around the Roses and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  He can also sing part of the alphabet.  He is growing like a weed still, and I feel like he has gotten much heavier (it will be interesting to see how tall he is and how much he weighs at his next doctor appointment).  Brandon towers over most of the kids at Gymboree and he is the youngest out of all of them.  He is still not picky at all and is eating more kinds of meat.  He tried a hamburger and loved it.  He still loves carbs but has started trying different foods.  Brandon is so active right now it is hard for him to sit down and read books like he was doing a few months ago.  I try to read to him at least 2 books before bed time.  Brandon is still a great sleeper and is sleeping usually from about 8-7 and still taking about 2-3 hour afternoon nap.  We have been so lucky that he has been so healthy this year.  Knock on wood but he has not been sick since February.

 Brandon one morning in May with his sippy cup

 Playing at Gymboree class towards the end of May

  Playing on the trampoline at Gymboree class

April 2012

As the weather began to improve, we spent much more time outside playing.  Brandon loves to play in our back yard area.  We got Brandon a toy car he can ride in.  It was a pain to put together but Brandon loves playing in and pushing around our concrete backyard.  Brandon became much more social and began to really like playing with other kids his age.  One day in Gymboree class he played with a little boy named Jesse the whole class and held hands with him and hugged him.  Brandon really loves people, he still loves his daycare provider's daughter and follows her everywhere.  

Loving his new car!

We had a quiet Easter at home just celebrating the three of us.  Sean made a yummy prime rib and we took Brandon to the park where he enjoyed playing outside.  I put together a Easter egg candy hunt inside and outside for Brandon and he enjoyed hunting for eggs and putting them in his Elmo Easter egg basket. 

Enjoying his Zebra ride with his bunny ears

Playing at the park on Easter 

After going down the slide together-so happy

Playing outside getting his eggs

Going on a egg hunt

I took Brandon to the Children's Museum this month for the first time and he had a great time playing in the Water Room.  He also really liked the Dirt Room where he got to play in fake dirt.  I also took Brandon to the zoo and he loved it.  He really liked looking at all the animals and running around.  As an animal lover myself, I enjoyed it just as much as he did.  

Reading room at the Children's Museum 

Brandon loved the water room

Playing in the Dirt Room

Running across the bridge at the zoo

Brandon and the Bob Cat

Happy picture of Brandon and Mommy with the elephants

On the zoo train

We took Brandon to the Woodburn Tulip festival and had a great time.  Sean took Brandon on a big slide and I took Brandon on the small train around the tulips.  Brandon also got to go on a tire swing and I got to pick some tulips and bring them home.  

In the tulips

Playing in the tulips

On the cow train

My little tulip

Going down the slide 

Tulip field 

Towards the end of the month, Brandon suddenly became really verbal. He can now say about a dozen words and enjoys saying "Uh oh" and throwing his socks over the couch.  It seems like Brandon is now learning new words almost on a daily basis.  He loves to repeat words that we say too.

Dressed up to support the Portland Timbers

Little batman

We got to go to our dear friend's Rosie and Thomas' wedding.  We had a lot of fun seeing old friends, dancing, and getting away just the two of us for the night.  I also had a lot of fun going to Rosie's bachelorette Party and hanging with some old friends I haven't seen in a while.  We are excited for Rosie and Thomas to start having friends for Brandon to play with!

Beth came all the way back from England for Rosie's wedding

Me, Beth, and Rosie on Rosie's Bachelorette Party night

Brooke and I

Sean and I at the wedding

Cutting the cake as husband and wife

Having fun at the wedding

Rosie and I

Sean and I toward the end of night after a few drinks...