What happens...

when your baby becomes a little boy? My friend Casey asked me a month or so ago in a comment on our blog if I still look at Brayden as my baby, or if I see him as older now, especially now that I am expecting. I don't know that I ever answered her, but have thought about her question SO much in the past month or so as I've watched Brayden master new skills, develop even more of his own personality, gain an independent streak, and get injured more and more as well! Brayden will always be my baby, and Mike will gladly tell everyone how I baby him too much ;)! We still cuddle on the couch every morning, he still wants to be held and carried especially in new situations, he wants Mommy and only Mommy when he wakes up, and so forth. I'm thankful for all of those things and so many more, because it doesn't matter that he's getting older, that we're having another baby, or anything else, Brayden will always be my baby. Just like Paytin will too :)! But there is no argument he's getting older and bigger and more and more Brayden and less and less Mommy and Daddy (hope that makes sense). We've taken him to parks several times in the last month, not once without some sort of injury; first after decided to jump off the big boy swing mid swing (a nice face plant into the wood chips resulted and he was going HIGH!), others from falling off equipment, tripping while running, and one, Mommy caused accident where he ran behind me while I was swinging and I clipped him (talk about feeling AWFUL!). He's beginning to assert himself more and more, knowing that he can say no and tell us why he's saying no, knowing he has choices, and that there really are certain things we can't force him to do like eat all his food, or go to bed on a certain time (sure we can put him to bed, but that doesnt mean he's going to sleep!), and potty training too. He can totally go, but its a when he wants too if he wants too kind of situation right now. It's SO much fun, and sometimes really hard to watch all this independence come out at once along with talking more, having more energy and all the other thigns he is accomplishing. Some of my favorites are the continued good manners like please and thank you, with the added "bless you" whenever we sneeze or cough. He's also super sweet about if we are sick or injured at all and always wants to "kiss it better". He's really into pirates these days and animals of all kinds. He can count to 13 or 14 now, even including the number six, which took awhile. And not only can he ratlle off the numbers, but he can count items pretty well too. He still doesnt recognize which letters or numbers are which, but that will come in time! He's been telling Daddy to "be careful" everyday when he leaves for work for some time now, but now has added those words to anything he thinks we do that might be dangerous, that includes vaccuming, anytime I go anywhere and leave him with Dad, when I'm bringing the trash in, sometimes even bending over to pick something up, its so cute and very very sweet. He loves to help with chores, so much so that I am thinking about making him a piggy bank (I want to at least paint one myself) and starting a chore chart and doing a mini-allowance. He can pretty much do the laundry on his own, if he could only open the machine doors without me and reach the soap dispenser! But really, he can put all the clothes in, shut the door, and knows which buttons to push to start it. The same with the dryer. It helps me a ton and he loves helping! He always wants to push the vaccum or the mop too so we have to take turns to make sure the job gets done. He gets his hard work ethic (along with many other wonderful traits) from his Daddy, and I appreciate it so much! It's been awhile since I posted some of his "milestones" or new happenings up here, so I thought while I had a second, I would give it a try!