Nick and Amy plus TWO!: Brayden is 23 months old!!

MAN!! I cannot seem to keep up these days! I am a few days late posting Brayden's 23 month blog!! I cannot believe my little baby will be 2 in less than a month!!! I am sure the rest of the month will fly by because we have been going nonstop! We have been so busy and will continue to be busy bees the rest of the month and on into November!! Someone please tell me where this year went! It does not feel like it should be October already and it sure does not seem like my little man is about to turn TWO!!

Here is my sweet 23 month old!!

I have been working so hard on his birthday party this year! I think that I finally have everything complete!! I address the invites last night and put the finishing touches on the decorations. This year I decided to get creative and make all of his decorations, invitations, etc. I had a blast making everything and putting it all together. I am so proud and excited with how everything turned out!! I will try and put a sneak peak blog together soon!

We are getting family pictures next weekend and I am so excited to see how they turn out!! I hope little man corporates and we get some great shots. He loves to have his picture taken and will say cheese anytime I get the camera out. My only concern is with the pictures being taken outside that he will want to be on the run! Oh well, we have a great photographer lined up so I am sure she will get some great shots!

So what is going on in Brayden's world? Here are a few updates on Brayden this month!
** He has become very independent. He is growing up and I wish he would slow down! Although I love watching him grow, learn and become more and more independent and explore the world, I sometimes wish that he was still a little baby that I can hold in my arms. It seems like it was just yesterday that he was that little and I turn around and he is a little boy! Makes me want to cry!

**One thing that melts my heart these days is no matter how independent he may be he still wants me by his side. If I am in the other room he will come and grab my hand and lead me where he wants to go. Sometimes it is because he wants to show me something other times it is just because he wants me to sit down with him or be right there with him. When he does this, I completely drop everything to go with him, because one of these days he will not want his mommy around him at all times so I am going to cherish every second I can with him. I often wonder if it is his little way of telling mommy to slow down, quit cleaning, quit doing laundry, quit worrying about the little things and slow down and enjoy each moment we have together.

**When you ask Brayden, "How old are you going to be?" He will tell you "TWO!" Check out this cute video below!

** Brayden got his first real haircut this month. He did such a great job and we were so proud of him!

** He is FULL of personality and he knows it. He loves to make you laugh and he laughs at himself. He loves to show off his tricks and he loves to be the center of attention. He definitely knows how to entertain us and there is never a dull moment when he is around. We love it!!

** He talks non stop and is picking up on more and more words everyday! He amazes me how quickly we will pick up on something new!

** Brayden loves to go to his Grammie's and Pappaw Mikeys! I am pretty sure he would move right in if we would let him!!

Brayden and his Grammie!

**Brayden is still a picky eater. I have no idea what I am going to do with him. If it is not fruit, yogurt, bread, crackers, or carrots it is a struggle to get him to eat it. I know this is just a phase but sometimes it feels like he barely eats anything and when he does I feel like it eats the same things over and over.
**I have tried different ways to let him eat. I have set him at the table like a big boy, we have picnics at lunchtime in the floor, and I even brough him a pinic table so he can eat his lunch and snacks. It seems to help somewhat by changing things up a bit. It makes him feel more independent.

Having a picnic with mommy!

**He loves to play and had a huge imagination!! He amazes me all the time!

** He not only loves shoes, but now he is obsessed with his new boots!! I got them to go with his halloween costume but he loves to wear them all the time!! He will say "boots" when you go to put his shoes on him. He is something else!

**Brayden went to his first wedding last weekend. It was his Aunt Lacey's wedding in Illinois. I was a little concerned with the ceremony being outside. I was afraid he would want to run around everywhere but he totally proved me wrong. He was so good and barely heard a peep out of him the entire ceremony!

Showing Grandpa how it is done...

** And this is what happens when I leave Nick with Brayden during a big Cardinals game. Nick and BraydenBrayden wanted to watch his shows. And trust me if you change the channel while Brayden is watching something he wants you to turn it back. HA! Anyway, Nick got out his portable DVD player hooked in up and Brayden was thrilled. He has a TV in his playroom but he wanted to be in the room with daddy so Nick hooked him up and Nick still got to watch the game! I told Nick that he should be ashamed of himself but Brayden did not seem to mind.