Happy Birthday Braxton

It seriously floors me that this little guy will be 6 tomorrow!!!

Looking through pictures caused me to do a lot of reminiscing about this sweet boy. I remember him in a lot of different ages and going through a lot of different stages. Braxton will always be my little cuddle bug. He is getting pretty big and it's difficult for me to lift him up these days but at bed time he still sits on my lap and cuddles me and I hope this lasts for a long time.
Here are some things that come to mind about Brax:

Age 0-1: Braxton loved to be swaddled. Actually this wasn't an option, it was a requirement for him to sleep! He also never napped in his crib, always with me on the couch or in my bed. Went to his first basketball game at MHS to watch my brother play at age 3 weeks. Very alert. Happy as long as he was full! Braxton loved to drink out of a straw like a bird we would hold one end of the straw with our finger tip and he would suck on the other end. He was a hard baby to burp so we learned to really whap his back to the point where people thought we were being a bit violent, but it worked and made him feel better. Braxton sat up super early. I didn't write it in my journal but I remember going on a playdate with a bunch of other moms and he was the youngest and the only one who could sit up. He loved to crawl but never climbed up onto things.

Age 1-2: After months of me fretting that my bright, strong baby would never walk, he finally walked at 15 months. The relief! I remember at this age he loved to blow raspberries on me and Jeff. Any exposed skin and we would be smothered in wet sloppy raspberries. This is when I went back to school for a semester to finish my sociology degree at WWU. My mom and my sister took turns watching Braxton so that I could take the last 15 credits I needed. This was so hard but I'm glad I did it. Total personality already; flirty eyes, ladies man. This boy loved his pacifier and we had to wean him off it of slowly. Whenever I do anything in the kitchen he is sitting on the counter helping me.

Age 2-3: Loves going on trips but gets car sick in the car at this age. Loves Bonz and Buster (dogs that belong to his grandparents). Loves to go on the boat and go fishing. I think his earliest memory is when he was almost 2 and we were on our boat and he watched me crash water skiing. He seriously still talks about it. That's a pretty good memory! At this age Braxton became a big brother for the first time. He called Adelle "baby girl" until she was almost 1 and when anyone would call her, "Adelle" he could correct them and say, "I don't like that name." He has always been the kindest big brother ever! At this point he still didn't know how to nap by himself so eventually by age 3 I stopped napping with him and he napped in his own car bed. Braxton is the best eater at a really young age. He is not picky at all and he loves fruits and veggies.

Age 3-4: Braxton got really into working construction and riding motorcycles. Jeff made his his own motorcycle helmet. He was constantly wearing a helmet of some sort, work helmet (hard hat) or motorcycle helmet. I remember going to get the oil changed in my car and he wore a helmet there and everyone in the shop thought he was so funny. He was also really into basketball and loved to go watch Bryce at college. Braxton got up and sang all by himself at church during Sacrament, "I hope they call me on a mission" at age 3 when my brother got his mission call. Seriously awesome kid. Personality galore. Always in costume of some sort. This is when it all started with him changing his clothes 5 million times a day. When he went out to work in the dirt he put on his work clothes. When he went to play basketball in his own little hoop he would have to change into his ball clothes. When the missionaries came over he would put on his suit and his tag to be a missionary...a police man, a cowboy...

Age 4-5: Braxton starts preschool and enjoys the structure and routine. He continues to be very animated and enthusiastic about life. He wanted me to have a boy the whole time I was pregnant with Emmett and was very happy when he was born a boy. He loves his sister and his baby brother. He is so much help at this age either distracting Adelle so I could take care of Emmett or playing with Emmett so I could take care of Adelle. He goes through a crazy stage of hating water. Scared to take a bath, doesn't want to swim in the pool... He practices his razor scooter and gets really good. Gets to play in his first Turkey Bowl football game and loves it. Starts playing soccer...

Age 5-6: Continues to grow and learn. Starts to become a bit egotistical. I would tell him, "wow, you were so kind to your friend," and he would say, "I know." He has gotten a lot better at this the past few months. He is very sweet and kind and very much a leader in all settings. He loves those who teach him. He is always telling those he loves how much he loves them. Tonight at his birthday he was so polite in thanking everyone for coming and for all of his gifts and he is very sentimental. At one point tonight I heard him exclaim, "oh, that is so sweet," in reference to a card my sister gave him. He is very in tune with others' feelings and wants to be a good friend. He is a very creative thinker. I got him a Halloween costume, Gorilla, and the next thing I know he had constructed a vine in his room out of bandanas linked together, hanging from his bunk. He said this is where he can swing in the trees like a gorilla. He is very artistic. He draws pictures every day with detail and accuracy and loves to write and read and do homework. He knows the first 10 articles of faith and loves to learn the Gospel. He loves playing football and soccer and basketball and walking to school. He's a bit into "bad guys" and "monsters" and pirates and swords. His favorite cereal is Wheat Chex and he loves pumpkin pie and chocolate ice cream. He can snap his fingers and he can tie his own neck tie; I cannot even do that!! His dad showed him like once and now he totally does it himself on Sunday mornings. Oh, and last but not least, he still takes a nap on the weekends. I am all about good sleep for these little brains/bodies and this boy is so worn out from school that he takes a nap on Saturdays and Sundays. You are never too old for a nap!

Well you get the hint. I could go on and on but I have to get some sleep too. This whole birthday thing is a lot of work.
I love this little boy.
Happy Birthday!