Brandon: Year 2 update

I haven't given a Brandon update in a while, so here goes.  There's so much to say, but I'll start with how helpful he is.

This little/big guy LOVES to help with the wash.

His favorite job is to fill up the fabric softener cup with water, watch the tub fill with water, throw the clothes in then watch it agitate.

Agitating - something his brother mastered without having to watch the washing machine.  (Courtesy of his father)

He comments on the clothes rotating around and calls on them, "Dairs Daddy's shirt!  Dairs Sissy's dress!"

Then he likes to ask, "Whars Daddy's shirt go, Mommy?"  And excitedly exclaim while pointing "Dair it is!"

The grand finale is he gets to stand up on the washing machine and jump into my arms and then gives me a huge bear hug.  While grunting.

He usually likes to drag the dirty clothes hamper back to the room also, and he does a good job putting it back.

 

He surprised me one day by putting towels away.

I didn't ask him to, but he saw me putting away clean clothes and took it upon himself to help.

The big treat for me, besides my little precious showing iniative in helping his momma, was that I got pictures of it without him stopping.  Usually he demands to see the product after each click.

Beautiful work big man.  I think it's perfect!  He opened the cabinet, put the towels away, then gladly posed for a picture in front of his handiwork.  Look how proud he is.  Mommy made a huge deal of it also.

Another thing he does is this cute pose with his feet and legs.

I find him standing like this often.  Not just in front of the TV, but anywhere the foot needs a rest.

His favorite cartoons are Mickey Mouse (Disney), Daniel Tiger (PBS) and Dora (Nickelodeon: the cartoon trifecta that rules the remote) and there must be something about viewing a TV from 12" away.  I used to think when Mark and I did it that it was because of the "small TV syndrome", but this is not the case.

 

He's one of the big kids while playing outside also.  He put-puts around on his Harley Davidson Hot Wheels, scooting Fred Flinstone style and keeps up with the other two pretty well.

There was an era when he was infatuated with motorcycles.  He called them, Ka-kos.  Just like any other boy, he'd get all glossy-eyed when he heard the low rumble of a motorcycle's motor, would stop what he was doing, eyes wide and would whisper, "Whas dat?  Ka-ko."

He's a truck lover just like big brother Nathan.

Truck books, truck videos, toy trucks, monster trucks, real-life trucks, anything trucks suits this guy.

He loves to teach his babysitters what the names of trucks and construction equipment are.  They gladly submit to his expertise in the truck-naming department.

Occasionally, whatever big brother has in mind wasn't on the agenda and he gets turned sideways.

But after some talking-it-through with the help of mommy, a big brother that is usually willing to work it out with him and some toy re-arranging, he comes around and is happy once again.

His baby theme song used to be, "I'm in-right, out-right, up-right, down-right happy all the time" and he's not far from it now.  Still.

I remember Nathan's in utero theme song, "I like to move it move it.  I like to move it move it.  I like to move it move it.  I like to - MOVE IT!"

Although, the 2s have hit hard and when he's turned sideways, he's really turned sideways.

His favorite toy of all time is this excavator that's been through 2 boys.

 

It's tracks are missing and the paint is chipping, but it's the best toy ever in his mind.

He also has a big fascination with trucks pulling trailers and hauling something.  Can we say long-distance trucker?

 

He also enjoys getting ready with me in the morning.  Applying deodorant, perfume, make-up and brushing his hair is all done right next to me while standing on his little stool.

Even though it's lots of work to keep him out of some of my stuff, I'll miss his fuzzy head, high-pitched voice, mis-pronounced words and deodorant bellies when he's grown and actually needs to use that deodorant.

He's still a great sleeper.  Maybe great isn't a strong enough word.  Fantastic, maybe?

Superb and excellent might be better descriptions of his sleeping skills.

Definitely gets that from his father.

His communication skills are stellar.  On his 2nd birthday, he was speaking in complete sentences with the majority of people able to understand him.  His little high-pitched voice asks all kinds of questions.  "Whars sissy go?"  "Sissy, are you?"  "Naynay chase me!"  "Hi Daddy, miss you.  When yer coming home, daddy?" "I want mommy hold me."

One of my favorite conversations to have with him is when I ask, "Brandon, who loves you?"  And he methodically lists them off one by one ... "Mommy luvs me, daddy luvs me, sissy luvs me, naynay luvs me, Jesus luvs me, God luvs me, Mer luvs, Bamah luvs me, Miss Bahbie luvs me......"

He does a great job singing the ABC song, Twinkle Twinkle, The Excavator song and Jesus Loves Me.

He has definitely introduced the "3rd wheel" concept into the playing dynamics.  Not because he's always the 3rd wheel but more like there's mostly a sibling that feels left out.

Him and Nathan have found their own comfort level with playing trucks and playing rough.

A wrestling move every now and then is acceptable and becoming more frequent and most of the time Nathan does a great job being gentle and appropriately rough other times.  Brandon is starting to hold his own more and more.

They do have some fabulous brother moments that are a lot of fun to watch.  I LOVED it when big boxes arrived at our house.  These 2 boys are no different.

He wants to say the blessing before we eat each night, just like the big kids, so he folds his hands, bows his head and half closes his eyes to say, "God is Great.  God is Great.  God is Great.  God is Great.  Ay-men!"

Katherine's relationship with him is 99% mothering and adoration.

 She has taken him on as her own baby and feeds him the mornings sleeping in is important to her parents, she changes his #1 "biapers", she carries him anytime he wants to be carried, she rushes to his distraught side to offer her aid and comfort, she reads to him, fetches his toys, rubs his head to sleep and drops whatever she's doing if his cries pass her acceptance level (which is very low).

 She is his adopted mother.

 

Her contentness with him has been evident since he was born.

Who am I kidding?  She felt the same way about Nathan too.  She's always been a little mommy.

 

 

Ok, so back to Brandon.  I'll wrap it up with his 2nd birthday.  No big shindig like the first child had, but just as special.

We had grandparents and aunts and uncles over for lunch and John Deere green cupcakes.

He showed us how to effectively lick off ALL the sprinkles.

He's well on his way to swooning his way into any heart he comes into contact with.

Once more, another child has entered this family that has stolen my heart.  I can't imagine our lives without him.  He is precious to the core and I love him more than words can say.

Goin' for a ride

Don't know what it is about getting to go for a ride in the laundry basket.  I remember loving it as a kid as all of mine have.

This particular time, Katherine loaded up the basket with art supplies after Brandon got in.  Not quite sure exactly how he feels about it.

Memories

This is one of those Brandon positions I hope to never forget.

Yes, he's too close to the TV.  No, I don't fret about it like I did 5 years ago.

Random updates

So, I reeeaaallllyyyy need to update lots of things, but tonight is strictly for some quick random updates.

For instance, Nathan's favorite color is no longer orange.  WHAT?  I have asked him numerous times if this really is the case and he's for certain, his favorite color is now, GREEN!  Daddy's favorite color is green.  No coincidence there, I'm guessing.  I'm in mourning over this.  Nathan introduced the beauty of orange into my life and I'm forever grateful.  Orange was probably my least favorite color of all, until it became his favorite.  Mine eyes have seen the glory of the many different facets of orange, all because of my middle child.  Not just Gator orange, which was pretty much the only one I paid attention to, but the salmon shades of orange and the beautiful pumpkin/autumn-y shades of orange too.  Brandon can thank his older brother for the beautiful orange design accents in his room.  (That's another update on the horizon.  He's only 16 months old.  His room's been done for over a year and a half).  Excuse me while I listen to taps in honor of the passing of Nathan's favorite color being orange.

Silence...



Ok, so next is about our precious little fuzzy wuzzy, easy-going, he-makes-3-look-easy youngest child.  He has officially turned into a force to be reckoned with.  He has found his volume switch, his accelerator pedal and his activity knob.  He is really starting to understand that it takes lots of volume, repetition and persistence to speak over two other siblings.  I just wish I knew what his combination of consonants and vowels meant.  Spending 2 hours in the car every day is quickly becoming his least favorite thing to do.  Last year, dropping off Katherine and picking her up fit well into his rest/nap times, but now they're not jiving at all.

We're still waiting on Nathan to get into 3-year-old school.  He's been #1 on the waiting list for over 2 months and I am doing my best. to. patiently. wait.  He is more than ready to start a part time school, particularly the one within walking distance of our house.  Two hours in the car already has pre-determined where Nathan will go to school, so now it's just a waiting game.


Katherine's school is going well.  There was no prying of her arms away from my neck this year.  There was a little hesitancy the first day, but she requested to be dropped off in car line the second day.  Something about all the commotion her brothers bring makes her uneasy, I think.

And lastly, I'm officially dumber for watching portions of the show 'Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.'  I considered writing about the state of our country with it's impending Presidential election coming up, but somehow Honey Boo Boo and her redneck family was the train wreck my eyes could not avert from.  It's difficult to formulate complete thoughts and sentences when even a muted television of Honey Boo Boo is in the same room.  Flashes of Georgia-clay covered rednecks flying through the air into pools of red mud are images powerful enough to deaden any intelligent thoughts I might have thought were brewing.  So, I'll save my political commentary, something I tend to avoid, for another time.  Another time when maybe, just maybe, the only flash of light in the room is my Blogger page automatically saving my work.

I must get to bed.  I finally got back to working out today and I'm actually tired before 11.  Honey Boo Boo will hopefully deaden the rest of the brain cells I have that are still awake and send me into bliss-filled sleep.

Big Boy Brandon

This little guy is growing up so fast.  His baby-hood really went by much faster than the other 2.  It seems.  But then sometimes, I feel like with Brandon, I had a much better grasp on what was really important and found new and/or different ways to enjoy the 'finer' moments in life with him.

He's been such a good, easy-going baby.  'Twill be interesting to see how his personality changes as he grows.  If it does very much.

His language is starting to flourish.  Just the other day he held up a toy and I said, "That's called a roller."  He echoed "wowwa".  He calls for crackers.  Emphatically shakes his head yes.  Screeches loudly when something isn't going his way, but then is so happy and thankful when we finally figure out what he's trying to tell us.  He enjoys clapping wildly for someone when they do a good job.  He says, mommy, dadda, sis, naynay, papa, dy-dy (for bye bye), fish, hi kitty kitty and makes animal sounds for a dog, horse, cat and anything that roars (apparently elephants roar just like dogs, dinosaurs, lions and tigers).

Here, he's showcasing some of his new big boy abilities.  Climbing into and out of the Barbie Jeep.  Our poor boys will be forever plagued with pictures of them immensely enjoying their rides in the pink Barbie Jeep.

 

He's mastered waving good-bye, usually right about the time the person has become tired of trying to have it reciprocated and turns around to leave.  Maybe he's thinking, 'why should I wave good-bye when they're standing right there? They haven't left yet.'  He also points to his hair, ears, eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, fingers, hands, tummy, feet and toes.

 

He is so precious.  It just blows my mind that God loved us so much to give us a taste of His delight in us by letting us delight in these precious little people.  Wow!

I just can't imagine our family without this cutie patootie.