It don't mean a thing (if it ain't got that swing)

We've had several nice days lately, which means we've had several trips to the playground!  Brady loves running around, see-sawing, and sliding, but most of all he loves to swing.  Fortunately we are surrounded by several great parks, so there is always one close by.  Let's hope this weather continues on into summer, and we don't pay for our mild winter with a giant snowstorm in March (although I would like to get just ONE use out of the snowsuit I bought Brady in October)!

Playing with his Valentine's Day gift

Oh yeah!

Brady was trying to convince me that this was a train.

I must have seemed like I wasn't getting it, because he starting using his arm motions (chugga chugga).

He really didn't want to leave!

Pure bliss

Relaxing in his tent with twenty of his best buds

Mommy gets a birthday cuddle

Really, this never gets old!

Bouncing baby boy

Last week Brady and I went to a place that is full of giant inflatable bounce houses and slides.  He loves jumping on the bed and couch, but I wasn't sure how he'd react in a setting like that.  They had a little house for kids under 2, and it was perfect for him.  He climbed right in and "bounced," which was more like standing and falling on his face over and over.  But he loved it!  He even went into the big kid houses, and down one of the giant slides (with Mommy, of course).

Planes, trains, and automobiles

Brady still loves cows, horses, and sheep as much as always.  But there are a couple new things that get him as excited as livestock.... airplanes and trains.  I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but he goes bananas for both of them now.  His words for them are the same (they do rhyme, I guess), so the only way you'll figure out what he's talking about is by context clues.  If you're lucky he'll use their sounds instead- "woo woo" or "wwwwwooah."

Our library had a used book sale last week, and I decided to chance it and take Brady with me.  He's not the most patient shopper, so I knew my time would be very limited, but I was hoping to get there on the first day for the best selection.

The children's books were in boxes on the floor, and Brady tore right into them (in case I haven't mentioned it, he loves books almost as much as cows, planes, and trains).  He went from box to box pulling out everything he liked, yelling MOO! BAA! NEIGH!  He even found a novel with an airplane on it, but he was pretty disappointed when he brought it to me to read to him and found that it had thousands of words and not one picture.

This weekend we took a road trip to WV to see the family.  Brady is all over the place and into everything right now, so it was fun to watch him explore everyone's houses with his new-found mobility.  And when he's outside, look out!  He takes off at a sprint in exactly the opposite direction you'd like him to go.  That boy loves a good chase.

He's making a run for it!

An unseasonably warm winter day at the park

Catch me if you can!

Waiting patiently for his first mall train ride

 

And not so patiently

Choo-choo!

Reading one of his finds from the book sale, a new favorite!

Some serious bed head after his nap

Another warm day, also known as FREEDOM!

Doing his happy dance

This summer I predict that I'm going to have to drag this kid indoors kicking and screaming.

Getting a little help from Aunt Casey

Where did my little baby go?

I know one of these buttons works that big screen

A new park to visit

No hands!

Fan on! Fan off! This game never gets old.

No! No! No!

Can you guess what Brady's newest word is?  That's right, I hear "No!" all day long.  It's made our already rocky morning routine even feistier!  The other new one is "uh oh," usually followed by throwing his food on the floor.

I took a camera to his little gym class last week so you could see some of the fun he has there.  He has mastered the sliding board, his new favorite thing.  I can't wait until the weather warms up so we can get to the playground.  I think he's really going to enjoy it this year.

You bet you are!

A perfect windy day for a pinwheel

Mine all mine

Is this thing even regulation? I can make this shot with my eyes closed.

Excited and nervous on the slide

Bubbles!

Possibly the biggest ball he's seen

Yes, they even have books (but it's the one time Mommy discourages reading)!

You can do it, put your back into it

Brady was particularly fond of this fig newton.  So much so that he took it to bed with him (and screamed if you tried to take it).

Playing with his lunch

Welcome 2012

Since the excitement and chaos of Christmas has passed, we've been taking it easy around here.  Brady was sad to see the tree and lights go away, but I told him that's what will make it so special again next year.  We are getting back into our old routine, with the addition of a little gym class for Brady once a week.  As usual, he's pretty cautious at first, but by the end I have to drag him out of there kicking and screaming.  They have a ball pit (his favorite, naturally), slides, lots of fun things to climb on, and a pretty cool bubble machine.

The grown-ups of the house joined a gym of their own this week.  It's slow going, but we are very excited to get back to working out, especially Mommy!  It's been... oh, about 20 months I guess since I was in a gym last.  Way to long!  Brady did well his first time in the gym's child care.  Fingers crossed that that trend continues.

Brady is very confident in his walking now, just try and stop him!  He's got a pretty good run going, too, especially when a certain cat is in his sights.  He's got a few new words to add to his arsenal- moo, baa, neigh, tree, ball (sounds a lot like baa- just look for the context clues)!  We're very proud of him and the new skills that he learns.

Happy New Year!

Please, Mommy.  No pictures before my first pot of coffee.

Out for a stroll with his buddy Neigh Neigh

He's a stacking machine!

Reading about his new favorite thing- trains!

An early morning story with his favorite book

He loves this train, but always takes the caboose off for some reason.

Ready to cheer on Green Bay

If it's dangerous he'll be drawn to it like a moth to a flame!