Brennen is One!

Yesterday was Brennen’s first birthday! I can’t even believe that my little guy is a year old. This year went by SO fast! He was a little sick yesterday so he was pretty lethargic during his birthday party which was a bummer but he snapped out of it a little later and was playing with his new toys like crazy. Grandma and Grandpa Clark along with Mary, Brad, and Lane came to help us celebrate Brennen’s birthday. He opened his presents then Brennen got his own chocolate cupcake. He went to town on it and loved it of course. 

Brennen went to the doctor today and everything is looking good! He weighs 20 lbs 5 oz, so he’s gained exactly 13 lbs in a year. He’s 30 1/2 inches long and the rest of his body is starting to catch up to his head because it’s not off the charts anymore. :) He can stand by himself for just a few seconds but isn’t really showing too much interest in walking yet. He is a really fast crawler and eats basically anything we give him. He doesn’t really drink out of bottles anymore, sometimes just at bedtime when he’s really upset. He walks around the room like crazy (holding onto the walls and couches still) and dives off furniture head first with his arms out to catch himself. He’s great at going up stairs and is learning how to come down.

I know that no one else cares as much as I do about the little things that Brennen can do but he really does amaze me. He’s always been so alert and aware of the world around him. He gave us social smiles at 4 weeks and laughs and smiles all the time. He shows all of his emotions and luckily most of the time he’s really happy. He “reads” books on his own now and rolls balls around. He loves playing outside and he’s starting to prefer me to anyone, even his dad (which I actually love because he was never cuddly when he was tiny and now he is)! But he still loves interacting with other people and isn’t very shy at all.

I have learned so much this year. It’s been challenging at times trying to figure out how to be a parent but I think Matt and I are doing a pretty good job if I do say so myself.  :) We really wanted this little boy in our lives for awhile before we got him but neither of us really had any idea how happy we would actually be. I love this little boy so much and I don’t even remember what life was like without him in our family. Motherhood really is the best gift and blessing I could ever have!

all the cupcakes

opening presents

eating cake

We also went up near Vedauwoo and had a little picnic with Kyle and Kylee a couple nights ago so here are a couple fun pictures from that and a couple bonus pictures of a one-year-old Brennen!

  

Another fun trip

Last week we all loaded up the car and headed to Lyman. We got there late Thursday night and spent all day Friday hanging out with my family. We also went to the Lyman cemetery since it was just past memorial day and visited the graves of my dad and grandparents. Brennen got to play with his cousins and he loves them so much! It gives me hope that I’ll actually be able to handle more than one child ‘cause it seems like kids entertain each other. :)

But the real reason for our trip was to go to a wedding in Utah. Matt’s brother, Kyle, got married to a wonderful girl, Kylee, who is also from Laramie. We left Lyman early Friday morning and were able to be there for the sealing in the Draper temple. And later that evening we went to a reception in Provo that was held outside of a beautiful house with awesome landscaping. It was a really good day and we got back to Laramie Sunday night after going to church with my family in Lyman.

On a completely different note, Matt and his siblings all have wavy/curly hair whereas me and my siblings have straight hair. I thought curly might be dominant but it definitely is because all of a sudden out of nowhere Brennen’s hair is really curly! It’s pretty cute but I’ll have to be careful not to let it get too long ‘cause I don’t want him looking like a girly man ha ha!

So here are some pictures of the weekend.

The happy couple! (I tried to be sneaky and get pictures from the side where there weren’t so many people but this is the best one I could get!)

Brennen in his snazzy tie sitting on the grass at the temple.

Our little family at the wedding luncheon

The reception

And just a cute one of Brennen for good measure. :)