One and On the Move

Greetings! Isn't the warm weather awesome! I get to do so much fun stuff now that it's nice out. Mom and Dad took me on a bike ride this past weekend. I guess I'm too small to ride a bike so I get to hang out in the cart and eat puffs. Not a bad deal.



Cousins Marc, Nick and Gabe celebrated their 1st birthdays too. Here I am taking a ride in their cool wagon. I love to get my hands on other kids toys. It's like going to the toy store.

Here they are trying to devour their own cake. I really wanted to stick my hand in one but I behaved.

I've really figured out how to work the crowd. Here I am making one of my best faces that tend to get me what I want.

Have you ever appreciated the fun that takes place under a table? It's like a fort. I love to walk and crawl under it. I don't even mind when I bump my head- which happens quite often.

I am practicing my numbers and letters. Sometimes I just like to throw the magnets all over the floor and put them back on the fridge. Simple pleasures I guess.

There are many neat things that come with being one year old. Did I mention I know how to get Wrigley quiet? I tell him "shhhh" and I think he knows I mean business. I love the fact that I get to eat sweets sometimes. Ice cream is SO YUMMY. I have also tried hamburger and refried beans...love them. I still can't get the confidence to walk on my own. With time, with time. I am not in any rush to have to walk everywhere when I can be carried. Hmmm... I can't seem to think of any other neat things to share. Oh...Dr. Tim said I looked great at my one year check-up. I currently weigh 23 lbs. 12 oz. and I am 31 inches tall.

Okay..time for bed. Good night and good news.

~Brody~

Take me out to the ballgame...

I experienced my first birthday this past week! I thought all the festivities were over last Tuesday but was pleasantly surprised by the big party we had at my house on Saturday. Lots of my family and friends showed up to eat hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts and cake. They were all dressed in their favorite baseball team gear too. I even got to eat some cake too. It was DELICIOUS:). Daddy and Mommy worked hard on the house, yard and food. Everyone had a great time. See my newly remodeled swingset below? I love to swing and slide down the slide. Didn't my dad do a great job staining it?



I'm always excited to eat!!! Here I am celebrating the fabulous flavors of watermelon, grapes, and pizza.



Nothing more fun than hanging with the fam. They always laugh and play with me.



This toy is really sweet! I can ride it and push it. It's the perfect tool to help me practice walking. I'm thinking any day I will take off running. I've seen enough big kids do it and it looks like so much fun.

This the baseball cake Mommy worked hard on. It was TASTY!!!

Some day I hope to be as cool as my dad. He is such a great dad who takes care of me and plays with me too. We are great buddies:)

So long for now. All the festivities have made me exhausted! I look forward to relaxing, riding in my wagon, and taking in some rays. I heard the weather is supposed to be fantastic this week.

~Brody~

CELEBRATIONS

Whew...it was a whirlwind of a weekend. So many important things to celebrate in just a few short days. We began with Mother's Day. Here I am with Mommy eating breakfast in bed! I had never eaten anywhere but in the kitchen and usually in my highchair. This was really fun. Daddy made us both toast, eggs, banana (MY FAVORITE), yogurt and juice for Mom and water for me. We also made Mom a card with a note explaining that we bought a photo shoot session with Nicole Barczak. Mommy has wanted her to do photos of our family for a long time. She was really excited. Daddy and I did well picking out the perfect gift.



Getting ready to chow! Meal times are my most favorite times of the day!



Our next very important celebration was Daddy's birthday. Mommy made him lasagna. We put a candle in it and sang. We also made Daddy his favorite cookies.



If you look closely you can see a tomato on my forehead. Sometimes I can get a bit rowdy with my food. It doesn't always make it to my mouth.



The final celebration was all about me. I turned 1 year old!!!! With that, I got to sit facing forward in my car seat. Riding in the car is far more exciting now that I can see where I'm going. I also found out I can throw things in the front seat to get my parents attention.

My birthday lunch was at Mongolian BBQ. I got to eat a tortilla and a piece of Mom's stir-fry. It was fabulous.

We also made a pit stop at the Treehouse. I got to play, play, play with Mom and Dad. We threw balls, slid down slides, and crawled around the tunnels. It was a BLAST!

What better way to end your birthday than to eat ice cream! I got to eat my very first ice cream cone from Cascades Ice Cream. It was so tasty! I said "MMmmmmmm...." as I took my first lick. I could definitely get used to this one year old thing. I get to eat tasty food, see more action in the car, and oh...I forgot to tell you. I figured out how to flush the toilet today. Talk about cool! I think my parents are a little nervous about my new discovery. I will show them I can be responsible and not throw too much down the toilet:)

Stay tuned...the big party is this weekend. I'll have lots of pics to share I'm sure.

~Brody~

Dedicated

Kinda blurry but here I am at the dedication service at church this past Sunday. I guess being dedicated is similar to being baptized. Pastor Doug asked Mom and Dad some questions, said a prayer and even gave me a chance to say a couple words in the microphone. Everyone laughed! They think I have potential to be a pastor some day. Hmmm...

I had lots of family come to witness my big day. It was cool to show them my church.

Here we are...the three muskateers.

Nothing better than lunch after a big morning at church. We went to Klavon's Pizza for some Chicago style pizza. I even got to eat a little! It was delicious.

Aunt Wendy played with me after I finished my lunch at Klavon's. She is always a good time!

Great Grandma Parrott is a riot! Her laugh is so contagious! She even let me play with her camera! I love to take pictures.

Everyone was so generous. Not only did I get to spend the day with some of my favorite family members but I also got lots of money for my bank account. Mom and Dad said I am blessed. I think I agree with them.

I wound up the exciting day by relaxing in my swing. Nothing better than feeling the wind on your face and letting your toes air out. I LOVE SPRING!!!!

The countdown is on...only 8 more days until my 1st birthday!!!! I am hoping to take some big steps on my own soon. Maybe I'll wait to shock them on my special day. We'll see what happens.

Love to you all,

~Brody~