5 Months Old!

Hi. I'm Brycen and I'm a messaholic. Well, mommy calls them messes, I call them pieces of art!

*The crowd responds,"Hi Brycen."*

I'm 5 months old, stand at 28 inches tall, weigh roughly 21 pounds, and I am fascinated with your world. There is so much to see and so much to learn and babies might wonder how it can even be possible, but have no fear! It all becomes possible when you have a personal chauffeur like I do. Yup, that's right. My mommy attempts to put me down occasionally but I won't have it! How am I supposed to discover the world when I'm stuck looking from ground's view? The crumbs under the table and loose cat hairs can only be entertaining for so long. And boy...those toys, we need new ones or something.. I also have this slight problem...I can't quite move yet! So, I'm supposed to just sit in 1 spot, entertain myself with the same toys I've been asked to entertain myself with everyday, and let the mommy go about doing all the fun stuff?

I think not! Thus, I have a plan, all I have to do/ and all those other babies out there, is out-smart my/your mom; sound hard? It's remarkably not.. I might only be 5 months old, but when you have been doing the same routine for the last 5 months, it doesn't take much to pick up on things. See, if my mom attempts to walk casually into the parent's room mid-day, I'm not stupid. I know it's not her bedtime...it's not even mine, but she wants me to take, get this, a nap! Crazy mommy. But the convenient thing is mommy is built in with this handy dandy rope that does wonders when it is pulled. So, right as she is about to put me down, I get my fingers in deep, twist them, and then pull on those awesome ropes hanging from her head; she usually doesn't get to far. If mommy happens to need something from her bedroom and it's not nap time, she will still get her hair pulled. Whoops, poor mommy. I also like to do this when she is heading towards my toys; c'mon mom, I would rather play with you! So, if the rope routine doesn't work, all those babies out there pay attention now, because the next step works every time.

So if you mom successfully puts you down, pretend to play with your toys for just a bit-like a minute or two- to make her happy, and then start to wine as soon as she turns to walk away or you can throw a toy and then wine, she has no choice but to retrieve it since you can't (I especially have a good arm:)) . I guarantee you, she will look back at you, some crazy instinct they have, and right as she does, put your hands up, start bouncing up and down, and put on your excited face-complete with the cutest squeals and smiles you can produce.

Works like a charm every time, your mommy's whole face will light up, she will call you adorable, and then come pick you up and want to kiss you. Yeah...sorry, that's the one downside, the kisses. You see, both my mommy and daddy have done this thing ever since I was born, if I even think about starting to scream, become grumpy, etc, they just kiss me repeatedly on either the top of my head or on my cheek, like it's going to distract me or something. Well...actually, it usually does but that's besides the point, I have learned how to retaliate these days. I turn my head, grab either hair or an ear in each hand (depends on what I can get to first), pull their face in really close, open my mouth really big, and then proceed to eat their nose or cheek based on the angle and position. It makes them laugh every time.

Anyways, I got a little side-tracked, the whole point of this lecture is to convince all mommies that your child learns so much more when they are getting the eagle's eye view on everything. There are so many more things to see and touch as the mommy chauffeur continues to walk and try to get things done around the house. Hands-on learning is by far, the best-ask anyone-and observing is probably the best way I learn. That's why it is my goal is to copy what my mommy is doing in every way.

If doesn't matter if she is trying to play with her hair, I want to play with her hair too; if she is attempting to draw lines around her eyes using color pencils, I want to help hold the pencil and draw too. The other day, I was paying close attention to how my mom was holding and carrying my bottle after she fed me. So when she put the bottle down on the counter right in front of me (I was facing out on her hip); and then proceeded to walk to the stove, well, I just didn't want my bottle to be left behind so I picked it up right after she let it go and carried it to the stove with us. However, when we got to the stove, mommy was now playing with new toys so I immediately dropped the bottle I was carrying and tried to help add spices to mommy and daddy's yummy dinner. Apparently, my mom didn't notice that I had picked up my bottle after she put it down and so when it landed on her toe...hm...kids, all you need to know that if you ever feel like you hurt or made your mommy sad; just smile and look them in the eyes and it makes everything better. Take it from the expert, I already have my mommy wrapped around my finger..

One of my all-time favorite activities is to accompany my mom to the mailbox because that means, new things that I get to explore! Especially when the weekly ads come, boy, are those fun to steal out of my mommy's hands, rip, crumple into a ball, and then sample. So many different flavors and textures can be discovered! But actually, I'm really on a secret mission for my daddy. Every ad that I attempt to devour, I mean explore, my mommy responds by, "well I guess we won't be shopping there this week" and wallah! Daddy saves money! :)

Speaking of discoveries, did you know that everyone is equipped with yummy pink piggies? Well...mine are pink, yours might be a different color and get this! I have 10 of them! Crazy, where have they been all my life? Well..I know where they have been but why put them as far away from my mouth as possible?? How am I supposed to truly discover them and even know they exist all the way down there? Well...it took 5 months but it happened! One day my mommy was doing her daily...sometimes...hourly routine of cleaning up my "piece of art" or let's say presents that I like to leave in my diaper for my wonderful mommy. C'mon, to all those mommies out there, you should be excited! You get to discover new presents every day, conveniently wrapped up too! Well, anyways, back to MY discovery, my mommy was busy and like usual, she was holding my feet above my head but this time it was different because since it was by far one of my biggest presents yet, she was a little more busy and must not have noticed how close she was holding my legs to my face and since I had no choice but to look at my legs, what else am I supposed to do for entertainment during these things? Sitting there, right in front of me, just chilling, were these ten pink things that my eyes have never beheld! They were perfect, in bite-sizes and all! So, what is a baby to do? Grab all ten of them and stuff them in their mouth, all at once of course! So yummy!

And well..it must've looked pretty funny or something because my mom busted out laughing. She should've known better though...never scare a baby like that! I couldn't help it..it just happened. At least it was a pretty fountain though...with the angle having all my toes in my mouth, gave it; quite remarkable really. Well anyways...now there is a constant fight with my mom every day to get my diaper back on after each change. I really don't enjoy wearing those things anyways and plus, I can snack on my 10 piggies a lot easier without wearing one...so what's the rush? My mom thinks differently though..

My piggies also like to play Halloween almost every night! See...my mommy puts on my sleeper that my Aunt LeAnn gave me before bed that have little giraffes on the feet and I go crazy! Where did those piggies go?

Since we are on the topic of clothes, my mom suddenly uses me like I'm her dress up doll or something. Since it has gotten cold outside and my mom thinks I need to wear more these days then just a onesie..she has started dressing me up in all the clothes my great Aunt Kelly gave us. My mom loves it! It's like going shopping in my room every morning! Since I haven't been big enough until now to wear most of them, she is going through them and is amazed how much I have! I haven't worn the same outfit more than once in the last 3 weeks! Jealous? Yeah, my mom is too! Thanks great Aunt Kelly!

However, even though I have all these clothes-don't let it fool you. See, for the last month and a half that we have lived here, my parents have always wondered how the heating system worked. There are heaters in every room but no thermostat to be found, so when it started getting cold, they asked the neighbors what happens. The neighbors confirmed my daddy's assumptions and said that yup, these buildings are old and are all regulated together based on the temperature outside. As soon as it goes under 50 degrees, all the heaters go on. Well, our apartment is also the lucky one to be right above the boiler room so it's already warm and both my dad and I are very warm blooded so since I keep my mom busy and warm all day during her chauffeur duties and my dad keeps the bed warm at night... we roast when the heaters turn on. So, let's just say that if you are ever in the area and want to stop by, please call first so that we will be modest! :) And if you are ever wondering which apartment is ours, it is the one with all the windows open even though it is freezing outside!

I have also recently discovered the funniest looking creature yet! She has enough hair that she could donate a whole head of hair to roughly 1 million bald babies; share the wealth, my friend! She only knows one word and she walks on all fours. Weird, I know, but guess what! I actually got to touch her recently, only once but she was as soft as can be! So soft, I just wanted to squeeze her! My dad separated us though, before I got the chance.

I'm secretly jealous of the creature though, see, while I have to take a bath every night, she occasionally likes to go play and dig in her sandbox that is conveniently located next to the bathtub. How is a baby not supposed to get jealous of that? While, I'm sitting in there being scrubbed from head to foot, she gets to play, in sand of all things! It's okay, I have fun and get her back by splashing everywhere...she apparently is not too fond of water. hehe. And plus, just you wait, one day when my mom isn't looking...I'm going to get to play in her sandbox too...

I can eat my piggies in the tub too..

I find water so fascinating..

Speaking of the bathroom, the bathroom is where I first discovered my best friend in the mirror. He sure looks like me and is always polite and smiles back, he makes me happy.

Other things that make me happy: food! I love trying new things and I'm constantly try to eat what my mommy and daddy are eating. According to my mom, I have officially tried and eaten more varieties of fruits and veggies in the last month than she did in her entire first 20 years of life, boy, was she a picky eater! My daddy has changed that though and mommy has become quite a chef! And thus, they are treating me too the finer things in life: mangos, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, bananas, peaches, papaya, applesauce, green beans, green peas, sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots, to name some! I love it all, and have a wonderful new tooth to help me do it!

"That was goooood food!"

My tooth!

Teething is hard but I have a handy toy that I like

and I can still get away with my dad's finger occasionally. He is so used to letting me suck on it, he forgets about the new tooth until well..the finger sucking sessions are getting shorter and shorter.

"Shh...mommy, don't tell him..."

My dad coming home at night also makes me happy; see, my mommy is entertaining but she has to do it for 10 hours straight and thus, spreads the excitment out.

"Hellllooo, playing with mommy here, you mind?"

My dad has 2-3 hours before I go to bed and with all his energy and less time to use it in, he comes equipped with funny voices, gestures, and all out fun!

"Great Aunt Kelly gave me this Halloween costume but I'm already too big for it, so mommy and daddy wanted to take a picture while they could! I'm a star!"

I also love to talk/squeal/sing to mommy and daddy all day long and if I do it long and loud enough, they occasionally do it back to me. This video was made when we first arrived in Indiana over a month ago but mommy says that I pretty much still sound the same; it's just usually continuous, no breaks, and more of the squeals than anything, all day long :). What can I say, I'm talented- and obviously get it from my daddy--just watch (and listen)!

Well as I'm sure you can tell from my discoveries and adventures, I pretty much love life and like my mom always says, "I'm growing up so fast!" (read in a high pitch, mommy voice). I have officially mastered sitting up on my own, so I should be mobile in no time!

However, in some ways, I am still such a baby. I still find my dad so soft and comfortable..and I love to lay in my mom's arms when she naps with me; I sleep so much longer that way too!

October Beginnings!

To kick off October, we attended a Chili-Cook-Off/ Family Dance church function last Friday night (Oct. 2). A family what? Yeah...that's what I thought when I first heard about it and immediately had images of brother/sister dances with sister's choice type things coming to mind. Scary..however, I knew we needed to be social and meet people so I volunteered to bring corn bread so that we wouldn't chicken out and not go. haha. It turned out to be soo much fun! Brycen was in a great mood after just waking up from a wonderful nap and sensed that we arrived at church as soon as we walked into the building so he put on his squeals and sang all the way through dinner, which blended in with all the other kids. I just hope he doesn't think he can get away with squealing every time we enter the church building..

We sat with some friends and met some new people at dinner and then after dinner, they turned down the lights, turned on some fun music and whole families just danced together on the dance floor. Kids were doing their crazy hops, spinning, jumping, etc and since a lot of the families that were there had very young kids, the parents usually picked one up and danced with them. Bryce, Brycen, and I were in our own little world and Bryce and I took turns holding Brycen and giving him his first dancing experience. Bryce even managed to hold Brycen in one hand and then country dance with me at the same time at one point. It was a blast, we had some good laughs and it was a wonderful family date.

Dancing with Mommy..

Dancing with Daddy..

Daddy helping Brycen dance...he didn't know what to think about all of this..

They had a picture prop...

Bryce's idea to switch roles but it worked out...just look at the facial expressions...so serious (playing dad) and then goofy (playing baby)

It also happened to be homecoming week for Purdue University and as we were driving home, we realized that we missed the parade/ fireworks that were supposed to be happening Friday night as well. Oh well...we had stopped by Wal-mart on the way home because I decided that it would be fun to make Caramel apples as we listened to the BYU football game that night. Caramel apples are by far my newest addiction and so instead of buying them made...we bought the caramel, had the apples, and dipped them ourselves. So yummy!

As we were making them, we heard fireworks in the distance so we decided to run outside and see if we could see them.. We found them and Brycen was quite fascinated them..he had no idea what was going on but he enjoyed the pretty colors. It was cold though...so I was kinda glad we forgot about the parade :)

Fall in Indiana is Here!

Well long time no post, sorry! Life is crazy, we are now living in West Lafayette, Indiana

which my brother Josh calls outer darkness, or in the middle of nowhere. haha. However, except for the fact that we are so far away from family, we love it here! Bryce enjoys Purdue University and school keeps him quite busy; it's requiring a lot more time and is causing Bryce to really think and stretch to learn the concepts and complete the homework. But he has a group of friends that work together and I think Bryce is really enjoying it. Bryce pulls long days during the week (8am-7pm on campus), comes home for dinner, we go on a family walk, and then Bryce gives Brycen a bath, and then continues to work on homework for a few more hours after Brycen goes to bed. However, the long days pay off so far as Bryce has been able to take the weekends off and doesn't do any homework from Friday night to Monday morning. We love to use the weekends to run errands together, go to the temple, set up house, and play together. Brycen is starting to learn the routine and LOVES to have daddy home. As I start cooking dinner during the week, Brycen will constantly look towards the front door, waiting for daddy to come through it. Speaking of which, Christi now LOVES to cook! She has hated it ALL her life...until now! She looks forward to making dinner every night... making quite some interesting creations sometimes :)...and then using the leftovers for lunch the next day! So yummy!

During the move, we also picked up my cat, Cali, that I found when I was a senior in high school and my parents have had for the last four years. It has taken a little adjustment for Christi to get back in the habit of cleaning out a litter box (especially with a small apartment, you can smell it immediately if it hasn't been done often enough-at least once a day, sometimes two!); however, Cali has gotten used to us and loves to play and be petted. Brycen is also fascinated by her and will watch in amazement as she paces back and forth.

Everyone is so friendly out here, no matter where you go! Even Wal-mart employees are happy here! haha. The other day, I took Brycen on campus to make a surprise visit to Daddy and well...seeing a baby on campus is quite a rear thing I discovered. Everyone we passed would stare in amazement and we received lots of, "Awww..", "A baby!", "What a beautiful baby!", "Is that really hers? She has a child and going to school??" Yup, definitely not at BYU anymore! Even Bryce's professors and colleges, "You're married...and have a kid??" However, everyone adores Brycen as we have taken him to a few dinners and social events. Just like one of our friends said the first day we moved in, "If you see another Caucasian couple and they have kids...they are Mormon". Lots of international people out here, Caucasians are definitely the minority. So to be Caucasian, married, and have a child==rare thing indeed! However, I have also discovered that Asians are in love with Caucasian babies! Not sure why, but they love Brycen and are always so fascinated by him. Everyone also LOVES his red hair and keep thinking that its getting more and more red each time they see him!

The ward out here is kind of interesting, with it being a half student/half family ward. However, all the families are either former Purdue students that have stuck around after gradation or work at Purdue or have kids attend Purdue so Purdue University definitely brings us together! We attend a weekly dinner across the street with some families in our ward and local neighbors, I love it and look forward to it each week.

Our apartment is relatively small but since it is a two bedroom one and is bigger than our previous one, I don't complain! We also have a washer and dryer which is wonderful and it is considered on-campus housing so the commute to campus is fairly short for Bryce, maintenance does a good job mowing the lawn, cleaning the hallways, etc, and I feel safe being at home all day with Brycen. My brother Mike asked me the other day if I was bored yet, no going to school and all and all I can say is, I wish I had more time in the day. haha. Our house still looks like a tornado came through. Thank goodness it's a two-bedroom! Brycen's future room is kinda resembling Utah with all the boxes forming mountains. So much to do but Brycen is indeed a handful and not much gets done besides feeding, changing, and keeping Brycen entertained. I really, really enjoy staying home with him and watching him grow and learn, but I do wish I could get the house organized! :) However, I just keep telling myself that he will only be small for so long and the house will get done even if it's just little by little. We also don't have A/C. We could have them install a window unit for us but we didn't want to purchase one, not knowing how much longer summer was really going to last and then our neighbors said that we should wait until next year because the window unit has to stay installed all year round and it causes some freezing issues, etc. However, besides a few warmer days, it really hasn't been too bad! Have you ever seen a cat pant? Haha...if not, it is probably one of the funniest things I have ever seen...so, maybe there were a few hot days...but for the most part, we could open the windows and then it cooled off dramatically at night. Now, however, fall is here and quite nippy!

Brycen is such a joy and has been his entire life. Bryce leaves before Brycen and I are up, but Brycen will always wake up shortly after singing and talking to me until I wake up. I know he was sent to me because he is a morning person and anyone who knows me, knows that I am not! But he is so incredibly happy that I can't help not to be in the morning. Even after I pick him up and lay him beside me in the bed, he will watch me and if my eyes begin to close to catch a few more zzz's, Brycen will grab my nose and pull on my hair, and sing at the top of his lungs until I open my eyes again. haha. He is quite the big boy, weighing in around 20 lbs at his 4 month-old appointment and loves to eat! To help satisfy him, the doc told us that we could start feeding him rice, fruits, and veggies. He absolutely loves it all! I use a baby food grinder to feed him a banana every morning as I eat my breakfast and he quite enjoys it, saying, "mmmmm" between each bite.

Well...after the first initial bite...and he gets used to the taste :)

Look at the end of the post to see a happier eating video!

After we eat, he will play with his toys for approximately 10 minutes before he wants to be up and moving with me where ever I go for the rest of the day. He is so curious and loves to go along for the ride everywhere! Up until last week, I got away with doing everything one-handed so that I could still get dinner cooked, my contacts in, my hair brushed, etc. However, Brycen is now no longer just happy watching me do the things. He thinks he needs to touch and help me do everything! As a result, a few dinners over the past week have had quite a kick to them as more spices were added in them then originally planned ( As I would be pouring, Brycen would give the spice bottle an extra nudge or kick). I have also had numerous drinks knocked over as Brycen went to grab them when I was looking another way...anyways, to sum things up, not much gets done and what gets done, takes alot more work. Brycen is so incredibly happy as long as he's being carried that it's hard to put him down and listen to him fake scream until I pick him up again. As soon as I'm in sight, he will stretch out his arms and want to be picked up (which is by far, the cutest thing ever!...making it so irresistable!) As a result, Brycen and I play a lot and go on lots of walks. People call him the happiest baby they have ever seen because he is really so happy as long as he is being carried. Brycen will also make friends with almost everyone as we stand in line at the grocery store, sit next to someone at church...he smiles and draws them in :) haha

Reading a book/ playing with toys...at the same time, of course!

At the beginning of September, we had a new member ward dinner which we attended. A member of the stake presidency was there and we quickly learned that he loves kids. He walked right up to us, grabbed Brycen, and says, "Thank you". Bryce and I had no clue who he was at the time but it worked out great as it gave us a chance to eat and socialize with the other new couples. The stake presidency member was constantly on his cellphone that night and he just simply put Brycen on his hip and walked around as he talked. Brycen never let out a peep and received the comment, "this is the happiest, easiest baby I have ever held". The stake presidency member (I still don't know his name, haha) briefly gave Brycen back while he ate dinner but then promptly stole him back again for the rest of the night when he was done eating. Brycen only needing to be carried to be happy comes in handy if I ever need to make a phone call or when Bryce and I run errands together because no matter how long the phone call is, or the errand takes, Brycen loves to look around and never complains. Even hour long phone calls, pacing the apartment back and forth...it works, and Christi gets the strongest arms ever! haha.

Brycen continues to love bath time, and loves to giggle, laugh, and squeal all day long. His high pitch squeals are adorable but he especially loves to do them at church during the prayers, speakers...anytime that it is quiet. He also got his first tooth in Sunday night after a month of drooling and biting anything that he can manage to get in his mouth. Bryce and I didn't mind Brycen using our fingers as teethers until now...it hurts and just isn't as cute anymore :)

Bath time!

Daddy's Finger!

Brycen is also learning how to sit up and as a result, is no longer content with laying on his back. His car seat and stroller are in the reclining position and Brycen will go against everything to sit up...we are amazed with his stomach muscles! As a result, putting him in the car seat can be quite the struggle...

Speaking of car rides...since our three journeys across the United States, one from New York to Massachusetts to Virginia to Utah, and then another from Utah to Arizona, and then a third from Utah to Indiana, Brycen hates being in his car seat! Even a trip to the grocery store can be painful...but who can blame him...all in all, the trips across the US amounted to at least, 100 hours in his car seat in a two week period. Ouch! So...this is why Christi has pretty much became a permanent back seat rider or else, Brycen will become hysterical and we also do our errands with Bryce on the weekend so that he can drive us :) We also try to attend the temple once a month but the closest one is in Chicago...a good 3 hours drive if there's no traffic both ways! The car ride is painful but Christi actually looks forward to it because 1) going to the temple is awesome 2) we stay in a Fairfield Inn (a mile away and it gives us an LDS discount!) one night so that we can take turns watching Brycen as the other attends a session, and have a place to take care of him 3) It breaks up the long drive and they offer an amazing free breakfast the next day! It's really like a mini vacation once a month!

Anyways, this gets everyone up to date currently with the Walker Family! I am currently trying to gather all the summer pictures from all our adventures together and will soon (hopefully!) create a summer recap so stay tuned!

Month of June

Friday, June 12

When Brycen was 5 weeks old, we attended a wedding reception of one of Bryce's cousins and alot of Bryce's extended family got to meet Brycen as well as Bryce's father who was in town for the wedding. Even though Brycen was the youngest of the relatives there, he was still larger than the other baby that was over a month older than him and was almost as big as the 8 month-old baby, haha. Grandpa Walker got the chance to hold Brycen for the first time.

Grandpa Walker

With the baby that is one month older

With the the 8 month old baby

On the way home from the reception, we stopped by the Springville Wal-mart to pick up a few things. However, since it was late and Brycen was exhausted, he decided that he was not going to behave well. If it was the Provo Wal-mart, his screaming would fit right in as there are always some other babies and families in the store. However, in the Springville Wal-mart, he was the only one and his cry could be heard by all. Christi thought that maybe he needed his diaper changed so she went to the bathroom in the front of the store and he screamed bloody murder though it, with his scream echoing off the walls so if there were any customers in the back of the store who hadn't heard him yet, they did now. With lots of looks, concerned and annoyed, we quickly paid for our items and exited the store.

Tuesday, June 16: Trip to Oregon

Brycen flew for the first time when he was about 5 1/2 weeks and Christi was terrified (she was strongly considering the 14 hour car trip over the 2 hour plane trip just so she could avoid the whole plane situation). Christi never wanted to be the "lady with a baby" on an airplane and the baby screams the whole way. So, as a result, Christi researched methods on how to best travel with a baby, got prepared with all necessary bottles and toys, but still had nightmares up until they left. The sources said that all you need to do is feed (or have them sucking on something) the baby during take-off and landing to help their ears equalize better so they are not bothered by it. So, Christi was all prepared, made sure to only feed Brycen half way before boarding to make sure that he would be hungry at take-off and was still terrifed (shaking as she entered the plane and got all the nasty looks from passengers). The plane was unfortuantely only making a stop in Salt Lake, coming from Arizona so the plane was already half-full; the lady Christi and Brycen sat behind was not thrilled about the situation.

On the plane

Well, Brycen decided to fall asleep as the plane was boarding and so Christi decided that she would just wake him up right before take-off and give him a bottle. Take-off rapidly approached and Christi could not wake Brycen up! She tried and tried and finally, right as they were taking off, he started to sleepily suck on the bottle. "Just keep sucking, just keep sucking" Christi told Brycen. Brycen stopped sucking halfway up ("great, just my luck" Christi thought) but Brycen fell into a deep sleep that caused him to sleep the whole plane trip, not even turning during landing. Yes, one plane trip down, 3 more to go! Brycen was even complimented by a few older ladies as we were exiting the plane, "what a good baby!"

The Oregon stay was wonderful as we got to stay at Bryce's house and Grandma Walker got to meet and hold Brycen. We also enjoyed morning walks around the property that they own and got to sight see alittle, in the local town of Canby. On Saturday, Brycen got to meet lots of his cousins, Aunts, and Uncles as a combined May and June birthday celebration was held. On Sunday, Brycen was blessed by Bryce at church--another thing that Christi was terrified that Brycen would scream though. It was perfect, however, and Brycen woke up right after--fussy, wanting to eat of course :)

On his blessing day

Grandma Walker

Grandpa Walker

Uncle Richard and Aunt LeAnn
With Cousin, Elise

On Monday, we decided to use our last day in Oregon to go to Portland's Science museum with Bryce's sister and family. On the way, however, we were rear-ended. Not a huge deal but Christi and Bryce suffered from whip lash and we thought Brycen might've been affected as well because he grew very fussy and had trouble sleeping the days that followed the car accident.

The science museum (Omsi) was really fun and quite family friendly with lots of hands-on activities for the kids; when Brycen gets older and maybe if he has other siblings by then, Christi would like to take them back to Omsi. After the science museum, Bryce and Christi drove to Multnomah Falls to re-visit the place we got engaged. We made the 1.5 mile hike once again to the top of the falls-where Bryce proposed-with Brycen being carried in the Snuggie (front carrier) by Bryce. Brycen slept through the entire hike (3 miles round trip) and we got lots of "cute" comments as we were hiking. The hike was really beautiful and alot warmer since the last time we did it was during November.

The next day, Tuesday, it was time to return to Provo. However, on the way to the airport, we stop by Bryce's sister-in-law's work where she practices Naturalopathic Medicine so that she could examine the results of the car accident. She recommended that both Bryce and Christi have x-rays done when they return to Provo and she was able to give us both neck and back massages.

On the plane trip back, luckily, Bryce and Christi were flying Southwest with no assigned seating and so to be kind to all those she could, Christi purposely sat in between two empty rows so that those that chose to sit around her were aware of the baby before they sat (Christi didn't want anyone to get grumpy because she ruined their seat choice by sitting right behind them or anything like the lady that we had on the flight to Oregon). Brycen once again fell asleep as we were boarding and remained asleep for the duration of the flight (even with a stop in Boise). Bryce's Grandma Walker picked us up from the airport since we parked our car at her house and she was kind to feed us dinner before we headed back to Provo. She also got to see how big Brycen was and even got to see him smile.

In the days after returning from Oregon, Bryce, Christi, and Brycen got x-rayed. Bryce and Christi indeed suffered from whiplash with Christi spanging her neck and since you never know for sure with a baby; the doctors were nervous and Brycen had a C-T scan to make sure he didn't have any bleeding on his brain as a result of the accident. Brycen turned out to be okay so he must just be alittle more fussy as a result of all the traveling or growing too much. He is now 7 weeks old, 2 feet tall (more than a third Christi's height), and weighs 13lbs 7 oz.

Saturday, June 27

Uncle Mike and Aunt Jenn visited! They got to hold Brycen and then stayed the night in their own house. We are renting it from them for the summer, they slept in the living room while we slept in their nice bed--interesting situation. haha

Tuesday, June 30-Bath time!

Christi and Bryce gave Brycen a bath with Christi in the tub holding Brycen and Bryce outside the tub washing Brycen. Brycen really enjoyed his bath and didn't even cry when he was taken out to dry off (usually he does because he hates being cold). Christi continued to shower while Bryce got Brycen ready for bed. When Christi was done and was getting ready for bed, she handed the baby lotion to Bryce to put on Brycen (Brycen's skin gets really dry after a bath). Bryce asked where he should put it and I told him that I put it everywhere on him. After about 5 mins, Bryce called in Christi to take a look at Brycen. Christi came in to find that Bryce took her literally on the whole idea of putting the lotion everywhere on Brycen and Brycen was now sporting a new hair-do with the lotion acting as a gel to keep the hair in place. haha!

Other random events and facts about the June month:

-Christi was able to return to work just working a few hours a week (more so that she could get out of the house and because she loves to work). Bryce was left home with Brycen with a bottle and Christi made sure that he had everything he needed and kept her phone on her at work just in case she was needed. Bryce is a true natural and does really well with Brycen (even though he never did any babysitting growing up or anything), Bryce learns fast and changes diapers well and Brycen loves him. Christi loves that Brycen is able to spend the time one-on-one with daddy.

-Brycen began to recognize both Bryce and Christi and loves to smile at them-especially when they smile first. Brycen is able to turn to our voices, locate us in the room, make eye-contact, and then give the biggest smile. The other night, Bryce came home from work and was given Brycen to hold so that Christi could shower. Brycen immediately recognized Bryce and started giving him the biggest smiles. Bryce loved it--this is what makes parenting so worth it!
Brycen also likes to make sure that he is not alone so as a result, he loves to hear our voices. Brycen has also grown less dependent on being carried around and held; and does really well laying on the floor for 20-30 mins at a time. He loves to kick and swing his arms, he is really quite a happy baby.

-Brycen has also learned to hold up his head entirely on his own and loves it! He loves to look around and loves to be walked around so that he can look at everything. He is not longer content with just being held while sitting (which causes Christi to worry about the plane trip to NY that we will be taking in 2 weeks, the plane trip will be longer-4-5 hours and so Brycen will probably not sleep through the whole thing and will want to be walked around). It also causes a slight problem at church. He has to be sleeping in order for Bryce and Christi to be able to attend their classes; at least for right now, he might grow out of it soon.

-Ever since the accident though, Brycen has had trouble sleeping on his own. He does well sleeping in Bryce and Christi's arms and as a result, has started to co-sleep with them at night. It has worked out quite well though! Brycen curls up next to Christi and sleeps a good 8-10 hours only waking up to feed once or twice. He has learned that when he is placed on his side on our bed, curled up next to Christi that it is bedtime, and falls asleep within 5 mins. What a blessing!

-Brycen has also learned to love his swing and he loves to sleep in it which is quite another blessing as he will sleep in it and Christi is able to do her studying during the day. When Brycen gets tired and after he is feed, he will usually fall asleep in Christi's arms or will get fussy and Christi will put him in his swing. Brycen loves his swing--he gets excited right as Christi puts him in and he is asleep within 5 mins-max!

-Brycen has learned to start playing with a few of his toys as seen in the video posted yesterday and has also learned how to cling to Christi's arm when he is being put down to communicate that he doesn't want to be put down, quite cute! Brycen has also discovered his hands and loves to play with them as he sits in his carseat.

-Brycen has learned to love diaper changes as long as he is feed and not tired. He gets so excited to have a dry diaper on! When Brycen is excited-he makes this unique hiccuping noise with his mouth-so cute and different.

-Brycen continues to love walks, he sits in his car seat facing backwards and loves to smile at us as we walk to the local grocery store, Smith's.

Bryce and Christi are loving the stage that Brycen is in right now. He is more alert and happy and less like just a sleeping, crying, pooping machine. haha. He already has so much personality and is really a joy to watch as he continually learns and observes the world we live in. Brycen is so much fun and will randomly start smiling and giggling; especially at in the morning and at night. Christi wakes to Brycen giggling and smiling, ready to get up-never fussing in the morning- and then after an hour or two of playing on the ground and with Christi, Brycen will nap off and on until Bryce gets home from work (usually around 4 or 5). Bryce and Christi then are able to play with him fora few hours before bed as he is incredibility cute and brings so much happiness and excitement to the house.

As for Bryce and Christi, besides taking care of Brycen, Bryce continues to work at BYU and around the home, this month he has did some yard work (first time in quite a while, since we nor he has had a yard to work in since we have been a school) and also repaired our moped (with Christi's help).

Christi is working on finishing her second class (both classes were completed in a week and a half span each) and will start her last class next week with a week and a half to finish. We will then travel to NY to see Christi's family in the Pageant and then help them make the move to Utah, creating a caravan as we make some stops along the drive back- D.C. and Purdue University are on the list of stops.

Future Music Director...