On October 5, Brayden turned four and a half years old. (A fun fact, 10/5 is also my dad's real birthday!) I've seen a huge change in him since he turned four back in April - it hit mostly over the late summer and suddenly, he grew a few inches taller and began talking/speaking like a "big kid". As much as I can see his baby/toddler hood as a thing of the past, he still loves to "snuggle", rock on the occasion, and be close to mom, so I'm holding onto that as long as I can!
Sadly, much of the past six months have been spent in quarantine, but we made the best of it and truly soaked up our time together as a family!
Speaking of quarantine, we took the time to learn how to ride a "real" bike vs the little push and stroll trike he owned previously. Once he got the hang of the bike, he was rocking and rolling!
During the spring/summer, Brayden discovered the joy of picking wildflowers! We picked SO many during our walks/runs, we pretty much emptied our running route of them. If we see one on the occasion, he still likes to stop and pick it for momma's "base" aka vase.
One of my favorite memories from early summer was the day we took the boat out to explore the lake and surrounding river. Brayden LOVED riding in the boat and we vowed to take it out again more often. (We need to do this again, soon!) Another favorite past time became the boat launch. Brayden loves to sit and watch the boats take off and return back to their trucks. We've picked up snow cones several times, then hung out there and watched the water!
These times are priceless and we love to soak them up when we can!
Brayden also has the sweetest little heart. In July, my mom's birthday present hadn't yet arrived and we were celebrating her birthday. He was so concerned that she would be sad because she didn't have a present to open, so we made her one that evening. He was so excited to give it to her and it was a precious moment!
He also hates when people cry! He will immediately run and give you a hug to make it all better!
Brayden was able to start school for about zero point five seconds back in August. They literally had two weeks of school, then Hurricane Laura happened. His school facility took so much damage, they still haven't reopened and they are projecting a January time frame. There are a lot of schools here in the same boat, so we are trying to work with him at home as much as we can. We've mainly been focusing on writing his name and sight words. He's getting there, but he's not quite there yet on writing his name.
When it came time to evacuate for Hurricane Laura, we literally packed up my vehicle with all the dogs and our prized possessions and headed to Texas. Jason had to stay back at work and how I made the 5 hour drive with a child and two dogs is beyond me...but we made it!
Several Bucee's stops were also included along the way which Brayden LOVES! Buc-ee's = Disney World in Brayden's mind!
While evacuated, we tried to make the most of our time, so we went to a local "zoo". Among the very large snake exhibit (gross), they also had a petting area. I'd have to say that this was Brayden's favorite part of our entire week in Texas! He loved feeding the goats and sheep!
For my dad's birthday, we took another trip to Texas and stopped at all four Buc-ee's along the way. Brayden couldn't stop talking about plans for the trip for weeks, then once it actually happened, he was one excited little boy!
We also picked out Brayden's halloween costume back in September. He wanted to be "all the Paw Patrols", so we compromised on a Marshall costume with a Chase candy bucket. He was happy with that, so we went with it!
As far as eating goes, I can see his likes expanding ever so slowly. He's still on his usual chicken nuggets/french fries, pizza spaghetti, tacos, but we can sometimes convince him to try something different or taste something new where as he was completely opposed to that idea before.
He's definitely speaking in full sentences and can carry on conversations. He loves playing with his little friends and going to the park. He also has the world's biggest memory and can remember things that blow my mind!
Daily naps are still a part of his routine but I can see those leaving before long. I'm attempting to keep him on the same schedule they use at school (still napping every day) but I'm sure that'll be a thing of the past once this school year is done.
Watching him grow is bittersweet, but I'm loving the kid he's becoming. It's so much fun being the mom to Brayden!
I'll be back in April of 2021 for Brayden's 5th and final update! I feel like age 5 is a good place to call it on these. However, he will still make appearances on instagram and on the blog here as well! Thanks for following along with our updates!
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