California Part 1

 Yeah for plane rides!

 Great Grandma with Brecken, Zoie and Jesse.

 Grandma (great grandma), Steve and Brecken

 Zoie, Brecken and Jesse playing.  Brecken loved all the attention.

In November, we had an opportunity to go to southern California and visit lots of family.  The first part of our trip was to Rancho Cucamonga to see Steve's Grandma, Aunt Charlene, Uncle Dick, Jenny, Eric, Zoie and Jesse.  Brecken had so much fun playing with his cousins and it was great for Steve and I to catch up with the adults.  It was a long day, with getting up at 3:30 a.m. to catch our flight but Brecken loved the plane and then played all day with Zoie and Jesse.  It was adorable to watch him follow them around and try to do everything they were doing.  Such a needed and fun family visit.  Thank you for hosting us everyone.  I have more pictures and will send them to you guys.

Halloween 2011

 Brecken was a boxer for Halloween.  We ran into this little boy that is just a few days younger than B.  They were both pretty excited about their costumes.

 Brecken and mommy walked around the downtown Duvall business with Beth and the kids to get our first taste of trick or treating.  After about a 30 second warm up, Brecken loved trick or treating.  He was very good about saying "trick or treat and thank you" every time.  He held onto his first piece of candy the whole walk and didn't let it go until we got home and he could show Steve the very first piece he got.  All the others he put in the bag.  It was a piece of blue sour licorice.

Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee!!!  Quite the adorable little trick or treater.  When we got home from Duvall, Steve and I took B around our culdesac for more trick or treating.  He had a great time.  It was so much fun to watch him.  Then once we came home, he loved seeing the kids come to the door.  He just gets more and more grown up, next year should be just so much fun.

More Birthday Fun...

 Mommy and Daddy got B a pedal free bike for his birthday!

 Goofball having fun on his birthday!

Someone loves PB&J!

Brecken had a great birthday day.  Started off with Funfetti pancakes for breakfast and then yummy PB&J for lunch.  When Steve got home from work we took him to the park where he went down the slide over and over again.  Then we wrapped up his day with a fun dinner at Red Robin.  He wasn't so sure about the singing but clapped when they were done.

Brecken's 2nd Birthday!!!!

 Brecken is 2...I can't believe it.  These last two years have flown by.  There are so many days I wonder how we are already to bed time.  Life is crazy and wonderful.  We had Brecken's 2nd birthday party at our house on Saturday the 15th.  We rented a bouncy house with slide and couldn't get the kids out of it.  Luckily for us, the weather was chilly but beautiful out.

 This kid LOVES present time!!!

 Bouncy House Fun!!

After hours of bouncing (seriously, B was in the bouncy house from 1:30 until we called him over for presents at 4:30) we had cupcakes.  Brecken blew out his candles.  It was an amazing day.  So many family and friends here to celebrate our little guy.  We are all extremely blessed to have such love for B. 

Labor Day Weekend Fun..

 We had such a fun and busy Labor Day Weekend.  Thank goodness Brecken is a go go go type of kid.  Saturday was hiking and going to the fair.  He loves to hike and we figured he would be hungry enough to help  his parents eat their way through the fair.  He didn't even want to try an elephant ear or scone.  We couldn't believe it.  We had to eat his share!!!

 We did our Sunday morning breakfast ride to the Maltby Cafe where he devoured his portion of the famous cinnamon roll.  What a little oinker he was.  It was fun to watch his eyes just light up on his first bite.  There was a long downhill on the way home and he was clapping and yelling his way down the hill.  It was hysterical.

We went to our friends Bob and Nicole for a fun BBQ.  Colten and Brecken have grown up together and they loved playing in the "homemade" bouncy house tent.  They just ran around and around and around all afternoon and into the evening.  These boys have quite the "bromance".  :)

Monday we went out on the boat all day where we swam and played in the sun.  It was a nice relaxing day and a great ending to a fun and busy weekend.

California Girls

Brecken's cousins from LA came up for a visit the last week of July.  He had a blast playing with them at Greenlake all day.  Katerina, Peyton and Lily were great with him.  Steph and Dave also got a lot of quality time with B.  He enjoyed getting to know them all much better. 

Happy Faces

Who doesn't love waking up and being SuperMan. Brecken was very excited.
I love PB&J, it makes me messy and happy.
This is what is known as "hamming it up for the camera"!
Who doesn't love the park on a gorgeous Seattle day.
Brecken is just one happy and silly kid.

Sunday Morning Bike Rides

Every Sunday morning we take a bike ride to breakfast. B loves being on the front of the bike and on the way home usually falls asleep. We have ridden into Bellevue, Kirkland, Bothell and next week are going to ride to the Maltby Cafe. YUMMY

Our little nugget has grown up so much. We can't believe he will be 2 in a few months. His favorite words are "car" and "bus". We are always amazed when he busts out with new words. He is happily torturing our dog Jager by chasing him around and wanting to sit on him. They are buddies. We don't generally walk anywhere...we run. B even did a 5k with Steve and I in his stroller and then ran the last few blocks across the finish line. He loved all of the clapping and music. We have definitely hit tantrum 2 stage. It hasn't been horrible, lets hope it stays that way. :)

This kid is the love of our lives. He is so much fun.

Finally, a new post

We have moved into our new house and are loving the house and the area. We feel so close to everything that we are taking advantage of it. Brecken loves to walk around downtown Kirkland on Friday nights and have some yummy ice cream for dessert. He has finally decided he likes ice cream and he ate this entire bowl by himself. Thank goodness he did a lot of running around to get the sugar out of his system before bedtime.
We have also been hiking a lot this summer. Brecken walks about a mile before he wants into the backpack to take in the scenery. He is heavy but so happy in the backpack. It is a great workout for Steve and I.
Here are the boys on our Rattlesnake Ridge hike.

We are all moved in...

We have gotten all moved into our new house. All the pictures aren't hung and the decorations aren't all out but we are living here and so happy being in the house. Brecken took the move like a champ. He has loved the new house both inside and the yard. B's poor dog Jager took a little more time becoming comfortable in the house but seems to be getting a lot better.

Now that we are so close to Bothell, Woodinville and Juanita/Kirkland, every Sunday we ride our bikes somewhere new to breakfast. B loves being on the front of the bike. Last week he even fell asleep in his bike seat. :)

B has been talking up a storm. His favorite words right now are "car" and "up". He doesn't walk anywhere, he runs. It is so much fun chasing him around (most of the time). We took him hiking on Saturday and he walked a mile of the hike. He loves the outdoors.

Since it has been so long since the last blog, I have no idea what to write. Pictures and more coming soon.

Muscle Man

Brecken loves coming to the gym with Steve and I and even likes to copy us when we are joking around at home. Look at these picture perfect squats and his hilarious push ups. Enjoy!!

Dance Machine

Brecken has turned into a little dance machine. This is Brecken, dancing with Alyssa.

The Bakers are Moving...

After being in our house for over 10 years, we are moving closer to Steve's work. We have been talking about moving for 5 years and finally found the right time to make this transition. As sad as we are to leave our great Duvall neighborhood, we are excited to not have the extra commute anymore. Packing is definitely an experience with a toddler but have gotten a lot of great help from our family to keep Brecken busy so we can get things done. We will be moving out of our Duvall house Memorial weekend and living with our friends Sam and Kent for 3 weeks until we move into our new house June 24th. We have rented out our Duvall house to a great lady who is excited to live here and who will take great care of our home.

This is a busy time with packing and moving but very exciting.

Spring Time Hiking

Steve took Brecken hiking up Mt. Si with Lindsay, Cody, Lee and Hugh. Mt. Si is not an easy hike, especially with about 40 extra pounds on your back. There was snow on the trail they had to make it through as well. They made it to the top and had a great time. Brecken loves being outdoors and even took a 45 minute nap in the backpack on the way down.



On a rare sunny day this May in WA., we took Brecken hiking up to Twin Falls with Lee, Hugh and Sophia. It was a great time with perfect weather. The falls are worth the hike.

Easter 2011

We had a fun and laid back Easter. Beppe, Grandpa, Yaya and Aunt Shelley came over for brunch and to watch Brecken open his Easter basket and hunt for eggs. Unfortunately, we didn't get many pictures ... but the good part is we were having so much fun we forgot to take the pictures. He loved looking for his eggs and trying to take everything out of Grandpa's basket. Each holiday just gets more fun as he gets older.

Jager was a very good sport when we put his bunny ears on him. Brecken thought it was hilarious as did we. Jager did not think it was fun.

On Friday night, we had some friends over to dye easter eggs. Brecken and Oakley (1 yr) had a lot of fun dropping their eggs into the dye. Oakley also loved lunging towards B and giving him lots of kisses. B only liked it when it was his idea. He cried every time Oakley lunged first. I need to find those pictures and I will post a few.

Chuck E Cheese

Brecken was taken to Chuck E Cheese on Wednesday with Beth to celebrate her son, Jake's, 4th birthday. Beth sent me this hilarious picture of B very unhappy with the crazy mouse next to him in the car. He liked watching all of the games and lights but did NOT like his passenger in the car. This picture just makes me laugh out loud every time I look at it.B's appetite has never been tiny but man did he wanted to eat like a big boy while at Chuck E Cheese. So, he ate a whole piece of pizza without having to have it cut into pieces. Beth tells me he was very proud of himself!!!

Brecken and Steve's day at the Zoo....

Look dad, I want to climb in the zebra exhibit.

Corben and Brecken excited about the exhibit.

Steve had Presidents Day off, so he took Brecken to the zoo for the first time. They met Casey, Jen and Corben there and even though it was freezing cold outside, they enjoyed seeing all of the animals. We will have to take him back on a warmer day where we will be able to stay at each exhibit a little longer so that B can make animal noises.

Mullet be gone...

After many discussions between Steve and I, we finally came to the same conclusion (though Steve would disagree) that Breckens mullet had to go. Though a mullet can be a very stylish hairstyle and Brecken rocked it like no other, the old man hairline in the front with the curly mullet in the back just was out of control. When his hair was wet, it was long enough to be between his shoulder blades. So, Steve took him to get his first haircut. The boys went off to the salon and when they got back, it was a whole new kiddo. Our baby didn't look like a baby anymore. He looked like a big boy. Yep, you guessed it, I cried and for a split second wished for the mullet back. He was so proud of his new hair that my sadness went away pretty quickly. Here are a few snapshots of the B-man mullet and the new B-man haircut.

"Stuff" I am doing...

Hmmm, to try to catch up, what is going on in the Baker household...

Steve is still working at Kenworth and enjoying all of the challenges. He does a bit of traveling and once he goes somewhere actually fun, B and I will go along!!

I started working part time for a demolition company and am now working full time to help them cover some employee shifts. It is just temporary but has been difficult to be away all week. B goes to our neighbors Beth while we are at work and last week he fell asleep at the dinner table twice. She does a great job of tuckering him out.

Brecken got gymnastics lessons for Christmas. The word "lessons" is used loosely, but he has really enjoyed playing on the trampolines and the bouncy blue floor. He is one strong kid and hangs from the bars all by himself. He thinks it is so fun and giggles while hanging there. We try to go once or twice a week. It is a great playtime.

B is still obsessed with the vacuum and now that he is so tall (almost 3 feet at 15 months) he can turn the dials on the dishwasher and washing machine. He has also decided that the towel bar on the oven is his own pull up bar. He is VERY close to walking but just won't let go of the one last finger he is holding onto.

Hopefully I can keep up with this blog a little better than I have been. Keep your fingers crossed.

Christmas and New Years 2010

Poor Brecken, he woke up on Christmas morning with his first fever. He was so hot, his temperature was over 102 and he just wanted to cuddle with his mom and dad. He was an absolute trooper and opened all of his presents and smiled for pictures. His Beppe, Grandpa, Aunt Shelley and Yaya came over to celebrate the day with us. We had a great brunch and fun watching B open all of his presents. Most of the day was spent cuddling on the couch and having him sleep off and on. Luckily, he woke up the next day with no fever and was back to his old self.

For New Years, we ventured up north, to our friends house. Courtney and Troy and their kids Chanelle and Denman welcomed us with a great dinner and lots of play time for the kids and drinks and dancing for the adults. It was a great way to spend the holiday.
This is how Christmas day ended. Poor kid and daddy were wiped out!!
Even though B didn't feel well, he was a good sport and opened all of his presents with big smiles.
Christmas Eve...Steve just finished reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to B.
Our miniature Charlie Brown tree. . . I loved it, Steve wanted it to be 2 feet taller.

B got lots of wonderful presents and it is so fun to watch him learn how each works and get excited at all the new sounds and movements of the toys. Thanks to everyone for helping to make it a wonderful holiday.