Even More July Photos & Videos

For nine of the last ten days, my life has revolved around watching the Olympic gymnastics competitions live.  I'm sad they are over, but they were SO good!

Also an Olympic feat?!  Brady slept all night long in his own bed, for the first time since he was six months old (when he slept in a rock 'n play).  He has two beds in his room - a queen, where he normally sleeps as close to me as he can possibly be, and a little twin bed that's on the floor, which he calls, "the little bed."  In fact, he confused his ABA teacher & case manager, when they asked him, "Where does the laundry go?" and he said, "on the little bed".  I had to tell his teacher, "Well, that is accurate!"  He has been consistently wanting to fall asleep in the little bed at night, but then at some point in the night, he would wake up and climb into bed next to me.  But last night he slept the entire night in the little bed! 

Making me happy lately…

Seeing this butterfly 🦋 on Tyler’s bike on July 18th…

Butterflies always make me think about my Grannie!

Angel clouds…

And this beautiful sky photo I saw online…

Also making me happy…Skye’s new favorite spot in Tyler’s room…

Brady’s drawing of our house…

Winning another prize in a claw machine…

Brady continues to tell me that he only wants to go to the beach with Daddy and Tyler…

I love when Brady calls me “Mommy Bear”🐻…

And when he says, “Mama”…

Brady did such a great job singing, “Happy Birthday” to Uncle Steven…

Brady’s ABA teacher, Miss Allison, asked Brady who his mom was, expecting him to say my first name.  Instead he said, “best friend” which of course made me so happy!  By the time I thought to videotape him, since she asked him the question more than once, he started saying, “friend” which was also adorable.  The next week he started saying, “Sara!”

Videos of Brady having fun…

Though I don’t think Brady’s orthopedic doctor was too thrilled when I told him that as soon as Brady was out of his boot, he took up skateboarding!  Thankfully, his latest foot x-ray looked good!

Summer Days

 

I didn't do a good job taking photos this month when seeing friends & family, but we loved having a Saturday visit from my mom, my aunt Kathy, and my cousin Christian.  I also got to have a long phone date with my good friend, Megan, who lives in SC!  We have taken multiple trips to a new skate park/dirt jump location that is about 25 minutes away from our house.  Once Brady was "boot free" he was able to play in the amazing kid area, which includes two huge playgrounds & a splash pad.

We have been loving the Olympics, especially the gymnastics!  Brady has been a good sport about watching so many events with me.  He even woke up at 5:40 AM with me to watch the women's qualifications live.  (I definitely bribed him with nutella and the promise of a trip to the pool in order to watch the women's team final!)  Watching the US men win the bronze medal in the team competition was my favorite team competition to watch since the Mag 7 won gold in 1996!  I especially like the pommel horse specialist.  I sent him a message on Instagram three years ago when he failed to make the team, knowing that he would make it this year, and he wrote me back.  When he made the team after the Olympic trials, I sent him another message, and he wrote me back!  When he hit his routine in the qualifying round, I sent him a congratulations message, and he (shockingly!) wrote me back that day.  Now that he has blown up on the internet, our DM friendship may be over since he probably has many more messages to go through each day, but he is the best!

Making me happy lately...

I came across this photo of Brady from earlier in the summer (that I hadn't posted on the blog!) and I love it so much...

I love these new little vases...

I got the sweetest thank you note from the staff at Brady's gymnastics gym, including multiple magnet photos of Brady & his coaches.  This is my second year working as their official photographer!

Dan traveled to Maryland to visit with friends from college and I love the photo of all of them together.  He also sent two of them Hogette bobbleheads that my dad gave him, because apparently one of his friends likes to tell everyone that, "Dan married the founder of the Hogettes' daughter!"  So cute!

I continue to be amazing at selfies...

Tyler & Dan spent a day in Williamsburg & Tyler did some wild mountain biking jumps...

When I say, "I love you, Brady," he is now consistently saying, "I love you, Mommy" which melts my heart!  Every now and then I'll have to say, "And you say..." after I tell him I love him, but he is just the sweetest and the cutest!  Hearing his little voice tell me that he loves me has definitely been worth the eight year wait!

(In contrast to the love) I knew this day would come!  I used to tell Dan years ago, that one day Brady would say, "Dad and Tyler and I are going somewhere in the mustang, and you can't come!"  I wasn't expecting Brady to say that I couldn't go to the beach with them, but I'm assuming he just wants his own, "Bro trip".  Sorry, Brady, but I'm going to the beach too!  I don't have it on video, but he also said, "Mommy stay home with Skye."  I reminded him that Skye will get to go on vacation to Gaga and Papaw's house.