The Bakken's

Santa

2012-01-31T08:20:00.000-08:00

Brady met Santa this year at the Riverwood's, and wasn't really sure about him. Who is this old man with a white beard, and why am I sitting on his lap?? MOM!!!???

I LOVE his face in this one...totally checking out Santa, the verdict is still out on whether or not he likes him!

Brady LOVES grammies!!

Look at that excited face!!

November

2012-01-31T08:14:00.000-08:00

November seemed to fly by! Before I knew it, my mom was spending the week with us for Thanksgiving! One of the best parts about having my mom come hang out for a week, is I actually get to have MY picture taken with my little monster! He is so stinkin' animated and SO opinionated as you will see below! If he doesn't want to do something, he will absolutely let you know. Oh the temper tantrums! I can't help but laugh! We went out a couple times, on different days, but dang it if he isn't cute when pouting!

I should also mention that there will be no food pictures this year of our Thanksgiving spread, because i didn't cook!! It was glorious! We went to Tucanos and it was amazing. No cooking, no cleaning, and no leftovers to try to fit into the fridge or my belly! It was a genius idea if i do say so!

LOVE this one! Full on meltdown mode!!

KP forgot we were racing!

MUSCLES!!!!

My Cutie Pie

2012-01-30T09:27:00.000-08:00

While home in CA, we took Mr. B out for his own little photo shoot. Words can't explain how much I love this kid of mine! I mean how is it ever going to get any cuter? Is that even possible??

California Adventure

2012-01-30T09:11:00.000-08:00

In September we took a little trip back to CA! We took Brady to California Adventure (which he LOVED)! We had such a good time. There were hardly any lines, not a ton of people, and we got to go to see some really cool shows with him! I am really not sure who loved it more, mom and dad or Brady! We were so lucky to have Auntie Kait and Uncle Brian come too! Grandma met up with us later after work too! Brady is still just as obsessed with Mickey as he ever has been. It's so fun to watch him grow up, he is seriously turning into a little boy over night. Somewhat scary, but I sure do love that guy!

We LOVE to pull hair right now....NOT awesome!

Good Ol' Uncle Brian :)

Exhausted!!

St. George

2012-01-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

This summer we had the chance to go down to St. George for our first official family vacation (not to CA). We had a time share, that was awesome! We loved every minute of it. We of course spent most of our time in the pool, but one day went to Zion's and did some hiking, which was a fun little treat. I love getting out and doing something different. We had so much fun, and were so glad grammies could come join us too! We want to make it an annual trip! Sure do love my little family!

Look at this smile!!

What a ham!!

Missing the Pool

2011-12-11T12:04:00.000-08:00

I miss summer already!! But here is picture proof we had a blast!!

Sammy's Wedding

2011-11-22T08:52:00.000-08:00

Sam got married this summer!! I know what you are thinking...and I was shocked too! ;)

It was quite the family affair, with everyone traveling out to Utah for the big day! It was so great to see everyone and catch up (since we see each other about once a year)! I just love all of my nieces and nephews and can't believe how grown up all of them are getting! (I feel OLD!)

Love all my sissies and brosef too! P.S. don't I look like the tan, black sheep of the family???

Independence day 2011

2011-10-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun this year in CA for the 4th of July. Growing up I have the best memories of the 4th of July. We would always ride our bikes down to main street in HB and watch the parade. Every year this parade has become bigger and bigger. My favorite part was always getting my face painted by the Indians (boy scouts and leaders dressed up in Indian gear). This year I passed that tradition on to the wee one! After the parade, the street I grew up on (and gma still lives on) has a major block party. Bounce houses, music, basketball, volleyball and FOOD until you can't stuff watermelon in your mouth anymore! After that we watch and light fireworks. I have to say we now how to have a good time. I look forward to that holiday every year! I hope we can continue to come back to HB every year for it. It's perfect timing with B's bday!

B in his new bike seat and helmet!

Apparently the bike ride was soothing and he took a little cat nap! Then it was time for some sunscreen!

Check out all the fun things in the parade! It's wild! B LOVED the drums!!

Face painting!!!

The newest hoodlum on Greenboro lane!!

YAY fireworks!! He was mesmerized!!

Happy 4th!!

Summertime Meant Watermelon!!

2011-09-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

All I can say is my son is OBSESSED with watermelon and I am equally obsessed with watching him eat it. There were a few nights this summer when we would be in the backyard after the grill master made dinner and Brady would SEE the watermelon container.....not the watermelon itself but just the container...and would point to it and not eat a single thing until he had his fair share and then some of watermelon. A few nights that was dinner. Fabulous parenting I know. But he was happy and full so I guess one night of watermelon for dinner won't stunt his growth or development! But the kid knows what he wants. He is now pointing at EVERYTHING he wants and shakes his head NO back and forth if that is not it. OPINIONATED!!! To say the least. But I love it :)

All gone!!

B's 1st B-day in CA

2011-09-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

I know this is like almost 3 months later, but this summer was so fun and so busy that I am just playing catch up with family photos. Brady was so lucky to not only have one Mickey Mouse party but TWO! We had one with our friends here in UT and another with the fam in CA. He is so lucky to have so many people who love him and so are we. The theme was Mickey and I used the same decorations with a few added things from Auntie Sharon for the big day. We had cake smash #2 and he still loved it just as much! Thank you to everyone that came to celebrate our little guy's first bday. It was so special and so great to celebrate with loved ones! And thanks for spoiling him rotten!! A big thanks to my Auntie Sharon for hosting the party at her house and to her and Gma Kip for helping me with the decorations and planning for the big day! Love you!

Spread the News like Wild Fire!!!

2011-08-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

I am trying to spread the word about my photography biz! This little promo comes just in time for holiday family photos!! Please spread the news and tell everyone you know!!

Here is my link to get all the details!!

Brooke Bakken Photography

Love you all!!

One Proud Mama!

2011-08-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

I am so excited and proud on so many levels! Brady is ALMOST walking....check out the cute video below!!

We also have lots and lots of laughs!

I m also super proud to say that some images from one of my weddings in June have been featured on Utah Bride Blog!! So many wonderful and talented photographers have their work on this site and I am so excited to be thrown into that mix! Go check it out!!

http://www.utahbrideblog.com

The Hotness....

2011-07-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

I normally don't share too many photos on here from my photography blog, BUT, I am too proud of these images not to share!! I had the opportunity to mentor with one of my favorite photographers of all time while I was in CA over the 4th of July. Kamee June is one of the coolest chicks I know. Super genuine and a teacher at heart. She has already helped me so much both with the business side of things and with pushing the envelope and trying to get better images with every shoot I have.

This is just one image from our time spent together...

You can see lots more (with even more coming) if you go HERE!!!

Movin' on UP!

2011-07-19T11:54:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to share that after waiting patiently...I FINALLY have a new job at Novell! YAY!

I will be working in a sales position and I couldn't be more excited! I get to stay at this great company with fabulous benefits, work close to home and get a raise! Holler!

Mickey Mouse Bday Party #1

2011-07-09T22:37:00.000-07:00

Brady is ONE lucky little boy! We had not one but TWO birthday parties for our little guy! We of course had to celebrate the milestone with all our friends in UT and then go celebrate some more with all our family and friends in CA. We are so lucky to have amazing friends that came to have fun and get their Mickey Mouse on! I had an crazy cool party package made from a girl I found on ETSY, who does UNREAL work! Check out Dimpleprints.com for anything creative you could possibly need! First up...pics from our Utah party! I will let the pictures speak for themselves but we had a wonderful time and Brady LOVED his cake (like there was any question that he wouldn't!) Thank you everyone who made our day and Brady's Day so special! We are so grateful for all of you!

Brady Michael Bakken is ONE!

2011-06-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

One year ago today I was snuggled in a delivery room holding my 8 lb. 2 oz. baby boy Brady Michael Bakken. He has been the most amazing blessing in our lives this past year. He is such a fun loving and crazy kid. It has been one wild ride, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. The first few months were quite an experience to say the least! Brady had colic and oh boy does that test your patience! But we all made it through in one piece After that was over Brady was a different baby! He was laughing and giggling and EATING! The kid loves to eat. We have yet to find a food that he turns down! I love that especially since I love to cook, hopefully one day he will appreciate that.

Brady is honestly such a ham and it’s hilarious. He knows just hot to light up a room and put a smile on your face. He is constantly active and always doing something. Whether that’s chasing the cat, chasing her up the stairs and trying to catch her tail, or squeezing the juice out of the watermelon and watching it drip down his belly! I love watching him climb the stairs at church, or crawl under the chairs, and watching the surprised faces when he smiles at them like he knows he is a stinker!

Brady LOVES Mickey Mouse, and so does mom! When Brady is fussy or upset, it’s Mickey Mouse to the rescue. I have no idea what it is about that mouse, but he loves him! So, of course, we had to have a Mickey themed birthday and photo shoot for his big day!

I seriously can’t believe my baby boy is already ONE! We LOVE you to the moon and back big boy!

You can see more of our favorite boy at BrookeBakken.com :)

Get Our Mickey Mouse ON!

2011-06-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

I seriously can't believe our little guy will be one next Thursday!! We will be celebrating this weekend in Utah and gettin' our Mickey Mouse on! This kid is obsessed with Mickey, so we have embraced it!

I MIGHT have gone a little overboard with decorations and food but oh well right? I guess your first child only turns ONE once, so we are gonna do it up BIG! I have been planning this and preparing for almost a month now, so hopefully one day Brady will look back at these pictures and know how much his mommy loved him because this has been WORK! More pictures later from the big bash :)

We are still Alive!

2011-06-16T21:47:00.000-07:00

It has been a little crazy around our house this past month! Between the craziness that happened at Novell, State Cup for soccer and the weddings I have had for photography and add in my crazy mobile like no other child, I am POOPED! We didn't have much of a spring in Utah but we made the most of it. Even some pretend indoor swimming adventures :) I have a ton of pictures to share and a cool new video of Brady's latest and greatest! He is growing up so fast and I can't believe the next milestone is our little guy turning ONE! So crazy to me! But check out our last crazy fun month!

We are high rollers and bought Brady his very own indoor pool!

Check out that smile

Brady is really into the whole pointing thing instead of waiving. I'm a fan!

We LOVE us some Mickey Mouse! & Sharing is caring :)

Love this kiddo!

Tub Time!

We LOVE splashing water and dumping things out of the tub or pool. It's our fave!

Check out those rolls on those wrists! Love em!

I mean does it get any cuter!!?

And for our final update...We are officially climbing stairs folks! Walking will be right around the corner!

Easter Sunday

2011-05-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter. it was so much fun to have grammies here all week and I was so excited that Brady decided to start crawling the day she came :) She got to witness it for the first time with me! These pics are in our "Sunday Best". More pics from the week to come :)

Scooter has the Giggles

2011-04-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

Brady up until Saturday has belly flopped every time he tries to crawl or reaches too far for something.

I was telling grammies that i really think he just might be waiting for her to come up so she can

be apart of more of his "First's". And of course I was RIGHT! Sure enough first thing Saturday morning,

we go downstairs to play and my mom sits Brady down and then teases him with a toy,

and what does he start doing? SCOOTING! First time EVER. We are getting pretty good now after

scooting for 2 days straight! I predict he will be crawling by the end of the week with Grammies here

to witness it first hand! I actually am so glad she was here to see it!

Brady also thinks that Grammies is quite the character...listen to that laugh!

I am so happy to have my mom here for a whole week and a whole new batch of firsts!

First scoot, first crawl (hopefully) and B's first Easter!

We are so blessed! We had such an amazing weekend! It already is flying by way too fast!

Christmas in the Mail

2011-04-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

The title has 2 meanings!! A) we took these pictures over Christmas...2) It felt like Christmas all over again getting these visual goodies in the mail this week! I can't believe how big Brady has become already! I swear he is the cutest kid I know! He was all smiles this day and I am SO. IN. LOVE. with these pictures...minus the fact that I am for reals on the chubby and WHITE side. OK a lot on that side...so things will be happening at the Bakken house!! G.T.L baby!! But I am so grateful for friends like TIFF that squeeze you into her crazy busy schedule and captures all the love that we have for this little boy of ours! Tiff,

we love you, you are so amazing! Thank you a million times over!

Love my lil' family!

TO.DIE.FOR <3

Sunday at the Park

2011-04-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

Marci and I were waiting and waiting for a day it was nice enough on a Sunday to take the boys to the park together. This day wasn't the warmest but we took the opportunity since it wasn't raining or snowing to get the lil' ones to the park to have some fun. It was KP's first time on the swings and Brady is pretty much a pro these days! Both boys LOVED the swings and the puffs they had to share. We are still working on the sharing part! But it was so fun to get the Bff's together! Makes me so excited for summer!

Look at that glare from KP!!!

Lil Boys on the left-Big Boys on the right!!

KP wanted Brady's HSS sweatshirt...I don't blame him :)

KP isn't so sure about me....

Then we moved to the grass and snacked on some puffs!

We are still learning about sharing :) But at least we know KP can hold his own!

Sharing is caring boys :)

Thanks for "hangin" out KP!

COME ON!!! JUST DO IT ALREADY!!

2011-04-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

These pictures are evidence that Brady is so very close to crawling. SO. VERY. CLOSE.

Daddy and I are ready to see him in action.

Come on Big Guy! Just do it already!!

P.s. I just LOVE his Mickey PJ's.

He loves Mickey Mouse and grammies

sent us some in the mail!

SO CLOSE!!

Ok could we be anymore like twins? I swear my mom has a similar picture of me his age with the same exact smile! His smile just makes me happy just lookin' at him!

Someone needs to tell him that crawling is done on hands and KNEES. NOT hands & one knee & one foot!

LOVE YOU MUNCHKIN!

Getting Bigger by the Minute

2011-03-31T13:14:00.000-07:00

I swear this kid is growing like a weed. But I love the nights are staying lighter longer and it is getting warmer. With warmer weather we get to go to the park by our house after work and have some fun together! I could just eat him up! Love this little munchkin!

Bedtime and Crawling

2011-03-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

So every night we have started a routine of feeding Brady his big boy food, then it's off to the bath (he gets QUITE dirty) and then we say our family prayers and I then feed B a bottle (although most nights he refuses) and then it's bedtime for bonzos. P.s. no idea where or when I started saying that or even why, but I do. All last week Brady was quite the handful to say the least! Tooth #6 has been a doozy and I even went to get him early from daycare one day because he was such a handful. But Friday night after the bath and after some meds, both Ibuprofen and orajel...we got him to laugh and play with us. Normally I don't like when Michael gets him all excited before bedtime, but I couldn't help myself. The poor kid was miserable all week so some giggles were in order. Daddy did the trick. Michael smiles at Brady the kid laughs. So tickles get lots of laughs. Notice how he TRIES to drink the bottle but it's just not working!

Then yesterday was a pretty lazy, relaxing day and I did a little research on how to get my kiddo to crawl. I know he wants to but we just aren't quite there yet! I have tried coaxing him with food and toys but yesterday I tried the kitty. He LOVES Lucy and laughs and screams every time she comes around. I find it adorable.

So like I said, I tried getting him to crawl to the kitty of I held her still...no such luck. But it sure

was funny watching him laugh and giggle and kick his legs as if he were swimming! Maybe we have a Michael Phelps in the making and he will learn how to swim before he walks! :)

Giggles

2011-03-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

We are all giggles over here! :)

I could listen to this kid laugh all day long!

A New Blog and a Giveaway!

2011-03-06T13:53:00.000-08:00

Because there are a few Brooke B's out there

( I found out after googling...holler for the internet)

I have decided to change to a NEW name that is all my own!

Please follow me at:

BrookeBakkenPhotography.blogspot.com

Same photographer...Just a NEW name!

To start off the new blog right,

I am doing a GIVEAWAY so make sure to check it out!

LOVES!

B

P.S. Is this kid NOT the cutest thing you have ever seen??

Ali Babba Brady

2011-03-03T14:38:00.000-08:00

The other night we were gettin B boy into just his diaper to eat some dinner before bath time (yes we get our child naked to eat...he gets WAY too messy to ruin his clothes with carrot stains!)

This was the outcome.... He thought this was HILARIOUS!!

We called this his "turban" hence the nick name Ali babba Brady!

Don't those cheeks just make you melt??

He is just delicious!

Brady at 8 Months!

2011-03-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

Can't believe this little ball of energy is 8 months already! He needs to SLOW DOWN and stop getting so big so fast. Mommy no likey! Can't he just stay my baby for forever?

Sure do love this guy!

More fun pictures here....

BrookeB Photography

Brady LOVES his Toys.....

2011-03-01T14:50:00.000-08:00

As soon as Brady could sit up by himself, he has loved to sit on the red rug and play with his toys. He has a favorite plastic book that talks to him that his Grauntie (great aunt) gave him for Christmas. We of course have Sophie, who has taken a beating since these teeth have come along. Poor girl gets chewed on big time! And there are some other favorites mingled in there as well! He can definitely entertain himself by playing with his toys which is adorable! Now he can reach super far and is even lunging after the really far ones.

I fear the days of crawling are just around the corner!! Then I will really have to sweep and vacuum daily! UGH!

I just love this kiddo. He is so much fun!

Latest Happenings....

2011-02-25T13:58:00.000-08:00

The winters around Utah can make things pretty boring. I never want to go anywhere or do anything when it snows, but up until last night we had about a 2 week period where the weather was rather pleasant. So we decided to have a little family outing and went to this new place called Provo Beach Resort. It was AMAZING!

There was SO many things to do here it could keep you entertained for hours. There was indoor surfing

on the flow-rider. There is a golf simulator, bowling, an amazing ropes course, mini croquet and what we

went for the CAROUSEL! I remember growing up and always going to South Coast Plaza and ALWAYS

wanting to go on their amazing carousel. This one was not as large but still quite fun!

When we got there we walked around for a while just to check everything out and then decided to do a little

bowling. Michael killed me! I could not bowl a strike to save my life but Brady cheered me on none the less.

He was so entertained with everything going on. I love watching him observe his surroundings.

p.s. look at his 2 teeth!!

"hey why is there a hole in this ball?"

Mom's cheering section...

Next stop: The carousel.

He went on first with Mommy, and I am not sure he smiled the entire time. I think he was a bit confused

as to why this thing was going in circles and why his seat kept moving up and down.

But don't worry I smiled big enough for the both of us.

You would have thought I was the one riding the carousel for the first time...

Seriously....easy with the horse grin mom....

Dad made sure to take a picture of us everytime we came around to see him!

Are these not the 2 most handsome guys you have ever seen?

And Brady looks like he is 2 not 7 months! STOP GROWING SO FAST!

We finished off the outing with an unreal and delicious meal at Malawi's Pizza.

It was mouth watering good! We will be back for more!

The Sexy Mexi and I

2011-02-24T08:57:00.000-08:00

Before Michael and I got married we took a million pictures. Poor guy, every time he turned around we were taking pictures. But I am so glad that we did. I love taking pictures and having those memories to last a lifetime.

A couple months before the wedding we were in town for wedding plans and did another fun photo shoot with a friend who was a photographer for Quicksilver. I don't know why I have never posted these before BUT I just found them and fell in love with them all over again. It made me realize 3 things... A. I need a tan BAD! 2. My husband is one sexy mexi (he is also Norwegian but nothing rhymes with that...so we will stick with Mexi) and D. I need new clothes! We had a stylist style us for this shoot and I LOVED it. And I am realizing I haven't updated my wardrobe in about 2-3 years. YIKES! I still wear the same jeans I bought the first year I went to BYU. UM...What not to wear can you come to my rescue?? K thanks!

Anywho...I love these pictures and gives me more motivation as a photographer to get creative!

Michael you are more sexy now then you were then, and looking at these pictures you

were freakin' hot then! I love you a million times over.

P.s. nice sideburns ;)

A Mooshy Moment

2011-02-17T16:05:00.000-08:00

Apparently after becoming a mom, I have become quite the moosh. I cry (ALL THE TIME) when I am watching Biggest Loser....I am so sad/happy for them. I cry when the little one gets shots or blood drawn (seeing him scream in pain is NOT awesome). But yesterday was a new one for me. I cried while looking at pictures of Brady and our little family. (I might even be crying now just thinking about it...NBD)

I don't even know if I can adequately describe in words what is in my heart for this little guy and his daddy.

Michael came into my life when I least expected it, and I guess it was only fitting that we got pregnant

when we least expected it. Although I had 10 months to prepare for baby bear's arrival, I was not

prepared for the overwhelming feeling of love that would come over me and has only become

stronger since that day he arrived. The love a wife has for her husband and the love a mom has for her

child, although different, has changed my life forever. In Michael, I have a loving and amazing partner

in life. He loves me for who I am, and looks over my imperfections. He balances me out and helps me

strive to accomplish my goals and helps me when I fall along the way. I love the way his warm hugs can

melt away a bad day and put a smile on my face. I love the way he calls me beautiful, when all

I can see is what I am not or what I am lacking. But what I love most is seeing the way Brady smiles

at Daddy when he says good morning or walks in the door from work. It's amazing to see his whole face

light up, because that's exactly how I feel too. Michael makes me light up inside.

Speaking of lighting up, doesn't this smile just make you want to smile?

These were the 2 pictures I was looking at yesterday that made me seriously mooshy.

We had some family pictures taken by the fabulous Tiffany with ElizaJPhotography.

Like I was saying earlier, I was not ready for the amount of love I was about to feel for this new

life that I had created. I knew I loved Michael, but the love you have as a mother for your babies

is something nothing can compare to. I love Brady with all my heart and I cannot imagine my life

without him in it. I love everything about him. I love the way he coos in the morning

when he is playing in his crib after a full 11 hours of sleep :)

I love the way he is crammed into the corner of his crib, when every night we put him down

dab smack in the middle of his bed. (I really wish I could see how he gets into the positions

he wakes up in....I need a night vision camera over his crib)

I love the way he sticks his tongue out all the time and jabbers on and on and on.

I love the way he DEMOLISHES his baby food at night....we are currently averaging 7 oz. mixed

with a truckload of rice cereal....and then add on an 8 oz bottle right after bath time. The kid is a beast!

I love the way he is obsessed with Mickey's clubhouse and "The Hotdog Dance"

I am just about obsessed with his laugh and how easy he is to make laugh.

I could tickle him for days just to listen to him laugh...I fear it sounds just like mine.

I love the way he cries when I leave the room...don't worry pal mom will always be there!

I love how he puts everything in his mouth...from fingers to toes, to remote controls to cell phones,

he loves paper towels, paper bags, basically if he can grab it....it's goin in the mouth!

I love making farting noises on his belly and watching him scream with delight.

I love the way he smiles at the crazy cat. He LOVES to pet her and feel her fur. (She not so much )

I love the way he rubs his eyes when he gets tired and mom knows that means bedtime.

I love the way he wants to always stand on his own. I hope that means he will be independent when

he is older and know how to stand on his own, when others around him won't.

I love the way when he is on my lap that he grabs my face.

Random...but I love his face when he is pooping. He gets SUPER serious and quite and concentrates,

makes the big push then is ALL smiles.

I love the way he plays in the bath and is so entertained with simply a washcloth and his manhood :).

I love the way when I put him down for bed, he is actually excited for bedtime and loves to snuggle

his blankie to his face and roll to his side to go sleepy.

I love this kid and he has captured my heart in an instant. Just looking at simply a picture

makes me instantly and eternally grateful for this wonderful gift that has been given to me.

I can't wait for that day I get to hear, "Mommy, I love you"

I most likely will cry then too.

To Brady and Michael:

You have changed my life.

I love you forever plus a day!

Love,

Mommy

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T07:57:00.000-08:00

It's a day of LOVE!

I am so lucky that I have this little guy around...I sure do love him LOTS! I love his daddy just as much too!

I feel so blessed each and every day to have this lil' man to hold and snuggle. He is the light of my life!

More pics at BroookeB Photography

TGIF!!

2011-02-11T12:04:00.000-08:00

This has been a super long week for some reason!

TGIF!!!

And for a laugh when you need it most...

check out FUN FOTO FRIDAY....HERE!

Fun Foto Friday

2011-02-04T14:40:00.000-08:00

I started up a lil' thing I like to call "Fun Foto Friday" over on the photo blog...

Don't be skuuuurrred...DO IT DO IT...

Brady Turns 7 Months

2011-02-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

Brady is ALREADY 7 months old! When did that happen? To me that is craziness! That means he is closer to turning one than he is being a newborn... NUTS!

Pretty soon I will be planning his first birthday and that just blows me away.

Brady has had a few firsts this month (when he was about 6 months...before the 7 month mark)

...he can hang out and play on his tummy now ALL the time (now that acid reflux/colic is gone)

...he sleeps through the night and then some

...he is a great nap taker

...he got his first tooth (6.5 months)

...He loves FOOD and is such a great eater

...He can stand on his own and is quite an independent boy

...He is a chatter box and talks all day long

...He sits and plays with toys and is so content with the most random things

that entertain him for long periods of time

...He also steals toys...Just ask his friend KP

...He LOVES to LAUGH and thinks I am HILARIOUS (that's my favorite part)

...will be crawling any day now I swear...then he will be off to the races!

Let's get real people... Does is get ANY CUTER than this?

I think not.
P.S. if you wanna see more pics...Hop on over HERE

BrookeB Photography

2011-01-31T10:31:00.000-08:00

Seth Mchottie Pants....

Check out more HERE

Videos Galore

2011-01-24T15:46:00.000-08:00

Videos galore...

These are some videos of what we have been up to lately...

Don't mind my obnoxious commentary or the constant, "Say Hi to grandma" comments...

We send grammie videos all the time!

Brady went on the swings for the first time in CA. I think it's safe to say he LOVED them!

We want to go somewhere!! Anywhere is better than just sitting here!

We bought a new tub since Brady got a little too big for his Whale tub in the sink and started to splash so much that it was getting water EVERYWHERE! Now he can splash to his lil' heart's content!

Brady and I play a little game of Hide and seek or as I call it: "Where's Brady?" He loves it. He normally laughs but last night he had an audience so he screamed with delight! Can't get enough of this little guy...

Christmas in Oxnard (part 1)

2011-01-20T15:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Oxnard was so much fun this year with Brady. He was the hit everywhere he went. We went to Aunt Lisa's work and he was paraded around the office. Grandma G couldn't get enough of him and spoiled him rotten! We took morning walks on the beach and at the pier with Grandpa Gary and went on the swings for the first time too! Brady LOVED both! He couldn't stop watching the waves crash on the beach and

would laugh harder and harder the higher he went on the swings! Our little daredevil!
He is for sure all boy and I know once he starts crawling/walking I am going to have my hands full!

3 Handsome Bakken men....

Mommy and Brady on the Pier by Grandpa's house....

Such a cutie pie!

I love my little family....

Grandpa Gary and his big boy Brady...

Daddy and B at the park...

Brady LOVES the swings!!!

All smiles :)

Higher daddy HIGHER!!!

YES!! I LOVE THE SWINGS!

Christmas Morning 2010

2011-01-14T09:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning at our house has always been the same since I can remember. Wake up, call Aunt Sharon and tell her to come on down. We stay in our bedroom til' we get the OK to come out and see what Santa brought us. Our "big" present was always unwrapped for us to see right away. One year I got a bike. Kait got a HUGE play house. One year there was a surf board....Santa was pretty much awesome!

We then open all of our presents, and stockings always come last!

Then we would make breakfast after all the hoopla was over. That torch has now been passed

down to me, since apparently I am the only one that can cook! (although Kait is learning..

maybe next year I will pass the torch to her!)

Christmas had new meaning this year with Brady joining our family.

We knew he would be too young to understand what presents are, but he sure

had fun munching and crunching the wrapping paper and listening to the sounds it makes!

I felt so blessed to be with the ones I love over Christmas break.

I have an incredible family.

Brady is goin' to town on the wrapping paper!

First Christmas as a Family!

...Love the "scarf" Michael decided to wear...

Brady was the best present I got all year!

It's not fair for Aunt Kait to look that beautiful in the morning!

Santa's Surprise!

Cool trucks!!

The Sugster!!!

KISSES for Brady!!

I mean is he NOT the cutest thing you have ever seen?

Such a happy boy!

Baby Boy's First Christmas

Grammies is a big TEASE!

Love these ladies!!

As you can see there was no lack of attention or kisses over Christmas

We love Auntie Kait <3

SANTA!!

2011-01-10T15:27:00.000-08:00

Brady met Santa for the first time this year. NBD. He just sat there like, "Big whoop Mom"!

I guess I expected him to cry because that's all you see are babies crying.

And that's all Kaitlin ever did every year! Bahahaha...just thinking about that makes me laugh!!

Brady was a good boy but not quite a big gummy grin...maybe next year!

He however, LOVED his Santa PJ's (oh and don't worry that they were size 12M)

So I think Santa was a hit in our house this year.

Lovin' his PJ's and Jumper

This was the face we got when we told him we were going to meet SANTA!

So we put our "Santa like me best" T-shirt and our favorite sneakers and made the trip....

Side note...notice how he smiles and sticks his tongue out a lot...that's his new thing!

Santa!!!

Just a lil' FYI....I swear this is the ONLY Santa in Utah that ACTUALLY

wear a Santa suit and hat!! Every other Santa is in his "workshop" suit...

NOT A FAN!!!

Lucky for us this fabulous Santa was at the mall right by our house.. Thank you PTC!!

We LOVE Carrots

2011-01-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

I LOVE food. So it comes to no shock to me that my little one LOVES food too! This was our first experience with big boy food and it was a HUGE success. He couldn't get enough of it, and each night after I couldn't get it in his mouth fast enough without him whining! We have tried a few different veggies and fruit, but so far the faves are carrots, squash and sweet potatoes....although I LOVED the hilarious faces he made while eating peas and bananas. So I guess you could say we LOVE the color Orange and we will have fabulous eye sight! :) I am loving watching him grow up and trying new things!

Brady is salivating already......

About to taste deliciousness...

He loved "helping" by holding the spoon for me....

Carrots EVERYWHERE!!

Lovin' this stuff!

What??? It's all gone??

It was ALL GONE...so we just let him play with the spoon...HEAVEN

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-16T13:41:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 2010 was filled with Turkey (deep fried) rolls (mine, Brady's and the kind you bake)

smiles, giggles, hugs, kisses and some major drool (mine over the deep friend turkey

and Brady's from teething!) We had a wonderful time as a family and were so lucky that Grandma

Kip made the trip up for the week. Holidays are so much nicer with family around,

and Brady makes the holidays way more fun too!

As always we took a million pictures of B$ on his first Thanksgiving. I am incredibly

thankful this year for so many blessings in my life, and this little boy is one HUGE reason why.

I love you baby bear to the moon and back!

Always all smiles!

We are REALLY into pulling hair lately and putting it in our mouth...

Oh momma I love you :)

Now I'm gonna get you!!!

Ha Ha!

Who put these feet here??

HELLO LADIES!

nummy nummy fingers!

You talkin' to me?!

Such a sweety (this is grandma's view)

This is mommy's view!

Made one INCREDIBLE turkey!

Stuffed!

I mean REALLY!
Does it get any cuter than this kid?

Lovin' the drool!

Playin' peek-a-boo!

...and....

He LOVES it!

November 27, 2010

2010-12-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

On November 27, 2010 Michael, Brady and I were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake City Temple. It was an amazing experience, one that I will never forget! I feel completely overwhelmed and insanely lucky to be sealed to my best friend and amazing husband, as well as our wonderful boy Brady. I am so blessed that our family does not stop when we die, but continues after this life and on through eternity. I think honestly that's what Heaven is to me...being able to be with your family forever and around the one that you love and that love you the most. I am so grateful for the love that Michael shows me on a daily basis and for the wonderful father that he is to Brady. Brady already loves to stare at amazement at Michael and I can't blame him! Michael we love you so much and can't believe how lucky we are to be loved by you!

I want to thank all our friends and family that supported us and helped us get to where we are today, and thank everyone who was able to attend. We were missing a few loved ones, but knew that they were there in spirit! :) We are so lucky to have amazing family and awesome friends that we consider family in our lives!

On our way to "Seal the Deal"

Right after our sealing....Brady's smile is exactly how I felt too!

SLC Temple, UT November 27, 2010

Love this little boy!

"Whoa! I have a wicked cool tie on! Thanks mom!"

We LOVE you to pieces GRAMMIES!

All my girls! Minus Sissy La La, Midge & Jaime! Missed you all!

The Bakken's & The Platt's= BFF's for life :)

Uncle JR & Aunt Shae drove in from CA! We were so grateful to have them there! Love you both!

Aunt Traci was my BFF at BYU! Love you! Ps...Brady still hasn't taken his eyes or mouth off of his tie!

Kimmie you are my sister from another mother! Love you always!

Cutie Pie

2010-11-30T11:20:00.000-08:00

This last week was so much fun with my mom in town. She got to spend some quality time with B$ since she had the entire week off for TG and we still had to work through Wednesday. She was our live in nanny for a few days. Brady gave her a run for her money on Monday, and I will never forget the look on my mom's face when we walked in the door from work. She looked a little disheveled and completely relieved to see someone to come save her from our grumpy boy! Brady has been teething this last week, and he has NOT been happy about it. He can go from happy to down right angry in about .25 seconds. Once we finally figured out what was going on with the poor guy, we got him to calm down a bit with some meds for his gums.

I mean who could be mad at this face?!

This last week has also been a week for self discoveries and milestones. Brady has found and become enamored by his toes. He holds them and stares at them in his Bumbo, he now holds on to them while I change his diaper, and tries to bend as much as possible to get them in his mouth!

We have discovered that he is teething and EVERYTHING goes in his mouth and he NAWS on his little fingers, chew toys and even his binkie!

He has also found his VOICE...and boy does he use it! He just jabbers all day long and all of a sudden has found this gut wrenching scream....not sure why he screams but oh does he scream. Anytime he is not happy about something he screams. it needs to go ASAP!

Brady also found his ears this last week. He can't seem to quite understand what they are...he just knows there is something on the side of his head that bends when he plays with them....

We have also recently found our tongue. We stick out our tongue constantly and make the funniest noises and blow all kinds of spit bubbles with them. It is quite entertaining to say the least. He also loves when you do it back to him and thinks that's the funniest thing ever!

It is so fun watching Brady turn into a little boy right before our eyes. He is an exact mix oh both Michael and I. He looks EXACTLY like I did when I was a baby but yet has Michael's personality 100%! So he is Mom on the outside and Dad on the inside! :) I love being his mommy and feel so lucky to have this little

boy in our home. He is teaching me so many things about life and perfecting me as we go along!

Brady I love you to the moon and back!

P.S. Brady is 5 months today!!! Where the heck does the time go?? I swear it was just last week I was pregnant and on my way to the hospital at 3:30 am about to have a baby!

Chubby Takes a Bath

2010-11-29T14:40:00.000-08:00

I love when my mom comes to town because that means we take lots of pictures of Brady

and that also means that I get lots of pictures WITH Brady :)

Brady LOVES his bath but I think he just loves to be naked in general.

He giggles and giggles when I take his clothes off ( not good... not good at all!)

He loves to splash in the water and gets water EVERYWHERE and gets our entire

kitchen including me...SOAKED. I am thinking of bathing him in my bathing suit!

We call Brady's bath his Hot Tub....and I myself have a love for Hot Tubs...

so I think I know where he gets it from!

Lovin' the drool!

Lovin' this chunk!

Look at that backside! He got it from his Mama!

Brady has recently learned how to pull himself up in the Hottub!

Go Muscles!!!

He also loves to hold the hose and bath himself! :)

Look at this cutie!!!

BrookeB Photography

2010-11-23T08:50:00.000-08:00

It is no secret that I LOVE to take pictures, be in pictures and I could look at pictures on different blogs all day long! I hired a fabulous photographer for my wedding pictures, because that's what we would have to look at after all was said and done. I hired another fabulous photographer to take my maternity pictures when I was pregnant with Brady to capture that moment in our lives as well. Every moment is a memory. The good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between. I love taking pictures of my family on random nights. The everyday stuff.

But let's be real...who doesn't love a fabulous coordinated photo shoot (besides my husband)? I love to look

back at the pictures I have and see where I have been and where that has taken me today.

With that said, I don't know why it has taken me so long to do something about it and make the big jump

to do something with my life that I am passionate about and that I love doing for not only my family but my friends and others as well. Maybe I am a little scared to put myself out there. Scared to open myself

up to criticism. I hate not being good at something, and in photography you are always striving

for new creative ways to be the best. It will always be an evolving process, but I am hoping

that overtime I can get better and better and one day be like the great photographers I admire so much.

I have had a lot of help from fabulous friends that have encouraged me and have been so sweet

to help me with all of my million questions about everything from A-Z about my camera, photo-shop, how to start a business, my logo, you name it I have asked about it. I need to at least say thank you to Carly Daniel,

Tiffany Johnson and Kimi Taylor for all being so wonderful to me. Carly and Tiffany are wonderful

friends who have luckily been so patient with me on all my questions and have given me

great feedback on some of my photos. Kimi Taylor is the FABULOUS designer who created these....

Are those logos NOT AMAZING?? She pretty much rocks and will give you anything you could ever want and is so friggin creative it makes me jealous! You can see her work HERE and if you ever need some creative awesomeness you know who to call (no not ghostbusters)!!

So there you have it, I have started a photography business. It's small but I am getting out there and doing what I love. I would love to make this thing grow and learn new things and meet new people, but we will just have to see what Big Guns upstairs has in store for me as time goes on.

Wish me luck! and in the meantime check back at BrookeB Photography to see what I am up to!

A Giant New Step

2010-11-22T14:07:00.000-08:00

I go through here tomorrow. My life will forever be changed.

COULD. NOT. BE. MORE. EXCITED!!

Because then I get to be sealed to...

THESE 2 Handsome fellas....

For time and all eternity at this gorgeous place....

Could I be any more of a lucky girl?

I think not.

A Sad Ending

2010-11-11T14:42:00.000-08:00

Well Timpview's 2010 season is over and all too soon!

Up until last Friday we were undefeated...but sadly we got a little too comfortable

and underestimated our opponent (although the refs basically GAVE them the game...quite frustrating).

We had a great season and Brady LOVED going to the football games.

Even when he was colicky (and it was the worst st night) he didn't scream or cry

at any games. I think all the kids and all the noise was a great distraction for him

and he didn't focus on his hurting tummy! So we loved our Friday Night Lights and will miss them

like crazy! I, on a personal note, LOVED watching Michael coach and I love

how much joy and happiness it brings Michael. He is an amazing coach and always puts his

heart and soul into it, and really cares about the boys. It was so sweet, he really wasn't too upset

about the loss, he said he was more upset that he won't get to be around the guys anymore

and won't see that as much, if at all. What a big teddy bear I have!! Shh...keep that on the hush!

Although we will miss high school football, I am hoping the future will have bigger and better

things to bring for our family. Michael really wants to make coaching his career, it's just so

dang to get a break in the industry, it's all about who ya know and who is willing to help

you out, and so far we know no one and no one will take a chance on him.

I REALLY hope that changes in the near future. I know he will make an amazing college

coach and would be a HUGE asset to any program that took him on. So if any of you out

there in the internet world has a connection PLEASE send it our way! We

would FOREVER be grateful for this chance! Until then,

we will continue to love football and can't wait for what the future has to bring us.

Timpview T'Bird 2010

Lovin' Our Ball of Energy!

2010-11-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

I love his little giggle...it's coming along and he is doing it more and more...

He laughs so hard he cries sometimes....

This is what I was talking about with Brady in the bath...only now it's 10 times worse.

This is the first night he was squirmy in the bath. It has now multiplied!

Don't mind the crotch shot...

And this one is for Grammies! We can't wait to see you in 2 short weeks!!!

4 Months and Growing!

2010-11-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

Brady is now 4 months and GROWING!!

At his 4 month check up:

16.11 oz (84%)

26.5 in (94%)

I always forget his head size...but we moved up! 40th Percentile! Woohoo!

It's all the million times a day I tell him how cute he is! :)

But let's be honest...how could I NOT tell him he is the cutest kiddo ever!!

Brady LOVES munching on his fingers...but actually now when we put toys in front of him,

they automatically go straight to his mouth! Time to sanitize EVERYTHING!

He even tried to put the faucet hose in his mouth last night in the bath...quite funny really!

Speaking of the bath, I think he has figured out what the water is now. He splashes ALL

THE TIME! There is water EVERYWHERE except for IN his bath by the time we are done.

Again, very amusing to all of us. He has a ball!

Brady is CONSTANTLY on the move. He rarely sits still. He loves interaction,

and smiles and giggles ALL DAY LONG!

He really is such a happy baby boy. He still fusses when he gets tired, I think he is afraid

of missing anything! He is so much fun these days, and I cherish all the time I have to spend

with him. I love our mommy-baby moments when it's just US.

He still hates tummy time, not sure how we are gonna get him to roll over or even crawl,

when all he wants to do is stand! He gets so frustrated when he is on his belly. He kicks and

waves his arms (almost like he is swimming) but goes no where! I guess I would be frustrated too!

He also does this funny squealing noise lately, that cracks us up!

And speaking of swimming, I swear he swims when he drinks from his bottle.

Just imagine this:

Sip, Sip, Sip-Breath (takes himself off the bottle takes a breath of air, then right back to the bottle)

Sip, Sip, Sip-Breath. He does this almost every night, the entire time he eats.

But the kid eats 11 oz of formula (with 2 TBS of Rice Cereal) at least before bedtime

so I guess it works for him. Full Belly=Happy Momma

He LOVES his Daddy and was giving him big hugs the other night! and open mouth kisses!

I just love these two!

Lovin' life with B$!

Brady's First Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!!!

I was so excited to get Brady in his costume for Halloween at Kenny & Marci's,

but poor Brady had an ear infection (that we are still fighting off), so he screamed

a good portion of the night in KP's room, which meant

we didn't put him in his costume for the party. I feel so bad for the poor guy. He has had a

cough for a few weeks that kept him up at night (which means it kept me up at night)

now he has an ear infection to top it off! He was screaming just like he did in

the days of colic but this time I knew something else was hurting him. I hate

seeing my baby in pain especially when he can't talk to me and nothing I am doing seemed

to help. But now we have meds in his lil' system, and we are only waking up

once at night so we are on the mend!

So Sunday (actual Halloween, but just not in Provo)

Brady was feeling a little better, so we got him in his cute little costume,

and I put Michael's jersey on for effect!

I was the Heisman Trophy winner and he was my little football!

Could he be ANY cuter??

Love his dark chocolate brown eyes :)

Check out my shoulders...I have been hittin' the gym hard!

Holler!

I wish we could have had a family pic...but the side by side ones will have to do for this year!

IDAHO football for Life!!

Don't mess with me!

Look how BIG this guy is getting!!!

Got a little fussy at the end of the photo shoot...nothing a lil' binkie can't cure!

Cutest Cowboy EVER!

2010-11-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

November is the month of "thanks" even though I will forever be THANKFUL for this little boy!!

I am so thankful he is HEALTHY.

I am so thankful for our 2 am snuggle sessions.

I am so thankful he is an amazing eater.

I am so thankful for his smiles & kisses.

I am so thankful he needs me.

I am so thankful he is OURS.

I love him to the moon and back...

Howdy Partner!

The new Sheriff in town...

"The Boss"

This one just makes me think of him saying "Ma'am"

and dipping his hat like a gentleman!

Friggin' LOVE this crying face!

NO more Mommy!!!

Just Chillin'

I am the Law ladies!

Checkin' out everything making sure we are in the clear!

So in love!

Lovin' him some Aunt Carly!

Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-10-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

Fall 2010

I was so excited this year for Halloween to be able to take Brady to his first

pumpkin patch and pick out a great big one! I love the fall crisp weather, and

was so excited to bundle him up and take him to the Big Red Barn in Santaquin, UT.

We took a hayride out to the pumpkin patch, where we could choose our own pumpkin

from an actual patch, fresh off the vine! We went with our friends Kenny, Marci and

Brady's BFF KP! It was so much fun to get together and see the boys!

KP and Brady are already polar opposites.

Brady has a tiny head and huge body, where as KP is all head! It's like an orange

on a toothpick...ok he isn't THAT skinny but you get the idea!

We will just call KP the "Brain" and we will call Brady the"Enforcer"!

As you can see, Brady was VERY excited about this outing!

All smiles here! They are twins with those big cheeks they got goin' on!

Brady couldn't stop staring and smiling at Marci....I agree Brady she is a babe!

They had these cut out ghosts to take pictures with....

I didn't know Ghosts wore iced out chains...

I guess if you are from the south-side they do...we will call this one JiggaBOO...

Haha That's funny I don't care who you are!

I love the sunset and that tree in the background....

Lovin' this little pumpkin! :)

Can't get enough of his fingers...even if they are hidden in some gloves!

I think Brady is crying because KP gets to suck on his hands,

and I have gloves on Brady's hands, restricting his access!

Dumb ol' mom!

Happy Halloween 2010

Go Coogs!!

2010-10-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, Kaitlin, my little sister plays D-1 soccer for

the University of Houston. She is the poster child for the program...

Tried to find the actual poster but no such luck online...but trust me she BALLS!

This season, with her help, they have made program history.

They for the first time are going to their conference tournament.

Only the top teams qualify, and as of right now they are in 3rd with possibilities

of coming in 2nd. Not too shabby ladies!

It is a NIGHT and DAY difference from watching their program 2 years ago when

I was in Houston. I actually enjoyed watching them play this time around.

Kaitlin is a fabulous teammate; a huge example on and off the field.

Whenever Kait is on the field, she makes plays happen.

I LOVE watching her play.

She takes no crap from no one,

and I was so excited to bring her #1 fan to Texas this time with me!

We cheered her on, and Brady was an amazing baby and watched (no lie)

most of the game. I am hoping he still loves sports this much when he is older!

Auntie Kait,

We love you so much and are so proud of you!

We love the player you are and have become, and the

woman you are isn't too shabby either!

Good luck this weekend against Rice,

and kick some booty in FL at your conference tourney!

GO COOGS!!

Love,

B$, Brooke and Michael

These are the only "Cougs" Michael will let Brady cheer for....

I must say the kid does look good in red :)

TEAM THULIN dominating the field!

Love this Pic!

Brady LOVES his Auntie Kait!

Sho' Nuff!

All Smiles Part Dos

2010-10-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

We are making the transition from Fall into Winter and I am not enjoying it one bit.

Brady has been sick with a sore throat and extremely flemmy (is that even a word?)

cough that he can't seem to get over. The kid was almost in a sleeping habit of sleeping through

the night, but for the last 2 weeks with this cold of his he is up 3-4 times a night.

I am exhausted. No more mid day naps for a stay at home mom.

Now I am a working mom. So the 1, 2:30, 4 and 5:30 wake up calls are kicking

my butt! I think I will at this point have permanent bags under my eyes forever more!

At any rate, I needed a little pick me up on this dreary Monday morning...

So, what else would I need but to see my cute little pumpkin smiling up a storm

as big as the one outside right now!

It's a good thing he is so dang cute, or else he just might be left alone to cry it

out in his crib. (I have tried to let him cry it out, but I'm weak..I always give in)

I can't decide if it is his cough that wakes him up,

or the fact that he might be hungry, because the kid DOWNS 8 oz. in

the middle of the night no problem,

only after having 9 or so right before bedtime!

Oh well I guess it is what it is right? I can't help but love this little kid to pieces.

His 3:30 a.m. smiles still melt my heart.

I love you to the moon and back Brady Boy!

Smilin' and flirtin' with Carly at the UH game.....

Big smiles for mommy!!

Sheer DELIGHT!

This might be one of my faves :)

Lovin' the airplane ride!

Brady @ 3 Months

2010-10-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

When I went to TX a few weeks ago to watch Kait ball on the soccer field,

and for Grammies B-day, we OF COURSE had to have a mini photo sesh with B$...

Brady turned 3 months that weekend so it was perfect timing.

My little baby is turning into a little boy, one week at a time!

Each week he gets bigger, chubbier and cuter.

Brady looks exactly like I did when I was 3 months. Some people say they can see it,

others say they think he looks like Michael. I actually think I was chubbier...yes chubbier!

But although he may look like his mommy, he is MICHAEL through and through.

Shy, moody, but one smile and one giggle makes you (me) weak in the knees.

I love you Brady Michael (aka Michael Jr. or "little Michael")

You are the most amazing blessing in mommy's life (besides your daddy of course)

I wouldn't trade our 1, 3, and 5 visits for the world! ok well maybe a little more sleep

wouldn't be so bad :) But daddy says you wake up so much

cuz you need mommy's snuggles! Haha you will learn Daddy is hilarious,

and ALWAYS sarcastic! But that's what we love about him.

I hope you inherit his sense of humor, and daddy's work ethic.

You will be an amazing man if you do!

Brady has officially found his thumb....mom is NOT ok with this!

Love those rolls!

I love this smile!! & open mouth Brady kisses!!

Doesn't that smile make you melt??

He is so DELISH!

Lovin' the cheeks!

Brady LOVES standing up on our laps like a big boy.

We are workin' on those thighs!

Grow muscles Grow!

Buddha Baby!

I think he is getting bored at this point...

....Mommy kisses....

MOM!!! NO MORE!!

B$...Holler!

He couldn't get over the grass on his feet...

New sensation!

Brady is officially OVER pictures....

tried to bust out the binkie to get a few more

with Grammies, but B wasn't havin' it!

So all we got was Grammies holdin' his little feeties...

which actually aren't small at all...they don't fit in any PJ's with feet..

even the 6month pj's are small on his legs and feet!

I think he might have inherited Mom's booty and thighs and daddy's feet!

Grandpa Gary's Visit

2010-10-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Gary came to visit his first grandson over Labor Day weekend.

It was so much fun to have him up in our home and spending some

quality time with him. He was SO incredibly cute with Brady.

He LOVED to hold him and play with him, and was so sweet

that as soon as Brady started to fuss...he gave him right back to momma!

Haha now I know where Michael gets that! :)

Gary kept commenting on how cute Brady was,

as if he couldn't believe it or something! :)

It was quite entertaining to see him play with Brady and even love up on

loose moose! Gary has cats at home in Ca so he didn't mind that Lucy wanted

to snuggle him at night!

Gary was also able to come up and watch Michael coach and do what he loves.

It was so cool to see how proud Gary was of Michael. He beams from ear to ear

just talking to Mike about football. Guy stuff.

And on Sunday we took Gary to Temple Square in SLC.

He was blown away by the architecture and all of the church buildings.

It was so much fun to walk around Temple Square with him and share just a little

bit of "Us" with him. I am so lucky to have Gary as a father-in-law.

He is such a sweet man, and complimented me ALL weekend long.

...Michael is so lucky to have you as his wife...

...Brady sure does love his momma...

...Brady got his momma's good looks....

...Brady has a great mom...

...You have such a warm home....

ETC....who wouldn't love all of those compliments??

It did wonders for my self-esteem :)

Can't wait to see you at Christmas Grandpa G!!

We love you Grandpa Gary!!

The Bakken Boys

Mommy, Brady & Daddy at temple Square

Friday Night Lights

2010-10-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

Brady LOVES watching football. No joke he literally watches the TV when it's on. Friday nights are no exception. He loves to be outside and has been a gem at every game we have been to.

He loves to see all the people and all the kids running around.

I wish I knew what was going on in his head because he is constantly looking around

and observing the crazy football world we take him to.

I can't wait to one day be watching him play football (no pressure right?)

...Coach with his #1 Fan...

Football gear on....Football beanie..Love it!

(2+2=FOOTBALL)

Grammies loves her some real Friday Night Lights!

...Proud papa bear and coach...they killed it that game! (and every game)

GO TIMPVIEW FOOTBALL!!

B$ at 2 Months

2010-10-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

Brady is so much fun to watch during the day...

I LOVED every minute of my maternity leave

and getting to spend the whole day just me and B$.

Even though Brady was colicky during my maternity leave,

I still wouldn't have changed it for the world.

We definitely grew close over those first few months.

He loves me, and I adore him.

I mean...how could you NOT love this guy?

Rico Suave!

At 2 months Brady:

Started sleeping through the night at least 3 times a week

LOVES his fists in his mouth

eats each feeding as if he has never been fed before

LOVES to sit in the corner of the couch like a big boy

(this USED to be dad's spot)

HATES his car seat

HATES to be swaddled

(until mommy knows better and keeps him swaddled to help him sleep longer)

cries in his sleep (bad dreams?)

Burps man sized burps (probably more like belches)

Has gas just as bad, if not worse, like his Daddy

Smiles at his Mommy (mostly when he has a FULL belly)

Brady also loves his bath and sometimes get a few each day just to calm him down

(it's his place of total zen..Ha!)

Brady is growing like a weed! he gets bigger and new rolls on his legs by the week!

I love you Pumpkin Pie!

All Smiles

2010-10-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

Brady is always giving me crazy smiles!

I love that he is for the most part a really happy baby

(now that the colic is gone HALLELUJAH!!)

He smiles at me all day long,

but my favorite smile is at 4:30 in the morning.

I know that sounds really weird, but it's true.

He is wide awake (hungry) but just SO happy to see me when I peak over

his crib and say "Good Morning Lovebug!"

I love how squinty his eyes get because his cheeks are SO big when he smiles....

This is his shy/coy smile on the left and his ALL OUT happy smile on the right.

The kid has a million different smiles and I love each and every one of them!

Took It Like a Champ!!

2010-10-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

Brady Michael Bakken @ 2 Months

13.5 lbs. (80th %)

23.5 in (77th %)

Head size___? (23rd%)

Brady took another visit to the Doc's at 2 months. The days seemed to fly by! I swear we were just at the

doc's for his 2 week check up and then BAM! 2 months was here before I knew it.

He has a wonderful pediatrician (even though he is crying in this picture)
She is very tender and loving and always answers all of my crazy questions.

He just realized, "Hey this lady aint so bad after all"

His smile just makes me melt...

Mom is staring at the needles about to poke my lil' boy...
Brady can't stop staring at Nana, wondering why she keeps taking
all of these crazy pictures...

Then I showed him the needles and told him to be a big boy...
and this is the face I got ;)

The nurse then prepared his little leggies for his shots....

...and BAM he is in a world of pain...
"WHY WHY WHY are you hurting me??"

I was so glad Nana K was in town for the weekend before she had to go home to teach.
She was able to come with me to the appointment, and tell me Brady was ok because
I definitely got a little teary eyed watching

Brady scream and cry when they gave him his shots!

But he was very easily soothed after, which I was very surprised at.
He calmed down pretty quick after a few big hugs and kisses from momma.

...and now he is completely back to normal after gettin' his favorite treat!
MILK!!!

I was so proud of how well Brady did with his shots. I thought for sure he was gonna

be so hard to console afterward. But he was a big boy and took them like a champ!

We love our little chunky pinhead!

P.S. How in the world do you make a kid's head grow to catch up with his body?!

I know how to put meat on bones but NO idea how to help lil' pinhead grow!

Maybe we will need to read to him more and expand that brain of his! :)

Tummy Time

2010-10-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

We are tryin' to work on Brady's skills so we are always puttin' him on his belly.

Grow muscles grow!! It's so funny to see his little head bobble all around.

He is gettin' stronger everyday, and LOVES to stand on his feet and will

smile all day at you that way. I have a feeling as soon as we get him a "Johnny Jumper"

his quads just might double in size!

...My sweet lil' munchkin...

...Look at this handsome kiddo...

...Really gettin' into tummy time...this is serious business mom....

....Love those big ol' cheeks....

....Such a cutie pie.....

Our Cali Boy

2010-10-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

Michael says that Brady isn't allowed to wear his Cali T-Shirt because he has never even BEEN to Cali....

P.S. The kid blows bubbles all the time, it's quite entertaining...

Well I say he is a Cali boy at heart! Both his parents are from there so he is practically

grandfathered in or an honorary one right? Right! I mean I still say I'm from California when I am

traveling when CLEARLY I live in Utah. But who WANTS to say they are from Utah? (Sorry to all those

from Utah, Ca just has my heart) So Brady can wear his California T (Thank you Midge!) to MY hearts

content...cuz let's get real he can't choose what he wears yet!

But I can't wait for the days

when he wants to wear cowboy boots, a diaper and a cape out in public!

Brady LOVES the "airplane" and he was a VERY good traveler...

so maybe that's a sign that we need to get him to CA ASAP!!

Anywho...i LOVE being a mom with all my heart! He makes my life!

Love that little pumpkin!