pumpkins, veggies, and games...oh my!!!

This has been a fun but busy weekend. On Friday night, Jason and I had a Wii Fit battle. It all started because the cake that i had made that day didn't turn out to my standards of perfection and i was mad about it. I couldn't sleep and so i got up to go get some energy out and play the wii fit. Jason then got up and it turned into a battle to get the highest score at soccer. I got killed! Jason not only slammed my score he did it over and over and eventually kicked my off the score board! It's going to take me a long time to get close to his record of over 450! On Saturday, I went up to Elk, Grove where Brooks and AmyAnn live to help AmyAnn decorate her apartment. We had a fun time together running around all over the place and spending money. While, running errands we went to a store called "Once Upon a Child". It is a consignment store. I found the cutest Halloween costume for Brayden. We got him a pumpkin and a tigger costume. Only 5$ each and almost brand new! The pumpkin costume might not fit him by the time Halloween comes around so i came home and put him in it. Brayden was tired and he didn't like it too much. I put him in it again today and while i didn't get a smile he didn't cry this time. On Sunday Jason and I had to speak in church. It went fine and it was nice to meet more people in the ward as a result of it. After church we went up to Jason's brother's house, who also lives in Elk Grove. Brooks and AmyAnn also came over. We all had dinner together and then we had a great game of Settlers of Catan with my sister-in-law Katie winning the game. It was a close one!
On another note...Brayden has been eating baby food now for a couple of weeks and loves it. He has tried applesauce, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, peaches, bananas, pears, and prunes. He hates the peas and the prunes but loves everything else. So far, sweet potatoes are his favorite. He loves when you do the airplane with the spoon into his mouth and he also loves playing with his spoon after hes done. Were headed to Atlanta this week to go boating with the Rupp family for a week and we are so excited! Keep posted for all our adventures with that.

Fo-Hawk Finally!

I am so excited that Brayden can finally have a fo-hawk! Yay! He was born with a full head of brown hair and then it all fell out. So, by the time he was home from the hospital and I could do it there wasn't enough hair anymore. Well, today, there was finally enough hair! The top has finally grown in enough! The hair is still growing so it should keep improving! We'll see...

Things we love....

Here are some things that Brayden has come to love and also things we love too... Since the day Brayden was born he has had his little tigger. We put it in his incubator in the hospital with him. At that time, they were somewhat the same size but Brayden continues to grow like a weed...but a cute one and one we want to keep! He still loves his tigger and likes playing with him...
Brayden also loves trying to eat everything that is within reach including hands...food...clothes..blankets...and his toys.

Brayden loves Popsicles. Yes, Emily lets him lick her Popsicles. Since Emily is a Popsicle lover herself, this happens a few times a week. Brayden has gotten to where he will cry if he doesn't get a taste of mom's Popsicle. He loves them and loves making a big mess too! (This is only a tiny mess in the picture!) Both Emily and Brayden love the all fruit Popsicles! So Good!
This is one of every one's favorites...nap time! We titled this picture "The Good Life". Brayden decided to sprawl across Jason and snuggle in and take his nap. But we didn't protest. It meant three things: 1: a happier baby, 2: quiet, and 3: we could get some stuff done...well in this case Emily could. Jason just kept watching the Olympics.


We also love taking family walks together and playing Nintendo 64 Ultimate Tetris together. We have come to love certain foods as well. Our top ones include: bacon, brownies, and Outback's cheese fries. Jason still loves his koolaid and emily still loves her chocolate!

We love spending time with other family and friends as well!

jump...jump...jump

We bought Brayden a johnny jumper this week and we have gotten mixed results. However, he has started to catch on and jump and move on his own. He sits and plays with the toys in the front which light up and sing when he touches them. We have noticed that since we have gotten him this he has become 10x more wigglier. Is that even possible? He can't sit still...he wants to kick and bat at things and try to talk to us. If he's not doing one of those things he's trying to eat his hand or whatever is close to this mouth. Gotta love the little guy. Just when mom was getting the hang of things they go and change all over again!

Project this...

This is Jason's beloved projector screen. It can adjust to 80" or 65". Of course, it can't ever be just 65"...it has to be the full 80" or there is no point in using it. Jason loves his projector. It's one of his babies from his bachelor days. This is the history of the projector:
Jason was the ultimate bachelor for a good amount of time. He had a great job, his own house, and lots of toys and gadgets to fill it with. He used the whole living room wall as the projector screen. But in bachelor ghetto style, he covered up the windows with sheets to make it dark enough...and then left the sheets there 24-7. I came to visit before we got married and saw the beloved projector. I told Jason the set up wouldn't last because 1-the sheets were ugly and tacky, 2-he took up a great wall. I wanted to hang pictures on it and i couldn't if it was used as the projector screen....anyway....And then....we got married! And I moved in and I learned the projector wasn't a battle that was worth fighting (most days :) ) I wanted to take over the house...clean...decorate...move furniture...totally change Jason's bachelor pad. And I didn't like feeling like I had to compete with Jason's favorite Xbox Star Wars game. That gun and light saber sound gets so annoying! He didn't like that idea so much. I have never met a guy who has such a big opinion when it comes to decorating. Jason claims its because it's what he does for a living...no...you build the houses not decorate them silly!
Anyway...it didn't matter much...we switched houses with Jason's parents 3 1/2 months after getting married and we moved to Oahu. The projector stayed on Kauai. But then...we moved to our current location in Northern California...of course the projector moved with us.
At first, Jason wanted to use a wall in the living room as the screen again but I said no! So then we actually took out the projector screen out of its box and realized that it opens and closes. How convenient. So, I agreed to let Jason mount the screen to the wall (its only like 6 inches wide when closed)...but we also kept the TV in the room as well. Now we have a beautiful compromise...we still have the TV for convenience but we also have the projector for movies and to play any video games on...and since we have every system possible (excluding Atari and Sega) it works out great!
So...what did Emily learn from all of this?...nothing new...except that i actually like using the projector for the most part...but...i, once again, learned that marriage is all about the art of compromise. But...its so worth it! I love you Jason!

Brayden is now 4 months old. We have come a long way in that time.
We have gone from the NICU at the hospital, breathing aids, IV's, and 4 pounds 2.8 ounces and then down to 3 1/2 pounds to 14 pounds at 4 months. We are so proud of our little Brayden and all the progress he is making. He is such a blessing and joy in our life! Here are some videos that show just how far he has come!

This is Brayden 3 days after he was born!

This is Brayden a week shy of 4 months!