Mommy's in trouble now....

Things are about to get interesting around here!! I walked out of the room, came back in... and this is how I found Brian... :)

8 1/2 months and counting!

Where has the time gone?!?!? Here are Brian's 8 month pictures. He is getting so big! He's hand and knee crawling now (still resorts back to the army crawl if he's not getting there fast enough!) He's saying "mama" and trying to say either "baby" or "ball"... not sure which... maybe both! I found him standing up on his own the other day...yikes! He is learning something new every single day and he is definitely keeping me on my toes! Time to baby-proof the house :)

Brian's first Christmas tree!

Christmas is absolutely my favorite holiday and I am SO excited to experience it now as a Mom. I know Brian doesn't understand what is going on right now, but it is so much fun for me to celebrate this Christmas with him. The tree has always been such a centerpiece in our family - adorned with personal ornaments - homemade ones, fun ones, and sentimental ones. It's always had colored lights and it's always beautiful. I loved our Christmas tree growing up and I hope Brian will love it as he grows up. Because I want him to know how special it is from the very start, I put his own little tree in his room that he can look at any time he wants to. I love it. And, he loves looking at it! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow, ok - I know, I know - I am really far behind on posting. There's just been a lot going on, and I haven't had the time to sit down and update. Sorry! :) This Thanksgiving, I have so much to be thankful for. We have a beautiful, healthy, happy and amazing little boy who has filled the last 8 months with so much love and happiness. I am so thankful for him, and the joy he brings to our lives. I thank God everyday for blessing us with Brian. He truly is a gift!! We went to my parents house for Thanksgiving. My Grandpa and Grandma were supposed to come in, but they couldn't make their flight. :( But, we had a really nice day with wonderful food - THANKS MOM!!! Brian got to experience his first Thanksgiving dinner... he even got to try sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and some turkey... none of which he really cared for! hahaha! But, it was a really great day!

Showing off his teeth!

Brian has two teeth now and wanted to show everyone!

Remembering Brian

Today is the 14th anniversary of Brian's death. It is so hard for me to comprehend that it has been 14 years since I have seen Brian, heard his voice, given him a hug, or gotten into a fight with him. I think about him every day, but the days leading up to today have been especially hard for me. It was harder for me because, for the first time, I can understand what my parents have gone through. I was holding Brian today and just cried because I can't imagine anything ever happening to him. As a parent, my heart aches even more for my parents and the pain they must still feel after losing a child. It's unimaginable. And it was also hard for me, because Brian will never know the uncle from whom he got his name. That breaks my heart. But, we are so proud to carry on Brian's name through our son. It brings joy to my heart and makes me happy every time I say his name. And, while Brian will never know his Uncle Brian, I know that he will always be with him as his guardian angel, keeping him safe. We love and miss you so much, Brian. And while it's been 14 years, there hasn't been a day that has gone by that you've not been thought about or missed. Your name, and your spirit, will live on.

Visiting with the Ayvazian Family

Vahe's parents were in town recently and Brian got to spend some quality time with them. We went to Annie's a couple of days and hosted everyone for dinner at our house. Brian had a lot of fun playing with his cousins (he LOVES watching them... it's so cool to see!). He also had a great time playing the piano with Grandpa! It's very clear that Brian loves his music. :) It was a really great visit and we're looking forward to seeing them again at Christmas time.

The end of the Sweet Peace

So, this happened about two weeks ago... and I just wanted to post about it. The Sweet Peace swing was a gift from Mom and Dad. It was up in our room and Brian slept and napped in it for the first month of his life. He loved listening to the Beatles lullabies and the gentle motion of it while he slept. We then moved him from his swing to his bassinet and then eventually his crib. Two weeks ago, I put Brian in his sweet peace for the last time. He has definitely outgrown it. It's bittersweet for me because that was so special to him and to us. That was his comfort zone for so long. It's now in the basement... awaiting a brother or sister to enjoy it just as much as Brian did. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for this special gift. :)

Baby's First "Boo!"

Brian was a pumpkin for Halloween and he was SO cute! He had a lot of fun! We walked him around the neighborhood and he got to see all of his friends and got some candy (that we will be eating!!!) :) It was a cold night, so we went back to the house and I put him in some warm comfy clothes and he hung out outside while we passed out candy to the trick-or-treaters! Grammy and Grandpa came over with a fun Halloween gift for Brian (packed with food, jammies and some fun toys - even his own remote control!!!) It was a really fun day and I can't wait til Halloween next year when he can walk to the houses!! :) I hope you all had a great Halloween, too!

Love,

Lauren

Sweet Decadence.... Hello Fall!

I heart the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks!!! I got my first one of the season today and it was sooooo yummy. If you like pumpkin, and haven't tried it yet, do so. NOW. And, don't skip the whip cream... that's just not fun!

Brian doing the "wounded soldier army scoot" - LOL!!!!

7 Month Birthday Gift!

Brian is 7 months old today!!! I can't believe how quickly time has flown. He is getting so big... and he has officially outgrown his "baby" carseat. Vahe and I decided that it was time to get him a big boy carseat. So, that was his gift this morning... and you can see that it looks a BIT more comfortable to the one that he's been in since he was born. It made me sad, but at the same time, I am looking forward to not having to lug that extremely heavy carseat around anymore! I'll be taking his 7-month pictures this week and will be sure to post them! But, for now - enjoy these pics of his new car "home". :)

Oh, and P.S. - Brian cut his first tooth. It's showing more and more everyday... :)

Look Mommy, I crawled under the table!!

Ok, so technically he isn't crawling. But, he's mobile. He scoots with the best of them. I turn my head for ONE SECOND and he's found himself under the coffee table. He seems so proud....

Jumpy, Jumpy, Jumpy!

Brian has something new to do! Our friends Nicole and Luke let us borrow Luke's doorway jumper because he's too big for/bored with it now! :) So, Brian gets to play in it now!! Thank you, Luke, for sharing the fun!

Pumpkin Patch!

On Saturday, Vahe, Brian and I went to a pumpkin patch! It was a lot of fun, though Brian didn't nap and he was thoroughly exhausted!! We went to the petting zoo where he got to see a donkey, a llama (which got loose!!! Hilarious!), bunnies, kittens, baby chicks, ponies and some cows. We took a hayride and were able to feed the cows that came right up to the wagon. Brian wasn't even phased by them... though the other little kids on the ride were freaking out! LOL Brian got his first baby pumpkin... he helped Mommy pick it out. We had some hot cider and overall, it was a great day! :)

Just another sign of my baby growing up!

I lowered Brian's playpen and let him play in it today! He loved it! I thought it might be scary for him, but not so much! He really had fun in it!! :)