Playing with Brendan and photo shoot! :)

Okay...this is going to be a long one, 'cause Mommy took a ton of pictures last night and tonight. :) Little man was being so cute! :) I couldn't possibly pick between all these pictures...they're all cute. So enjoy the looooong post! : )

This is daddy showing him what a baseball bat is...

Learning how to hold the bat...

Just a cute picture of him...our little athlete. He's SO STRONG he could hold the bat himself!

He threw himself backward into Daddy's hands...I think the look on his face is fun. "Hi Dad!"

I love his big blue eyes in this one...
Okay...now jump to tonight...we were getting him ready for bed. I wanted to take some pictures of his muscley little self to show the grandmas and the grandpas. He's SO STRONG! His little back is so muscley. :) These pictures just don't show it...but they're still cute. The little superman pulled over a big wooden chair the other day! We were lucky he didn't hit himself with it. AND he pulled a baby girl OLDER than him completely across his lap to his other side with one hand at church. Just Whoosh! And he pulled her across himself. And then clobbered her. He doesn't understand his own strength and hurts people...especially momma. I should've taken a picture of my eye...I have a big red spot on my eyeball where he karate chopped me in his sleep. The dude is SO STRONG! LOL

For some reason the videos I kept trying to put on here won't work...so they'll be on the next post. Grrrrrrr.

Here's him lounging on our bed...smiling away...

Okay...an 8 month old is NOT supposed to be this tall!!!! (Note the cute chubby leg rolls...but no tummy roll! He's solid in the middle.) Look at this little brute! He is solid. "Brendan get what Brendan want" is Lamar's motto for him.
The little charmer...

He's so much fun!

Okay...I realize this next one is not the cutest one of his face...he's spitting. BUT LOOK AT THOSE SUMO LEGS!!!!!!! LOL! Another brute shot...RAAAAH! Don't mess with Brendan!

He's so giggly!!!Our happy little guy...again...note the muscles! This one makes me laugh...his little double chin. He was just cracking up at who knows what...so was I! I love the mysterious dimple in his right cheek...neither Lamar nor I have dimples...not sure which side of the family that came from! :) We LOVE it!Okay...I SWEAR to you he was posing for these next several pictures...the little ham. Especially this one, at eight months old!!!! Sorry it's slightly blurry, but I wanted to show his funny little expression... I mean look at this kid!!! He's totally posing 'cause he knows the camera is on him! He was NOT doing those faces until I pulled up the camera...uh oh...the little actor is taking after mommy...
Totally smiled when he saw the camera...
Again... And another ham shot...he was really not in that good of a mood. He was more in a mood to take photos...it was cracking me up!!!Then of course he fell over...I know this shot is super blurry, but look at that stomach! He has a total barrell chest with really strong tummy muscles...it makes me laugh...look at how thick his mid-section is!!! He is ALL BOY. In his sleeper finally...again with the posing smile...

Playing with Mommy...Daddy picked up the camera...

Giggling together...I just can't believe he looks me in the eye standing on the same level I'm sitting...he's SO TALL!

Okay, so I realize this is NOT the best picture of me...by far...but I liked this one of us laughing together too...even though I look horrible. It's all good...it's the moment that counts, right? :)

My first Mother's Day and Brendan's first tooth!

First of all, Brendan got his first tooth last Monday!!!!! He had been sticking his tongue out all last weekend when the Winkel family was here, and Monday out it came! So we took some pictures of it tonight. It's SO CUTE! I can't believe he's growing up so fast!!!!

It took us a couple of pictures to get a shot of the tooth...

Brendan...hold still! :) He was trying to jump jump jump the whole time...

Almost got it.... got a smile!! You can sorta see it...

THERE IT IS!!! His first tooth! :) The one next to it is not far behind...

ALSO a new first this week ....HE SAID "MAMA"!!!!! Over and over again. On Mother's Day nonetheless! SO CUTE! My heart wanted to burst with joy each time he said it today. :) What a perfect present. :) I tried to get it on video tonight of him saying it, but he only says it when he wants to, and it's always a surprise. It's cute though...when he does say it, sometimes he'll look up at me with a big surprised grin like "Hey mom...did you hear me? I said mama!" It's darling. :)

I was so happy today...to finally be in the 'mommy club' at church. I know some women have such a hard time on Mother's Day...it breaks my heart sometimes. It was so fun though today, to be struggling to hold onto a jumping bean during Sacrament Meeting for the first time on Mother's Day. To finally be able to understand what it means to be a mommy. Last year I was very pregnant, so I was an almost-mommy last year on Mother's Day. So it was cool to be holding a healthy, squealing, happy baby boy today. :) I LOVE being Brendan's Mommy!!!! He is such a blessing in my life. I love you Mom and Grandma! Happy Mother's Day to you too! AND especially to my little sister Cherie...Happy Mother's Day to you too...I know how long you've wanted to be a Mommy and all the struggles...I'm so happy for us both. First time Mommies!!!! :) Yay for us both. :) Happy Mother's Day to everyone else too. :)

Uh oh!!! How we found Brendan

I left the room for a sec to get some more toys for Brendan to play with in his crib, and this is what I came back to....AHHHHH!!!!!!

Lamar, in post haste, removed the crib, lowered it, and now we can safely put him back in there. The little stinker. We had no idea he could pull himself to standing yet. He was looking over the edge of the crib looking at his toy he dropped...good thing I came back in when I did. Oops!

Brendan's HUGE sinister belly laughs

Okay...this is my favorite video ever. Brendan was SO tired he was falling asleep in his highchair right before I started playing this game. He was so silly and giddy. I put his baby spoon in my mouth and spit it out over and over and apparently it was the funniest thing he's ever seen. But he's been laughing hysterically at this game ALL DAY and tonight too! FUN!!! We've played it with water bottles, baby food jar lids, toys, etc. Laughs abundant today! :)
I love how his laugh kinda sounds sinister...a little bit manic, a little evil, but CUTE! :)
The poor thing has inherited my obnoxious laugh, that's for sure! :)

Aunt Shoni's SUU Graduation/Winkel family reunion

This is going to be a long post! It was a VERY eventful weekend with the Winkel family! Mama and Papa Winkel flew in Friday morning and then Aaron (Lamar's oldest brother) came in Friday night. Saturday morning we left really early to head up to Cedar for Shoni's SUU graduation!

We were on our way to Cedar City when an RV blew up...stopped the I15 for almost a half hour.

So...as I sat in the car the rest of the Winkel clan got out and walked amongst the cars talking to everyone, and getting a traffic update for everyone by hiking up the median. I love that about the Winkels...they are so friendly and cute. Papa Winkel was out looking for bottles and snakes while we waited. Lamar and Aaron were on dad patrol to make sure Papa Winkel didn't venture too far, in case we started moving again. Brendan loved all the cars...Lamar took him on a tour of the freeway too. It was humorous, but sad 'cause we missed breakfast with Shoni due to the traffic stop!

I dropped off Mama and Papa Winkel, Lamar, and Aaron off at the SUU graduation and went to visit my old best friend John Marriott. He recently came down with leukemia and I wanted to see him. It was also his birthday. He looks REMARKABLY good for just going through a month of chemo at the Hunstman Center in SLC. He was in good spirits and moved around pretty good for being so weak! It was his first time meeting Brendan! I actually hadn't seen him in over two years as well. TOO LONG! I love my Johnny!!!!

Shoni and Cindy (cousin) both graduated/walked from SUU with their masters!!! They are both school teachers. AND extremely talented. These ladies are always the leads in the musicals in UT. :) We thought this was pretty funny...

It was a mini family reunion! There was another Handy cousin that also graduated! We got a picture of the entire family there. It was too bad we didn't get much time with them!

Brendan loved all the new people! He really liked Mark, Kristi's hubby. (Kristi is Lamar's sister)

It's Kristi and Kendra! Kendra weighs the same as Brendan and she is 2 years old! LOL! She is sooo pretty. :)

Another one of Mark and Brendan playing...

Lamar and I were walking on this huge lawn on the SUU campus and Lamar stopped me to take a picture of our shadows together. I thought it was very cute of him! I like this one. :) Nice that we had a huge bag in between us...lol

Mark was still holding Brendan was Lamar took this (we think) ADORABLE picture of Brendan! We're biased...

Shoni the graduate finally got a chance to hold Brendan! He loved everyone and would go to anyone.

Brendan and Kendra were playing on the grass together! They weigh the same...LOL!

Brendan kept trying to touch Kendra...even attempted to hug her legs at one point and face planted into the grass. Didn't phase him...sat right back up and played. :)

After the graduation we drove back down to St. George and went to Mark's family's home for dinner. It was wonderful! Brendan and Kendra were playing together again...so cute! Remember, he's 8 mos, she's 2. :) LOL

Everyone was laughing at Brendan's cute leg rolls...his legs are quite chubby compared to Kendra's!!! :) We ate at the Vicker's home which sat on a golf course in St. George. It was such a beautiful home! Their balcony was so pretty, with such a great view We took a Winkel family picture. It was fun to see so many of the family in one weekend!

Here's a video of Kendra playing with a balloon, and Brendan watching her intensely!

Back at our house Papa Winkel was teasing Brendan and Brendan was giggling up a storm...

This is a cute video of Grandpa Winkel swinging Brendan in his car seat. I was so worried he was going to hurt his back! It was so cute though...hearing Brendan giggling at him. He LOVES Grandpa Winkel! :)

Then we drove back to Vegas Saturday night! Sunday we went to our Stake Conference and then drove to Uncle Ron Winkel's house! We saw Ron and Vickie, their kids Nathan and Elena, and Lamar's cousin Von came with his new wife Sierra Jane too! It was such a fun night of old stories and laughter. We had a blast. :)

This is of Ron and Gpa Winkel (Ken) laughing about old stories. They told some good ones! :D They had us all in stitches. :)

Vickie, Sierra Jane, Von...

Gma Winkel (Liz) and Lamar...

Brendan loved Elena!!! She was so cute with him all night! Aaron loved Brendan too! I love this shot of Brendan and his little chubby tummy hanging out.

Brendan was sticking his tongue out all weekend 'cause a new tooth came in! He's growing up so fast! He just got his first tooth. I'll see if I can get a picture of it later...it's cute. :)

Looking up at Grandma Winkel! I think this is darling...

I finally got a Winkel '3 Generations' picture! Ken, Lamar, and Brendan! :) So sweet. :)

It was SUCH a fun weekend! We were sad to see everyone go this morning. :) LOVE YOU ALL!