H-A-doubleL-O-doubleU-doubleE-N

Last night was our ward Trunk-or-Treat!

I contemplated being a vampire:

While Bradshaw contemplated being Buddha.

We finally decided to do a family costume:

Of course, we don't have a Pebbles in our family, but we do have a Bam-Bam:

(Yep. He was pretty happy to carry a club.)
Here are some pictures from the party:

(Above) Our good friends, Amber & Brian

Savannah (in the pink) is one of my sweet Achievement Day girls

Princess Leia made my night. She hugged me around the waist and whispered, "I think you're an angel."

We had so much fun! Bradshaw was past exhausted by the time we made it home.

May you have many trick-or-treaters & a great evening watching Halloween movies and eating fall treats!

Mommy Moment

Bradshaw had been napping for a few hours when I heard him talking in his crib. I went to the door to see what he was doing. He had his back to me, and he was standing up dancing (arms and all) to his music mobile. So cute.

Fight

You should've seen the other guy.

(Just kidding.) The story of his fat lip begins Saturday Morning.

We packed Bradshaw, lunch & warm jackets in the car. It was drizzling outside but we were not going to let rain get in the way of our plans to see West Virginia (C'mon. Colonial homes, 18th Century ambiance, all amid the fall colors. Who could pass that up?)

The rain started coming down much harder during the hour drive. At Harper's Ferry, where the Potomac & Shenandoah rivers collide, we decided to brave the rain.

By the time we returned to the car, we were soaked to the skin and Bradshaw's little teeth were chattering. We decided to take shelter in Walmart.

Fast forward to Bradshaw riding a trike in the toy aisle. Suddenly, he sees a toy he wants more than the bike. He makes it successfully off the tricycle but immediately gets his foot caught on the pedal. Slam. Tooth in lip. Blood dripping off his chin. Blood smeared across his cheeks & nose. Blood covering my hands as I run with him to the bathroom. Blood, blood, blood.

He had long stopped crying and wanted to play in the sink while I was trying to clean him off. But because of how he looked, Walmart employees were crowding into the bathroom on walkie-talkies, handing me ice packs & alcohol swabs and cooing over the poor baby.

Bradshaw was eating it up. Smiling, waving, clapping, holding his arms out to strangers. Before we left, we had to file an incidence report. (No Walmart, of course we won't sue you. Thank you for being so kind to us and our baby.)

And then we drove home. It never stopped raining.

13 Months

Bradshaw is definitely a toddler. It is so endearing it is to hear his little footsteps in the kitchen or have him toddle up and hug a leg.

He's a drooling machine. He has 8 teeth and the pediatrician says he's starting the back molars.

The adjective that best describes this 13-month-old is excitable. He has the biggest reactions to the smallest things. He screams in delight, claps, and waves his arms until he knocks himself over. (Wait 30 seconds. Repeat.)That (spoons, wisks, etc.) is his bucket of treasures. He will stand below it and beg for another utensil. At any give point, we can find a few ladles in his bed.

He loves to share his food. Don't get too close while he's in his highchair or he'll extend his little clutched fist offering a soggy treat. His staple foods are tomatoes and oranges.

Sous-Chef Extraordinaire

(I'm in Texas at my parent's home...)

For Family Home Evening, we decided to have Colton share one of his talents (cooking) and teach us to make flan.

Here is Colton, the Chef de Cuisine...

And our little sous-chef extraordinaire

Bradshaw never took his eyes off what Colton was doing.

The result was both flawless in presentation and delicious! Thanks Colt.

Brant & Kristen's Visit:

The Lincoln MemorialOur cowboys. hehe. Brant & Dustinn
View of the National Monument from the Lincoln Memorial (isn't the sky gorgeous!)

We loved the Air & Space Museum. This is Kristen, Megan & I in front of the stewardess display. Did you know that, historically, stewardesses were fired if they got married, gained weight, wore eyeglasses, or turned 30 years of age?

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was watching the guys interact with Bradshaw. They are all guy and then so sweet with the baby! I saw Bradshaw holding Brant's hand during the drive and then Mang took Bradshaw all during dinner (Dustinn and I were just chillin and enjoying the food.) Bradshaw really had fun with his "Uncle Mang." The babe was laughing his head off as Mang was chasing him on all fours.

We went to the Jefferson Memorial at night. It was very beautiful.

Dustinn, Mang, Brant

Valery, Megan, Kristen

...And the other's gold.

When Dustinn was 8 or 9 years old, his family moved from California to Colleyville, Texas.
In his Colleyville ward (church congregation) there were many boys his age.

These guys did all sorts of things together (such as backpacking trips, becoming Eagle Scouts, mischief, hair dye, duct taping Dere, etc.)

They also started a band called OJ and the Brantis Orangutangs.

Dustinn (below) is in blue with the red headband.

I got to meet most of these guys when they were rooming together at BYU. (Actually, one of the guys introduced Dustinn and I.)
They are all such good guys; and luckily for me, these amazing guys married equally amazing girls. Life just keeps getting better and better!

We are fortunate enough to live near part of the group, Mang & Megan Coplen AND last month, Brant & Kristen Harrison flew in to visit. Next post will be pictures of the visit.

103 Degrees Fahrenheit

This was Bradshaw's face for the entire weekend. He had a high fever and felt miserable.

However, we were fortunate enough to be with family in New Jersey and he received so much attention and sweetness. I loved hearing Deanna sing & play on the piano while Bradshaw made it a duet. And Cami and Kevan were endlessly entertaining him.

And someone ordered two hot air balloons to land next to the house. =)

And even though Bradshaw was very cranky. He was an angel during the sessions of Conference. It was a very special experience to listen to God's prophets and apostles.

To Curtis, Deanna, Cami & Kevan; we'd like to say,

"Thank you! Love you! Miss you!"

An Obsession with Cars

shrill: 1. having or emitting a sharp high-pitched tone or sound; piercing 2. Bradshaw

My, my, what a helpful lad.

Did you know...

...that a female Panda can freeze a pregnancy for up to 135 days?

Bradshaw and I went to the National Zoo today. I love it there. Bradshaw's favorite part was the petting zoo. As soon as we got near the Jersey cows, he pointed his little finger at them and yelled, "cowuh!" I could've burst with pride.
Then I took him to the goats and he repeated right after me "got!"

Then we saw the monkeys and he squealed "cowuh!" At the cheetahs he screamed "cowuh!" Oh well. At least he has one down.

The i-will-not-leave-without-a-fight Face

Classic.

Sound included.

12 Months: "It's the Grand Shawshi's Birthday!"

It's true! Mr. Shaw is one year old.

Dustinn & I are so grateful for his sweet little personality.
He fills our apartment with happy noises. He talks while playing with his toys and if he sees either Dustinn or me watching him, he'll stop and smile up at us. He'll sit attentively and listen to books and laugh at certain pages (I can't figure out what he is finding funny!)
He makes us very happy.

Also, at 12 months old:

• He plays destructively! (Maybe that's all little boys?) He'll grab an object, swing it around his head several times, proceed to the hardest surface he can find and smash it repeatedly, then chuck it in the corner. And, of course, he does this all with a big grin.
• He is also really into "un-doing." This is fine when it comes to unpacking boxes but less pleasant when I am carrying armfuls of wet clothing from the washers to the driers. (He stands like a sentinel at the drier door to pull the clothes out onto the floor.)
• He'll meet eyes with me, hold the stare, and slowly bring something he is not supposed to eat (quarter, rubber band, etc.) to his mouth.
• He lifts the toilet lid and sucks on Daddy's discarded nose-blown tissue. Gross! (Note: I do not freely permit him to do this. It only occurs in the door is left open and he makes a dash for it.)
• He can turn on our gas stove.
• He takes wobbly steps.
• He is a sturdy stander. He pushes himself to standing and free-stands for long periods of time (while examining a particular toy, being dressed, etc.)
• And, when being dressed, he gets his arms through the sleeves by himself.
• He has begun to mimic. When he says Mama, my reply is always "Yes?" Sometimes he echoes "Yiis" in his high teeny little voice. It is so cute.
• He can say cow, dog, up, coo (cookie...we think), hot & car.
• He will address Dustinn or I (Dada/Mama) and then directly demand BABA (bottle.)
• He loves to point at things...like the squirrels in our complex.
• He can find a beat anywhere. He does the baby bop to the Mexican Polka downstairs, the phone's dial tone & the tick of a hospital CAT scan. In addition to the up-&-down bop, he began swinging his diaper side-to-side. (It's super cute.)

Thank you for celebrating his birthday with us. Here are the cake pictures:

#1. He started out pretty clean

#2. Then he rubbed frosting into his eyes

#3. Daddy came to the rescue and wiped the frosting out of his eyes

#4. Then into the bathtub