4 Months

Beckham Brooks,

You are now 4 months old! Wow, how the time flies! I can't even begin to describe how much fun you are these days. You laugh, giggle, smile more and more everyday. You're still working on the whole sleep training thing. Some nights are definitely better than others, but that's expected. You love to stand on our laps and just look around. You seem so curious about everything, which I love! We tried giving you some cereal, but that didn't seem to sit well with your sensitive tummy. So, we're going to hold off on that for a couple more weeks. But I have to admit, watching you try out some oatmeal and banana cereal was one of the funniest things you've done to date. You weren't quite sure what to make of it and kept looking at me like "why are you doing this to me?"
One of your favorite things to do these days is to be on your tummy and work on your scooting skills. You can tell that you want move so bad. Each day, you get better and better. I'm sure you'll be scooting around in no time. You also love to sit in your bumbo on the kitchen island. You just sit there and watch your dad and I cook, wrap presents, make a bottle, etc.. Like I said earlier, I love how curious you are.


I know one of your dad's favorite activities is to play superman with you. You absolutely love it! You giggle and laugh so hard..it's so darn cute. You've also become quite the snuggle bunny. One of my favorite things is when you snuggle your head into my neck and have your arms around my shoulders. You love to just lay on me and hang out. I hope that sticks around forever!!!! Well, you may not want to snuggle so much when you hit your teen years, but I can be hopeful!

It's amazing to me that you've grown so much in the last month. It's like one morning, I woke up and you looked so different. You seemed more lean and definitely longer! When we were at the doctor this week, she thought you may end up being 5'10! We were shocked, considering your dad and I aren't tall people. You must have some Woodward in ya somehwere. I have loved every single moment with you. That of course, includes the sleepless nights and the fussy times.


I cannot wait to see what you do next! Next week is your first Christmas, I'm very excited to see what you think of wrapping paper and the family activities. You'll experience your first Hummel Christmas Eve party. Hope you're ready, there's going to be lots of people that will want to play with you and hold you! This exact time last year, is when we found out you were growing in my belly! It was the best Christmas gift I've ever had.


So, here we go into the month 5! Keep the fun coming! xoxo
We love you, Beckham Brooks

He wants to move!

Here is a video of Becks starting to move! He actually starts to scoot a little.. we couldn't believe! Please be patient as it takes our little performer to warm up. Also, excuse the videographer, it was taken on Brian's iphone. Looks like Becks is gonna be mobile before too long...Watch out!

Sweet face

I love this picture of Beck. He loves to snuggle and has such a sweet face...love him to pieces!

CIO

Day 1

For those of you who don't know, CIO = Cry It Out. This is our method for sleep training Beck. Last night was our first day of this. He did so good! Last night we gave him a bottle, bath, book and bed. Mother's call it the 4 B's. Beck went down between 7 and 730. He only cried for about 10 minutes, which is great! I gave him a "dream feeding" at 10:15pm and he didn't even wake up when I was burping him. I was shocked! (Dream feeding is when you pick your baby up out of the crib without waking him, feed him, burp him and put him back to bed) He slept great the whole night! At about 4 am and 5 am, I had to go put his paci in and then he slept til 715 am this morning! I was so proud of him!! I'm hoping this keeps up and he transitions easily into his new routine.

Night #2 here we go (ding, ding)

Hands

Beck seems to have big hands and we can't quite figure out what side of the family they came from. What do you think? Any resemblance? I love these pictures... definitely framers!


Beckham absolutely loves Uncle EE (Brian's brother, Ian). None of us could get Becks to calm down and go to sleep except one person... EE! Beck always smiles whenever EE is around, it's so cute! (I love how Beckham is looking at him in this pic)

Tummy Time

Beckham loves some tummy time on his new mat!

Manhappy

Last weekend we ventured off to Manhappy for the weekend. It was a great time! Friday, we went down to RAB with the Abbott crew and for some reason every time we go down there, Beckham instantly falls asleep. Haha, it must be the constant noise. Saturday we took Becks to the game for a bit. He didn't actually go into the game, but did tailgate. He was very tired, but a trooper while we were there. We also saw Thad, Brian's cousin. He is a natural Chiropractor and worked on Becks over the weekend. Oh my lands, Thad is our new favorite person!! After working on Beckham, he's like a completely different baby. He didn't crack or adjust Becks, it was more like a massage technique. Let's just say before we saw Thad, Beckham was only sleeping a 4 hour stretch during the night. After Thad, Becks is now sleeping 7 to 7 1/2 hrs during the night!!! AMAZING! Overall, it was a great little getaway to see family and friends. We love going to Manhappy!!

Snuggle time with GeGe! Looks like one tired boy to me!


Pappy and Becks had some good playtime together! He loves Freddy, the firefly!

Hanging out with Becks and he's not letting Doc out of his sight! haha


Beckham got to spend a little time with GB. She's such a good great grandmother!


Beckham's new hat... I don't think he was a fan! But I thought it was pretty darn cute! haha

Naming the blanket

Well, GeGe got Beckham his first blanket and boy does he LOVE it! (And yes, I've already bought 2 more of the same blanket) It's so funny to watch him with it cause he will just shove it into his mouth and have the tightest grip on it. However, we are having a hard time naming it. This is what we've come up with so far....

1. Bink
2. Doc (my personal favorite)
3. Wink (Brian's favorite)

Let us know what you think or if you can think of any other good names, feel free to throw it out there! This poor blanket needs a name!

Halloween

Beckham had a great first Halloween!! We spent the day at Auntie Katie's house, which was so fun to see all the Abbott crew. We tried to get a cousin photo, but trying to make a 2 yr old sit still and a 10 week old look just right is almost impossible. haha! It was a fun afternoon though, we love to see the whole Abbott/Smith crew.

Becks was probably the cutest little lion I've ever seen... He was such a good sport about it. I tried not to embarrass him too much, but I'm sure there will be a few costumes where he says "Really mom, really?!" At least I get to pick out costumes for a couple more years before he takes over!

Birth Announcement

Here is Beckham's birth announcement, which I recently sent out. I apologize for the delay in getting them out in the mail. But finding time to address 50 envelopes with a fussy 8 week old is rather difficult! haha.

Our photographer was Julie Klaasmeyer! She is absolutely amazing... I was so pleased with her work!


This is the front....
And here is the back....

My growing boy!!

Becks has become such a big boy lately! His colic has definitely improved (knock on wood) and since then we've hit some milestones. He is sleeping longer through the night, starting to take naps in his crib (for those of you who don't know we've had Becks sleeping in a bassinet since he's been born). Which gives me a nice break during the day to pick up the house and have some time to myself! We also tried out the bumbo and surprisingly he can sit up in it! I thought most babies didn't sit in those until they were almost 4 months old! I'm so proud of Becks and his improvements!!! It just goes to show how fast they really grow and change.

Our good friend, Mikie Dude stayed with us this weekend! It was great to see him since he moved to Richmond in July. He hadn't met Beckham yet, so they had some bonding time over the weekend. Becks loved loungin' with him!

2 Months

My handsome Beckham,

It's been 2 months already since you came into our lives! I can't believe it!!! You've changed so much since the 1st month. You are cooing and talking all the time, and your neck muscles are getting so strong. You like to push with your legs and try to move which only means scooting is just around the corner!!

Just when daddy and I are finally figuring your routine, you all the sudden become colic. A lot of parents tell us that as soon as you feel comfortable with everything, you'll throw a curve ball at us! Well, they were right.. haha. But we still love you unconditionally no matter what your mood or routine is.

We've slowly been introducing formula to your diet because we are running out of breast milk. You seem to be doing okay with the transition. But that doesn't surprise me because overall you're a great baby. You usually only cry when something is wrong or you need something.

Lately, you've also started to recognize your dad and I! Which in my opinion is one of the most rewarding things. I love when you see us and smile, it just melts my heart.

You've been the most amazing gift, Beckham! We love you so much and are enjoying every second of this crazy journey called parenthood. Keep the growing and surprises coming buddy!!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Voos Wedding Weekend

This last weekend we loaded up our little family and headed to Manhappy for the Jessa and Scott's wedding. It was an absolutely perfect weekend. They got married in the backyard on the exact steps my parents and I got married. I love it! GB's backyard is so beautiful and I'm so happy we've all been married there now.


Beck did great during the wedding and the dinner party afterward. We had babysitters for Beckham and Indie, which worked out great. They hung out in GB's bedroom and slept basically the whole time. It was really nice not having to worry about the babies and just enjoy a lovely dinner among adults.
So happy for Jessa and Scott!! Congrats guys, we love you!!

Smile

We finally caught Beckham's smile on camera, thanks to VV! Hopefully, we catch a lot more this cute smile on camera in the near future. This photo makes me smile every time.... I love him so much!

Nights Out on the Town

Beckham does not only love tummy time, but loves story time as well. We've gotten in a routine of reading before bedtime and I think it really helps Becks relax! I love how Becks is smiling at GeGe in this pic... too cute!


GeGe was here this weekend to help while Brian had a boys night out on Friday and we had our first date night since Beckham was born on Saturday. It was so nice to get out of the house and know our little guy was in good hands.



The reason we went out on Saturday was because one of my dearest friends, Melissa was getting engaged! Her boyfriend, Michal and I were in cahoots together to plan this special night. We felt so honored to be apart of their night and couldn't be happier for them! Congrats Melissa and Michal!

1 Month

How is it possible that Becks is already 1 month old?!? I seriously can't believe it! Now I understand when parents say, they grow up so fast! Beck has grown so much in the past couple weeks. I can't believe how much he's changed. We took him to his 1 month check up... He weighed 9 lbs 3 oz and 21 inches long. The doctor was pleased with his stats and said he's right where he should be!

Beck has gotten so good at lifting his head up, I can't believe how strong his neck muscles are.

I think he's gotten so good at lifting his head because he LOVES laying on his tummy. Tummy time is his favorite thing by far!

Watching Tatum, our boxer get familiar with Becks has been pretty funny. She absolutely loves Beckham. She's always likes to lay near him, no matter where he is. We usually don't let Tatum get this close because when she hears noises, she freaks out and wants to see what she's missing out on. However, we let her check him out and then she got off the couch.


Beck has also grown fond of his activity mat. He loves to just lay there and watch the toys above him and chit chat with them. Recently, he has found himself in the mirror. It's so fun to watch him be amazed and ahh at his reflection.

We had a great surprise! My Uncle Bill was in for a quick trip to Manhattan from Tahoe and decided to swing by on his way to the airport. We were so happy he could stop by and meet Beckham. Uncle Bill is the only relative that has seen all the new babies in our family, Beckham, Indie, Scarlett and London (my cousin, Lindsay and Jenni's new babies).What a lucky guy! We literally had a baby boom in our family... My cousin Jenni had London in May, Jessa had Indie in July, and Lindsay and I had our babies in August (about a week apart). Our family had a busy summer to say the least. Haha. I'm looking forward to watching the babies grow up together!


Well, my little handsome Beckham it's been such a joy watching you grow and change. Your dad and I love you so much and have enjoyed every single minute, including the sleepless nights! I can't wait to see what you do next. We love you Becks!

Becks First Trip to Manhappy

We ventured over to Manhattan last weekend with Becks for our 1st family mini vaca. It was great to see our family and friends and introduce Beckham to some extended family. He met his Great Grandma, Grammy and Great Grandpa, Gramps. It was so important to me that they get to meet Beckham and spend some time with him while we were there. I love spending time with Grammy and Gramps.




Of course we spent time with his Auntie Jessa, Uncle Scottie, and Cousin Indie. It seems like Becks is always asleep and Indie is wide awake when they're around each other. haha! I'm sure that will change with time. I seriously can't wait to see Becks play with his cousins. This picture makes me giggle because Beckham always seems to have his arm in the air. So, now it's a running joke that he has a question or is playing "Mother, May I?"

We also took Becks to his first tailgate at the KSU football game. He did great, hardly made a peep. We kept him in the stroller the whole time cause it was pretty hot out. I can't wait for him to get a little bigger and carry him in a baby bjorn. This weekend we will venture to our first KU football game and introduce him to our tailgating traditions!

Nap Time

Becks loves sleeping with his mama and daddy.....


There's nothing better than taking a snooze with our little guy!!

Speaking of naps... I love this picture of Becks. He always looks so peaceful when he sleeps. What a cutie!!

A Baxter Babe Weekend

This weekend my sister, Indie, and my mom came up to Lawrence to stay for the weekend. It was so great having my family together in our house. It was quite the scene... there was baby stuff everywhere between Becks and Indie's things. The weekend was filled with naps, cries, dirty diapers, smiles, laughter, play time, spit up, cooking, and lots of bonding time. It was perfect! I think the dogs didn't know what to do with themselves. They realized they were out numbered very quickly, but did great the whole weekend with the babies.

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Even though we have 2 spare bedrooms and lots of space downstairs. We all decided to camp out in the family room both nights and sleep. It was quite the sight... Mom and Jessa were on the couch, the babies in their bassinets, I was in the recliner, Harvey was on the floor, and Tatum was on the couch between mom and Jess. Haha!! I wish we would've gotten a picture because I'm sure it would have been a classic one! I loved every single minute of them being here. We all helped with the babies and the dogs were close by to make sure everyone was okay.

Mom (aka GeGe) was in hog heaven with both of her daughters and grandbabies in one house. She was so helpful and beaming the whole weekend.

Generations

The other day VV and GT brought Brian's grandparents to meet Beckham. It was so great having the Abbott family visit (minus the Smith family. They were missed). Of course we had to get a picture of all the Abbott men (4 generations). What a great moment for the Abbott men!!



VV (aka Ruth) brought some baby pictures of Brian and I cannot believe how much Beckham looks like Brian! I knew Beck looked more like Brian than me, but these pics prove that Beck is his son... no question.

Brian.....


Beckham....

2 years!

Today is Brian and I's 2 year wedding anniversary! I can't believe it. These past 2 years have gone by so fast and I can't believe we can share this special day with our son, Beckham. I love you so much Brian and so thankful to have you as my husband, best friend, life partner, and the father of our son. I can't wait to see what this next year has in store for us with watching Becks grow and start the journey of parenthood. I love you more than words can describe. To my Brian, thank you for being the most amazing husband a woman could ask for! I would be lost without you. I love you!!!! Happy Anniversary Bubbas!

In 2 years we went from this.....



To this.....



To this.... Our 1st family photo