Happy New Year!

First and foremost, I recognize and admit that I am a failure at keeping up with blogging, as much as I really do enjoy it.  Perhaps my resolution should be to be better about this.  Done... Now you can all cheer me on and encourage me to be more proactive about sharing the stories and adventures of the Axman and the Bernfeld crew.

I guess it's a testament to how busy little man keeps us that I haven't updated the blog since (gulp) his birthday.   I was thinking about this the other day and felt that it would be great timing to do the next blog post today with a recap of some of the highlights of the past six months.

Oh, and of course, there will be pictures. :)

So let's look back into the summer, shall we?   After his birthday, his next massive milestone was graduation from his DocBand.

Axel in his DocBand

The clinician gave us the option to do a second band (they get to a point with the band where it's no longer modifiable, so if you need to continue treatment you must get a second band) as he still has some level of plagiocephaly.  However, we asked her if she would do it if was her child - and her response was that he'd made enough progress and looked really good, so she recommended taking off the band and running like the wind.  So we did. :)

The below picture was taken at the clinic - I feel that it has a very 1940's feel to it for some reason, and he's saying "Tadah!!! I did it!!!"  You can see a little bit of the red on his forehead from the band getting a little tight on this noggin of his.

I'm freeeeeee!!!!!

August was a relatively non-eventful month in the Bernfeld house... according to my phone we didn't really do much of anything.  No, I take it back.  It was the best August Ben has ever had because he got... "The Big Green Egg".   Now, I have to admit that I was skeptical of this thing... if you aren't in the mood to click on the link, the Big Green Egg is the BBQ grill of all BBQ grills... Ben had been fantasizing about owning one of these things for a really long time.  Well, that day finally came for Mr. Ben.  And the grill joined the Bernfeld family.  It has a very nice spot on the deck and is used a LOT.  And this is where I admit it... he was right.  Man, that pains me to say... but he was.  The meals that are created with this thing are delectable and our steaks have never been better.    So we spent a lot of August sitting outside grilling.  Not a bad way to spend the last month of summer!   The thing that makes me giggle about this is that I was scanning through the pics on my phone and Ben's to see what we did in August... and saw all of these pictures of food and the egg in August.  And not many of our child.  Ha.  But here's a good one from August for ya.

Axel did have a pretty great highlight in August, though, and that was that he first stood on his own! 

We got a picture sent to us from his daycare with a note that said, "Axel stood by himself during circle time!"  I love the expression on his face.  Priceless.

Look mom, no hands!

In September, Axel turned 14 months.  This was a pretty eventful month for him!  The beginning of September, I was in Boulder, Colorado for a super quick (one night) trip.  I got an email from daycare: "Axel took 6 steps today!  Way to go Axel!"

I may or may not have died a little... and the little dimple just shows how proud he was of himself.   

He wasn't overly confident yet and fell... a lot.  (Man, did we miss the DocBand when this little man started walking!)   I had another trip for work planned in later September - I had to go to Mountain View for a week.  Of course, I get this from daycare:  "Axel took 16 steps today!"  Seriously, little dude?  Can't you wait a FEW DAYS for me to get home to do this???   It's been on every since.  He officially became mobile in September.  And it's definitely a different experience to chase this little dude now than it was when he was crawling. 

I've got this walking thing DOWN.

ARRRRRRRRGH

In other big news, he went to school for Dress Like a Pirate Day totally decked out. 

September was also in the midst of the Ice Bucket Challenge madness.  I was nominated so of course I couldn't turn down a challenge.   I won't make you watch the video, (although it's here should you want to watch my (and my child's) torment.    Long story short, I was standing in front of the baby pool while Axel was gleefully splashing around... Ben dumped the HUGE cooler of water on me, I screamed and ran... Axel went from play play play splash splash splash to SHRIEK SHRIEK SHRIEK!  Sorry, Axman.  (no babies were harmed in the making of this video)

COLD.

Axel had his first Zoo experience in September.  My very special friend, Leslee, and her family came to San Antonio for vacation and so Ben and I played hooky for a day and met them to go to the zoo.  This kid loves the zoo. 

Axel and the Flamingos

Not too sure about the carousel 

Axel and Hunter

We played really hard.

October... October... what happens in October... hmmm... OH YEAH!  My BIRTHDAY!   My birthday this year fell on the weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival.   Luckily I have a mother who loves me and she was kind enough to watch Axel for Ben and me for two of the three days of the festival.  We took him with us on the third day, which was a really great experience and I hope to follow that tradition for the coming years!   It's actually really nice to take a kid to the festival.  People have a completely different level of respect for your personal space when there are littles around.  I mean, they don't even THINK about stepping on your blanket.  That space is sacred. 

Axel and Zoe rocking out at ACL Fest.  He really liked Fitz and the Tantrums.

 We had a really fun October... and of course we ended it with a fabulous Halloween!   This year Axel was a Chicken.  We figured that since we call him the Nugget, he'd be a Chicken Nugget this way. :)   He went with me to Google for the "Googleween" festivities and was a complete hit.   We then went to his cousins' house and went trick or treating with Princess Leia and Otto.   (Otto was Otto for Halloween).

November was a busy month.  We kicked it off by taking Axel to the Waco Zoo.  The WACO Zoo???  Yup... that zoo is awesome.  We went on a Sunday and that particular day they were also doing a Symphony in the park.  So we explored the zoo for a while and ended the day sitting in a pavilion listening to music and relaxing - just enjoying the day.  

Daddy and Axel and Elephant

Axel meets a big kitty

We had our cousin Ida's birthday party... she had a Star Wars themed party.  Beth Anne made all the kids Jedi Robes and Ben dressed up as Darth Vader.  What Ben didn't know that the point of him dressing up as Darth Vader was to allow small children to beat him with their inflatable light sabers.  It was pretty entertaining to witness.   

Jedi baby

I got to meet my new niece, Eloise. :)   She's technically my cousin, but her mom is like my sister so she's my niece, whether she likes it or not.   Laura and Bryan drove up to Austin to watch the lighting of the Christmas tree at the Domain.  (I'm so happy my cousin has moved closer to Austin again, as she's Christmas crazy like me and will do things like this with me!) 

And of course, we had Thanksgiving.  Last Thanksgiving the little people were too young to really enjoy it, but this year we had us, and my sister's family staying at my mom's for the holiday.   The boys played hard. 

Play play play play play

Uncle G reading Ten Little Ladybugs

The boys playing washers

Ben and the boys

My Bernfeld boys

Heart.

It's EXHAUSTING being Axel.

And finally, we're at December.

December was doubly busy between the holidays and Ben and I leaving town for five days to go to my friend's wedding in Grand Cayman.  But we all survived!  We started the month with many birthdays!  Axel's friend, Briggs, had his bday party at the Austin Children's Museum - The Thinkery.   Great place for a birthday party, I'll say!  

You're awesome.  No, you're awesome.  No, YOU are... 

"Woo woo," says Axel.

We love the huge light bright.

The following week, that lady who loves me once again was kind enough to watch the kiddo... this time just the two of them, for five days so that Ben and I could go to our friends' wedding in Grand Cayman.  What a beautiful bride, beautiful family, and an amazing location to visit.    We met some great people and I'm so thankful that we had the chance to go and be a part of this.  

Day One, welcome dinner

Back of the resort

At the wedding

Um, these are STING RAYS.  HUGE.

OMG.  It's touching me.

It's said to be 7 years of good luck to kiss a sting ray.  Yup, that happened.

He's clearly enjoying this more than I was.

Starfish, anyone?  (And yes, it's alive)

I really enjoyed the trip but it was harder to be away from the Nugget this time.  When I travel for work, I am so busy all day long and what I'm doing is work stuff - not just the fun stuff.  In Cayman, there were things we'd see and one of us would say that Axel would love this or that..  It was also our first trip in a long time not to have Brittany with us, and there were things (especially the starfish experience) that made us think of her a lot as well.  Looks like a return trip may need to happen someday. :)

We returned to Austin on the 15th of December and that gave us no time to get ready for the holiday, but we made it happen.   We had a pretty low key holiday and enjoyed everyone being in good health.  Last year Axel had RSV so was sick and miserable.  The year prior, Ben and I both had the flu and had to cancel Christmas.   So we enjoyed it!  

Grammy and Gramma on Christmas Eve

Santa brought Axel a piano!

Axel and Otto watching Sesame Street

At the Trail of Lights

Trail of Lights

We closed out the year with a day at the park and I captured what may be the best picture of all time, simply because it captures the pure joy and amazement that a small child can feel just with the simple experience of playing with daddy as he helps him down the slide.  It's just one of those moments that has to be shared.

Finally, we brought in the new year with a group of great friends, going to dinner then playing cards until the clock struck twelve.  Goodbye, 2014.  You've been really good to us.  I'm so excited to see what 2015 has in store.   Do like this guy... look forward with anticipation!