First Things First

The word first is one of the most exciting adjectives in a parent's vocabulary. I don't mean first as in my kid won first place at the science fair. He is awesome. Although that can be quite thrilling, I have something else in mind.

When Braden was a newborn I couldn't wait for the first time he rolled over. Then I was ready for his first steps. Then his first words. The list of firsts goes on and on.

I got excited for his first bottle, then his first baby food, then his first real food. It was fun to watch his first bite of chocolate and ice cream.

I think I even wrote about the first time he wore "big boy pants." Clearly I have a sickness.

After 18 months of feverishly recording firsts we managed to find a few more this weekend.  Braden, Arica, and I visited Arica's Dad in Missouri and had a great weekend. Here are some of the firsts we experienced.

First time in an inflatable bouncy thing. I don't know what you call them, but the kids love them and Braden did too.

First ball game. We chose a AA game because we just aren't quite ready for the big leagues yet. We had a lot of fun watching some future Cardinals. I didn't go to my first ball game until I was 8 years old so Braden beat me by a long shot.

You can see that both Dad and Grandpa took time to explain the nuances of the game to Braden. I am not sure which of us was more excited. In the picture you can see Braden is holding a ball. That is another first. His first foul ball. I am still waiting for my first.

First time on a horse. I have never ridden a horse in my life. To me, borrowing from Jerry Seinfeld, they're like big riding dogs. That is the limit of my knowledge on horses, but I am excited that Braden will get a chance to be around them growing up.

Braden actually held out his arms to get up on the horse with Arica's step-sister. He caught us off guard and by the time Arica got a picture he had changed his mind and wanted off. That is why he looks upset in the picture. We didn't force him onto the horse. He wanted to go, but he didn't want to stay long.

First time on a tractor. I rode a lot of tractors at a very young age so he should have this one in his genes. When the tractor started up Braden started clapping and pointing. He wanted on, and this caught us even more off guard than the horse riding. So by the time we got a picture he wanted off again. I feel the need to explain that we are not forcing him to do his firsts. He just changes his mind quickly.

Finally we have Braden's first time to hang out with a Grizzly Bear. He showed no fear making his Daddy very proud.

After this weekend we can mark a few more things off our list of firsts. Next up first Nobel Prize.