Walker is nearly 5 months old, and after spending so long looking forward to January when I would finally get to meet him, I honestly can't believe how the first half of this year has flown by. 

an afternoon trip to Sundance so Beckham could experience snow during Utah's driest winter

Walker is the sweetest little baby.  The trickiest part of the transition to two kids has been keeping the baby safe from the toddler. I can be so vigilant, but Beckham is incredibly impulsive and very fast, which means that we've had a few scares. When Walker was a month or two old, the pediatrician ordered an X-ray of his torso because Beckham jumped on him immediately after I put him on his baby mat after an hour of holding him in the carrier.  Walker ended up being totally fine, thank goodness. Another time, he started fussing the second I put him in the car, so when he began wailing on the short drive home, I assumed he was just wanting out of his carseat and called back assuring we would be home soon. I was horrified to open the car door and find his face covered in blood after, I assume, Beckham tried to tickle his face with sharp toddler nails. The carseats were subsequently moved a seat apart. Walker didn't end up with any permanent marks. No hitting, stomping, kicking, tackle-hugging with the head or aggressively bouncing the bouncer or swinging the swing are constant reminders in our home. But in spite of his impulsiveness, Beckham adores Walker. He frequently talks about Walker is "so tiny" in his high-pitched voice and always wants to have Walker grasp his finger.   "Aww, it's holding my hand!" he'll exclaim. 

Aside from his new brotherhood, 2.5 has been a wild ride:

• Beckham is DEEP into the vehicle phase of toddlerhood and pretty much only thinks about trains, race cars and monster trucks. His new thing is to try to scare the baby or the cats awake with loud "vrooms" like Lightning McQueen does to the tractor cows in Cars. 
• He runs off all the time. We had to put a chain lock on the front door because he kept bolting down the street. I also have to put him in very bright colors when we're out in public and enforce some strict rules about what happens if he elopes.  
• He randomly spouted off a good chunk of my phone number when I was starting to recite it to a cashier lady.  I never taught him my number and don't say it that often, so I have no idea how he learned it.
• Shortly before Walker was born, Beckham smashed a wooden train track into the TV and broke it. His inability to watch any TV was an instant natural consequence and he talked about it for weeks afterwards. 

pics from that first month with itty bitty 6lb 5oz Walker

Beckham went from hating haircuts to begging for them

poor Walker after getting aggressively tickled by Beckham

Beckham "reading" a monster truck book to Walker and trying to help him turn the pages; pics of all things trains and cars including a miniature train exhibit with Uncle Eric and his fiancé Gracie, and Beckham burying his toy cars in the new dirt in spite of my protests

our smiley little baby

at Olivia's wedding in Arizona where Beckham went NUTS for the dance floor and actually had to be carried away kicking and screaming because he couldn't be part of the couple's first dance; at the Tulip Festival, where Beckham was NOT down to hold Walker for a picture

Atticus trying to commandeer the swing; meeting Nana for the first time; Dallin teaching Beckham how to "go fishing" in the backyard