One Year

Where did this past year go?!? My sweet squishy baby is now one year old (plus a week or two…) 

When I think back on the past year it has been some of the sweetest memories of my life. Tom and I have been blessed with a happy and healthy little girl. Our day in and day outs have changed dramatically. Tom pulled out his winter jacket for the first time last week and told me a monkey rattle fell out of the arm hole. You know you're a parent when… He said he just smiled. 

Brynn Marie you are the light of my life. Your spirit is oh so sweet! You are so brave and courageous. You don't fear a thing… trouble for the future? Nose dives off the couch and head first down your slide. But then there are moments where the shyness shows and I am reminded you are just a one year old. Your daddy and I both think you are advanced beyond your one year old self.. 

You love just about everyone, but you definitely have your favorites. You may reach for your momma, but you get the biggest smile on your face for your daddy. I love running to the door with you when we hear his truck so I can see the shear joy on your face when you see him through the glass door. You adore him. 

But I think you're a momma's girl… and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love walking in to get you in the mornings and see how you light up. You are so chatty. You are talking so much more and I can understand more of your words each day. Your babble has always had meaning and I love that I am understanding what you are saying, and so do you. Some words you can "say" are:  Dada, Mama, dog,  ball, baby, snack, uh oh, oh no… PRECIOUS! 

Lately you've been a little snuggle bug and it melts my heart. Since we freed you from your swaddle, you've been a independent baby wanting to stretch out. In the past few weeks before nap and bedtime we've had a few snuggle sessions. Last week while I was rocking you, your eyes locked with mine and you didn't break the gaze for literally 15 minutes. I felt like your brown eyes were staring into my soul. Oh little lady, I pray that you could see the love I have for you. It was the sweetest time just looking at you and praying for the girl you will grow into. 

As you reach each milestone, more of your personality begins to show. We are learning your likes and dislikes and what your enjoy. Your daddy and I always talk about what you will be like when you grow up. We imagine what sports you'll play (because that's a given…) and what you will enjoy. All I wish and pray for is that you love the Lord and find people & things you enjoy. I hope the joy you have now is the same spirit you will have always. PURE joy… 

In the past year the Lord had taught me so much about selfless love and showed me how selfish  I was before. Friday nights out with the girls have been a memory but when I find one of your strawberry puffs mashed to my shirt, I know I wouldn't have it any other way. There is nothing like being a parent that will open your eyes and show you a glimpse of how big God's love is for us. Each night I just stare at you baby girl, and I am amazed that if I can love you this much, how big is God's love for you?!? You are not mine, you are His. And I will love you with open hands. 

Parenting is hard…. Tom and I had to say it out loud the other night. It has stretched us, challenged us and brought us to our knees but in the end I am proud of us. All 3 of us. My family. The family that I have dreamed of for so many years. There is so much love in this home and I feel abundantly blessed to  be your mommy Brynn Marie. 

Thank you for making my dream a reality. I love you big girl! 

You are my everything.

11 Months

Excuse me while I neglect the fact I have missed a few milestone blogs for Miss B. We've got a lot, I mean A LOT going on at our house right now. From chalkboards orders a plenty... to halloween costumes and 1st birthday planning I am definitely behind. 

It is hard for me to think that one short year ago we were praying hard for our little pumpkin while she spent the last few weeks snuggled inside. We were counting down the days until we would see her face. I can't believe how life has changed...

 And has changed for the better...

One more month and this happy girl will be turning one.

Girlfriend is on the move. In the past month Brynn has gone from a few unstable steps to full blown walking. She has found her balance and started by walking from piece to piece in the living room but now she can be found making laps around the loving room and/ or kitchen. The other night my parents came over for dinner and she was walking all over the place from person to person, chatting up a storm. Little show off... With each milestone we feel so grateful that we have a healthy little girl. 

Now that our little is walking and after a shoe less venture to the park {mom of the year} we decided to buy Brynn her first big girl pair of shoes. I mean, she did have a few pairs of shoes but she rarely wore them because she would just pull them off. And then summer came, and no one wants to wear shoes during a Texas summer. So girlfriend went barefoot... Mama's girl at heart. It was a big day when daddy took little girl to Stride Rite and got her a legit pair of walking shoes. I got a phone call in the middle of the day at school about their outing, and daddy did not disappoint. Brynn Marie is rockin' her silver sparkle Stride Rites all over this town. She also has a few more pair thanks to her mama's love for  shoes. 

Baby proofing... it's funny. Everyone asks, have we baby proofed yet. We really don't let her out of our sight but this past month she has been infatuated with opening the cabinet doors. So guess what we will be doing this weekend? Luckily the previous home owners left some behind. We've got a dare devil on our hands. If you're not careful little lady will dive out of your arms, off the couch or anything she is on.  This girl has no fear. She is into climbing as well. She can climb a flight of stairs {with supervision of course} and it makes me so happy we don't have a 2 story house. Kali often becomes her jungle gym. Brynn does not look where she's walking and often dives over Kali instead of walking around. Hence the constant bruises on her forehead. 

Somedays it seems like toys have become a thing of the past. Brynn's favorites are mama's chalk markers and daddy's remote controls. And these are obviously not toys. We have graciously received many amazing handmedown toys and are excited for the next stage in toys. We may be doing some packing up of the baby toys. Little lady is not so little anymore. 

I think we've got a reader on our hands. This girl is OBSESSED with books. Brynn is not a snuggler but when it comes to books she will grab it and crawl into my lap. She is one sassy lady and knows what she wants. We re read the same story over and over and when we stop she let's us know she wants some more. And because there is no cuddling at bedtime I will take this. So here's to Spot Goes to the Farm 100 times a day.

With all of the reading she's doing she has picked up on some new words. We have perfected "baby." We went from saying "day day" to full blown pointing to and saying "baby." It is the sweetest sound. In order to prevent full blown melt down in Walgreens I gave her a coupon book for babies that I received and it became her favorite toy. She walked around the house for days repeating "baby" and did that until the pages fell apart. Brynn is a chatterbox in car. She will sit in the backseat chatting away to anything and everything. 

In the past month we started taking Brynn to an in home daycare once a week so Tom can catch up on his sleep. He would sometimes have a 22 hour day before policing the streets. We LOVE Mrs. Connie!   In the past few weeks Brynn has grown so much developmentally. Chasing around 2, somedays 3 older kids will push a girl! I was so anxious in the beginning but she comes home in the best mood and I can sleep easy knowing Tom is fully rested. 

This month we were sure Brynn would get her top two front teeth. Instead we were surprised when she sprouted her top "vampire" teeth! Talk about a true snaggle tooth. Tom was so funny! He shouted, "Google that... what does that mean?!?" 

Seriously... what a worrier. She looked so funny when she smiled her big tooth grin. This week she has been a drool box again and the middle teeth are finally starting to poke through. We have been so lucky with teething this far. Nothing more than a bunch of drooling and constant toys everything in the mouth. I feel especially grateful about this. I have heard horror stories.

Tom and I both have agreed how nice it is now that Brynn is eating table food. We have loved seeing her explore all types of foods. There's still a part of me that is stuck in the bland {baby foodish} mind set but Brynn is all in. She wants anything and everything we are eating and likes it all. We have nick named her Grabby McGrabberson. She's a swiper folks and is quick. I can't wait to see her when we give her the smash cake. Mrs Connie tells us everyday what a good eater she is. Good thing her favorite  foods are her veggies. 

Lady is still sleeping through the night and recent growth spurts have led to sleeping in on the weekends a bit and longer naps. She still loves mama's blanket... but I don't think it's mine anymore. The downside... it's a full size blanket and we bring it with us sometimes. The sitter's and the nursery at church. I am contemplating cutting and sewing into two small blankets. The worker in the nursery said it was a godsend. She loves it! The thumb instantly pops in the mouth and she rolls all over it. I love that she adores something I loved so much.

We cannot believe that ONE year has almost passed. Where did my baby go? She is growing into an independent, strong, curious girl and I am so excited to see who she grows into. Not too quickly though. This mama can't handle it. We are in full blown party planning mode. I am loving every minute of creating a beautiful day to celebrate my favorite little lady. 

9 & 10 Months Old

Yikes... this has been sitting in my Drafts for WAY WAY WAY too long.

I can't believe that this sweet girl is 10 months old. The summer flew by and I held onto every last moment with her before school started. It was so nice to have a break from work and see her grow into her personality. She is such a ham and has both her mommy and daddy wrapped around her finger. Many times a day Tom and I stop and say, "I just love her so much." I don't think anything prepared us for the immense love of parenthood. 

Brynn has perfected the crawl! If she sees something she wants, she is there in a second. If you turn your head she is pulling up on something. And usually something other than her toys. Her favorite "no Brynns" are the fireplace, the end table {on wheels}, the entertainment center with daddy's sound bar and the white chest in the living room. Playtime consists of chasing after her and redirecting or walking her back to the play area. 

In the last post we predicted she would be walking before her 1st birthday. I stand by that statement because she took her first steps last weekend. One step and now she is up to 3 small steps. She takes a bit to find her balance but then she falls our way with a few steps of her feet. It is the cutest thing. She is so proud of herself and so our we. She's going to be full on walking in no time. And it will be another game changer.

Brynn is still infatuated with anything that makes noise, sings or lights up. She has recently become fond of stuffed animals & dolls. Brynn's Memaw gave her the sweetest crocheted doll and she loves it. We give it to her in the carseat and she talks to her the entire car ride.  It is a constant tug o war with the "babies" and Kali. We have had to wash a few because Kali was raised on stuffed animal babies all to herself and now thinks they are all for her. WRONGO! 

Speaking of Kali, our first baby... She has definitely taken the back seat. I feel so bad but I will say, she is so good with Brynn. At first she wanted nothing to do with her and would walk away whenever she came close. But now she lets Brynn climb on her and they play tug o war with the babies. Kali is so soft, I think she thinks it's fun! 

Brynn has definitely found her voice. The past few months I felt like she was in an observing stage, taking everything in but turning a little quiet. Not anymore. She is chatting up a storm. Lots of babble and it is the SWEETEST sound. Her first word was Dada. But she has also said Mama. It was the most amazing feeling. She had pulled up on my legs and we were working on walking and she said it. I cried. I hugged her. It was amazing. I love being a mama.

Brynn still has her two snaggle teeth. Good grief those little things are sharp! No more chewing on our fingers. We had been giving her celery and apple chunks to chew on when she was teething, or to distract her when we were fixing dinner, but not anymore. I gave her an apple chunk in the bumpo while making dinner and she used those two little teeth and bit through the entire chunk. It scared me.  I also was reassured about feeding all the table foods, knowing what she could do with only 2 teeth.

At her 9 month appointment the Dr. gave us the go ahead to start any table foods that could be mashed. I didn't think of myself as a planner but when she gave the ole "I'm not going to tell you how much or when to feed your baby" I panicked. I wanted to know how much of each food and what time to feed her. We quickly figured out a good routine. We wake up and she has breakfast; usually oatmeal and a 1/4 cup of fruit. Then we play and she has her first bottle before her morning nap, anywhere from 9- 10am and sleeps for 1-2 hours. She eats lunch around 12-1pm; a protein (babyfood meat) 1/4-1/2c veggie and 1/4c fruit. We play and then she takes her afternoon nap. The another bottle when she wakes up. This is her long stretch of playtime before dinner around 6 or 6:30;  a protein (babyfood meat) 1/4-1/2c veggie and 1/4c fruit. I recently started mixing cooked chicken pieces in with the jarred food. She's done so well for only having two teeth. We are going to have no problems weaning her off the bottles at a year. She loves her food! She is constantly reaching for anything we are eating. Luckily no food allergies. She's even had a few bites of peanut butter. {i know.. new research is showing the earlier you give them p. butter, the less likely they are to acquire the allergy. But you can find research for any side you believe.}

Brynn is still sleeping through the night. We put her down anywhere from 6:30 -8pm. She gets tired early and we feel there is no reason to fight it. She's a trooper if we are out though.. but sometimes the car rides home are full of meltdowns! She sleeps through the night until 6:40am when I take her to my moms. Brynn loves her sleep. I love the early bedtimes. It allows Tom and I some along time before he leaves for work and then I get Mama time when Daddy leaves.

When nesting/decorating Brynn's nursery I put my baby blanket in a basket. Mostly for decoration and filler. But when it got cold there were a few night we would lay it over her she snuggled to it as much as she could all swaddled up. Of course when summer came, the blanket went back in the closet. Somehow it was thrown into the hamper and went through the laundry. Brynn was "helping" me fold laundry and when she saw the blanket she pulled it down and started snuggling to it. She remembered the blanket!!! Luckilly I had my camera/phone right there to capture this special moment with her mommy's blanket. I cried! {thebottompicture} Guess it's not mine anymore. Now she can't sleep without it.

Today we worked on mastering the snack cup. After a hiatus from puffs {for no reason} Brynn made up for lost time with this new contraption. She's a pro.

 When I look at these pictures, I get a little sentimental. Out little girl is not a baby anymore. 

She's my world. I cannot believe how big she is getting. 

{please excuse our nap hair} 

Happy Monday...

Happy Fall!

Today was the first day of fall and we celebrated hard! We had been keeping the party going- Tom's birthday decorations were still claiming the mantle. But one night last week colors of orange, yellow and red took over the mantle in anticipation for the first day of fall. One of the chalkboards from White Magnolia looks great against the blue window frame and amongst my dollar tree leaf garland! 

The weather was perfect this weekend. The windows were open and the air was off. {my air conditioner and next month's electric bill thanked me} The temperature only reached 85 this weekend! AMAZING!! Brynn and I woke up and met a good friend and her son, Seamus, for an attempted walk/playdate. Homegirl was not having the stroller or the bjorn... bossy girl. Instead we lived it up on the playground. Brynn loved making new friends with the other littles in the little tykes area.

Yes I was that mom who let her baby crawl/walk around bare foot at the park. She's just like her mama, she doesn't like to wear shoes. Okay, honestly we just haven't put any sort of footwear on her since the early spring.  I actually didn't even know what size shoe she wore until today. 

A recent scenario went like this. 

A parent from 2 years ago: "What size shoe does Brynn where?"

Me: "......... uhm, I'm not sure, she's kind of in between sizes {lie}, why?"

Parent: "There's some really cute shoes out right now."

Me: "Okay, she really doesn't where shoes."

Don't worry... after the park experience and a morning nap we hit up Payless' BOGO 1/2 sale and Old Navy,  but no luck. I want to get her a pair of shoes she can where with alot of her fall/winter wardrobe. But seriously... shoes? In the Texas summer? What is the point.. she wasn't walking. But now that she is standing and taking steps, she definitely needs some shoes. She's my little Polock.... barefoot beauty.

Even though we didn't find any shoes to cover her piggies, we did indulge in a pair of skinnies for fall. There are so many cute fall clothes out! Clothing is just one of the things I LOVE about the fall.

Things i LOVE about Fall: 

windows open

cool breeze

cuddling

blankets

boots... Oh, the boots

honey crisp apples

pumpkins

snickerdoodles 

dark dark dark nail polish

cardigans

football 

soups 

Halloween 

the decorations 

jeggings 

hot chocolate

homecoming

the Texas mums

leaves changing 

acorns

long walks

yoga pants

sweatshirts

sleeping under the comforter

an extra blanket on top

fuzzy socks

long sleeves

piles of leaves

crockpot meals

pumpkin patch

baby's first Halloween

As you can see i LOVE LOVE LOVE the Fall! It is by far my favorite season. As the weather changes and we say good bye to the sticky summer and those pesky mosquitos I feel like I can really breathe. There is something about the fall air that makes me feel centered, relaxed, and ever so grateful. It's hard to explain. I mean, look at this Fall sunrise. Our God is amazing. 

This Fall bring baby's last FIRST holiday. Halloween is Brynn's first but the last holiday before her 1st birthday.... say what?!? That's crazy. This year has flown by and this makes this fall even more special for our family. Costume planning is in full swing. I am going to follow in my mom's footsteps with the homemade costumes. Starting the tradition now :) 

And you know I this mama has a secret board brimming with pins for little girls 1st birthday party. 

Happy Fall Y'all! :) 

finding balance

I have been a bad {really bad} blogger. The school year has started and somehow I have missed Brynn's 9 month post and today she turns 10 months. The time is really flying by.

This summer I felt like we fell into a good routine with Brynn and I was finally feeling comfortable. Then in service week started and then school... now I feel like it's all I can do to keep my head above water. When I work on being a good teacher, I feel like a bad mom and wife. Then when I work on being a good mom and wife, I feel like I'm short changing my students. Being a working mom is hard. 

The laundry is never done (it never has been), there's always a load of dishes to be done... and let's not even talk about working out. At the end of the day if I can say; my students feel loved and Tom & Brynn are happy and feel appreciated then I did my job. But I am feeling weighed down. I am struggling to give it up and give it to God. My grasp is too tight. 

August flew by... but that only means that Fall is just around the corner. Hallelujah! 

Here's what we've been up to.

On top of getting ready for school Brynn and I decided to throw Tom a surprise birthday party. There was a lot of late night crafting going on. When your husband works the midnight shift the sneakiness can't start until 9pm. I am planning a separate post on this later... {hopefully} The theme was a 29th Beer Bash. 

Brynn is on the move. She is a speed crawler... pulling up on anything and everything... cruising furniture and chatting up a storm. I am working feverishly to catch up on her monthly posts so I can start working on her 1st birthday party... {I can't believe I just typed that} You bet your bottom that I have a secret board full of pins. And have had one for quite some time.

{that tongue is always out}

After creating my own chalkboards to document my pregnancy my mom started asking me to decorate different pieces for her, here and there. I created a few chalkboards for family friends and made a bit of extra money. Some friends, but especially my mom have always encouraged me to do something with my creativity but I've always brushed it aside. I am so not a risk taker... With a lot of help from my mom I have decided to take a leap and host my own booth at a local craft fair. So without further a due I present....

I picked my sweet friend's brain for a name for these chalked beauties. She {sprinklesandwrinkles} has always had a way with words. Magnolia holds a special place in our hearts. We have a magnolia tree growing outside our kitchen window in memory of Baby H. So the name has special meaning and is absolutely perfect. Thank you dear friend :) 

So along with party planning, school and chasing a mobile baby there has been LOTS of chalking. My husband has tripped numerous times over the frames and canvases lining our living room. So we are counting down the days until the craft fair on the 28th. Say a quick prayer... I am hoping for lots of interest. 

There has been lots of activity going on in our home. We are anxiously waiting for the cooler weather that Fall will bring along with Brynn's birthday and the holiday season. 

Love y'all!

High Five for Friday

This week Mr. H and I went to the Drive In Movie Theater here in Fort Worth. Just like Danny and Sandy from Grease. It was the perfect night. We saw 2 Guns and The Conjouring. Horror movies and outdoor theaters are not the best combination.

Brynn and I made a trip to Walmart to furnish the classroom this week. Only one more week of freedom before our work week starts. I will be soaking up every moment.

Brynn had her 9 month appointment on Tuesday ( a bit early so Mama could go). We got the go ahead for a menu full of fruit and veggie chunks and anything that can be smushed. Dive right in... that's out motto. She has loved every second of feeding herself and is loving the different tastes. She even got big girl plates at Target.

Late nights equal lots of coffee for this mama. Brynn has the right idea. After a full day chasing a crawling baby, when Brynn goes to bed around  8 and Mr. H leaves for work at 9 you think I would just go to bed... wrong. I stay up way too late just having "me" time. I find it necessary for my own sanity even if it makes for an early morning.

My mom has me busy chalkboarding. I admit I have a slight large obsession with chalkboard paint. Tonight I did two more for a family friend for a baby shower and wedding gift. I love repurposing old frames with fun and inspirational words.

Happy Friday Y'all! 

{Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth}

Drive In Movie Date

Tom and I have challenged ourselves to take advantage of all of the fun things DFW has to offer. So often we get stuck in our routine and bubble of our town. We have our go to places when we get a date night but not this time... we made a Summer Bucketlist when school got out and we got to check one off this week. 

We both experienced our first Drive In Movie!!! If you know me at all, you know I LOVE movies! Before Brynn we went all the time. Since Brynn we've been taking full advantage of on demand movies, and our cable bill shows it... Whoopsies. Monday night on Tom's night off, Brynn's Nana took her for the night and we headed to Coyote Drive In, right here in Fort Worth. We stopped for a six pack...shhh don't tell- no personal food or drink. 

I was giddy! One of my all time, favorite movies is Grease. And I couldn't help but think we were Danny and Sandy at the Drive In... silly, I know. "Stranded at the Drive In" was stuck in my head all night.  Coyote Drive In did not disappoint. Each ticket is for a double feature. We saw Two Guns and the Conjouring. 

Before the show we hit up the concession stand for some popcorn for me, Gummies for Tom and some more adult beverages.  (Don't mind my fore seven head :) 

They even had corn hole. Tom was in heaven. We rushed back to the car at dusk and couldn't help but admire the view. Screen 1, our screen's, backdrop was the Fort Worth skyline... heaven. This was the perfect date! We will definitely be going back, perhaps when it's cooler so we can sit outside. They have a lawn beneath the screen and we are planning on making a pallet in Tom's truck. Come on Fall...

 It was the best date. We are jamming the last days of summer break full of the last few bucketlist items before school starts again. I can guarantee the Drive In will be a normal occurrence for our family. I couldn't help but think how fun it will be to take Brynn when she is older. I see a Mommy Daughter Date in the making. 

8 Months Old

First off.... when did my little girl get so big?!? I feel like in the past month she has grown a foot. She looks like a little girl. Please time slow down. I mean look at that gummy grin. We decided to take the photo shoot outside which lasted .5 minutes. Texas is HOT baby. You can already see her hair starting to curl from the humidity in the picture.

Summer came at the perfect time for our family. We needed some quality time for the 3 of us. Tom has sacrificed some sleep to wake up early and spend time with his girls. Brynn is so much fun right now and adores her daddy. I would be lying if I said I'm not jealous of the smile Daddy gets when he walks in the door. I wouldn't change it though. They are going to have such a special bond.

{Daddy introducing her to the important stuff... Like Cabellas}

Little girl is on the MOVE! She had perfected the army low crawl but on July 4th at the family get together she crawled. It was slow and steady at first but now, there's no stopping her. If she sees something she wants, away she goes! Down the hallway, in the kitchen, EVERYWHERE! Needless to say playtime does not consist of sitting on a blanket anymore. 

LITTLE LADY IS STRONG! I'm not very good at estimating but I believe she will be walking before 1 year! This girl is strong. After she started pulling up on the crib rails we headed to Target to get some new toys. He favorite is the interactive activity table. It's bilingual! Arriba!!! The table creates so many smiles and squeals of delight! Her balance is pretty steady. She has stood byherself for a few seconds, but not on purpose. Only when she gets distracted by the toy in her hand, which in turn has led to a few tumbles. Her brave spirit earned her 2 bruises on her face this past month. One on her forehead from the crib rail and the second from the door frame. When she gets excited, she bounces while sitting on the ground. Well she got a little TOO excited and face planted into the door frame. This Mama felt so bad.

Her favorite toys are anything that makes noise, sings, flashes lights or is a stuffed animal. Brynn's the queen of hand me downs. Tom's 2 older sisters have been such a blessing. Brynn's Aunt Christie delivered the mother load!! An activity table, Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Door and Fisher Price Baby Gymtastics Play Wall. She LOVES them!!! Tom's "Man Cave" is slowly becoming the play room, one corner at a time. Both of the toys are the perfect height to practice pulling up on and Brynn can walk and scale them, shuffling side to side. 

{Blurry, I know, but check out the JOY}

Brynn is so close to saying her first word. As much as I want it to be Mama it will most likely be Dada! She says it repeatedly over and over but we haven't "officially" counted it. Last month she was taking everything in and didn't talk too much but it must have been an observing stage because Lordie, her voice is back. The babble, the squeals, the screams, the raspberries, and fake coughs. She's a hoot! 

Another {Baby's First}... Brynn has her first tooth! FINALLY... it popped through about two weeks ago and with no crying fits or fevers. We are so lucky. She has acquired the new nickname Snaggletooth! It's on the bottom left. The right one is barely poking through. We have been giving her pieces of cold fruit and veggies to chew on for teething pains. Did you know that celery has a natural numbing agent inside? We have the gel and tablets on standby... just in case. This past week she was using her tooth to scrape the apple chunk! Smart girl... baby genius! She was quite proud of herself. 

Have you seen these Teething Necklaces? {Chewbeads} Brynn's Memaw gave us these a present. At first I thought they were a little silly but they are anything but silly. In this picture though you can see she is simply wearing them as an accessory :) I am loving their website. 

Brynn is officially a formula baby now. This past month my milk started drying up and could tell she was getting frustrated during our feedings. Rather than fight a losing battle I decided to give in. There was part of me that was kind of depressed and sad, but I was proud of how hard my body had worked for almost 8 months. I was just happy to make it past the 6 month mark where breastmilk can aide in allergy prevention. Brynn transitioned really well to the formula. We supplemented with breastmilk but not for too long. We were nervous about the cost of formula, since before Brynn was born, and cringed when we bought the first tub for a whopping $25!!! That thing wasn't going to get us through a week and half. Sister in law to the rescue once again... my sister in laws neighbor is a rep for Infamil and hooked us up with the mother load! 7 cases of formula, each with 6 cans!!!! 42 cans! Brynn drinks the Infamil Gentle Ease formula. The cans that she gave us each cost $17.99... that is $756 we would have spent. {Yes I used my calculator}  Praise the lord, we are LUCKY! 

She is loving her solids. This month we have tried; plums, carrots, blueberries, peaches, spinach mash and pineapple. We have also done a few of the pouches because they were on sale and had a mixture of breakfast grains with fruits. Tom also wanted her to "get her protein in" so a few pouches were a chicken veggie bake and veggie lentil bake. So far there has only been one food she's not fond of which was... the veggie lentil bake. I mean, can you blame the girl?!? I try everything I give her and this was dog food. 

A for your Friday night entertainment...

                                          

{I think food pictures are the best}

Big girl feeding herself... well kind of

Don't you know the only way to drink a bottle is with your feet? Little monkey.

First time with chunks. Avacado everywhere. Ears, nose, eyes.

Pea pop! These contraptions are a Godsend. A great distraction when mama is making dinner.

This past week Brynn has started to sleep through the night again! Amazing. This does not make me go to bed any earlier though. Mama is a night owl and enjoys her "me" time. She usually wakes up around 6:45ish and is waiting in her crib for her daddy to come home from work. Tom has been SUPERDAD and even after working all night will wake her up, change her, feed her oatmeal and her bottle and play with her for a bit until he can't keep his eyes open anymore. He says he feels bad I don't get to sleep in on my summer break. SWOON. Secretly I know he adores that time. She is the happiest in the morning and he says its the best part of his day. I think it would brighten anyones day after fighting the "bad guys" all night. We have transitioned to 2 naps. She usually goes down around 9am, 2 hours after she wakes up and then another long nap in the afternoon. She may doze in the car but we can count on the 2 for sure. 

When nesting/decorating Brynn's nursery I put my baby blanket in a basket. Mostly for decoration and filler. But when it got cold there were a few night we would lay it over her she snuggled to it as much as she could all swaddled up. Of course when summer came, the blanket went back in the closet. Somehow it was thrown into the hamper and went through the laundry. Brynn was "helping" me fold laundry and when she saw the blanket she pulled it down and started snuggling to it. She remembered the blanket!!! Luckilly I had my camera/phone right there to capture this special moment with her mommy's blanket. I cried! {thebottompicture} Guess it's not mine anymore. Now she can't sleep without it.

This girl is a hoot! She has such a personality and has the sweetest laugh. We try and get her to giggle when she's tired, because its WAY too easy. Here's 2 of our top favs. {Sorry about the singing} Mama's gotta do what mama's gotta do.

Oh Lord, my heart is so full. Being a mother and loving someone so deep makes your love even more real. And to imagine you love us so much more... I am humbled.

High Five for Friday: {Obsessed}

Happy Friday. Five things I am obsessed with: 

1. The "Cups" song from Pitch Perfect! Well I am obsessed with the whole movie in general. I LOVE Fat Amy.


2. Robin Thicke! And his new song Blurred Lines. I'm not going to post the video due to the excessive nudity. But the beat is so catchy. Instead, here's a picture of his dad, Allan Thicke, from Growing pains.

                           

3.  Chew beads. 

Brynn has her first tooth! It seems like she's been slobbering us for months. Only a mom and dad can love these wet kisses! Brynn's Memaw gave us a pair of Chewbeads. Have you seen these things? It's a necklace of rubber balls which are safe for babies to chew on. It is amazing!!! Here's their website {Chewbeads}

Look at all their pretty colors... Obsessed.

4. Coconut Milk Ice Cream

I'm getting back on track and have been Paleo-living for the past week and a half. Weekends are alway hard and Friday comes I never want to cook and usually want something sweet for desert. Tom came home with this treat. Coconut milk ice cream.. Sweet, but not enough to throw off the hard work from the week. There are lots of flavors but tonight was Mint Chocolate! 

5. Yes its true, I'm OBSESSED with this girl. You know it if you follow me on {Instagram}

Happy Friday Y'all! 

{Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth} Another Obsession.

High Five for Friday

chalkboard "print" designed in my new favorite app: {rhonna designs}

I have been feeling blah with the blogging lately and have had a hard time finding the time/energy to do it. Even though I read others' blogs all the time. (My mom even gave me a "what the heck?" today, so I thought I would try something new to see if it would get me back in the mood. I am linking up with one of my favorite bloggers {lauren elizabeth} for my first High Five for Friday.

1. Uncle Nick was in town this past week and we got to celebrate his trip, along with my mother in laws birthday sans Baby Brynn. An even bigger plus, TC didn't have to work. We indulged with mexican beer and sangria swirl margaritas to celebrate a night out. 

2. Brynn cut her first tooth this past week! FINALLY... I feel like she's been teething since she was 3 months old. Her new nickname is SNAGGLE TOOTH. Everything is making its way into her mouth, even more than before. Mama's necklaces are her new fav.

3. When your spouse works the midnight shift and you're a night owl sometimes the texts get crazy. Come on, not like that... TC and I have been battling with who can find the funniest pictures. I LOVE someecards! They are so funny. This one took the cake that night! Oh so true... 

4. This past week was National Ice Cream Day! WHAT?!?! I think I need to start researching these obscure holiday more often. I'm sure we could celebrate something everyday. I felt a bit jipped when I found this out the day AFTER. Too bad, so sad... we still celebrated in Braum's FroYo Breeze Fashion just a day late.

5. Brynn Marie is on the move. Crawling and pulling up on EVERYTHING! Here she is shopping for fabric with Mama and her Nana. I can't believe she is big enough for this. 

So happy it's Friday! Hopefully this gets me out of my blogging funk. Happy Day Friends!

Brynn's 6&7 Month Favorites

This little mama has been on the move for the past 2 months. Sitting up was just the beginning and now Brynn is on the move and busier than ever. Summer came at the perfect time, our play sessions are so much fun and it makes me sad when she has to nap... usually because this mean I need to clean or do laundry. {But I can usually be found relaxing on the couch}

Here are some of our favorite things lately...

One of Brynn's favorite toys is the Bert and Ernie Double Fun Giggle Ball. One of my AH-Mazing sister in laws has passed down a slew of toys and this was one of them. It's kind of creepy if you ask me but Brynn loves it! You press down on their mouths and it giggles and spins. The fluffy hair can be found between her little fingers and she smiles so big when the creepy laughter begins. 

At first I didn't know what to think about this book, I Love You Stinky Face. The teacher in me wasn't too fond of the "name calling" title, but after reading the words I fell in love with it and it has become one of Brynn's favs as well. The mom in the story talks about unconditionally loving her baby, no matter what. Perfect!

We have become a bunch of pool hoppers! Between Nana, Memaw and friends' community pools this Foaming Sunblock has become an essential in the diaper bag. The foam is SO much easier to lather on rather than the spray, which only startles a baby.... I mean come on. I adore the smell of a greasy, sunscreened baby.

Nana bought Brynn this awesome pool floatie. The adjustable shade is perfect for the Texas sun. Brynn will sit in it for a bit before wanting out to dip and spin in the water. She is constantly trying to chew the front part of the float which only leads to a face full of water. Silly girl. 

Only a few days before Brynn started crawling she began reaching and pulling up in her crib. After lowering the crib we quickly went and bought this Fisher Price Activity Table. We were able to skip playing on the floor and this has become her FAVORITE toy. And.... it's bilingual! :) This mama can be found humming, whistling and singing the songs even after Brynn is asleep.

How cute is this Finger  Puppet Book?!? Our Aunt MB sent this {among other goodies} for Brynn around Mother's Day. I pulled it out last week and watched my little girl squeal with delight when we read the book and I moved the piggies. Best part... the little piggie has cookies-not roast beef! :) 

I really didn't know how to feel about Pack 'N' Plays until this month. In desperation to clean before a Summer BBQ we were hosting we busted out this hand me down. With Brynn scooting and crawling all over I needed a few moments in the kitchen. We fill it will her favorite toys and see will play to her hearts content {well for maybe 20 minutes}. This also came in handy on vacation and acted as her crib.