10 Weeks

This mama is a little behind on the posts considering Week 10 has come and gone. But who can pass up pictures like this? The old gray rug from IKEA made a trip to the dumpster and little girl wanted to show off how strong she has grown. Sitting up all by herself. When we were taking these pictures Brynn was fascinated with her feet and the colors on the quilt. She kept kicking her legs and cracking herself up. She is getting so big! I feel like each day she had grown and doing something new. This lady has found her voice... whether she is screaming or chatting up a storm, I just say a prayer of thanks for healthy lungs :)

Look at those chunky thighs! I could eat them up...

I can't wait to compare all of my week by week photos and "a photo a day" pictures.
I have big plans for these puppies for our girl's first birthday party. Is it crazy to already be planning this? I think not. This is why Pinterest created secret boards, for mamas like me!

This past week was spent trying to figure out balancing work and home life and cherishing every moment in between. 

Monday: This girl loves being outside. This afternoon was exceptionally beautiful. Brynn didn't appreciate my new contraption to block the wind. 

Tuesday: Rocking the new Valentine's Day wear! Too early? No way. We love Carter's!

Wednesday: Mama got brave and went the to grocery store alone with baby. We both got a prize for being good. Brynn got one for not losing it. I was not above walking away from a full grocery cart, frozen goods and all. And Mama got a prize for not hyperventilating. It's quite stressful driving a cart full of groceries and a full size carseat to boot...

Thursday: This picture captured our afternoon perfectly. It was gorgeous out. We were listening to worship music, and counting our blessings. I like to think these rays of sunlight are her big brother looking down on us. I tell her about Baby H everyday. 

Friday: Look at those chunky cheeks! Yummy lips! 

These last two were randoms from the week, but so precious. I can't get enough of this girl.

Sunny Day

Our girl loves being outside. Going on a walk or just stepping out on the patio for some fresh air. She's just like her Mama. It has been the best cure for any late afternoon, overstimulated fussiness. Miss Sassy Pants' big girl hair is finally growing in :) Much to our surprise it is still dark. She going to have a head of hair like her Daddy. Look at that little peach fuzz!

Hello eyelashes! Baby eyelashes are the SWEETEST!

Loving life today!

One Week Down

 I made it through my first week back at school. And it honestly it wasn't as bad as I though it would be. Now I would be lying if I said there were no tears when I pulled away from the driveway knowing I was leaving my girl in her bed. It was probably a good thing she wasn't awake when I left. 

My mind is at ease when I am at work because we have the best "daycare" set up for Brynn Marie when Mama is at work. My mom, Nana, watches Brynn on Monday, half a day Thursday and on Fridays and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays Brynn gets to hang out with her Daddy! This is the only good thing about Tom working the midnight shift... 

I think it is so special that Brynn gets to spend such quality time with her daddy. The bond that they are going to have is already so strong and is going to be so special. Not many daddies get to spend that quality time with their children. Tom surprises me each day with the help he gives me. He is eager to help when I am overwhelmed and hormonal. God was making the perfect match for me when he created Tom, because he is just what I need in every single moment; even if I disagree.

So as I dread going back to school after a long, three day weekend snuggle fest, I am glad that if it is not me Brynn's daddy gets to squeeze her cheeks tomorrow.

It is true when they say you fall in love all over again with your spouse when you have a child... because I have never loved this man more than I do today.

Hallelujah for Three Day Weekends! 

Brynn's Favorite Things: Two Months

Two Month Favorites

Puj Infant Tub: This thing is ah-mazing! Brynn absolutely loves bathtime. This foam contraption is a little piece of heaven. It props right up in the sink and they just recline back. Our girl loves the water... she is mesmerized by the faucet and will run her hand underneath the running water. 

Look at that Buddha Belly.

4 Piece Character Hooded Towel and Washcloth Set:  
Speaking of bathtime... who doesn't love a baby in a hooded towel? This crab set is our favorite especially when she's feeling crabby. Okay, that was corny.

Old Navy Monkey Bow Tie Critter Beanies For Baby: 
We finally retired the reindeer hat therefore we were pumped when our across the street neighbor gave us this adorable monkey hat. You've definitely seen it if you follow me on Instagram (mrsrusko)

Little Tummys Gas Relief Drops:
Our girl is quite gassy. I like to say she got it from her daddy. She also gets the hiccups atleast 5 times a day. These life savers have calmed our girl down when the gas or hiccups start to make her uncomfortable.

Jellycat Cordy Roy Bunny
I LOVE, I mean LOVEEEEEEE jelly cat stuffed animals! They are the cutest I have seen and come in some pretty unique animals. Brynn was beyond spoiled this Christmas, including her first jelly cat, Bunny! I love that each animal comes with their own storybook.

My Little Snugabunny™ Cradle ’n Swing
Our girl loves to swing and rock! We did not receive a swing from our registry but a parent from my kindergarten classroom blessed us with this GENEROUS handmedown. In was in perfect condition. On the few nights Brynn has been inconsolable, this is the only solution. 

 Catching up from Week 8

(Left to Right)

Me and Brynn enjoyed our last few days together being lazy and squeezing in all the snuggles we could. Had to put her down a few times in the boppy...

Daddy passed up the first pair of adorable heart sunglasses but Mama surprised him with an even better pair while he snoozed. I think he likes them.

We can't always be happy.. it's a hard life. Perfecting the pouty lip! 

Pinkalicious in her bow!

Looking more like her Mama everyday! Bright eyes.

Brynn's first time in the Bjorn. Success! Mama made dinner :) 

The new go to hat! Monkey baby.

I can't believe our girl is already 9 Weeks old

Baby girl was worn out after Mama's first day back at work. Nana's house is way too fun but 2 month shots are not. She was all snuggles that day.

Nothing more beautiful than a Daddy's love for his Daughter.

Early morning feeding.. a bit too early but this sweet face makes it worth it :)

Our strong girl! Checking out her daddy.

Monkey jammies at 4 o'clock... don't mind if I do.

Friday afternoon and early dismissal. This girl was happy to see her mama and I am beyond excited to spend the weekend with my girl. 

Sleepyheads! 

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We will be soaking in every moment this weekend! Soaking in the sunshine too. The weatherman says sunny and 67 tomorrow, LOVE IT!

Two Months Old

 Brynn wasn't really in the mood to take her 2 month pictures today...

Haha! Not all were bad...

This one was too cute not to use. She looks so perplexed with her owl

Sweet Brynn, 

I cannot believe two months have passed since the day you were born. When I look at pictures with my pregnant belly it is hard for me to imagine that you were inside my tummy for almost 9 months. Over the past month we have seen you grown in so many ways. You are so long! 95th percentile. We knew you would be with those long fingers you have. Your arms, hands and fingers are constantly moving... I have a feeling we will be swaddling you for a while. Your personality is showing more. You are very vocal and make noises and talk just to hear your voice. It is the sweetest thing to listen to. We've had some good conversations. Momma had to go back to work this week. It was hard to do but it makes me appreciate our rocking sessions and snuggle time together so much more. You are such a blessing to us sweet girl! We are so thankful that you are healthy and God healed your heart. Sometimes I find myself in awe of God's creation. What a mighty God we serve. I can't wait to see you grow over the next four weeks. I love you so much!

Love, Momma

 

Here are some other sweet photos. They capture her personality perfectly.

This is the first smile I have captured on camera (not a gas or sleep smile)

 Working on head control... such concentration.

So funny! 

Back to Reality

 Tomorrow is my first day back at work.Obviously I'm not too thrilled about it... I would rather by home snuggling this "bow head" anyday. I have been so blessed to stay home for 2 months with my girl. Some women are not that lucky, so am counting myself blessed. Say a quick prayer for peace; peace for me and peace for our baby girl. At 1:30pm when I am teaching science, she will be getting her 2 month shots. Tom says it's a good thing I won't be there. I'm not so sure...

 I am looking forward to that 3:00 bell and lots of snuggles when I get home.

We are so lucky to have avoided the daycare costs. My mom (Nana) will be watching her Mondays, 1/2 a day Thursday and all day Friday and for the rest of the week our girl will be hanging out with this guy....

Love this girl!

Rainy Days

It has been raining (nonstop) for the past two days which has led to lots of this....

 and this....

Jammies for two days? Yes please!

Who slept from 9pm- 6am last night???? This girl.

The rain has been a blessing in more way than one. Time seemed to slow down... 

Monday is coming fast.

Fightin' Texas Aggies

 We love our Fightin' Texas Aggies! Cotton Bowl Champs.

 We love our Aggies and were so excited to show our spirit for the Cotton Bowl. Tom and I are itching to get down to College Station and catch a game. Looks like we'll be on the hunt for 3 tickets now. With a school so rich in tradition, I cannot wait to teach Brynn all about it. Proud to be an Aggie!

Brynn was obviously thrilled about the game... her onesie says "I can't sleep while the Aggies are playing," which she did not. She was wide awake until midnight. Maybe she thought the midnight yell practice was that night. Silly girl...

Whoop!

These Are a Few of Brynn's Favorite Things

I saw this idea on one of my favorite blogger's site to document baby's favorite things each month. I have this blog mainly for myself to remember important things and I think it will be neat to see how baby products have changed the next time we have a baby.... whenever that may be. Years down the road according to Tom.

I know Brynn is past one month mark, but I still want to document some of her our favorite things.

Brynn's Month One Favorites

1. Nap Nanny: I know, I know. There is a recall on this. I can't tell you how many texts and facebook messages I got when they issued the recall on these bad boys after I posted pictures of Brynn napping in the nanny. I don't care what the recall says, this was a life saver the first month. For whatever reason Brynn would not sleep flat during the night. We put her nap nanny in the cradle and she slept like a baby. Yes, I know the warning tag says don't let your baby sleep in there, like I said before it saved us from sleepless nights and a tired baby. 

2. Johnson's Bedtime Baby Lotion: The Johnson's commercial told me that "a baby's skin dries out 2 as fast as mine" so I am quick to lather sweet girl up with this lotion. It smells heavenly! Not like the traditional baby powder scent which I adore as well. It is supposed to be calming and help baby sleep better... eh the jury's still out on that one, but we do love it! Just make sure to warm it up before slapping it on the babe :) 

3. Britax B-SAFE Infant Car Seat: I went back and forth on which carseat to choose, but I am so happy we ended on this one. It works so well with the stroller combo, it just clicks in without any pesky converter contraption. The seat has a very sturdy sun visor thingie, unlike other carseats that were flemsy and loose. Not to mention, I love the black, gray and white combo. Good for girl or boy... thinking ahead.

4. Aden Anais Muslin Baby Wraps Swaddles: I think every mama loves these blankets. So light and airy! And they come in the cutest girly prints. I was thrilled when we received 2 packs from my home group girls. After watching a youtube video on the Happiest Baby on the Block Swaddle, both Mama and Daddy H have perfected the swaddle with these blankets. They are just the right thickness with Brynn's warm and cozy jammies, not too heavy.

5. Carter's Sleep & Play: If you have seen any of my facebook pictures, or follow me on Instagram (@mrsrusko) you can clearly tell that we have a jammie obsession. The footsie jammies from Carter's are some of our favorites. We have both cotton and fleece, for the cold nights. Tom cracks up the different animals on the feet, his favorite are the kitties. These jammies have been perfect for the lounging around we've been doing in the past weeks, or when we head out to run errands in our comfies.

6. Baby Reindeer Hat: This was by far one of my favorite gifts. Brynn's Auntie May May bought her this hat and couldn't wait until the baby shower to give it to her. She purchased it from this Etsy site. We rocked this hat all the way until the first of January, and it made the Christmas card. Who doesn't love a baby in antlers. I am cruising the site for a new hat to wear until the warm weather starts up. 

We have lots of other favs from the first month but these items were crucial in the first few weeks. Until next month...

Hello 2013

I was quite glad to say "goodbye" to 2011 but I'm not as quick to say goodbye to 2012. God has been so gracious and given us so many blessings in the past 12 months. There has been a lot of healing this year. When we found out we were pregnant again and when the due date was so close to Baby H's, the hormonal pregnant lady didn't really know how to feel. I prayed so hard that this pregnancy would be healthy and this baby would grow strong. Even through the news that our girl had VSDs, tears on her heart muscle, God was sovereign and faithfully He calmed our fears when the tears were healed. This pregnancy was different. God had a plan.

Each step and each appointment was filled with images and news of our girl. This was God healing another wound that was still exposed, that may not have healed completely. Don't get me wrong, sometimes when I look out the window at our Magnolia tree, washing dishes I am right there in the delivery room again. But now I feel happy, not sad when I think about that day. 

The ultimate healing was... November 15th, Brynn's birthday. This day was the first due date we were given for Baby H. God is good. He knows exactly what we each need and what better healing than a second child, a beautiful healthy baby girl. So now each year, while remembering Baby H we will be celebrating the birth of sweet Brynn.

My biggest blessings.

 Our New Year's Eve Family Date

Daddy had to work, but he didn't leave us hanging on New Year's Eve. The 3 of us went out to eat at Abuelo's and me and my mister doted over our girl and talked about our highs and lows. We both decided that 2013 will be our year. We have so much to be thankful for.

A growing family of our own, a home that we can call our own and where Brynn can grow in, both of our families who live in the same town who can visit anytime, our health, stable jobs where we can each make a difference, amazing friends, a home group full of prayer warriors where we feel like we can be ourselves, a country where we can worship our Lord freely and love for one another. 

Yes, there are hard times and there will continue to be, but I am so thankful for this man to lean on in those times. 

Yes, I do believe 2013 will bring hard times but the blessings will always weigh out the hard. We just have to look hard enough.

This is my favorite part in one of my current favorite movies... so pretty. 
Did you cry or is it just me?

Life Lately

My house may be a wreck, I may look a wreck 

But I wouldn't change a second.

7 Weeks Old

Brynn Marie you are...

I love this picture. I'd like to think she's just warming up her voice for the Aggie Bowl Game tomorrow. Doesn't it look like she's cheering? She's so wide eyed this week. I can tell she is taking way more in this week. She is still taking a nap between most feedings but not as long as in the beginning. We are playing alot more and I feel as long as she is sleeping well during the night, I don't mind all the napping. We've got a growing girl for heaven's sake.

Speaking of sleep, she is a great sleeper. Earlier this week Brynn went down for the night around 9 finally, slept until midnight, ate, and then went back down and slept from midnight until 7 am. WHAT?!? It was glorious. I woke up feeling completely rested and so did she. We had a great day full of my 2nd intentional smile. She has my heart I'll tell ya.

Although the weather has been pretty cold we have been sneaking out of the house a bit. Brynn loves the car and is such a good little traveler. We have been to family's houses and a few stores. She doesn't even wake up when Mama is trying to juggle the carrier and click it into the stroller.... I think I've perfected it now :)

I'm headed back to school next week. I have a lot of mixed feelings and am definitely going to miss all of the lovie time. So this next week we will be doing a lot of snuggles and moby wrapping.

 
1. I can not tell you how much I love the Moby Wrap. Yes I do! I have been getting a little down about heading back to work and all I want to do is snuggle my little lady. With this wrap I can hold her tight but still keep up with the house work. I have tried 2 holds so far; the newborn which is in the picture and the previous post and today I tried the kangaroo hold (i think that is what it is called). Our girl is such a good napper I was even able to vaccuum and she did not wake up. 

2. Brynn had her first New Year's Date with us. (More to come) This party animal struck a pose in her sassy pants before heading out. She looks exactly like I did when I was a baby in this picture. Mini me :)

3. We've been working hard to play with her everyday, she's still not a huge fan of the activity mat yet. Hence the pacifier in the mouth while playing. She has also been quite fussy in the evenings but an article I read said from weeks 4-6 babies are taking so much in during the day their nervous system is shot at the end of the day from overstimulation, cue the crying... Good to know there is a reason. 

4. Look at our big girl! Wide eyed after feedings she can hold her head up for quite a long time. Before her nap in the Moby she was able to stabilize her head on her own using her hands to hold her up against my chest! Proud mama right here. She's one strong girl... we may be biased :)

5. December is over but the cold weather is not. We traded in our Rudolph hat for a monkey from our precious neighbors. It's still a little big but she sure does look adorable.

6. Daddy found a new way to baby carry. She fell asleep inside his camo body suit when her daddy was trying it out for his last hunting trip of the season this Saturday. (That means Mom and Daughter Sleepover :) This picture comes close to showing the love Mr H has for his girl. I love how he's looking at her. 

7. This may be my favorite picture yet... this was taken after yesterdays blowout. Yes it was bad enough for a mid day bath. Brynn was hanging out, naked as a blue jay, in her bouncer before the bath. She really does like bath time, even though her look says something COMPLETELY different. I could kiss those lips forever!

She is changing so much each day! I love seeing her little personality grow. I will leave you with a little video we took this morning during play time. You can hear her squeak at the middle... little girl is finding her voice. It's so sweet!