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. 

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.

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.

7 Months Old

                     

Oh sweet summer is upon us and this mama could not be happier to spend the next few months with this sweet girl! Brynn is SEVEN months old! Time is flying by and Tom and I are soaking in every moment. We are so blessed with this happy, happy baby! 

Yes, again, I will tell you that this month has been my favorite. Her personality is shining through in everything she does. She is all smiles and we have witnessed many giggles from this girl. We I actually got it on camera on my first day off from school. It was such a gift. She is so observant... taking in everything around us. This also causes overstimulation sometimes which in turn causes a short meltdown before napping. Not very often though. 

Little girl is playing hard. After eating she is on the go until she goes down for a nap. She is busy, busy. She can sit up on her own for long amounts of time and has very good balance. She is reaching for everything and is drawn to toys that light up and play music. We are headed to Target to pick up some new summer toys this week. She has not officially crawled yet but can ooch herself across the blanket or roll repeatedly to get where she wants to go. She is constantly pushing up on her hands and knees and perfected the rock but can't figure out how to pick up her hands. Instead she pushes herself backwards which makes her very frustrated. She is one strong girl... yesterday she pushed up into a baby plank on her hands and toes. No joke! It was so funny.

Little missy capitalized on some tummy time in her birthday suit.

Brynn still hasn't said her first word but watches us very intently when we say Mama or Dada. She will open and close her mouth imitating our mouths so I am sure it will happen soon. Instead we still get the constant bubbles and screeching and of course, that sweet sweet laugh.

Other milestones this month... little girl went on her first plane ride to Pennsylvania. We went on our first vacation as a family to my Aunt's lakehouse. We made so many special memories just the 3 of us and with my parents and extended family as well. First plane ride, first boat ride, first trip to NYC and meeting my Aunt MB and her Great Grandmother. More to come.

First Family Vacation

I achieved my goal. I made it to the end of the school year feeding Brynn strict breastmilk. I had 2 bags of milk to spare! Talk about cutting it close. I am beyond excited to say "goodbye" to my pump for a while. I am trying to feed Brynn a big bottle before bed instead of the boob to help her get a good night sleep and then pump right before I go to bed. This way I can have a few bags of milk in case Tom and I go out for a date. Other than milk Brynn is LOVING, I mean LOVING her purees! So far we have tried; avacados, sweet potatoes, zucchini, bananas, pears, butternut squash, and apples. There hasn't been a puree she doesn't like. I have a feeling she's going to be a food lover. We have also introduced puffs and baby mum mums to her. At first she was having a hard time picking up the puffs and putting them in her mouth but after a bit of practice she's a puff master. These both are great to kill a few minutes while mama is making her coffee and eggs in the morning before we enjoy our breakfast together. 

Brynn was not sleeping through the night since about month 4 but recently (as in the past 3 nights) started to sleep through the night again. We have tried to stretch her bedtime until 8pm and she usually sleeps until 6:30 in the morning. I told you... she loved her sleep. I think the vacation wore her out and made her appreciate her comfy crib. Because Brynn plays so hard she loves her naps! She was still sleeping and napping between each feeding, usually :) Now it seems like she is naturally moving to one longer nap in the morning and then in the afternoon. I am hoping she will find a good schedule that we can keep. She does a good job of being flexible if we are running errands and the carseat and car ride are still her kryptonite. When Brynn wakes up from sleeping we let her "hatch" for a little bit. If we go and get her too early sometimes she is still waking up. She is completely content playing in her crib and singing to herself. It is so fun to watch her on the monitor. 

While we are running errands she no longer likes to be in her carrier anymore, she loves riding in the shopping carts. We love our shopping cart cover we got from our shower. Brynn loves looking around and is completely content playing and chewing on the tags of her toys.

6 Months Old

I feel like every month is passing faster and faster! I cannot believe that 1/2 a year has passed since the day we were blessed with Brynn Marie. And it blows my mind that in the same amount of time we will be celebrating our girl's FIRST birthday! What the what?!? Let the party planning begin :) Just kidding... not really.

Like I say every month, this past month has been my favorite. Brynn has changed so much and is being way more interactive. This lady plays hard. She has definitely fallen into a routine. Eat, play for 1- 1 1/2 hours, nap, repeat. Tom would beg to differ. He claims she never naps for him on his days. Hmmmm :) I would claim she is such a happy baby. She is always smiling. She loves to be talked to and is so interested in anything we are doing. Whatever we are holding, she reaches for. Especially my phone. Probably because it is always in her face taking pictures. Guilty.

Brynn hasn't said any words yet but she is starting to mumble and I am hearing the "mmm" sound. I believe her first word will be mama. I think I say it a thousand times a day, and constantly call her little mama. She still loves blowing bubbles and if she's not blowing bubbles she screeching. Little lady is loud! No teeth yet, but they have to be coming soon. I swear we go through 3 outfits a day thanks to the constant drooling.

Other milestones this month... big girl is sitting up all by herself! It is so crazy to think about the little roly poly she was in the beginning when we see her sitting alone. Sometimes she gets a little excited and leans forward too far and if we're not careful goes down in a nose dive. But she's getting better at this trick everyday.

When we're playing she is drawn to anything that makes noise; music, crinkly toys or rattles. My sweet inlaws gave her a music toy that is similar to a piano. She lights up, smiling from ear to ear when she changes the tune with the push of a button. She is still in love with Sophie but any toy she is holding goes directly into the mouth. Like I said, 1st tooth any day now.

I have made it to the 6 month mark with strict breastmilk. My goal is to make it until the end of the school year so I can continue through the summer. I am so close. I believe I have enough milk stored in the freezer to make it. I feel proud that I can do this for our girl. I am so excited to put my pump on the shelf. We are still feeding her rice cereal or oatmeal in the morning and night, unless we are out. She is quite partial to the oatmeal, more so than the cereal. I am anxious for Brynn's 6th month appointment tomorrow to hear if we can start actual purees. I am planning on making our own baby food and am in the market for a bigger food processor.

We have graduated from naps in the swing to naps in the crib. Our girl is LONG and the swing is a little snug for her now. She likes to stretch out like her mama when she sleeps. Most of the time she is on her back but a few times we have found her on her side. We put the bumpers back on the crib after she was waking up from naps after bumping her head on the rails. We still have some anxiety about this but we believe our borderline crawler will be okay if she were to roll into the bumper.

Yes I said borderline crawler! My mom told me on my 6th month birthday I started crawling and Miss B is not far off. She prefers to be on her stomach now unless we are chatting with her on her back. She is figuring out how to put more weight on her knees and tonight I watched her push herself backwards in a sort of backward crawl. She'll figure it out soon. I don't know if I'm ready for that... Let the baby proofing begin.

I am anxious to see what this girls stats are tomorrow. Tom is taking her because I am still in school. I can't wait until this summer and I will be able to take her. Just another reason to get excited for summer. I have been a bit behind on the weekly photos. Here is a photo dump.

Miss Thing,
You are my world! I love that you recognize my face and my voice. It is the sweetest thing when you reach for your daddy's and my face and rest your little hand. It is so much fun to see you go through each stage and see how much you have changed. I feel myself going back to those first few weeks to remember so I won't forget. I don't want to forget these first months. I cherish every day with you. Each minute is precious! I cannot wait until this summer so I can spend more time with you baby girl. I can't wait to see what this next month will bring.
 Love Mama.

Brynn's Five Month Favorites

1.Brynn is a mover. If I could make a prediction, I think she will be crawling within the next 2 months. She has already found a way to spin herself in a complete circle on the activity mat. She pulls on the mat and turns her body. I have always adored Baby Legs but have refused to pay the $12-$15. After receiving my hand me down sewing machine and discovering Target's knee socks, Brynn has DIY Baby Legs in every color. They are so easy to make and take almost no time to make. I use this tutorial I discovered on Pinterest.

2. Again our hand me downs have been the best part of having Brynn. We are spoiled beyond measure by Tom's 2 older sisters. My sister in law gave me her gently used jog stroller and Brynn Marie loves it. We have taken many walks (and a few jogs) around the neighborhood. Brynn and I even discovered an old grave marked by a Texas historical marker. As bumpy as the stroller is Miss B is soothed by the road and falls asleep quickly.

3.I am determined to be a faithful mama and be in the word with Brynn. Sometimes determination is not enough and therefore I am thankful for His grace. I adore Brynn's first bible! It was an early Christmas present for her. The Jesus Storybook Bible is amazing! I have constant backflashes to preschool sunday school. I love the words that were chosen to explains God's love for us.

4. The Sassy Wonder Wheel is Brynn's newest toy and she adores it. I bought it to add to her exersaucer but there is no surface flat enough for the suction cup to stick to. So now we stick it to her bumpo chair's tray when she is in the kitchen with us. She is mezmorized!

5. Brynn has the best daddy! He had been eying this swing for our girl, and no other swing would do... adorable! The only thing more adorable, is her in the swing! She LOVES it. We have been enjoying the gorgeous weather with the wind in our hair.

5 Months

4 Months Old

I cannot believe our girl is 4 months old today! We woke up this morning with thoughts of our 4 month check up looming over us. She was a sleepy girl this morning and slept the majority of the morning while we ran some errands. I LOVE our pediatrician! It was fun to take Brynn this morning so I could see Dr Burgess and Nurse Janet. They love our girl well. They were commenting on how sweet she was showing her off to the other nurses. Little bit is climbing the charts in weight and height; 15 lbs 6 oz in the 89th percentile for weight.

This mama's got a confession to make... earlier this month we were having a blowout at least once a day. This went on for about a week. And after scrubbing multiple outfits I thought to check the weight for size 1 diapers. Sure enough the top weight was 14 lbs. DUH! New mama problems. Since then no more blowouts :) I think we may have a volleyball played on our hands. 25 inches... this girl is long. The time I notice it most is when she is swaddled for bed. She looks like a little papoose! She can still fit into some 3 month outfits but because she is so tall, some have become too small and is graduating quickly into 6 month clothes. Her thighs are so pinchable, if that's a word. They are chunky little things, but boy they are strong. Brynn would rather be standing on our laps then held or rocked anymore. One of her favorite things to do is start on her back then we will pull her up by her arms and she will stand up on her own... like I said, those tree trunks are strong. Our girls got a grip! She smiles so big and is SO proud of herself.

This past month I have seen Brynn grow the most and has been my favorite month. (I will probably say that each month, I know..) But seriously-she is so fun and is smiling all the time. From the moment she wakes up this girl is all grins. The morning is by far my favorite time and I secretly love when she wakes up before I leave for work, even though it's a long day for daddy. She has begun to recognize both mommy and daddy and will smile that gummy smile the second we come into view. I wish we could see or know what all she can see, but she is definitely taking it all in. She is mesmerized by the TV and the bright lights. We don't like this too much so we have started turning off the TV in the evenings for family time. She is holding her gaze a lot longer with anything she sees as if she is studying every inch of it. She is going to be one curious girl!

A morning conversation.

We love our playtime. Brynn's favorite toys right now are her Sophie the giraffe, her Lamaze caterpillar, the activity mat and her new exersaucer. Sophie is the perfect size for her to wrap her little fingers around. We put it in her car seat for each ride and Sophie constantly ends up in her mouth while we drive. She is a kicking machine on the activity mat and will hold her own conversations with each of the characters. The dragonfly/ butterfly is her all time favorite because he makes the most noise. Brynn has fallen into a natural routine without much forcing or guiding on our part. She will eat, then we play and about 1 hour to an hour and half later she's done and ready for a nap. She let's us know..

The exersaucer is wonderful because Brynn wants to be standing up and upright most of the time. We can already tell a difference in how strong her core has grown. I am glad she has good head control so this toy could come into our lives. It's perfect for when mama's making dinner in the kitchen and I can keep an eye on her. The double whammy... caterpillar on the exersaucer tray! Mind blowing :)

Drool Monster..

Obviously from our stats you can tell Brynn is a good eater. She is still breastmilk only, feeding when I am home and bottle when I am working. I am boycotting pumping over Spring Break... oh it's been glorious! Pumping deserves an entire blog entry for itself. I started hearing the pumping noises in my sleep, that's when you know you need a break. It's nice that she can easily transition back and forth. She graduated to the big bottles this month. One- because sometimes she would eat more than the small ones could hold and two-because our dog destroyed the "shorties" one unnamed daddy would leave out. Yes, my husband calls them "shorties." The doctor gave us the go ahead for rice cereal! This is on the agenda for tomorrow night. We couldn't wait for daddy to get home from the gym before supper time tonight. We will have the camera ready for sure :)

I am so glad Brynn loves her sleep. She is still napping in her swing for the most part- or our arms :) But bedtime is crib only. After her last feeding around 8 or anytime after that we swaddle her, read a story from her bible and rock her. The majority of the time she's down for the night unless she needs to burp. The past few weeks she started waking up around 3 or 4 to eat which surprised me because she had been sleeping through the night. But it's not a big deal because she goes right back down and sleeps until around 7 or 7:30. Girlfriend loves her nightly stories. I hope she stays this way when she grows up. She is so intrigued by the pictures and I am enjoying the bible stories as well. I will add her bible to her monthly favs :)

OK.. OK sorry this one is a novel. Sorry but I'm not sorry :)

Miss B, 

Oh your mama loves you so much! You are easily the best part of my day. When I see you smile that ear to ear smile everything melts away.  You are so strong! Even your doctor said so. You are enjoying tummy time more. You are constantly reaching for something mostly your feet. Girl you are flexible! Your little voice is so sweet. We have the best conversations.. your face is so serious when you are telling me your story. It's the funniest thing. Then there are your screeches and screams.. girl you are loud! I blame myself because I squeal and sing to you constantly. But we don't mind :) You are trying to imitate everything! When we motorboat our lips or stick out or tongues to blow bubbles you tongue comes out and now you are trying to make the sound.. your are so close! Let's not forget to mention the drool! Drooling machine! We think the teeth are coming soon.

You have such a good nature about you and are such a good baby. You don't cry unless something is wrong, or your are overly tired. Lately you have been playing so hard you don't fight going down for your naps. I cannot wait to see the girl you grow into. I pray you have your daddy's determination and (part) of his hard-headedness :) Baby girl, I love you so much! This Spring Break has been the break I needed to make it until summer. I cannot wait to relax and soak in the sun with you.

Happy 4 Months Baby! 

Love Mommy

 "Hey Mom, look what I can do..."

Kali is SO not impressed.

Three Months Old

I love these little month by month pages. I saw the idea on, of course, Pinterest and use an editing program to make them my own. I have some plans for them at little lady's first birthday party. And maybe one day I'll start scrapbooking again...

I cannot believe our little girl is already 3 months old. I feel like I am saying this outloud multiple times each week. Her personality has come out so much in the past month. It is so fun to be with her, which in turn makes it so hard to leave each morning. This month Brynn started sleeping through the night! We thought it may be a fluke because we thought it was a bit early for that. But each morning I woke up refreshed and feeling proud for our girl. She usually takes her last feeding at 6pm and we will keep her in her swing or snuggle her until 8:30 or so, sometimes she will eat once more. After that she's down for the night. She will start stirring around 6:45 in the morning before I go to work. Sometimes she'll wake up earlier and so begins the "baby shuffle." Breastfeeding, burping, changing a baby and trying to get ready for work is quite difficult. At 3 months, we are considering ourselves very lucky for her love of sleep.

She is still in size 1 diapers and are going through them like CRAZY! Sometimes I regret not going the cloth diaper route... maybe next time. But nothing is easier than wiping, wrapping and tossing it in the diaper genie. She is wearing 3 month, sometimes 3-6 month clothes, depending on the brand. Still so long... we had to make a special trip to the mall for some new jammies because her feet were all jammed up. 

So technically Brynn is not 3 months until February 15th, but she is 12 weeks already... so when do the weeks start being the same as the months? Which ones do you go by? Whatever... our girl is 3 months old. 
We feeling the love this month with our Little Valentine. 

Not the owl again....

Sweet Brynn,  

This month has been so much fun watching you grow! You are taking in everything around you. I love watching you discover new things. I am praying that you love learning as much as I love to teach. You have changed so much since the day you were born. People say you look just like me with your big bright eyes but I still see so much of your daddy in you. Especially your cute button nose! I guess your a good mix of us both, and I wouldn't have it any other way. When you were in my tummy your daddy and I used to guess what color hair you would have. Your daddy said the blonde gene was too powerful to overcome... but how wrong he was. You have the darkest hair and it keeps coming. You have the cutest cowlick near your forehead. I love our talks, you go back and forth with your sweet coos. It just makes excited for our talks as you grow. You have grown very fond of your hand, but especially your thumb! No matter how quick we are with the paci, most times you would prefer your thumb instead. We may have a thumbsucker on our hands! 

My girl, you are my world! My favorite moments are when we are rocking before bedtime. As we read our nightly bible story, I am overwhelmed with God's blessing we have in you. You are healthy and happy (most of the time). I think back how we prayed for your little heart and your VSDs... we are just so blessed! I have never felt a love like this! I love you sweet Brynn Marie!

I love you sweet girl!

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!