Happy Summer Solstice!

Summer is officially here! Today marks the first real day of summer but we have been celebrating since June 7th baby! Just one of the many perks of being a teacher. I definitely miss my students but nothing beats lounging around in comfies all day with this sweet 7 month old.

It was daddy's day with Brynn so he brought her up to school for the last day of school. We were having our Kindergarten play day splashing around outside and the students LOVED having her there. I didn't mind so much either. Yes... daddy chose the bow! 

I bought this onesie specifically for the first day of summer and was smiling from ear to ear when I dressed Brynn that morning. Thank you Target! :) 

 Stopping for a "selfie" while playing with sweet Brynn on the first day of my Summer vacation.

Could this picture be any sweeter?!?  She was peeking around the chair at Kali. I am telling you, they are going to be best friends. Yes... that is a glob of drool dripping off her chin. Still no sign of teeth, just  very swollen gums.

We also soaked up the sun while celebrating Tom's sister's birthday. They just put a pool in and you can bet that we are going to be taking full advantage this summer to beat the heat. We lathered Brynn up in sunscreen and some love for America. How adorable is a chunky baby in red, white and blue?

Daddy was so excited to take a dip with her. 

 The water was still a little cold but she was a good sport. I foresee many, many days floating around in the water. A blow up pool my mom gave us will be finding a permanent spot in our backyard. Mama and daddy may use it themselves. 

 Happy Summer Y'all! 

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.

Baby's Firsts

Baby Girl is not so baby anymore. It seems like each day brings a new "first" bigger than the day before. At her 6th Month appointment we got the go ahead to try puree veggies and fruits. I decided when I was pregnant with Brynn that I would make my own baby food. And I am determined to stick to it. It will take some pre planning but I am thankful Summer Break is around the corner that will provide lots of extra time.

Brynn's First Puree: Avacados

 Baby's Reaction: She loved it!!! She didn't know what to think at first. She was used to the banana oatmeal we had been giving her. But after the first few bites she was grabbing the bowl for more. Since then we have tried bananas too and those are her favorite out of the two.

Mama's Reaction: I love that she is getting more nutrients. Avacados are one of my favorites too! They are a proven source for baby's brain development and physical development as well. They're easy to prepare too. Cut, scoop and pop in the food processor. I wish they would keep in the refrigerator. Oh well, half for Brynn... half for mama!

Brynn's First Ride in the Shopping Cart

Brynn's Reaction: The picture says it all..."Say what?!!?" She LOVED it! I am finding it is much more enjoyable for her to be in the baby bjorn or now the shopping cart when we are out running errands and she is awake. Now that Brynn can sit up she does not want to be laying on her back in the carrier when we are out. When she is she is straining her neck and doing "baby crunches" trying to sit up. So I decided, why fight it? This week we went to Michael's for a few goodies and I decided to give it a go. She was much happier showing off her new found core strength and looking around at all the crafts.

Mama's Reaction: I loved looking at her smile and screech. She was so happy, and in turn so was I. This impromptu decision left me unprepared. I didn't have my shopping cart cover but we made do with our chevron quilt and diaper cloth. I can't wait to see how much easier the grocery store will be. 

Brynn (and Mama's) First Garage Sale

We have lived in our house for 2 years this summer and were in major need of decluttering after baby. Our sweet house does not have a lot of storage and Brynn's things seem to have taken over the house. (Not really, but it does seem like it sometimes) Tom and I are sentimental people and have a hard time getting rid of things therefore every item is attached to a memory. Even if that memory was finding a steal at Goodwill :) Needless to say there were items we hadn't touched since moving in and shoving it somewhere. While tearing through the house I found some "gems" that definitely made the garage sale stack. So Saturday was the day. My mom came over Friday night and we tagged away. Then she arrived early Saturday morning for the big sale. 

Brynn's Reaction: She didn't know what to think. Luckilly the excersaucer kept her entertained. The fresh air made her sleepy and she took two naps. Which was fine by me. Keeping a busy 6 month old entertained while trying to cut deals proved to be a two man job. I am so thankful for my mom's help.

Mama'a Reaction: I love shopping garage sales! But when you have you're own you better grow some thick skin. All I could think about was these are my things and you're trying to bargain me down to $1, $2.... which is way less than I would buy it for. Like I said, I am a sentimental person so maybe I should just stick to the garage sale shopping. But for 3 1/2 hours in the driveway, good conversation with my mom and decent weather.... this Mama got a new vaccuum cleaner!!! I would like to say I spend the money on something more fun... I guess I am grown up now. But man is she a beauty! Retractable cord and all :) 

Little girl is growing fast! She learns something new everyday. And with all the good "firsts" we are experiencing, she woke up with her first cough this morning... Luckilly no fever and she's acting like herself, but it still earned a call to the pediatrician to make sure I didn't need to take her in. Nervous first time mama.... Guilty! Better safe than sorry. 

So we are staying low key today and celebrating many things: no school tomorrow (Happy Memorial Day!),  lots of new firsts, and most of all.... 7 1/2 more days left of school. Hello sweet Summer! 

Hope y'all have a great weekend.

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.

Mother's Day 2013

This morning I have a moment to breathe and I am grinning from ear to ear thinking about celebrating my first Mother's Day with Brynn. Last year I celebrated quietly in my heart and with a yearning to hold Baby H. Every time someone commented about it being my first Mother's Day there was a tiny sting with each word. Last year was hard but this year was full of smiles from Miss B and although a part of me still aches for the day to hold my son again I can celebrate that he is somewhere so much better than this earth.

Of course, Mr. H had to work Saturday night but that didn't stop him from spoiling me with breakfast in bed. He walked in the bedroom, still in full uniform, with a plate of french toast, bacon, eggs and hashbrowns. My Oh My, it was a beautiful sight. He wished me a Happy Mother's Day and it was followed by, "I was going to cook you breakfast myself, but at 6am IHOP just does it better!" True... very true. Brynn woke up at the perfect time. My sweet husband went to get her and walked in with our precious daughter and my sweet gifts. The hormones are still flowing, so instantly I teared up feeling so blessed in that moment. This is what God created me for. To be a wife to this man and the mother to this little girl. I love that she smiles when she sees me. My Mother's Day was complete in that breath at 6:30 in the morning.

After opening up my presents, eating my feast and enjoying a few moments as a family of 3 my husband went to sleep and Brynn and I spent the morning as a mother- daughter team. To celebrate Mother's Day with my mom, Brynn's Nana, we went to church at the Village. Brynn is getting a little big and doesn't sleep through anything anymore so I decided to put her in the nursery for the first time. I was a bit nervous, but our church family blew me away. I am so glad to have a church home that loves my girl well, praying for her during the service. There was even a little sticker on her diaper that said, "Little Village prayed for me today!" And the security measures taken to ensure safety... amazing. She did perfect, a little fussy when I picked her up, but perfect for her first time.

After the service my family, the Farrell four + Brynn, went to Corner Bakery for brunch. Brynn sat in a high chair for the first time and I got to use the precious shopping cart cover for her. She's such a big girl now. A small part of me was said watching her sit up so big, but the other 90% if me was so proud as she  held herself up so strong.

This picture captures my mom's love for my little girl so well. Even after watching her 2 1/2 days during the week for us my mom can barely stay away. I am so thankful for my mom and for so many reasons. She instilled so many values in me; patience, compassion and most of all faith. She is such a godly woman with a heart for the Lord and she loves my dad so well. I am thankful for the family she  led and I hope that I can lead my family in the same way. My mom truly is my best friend and I pray each night that when Brynn is grown that she will love me the way I love my mom. 

We spent the rest of the day with Tom's family and then a relaxing night at home. I almost forgot to take a picture with little missy but remembered right before bed time. So thankful that the Lord shared this little lady with me and made me her mother. On the days I feel inadequate I am thankful for the one who leads us both. 

Brynn, 

You made me a mama! I can't help but smile when I think about your sweet face and personality. Somedays I feel like I'm walking blindly in motherhood, and although I make mistakes (daily) I promise you I will always love you.... unconditionally! I can't wait to see the lady you turn into. I pray I can lead you, teach you to love the Lord and stand up for the good. I love you so much my girl. 

Mommy

Happy Mother's Day.... to all the moms.

Beautiful Day

I have said it many times before... I cherish my weekends. Like soak in every moment, wishing time could stand still, cherish every moment. Today was no different. After a morning workout Brynn and I ran around for a bit before coming home for a picnic in the yard while we were waiting for Tom to wake up.

 This girl couldn't get enough of the fresh air, grass and cool breeze. I mean look at this smile.

This was mid shrill.

Sophie was invited.

Look at this big girl sitting up on her own. So big.

 Brynn adores Kali. She smiles so big when she walks by. Again she was screaming and trying to "talk" to Kali. Kali is such a good sport. The are going to be the best of friends. 

Yes, we were thanking God for the beautiful Spring weather today. Counting down the days until summer.

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.