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.