15-Month-er

That's, 64 weeks, 455 days, 10,920 hours, and you don't wanna know how many minutes! :)
Brenna weighs in at 25.11 pounds and is 31.9 inches tall- still bigger than most her age. Her doctor couldn't believe her communication skills at this age. More on that later.

I officially reached the point in life where I am able to fully enjoy my life where it's at, look at my husbands out-of-this-world fathering skills, smile and think.. I WANT MORE BABIES! :) :) :)
(Yes, mom, if you read this, you read that right!) :) Have I mentioned that my mom and Joe's mom are teaching Brenna to say "baby brother or baby sister"? It's true. :)

Now, only God knows when but I'm open to the idea. I am so blown away at how good God is to me... I was so scared about what my life would be like as a mom-- would I enjoy it? would I be good at it? will [any of] it come naturally? what will I do with all the mistakes I'll make? what if I freak out, then what? how will it change mine and Joe's relationship? will I be able to give up my career? will any of my friends be moms soon too?  I really did wonder all these things!!! Since we didn't tell anyone we were 'trying' for awhile, I felt kinda alone but excited.

The answers came with time. I was gently led and things turned out better than I could have hoped. That's the beauty of it, I think. This paragraph SERIOUSLY CHANGED MY THINKING FOR LIFE about motherhood, etc.!


"If people around us helped us avoid every possible unpleasantry, fixed every hangnail, and anesthetized every headache for us, we'd quit learning how to deal with difficulty. We'd forget how to cope and we'd crush under the least inconvenience. In daily living... strength comes from muscle, and muscle develops with a workout. This is as true spiritually as physically. What we don't use, we lose..."  --from Beth Moore's Esther Study


I don't know about you, but I find myself having to 'workout' a lot more than I had hoped :)

I am blown away at the progress Brenna has made this past month. As parents, it's really like Christmas morning so often when kids start finding ways to communicate with you. As of now, Brenna is able to sign:

-more
-all done
-milk
-sleep
-please (YESSS! This one took FOREVER!)

She is able to say these words:
-mommy  
-daddy 
-baby
-kitty
(those words recently were perfected by their actual sounds- which is so neat, too!)
-more- sounds like "mo"
-thank you- sounds like "dank ooh"
-pizza- sounds like "pee-zaa"
-Ari (our niece!)
-grandma- sounds like "gama"
-tio (what she calls, Logan her uncle)
-doggy- sounds like "dagg-e"
-hi- sounds like "hi-e"
-poppa
-Bible- sounds like "di-dle"
-eyes- sounds like "i-e-s"
-bye-bye
-please- sounds like "pee-z"
-nose
-mine- sounds like "my"

She seriously learns new words every day! I cannot keep up with them! There's probably more!

She is able to locate many body parts: head, ears, eyes, nose, mouth, toes, button, shoulders (sometimes), feet, fingers

My favorites: she points at things she's interested in/wants, she grabs a book and comes and sits in my lap to 'read' (for like 10 seconds, lol!), she climbs downstairs now on her belly, she loves getting her neck kissed and giggles, she started petting our animals (before she just looked at them and smiled), HER FUNNY FACES!, dances to anything, 'answers' cell phone calls whenever one rings, says "hi" to people on the phone, her sign language skills (it actually DOES work! Wow!), when she says "thank you" without being asked, runs away when she takes something she shouldn't, goes to her high chair when hungry/asked, follows simple directions, unexpected kisses.

Frustrations: transitioning from one nap to two/day, temper tantrums, throwing food/plate/cup on ground still, pickier with food, grabs stuff off shelves, harder to take shopping

Here is Brenna in ACTION!

Putting toys in her mouth- new fun!

Grabbing stuff off the shelves

Her hair looked awesome! :) 

She climbs inside her own toybox

Grandma taught her "phew-phew" = squeeze nose

Who Me??

Yes, that's me now, the 27-year-old woman! I don't know what it is, but reaching your "late" 20's has really made me think about the circle of life. LOL. Before I know it... we'll have at least one more kid and then be in our 30's. When I'm 30, can I dress how I do now?? Will I have reached that age range where I now shop in the 'women's' department?, instead of the juniors? Can I even wear shorts anymore? Can I go get my groove on? So many things to ponder! :o)


At least I know I'm not alone. Most of my friends turn 30 right before me or right after.. I'm actually not that worried about it. I'm alllllmost starting to embrace it. Almost. And with the help of my friends, we'll always be young! 


I had a great 27th birthday. I went to breakfast & lunch with my family, and dinner with my friends! Sarah 'made' us dance next door at the martini lounge... don't worry though, Brooke taught us all the "mom dance" which cracks me up even at this moment!  Thanks Brooke for thinking about how we can avoid our kids from feeling any future embarrassment by our dance moves! Hahahaha.

The Best Night Ever

Halloween night (well, weekend really!) was so much fun. Joe and I both agreed that it was the most fun we had as a family since Brenna was born. On Saturday, we took Brenna to Grandpa Sam & Granny Mary's house where David and his kids met us there. Brenna and Grandpa Sam have a special relationship and he just ADORES her so much! We took her there last year, too, all dressed up. So Ari, Matix, baby Ellyeah and Brenna all played together and we had a blast watching them.

Some highlights.... Matix telling Granny Mary to hit Joe with his 'hammer' because Joe was 'beating up' on his daddy! Homemade carmeled apples.

Our niece, Ari, as Rupunzel!

Tough guy!

Show us the gun show!

Halloween jammies!

On Sunday we went to Chad and Rachelle's to celebrate David and Matt's birthdays. It was so cute seeing her uncle's interacting with her so much.

Kiss the baby

"Go 49ers!" Matt swears she said "Niners" that night!

"Go Cowboys!" David swears she said "cowboys" that night!

She totally posed for this one!

On Halloween night (Monday), we took Brenna to Joe's Aunt Linda's house. She loooooves seeing the kids and we also knew that his parents would be there. We went trick-or-treating in that neighborhood until Matt and Kim returned home, then we met them at their house. We went door-to-door with them a few houses until Violet got upset. David and his kids met us there and we went out for another hour or more. Matix and Brenna were in the CUTEST moods and got a TON of candy! (Yes, we gave her some :) Smarties were her new fav!)

Brenna was acting like- "Don't touch me!" :)~

After all that fun, we went back home so my parents could see Brenna and trick-or-treat in their circle. Our neighbor across the street loves seeing Brenna so much (they have the same birthday in fact!) and Brenna likes her a lot too because she just stepped inside their house and walked all around the entryway talking and looking around! Kim, the neighbor, got a picture of her and another little girl dressed the SAME as Brenna while we were there.

And of course that weekend, the b-crew got a few pictures of the girls altogether. Evan was the happiest, smiling most of the time :)

Pumpkin Patch- Fall 2011

I know everyone thinks about how cute it is when little kids go the the Pumpkin Patch! So did we! So we went tonight while the weather was pretty warm and the sun was still shining.

While dad got the wheelbarrow, Brenna and I went to look at the small pumpkins so she could pick one out-- Brenna-sized!

Then, we walked around and she couldn't take her eyes off the pumpkins! She helped us pick out two big ones for mom and dad.  We got some great video of her, too.

Dad knows where the best ones are!

WOW!.... pumpkins!

Yep, this one, daddy!

It was a BLAST! Everyone should do it. Not sure what we'll do with the pumpkins, lol, but it was fun. :) We will probably carve something non-halloweenish! We just celebrate fall and harvest time. Brenna had an audience watch her get these last pictures on the hay! She was totally entertaining us all!

1st Dentist Visit 10/11/11

Most people asked me why I took Brenna so early to the dentist. Well, I have plenty to ramble about :)

I had first read to take babies around their first birthday. She has six teeth and I've been trying to brush them (with little success) since she got them. So I really wanted some tips and pointers.

I looked online for a dentist close to us that seemed very kid-friendly and professional. I chose Dr. David M. Stewart at Little People Dental in South Jordan.

I was SO relieved taking her there. I feel better about her going to this dentist than I do her own pediatrician! (I've had a hard time finding a great fit.)  He absolutely recommends bringing kids in at this age! Decay can happen when there's even one tooth.

They were clean, organized and friendly. Dr. Stewart had me lay her in my lap so he could show me exactly how good brushing and flossing looks for a toddler. He also explained nutrition and answered many questions I had. Brenna cried during the exam, but all babies do he said! I wish I had taken a picture before the exam because she was as happy as she could be!

Obviously,  NOT us :) But you get the idea.

After the exam, I took a couple pictures and Brenna got a prize and a 'report card' to take home. It told us some things to try and all that we went over that day. I know Brenna looks traumatized, but after I picked her up, she was 100% and we went and played with friends. :)

You're not touchin' me after THAT!

Such a sad face!

This is what she does with her prize now! (An octopus)

Faulty Fall 2011

I really don't mind fall all that much! It's just that winter is that much closer, which is dreadful. There are some pros and cons to fall/winter.. I'll share them here:

Cons:
-it's usually cold
-I do not like to 'play' in the snow
-staying indoors more often
-little sun
-dirtier cars
-slower drivers (mainly me!)
-taking more time getting dressed
-snow ruins cute shoes and boots!
-lasts longer than spring/summer


Pros:
-more baking!
-warm coffee drinks
-good excuse to stay home if needed
-smells
-better food
-my birthday

Wow! That's pretty balanced, right?! Now that Brenna is exploring everything, Joe will just have to take her outside and do all that 'fun' stuff that's really just freezing-your-butt-off-not-fun-at-all-stuff :)

From My Last Blog

Firsts For Everything 12/1/10

 Starting a blog is a HUGE first for me!  I am still trying to figure all this out so thank you for being so patient :) I wanted our friends and family to be able to stay posted on what's going on in our lives now that our bundle of joy has arrived! We thought we'd share some of her first moments with you that were special.

1st car ride home from hospital

  

1st time in crib 

 

1st nap on daddy  

1st vacation  

 

1st smile captured (6 weeks old)  

1st bath

1st Halloween  

1st time holding head up (5 weeks old)  

1st time seeing snow  

Thankful, Thankful For this Day... 12/5/10

Joe and I decided that we'd spend Thanksgiving with my family this year at my Grandma's house. Usually we split the day with his family, but since I heard that my whole family was getting together, I didn't want to miss out on the fun we'd have! :) We haven't all been together since I was 8 or 9-years-old so this was a big deal. Before we ate, my grandma had some of us share what we were thankful for. It got emotional and we all realized how nice it was to be together as a family again. Brenna ended up sleeping most of the day so that gave us a chance to eat delicious food and talk with everyone, but I think she still had a great time! Family is so incredibly special to me and I hope with all my heart that I get to see my cousins more often because they touch my heart in ways like a brother and sister do. I'm so thankful God brought us all together again! 

My favorite breastfeeding picture during the holidays

It was a coooold day!

A Dinner to Remember 12/10/10

Last night, I was invited to a very special event! It was the 3rd grade team party from Butterfield Canyon Elementary @ La Hacienda. Each time I see these amazing ladies it's like I never left that place… or them! We enjoyed great conversation, food, gift exchanging and more. I miss them a lot and wonder sometimes if I'll ever be back there… I go back and forth in my mind about the next school year- part time? full time? no time? :) 

Luckily, I have many more months to deliberate! For now, I'm being content with where God has me.. with this beautiful baby girl who is the most joyous thing! Joe got to watch Brenna while I was at dinner… he sent me a text saying "I just think our daughter is amazing. what a precious gift from God". It melts my heart! 

So thank you ladies for still considering me apart of your 'team' and even better... family! I love you all so much and consider you the most highly esteemed educators out there. All those kids are so blessed to have you teach them! 

Heather, Ashley & little Henry 

Momma Michelle- She takes care of us all! 

L2R: Danielle, me, Wendy, April, Crystal, Michelle, Heather, Ash

 

4 Month Milestone! 12/15/10

Greetings to all our friends and family! We hope you're enjoying this holiday season. We sure are! Brenna just turned four months old yesterday and visited her doctor. She is 14 1/2 pounds (bigger than 3 out of 4 girls), 25 1/2 inches (taller than 9 out of 10 girls) and can now start eating solids! I can't believe it. She is still perfectly healthy and sleeping 10-11 hours straight again. The only milestone she hasn't reached yet, that should be coming any day, is laughing! Joe and I try to be so funny too, lol. We can't wait!

We thought we'd share some of her latest pictures with you all that are so precious! We're hoping to send out a Christmas card this year of our family picture, even though she was refusing to smile that day at the picture lady :) Love you all!!!!

OH HAPPY DAY!!! 

Dad's Hat

I love my new stocking! Thanks Great-Grandma Miera! 

It's Christmastime! 12/25/10

What a wonderful weekend its been! How great that Christmas fell on a Saturday and that we all get to enjoy another relaxing day tomorrow. Joe didn't even miss any work this week (and won't next week either) since his job site has them working 4-10's M-H. What a blessing that was, too! 

So for Christmas Eve, us three woke up and opened up stockings together at home. We sat Brenna up by the Christmas tree and had her 'pose' for pictures in her Christmas outfit. It was a lot of fun showing her all her gifts from her stocking!  She didn't really know what to do with any of it :)

Sooo precious!

Gotta love Christmas socks! 

 Can't wait to look inside!

Brenna with her gifts 

She's still not sure what to do with stuffed animals :) 

Some stocking stuffers she got! She can't use the sippy cup yet.

 

Even Missie got a stocking! 

 

Merry Christmas!!!  Later that evening, we went over to Joe's parents house. We ate dinner together, watched everyone open gifts and played a family game… I think Matt and I were the most excited about the last part :)  Ari (our niece) and Matix (our nephew) had so many cute gifts and didn't know what to play with first. We helped Brenna open up her gifts, which was fun! She was pretty smiley there but it was hard to capture it! She will rarely look at cameras.
Around 8, us three headed over to my parents to spend the night like we do each year. We ate some more, had a couple drinks and put together a Charlie Brown Christmas puzzle! 

Granny Mary & Grandpa Sam 

 

Such proud great-grandparents! 

4 Generations!!!! 

Another proud Great-Grandma! (G.G.) 

Uncle Grant

This morning, we started opening up gifts around 9. My Grandma came and joined the fun! We always start opening youngest to oldest. Here were some gift high lights from C.E. & Christmas:

Brenna- shape holder, next size car seat, savings account for college, Cookie Monster, diamond earrings (guess we'll take her in January to get her ears pierced!), piano, knit hat

Lots of fun stuff! Thanks everyone! 

Wow! Grandpa Chad got me these beauties!

 

Cute little bear butt!

My new knit hat! The same lady made my pink blanket in my newborn pics! 

Joe & Brittany- new camera that also takes great video, printer that prints photos and does everything else imaginable, photo paper…. thank you to our amazing parents!

Joe- black Puma shoes, razors, Utes apparel

Britt- Bare Minerals eye kit, hair dryer, shoes, shoe decorations, handmade scarf, Utes sweats, hand-drawn picture in a frame by my brother!

My new hat!  

The rest of the day, we've gotten to play games and just relax with family! It's been so fun playing with Brenna and taking tons and tons of pictures of her :o) That never gets old. We hope you all enjoyed your holiday as much as we did! 

Cheers to a Healthy New Year! 12/30/10

So today, I'm hoping I had my last medical procedure of the year, lol, and that next year I am 100% healthy again. This past year has been a whirlwind!!! For those of you that didn't know or remember, it started in February when I just found out that we were having a girl. 

The next morning I had back pain, which wasn't unusual, but it progressed to me throwing up and so I ended up in the ER getting an emergency surgery due to kidney stones that wouldn't pass and therefore created an infection so painful that even morphine didn't help one bit. So a stent was surgically put inside me, hooking into my kidney to my bladder to drain it. For ten days I had that thing in and had to go back to work in so much pain that I was taking lortabs while teaching my students!  Yeah... I don't remember a lot those couple weeks :) Thank you to my mom for being there with me taking that thing OUT. Terrible!

I had something strange on my arm that wouldn't go away for years, so finally I made an appt. and had it cut out of me. They never figured out what it was, but it wasn't cancerous.

Having a baby is an event in itself.

Afterwards, I wasn't healing normally and was back to the doctor every other week for almost two months. My back was messed up from my epidural so I had to go see a chiropractor for awhile. Intestinal issues were also bothersome and still are. No cure.

Today I had a bone spur removed off my big toe. So strange. I can't even believe it happened to me still. Hurt for a few months. They used that really loud saw, too, that sounded like they were cutting it off!!! I had this magazine in front of me covering my whole face like I was in a dream.  Now I get no hot tubs or baths for three weeks in the winter! C'mon! The best part though, was that laughing gas stuff. I never knew it was THAT amazing!

So that's SIX times I've had stitches in my life!  Anyone else had that many? lol  So here's to a healthy 2011, not just for me, but my family & friends, too! (esp. with the new Obama plan... boo)

Finally They Meet! 2/1/11

So Brenna and I got to go visit a very dear friend of mine, Carly Micka! She was only in town for a weekend recently from California. Carly and I grew up together and attended our private school- S.L.C.A.  She was VERY excited to meet Brenna for the first time!!! It took Brenna a little while to warm up to the environment, but then she showed more of her fun personality. We got a few good pics! 

As you can see, Carly is more beautiful than ever! She is a California dream girl (I think!) and has really morphed into her own. We always talked growing up about living this California dream and she was the one to go and do it! I wondered all nite long what my life would've been like if I had been brave enough to follow my dream too.

Carly is in her last semester earning her teaching degree! We talked about how cool it was that we both pursued teaching after all because we never thought that way growing up. She hopes to teach in a 5th grade classroom in the fall. She's going to be one of the BEST teachers out there, I know it! And her and her man, Matt, have been together 3 years now and are going strong! 

Even though we're states apart, there's something special our friendship shares and I am always so thrilled that she wants to be apart of Brenna's life! 

Six Month Old Cutie! 2/14/11

On Valentine's Day, Brenna turned 6 months!  I think it's really fun that her half birthday falls on that day. Joe and I celebrated our 5 year dating anniversary on Saturday, February 12th by going on a date, just the two of us! I really enjoyed getting out and having time together alone. We went to a nice dinner and a movie... kept it simple, especially since it's still too cold to do anything outside. Joe surprised me with a brand new outfit! Accessories and all! 

On Valentine's Day we hung out as a family! Just relaxed and played at home mostly. Brenna had her check up appointment where her pediatrician said she's doing "very well" and is a "big girl". She weighs in at 17 pounds and is almost 27". She is still bigger and taller than most girls her age. While she does enjoy eating, she really doesn't eat all that much! Speaking of eating...

She has offically started solids! We had waited till she was about 5 1/2 months, but she did not enjoy the rice cereal we were trying to give her. So now we've moved on to fruit and veggies. So far, she has tried sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, apples and bananas and likes them all! Did you know that it can take up to 15 times of trying something before a baby acquires a taste for that food? Doing so helps you not have a picky eater (we'll see!). 

Brenna continues to be the biggest joy and greatest gift God has bestowed on us. I make sure I stop and remember that each day is special and give lots of extra loves. She loves to smile with her mouth open, squeal extremely loud, and touch faces. Little does she know that she touches all our hearts daily with her presence!

Here are some of her six month photos we had taken at Foto Fly:

Her First Word! 2/24/11

Sooooo you may or may not have heard what Brenna's official first word was... MAMA!  Even though she  said it daily for a couple weeks (starting the first week of February) and then forgot how, I still consider it a valid milestone :) Hope I have the video saved!

Spring is here!... kinda! 5/3/11

So we had our first tease of spring this weekend! On Friday, I was so excited and got Brenna dressed in a super cute short-sleeved outfit and sun hat. My grandma had gotten her this hat recently on a trip and it has her name on it... it's ADORABLE! I took her outside and let her explore our front yard. She got to sit and touch the grass and look and listen to the different sounds...dogs barking and kids walking home from school :) 

 

Brenna Boo- Friday, April 1, 2011  7 1/2 months old  

Just chillin the grass! 

Springtime kisses! 

It's these simple times in life that give me such peace and contentment about staying home with Brenna. Seeing her learn and experience things for the first time is priceless and I wouldn't want to miss even an hour. 

It's this time each year that teachers figure out their plans for the next school year. I have recently visited my old school and spent time with all my dear friends who I worked with. I spoke with teachers who are either currently doing a job share (two people splitting one full-time position) or ones that are deciding to do one next year. I had considered it and still feel this passion to be a teacher and make a difference. But it came down to this: God said not yet! So I listen. Then I have little moments like Friday.

I don't know when I'll go back to work, where it will be, what hours, etc.  Joe is still so proud that I am a full-time mom and he encourages me often that it's the most important job I could ever do, which I so appreciate and need some days. Even though he is now currently unemployed.. for about a month now. We are doing our part to use the money we do get responsibly and the rest is up to the Lord! We know he promises us that he will take care of all our needs.

After our warm, sunny Friday, Saturday night we got almost a foot of snow! Gotta love Utah! 

   "Do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink,

     nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of

     the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need

      these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these 

       things shall be added to you."

                                                              --Luke 12:29-31

Where's May's Flowers? 5/8/11

Sometimes it's hard to be vulnerable with people with what's going on in life, but I decided to just take a chance and KEEP IT REAL! :o) 

Plus, it's always nice to see where you've been and how much God's done to get you 'here'. 

It's been a rough couple of months at the Walker house! We are being STRETCHED in many ways... financially, with relationships, physically and spiritually. 

Joe was laid off at the beginning of March, which confirmed even more that we needed to fully let go of our home. We have had it on the market since October and it finally SOLD yesterday. We have mixed emotions like most people would... We see God's hand in it by the fact that we could've stayed here five more years and went to sell it and STILL been upside down. We needed to get out from under it since the value went down by almost 60K!  We couldn't have just walked away without paying a dime like we get to now. Plus they (the bank) are gifting us a $1,000 at closing for maintaining the house to the best of our abilities.

The sad part is losing some of our independence as a family, this was also Brenna's first home and her nursery can't 100% move with us, wonderful neighbors, garage space! But we are moving in with my parents in their brand-new, gorgeous basement! It has everything we need... even a workout room! We are hoping to move ASAP. 

Joe has struggled with being laid off. He is trying to find some direction and has made many phone calls to friends and family who may need his help. We keep hoping that the electrical union will get some big jobs opened up so all these electricians can get back to work! (Joe's 70th on the list!) We know it's a tough time for many families and we keep them in our prayers.

So, meanwhile, Joe's been home feeling pretty restless. But you should see how much of a bond him and Brenna have formed! It's sooooooooo heartwarming! 

Brenna is 8 months old and has learned a great deal! She amazes us every day with her looks, smiles, laughs, and more. She can crawl super well and pulls herself up on just about everything. She has this new toy that is the cat's MEOW! It has a musical schmorgesborg on top that she can pull herself up to play. She is so anxious to WALK already, but she has been since she was two months old! We could always tell. I'm trying to teach her sign language every day! I keep waiting for her to show her first sign back. It'll be a huge milestone! I love to read books still about babies and kids and how I can help.

Financially things will be the toughest we've ever experienced in our whole marriage (and me, my whole life!) this month. No more tax returns or extra cash flow as of yet. We are being more savvy than ever and are asking for help in other ways. But mostly, waiting on God to see what He does. My parents know we can't even afford to pay for rent at this point. But we want to! Really, we do! And we will eventually. 

So if you're reading this, keep us in your prayers :) A lot of our friends and close family are going through tough times and we feel so much compassion. We also try to stay thankful with the fact that:

-We're HEALTHY!

-We're all ALIVE!

-We know JESUS!

 Leg workout!

First Resurrection Day- 4/24/11 

I do use the word "Easter" often, too, but I want to make sure I teach our kids not to lose sight of this remarkable event/holiday. What really helped Joe and I remember all that Christ did for us was when we attended the Friday night tenebrae service at our church that week. It was so touching seeing the promises of God fulfilled throughout the Bible. If you've never heard of this kind of service, you should see it next year! 

The next day, we took Brenna to Ashley & Jonathan Schrieber's house for an Easter Egg Party! WOW, they are BRAVE! There were about 15 kids there all under the age of four, I think. We started out doing different activities in their garage. First, we tried to dye a couple Easter eggs. Brenna really loved holding the eggs. I did the dying :) 

Then we tried making an Easter wreath with yellow peeps and Easter grass. That was more tricky. She just played with the peep mostly while I did the rest. She didn't really like the texture of the peep either! 

Afterwards, we all went to the backyard and waited to start the group Easter Egg Hunt! After the rules were explained, off we ran. Brenna found two plastic eggs and did not care what was inside whatsoever. :) She loved banging them together though! 

All in all it was an awesome time to spend with friends and we were so grateful to be invited by our great friends. 

Sunday morning (Easter), we got Brenna all dressed up and went to church. She hungout in the nursery after worship ended. When stopped by her Grandma & Poppa Walker's house to get her basket from them. She got the newly released movie Tangled! What a cute movie! 

When we got home we gave her our basket of gifts. She sucked on her basket and everything else in it really :) Mrs. Potato Head... A Veggie Tales DVD.... socks.... Babylegs..... Little People Eggs... It was fun! Next year she'll want the candy I'm sure, eek! That night we had my family for more fun and games! An Easter Egg hunt for us adults was a highlight :)

What the heck is this?? 

SOCKS?! Where's the CHOCOLATE?! 

My First Mother's Day! 5/8/11

Even though I did think of myself as a mother in a sense last year bc I was pregnant, this year was the real deal! It was so fun having another holiday where you feel special and loved. 

Joe got up with baby so I could sleep in and when I woke up they both came in my room and Brenna had a rose for me and Joe gave me a card. The card is one of the most special, thoughtful things ever! Joe had stamped Brenna's hand and footprint inside the card. He said it was her "signature". I was so impressed he thought of something so cute on his own! :) 

As for my "gift", I will be sitting on it this Wednesday! We bought a long-awaited sofa that has recliners in it and have been waiting to move it to our new place. 

We then headed over to my grandma's for a lunch with the family. My brother Logan was so cute and got me a card and some chocolate too- how cute is that. My parents got me a card and a ColdStone gift card-do they know me or what! :) My mom's gift that Brenna and I made her isn't coming in the mail till tomorrow, darn it! Boo! 

FOUR Generations! 

 Such a proud mommy! 

Being a mom has really changed me! It's showed me how selfish I really used to be! (and sometimes still am of course). It's a gift no one can explain. It makes me want to be everything she deserves. I want to show her so badly how a Godly woman acts (good and bad!) and how to think of others higher than yourself. I love how much joy she brings to everyone she's around, especially our family. Everyone delights in her presence and in every little thing she does. Now if only we could decide when to have the next....

NiNe MoNtHs! 5/19/11

Wow, Brenna's been HERE as long as I had been pregnant! 

On Monday, we took Brenna in to her nine month check up! She is doing as good as ever. She is almost 20 pounds (so, she lost a little weight once she started crawling bc at eight months she was exactly 20 pounds!) and measures 28 inches tall. She is still bigger in weight and height than 7 out of 10 girls :) 

Her doctor told me she can stop eating baby food and can eat anything we eat really.. she would be fine by that! She devours Cheerios and those Gerber puffs like she hasn't eaten all day! We get the biggest kick out of it. She will try to put as many as she can in her mouth. Babies do NOT understand one at a time!

She has tried lots of new fingerfoods: chicken, rice, yogurt, ground turkey, fruit, noodles, yogurt melts, graham crackers, & Ritz crackers. She still eats rice cereal/oatmeal twice a day and eats some baby food. She still likes it.

AND, we took her to Sears on Monday, too, for her pictures and she SMILED for the first time!!! Not just once either, but a few times. It was actually hard to choose the poses we wanted to buy. I can't wait to post them on here. I was such a happy mom!

Here are some cute things she's been doing: imitating extremely well (fake coughing, whistle sounds, scrunch face while blowing through nose), stands on her own without needing support, chasing Missie!, shaking her head no, making the 'more' sign but not during the appropriate time :), and her top two teeth have been trying to come through all month! Here are some pics of her walking with her toy:

Well, we are packing like crazy this week! Joe and I have taken many car trips over to my parents to unload stuff. It's raining really bad this week and there isn't a dry day in the forecast. Sooo... we are going to have to move our big stuff in the rain and cover it with tarps. I am really protective of our furniture so I hope it all gets there dry and safe. Tomorrow (Friday) might actually be our last day here now! We're both feeling okay about everything... we've had time to prepare.

All Moved In! 6/8/11

That's right, after ten days of back-and-forth trips, we are ALL moved in our new place!  People are now asking how we like it here. At first when I was imagining living here, I had a lot of trepidation. Living with your parents (and Joe, his in-laws!) is never a desire! (Sorry mom! LOL!) But once we got settled and I was able to put everything in its 'place', it became home.

I really DON'T think about our old house... strangely. I totally thought I would. But I think we had enough time to say goodbye to it and knew God had somewhere new for us to go. It's been a good change. Some perks: closer to freeway, always a babysitter on hand, BIG laundry room, lots of space for Brenna to play,  a comfortable couch, workout room w/all the gadgets, and I still get to park in the garage :) (Thanks Logan!)

I'm excited to see the memories we make in this house. 

Saying goodbye

I spent the most time gardening out front

Saying hello to our new home in South Jordan

Brenna in her new room

10 Month Old Baby Girl! 6/20/11

It happened! I can't believe it. We're only two months away from her 1st birthday now. Her last future BFF Evan will be born this Friday morning. I always imagined when we reached this point that it will really put life into perspective even more-- it goes by screamin fast!

Brenna is such a delight. And not because she's always smiling, talking or laughing... because she's not always doing those things! In fact, it's more because she is who she is. Nothing fills me up with more love than reading Psalm 139, specifically verse 13 & 14: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully (remarkably) and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." WOW! I pray all our daughters will grasp that concept their whole life and be read these verses over and over and over so they don't try to seek their security and approval from the world. 

As for fun milestones... My last post I put pictures up of her walking with support. Joe and I were actually really surprised she didn't walk at nine months bc she has always wanted to be up and moving since she was a month old! But crawling is good enough for now and boy, does she love it. She follows me everywhere I go! I have a little lamb :o) She is a good 'talker' and is laughing and giggling more than ever. (Finally!)

A normal day for her and I now includes daddy too! Joe has been home now for four months. He thinks it'll take some adjusting once he starts working again. (I bet.) We do a lot of playing, even more eating, take lots of walks outside, read, visit family & friends, two naps, and playing with the animals in the house. She really likes the dog's kisses! I'm still breastfeeding, too! I hope to make it to 12 months. Last weekend I almost thought we were going to be forced to be done. But not yet!

Being a stay-at-home mom has been really nice. I actually get to be here without a bunch of outside stressors. I always thought I would be a working mom. Not that I won't do it one day. God is teaching me so much about myself. He is helping me work through a lot of things that I had otherwise been too distracted to think about when I was teaching. Every mom and baby IS unique, it's true. But I think there's a lot of wisdom out there from previous/ current mom's and books who focus on God's principles! That's the difference, I think. 

Here are some of my favorite pics lately:

Helping with the dishes! 

Brenna and Baby Morgan 

That would be her middle finger you see! 

Mohawk!

 

Happy to be outside! 

Taking steps with dad! 

This Utes outfit was mine I was her age!

Dad & Brenna on Father's Day <3

 

Man, I love this country! 7/8/11

I realized that when I was in Switzerland for a month. So I decided to celebrate each 4th of July with a little more gratitude! :)

Our weekend was jam-packed!!! On Saturday, we went up to Joe's grandparents' camp for David & Kyla's wedding. It turned out to be a very nice event with very little drama. Since they were previously married in December, they asked Joe to perform the ceremony. He was a natural! Brenna was a champ the whole day! She napped and ate and walked. She even got to swim naked in the pool! :) 

The next day, Sunday, my family went to my Uncle Chad's house for a family BBQ! We haven't done that in YEEEARS. It was so much fun! We all went in the swimming pool and hung out & ate great food. I got to talk to all my cousins and they delighted in watching Brenna! Kayla adores her and played with her the most. 

The morning of the 4th, Matt & Corinna drove up with us back to the camp. Luckily Brenna fell asleep because it's a lot harder now for her to stay in her car seat for an extended amount of time! It rained when we first got there but then it was nice enough to go for a swim. We also drove into Huntsville and walked around where all the booths were set up. We decided not to stay for fireworks because the baby would be too sleepy... and scared. When we got back home, our Life Group was there lighting fireworks and Brenna did get scared when the aerials were lit! I don't blame her. Even the dogs freaked! 

It was a nice way to spend the weekend. Joe had some family in town for the wedding that we hung out with often. We hope all of you had a wonderful holiday too! XOXO

Little Walker Walking! 7/12/11

Since I didn't grow up with any siblings, I really didn't know how neat it was to watch a baby learn to walk! It's been a few weeks now, but Joe and I watch her as if each time she tries is like Christmas morning, it's just so stinkin cute!

It was exactly a week ago when Brenna was with her cousins Ari and Matix and decided she wanted to be JUST like them.. walking around the backyard and running! She made more attempts during those couple hours then ever before. Now there's been no stopping her! She is almost a full-time walker! She can go across half a room before falling down. And she IS trying to run already! Especially when you chase her... little kids are the BEST!

I know there's a picture book out there depicting this idea, but it is a really great life lesson watching babies learn to walk, too. They fall and they fall and they fall, but they get right back up and keep trying with all their might. No one has to convince them to get back up and try again, they just do it. Man, if only I'd be more like that!

Started with this when she turned 10 months old.... 

To a lot of standing.... 

Now I'm BIG stuff! 

I can walk with a baseball bat even! Watch out!

11 Month old GIRL! 7/15/11

Everyday I feel like she's not much of a baby anymore! She's now 11 months old and is so full of energy. They say the real work starts now... I'm starting to get what they mean! :) She truly has changed our lives and we could not imagine what it would be like without her. I thank God for her so much!

She's done some fun things this past month. She started walking and is now a full-time walker (& does a lot of falling), she likes to be 'chased' by mom and dad, she will climb the stairs without hesitation whenever you give her a free chance, she is talking more (no new words yet, just mama/dada), and my favorite thing... she gives kisses and sometimes she does it first! She will give her babydoll kisses & loves, too. 

Just this week, she is into exploring every room, drawer, and cupboard with or without my permission! :) I'm trying to teach her what's a 'yes' and what's a 'no'. SO HARD! Today she beat me to her really fancy nightlight and broke it in half while I was putting the vacuum away. I was crushed! Lol. She's also been enjoying going swimming. We have a little pool out back and she has swam in a big, public pool with much excitement! 

I'm really loving this stage! I couldn't imagine having to do the newborn thing again.. I feel more in my element here :) I am starting to plan her 1st birthday party, which will be Minnie Mouse themed! We are so excited.

The B-Crew got together and captured a group shot of the three girls... pretty tough for a 10 month old, 4 month old and a two week old to sit still together! 

Brenna, Morgan, Evan= B-Crew G-2 

Me, Brooke, Bekah 

Looooves to swing! 

I said, "Say Cheeeeese!" 

That's right, future CHEERLEADER! 

And, future PIANIST! 

HER baby

                                                            

One of the faces that cracks me up! 

Always a fun time playing with toys! 

At West Jordan Pool with dad! 

1st Birthday Bash! - 8/16/11

On Sunday, our little girl turned 1!!! -----> Still in shock!

It was a blast planning her party! I probably spent three weeks thinking things through, reserving the location, finding the best deals for decorations, ordering her cake, creating the guest list and sending invitations, figuring out food, and more. It was hard work! I also found this military wife who custom makes tutu outfits and she happened to have the Baby Minnie that matched our theme. Brenna was as festive as she could be!

We had a big birthday celebration at the West Jordan Park, with about 50 of our closest friends and family. The weather was awesome, so was the food, and the company. The first hour everyone just ate and mingled. Then I helped her open gifts (she wasn't interested in helping rip off any paper) and then came the best part... the CAKE! I haven't really given her sweets yet, so this was the best thing she ever got her hands in. She loved it!!! She put her face in it and everything.


Even though she wasn't her usual bubbly self, I like to think she still had fun. She really has enjoyed all her birthday gifts! I felt so blessed by everyone's thoughtfulness and generosity. She is the most loved little girl I know.

Brenna, you are such a delightful addition to our family! You are our sunshine!


THANK YOU EVERYONE! XOXOXOX

What a beautiful day!

All in a Year's Time - 8/29/11

Reflecting back is bittersweet! Some reasons I can mention, some I can't. But I have been thinking about how much life can truly change you in a just a year. Sometimes a year sounds long, but once you have a child, especially, it isn't. It never will be again :)

In just a year ..........

-Joe and I became proud parents
-I spent each day 'working' at home for the first time 
-We lost our first home
-Joe was laid off for the first time ever, lasting 4 months 
-We never spent 1 cent on formula 
-I successfully breastfed all 12 months 
-We spent less than $100 on diapers, thanks to cloth ones 
-I stopped dying my hair black 
-We've taken almost 800 pictures 
-I've read more books than ever 
-Successfully implemented Baby Wise sleeping principals 
-Moved in with my parents 
-Celebrated our 5 year anniversary 
-Pulled an all-nighter at a bachelorette party 
-Went yard-selling 8 times 
-Joined a book club 
-Went to MOPS meetings 
-Restarted creating monthly budgets 
-Tried many new recipes in Adventure Cookbook 
-Had a couple girls-night-outs 

And more that I can't remember right now! :) What will this year bring?