Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas from Ryan, Connie and Briella!

 

What a fun Christmas! Somehow having a baby makes it that much more exciting, even though Briella is only 9 months old and doesn't really get it yet. She had a lot of fun playing with the wrapping paper. Ha ha! Oh, and the new toys once we threw the paper away.

We celebrated with Ryan's family on Christmas Eve at his sister's house. Then had our own little family thing on Christmas morning. I baked some ham from the night before and baked some eggs, too. (I was hoping to make baked french toast, but that just didn't happen...maybe next year.) We ate breakfast, read the last day of the Jesse Tree and then opened presents. After all that fun, we quickly got ready and headed out to Salt Lake to spend the rest of Christmas day with my family, including my aunt, uncle, cousins and cousins' kids. All in all it was a wonderful Christmas!

First look at the gifts under the tree.

Daddy bought Briella a rocket!

Daddy showing B her new balls.

Tissue paper! :)

Multi-tasking...holding a ball and trying to open another present.

"I love my new car!" (The look on her face just cracks me up!)

 

Happy girl.

Playing with a small piece of wrapping paper she found. Ha.

In her new hat from Grandma!

Playing with an ornament from Grandpa and Grandma's tree.

Just a funny pic of daddy and B. :)

"Hi, Briella..." "Hi, Ciara..."

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year to come!

9 Months Old!

Another month has flown by and Briella is growing and changing so much with each passing day!

Briella, you are such a joy to daddy and me! We can't believe you are already 9 months old! Your ninth month was full of so much fun in new experiences, as well as, in watching you change and discover more about the world around you. It seems like this month, we could see the changes so much between the beginning of the month and the end.

Life in General
The month started off with a trip to Florida! What an experience it was to travel with you! Overall, you did wonderfully through it all. Both the plane ride there and back were relatively easy even being 4+ hour flights. You even slept for a good portion of the flight home (it helped that we had the entire row for that flight...your own seat!). All the different places we went and things we saw and did, you were such a trooper and enjoyed it all, even without many naps. Although, you did fall asleep in daddy's arms at the Space Center towards the end of the day. You could just no longer stay awake. Mostly, as long as you were fed, you stayed pretty happy. I think your favorite place was Sea World. In the near future I am going to write a whole post on our trip with more details.

You moved into 6-9 month clothing and also up to size 3 diapers.

At the beginning of the month you started lifting your cute little bum off the ground. It was quite cute! Then by the end of the month, you were getting onto your hands and knees.

As well, this month you went from just learning to scoot in circles to move around to becoming an expert scooter. Scooting backwards is also another favorite way to get around, especially when you find your way to the hard wood floor. So, now between rolling and scooting you get around quite well. A picture of exciting things to come!

Finally, you have replaced "dadada" with "mamama." Ha ha. :) I don't think you know what you are saying, but it is fun that you now say "mamama" (even if it is mostly when you are whiney). A lot of other sounds have made their way into your jabbering, including multiple syllable sounds.

Your ability to see small things on the floor and focus in on them is astonishing. Dog hair, carpet fibers, etc. catch your eye and you can pick up individual dog hairs quite well.

The dogs and the cat thrill you every time you see them, especially the cat. Whenever one of them walks into the room, you get a big grin and get all excited. We help you pet them instead of pulling their hair, which is your preferred method of interacting with them. And when one of the dogs licks you, you think it's great and usually giggle.

Pulling or playing with momma's hair can keep you quite entertained. You seem delighted by it. I have to constantly teach you not to pull too hard. When my hair is down, if I lean over you while you are laying on the floor and shake my hair, you get a kick out of it.

You have learned how to blow. A few months ago you learned how to blow spit bubbles, but now you like to blow just air. Maybe you are practicing for your birthday cake. :)

New foods this month included pumpkin, apricots, raspberries, blueberries, chicken, bananas and Greek yogurt. The only thing that you didn't like was the bananas. I know, weird. Maybe you get that from your momma. I don't really like bananas either. :)

Daddy and I started teaching you signs this month. We've started with "all done," "more," "milk," and "eat." Yep, they all have to do with food. We figured that was a good place to start. You seem to enjoy watching us sign the words to you. It will be fun once you catch on and start to sign back to us.

You love clapping. This is something that you just picked up on your own. We weren't intentionally teaching it to you, but you clap when you hear music and sometimes out of excitement. And this is the first action you have learned to do on command. If we tell you to clap, then you (usually) clap for us. It also works when we say "yay." I think this is because every time we praise you for accomplishing something we say yay and clap. What a fun milestone this is! I am incredibly amazed watching you learn!

And one last thing, actually from last month. We moved you from your infant tub to a cute little inflatable duck tub that you can sit up in. Bathtime is so much more fun! You can play with your toys and splash around. I think you could play in the tub for a long time if the water didn't get cold.

Firsts

• Plane ride. And it was a long one! Go big or don't go at all I guess. Ha ha!
• First steps (with help). Daddy taught you to take steps and you caught on so quickly. I think it's just a matter of getting stronger because you have the concept down.
• Thanksgiving
• Get on hands and knees by yourself. You were in your crib after you woke from a nap and there you were on your hands and knees.
• Snort. It's so cute, you snort every now and then.

Pictures from Month 9

 

Waiting at the airport for our flight to Orlando!

 

Sitting on the balcony of the hotel with dad watching the waves.

Ready to head to the beach!

 

Feet in the waves!

 

Sleeping on the plane. :)

 

With dad on the plane. (I cannot get this picture to flip...)

 

Stylin' in my sunglasses

 

Fell asleep with dad.

 

Go Broncos!

 

So Sleepy.

 

Bath time!

 

Sitting in front of the Christmas tree.

 

9 months old!

 



December 10 Edition of Being Thankful

Today, I am thankful...

• for receiving Christmas cards in the mail. I think we should send each other real mail all year long!
• that I finally got our Christmas tree finished last night.
• for a working furnace for these cold winter nights.
• for the opportunity to specifically pray for Ryan today as he had to do something new and difficult at work today. He made it through it just fine and with a good attitude. :)
• that it's close to bedtime. I'm tired. :) Good night, everyone!

Confessions

Just for fun. :)

1. Most days I wear sweat pants and a t-shirt or sweatshirt (depending on the weather) ALL DAY.
2. Also, most days I pull my hair up in a ponytail (good thing I grew my hair out, huh?) and don't wear a stitch of make-up. Clothes, hair and make-up just aren't worth the effort sometimes.
3. If there are chocolate chips in the house, I eat them by the handful. What's made it worse is that a higher quality chocolate chip was on sale one day for the cheaper than the store brand ones that I normally buy. They are SO MUCH better. Too hard to resist! Oh, and now, I will buy that brand even though they are more than double the cost of the store brand. If you can't splurge a little on chocolate, then what can you splurge on? :)
4. I secretly think that it is wrong that some women shrink down to their pre-pregnancy weight/size without much effort or in some cases no effort at all! It should take at least a good few months before any woman should be able to fit into her pre-pregnancy clothes. Although, I guess after reading point #3 above, I shouldn't complain that the weight just hasn't "fallen" off. Ha!
5. I should be doing something else besides writing this post (you know, like cleaning or finishing Christmas cards or decorating the tree or Bible Study or eating chocolate chips....)
6. My two LEAST favorite things to do are 1) laundry and 2) dishes. Unfortunately, those are two things that seem to never end. And we only have 3 people in our little family. I can't even imagine how those of you with more than that even manage. I think I'd buy paper plates and plastic utensils and cups for every meal. Not very green of me, I know. Not sure how I'd solve the laundry problem.
7. I want a maid.
8. I have a strong desire for organization and routine, but I rarely follow through. Maybe I just like the planning process and not the implementation process.
9. I, therefore, must need a personal assistant.
10. I just went and had a handful of chocolate chips...

Happy Friday, everyone! Have a wonderful weekend!

December 6 Edition of Being Thankful

Today, I am thankful...

• that Ryan helped me with the Christmas tree last night!!! :) This was exciting for me because Ryan doesn't really get the whole Christmas tree thing and so I've always just done it. Last night, as I was putting it together, he just started helping and then he helped with the lights, too. I loved it!
• that it's beginning to look like Christmas in our house.
• for the local produce man who stopped by our house today and sold me some homemade salsas, jams, apple butter, applesauce, relish, etc. I'm looking forward to trying it all.
• for the beautiful sunshine shining in the window and warming up the living room.
• that the Christmas cards I ordered arrived and they turned out great. I've never sent Christmas cards out before, so this will be fun. :) 
• for the chance to watch "Elf" this morning. One of my all time favorite movies!
• for Christmas music. The David Crowder Band Christmas CD is a new favorite.
• for these two wonderful people:



December 2 Edition of Being Thankful

Today, I am thankful...

• for a husband who loves his baby girl beyond words and helps take care of her (in fact, LIKES to take care of her...I don't even have to ask for help most of the time)!
• for the wonderful sounds of laughter between daddy and daughter. Warms my heart!
• for how Ryan wants to spend all his time with her when he is home. It's good for him and her (and me, so I can have a chance to do other things and have a little break).
• that Ryan cooked breakfast this morning while I was getting ready for church. Oftentimes, between getting myself ready and getting Briella ready, I don't have time to eat before church. And he fed Briella her breakfast, too.

I guess today I am just thankful for my wonderful husband! Love you, Ryan!

November 27 Edition of Being Thankful

Today, I am thankful...

• that my parents came out for visit. Thanks Dad and mom!
• for the sweet moments between momma and baby, like when she reaches up and touches my face while she is eating.
• for the pile of laundry waiting to be done because it means 1) we have more than we need and are well clothed and 2) we went on a wonderful vacation and I am still playing catch-up on laundry. 
• for opportunities to share with others.
• that the Christmas season is upon us!
• for the reminders of the Christmas season of all that God has provided for us in the way of salvation through sending His Son, Jesus, to save the world!
• for high-quality, delicious chocolate chips. Ha ha, but seriously. :)
• for our new refrigerator with the water and ice in the door. We missed that when we moved into our new house. Fortunately and unfortunately, the existng fridge died and we had to get a new one. So, once again we have the water and ice and it's amazing how much more water I drink.
• for music that encourages and uplifts my soul, drawing me closer to God.
• for coupons to save a little money here and there.

8 Months Old!

Briella turned 8 months old on November 12th. (I'm finally caught up...woohoo) 8 months already...unbelievable!

Life in General
You're bottom two teeth have barely popped through! Your first teeth! Yeah!

You are getting more and more mobile, rolling all over the place in whichever direction you want to go to reach whatever it is you have your eyes on.

You are quite the little jabber-er now. "Da da da da" is your favorite sound. I'm working on getting you to say "ma ma ma ma," but you always answer with "da da da" no matter what. Ha ha. At church, whenever there is music and singing, you like to "sing" along.

This month, we have started feeding you solid foods regularly 2-3 times per day. Yum, yum. So far you have tried and liked squash, sweet potatoes, pears, apples, mangoes, and prunes (which are your favorite). However, you tried and refused green beans. I can't even hide it in other foods. If there is even a drop of green beans in something, you will not eat it.

While you are eating food, you often stop to suck your thumb in between bites. I haven't quite figured out why because you really enjoy eating. I guess you just aren't in a hurry. :) It is really cute, but also sometimes frustrating because you'll take a couple of bites and then suck your thumb for a minute or two, then take a couple more bites then suck your thumb and so on. Guess you are just trying to teach momma patience. :)

You love clapping now and have finally mastered doing it with both hands open. You clap when you get excited, if you like something on TV, and sometimes just because you are happy. Fun to watch!

Firsts

• Sitting in the shopping cart! You really enjoy being up and seeing everyone and everything in the store.
• Halloween! Grandma Karla made you an adorable purple flower costume and you look so cute in it! (Still waiting for the pics auntie Ash took of you in your costume...hopefully soon)

Pictures from Month 8

 

Just chillin' on the floor

First ride in the shopping cart as a big girl!

The hood part of your Halloween costume. So cute!

First Halloween

Sucking your thumb...taking a break while eating. :)

 

 

7 Months Old!

Briella turned 7 months on October 12th, so still playing catch-up. Sigh...oh well.

Sweet Briella, it is such a joy to watch you grow and learn! It is amazing how quickly time flies and how quickly you change.

Life in General
You are sleeping much better now...yippee! We finally got the new carpet and you were able to move into your own room. You go to sleep every night around 7:00, sometimes you are ready a little earlier and sometimes we aren't the best at getting you in bed by right at 7:00, but overall that is the bedtime you have chosen. You were still waking up once or twice a night even though I knew you could sleep through the night since you had been doing so before we moved. You had just gotten out of the habit of being able to put yourself back to sleep during the night because while you were sleeping in our room, I didn't let you cry too long so as not to wake up daddy on work nights. One difficult night of listening to you cry for about 30-45 minutes around 3:00 in the morning and you started sleeping through the night once again. Your momma really appreciates that. :) I feel so much better getting solid, straight sleep even if it's only 7 or so hours than I did getting 8 or 9 total hours that were interrupted. And I only have myself to blame if I'm not getting 8 hours because I'm going to bed too late.

As quickly as you discovered you can put your toes in your mouth, you have lost interest in them for the most part. Instead, once you are laid on the floor, you'd rather roll around. You roll all over the place now, usually rolling off the rug and blankets no matter how big the space is that I give you.

The day you turned 7 months old is the day that you officially could sit up without tipping over. Of course you have been sitting up for a while, just not for too long without tipping. It was like overnight your balance increased and you sit so well now.

Making high-pitched noises is your new favorite thing. They aren't really squeals, but more like jabbering at as high-pitch of a sound as you can make. So cute and kinda funny!

As well, your cousin Jayla taught you to click your tongue, which you find fun.

Firsts

• I gave you your first hair trim. I wouldn't call it your first official haircut, but you definitely needed a trim off the top. The hair on the top of your head (aka your mohawk), never fell out unlike the rest of your hair, which means that it has just kept growing and was quite long with a few rough ends. So, a little trim you got. :)
• We went camping for the first time during the Elk Hunt! Yep, we waited until it was cold to go to the mountains and stay, but it was fun anyway! We stayed up there for two nights. The nights were a little rough because I couldn't sleep well without a place that was very good for you to sleep. We ended up putting you in the bed with us, which was probably the best place, but I totally freak out with the whole sleeping in the same bed. So, that's where the lack of sleep came in, but we made it through and it was fun. You were all bundled up in a full body fleece outfit just to go outside, which made you look a little bit like the little boy from Christmas Story. Ha ha!
• Daddy even put you on the 4-wheeler with him while we were camping and went for a little drive around the camp. He's been waiting to do that for a long time! At one point when you were very little, he had even told me that he'd figured out a way to put your car seat on the 4 wheeler. I think the look on my face let him know that wasn't going to happen. Ha ha! But at this age you could sit with him holding you for just a little ride.
• You and I surprised daddy by visiting him at work! He thought that was pretty cool!

Pictures from Month 7

 

Happy Birthday, Daddy! (Daddy was out of town so we sent him these pictures)

 

 

"Nope, it's not too big to put in my mouth!"

 

Mmmmmm....peas!

 

Visiting Daddy at work.

 

Daddy feeding you in your new high chair.

 

Sometimes your hair still goes a little crazy in a mohawk. Ha!

 

With Momma

 

First camping trip! Yep it was cold, but it was fun!

 

 

 

 

 

Daddy has been waiting for this since you were born. :)