Vacation

I can't believe that one week of vacation is already over. Don't you hate it that vacation weeks go by so much faster than regular weeks. I have had a wonderful week with family and friends. Nathan has enjoyed his week of relaxation and Brenna has enjoyed her time with grandparents. What fun. I need to be taking more pictures. I will work on that next week when Aaron, Elizabeth, and Tanner are here. I can't wait to see them too. I will make many post when I get home. Until next time, have a great week.

Busy Day

Okay, I'm ready to hit the ground running to leave. I hope Brenna wakes up happy to play with Daddy today. I have to clean the house, do laundry, and pack for Brenna and I today. Hopefully I can complete all of it. I'm not sure how Brenna will take such a busy day, but hopefully she will go with the flow today. The next few days will be new for her. Hopefully she will find life a little better on Sunday night. Please pray that the drive won't be too hard on her. I don't want her to be miserable the entire drive. So, I will see you all in Texas. Have a great weekend.

Is it bad....?

I wonder if wanting to take cute pictures of my child even when she is unhappy makes me a bad parent. One of my favorite pictures, out of all the many I have taken, is her "frowny face," bathtub picture. It is just so cute, and I want to remember that cute little face even though she wasn't a happy camper. In fact, a few months ago Nathan and I looked through all her newborn pictures and were amazed how much she cried. I mean, we remember her crying a lot, but the pictures really tell the truth. We got to the point were we just took the picture whether she was crying or smiling. She has really grown into a pleasant child now. She is happy most of the time and smiles, laughs, and talks thoughout the whole day. I love this part of being a mom. I just hope that I haven't damaged her by taking pictures when she is not happy. Hopefully that won't be the reason for therapy years from now.

Crazy Weeks

I haven't been able to write anything down in a few days now, and to top that off, I don't have any pictures to add. How sad! There haven't really been any changes this week except we are leaving for vacation in a few days. Life is a bit out of control getting everything packed and the house cleaned. The week before I go on vacation always seems so busy. So there may not be much writing for the next few weeks, but I will try to get some down for those of you who are not in Texas with us.

Giggles

So, yesterday evening, Nathan and I were sitting at the table eating dinner when we heard Brenna start to giggle. I turned to see her sitting on the kitchen floor staring away from us into the kitchen. Something was really funny because she just kept giggling away. The dog passed her to come see if we had dropped anything for her to eat, but Brenna kept laughing. Then she took of towards her source of glee. My curiosity won (I also knew that I had to intercept the water bowl). There was Westin sprawled out in the middle of the kitchen floor. He must have been making some very funny faces. I certaily can' t make Brenna laugh that much. I do love to hear her laugh though. It is such a pure and perfect sound. It is very contageous. I am so thankful God created laughter in children. It makes me remember to keep life simple as an adult. To take note of the everyday funny moment even if that is only.......

the cat's funny facial expressions.

The Tongue

There are many things in life that I find interesting. Why people and children find it necessary to hold their tongues out to one side when learning a new skill, mastering a hard task, or consentrating is one of those things. When my brother was young he did it writing. I have caught Nathan doing it from time to time. I can't say I have ever caught myself, but maybe ask my mom. What makes us outgrow it (most of the time)? Does it help the brain work better? Maybe it is a good way to increase the balance. I don't really know, but it always makes me smile.

Brenna is learning so many new tasks at this age, and her tongue seems to be out more often than it is in. She has already discovered that it exists so that is not the solution. I am going with the balance theory here.

Anyways, yesterday evening after dinner, we needed to waste a little more time, so I took her outside to play with the ball. This was the first time she acually walked around outside instead of crawling from blade to blade of grass. (Each one more tasty than the last.) She loved her ball and insisted on carrying it with her. I tried to tell her it would be more fun to kick it, but she did not agree. She walked like a pro. I was very impressed that she was able to walk on such an uneven surface. Our little girl really is growing up. And she is just so cute too.

Growing up

I have decided to place Brenna into the official walker club. She is walking all over the house. She is still walking from one piece of funiture to the next, but even if she falls down, she decided to get up and walk again instead of crawling.

I am so amazed by how much she has learned in one year. I was just looking at her little face the other day and noticed how she really doesn't look like a baby anymore. She is a person now. Well, not that she wasn't a person before, but there is a big difference in that little baby face.

Yesterday, she got her fifth tooth. It will be strange to see her smile change again. I remember that toothless grin that I thought would never change. It has, and with each change I do get used to the new look.

She also tried to feed herself with a spoon yesterday. You can see the results for yourself. It was very hard for me to not laugh at her. Those first attemts are just so funny. The yogart spred wings and took flight.

Summer Swimmin'

Yesterday, Nathan and I took Brenna to the pool for the first time. How fun was that? She actually loved it. I was so suprised. We were all set to really have to ease her into the water and wait for her to stop crying. She amazes me so often. Just when I expect her to do one thing, she does something completely different. She splashed around and played like she knew exactly what she was doing.

A friend of mine from my moms group invited us to go with them. I love watching Brenna interact with other babies. She makes friends even at this age. All the babies played together and with each other. They even shared toys (which is completely amazing if you have ever been with 3 babies at once).

Being a mom has changed my life. I am so thankful that God allowed me to birth this child, to watch her grow, and to hold her. I pray that he will teach me to be the best mom he created me to be.

To sleep or not to sleep

I hate it that I can't sleep very late in the morning. I have just turned into a morning person over the years. Brenna, on the other hand, is sleeping very late these days. The past 2 mornings she has slept until 10:00. What baby sleeps that late? I wonder what time she will decide to arise today?

Yesterday was a big walking day. There were many times she walked from one spot to the next instead of crawling. She still can't go to far without holding on to something, but yesterday was a big step towards a complete walker.

Today we are going to the pool for the first time. I am very excited about this. I will let everyone know how that adventure turns out tomorrow. I hope she loves the water, but I will wait and see. I'm taking my camera too, so I will post a picture as well. Oh the fun of watching her discover her world.