Christmas, Christmas, time is near

Time for toys, and time for cheer!

Brenley's first Christmas and a 5 year old geared up for Santa.......it was a beautiful day.

We headed to McPherson last night (Christmas Eve) to celebrate Christmas with Brian's family. We had a great time exchanging presents and playing with the kids. We got home late last night in time to let a sleepy boy put out his cookies and milk for Santa and carrots and dip for the reindeer. And instead of waking up at the crack of dawn, Beau got us up around 8:00 - not bad!

It was a wonderful morning, full of surprised and happy faces. Sister was more thrilled with beating on boxes, but she had a good time, nonetheless.
Beau can't tell me which is his favorite present - he says all of them. And I believe him, because he has been in non-stop play mode all day. Brian will tell you Beau's favorite gift is a NERF air gun, that Beau just happened to get two of. Those boys played forever this morning. Not sure which one had more fun?!?!?

Brenley May wasn't much into opening presents, but Santa brought her her first 2008 Holiday Barbie. Mommy got her an OSU Cheerleader doll. I guess the bigger news for miss Bren was the fact that she pulled up for the first time today on one of her new toys. She has been trying for days, but she got up today. Big girl! And finally, finally, she is saying Mum Ma on a more regular basis, although not directly at me. Each time I tell her to say Ma Ma, she says Da Da. Everyone thinks it's funny but me!

As we are now more than halfway through our day......we are still in our jammies, toys are scattered EVERYWHERE in this house, and I finally have a minute to reflect on the holiday season. We are very blessed to have these healthy, beautiful children. I couldn't ask for a better gift. We are so thankful for them, and our loving family. We are fortunate we got to spend time with Brian's family already, and we anxiously await our trip to Oklahoma on Saturday to spend time with my family. I can't express enough what family means to me. I really don't even know how to put it into words.

So I will leave it in the words of my son........Happy Birthday, Jesus!

The Baller

Beau has been playing basketball at the Y this fall/winter. He has improved so much since the first game! We are so proud of him. Dribbling is a lot tougher than it looks. And when you are a lefty and you watch right handed guys dribble and shoot, it's even harder. But practice in the basement with Dad has paid off. And of course the most important thing.....he loves it, and he is meeting new friends. Here is our guy in action (red shorts).

A 10 Month Old, a Party, and a Big Win!

We were blessed again with the celebration of Mom's (Grandma's) retirement party, hosted by her family, and taking place at the Bread of Life Center in Garber, Oklahoma. But before the party could take place on Sunday, the Garber Wolverines had to win the Class B State Championship in Football. And win they did. Mom, Dad, and my brothers and a few of the grand kids headed to Mustang, OK to cheer on the Wolverines. Everyone was excited to bring the win home to our little hometown.

In addition to the win, Brenley celebrated her 10 month birthday on Saturday, the 6th. I'm trying not to say.....again.....where does the time go, but seriously........make it slow down! She still doesn't love her finger foods, but slowly she is adapting. She loves these Gerber Cheese Puffs, and frosted cheerios. The first thing she does with the Cheerios is lick off the frosting. Super cute. Green beans are on her plate about ever night, and finally instead of her scowl, she is at least putting them in her mouth. Progress. She still army crawls everywhere, but is getting more curious by the minute and it won't be long before she is pulling up trying to discover more things she can get into. She continues to laugh at brother do the silliest of things. She hasn't so much been interested in the Christmas tree or lights, but loves the sound the little stool makes on the kitchen floor when she drags it around! And not sure if I have mentioned her baths before, but she LOVES to splash in the water. We love to see life through her precious eyes. I don't know how many looks Brian and I share at each other while watching or listening to our kids be just innocent and precious kids.

Okay, Sunday was the party. We hosted a Come and Go reception for Mom's retirement from the bank in Garber, where she has worked for 45 years. Mom is so ready to retire and the party was such a nice tribute to her and how much she means to the community. So many people came out to celebrate and they showered her with cards, flowers and gifts. We had cake, snacks, coffee, cider, and a wonderful DJ named Harold who kept things going with a mix of classic country and Christmas music. It was a wonderful weather day and we couldn't have asked for a better turnout.

It was a short get together, but the cousins played and played. They love to be together. As I type, I imagine Grandma and Grandpa are still napping. Grandpa only got an hour of sleep while trying to sleep on the couch Saturday night. The kids were just too wired to even sleep. You know it's going to be a long day when your morning coffee starts at 4:30AM.

Ah well, lots of memories made. And we anxiously await Christmas so we can all be together again. That is what it is all about........family, and celebrating every precious moment.

Thanksgiving

I'm a little behind in current events. Let's see.......Beau is still in the midst of basketball season. I'll need to post some pictures of our baller soon. He was off this past weekend, but we are back at it on Saturday. And he continues to break boards in Karate as a white belt. He karate chops everyone and everything.

Both of the kids had Thanksgiving "feasts" a.k.a parties at school the Friday before Thanksgiving. Beau had the traditional dinner with all the trimmings and mama put together a nice little package for Brenley so my picky little eater could celebrate in style.

On Tuesday of last week, we got a call that Brenley was running a temp. So she stayed home with me that afternoon and with Dad Wednesday morning to work out her little "bug." Then on Thanksgiving day we hit the road to celebrate with Brian's family. Here is a picture of our precious girl on her first Thanksgiving with her cute little cousin Luke, who was also celebrating his first Thanksgiving.

We have a lot to be thankful for this year. Brian and are reminded of our blessings each day when we look into our children's eyes. We have a family that loves and supports us, a roof over our head, a job to go to every day and Jesus in our hearts. Happy Thanksgiving!

Star of the Week

Because our last name comes high in the alphabet, it was Beau's turn to be Room 10's STAR OF THE WEEK! We couldn't have been prouder!

Monday started off with a list of his favorites, including favorite book which is Swinging for the Fences, Hank Aaron and Me. Day 2 was bringing in your favorite stuffed animal........the Dale Jr. Boyd's bear made an appearance. Day 3 was bringing in a picture of your family, which he did. Thursday was a special day because Brian and I got to eat lunch with he and his friends. A 6'4" guy in a kids chair - cute! But Beau was excited, but I think we were more excited. I read them the Kissing Hand after lunch and then we left. And finally today had Beau as "Chef of the Week" where he whipped up the infamous "Worms in Dirt."



It was a great week for our star. He aced his spelling test, and started karate today - already a white belt with plans of breaking a board soon. Oh my......our little star is rising.......

Brenley - 9 months

This chick is growing up. Brenley May is 9 months old today. Brenley, affectionately known as Bren Bren from her brother, and Binny or Dolly from her mama, and Sweet Pea or Princess from her daddy......is just the apple of all our eyes.

Let's see..........she has got 6 teeth! I know, can you believe it?! Her front two teeth are coming down quite well and she even got the two on the sides of those. AND WE NEVER KNEW IT, until one day when we were changing her diaper and something was gleaming back at us. The little rascal. That tells you how amazingly good she is.

She is getting into EVERYTHING. She has this army crawl down quite well. She doesn't crawl necessarily, but scoots across the floor flinging one arm and dragging her body. It's funny, and she can move. She likes brother's markers, brother's power rangers, transformers, cars, and basically anything not hers, but Beau's. We've never seen Beau move that fast to pick up toys.

She HATES to eat anything with texture. She gags - every time. She loves to eat, but it has to be thin and a bit runny. So hopefully she will grow out of that--soon! Been dying to try the jarred ham. ha ha. She has, however, become a fan of ice cream. That little tongue comes out and licks that ice cream cone just like a grown up. It's sooo cute. Already has her mama's sweet tooth, not sure that is good.

But as you can see........she loves her picture being taken. She has developed a little shyness toward strangers, which is just a phase I'm sure, but loves to be on mama's hip. And I am getting really good at doing things with one hand, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Halloween!!!

Beau was excited for the day to begin. His school (and Brenley's) had a parade around the school, followed by a classroom party. Beau even got to trick or treat across the way to the bank and real estate office nearby.

Beau was a Red Power Ranger. The other boys were fellow super hero's and action figures. The girls were anything from a princess to Hannah Montana. All cute. I love to go to Beau's room and see his friends that he talks about because not all of them are there when we drop off or pick up. And it's funny that my identity changes from Trinity to Beau's Mom when I am around his friends.

Brenley also had a good time, although the cupcake and frosting disagreed with her later. But for a first Halloween party, she survived really well as my cute lil' baby chick (courtesy of her friend Lucy in California!).

That evening we had to race to Beau's first basketball practice. Then a quick dinner got us on the streets at 7:00. We went around with the neighborhood kids and it worked out great. Sister slept through the whole thing, but was nice a warm in her costume. Beau got LOTS of candy and couldn't have been happier. He was one tired power ranger when we got home that evening.

We got up Saturday morning for his first basketball game. That was......interesting. He did good, but we have some practicing to do. Then we headed to Oklahoma to celebrate Uncle Travis' 40th birthday (my middle brother). We had a nice evening with family and cousins in Travis and Julee's beautiful new house. Again, we had two tired kids that had a great time.

And on Sunday........we rested.

Zoo

We went to the zoo yesterday. It was a beautiful day out and every time we take Beau to the zoo we find (and learn) something new. It's pretty special seeing the animals, birds, trees and sky through his dark brown eyes.

Sister enjoyed being outside too. She slept through the first half of our visit, but enjoyed the wind in her hair during the last half.

Brenley - 8 months

Our baby continues to delight us! Brenley May turned 8 months old today. She now has her top two teeth. One of them came in over a week ago and the other one just broke through this weekend. She has four teeth right now. She even bit her Dad tonight. He screamed. She laughed.

She continues to NOT be a fan of veggies. We even tried Sweet Corn tonight - and the gag reflex was in effect. She is an Oatmeal and fruit fan, preferably vanilla custard. So we'll keep trying.

But she is a very happy baby (big brother makes her laugh the hardest) that makes us laugh and smile every day!

Flag Football

It's been a really fun season so far. Today the team only had 4 boys show up. So to get to their required "5" a boy from the other team played with them. Beau was serious about running fast today, so he took a lot of big poops last night. He tells me that makes him run faster. He ate a big breakfast - so he could run fast. And he put on his underwear that makes him run fast. It's pretty comical. This picture is one where he gets the ball and turns around (the wrong way) and runs. It was taken at an earlier game. He now knows to run into the crowd. I mean, I can't really fault his original logic?!?!

Luke's Baptism - 9/22/08

Our nephew Luke was baptized Sunday, September 22nd. Brian was chosen to be the godfather. It was a really nice ceremony. Luke was such a good baby through the whole thing. Here are some cute pic's of Luke's family, and his cousins.

Spirt Day at School/Flood Day

Friday started off interesting. Well, we first had to dress the kids in their favorite sport team apparel because it was Spirit Day at school. Go Cowboys!

Then I headed off to work, and was scared to death. It had been raining since about 4:30 that morning and the streets were flooded. My normal 15 minute drive to work took an hour. I have never driven in water so high. It was incredible. I was still shaken up once I got to work. And the strangest part about the day was at 3:30 that afternoon when I was driving home........the water was gone.

It had stopped raining around noon and the water was finally able to drain. There were parts of West Wichita that weren't so lucky and are still living with excess water. But today the sun is shining and you would have never known the flooding we experienced just two days ago!

State Fair

We went to the Kansas State Fair on Sunday in Hutchinson, Kansas. Of course trying to remember everything we needed for a rainy, chilly day, and all the needs of a 7 month old......I forgot my camera!

But we had a good time looking at the animals, people watching, and eating fried food. The highlight for Beau was riding a "ride" that had NASCARS on their own circle track. The look on his face as he whipped around the first corner was priceless. By the second time around, the "surprised" face was replaced with a one hand fist pump.

And much to Dad's chagrin.....he realized his little boy is growing up. Beau wanted to go down this super huge slide. I swear there were probably 100 steps up to the top and you slid down on a gunny sack. Brian just assumed he was going to go with Beau, but Beau didn't need Dad. He told him he could do it himself. So under the watchful eye of Dad, Beau headed up those steps, handed the man his ticket, and came sliding down, ready for round two. In one hand, Dad couldn't be prouder. In the other, it was sadness that Daddy's little boy is gaining his independence and doesn't need Dad's help with everything.

That evening Brian told Beau how proud he was and that it made him a little sad that he didn't need Dad's help. And without skipping a beat Beau replied, "But I still love you Dad." Ahhhh............

Brenley - 7 months old

Here is our 7 month old! She is sitting up pretty well now. And seems to be rolling around a lot more. She can get herself around her play gym pretty quickly. One minute she is laying there on her back, the next minute is is over by the couch on her tummy. It's funny how quickly that happenend! She continues to love her cereal and fruits! Not a big fan of veggies, but she does tolerate the orange ones - greens ones...........not so much!

Beau is getting used to a new Kindergarten teacher and is doing very well. He was supposed to play another game of flag football today, but it got rained out. We are hoping the rain holds off long enough for us to go to the State Fair tomorrow.

Labor Day Weekend

Not much planned for this holiday weekend. Beau had his first flag football game Saturday morning. With the exception of not really understanding the concept of grabbing the flags of the boy carrying the football, instead of anyone on the other team, he did pretty well. It was fun to watch, and I'm sure he'll improve with each game. He had fun, so that was the main thing.

Catching up on things........Beau and Brenley have a new cousin. Lucas "Luke" Cooper Grant came into the world on August 20th. We visited them the other night and snapped this cute picture of the cousins.

Other than that, Beau has finished two weeks of kindergarten. He is set to get a new teacher in another week. Long story, but he is accepting the change really well. Our guy is growing up!

And speaking of growing up, our girl got her first "pony tail" courtesy of her daycare teachers.

Wingnuts Game

What is a Wingnut you ask? It's an independent baseball team here in Wichita and we went to watch one of their last season games on Friday night. Everyone had a good time. Thank goodness for the crazy lady that found our son and his friend. She provided ample entertainment for them to get them through all 9 innings!

Even baby girl was a trooper. It was a fun family night!

First Day of Kindergarten!

Well, he made it! And I did too, I suppose. He was a big boy - excited to start the day and excited about tomorrow. He informed me he is having a Spider party tomorrow and he needs to wear black. Not sure that is on the calendar, but hey, whatever! I'm just happy that he is happy, and anxious to hear about all his big boy adventures in kindergarten this year!

Quick update on a few other items..........
Mom had surgery last Tuesday, and has been resting at home since. She is in a lot of pain, and is tired of being so dependent on others, but unfortunately, she has a long way to go.

Kyle and Kate should have their baby this week. We are anxiously awaiting his or her arrival!

The Shots

We've been anxious all week, waiting for those "gotta have 'em before we start kindergarten shots." I lied through my teeth just trying to get Beau to the doctor. I had bribes in my bag, I told him we would eat Sonic for lunch AND have a Dr. Pepper, and I told him they were soft shots (pulled that one out of the air).....I basically did whatever I could just to get him to the event. And low and behold........he got all of them that he needed last year!

"No shots, Mommy. I don't need any shots" as he shakes his hands in the air back and forth. "No shots for me!" All that anxiety for nothing! Whew! Crisis averted. Bribes back in the bag.

Brenley did get her 6 month shots so we are set on both of them until flu season.

The kids are getting big. Brenley is 16 pounds - right at the average for her age. And our preemie Beau, barely on the charts through age 2 is now in the 75th percentile for weight and 90th in height. Doc said he was tall and skinny. We would agree.

Tomorrow is Beau's last day with his K4 (pre-school)teacher. Tonight was Meet the Teacher night. He is sooo excited about Kindergarten and the "bug lady" which his teacher is known as. Should be a fun year! He already informed me I don't have to sound out sight words. And I get schooled on "blends" at least once a week. How in the heck does his know this stuff already! :)

The Birthday Party!!

We planned Beau's family and friend Birthday party for August 9th. We hit the bowling alley for the second year in a row, but this time it wasn't in Perry, OK, but the big city of Wichita where several kids decided to have their party too! It was a bit chaotic, but we managed just great.


We had family over both in the morning and the evening at our house, but we all met up at the bowling alley, along with a few friends from school. We had a really fun time, and it was nice to have the cousins together so they can run and play (thank goodness for our empty basement)!

Here are a few pictures from the party!

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And other items in the news............

• Me Ma (my Mama) still has not had her surgery. We hope to know something this week. Please keep her in your prayers


• Travis and Julee (my brother and SIL) are expecting their third child, due in January. Please keep them in your prayers for a healthy baby.


• Kyle and Kate (Brian's brother and SIL) are due anytime now. Doctor thinks two more weeks. But the soon to be new Mom and Dad seem to be ready for anytime! Please keep them in your prayers for a safe delivery and healthy baby.


• This is Beau's last week of daycare, and then he moves to the full fledged Kindergarten room, which has so many kids enrolled, they are moving it to a Portable classroom right outside the building. It's full day, with latch key care before 8:00 AM and then after school until we pick him up. It's still at the same school he attends now, but it's full on kindergarten. He's ready for it (he got to know his teacher well this summer during one of her enrichment programs and she is super cool and has tons of cool animals - quote, unquote), but I'm not sure I am ready for him to start. It's a bit sad for me to see him and his friends start to go in different directions - most are starting public school kindergarten, or are moving away - others will be in his private kindergarten this year. But he is handling it like a champ. Just way too many changes for Mom to process. And now shedding a few more tears.........

Next post will be the "first day of school" which will be August 18th! Until then........

The Birthday Kids

My babies are getting older! Beau turned 5 years old on Wednesday, August 6th, and sister Brenley turned 6 months old. Gotta admit, I shed a tear. I cannot believe how fast the time has went. I can remember the day Beau was born like it was only yesterday. Those memories (while I was heavily drugged) will be forever etched in my mind. And now my handsome Beau is 5 years old! It's funny how even in a year how much he has changed. He looks the same, but has really filled out. We go to the doctor for his check up next week, but I think he has put on about 10 pounds this year and I can't wait to see how much taller he has gotten. And last year he had a Thomas the Tank Engine BD party and this year he wanted Transformers. He asked for Power Rangers and Transformers for presents, (and of course anything having to do with sports and NASCAR) and he loves anything rough and tough. He is pure 100% BOY! And now his Dad is secretly excited that all his favorite kid toys are back in the marketplace and he gets to play with them all over again!

And our baby girl is already 6 months old! What? Time slow down, please! She now has two teeth. The second one came in the last week in July. So now she has her two bottom teeth. She isn't a fan of rolling over or sitting up unsupported, but loves to play with her toys, talk, and snuggle. And has become quite the fan of her cereal and veggies. Her and her brother are just the most amazing people. Brian and I count our blessings each and every day.

Beau had a great BD with his ole Mom and Dad. We took BD treats to school, we opened presents at home that evening, and then the staff at Old Chicago stood him on a chair and had the restaurant sing Happy Birthday! That would make even an adult blush, but he did really well! Got a little bashful in the end, but we were so proud - as we always are.

The Race

As an early BD present to Beau, on August 5th, Brian took Beau to watch race cars run on a track just north of our house. And as an added bonus, two older NASCAR drivers were racing. It was a great surprise for him, and he is now an official fan of Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace. He got home at 10:30 and he was wiped out. To say it was "awesome" is quite the understatement.

Our "vacation"

We set out for our mini family "vacation" last Friday, August 1st. But we wanted to make a stop in Oklahoma to see Me Ma and Pa Pa. Me Ma broke her knee cap earlier in the week. She was scheduled for surgery to repair it on Friday, but her blood levels weren't where they needed to be. So to date, she continues to wait. Hopefully we will find out this week.

So with Me Ma and Pa Pa resting at home in Garber, we ventured down the road to Texas. Staying at a hotel with a swimming pool was Beau's most looked forward too event. I mean, where else do parents let their children jump freely on beds! The kids were troopers in the car as we drove down in the OK/TX heat. The rental car helped too as Mom wasn't as stressed when chocolate or roll-ups melted on the seats or floorboards!

We arrived in Arlington Saturday afternoon and headed straight to the pool. It was Miss Brenley's first time in the pool and the first time this summer for Beau (good grief, where did the summer go?). So we enjoyed that immensely.

The next day we got up to hit the mall, where we met the Texas Crew (Tyler, Brooke and kids), and I was able to collect on all kinds of deals for the kids. Then it was back to the hotel to get ready for the Ranger baseball game (really the reason behind the road trip). We sat in suite boxes courtesy of Justin Brands. And really, with a 6 month old and 110 degree heat, I'm not sure how else we would have watched the game. But the ultimate highlight of the game (for me, anyway) was when our Birthday Boy Beau Charlie was announced on the jumbo-tron in big lights.........Happy Birthday Beau. Now this picture isn't the best, but if you see the shadow leaning.......it was Beau trying to get a peak of himself on the jumbo tron, but the darn camera man was right in his face! It was too funny, and as the camera panned off.......he was sure to give his famous winning NASCAR fist pump in the air! Victory! :)

The game was great (Rangers played the Blue Jays), Beau was happy with his freebie BD treats and was able to stuff himself with hot dogs and ice cream. And since it doesn't get much better than that, we headed home on Sunday - safe and sound.

Mom's Birthday

I celebrated my birthday on Friday. It was a great day all around. I was fortunate enough to be showered by birthday cards, treats, and flowers - and lots of love from my family. A girl can't ask for more than that! My parents were able to come up for the evening, as well as my brother and his family happened to be driving through town on the way home from their Colorado vacation. So we went out to dinner and enjoyed each other's company. It really was a very nice birthday.

But now we are gearing up for Beau's 5th birthday which is right around the corner! The invitations are out for a bowling BD party with family and friends in two weeks. He is very excited. Transformers are our theme - let's hope that just sticks for two more weeks! He likes a LOT of different things. But he is super excited and was ready for Mom's BD to be over with because he knew his was next. Crazy to think that 5 years ago on my birthday I was put on bed rest and in not even two weeks later, I had the sweetest, most handsome little boy join our lives.

We got both Beau and Brenley's picture taken this weekend. When I was changing the pictures on the wall, I got to reflect how much he has changed. Even from last year to this year, he has filled out so much. His questions are still non-stop. He is always learning. And to let you know how sweet he is........we got balloons yesterday at the restaurant where we ate lunch. He wanted to let his go, so we got outside, and he began praying to God. "Dear God, please accept this pretty balloon into the sky and enjoy the pink color as it is my Mommy's favorite color and it is to celebrate her birthday. We love you, Amen." Ahhhh...........

Brenley got her first tooth on July 19th. She started working on it a few days before, but it finally came through on that Saturday. She doesn't roll over yet, or sit up unassisted, but she has her first tooth! It's unreal. I want this "baby time" to slow down. It's going too fast.

We are headed on our family "vacation" next Thursday evening. Headed to Texas for a few days of family fun. Beau cannot wait for vacation, hotels, and a baseball game. I just hope Brian and I are as ready as he is! I'm sure I'll have lots to talk about in my next entry!

4th of July!

It was a nice family weekend celebrating the 4th! Beau and his Dad played ball, we shot off fireworks (although it took some convincing on Brian's part to keep Beau outside), but a few sparklers later, he was totally into it. Brenley was unfazed. She slept through it in my arms, while we watched the neighbors put on quite an illegal fireworks display. Guess she is used to all the noise from her brother, because it didn't bother her a bit.











Then Beau had two birthday parties to attend this weekend. He got to be a superhero at one party and a race car driver at another. He even road a roller coster! Needless to say he is spent tonight.







Other than that, T-Ball ended this past week. It was time. Holes were showing up in the knees of his pants from all his dynamic slides into home. The shirt was a looking a little faded from all the washing, but even with that, Beau was not ready for it to end. So every night we still play catch in the house or we take BP in the front yard. He loves his ball, and Dad loves that too!




Brenley May is 5 months old today. She is a ray of sunshine. Brother continues to dote on her, and she takes every bit of it. We've started a bit of rice cereal as her appetite has really picked up. I love the rolls she is getting on her legs!







Brian and I will celebrate our 7th anniversary tomorrow. It's been a wonderful 7 years and we have two very precious people to show for it. Until next time.......

Father's Day

Today we celebrate Father's Day! Brian got served breakfast in bed and Beau opened Dad's cards and presents! Later in the morning he took Beau to the zoo for some animal sightings and the annual car show. Not sure who had more fun. This afternoon it's hopefully mowing grass and washing cars, but I have a feeling it might be a lazy afternoon with NASCAR and U.S. Open on the tube! Here is Brian and his kiddo's already relaxing in the chair!

Other than that, we've been keeping busy with work, Beau's T-ball, Brian's baseball, and birthday parties. Seems like we are always on the go, but it definitely keeps things fun!

It's already June?!

Not much to report this week. It was nice having the extra day off, and there weren't any T-Ball games to be played. So the past week and weekend was quiet. Baby girl did roll over for the first time today! She rolled from her tummy to her back - probably by accident - but it still counted!

Here she is at week 16! She'll turn 4 months old on Friday.

The week in review

Where does the time go? Brenley is 15 weeks old already. I've been back to work a month now and Beau has finished K4 (preschool). So now starts the hot summer. Looks like our "Little Bit' is ready for the heat (courtesy of her friend, Lucy H.).

Let's see.......Beau had two T-ball games this week. He is rockin' at the pitcher's mound which he claims is he favorite position. And with the exception of always missing the ball his first swing at bat, he whams it hard for the second swing. He has a bit of a patience issue. Ah well, he gets it honestly.
















Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Where do I start?

I've missed a week and now I have to play catch up. So for the Cliff notes. Mother's Day weekend was great. Beau got to do everything from attending a carnival to fishing with Uncle Tyler. He was wiped out when we returned home from Oklahoma Friday night. He had a ball. And this weekend was filled with his friends' birthday parties. He got to race bumper cars and jump on those jumpy things. Needless to say, he went to bed early tonight. He doesn't understand why all his friends are now 5, but he is not. He cannot wait for his birthday and he changes his mind after each birthday party on what he wants to do for his party.

Brenley got sick for the first time last Monday. Ran a super high fever and was screaming crying. Scared me to death. I forgot how stressful it is when your baby is sick, but by Tuesday while staying home with Dad, the medicine had kicked in and she was happy as a lark. See picture for proof.
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This week we have two T-ball games and a busy work week, so we will be looking forward to a 3 day holiday weekend. More next time

A Week of Firsts

Our week was filled with firsts........first day back to work for me after having Brenley......Brenley's first day of daycare......Beau's first T-ball game......and Brenley's first "professional" pictures were taken. And all in all, it was a good week and one that we survived.

Beau did great at his first game. Little trouble remembering to actually run after he hit the ball, but he got there a few times. He enjoyed watching how far he hit the ball way more than dropping the bat and running. So we've been practicing that this weekend. He was super cute, as evidenced with him here in his "uni."


He also went to his girlfriend Savanah's birthday party this weekend and had a great time playing arcade games and riding the go-karts. Our little boy is growing up!

Brenley did great at daycare this week. The girls in the room really like her and are amazed at how much she "talks." She'll be 3 months old next week!


And I made it through the week okay. Friday was a bit tougher. Fatigue sat in after a long night up with the baby and I forgot a few key items the next morning, but all is well now and we've had a great weekend together.

The Party is Over

Well, the time has finally come. I go back to work tomorrow. My time with my newborn at home - kissing, loving, holding, and playing - is over, at least during the week. This has been one of the most wonderful times of my life - equal to being at home with Beau, of course. But a giant shove back to reality is required.

Funny, I thought I would spend this time at home not only gazing at my newborn, but losing all this baby weight (and then some), getting a nice faux tan out of a bottle, trying to whiten my teeth, cooking healthy (and quickly), becoming a better partner in my marriage, teaching my 4 year old manners - you know - all the self improvements that I learned about while watching Rachel Ray, Dr. Phil and Oprah. ha ha. But sadly, the only thing I did besides gaze at my newborn was get addicted to FOUR Soap Operas!!

But seriously, in some ways it feels like I have been home forever, and then in other ways, it feels like we just brought her home. I've watched one season end and another begin. I started the maternity leave wearing sweaters and slippers and drinking coffee to stay warm. And I ended this maternity leave literally sweating one day in the house because it had got so warm, and I refused to turn on the AC. I got to see the grass green up, the flowers bloom, and the sun shine into the house. That was a wonderful way to start this year with Brenley May.

The maternity leave did also bring some wonderful visits from friends I haven't seen in a long time. I got to see my friends Heather from Topeka, Heather and her son Tyler from California, and my friend Stephanie and her son Talon from Stillwater came to visit on Friday. All of these friends I haven't seen for way too long, and we never once skipped a beat when we got together. That is what good friends are all about and I am so glad they got to meet Brenley.

I've said it before. We are very blessed to have an amazing and smart little boy and now a beautiful, healthy baby girl. I am thankful for this time at home. It makes me appreciate both stay at home working mothers and out of the home working mothers even more - because both jobs are very tough.

And our family ended this weekend with the annual March of Dimes March for Babies Walk that is very near and dear to our hearts. We have walked in this every year since Beau was born prematurely in 2003. This year we got to take Miss Brenley with us to make it even more special. As a family, we raised $450 to help March of Dimes in their research to prevent prematurity. Thank you to all our friends and family that donated money.

I promise I won't have any more "journal" entries in our family blog, but just little snippets of funny and new moments in the lives of Brenley and Beau - the loves of our lives.

Where does the time go?

I need to update our fun from last week. We had a busy week! Brenley got a visit from Pa Pa and he got to babysit while Mommy ran an errand. And the next day Mommy got to take Beau and two preschool friends to the Children's Theatre for a showing of 3 little pigs, while Brenley got to play with Grandma. Finally, on Friday, Brenley got to spend some bonding time with Daddy all day. She even made her first trip to Lowe's! She got all kinds of lovin' from her family and was a good girl for everyone!

The weekend was spent planting flowers outside, celebrating Uncle Kyle's birthday, and going to the zoo with some friends! This picture is of Beau and his new friend Lindsey. Isn't she a cutie? The weather was amazing and the kids loved being outside, as did we.

The week went by in a blur. It's now Monday.....my last week of maternity leave. I knew this transition would come. My head tells me everything is going to be fine and this is the right thing - going back to work - but my heart is heavy, though. This little girl is such a ray of sunshine in my life. She is so pretty and so sweet. I just love her so much. I am going to miss spending my days with her. But just as I never thought I could leave Beau, I did. And I know that time does heal all. Here is to a wonderful, happy, and hopefully VERY SLOW week here at home.

Another week

Another week has flown by........where is the time going? Brenley is now 9 weeks old. She had her two month well-baby check this week. She weighs 10 pounds, 12 ounces and is 23 1/4 inches long. This is a 4 pound gain in weight and 4 inch growth in length since her glorious birth date. According to the doctor she is long and lean - coming in at the 50th percentile for weight and 90th percentile for length. The vaccinations were tough to watch. She took 'em like a champ. I was a little worried as she literally slept all day once we got home, but the next day she was back to her usual happy self. She grins all the time and we swear we might have heard a small giggle the other day. Both her Dad and big brother are completely smitten, and her Mama is also pretty whipped. She is just such a pure joy.

My other joy is Beau Charlie. I decorated his room this week with a new NASCAR poster of Dale Jr. and I also hung up some other NASCAR pictures. He loved it. As he and his Dad were reading their nighttime story last night when he told his Dad that his Mom made his room beautiful. I hope he will always be so easy to please.

This week the weather has been rainy and gloomy. I have to admit, I am a bit gloomy too. That dreaded "back to work" date is looming large, but I will continue to say my prayers of thanks that I have had this time off to bond with my new, beautiful best friend that happens to be the spitting image of her brother and Dad. I continue to be so blessed.