Saturday Night

I am currently enjoying a quiet Saturday night at home.  Brianna is fast asleep in bed after spending the evening playing at Grandma and Grandpa Brumley's house.  I was catching up on some reading when I decided to jump on Facebook for a few minutes.  It is such a fun time of year right now... today was the Kentucky Derby (which I watched with my father) and Cinco De Mayo, the Flying Pig is tomorrow where TT will run her THIRD half-marathon, there are so many graduations and the weather has quickly warmed up making the start of summer feel very near and real. 

 In all that excitement, the thing I noticed most on Facebook tonight were all of the young girls in prom dresses.  My first reaction is to fear for the day Brianna is prom dress shopping and I disagree with everything she thinks looks beautiful (I know this day will come!).  A lot of the dresses girls are wearing this season remind me so much of the 80's.  Short, sparkly, and colorful... Yikes... there will be a lot of laughter in a decade at the styles we are seeing right now!  I'm so thankful that when I was in high school the trend was much more conservative.   Most of the dresses my friends and I wore were classic.  I can look at the pictures now (twelve... twelve!?!?!?... yes,TWELVE years later) and feel good about the choices I made back then.  All of these thoughts lead to a worry that pops into my head occasionally... I want Brianna to make GOOD friends.  True friends like the ones that I've had in my life.  I want her to make smart decisions that make her feel proud.  I want her to love life and not spend so much time worrying (like her Mommy).  I want her to be brave but considerate.  Kind but strong.  Mostly... I want her to be safe and happy. 

For now I'm going to put all of these worries away and remember that my fourteen month old baby girl is cuddled up with her blankie in footed pajamas in the corner of her crib.  Today she was safe and happy and I loved every minute!

Life is a Highway

I'm suffering from a bit of writer's block.  I feel like I'm constantly thinking, "I should blog about this!".  But then, of course, I forget!  

Work has been pretty busy and Brianna and I spend a ton of time in the car.   I don't know if I've ever talked about that but Brianna now goes to a sitter about ten minutes from my office so we take the commute together!  On most days we spend over two hours in the car each day. The new car seat laws have you keep babies rear facing until they are two years old which I understand but I feel bad for her because she doesn't have much to look at back there.  My solution has been a mirror that I use to glance in the rear view mirror and check on her but this week she has learned a bunch of new tricks that have made our drive so fun!  She can spot me in the mirror and starts waving.  She also talks "talks" so much these days... especially in the car so now we make animal sounds, count, and sing songs.  It is so much fun but I would love to see myself from another car... waving at the rear view mirror and making animal sounds... special :)  

Brianna is also developing her taste in music.  We listen to everything but I know when she likes a song because she starts dancing and clapping her hands.  I've decided I'm the only person on the planet that likes Adele's first album better than the current one playing CONSTANTLY on the radio.  But Brianna likes her... so I tolerate it.  

Our sweet girl has always loved being outside but now that she can walk and almost run she is all over the place now.  If we are home and not outside she stands by the door.  Our neighbors behind us have a trampoline and when all of the little girls in the neighborhood are back there jumping Brianna will stand looking out the window bouncing right along with them.  I'm hoping to do some more baby proofing out there soon so that she can have a little more freedom.  After her face plant down a hill last week I have been understandably cautious but it hasn't slowed her down a bit!

This weekend should be fun.  Michael's Aunt Karen is visiting from Vancouver and I'm having a really fun little reunion with my friends on Sunday.  I can't wait to see everyone!  

Happy Easter!

I haven't had time to upload any Easter pictures yet but we have had a wonderful day with our families! The Easter bunny came to visit Brianna last night and left her a sock monkey basket (adorable!) filled with little toys that she loved.  Last Easter Brianna was just a tiny little newborn so she slept through the Easter egg hunt.  Today she got to participate in two!  She finally got the hang of putting eggs into her basket but then she started taking out and putting in the same egg over and over.  At both Easter egg hunts (my family and Michael's) the older kids were so sweet to Brianna.  They would run by and throw and egg or two into her basket. Brianna had her first taste of candy today and enjoyed half of a smarty.  She loved it!  

Brianna has been picking up so many words lately and even puts words together.  A lot of them I probably recognize more than others... since I am her Mommy... but she says "Good Girl", "Let's Go", "ball", barks when she sees a dog, makes monkey sounds when she sees a monkey, "Nana" (loves bananas), "Pa" (Grandpa), "Socks", "Shoe", "Shirt", and "Baby" are just a few of the popular ones.  

She still loves being held by all of our family and friends and doesn't really hesitate.  Michael and I went out last night to see The Hunger Games and Grandma Pam stayed with her at our house.  When we left she didn't even blink an eye.  She is so easy going and happy!

I know I say this all the time but I am so thankful Brianna has so many people that love her!  She brings so much happiness to my life.

I hope everyone has had a great day with family and friends!  

I'm officially 30!!

This has been a crazy week.  It started out with a family dinner for Adam and I at our parent's house.  My brother and I share the same birthday which is a fabulous day to celebrate... the first day of spring!  Adam turned 28 this year.  I love to think back on all of our past birthdays.  How special our parents made the day for us.  Our birthdays always included a shopping spree to Johnny's Toys and a visit into the castle.  I'm so sad that Johnny's isn't there any longer to experience with Brianna.

I'm sure everyone who grew up in Northern Kentucky had a similar experience.  Typically, our Johnny's key would arrive on the same day, usually a couple weeks before the big day.  I'm pretty sure I would sleep with mine and the excitement for the birthday visit would build and build.  When we went to use the key, one at a time, Adam and I would walk up to the castle and turn the key and magically a birthday song would begin to play throughout the store and the castle door would swing open for us to step in and pick a toy.  They were pretty crappy basic toys.  Squirt guns, generic baby dolls, toy soldiers... but there wasn't anything better than feeling the magic of the castle.

My magic castle, as I turn 30, is definitely without question my family and friends.  I LOVE the people in my life.  My family has always been so supportive.  I've only ever known acceptance, encouragement, and love.  Not only is my family amazing, but I have lifelong friends who know me in and out and love me for me.  Friendships have always meant a lot to me but the older I get, the more I treasure them.  Distance has come between so many of us but I still feel CLOSE to them.

I can only pray that I can provide half of the consistency I've had in my life to Brianna.  I hope my next 30 years help me grow in that.  I look forward to standing by my family and friends and experience all of the ups and downs that life can bring us.

Okay... I've blogged about turning 30 so that means it is DEFINITELY over.  Oh... other than the celebration with some of my best friends next weekend (4 of us turned 30 this month!).  I can't wait to hang out, laugh and just enjoy being together.  REALLY can't wait!

Walk in the Park

Sickness struck again in our house but I think we are finally on the other side of it!  Brianna had an extremely high fever for 2 days (105 degrees).  After many calls to on-call doctors and nurses after hours (because of course, that is when a fever spikes up... after hours...) and then finally a visit to the doctor's office she was diagnosed with just a virus.  It was a nasty one though.  She was a sweet little girl and a trooper through the whole thing.  She finally started playing and laughing again yesterday and while she is still pale, you can definitely tell she is feeling much better.  

We spent most of the day hanging at home this beautiful Saturday but we went out this afternoon to a nearby park so she could try out the baby swings.  She loved it!  She loved watching the other kids playing almost as much.  She is doing a great job walking but won't walk with shoes on in public.  I let her try to crawl around a bit but she was ruining her pretty pink leggings so I had to put a stop to it.  I will have to take her back soon in some clothes that she can't hurt.  

Special thank you's to Brianna's Grandma's.  We wouldn't have made it through this without you!  

I also apologize to anyone that is thinking I have been incredibly rude and not sent out thank you notes from her birthday.  All of this sickness has gotten me very behind but I will be sending them out very soon!  

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and enjoying some sunshine!

Sunday Sunday Sunday

This Sunday most of my family joined my Grandpa at his church so that we could all be together on the weekend that was my Grandma's birthday.  Grandpa spoke for a few minutes about family and spoke about what a wonderful, wife, mother, grandmother and friend that Grandma Edith was.  It was a good time to be thankful for the years we had her but also for the closeness of the rest of the family because we all feel like that was a gift that she left us with.  My memories from childhood are often centered around her kindness, love, and food :)  

Going to church with the family meant I got to dress up Brianna, of course :)  

Michael says this dress looks like an old man's nightgown but I completely disagree... and so did everyone else who saw this sweet baby!  

 Long overdue for a nap at this point but still sweet.

I almost got a smile with this one.

Have a wonderful week!

March is here!!!

March is always a happy time in our family. I'm so excited to spend this month welcoming spring, celebrating my 30th birthday, and enjoying a vibrant one year old!  

Gotta love being outside, with no shoes on, at the end of February/ beginning of March.  It was 70 degrees! Strange... but fun!

Technically, she is a toddler... she toddles... but she will ALWAYS be my BABY!

I think she might like him just a little...