DeFreese

Independence

2012-01-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

I've been letting Brandon learn about making decisions by letting him choose a shirt for the day. Today, Brandon chose a sweater vest and I had to blog it :) And I have to say that it isn't easy letting your kids make their own decision when you know they might look silly or do dumb things :)

Our House!

2012-01-10T19:35:00.001-07:00

As requested, here are some pictures of our new house! We love it here so much. We have a great ward and nice neighbors, too.

3 months!

2012-01-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

Wow, my baby girl is 3 months old today! That went by SO fast. She is seriously the best baby in the entire world. She's been sleeping through the night for about a month now and I just can't get over how amazing life is. She is getting so big and is smiling and talking to us. She loves her daddy and just hearing his voice makes her smile. Brandon is so sweet with her and is trying to share his toys with her already. And he still isn't jealous of her. We have the best kids :)

Snow Day

2012-01-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

We FINALLY got some snow down here and Brandon got to use the boots that he got for Christmas. He had so much fun just walking around in the snow. He's so cute.

Bubble bath paint

2012-01-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

This was so fun for Brandon. A great activity for a rainy day or if your kid is just plain bored and driving you crazy :) And when he's done painting, it makes a great bubble bath (and cleans the tub too!)

Bubble Bath Paint
1 cup baby bubble bath or body wash - as long as it is clear/white
4 tbsp cornstarch
a few drops of food coloring
small containers with lids

Directions:
1. in a mixing bowl mix together your bubble bath and cornstarch
2. pour this mixture into 4 small containers
3. pour a couple drops (you only want to use a couple drops so it won't stain) of food coloring in each container and mix well
4. your kids can use either paintbrushes or their hands to have fun in the tub
5. when you're done, snap on the lid and they're ready to go for next time

A look back at 2011

2012-01-01T23:07:00.002-07:00

I'm excited for a new year!! Let's go over last year's highlights, shall we?

January
Found out I was pregnant!

February
Sean's brother, Don, left for an LDS mission to Mexico

March
celebrated my 25th birthday

April
my parents left for their LDS mission to Greece. Sean FINALLY got a full-time job with Frito Lay (with benefits!) and flew to Portland for training

May
celebrated our 3rd anniversary and Brandon's 2nd birthday.

June
I got to fly to South Carolina to visit my sister (hi, leash!). We started house hunting.

July
...I can't think of anything! must have been a slow month

August
more house hunting and waiting. My pregnancy gets difficult. Brandon counts to 20.

September
I got a maternity massage

October
Katy Ann was born!

November
We became home owners and moved into our house 2 days before Thanksgiving

December
Katy smiles and sleeps all night!

2011 was a good, hard year. Bring it on, 2012!

a suuuun beam!

2011-12-25T21:57:00.000-07:00

Is this the cutest thing or what?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T21:45:00.001-07:00

Brandon still don't quite get the concept of Christmas. We had to make him open presents. It's like making someone have fun. Oh well. He still had fun ripping the paper and making a mess :) Brandon was the only one who opened presents this morning since Sean and I both got our gifts early. And we didn't mind at all because it's fun to watch kids enjoying Christmas.

Finding his Christmas stocking

Opening presents

He got lots of books!

Helping Katy open her gift. I think he enjoyed this one the most...of course. I love the look on Katy's face. It's like, "Hey, why are you opening MY present??"


Yay for Bumbos!!!

Making cookies

2011-12-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

We are loving our new house! It's crazy how having our own kitchen again changes everything. We always doing stuff in there. A few nights ago we made chocolate chip cookies together. Brandon had so much fun helping. And I had fun using my new Kitchen Aid. Yes, I opened my Christmas gift early. Don't judge :)

Cave of Stars

2011-12-13T10:39:00.000-07:00

I seriously don't know where I would be without Pinterest!! Brandon had so much fun with this one :) I just poked some holes in the bottom of a big box and stuck a string of Christmas lights in. So fun!

Some videos for Mom and Dad

2011-12-12T21:53:00.000-07:00

Katy is 2 months old now! That went by SO fast. She is starting to talk and smile now and I love it! She is such a sweetheart. I know this videos aren't super exciting but I did catch some coos and smiles. Enjoy!

Crafts

2011-12-06T14:44:00.000-07:00

If any of you follow my craft blog you'll remember that I made some onesies for Katy before she was born. I thought you all might like to see her in one :)

Katy's newborn pictures

2011-11-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

Once again my talented BIL Andrew took some amazing pictures of our family. Katy's newborn pictures really show, I think, just how sweet and precious she really is.

1 month

2011-11-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

Katy is a whole month old today! We love her so, so much and she has been such a joy. She has been so much easier to deal with than Brandon was and I kept wondering why that was. First of all, this was a planned pregnancy. Second, I was prepared for what newborns are like. I think I was afraid of Brandon and my stress got passed on to him which made things hard. I'm not afraid of Katy and am much less stressed and I think she feels that. Third, Sean is home at night with me. I think that is the most important one.

Katy is a champion sleeper! She wakes up every 3-4 hours at night but goes right back to sleep after she's eaten. Sometimes she sleeps for 5-6 hours at a time. It's incredible. She is such a sweet girl and I can't get enough of her! Here's a few things that have been going on the past month.

First bath. Not a fan. She likes it better being all the way in the water.

1 month old

Brandon can climb up into her bed! Luckily she wasn't in it at the time.

And these videos are mostly for my parents so they can see her moving and hear her cute little cry.

Katy's blessing

2011-11-06T19:37:00.002-07:00

Sean gave a lovely blessing to Katy in church today. We were supported by so much family and I loved that. We had a delicious lunch after church and I so appreciate all that my mother-in-law did so we could all get together. Sean's family is so fun and so loving and I love getting together with them. And I loved having my sisters and their families with us today since we don't get together as often since mom and dad left. I wish my other siblings could have come, too. I was really missing my parents though and I wished they could have been here with us. Katy was a perfect little angel in church today and she looked so pretty in her white dress. We are so glad she joined our family!

The 4 of us :)

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-30T15:58:00.001-06:00

Brandon has been going a little crazy being stuck in the house with me and Katy all day. So on Saturday Sean took him to the pumpkin patch. He had a ball. I SO wish I could have gone with them.

Brandon tried to pet the donkey but then it looked at him and he got nervous :)

Tractor!! His favorite thing in the world.

They also had this cool corn kernel pit for the kids to play in. (Did you notice the girl on the right about 30 seconds in stuffing corn down her shirt??)

1 week

2011-10-17T21:38:00.000-06:00

Wow. Can't believe it's been a week already!! We love baby Katy so much. She is so pleasant. Our first night home she slept all night! It was amazing. It hasn't happened since then, of course, but she is still a really good baby. Good little sleeper.

Brandon is doing really well with Katy. Even though we've been saying "no" a lot to him. He's so interested in all of Katy's things and I'm trying to realize that it's not the end of the world if he plays with her blankets or wants to help push her in the swing. He is a good big brother. He does throw his toys a lot, though, which makes us nervous. He likes to give her hugs and kisses and touch her. He's very sweet.

Sean is such a good dad. He loves Katy to pieces and I can tell that she loves him too.

Caught her smiling in her sleep :)

Katy's Birth

2011-10-13T17:10:00.003-06:00

At my 38-week appointment I was dilated 1 ½ centimeters and my doctor gave us the option of being induced a week early if we wanted. Since I had been suffering from anxiety I decided to do it! I was scheduled to be induced on Monday, October 10. The hospital called us on Sunday night and said to be at the hospital at 7 am. Monday morning came and they weren’t ready for us until 9:30 am. That was a long morning.

Getting ready to push!

At 10:00 am we arrived at the hospital and got checked in. My poor nurse had a hard time finding a vein in my arm to attach the IV. She’d find one and then as soon as she poked me it wouldn’t work. Ow! Finally, at 11:30 am the anesthesiologist put the IV in my hand and got the pitocin started. My nurse checked my cervix and I was just barely 2 centimeters dilated. We also found out that my cervix was posterior (angled down towards tailbone) and that made getting checked extremely painful. She needed leverage. Tears.

About an hour later the nurse came to check my progress and I was dilated 4 centimeters! Wahoo! The nurse asked me if I wanted an epidural but since I wasn’t in any pain yet I decided to hold off. At 1:30 pm the doctor came in to break my water and strip my membranes. He thought I had had the epidural already and didn’t hesitate at all to get the job done. Breaking my water didn’t hurt at all but stripping the membranes was just about the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced. Especially since my cervix was posterior. So many tears. The doctor was a little taken back at my reaction and that’s when he found out I hadn’t had the epidural yet. He felt really bad and apologized.

Daddy and his Princess

After my water was broken my very next contraction HURT and they were coming really quickly. I was breathing really heavy and fast trying to make it through each one and started feeling lightheaded. Only I didn’t realize it was from the way I was breathing. I asked the nurse if that was normal to feel lightheaded and she said, “Well, you’re probably hyperventilating.” “Oh, duh!” So from then on I controlled my breathing a lot better.

After about an hour I decided to get the epidural. The anesthesiologist had me lay on my side. At one point I was having a contraction, my blood pressure cuff was going, and a needle was being stuck into my back. Totally awful. Finally it kicked in and my body just felt relaxed. It was amazing.

At 3:30pm I was 6 centimeters dilated! I couldn’t believe how fast I was progressing! My guess was that Katy would be born before dinner. My sisters thought I was crazy. I was starting to feel a lot of pressure and like it was just about time to start pushing. About 45 minutes later I was 10 centimeters! It was time to push! I pushed through 2 contractions (a total of about 5 minutes) and Katy Ann DeFreese was born at 4:44 pm!! My doctor had a hard time getting the placenta to detach and worked on that for a long time. It was completely mangled by the time he was finished.

The coolest part was on my last push I leaned forward as much as I could, saw her head, and then saw the rest of her come out. She was so beautiful. My immediate feelings after she was born were peace and happiness. I was still nervous about having two children but I was very glad she was here. I loved her immediately. And all the things I dealt with during my pregnancy and labor were worth it. I had already forgotten how hard it all was.

Recovery has been so much easier this time around. The after pains have not. But that’s okay. I am able to walk around at least. Katy is the best baby in the world. On our first night home she didn’t cry all night long. Sean and I had to wake her up to eat. She is so content, patient and sweet. We are so glad she is here!

38 weeks

2011-10-05T21:52:00.001-06:00

Welp, this is my last belly picture! I went to the doctor today and am being induced on Monday, October 10! I feel like I have so much left to do but I don't even know where to start!

The past 3 weeks have been hard. I started having some anxiety and depression and sleeping even worse. Of course there have been a lot of things going on in our life. (We bought a town home!) The stress of that and the fact that I haven't slept well this entire pregnancy I think just built up and gave me anxiety. My doc gave me Zoloft and Ambien. If you know anything about Ambien, you know that you're supposed to take it and go straight to bed because it can make you have hallucinations and stuff. Sean takes it and he gets really goofy on it. Well, the first night I took it I didn't go straight to bed and started having hallucinations but it wasn't funny. Made me really scared and emotional. I remember asking Sean if I was safe. Sean gave me a blessing, though, and it all stopped and I finally fell asleep. Now I take it and go straight to bed!! I sleep great when I take it. I wish I could take it every night.

The past few days I have been really anxious about what my life will be like with 2 children. I wake up in the middle of the night and can't stop thinking and wondering about the future. Which gives me anxiety. Which makes me not be able to sleep. Which gives me more anxiety. Blah! So today when my doctor gave me the option of being induced early, I took it! It's for my health, right? :) I just need to start the next step in our lives.

Since I hit 38 weeks I feel like she doubled in size! It is really hard to get around and I feel like "a giant potato with arms and legs and a head." And she is down so low causing a lot of pressure. Ouch!

I am nervous and excited to meet this baby girl. I wonder what she will look like. I'm sure she'll have dark hair. I can't believe it's already time for her to come. Wish us luck!!

38 weeks + 2 days. Ugh, I am so huge.

35 weeks

2011-09-12T21:11:00.001-06:00

Sigh. 35 weeks. I'm down to two-week appointments now. The baby is head down and I am definitely feeling it! I have one next week and then it's weekly appointments after that. Yikes! I'm so ready to be done but not sure I'm quite ready for 2 kids.

A couple of weeks ago I got a maternity massage at the Brickhouse Retreat in Sandy. It...was...amazing. I've never gotten a massage before and I wish I could make it a monthly event now. Every pregnant woman should get one. My favorite was the hand massage and scalp massage. I'm falling asleep just thinking about it...

Let's see...sleeping. Sleeping was getting really painful and I wasn't using my body pillow. I pulled it out and it helped the pain so much. I can lay in one position for almost the whole night now.

The heat is starting to bother me now. Which is funny because it's getting cooler... But I can't sleep with any covers on at night anymore.

That pinched nerve on my left side is getting worse, too. I would love to live in a world where I could just sit all day.

Oh, and I also got a maternity belt. Helps a lot so I can take Brandon for walks and go grocery shopping. Yes, I got cramps just from grocery shopping. Psh.

5 weeks to go!! (BTW, I compared this pic to a pic of me 40 weeks pregnant with Brandon. I'm about that big now. Maybe a little bigger...)

Goodnight Moon

2011-09-07T18:43:00.000-06:00

I LOVE catching Brandon reading books to himself. I'm surprised at how much he knows by heart. He loves reading. Is he the cutest little boy in the world or what??

...And wearing Dad's shoes :)

"Let's go swinning!"

2011-08-13T23:23:00.001-06:00

We bought a little lawn sprinkler for Brandon. He wasn't too sure about it for a while but did warm up to it eventually. And by "warm up to" I mean he would stand there and let his legs get wet. That was pretty much his idea of "swinning." I love how he says that. So funny. I'm sure if there were other kids to show him how to run through a sprinkler he would do it but he was just content watching it.

Love that belly :)

"Wow! Spin!"

30 weeks

2011-08-08T22:07:00.002-06:00

Only 10 weeks to go! Wo. I have one more monthly appointment and then it's every 2 weeks. And then once a week. Now that's crazy. This pregnancy has gone by so fast but it is starting to slow way down. I am trying to keep my thoughts occupied to stop myself from going crazy. Because it seems like this is the point where it's just one thing after another...

Since I last posted I have been having a lot more discomforts. I'm not really complaining about it (well, maybe a little) but this is for journaling purposes. The worst one I have been having is round ligament pain. I do not remember being in this much pain with Brandon. I am also carrying this baby a lot lower so that may be adding to my discomfort too. I have to take Tylenol three times a day in order to survive. It doesn't take the pain completely away but it would hurt a lot worse if I didn't take it. One day I didn't take any Tylenol because I wasn't sure it was making any difference. After a short walk around the block with Brandon that theory was proven way wrong! It was ugly. We don't go for walks anymore...

I've also been having serious pinched nerve on my left side. Yes, only my left side. Normal?

Sleeping is getting progressively worse and worse. I finally pulled out my old body pillow and still woke up several times with aching hips. With Brandon I had the whole bed to myself since Sean was working graveyards then so this is a whole new experience for us. Now add a body pillow and there is no room at all to move. Gotta love it. Oh, and also having restless legs. So annoying.

Since before I was 20 weeks I had this cough that my doctors couldn't figure out the cause for. I was destined to have this cough the remainder of my pregnancy. We thought it might be allergies but I was already taking an allergy pill. Cough drops/syrup didn't help either. I would get coughing so hard I would throw up. Slept with a humidifier at night. I learned that you can take Zantac for heartburn when you're pregnant (thanks, Jamie!) and that was the cure to my cough! No more coughing and no more humidifier!!

My craving for sweets has gone a little out of control the past week or so. Love me some chocolate cake! Remember when I was pregnant with Brandon and lived off of Oreos and milk? Ahem...

I am enduring the heat surprisingly well. Luckily Terry and LaNiece's basement stays so cool all the time. I do get a little hot at night though.

She has been kicking a lot! Haven't been able to really see my belly move yet, though. That's always fun to watch! She is sitting very low, though, so I don't feel the kicks in my belly the majority of the time. That's a little weird...

I compared a pic of myself when I was 30 weeks with Brandon and I couldn't believe the difference! I am huger and lower this time. (Hey, and wearing the same shirt!)

Brandon (left), Baby #2 (right)

Welp, see ya next time!

Uhleven....twelve...

2011-08-02T17:36:00.002-06:00

I love it when Brandon randomly counts or sings to himself when he doesn't think anyone's watching him. Last night I caught Brandon counting from 11 to 16 while playing with his favorite toy truck. Love it!! It took me a few tries to get a good video because he kept catching me with the camera and he would stop counting and say, "Smile!"

ThredUp

2011-08-01T17:13:00.003-06:00

A while ago my sister sent me a deal from Savemore.com. The deal was for 2 boxes of used kids clothes for $6 from thredup.com. Amazing deal. My clothes came today. It is all certainly acceptable for $6 but I wish it was required on their site to post pics of the clothes. I bought a box for Brandon size 3T and a box for baby girl size 12 months. I am prepared for the future!

With ThredUp people write a description of the clothes they have and you can choose which set of clothes you want. Very few have pictures of the clothes so it does make it a little hard to know what you're getting. And it's not always $6. That was only with the deal I got. I think it's normally $30 for 2 boxes of clothes. Which still isn't too bad of a deal.

3T is a lot bigger than I thought! I kinda hate that yellow checkered dress shirt. Maybe I'll turn it into a dress for baby girl.

With the exception of the pink Nike oinesie and black shirt with cross bones, I love all of these! Espcially that blue and gray dress! And don't you love that Santa dress??

Oh, Brandon

2011-07-26T18:15:00.001-06:00

Brandon and I had a full day today! It probably wouldn't seem like a lot to the rest of you but for a 28-week pregnant woman, it was A LOT. We were both pooped. We played more with sidewalk paint and Brandon had a ball! Brandon learned how to splatter paint. Here he is when we were done. And the patio...

Covered from head to toe! Literally!

2-year pics

2011-07-25T21:53:00.000-06:00

My BIL is an amazing photographer. You may remember some pics he took of Brandon last year (here and here). Seriously, Andrew has a talent. We asked him to take Brandon's 2-year pics and we LOVE them! So hard to pic just one that is a favorite so here are a few I love.

And for M&D (and whoever else wants to see) click here to see all pics.

Copter!

2011-07-14T09:55:00.000-06:00

Brandon has really been into helicopter and tractors and airplanes and trains lately. Sean bought a little remote control helicopter for him that we knew he would love. And it turns out it's a love for both Brandon and Sean :) It's pretty fun!

Dad and Brandon

2011-07-13T13:28:00.000-06:00

Brandon loves his Dad. Every time he comes home from work Brandon says, "Hi, Daddy!" and runs to him. So adorable. Sean is so good at playing with Brandon. I hate to admit that I am not very good at playing. I'm so glad I have Sean! Anyway, every time these two play together Brandon ends up copying everything Sean does. It is so cute and funny.

Sean started doing somersaults to see if Brandon would copy him. And he did! So cute!

Update

2011-07-06T10:52:00.003-06:00

I guess it's time for another baby update. I am 25 weeks now and starting to feel very pregnant. Out of breath, hard to bend over, etc. etc. etc. Baby girl is kicking a lot and I am loving that. Sean finally got to feel her kick the other day. I have been craving sweets lately. Especially chocolate. And s'mores the other day. I get motion sickness when I am on the computer or watch TV for too long. Weird. Other than that I am feeling great. Only 3.5 months left! Yikes!

I looked up a pic of me at 25 weeks with Brandon and compared it to 25 weeks with this one. Kinda fun :)

25 weeks with Brandon and 25 weeks now

Oh, Brandon

2011-06-29T11:21:00.000-06:00

Brandon is so funny. We went for a walk this morning and it was surprisingly ridiculously hot! Here he is cooling off on his couch watching a movie. He's so funny!

A little bit 'o Brandon

2011-06-19T15:25:00.000-06:00

One day Brandon was watching Finding Nemo and wanted to get up in the stroller to watch it. He sat there for a long time too!

We've been wanting to get him a little kid couch for a while now and after him watching a movie in the stroller we decided he needed one. He loves it!

Today, he turned a cardboard box into a slide. Hilarious.

A trip to SC

2011-06-07T09:44:00.001-06:00

Last week I got to take a trip to South Carolina to visit my sister Alecia. Thanks to my husband, in-laws and sister for making this trip possible for me! Sean is starting school this month and then we'll have a new baby in a few short months so this was like a last hurrah for me to go on vacation. I have to say, though, that I wasn't really sure how to be just Brittany with no kid or husband around to take care of.

Shortly after arriving. Sweet Ruthie cuddled up right next to me. She wanted to see my tummy with the baby in it. Made me lift up my shirt and everything :)

Lovely Hopeland Gardens. Saw lots of turtles in the water and giant goldfish.

Folly Beach and Charleston Bay. Loved seeing all the old beautiful mansions in Charleston. We really need to know more about what to pack for the beach...

Shopping downtown Aiken, SC.

Thanks Leash and Justin for taking such good care of a 20-week pregnant woman. We ate good food and watched movies and saw lots of fun things. I miss you!!

It's a.....

2011-05-25T16:07:00.003-06:00

GIRL!!!!!

I had a feeling it would be a girl! We are so excited! The ultrasound was so much fun and baby girl would not stop moving! She was flipping and squirming all over the place. Kinda fun to watch :) That was what I was most excited for today was to see my little baby moving. The technician was able to point out the little girl parts which I was so glad for. I did not want to hear that it was a girl just because they couldn't see a boy part. Baby girl also has all body parts and is normal and healthy and right on schedule for my 10/17/2011 due date. After our appointment we went straight to Walmart to get a few girl clothes. Can't wait to dress her in them! We are also thinking that we like the name Katy. Yay!!!!

3 years

2011-05-09T08:52:00.000-06:00

We have had a weekend full of holidays! Saturday was Brandon's bday, Sunday was Mother's Day and today Sean and I are celebrating our 3rd anniversary! Every year I am glad we are not where we were the year before. We come such a long way every year. I love being married. Since being married to Sean I have learned so much about him, life, love, and myself. We both have made plenty of mistakes in the last 3 years and we still have SO much to learn but I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else. Happy anniversary, Sean. I love you!!!

This picture is just so us! I don't think a single day has gone by where he didn't make me laugh. Aw :)

Brandon is 2!

2011-05-07T22:08:00.001-06:00

It's a little weird for me to think that I have a kid now instead of a baby. Brandon is the sweetest kid though. I just love him so much! He had a fun birthday today and it was fun to celebrate with him.

When he woke up this morning he was excited to see all the wrapped presents and the "Happy Birthday" sign. He named all the letters to me.

For breakfast he got banana pancakes!

He got to watch Finding Nemo and then we opened presents when Sean got home from work.

His favorite was, by far, the Cars cars.

I attempted decorating a cake for him and I'd say it turned out pretty good for my first try!

He dove right into it. Literally!

Happy Birthday, Brandon. We love you!!

Baby update

2011-05-03T19:17:00.002-06:00

I am 16 weeks with this baby already! I went to the doctor today and got to hear the heartbeat again. Love that. It actually took a minute for the doctor to find the heartbeat today and I was panicking until he found it! I haven't felt the baby move yet and sometimes I wonder if I'm still pregnant. Haha. But the heartbeat was strong and a fast 160 bpm. My mom and mother-in-law are convinced it's a girl. We scheduled the big ultrasound for May 25 and I can't wait!! (Vote on the side what your guess is!)

This pregnancy has gone by a lot faster than the last one. Which has been great! I hope the last month goes by just as fast. I was sick all day and night until about 13 or 14 weeks and it has subsided now. I do still get nauseous at night occasionally but I was sick with Brandon until 17 weeks so I'm not complaining. Also with this pregnancy my cravings have been all over the place! One day I was craving tomatoes and the next day I couldn't stand the thought of eating tomatoes. I have craved both sugar and salt and everyday it seems like I want something different. A girl who cut my hair thinks it's a girl too because it can't seem to make up it's mind about what it wants :)

Since I hit 14 weeks and the nausea subsided I suddenly felt extremely tired all day. I could fall asleep at any time of the day. Poor Brandon will sometimes watch movies all day because I just don't have the energy to do anything else but lay on the couch (or check my e-mail)!

I also started showing a lot earlier with this baby. Here's me at 16 weeks.

Anyway, thanks for listening! We'll see you in about 3 weeks with pics of the baby!!!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T17:11:00.001-06:00

Many of you probably don't know that I am the ward choir pianist in our ward. I was called in November I think. Right before the Christmas concert. I had been out of practice for several years and then was given an overwhelming amount of new music to learn in just a few short weeks. I am also the Relief Society Pianist. I have appreciated having these two callings so much. I couldn't even play simple hymns anymore before I got these callings. It was essential that I practice the songs I would play for prelude and the hymns in Relief Society. Ugh. That's not the case anymore :)

Anyway, today was our Easter program at church and the choir was singing a version of He Is Risen. It isn't easy being the ward choir pianist. A lot of demands from the director and the other choir members fall on my shoulders. Even though my piano skills have been coming back, I still feel like I'm nowhere near I used to be in high school. But the one thing that I always look forward to is being able to express my testimony through the way I play when we perform. At the Christmas program last year during our closing number I just bawled at the end knowing that Jesus Christ was really the reason for the season and that He was my Savior. Today, unexpectedly, the same thing happened. During the last verse of He is Risen and the conclusion of the song (which was really intense) I got choked up again! And during the closing prayer I just bawled, trying so had to control myself. I didn't want people to see my red puffy eyes and, ya know, snot running out of my nose. No one wants to see that. I knew that, again, Jesus was my Savior who lived and died for me. He was resurrected! He is risen! Amazing experience.

And here is my little sunshine all dressed up in his new church outfit! I can't get over how cute this outfit is. I couldn't stop looking at him all day! We're having a family Easter egg hunt tomorrow so I'll be sure to get pics of that!! Happy Easter!

Fun to hang out with him

2011-04-05T12:39:00.001-06:00

Sean is out of town this week for a work training so Brandon and I have been all by ourselves. One upside is that we have the car ALL day. Even though we don't go a lot of places it's just nice to have the option. Today, even though there is still a little snow on the ground, the sun was out so I decided to take Brandon to the park. Brandon had so much fun. He wasn't as brave on the slide as I have seen him before but I could tell he was enjoying himself. And we always have to go on the swings.

Going down all by himself!

There were these 2 dogs running around the park and Brandon tried hard to keep up with them and play with them. I don't think he ever got close enough to pet them but it was fun to watch him :)

Then we did a little shopping and got some lunch at Subway on our way home. I love this kid. We had so much fun together today. I hope the weather stays warm so we can go out again.

Cwifford

2011-03-31T10:40:00.002-06:00

Wow, I only blogged twice this month...I don't know why but I suddenly find nothing in our lives to be blog-worthy. Lately, though, Brandon has been obsessed with Clifford. So whenever I get on the computer Brandon follows and asks to watch Clifford. His favorite shows right now are Clifford, Cars, and Finding Nemo. I snapped this pic of Brandon mesmerized by Clifford while I was getting ready this morning.

Raspberries!

2011-03-01T12:53:00.002-07:00

I've been wondering when Brandon would learn how to do raspberries. And today he did! I could not stop laughing and he got a kick out of it too. It's a good thing I don't really care about that couch.

Oh, Brandon

2011-02-23T20:44:00.004-07:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging. We just don't have much going on right now and even if we did, I am too sick with this pregnancy to do anything. Morning sickness my eye! I have been sick from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep. So not fun. (By the way, my first Drs appointment is in a week and a half. I already feel like I've been pregnant for 9 months!)

Brandon has been learning so much! He can count to 10 and a few other numbers on the way to 20. He can sing the ABCs, knows the actions to a few primary songs, knows so many shapes (including hexagon, oval, and rectangle), AND he has been starting to recognize letters and shapes in the world around him. I gotta stop teaching him stuff! He's getting too smart!

Brandon did this all on his own the other day. This is his favorite way to watch movies. He puts it up there and takes it down all by himself. Such a smartie! (Is it ok that I let him do this?)

October...

2011-02-13T21:13:00.001-07:00

October has been my least favorite month for several years now. All that scary Halloween mumbo jumbo gives me anxiety and panic for the entire 31 days of that month. But after October 2011 it may be one of my favorite months of the year. Here's why:

We wanted to be really sure...

I want to be very honest in saying that this was a hard and scary decision to make. There's never a perfect time to have a baby and this didn't seem to be any kind of exception. But after a lot of pondering and praying we both felt it was right and just went for it. I stopped taking the pill and I was pregnant immediately! I know that this new little baby was meant to come now and will be a little miracle. I didn't think I would ever want another baby because of how hard the first 7 months of Brandon's life was. But he is such a joy now and I think I am willing to do that again. Especially since I won't be home alone at night this time.

Sick Brandon

2011-02-06T16:01:00.001-07:00

Poor Brandon has been sick all week. He has been so sleepy and clingy and not eating very well. It is so sad. He always asks to watch Cars though and says "kachow!" whenever Lightning does. He also can't go anywhere without at least 3 stuffed animals. Adorable. For the last few days Brandon can't nap unless I'm holding him. I was heading out the door this morning to go to church and Brandon just screamed. So i held him for a few minutes and rocked him and before I knew it he was asleep on me.

Brandon also took a particular liking to Sean's brother Don this week. How adorable is this??

ABCs

2011-01-28T10:36:00.000-07:00

I am learning more and more about Brandon everyday. Brandon is an observer. He'll watch or listen to the things we're trying to teach him (which may look like he's being unresponsive) and then one day he just does it. Like counting or saying a prayer. We've been singing the alphabet to Brandon for a little while now and just a few days ago he sang the whole thing! With a little encouragement of course. He's a genius! And, again, I couldn't decide between the 2 videos. The first one is me helping him sing it and the second video he sings it all by himself, with the exception of W, X, Y, and Z.

Counting

2011-01-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we learned that Brandon knew how to count to 10! We still have no idea how he learned this but it is adorable to listen to him count. I couldn't decide which video to post so you get to see both :)

2010

2011-01-02T19:01:00.001-07:00

As per tradition, it's time to review the year and write down some memorable events.

Brandon's many milestones -- teeth, walking, turning 1, eating regular food, talking, etc.
Selling my little car
Celebrating our 2nd anniversary in Las Vegas
Getting in and out (and in and out) of debt
Moving in with Sean's family
Sean getting a day time job! (I LOVE not sleeping alone at night)
Quitting my job to stay home with Brandon
My parents getting their mission call
All the things I cooked and created
Sean finishing his Associates Degree
Sean and I both getting callings in church

2010 was an interesting year. I'm kinda glad it's over. I can definitely tell that I have grown a lot as a person. And God has blessed us so much as a family. It's hard sometimes to see the blessings but looking back it's so obvious. I'm anxious to see the changes that will come in our lives this year. And we'll probably be moving again this year. Ugh.

I do have a resolution to keep trying to lose weight. Since February 2010 I have lost 18 pounds. I still have a ways to go but I think I've made a pretty good dent.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T21:45:00.000-07:00

It all started last night when Santa came to see us! We tried to take Brandon to the mall to see Santa but were unsuccessful. I so wanted a pic of B with Santa and was so disappointed when we didn't get one. A member of our Bishopric came over and I about cried! Just what I wanted :) Brandon was pretty nervous around him though. Haha.

We woke up Brandon at 8 am this morning. Here's what Brandon found when he woke up.

A new table! Just his size. And new crayons. (and don't you love his new PJs?)

Lots and lots of new toys!

He played with this most of the day. So fun.

Legos! He loved these too.

New church shirt and tie (his first, actually)

We had a hard time getting him to open the rest of his presents. He was having too much fun with the ones he just opened!

Another favorite. An adorable tool set from Auntie Ally. Thanks!

Wii board extenders for me. Awesome.

New computer speakers for Sean.

Oh, and this was pretty funny. I was helping Sean put together his new speakers. Came out to see what B was doing and I found him like this...eating almost all of those Reese's pieces. Hilarious.

We had such a wonderful Christmas. Thanks to G&G DeFreese, G&G Mower, Ally and many other family members who made our Christmas. We are so blessed to have such great families.

Brandon stories for the day

2010-12-23T22:22:00.001-07:00

Brandon was such a fun boy today. He's so fun to play with. My little buddy. I was working on a project today and Brandon wanted to play the "pano." I set him up and a few minutes later I heard him saying "mommy" and "daddy." I glanced over and saw him holding our framed wedding announcement pointing to us. And I'm glad I still look like the girl in my engagement photo :) He only recently started calling me mommy and it melts my heart every time he says it!! He can have anything he wants when he calls me that :) Then he started pointing to our eyes, ears, nose. He is so smart. I love him.

Story #2. After Brandon's bath tonight I let him run around a little while I put away his clothes and wet towel. He didn't want to come back to the changing table to get dressed so I let him keep running around. He was constantly running for like 20 minutes (and didn't pee!) laughing and giggling. Love little naked baby bodies.

The snowy day

2010-12-21T17:12:00.001-07:00

We got TONS of snow last night. We knew Brandon would love seeing it so we all got bundled up and headed outside. This was Brandon's first encounter/exploration of snow.

The snow was as tall as him!

Holding a snowball


Little snowman we made :)

Brandon had so much fun. And we had fun being out there with him. The snow is so pretty!

I don't know if you can tell from this video but Brandon pronounces the S in snow with his nose (like when you exhale through your nose). It's SO funny. Listen carefully.

Hi...

2010-12-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

Brandon is starting to understand the idea of a phone. He knows you say "hi" and "bye" and it's so funny to watch him talk on the phone. Little smartie.

"Light!"

2010-12-09T13:18:00.001-07:00

We took Brandon to see the lights at Temple Square last night. Most of Sean's family came with us and we had so much fun. We missed Breanne and Andrew!

We thought Brandon would go crazy with all those lights (since light is like his favorite thing) but he hardly said a word the whole time we were walking around. It was probably a little overwhelming with all the people there and SO many lights. And it was past his bedtime, so...

What was funny was that we parked at Crown Burger (which is where we ate dinner. Yum-o.) and when we got back to the car, Brandon saw the lit up sign for Crown Burger and said, "Wow! Wow! Light!" Oh, well. I'm sure he still liked seeing all the lights at Temple Square. We sure did. It's been a long time since we've done that and, actually, I don't think we've been to the temple since we got married. I was reminiscing "Remember getting our picture taken there?" "That's where you go in to get married." :)

All bundled up :)

Hailey :)

A lovely shot of the temple that Sean took. Sigh.

New Chair

2010-12-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

Sean's grandparents were getting rid of an old recliner so we took it off their hands and are using it now. Brandon took a particular liking to it right away :)

The Marker

2010-12-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

When Brandon asked to color this morning I got out some washable markers so that no more crayon would get on our table. He eyed the purple marker and wouldn't use any other color. I tried to give him a different one but he freaked out on me. He walked around with this marker all morning and wouldn't put it down for anything. He'd scream when we tried to take it from him. Oh, Brandon :)

Another "Oh, Brandon" moment...

2010-12-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

Brandon has been in the mood lately to touch, grab, and climb on everything he can see. But what happened this morning (it's not even 10 am) was a dinghopper. I went to get Brandon out of bed but when I walked into his room, he wasn't in his bed! He was on the floor trying to climb up onto the rocking chair! How did he do that???

I think we need to take him to some kind of toddler jungle gym where he can get all of that energy out...and maybe it's time for a toddler bed....Oh, Brandon...

"Cado"

2010-12-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

Brandon loves to color or "cado" now. He's always asking me to color. It's funny because sometimes he is so concentrated on drawing that he shakes and it's so funny to watch him.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T22:25:00.000-07:00

We had a nice Thanksgiving today. I did miss my family a lot since it is the last Thanksgiving before my parents leave for their mission. But I do have great in-laws and it's always nice to be with them. We had a lovely dinner with lots of talking and laughing and full stomachs. Tonight we decided to put up our new Christmas tree (good-bye to the old 3ft. nothing!) and see what Brandon thought of all the lights. Here is his reaction:

Brandon gets a new coat!

2010-11-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

This is the $30 coat we got at BabiesRUs for $6! We bought him some mittens today too so we'll be getting some pictures of him in the snow soon.

Don't you love his laugh?

2010-11-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

Lasered

2010-11-21T21:41:00.002-07:00

Sean's brother had a little laser that the dog chases and pretty soon Brandon found it and followed it everywhere. Even tried to grab the light. Too funny.

k-i-s-s-i-n-t

2010-11-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

Brandon is so funny. Yesterday Brandon started kissing everything. It started with the wheels on his walker. Then my toes, my leg, Sean's coat, the wall, etc. During bath time he kissed all of his bath toys AND the water. Hilarious. Then he saw himself in a mirror and kissed his reflection. Today I got a pic of him kissing one of his toys. Adorable.

First piggy-back

2010-11-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

We weren't sure if Brandon was ready for a piggy-back ride. He sits up there ok but Sean can't really go anywhere or Brandon will fall off. But Brandon was smiling the whole time. Cute.

Brandon at 18 months

2010-11-16T06:36:00.001-07:00

My BIL Andrew has a knack for photography. He took some pictures of Brandon swimming this summer and they are insanely awesome. So I asked if he would take some of B at 18 months. I was dying to get some him in the fall leaves. These are a few of my favorites.

To see all the pics, click below.

18 Months

Thanks, again, Andrew!!! They were exactly what I wanted! You're the best!

While we were out...

2010-11-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

Sean and I got to go on a date tonight to the Brick Oven! So good. Btw, every time we've gone there we ALWAYS get the exact same table. It's so funny. We decided we need to request that table whenever we go. Tradition! While we were gone LaNiece got this hilarious video of Brandon laughing and Sean's brother's pretend fighting.(It looks to me, though, that they are really hurting each other. Boys.) If you're having a rough day, this will cheer you up. I have NEVER heard him laugh like this.

Sick days

2010-11-04T17:38:00.001-06:00

All 3 of us have been sick this week. With 2 sick parents Brandon has been mostly on his own for entertainment. Since we didn't think he should be going outside to play we decided to introduce him to finger painting to keep him from going crazy with boredom. A fun, creative, and yummy pastime.

First Scribbles

2010-11-01T20:24:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow is Sean's Bday so Brandon and I decided to make Bday cards for him. Once I showed Brandon how to hold and use the marker and write for him, he was all over it! I taped the paper to the table to keep it from sliding everywhere. Still got marker on the table. It was fun! I just hope Sean doesn't check the blog before tomorrow!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T07:52:00.001-06:00

Hooray! October and Halloween are over! No more scary-movie previews that I have to mute and change the channel when they come on the TV! Although, I am sad that Brandon won't get another chance to wear his Superman costume. He looked so cute. I can see myself getting excited about Halloween when he is older. It's just so much fun when you're a kid. We were going to take Brandon to the trunk-or-treat at our church but it was rainy and there weren't very many cars there. Oh well. Maybe next year.

I love this picture. He's looking at me like, "Mom, you're being weird." Bytheway, the truck in his hands is life-size! :)

Oh, Brandon

2010-10-29T11:14:00.000-06:00

The things he finds to entertain himself amaze me :)

Old toys

2010-10-29T11:05:00.001-06:00

I kept Brandon's jumperoo out because he loves the music it makes and all the toys on it. I guess he remembers, too, that you're supposed to sit in it :)

The simple joys of childhood

2010-10-20T08:35:00.000-06:00

Brandon has recently discovered our closet. Oh, to be young and to enjoy the simple pleasures :)

Beds, pillows, and couches

2010-10-12T15:15:00.000-06:00

Brandon loves getting up on our bed and couch and rolling around on the pillows/cushions. It is seriously one of his favorite activities. We had so much fun today playing on the bed.

Showing me his belly button or "button"

A trip to 84701

2010-10-07T18:00:00.002-06:00

Sean has been working a lot lately and got a few days off. We went to Richfield to spend some time with my family. My parents will be getting their mission call in a few weeks and who knows when we'll get another chance to spend some time with them.
Brandon has always been a good traveler...until this trip. He cried most of the way there. Poor baby.

It rained the whole 3 days we were there. But I was especially wanting to take Brandon to Fish Lake so we went anyway. It was COLD. I think the car thermometer said 43 degrees! Plus wind. Plus a lake. We were only outside throwing rocks in the water for about 10 minutes and we all couldn't stand it any longer. Except for Brandon. He was having so much fun.

Dad said we look like birds on a wire here :)

While also in Richfield, my parents bought Brandon his first Halloween costume! Sean and I had discussed what he should be for H but Brandon doesn't like hats or anything touching his face so we weren't sure what our other options were for a costume. This one was a winner! I don't like Halloween so I dread it the entire 31 days of October but now I can't wait so I can dress Brandon in this costume again!

Brandon said SO many new words while we were there. I can't keep up with him! Thanks for the great time, M&D!

Like father, like son

2010-09-27T13:07:00.002-06:00

I don't think there's really much else to say about this pic :)

He loves his sleep just like his dad. Brandon sometimes asks me to go "na night" and on most occasions, doesn't even cry when I put him down. Little angel. I have always wanted to get a good pic of Brandon sleeping but was always too afraid I would wake him up. I love this one though.

And I love this pic because it just shows what good friends they are. Sean is such a good dad.

Blog #...

2010-09-25T12:46:00.000-06:00

For those who haven't noticed yet, I now have a food blog and a craft blog. You can find the link on the side of this blog. Or click on the links above.

Playing at the park

2010-09-23T14:53:00.001-06:00

We took Brandon to the park this morning. We never get to go anymore since there's not a park across the street from our house anymore. But we found this little park and Brandon loved it.

He LOVES the swing

Adorable right??


We attempted the slide but he wasn't too sure about it

After the swing and slide there was nothing else for him to really do. So he ran around the playground like 3 times. Nice day :)

Had to do it

2010-09-12T17:52:00.000-06:00

Every kid needs a picture of themselves covered in some kind of sauce. Brandon is a really picky eater lately and this is one of the few things he will eat -- cheese ravioli in tomato sauce. I think I need to learn how to make my own tomato sauce and puree some veggies in it to trick him. Little stinker.

Naked again...

2010-09-11T09:24:00.000-06:00

I went to get Brandon this morning only to see my naked son again. Oh, Brandon. We may have to get different pajamas...

Book worm

2010-09-11T09:23:00.000-06:00

Brandon LOVES books and having me read to him. Yesterday we read one book about 50 times. He cried when I made him put it away. This morning he wanted to read the same book again. And cried again when I made him put it away :)

Spiked

2010-09-09T16:46:00.002-06:00

I've been wanting to try spiking Brandon's hair now that it's grown out a little. OMG he looks so cute!! And not like a baby anymore. I love it.

I was trying to get a video of Brandon's new trick -- shaking his head -- but he got a little distracted by the light on the camera and then saw a box of cookies on the table. "A bite" :)

And I obviously can't shake my head and hold a camera at the same time...

Oh, Brandon

2010-09-07T10:59:00.001-06:00

When I went to get Brandon this morning, I walked in his room and found him completely naked -- with the exception of his shirt half on – smiling. I have no idea how he got his clothes off, let alone his diaper!! Thankfully there wasn’t any poop in that diaper. Oh, Brandon :)

Swimming with Hailey

2010-09-04T21:12:00.002-06:00

Terry & LaNiece babysit grandkids on Saturdays and I thought it would be fun for the kids to go swimming in Brandon's pool.

I love this pic

Splash!

Hailey showing us how she can lay down in the water

Trying to get them to look at the camera but they just looked at Grandma

They both found other things to play with. Brandon found a bike...

And Hailey found Sugar :)

L-O-V-E Love

2010-09-01T16:19:00.003-06:00

Some wedding pictures I found on Terry & LaNiece's computer that I've never seen before. I never get sick of seeing these. You might though. But I'm not even sorry :)

Hangin out with Dad

2010-08-28T20:28:00.002-06:00

Brandon loves his dad. And his dad loves him. They are such good friends. I love it.

Shepherd's Pie

2010-08-28T11:52:00.009-06:00

Apparently, Shepherd's pie is made with lamb. Cottage Pie is made with beef. Anyway...

I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com but after reading the reviews I did make a few changes. So here's my version.

1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 package frozen mixed veggies
2 T vegetable oil
Salt to taste
2 cups instant mashed potatoes
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat oil in frying pan. Add chopped onions, and fry until golden brown. Add ground beef, and keep stirring until meat is browned. Add diced tomatoes, and continue to cook until liquid from the tomatoes evaporates (about 15 minutes). Salt to taste.
Add vegetables during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
In the meantime, prepare the mashed potatoes as directed on the packet. Add sour cream.
Spread the meat mixture into the bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Cover with a layer of mashed potatoes, and top with grated cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes at 400F until cheese has melted and browned. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition Information: 315 calories per serving, 20g fat, 100% yummy! Sorry I don't have a pic.

I'm also thinking about making a food blog...

Project

2010-08-20T10:32:00.004-06:00

Some of you may remember when I made this light switch cover. You're supposed to use ModPodge which I didn't have then but now I do and I decided to make it again for Brandon's room. And use much cuter fabric. It was so fun! Oh, and LaNiece, we'll buy you a new cover when we move :)

"Es a shoe"

2010-08-20T10:09:00.005-06:00

Brandon and I went shopping the other day and when we got to the car, I noticed that one of his shoes was missing. Ugh. So later that day I decided to take him shoe shopping. I had to share a pic of these freaking adorable shoes. And then it was buy one get one half off so of course I had to get another pair :) My little boy is growing up!
v bbbbbbbbbbn oh, and that's from Brandon :)

Coloring

2010-08-16T16:50:00.003-06:00

I tried to get Brandon to color today but he was more interested in eating the marker or playing with the lid. I guess he's not quite ready for that yet.

Oh, Brandon

2010-08-14T20:26:00.004-06:00

Brandon is so funny. I just love that kid. I don't, however, love his tantrums...ahem. Everyday he looks more and more like a little boy to me than a baby. I miss my baby Brandon!

Playing with the blow up pool we keep inside

Omg, he loves to walk along these empty boxes

He's more interested in the wheels of his stroller than with is plethora of toys

Hi, sweetheart

Oh, the tantrums...

And I'm not quite sure what he's doing here but I got a kick out of it!

For journaling purposes...

2010-08-10T18:35:00.008-06:00

15-month check up
Weight: 21 lb (he has a cold so it would probably be higher)
Length: 30.5"
Head: 18.5"

Brandon's words:
light (he's obsessed with light)
on (he says "onna" or "non")
bite
uh-oh
Mmm
shoe
Thank you
three
hello
hi
out
yes
go
ball
boo
teeth
(The Dr said most 15-month olds only know 4-6 words. Go Brandon!)

Favorite foods:
strawberries
pears
bread
goldfish crackers
broccoli
cauliflower

For your consideration

2010-08-10T07:43:00.004-06:00

Here is a pic of Sean at 5 months old and Brandon at 5 months old.

They must be reaching for the same thing :)

Happy 15 months

2010-08-07T21:44:00.003-06:00

It's crazy that Brandon is 15 months. Only 3 more months to nursery!! He is going to the Dr next week and I'll post more of his stats then but I wanted to share some pics from today.

Brandon loves Gma and Gpa Mower. Grandma bought him a pin wheel and he loved it.

He doesn't seem to like grass...

And this isn't from today but I wanted to share anyway. Brandon has become a little climber. It's so funny to watch him.

A post!

2010-07-28T20:32:00.010-06:00

I have been dying to blog this pictures! My BIL (brother-in-law) is a great photographer and took pics of Brandon's first time in a kiddie pool. Thanks Andrew! By the time he was done in the pool, his diaper weighed about 2 pounds. He did face plant it pretty good at one point right into the water and he didn't like that at all. But I think he liked the pool.

Adorable right??
Trying to hold the water
Gotta have his rocks. He loves them for some reason.

Oh, Brandon

2010-07-14T07:22:00.002-06:00

It amazes me that Brandon can turn ANYTHING into something he can get in trouble for. Lately, when I give him his sippy cup of juice, he thinks it's funny to spit it out, or let it fall out of his mouth. Uggh. This morning he climbed (which, by the way, is his new thing) up on what I use to block the DVD player and cable box from Brandon. Well, now it's a toy that he can climb on. Oh, Brandon. He is wearing me out :)

Helper

2010-07-13T21:15:00.003-06:00

I was cleaning out the bottom drawer of the oven today and Brandon decided to come help too :)
Bytheway, cleaning the oven is such a beast of burden!

The game they play

2010-07-13T20:54:00.001-06:00

Brandon loves playing with Dad. They are eachother's toy. I have seen a better reaction out of him from Sean chasing him but this is still pretty cute :)

Sorry...

2010-07-06T20:30:00.004-06:00

Again, sorry for the lack of blogging. We are moving this month (third time in 2 years) into Sean's parents' basement. Poor Sean has been working 3 jobs and Sean's parents were gracious enough to offer a solution. I heart them. So, we've been a little busy with planning, packing, and worrying. But I do have a pic of Brandon that I would like to share...
This outfit was a gift from his Great Grandma Odekirk. I need to buy him more overalls!!

As of late...

2010-06-27T16:45:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the non-blogging. Brandon and I both got sick about 2 weeks ago. He was better after about a day and a half but I am just now recovering. We suspect it was the swine flu but I guess we'll never really know what it was. Thanks to my mom for coming up to take care of us.
Lately Brandon brings toys and books to me. We end up reading the same book about 10 times but it's fun that he wants to interact with me more. He put this little hat on himself and walked around the whole house with it. He looks so cute with it on! Word.

13 months

2010-06-09T20:28:00.005-06:00

This is purely for journaling purposes but June 7 marked Brandon's 13th month.

He can say:
Thank you ("day du")
Three (when we say one, two...)
Hi
Uh-oh

He can sign:
Milk
More (claps)

He can wave bye-bye
Point to chin (but he always misses and touches his mouth)

Favorite foods:
Graham crackers
Juice
Bread
Ice cream
Broccoli
Peaches
Mac and cheese (he hates cheese though...)
Little puffies
PB & honey sandwiches

He's really good at:
Stacking things
Walking (walking from room to room is pure entertainment for him. He does this all day)
standing up with no help
Eating things he shouldn't (i.e. rocks)

Bonding day

2010-06-08T14:14:00.004-06:00

Today Brandon and I took a walk outside. We went to the playground across from our building to swing and play in the sand box. I felt like I really got to bond with my son. Sniffle

Playing in the sand. Love this pic.
Swinging
He loves to walk. He even held my hand a few times. Ohhh.

Black Bean Soup

2010-06-07T21:50:00.005-06:00

I know it's not really soup season but this just looked so good I had to try it. Plus I had a few jars of black beans from my mom that I wasn't quite sure what to do with. Sean and I both loved this. We ate it with tortilla chips.

Black Bean Soup

1 can (10 1/4 ounces) Campbell's® Beef Gravy

3 cans (about 15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup V8® 100% Vegetable Juice

1/2 cup Pace® Picante Sauce

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Place the gravy and 1 can beans into a blender. Cover and blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the gravy mixture into a 3-quart saucepan.

2. Stir the remaining beans, vegetable juice, picante sauce and cumin in the saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Serve with the sour cream and cheese.

See how healthy this is!? I was so proud of myself. This makes about 4 servings. And there was no nutritional info so I just added it all up myself. One serving is 417 calories. Not bad!! Enjoy!