Walking!!

  Oh, you read that right! We have us a little walker on our hands! She can officially take 10 steps in a row which is amazing without falling!! I am just so amazed and shocked that this little human being is now walking! Where did all the time go?
  I remember the first time she held her head up, to being able to sit up, crawl, stand, and now walk!! And only 11 months old! When I was a nanny neither one of the two kids started to walk before their first birthday, I just assumed most kids did that.  Well, not my determined little bundle of joy! Brielle loves to do things fast, and will keep trying until she conquers an obstacle!
  Both our parents (mine and Shane's) don't remember when we started to take our first steps, so there is not much comparison to use for Brielle, but we can say that majority of her cousins in the Johnson side of the family start walking around 9-11 months which is crazy early if you ask me!
  I have pretty much captured every one of her "firsts" and I truly appreciate the technology that we have these days! I want Brielle to have the ability to look back at all of these precious moments and share them with her children one day.  I just wish I had a really nice camera to take all these wonderful pictures and get them printed well so I can add them to her photo album. :)
  With walking comes some other unfortunate events.  Brielle definitely had her first "big" fall outside where she was holding a stick and fell to the side causing the stick to hit her in the face and leave two wounds.  Then she scraped her elbow, knee and ankle.  Not good at all but I am guessing this is what comes with her new found territory! :( I know all kids heal, but it's so sad to see scrapes all over her, and hearing that screeching cry doesn't help at all! (I don't hear it often, which is good).

Here are some pictures for the week! :) I love my daughter so much, God is so good to us!

concentrating really hard on eating chips

putting stickers back on the wall

gorgeous!!

my two loves

getting into something

so precious!!

 
 
 
 
 

11 months!!

Wow, in one month my baby girl will be turning 1!! Where the heck has time gone?? I seriously can't believe she is into all 12 month clothes and now 18 month jammies due to her long feet, arms and legs! Brielle is into trying everything thesedays and loving each and every new experience she has.


Height: 29 1/2 inches

Weight: 20lb 1oz. (yay!)

Likes:
-Food is still one of her favorite things about the day.  I definitely think she gets the snacking all day thing from me (or my mom) ;) but she honestly loves food and will still try a lot of new foods.
-She is ALL about feeding herself now.  Only certain times where it's going to be a huge mess will she let us feed her.
-Her wubbanub still takes top priority with her during her nap times and bed time.
-Loves playing peek-a-boo around the corner of walls now.
-LOVES to dance!!
-To play with others.  She is great with independent play but loves with others are around.
-To open her books and pretend to read (she talks a lot to her books).
-For others to sing to her (she lovessss music)
-Our cat Oscar.  Seriously her favorite pet in the world.  She has never smiled so much around another animal.
-Phones.  She thinks every phone call Shane or I make should involve her, and sometimes she will reply back but mostly she just sits there smiling at the phone and listening to what the person is saying.
-Our last go-to resort to calm her down is still playing the song "Old Macdonald".
-Talking!


Dislikes:
- STILL hates car rides! Please pray for us for this next month with a lot driving coming up with me picking up more shifts in Austin.
- Sitting in her high chair once she is done eating.
- Things sticking to her hands.
- Having anything on the surface of tables, couches, anything.  She has this itch to knock every.single.thing off. Things have to be free of clutter in Brielle's world.
- When someone takes away something she is not suppose to have (She is in this biting stage right now since her teeth hurt so bad I am assuming and will try to bite whoever it is that is making her mad).

Teeth: 5 teeth! 3 teeth coming in this week so there has been a LOT of teething and biting on things/people.

Language:
Signing- Definitely is signing more, dog, trying to teach her please and thank you this week, but she has been so stubborn with signing back to us (she just does this cute smile when I ask her to sign things she already knows)
Words- Mama, Daddy, Baby, All done, Pa-Pa, Nanny(for her Nana), Stop, No-No, Book., Open, GO!, Mine, Up, Uh-Oh
Understanding- I really think she understands about 90% of the things that we say to her and whether or not she responds to what we say is a whole different story.  She is hilarious and stubborn and will do things when she gets around to it. Points at everything she is wanting and she will try to verbalize it as well :)

Rockin' her new shoes while eating her snack

Where's Brielle?

Did not enjoy this photo session

11 Months

She is looking like "mom are you finished yet?" lol!

Ways To Increase Happiness

  As I was watching the show the Doctor's this morning while Brielle was napping I found a few of the tips very interesting that could change anyone's negative attitude and turn it around into a positive one.  I TRY to be very positive most of the time, but I can tell when I get around others who are always constantly complaining and saying negative things that I tend to eventually go that way during the conversation. Not good at all on my part.  But I wanted to share 3 different things that could make you happy today! :)

 1) Find something to be grateful for.  Sounds easy enough right?  Well the thing is that it could even be something small like being able to sleep in today, or being so thankful that college is done with for the semester.  Either way, big or small, there is always something to be grateful for.

2)  Do something nice for others.  Just maybe a simple phone call to a friend that you haven't talked to in forever would make their day, or volunteering at a local organization and helping others out.  Helping out other people, makes you feel so much better inside knowing that you may have just made their day by doing a good deed for them.  It could even involve doing something nice a work (in the nursing world it would be going above and beyond with a patient or resident and making sure they have what they need and help them out any way possible.)

3) Try something new.  This could involve something that you have wanted to check off your bucket-list for quite some time now that you just haven't gotten around to--just do it.  You may also want to finally venture out and do a hobby that you have been dying to try and just don't know where to start.  We all have to start somewhere in life in anything that we do--and usually there are people out there who wouldn't mind lending a hand to help you get started.

Happiness is contagious and any way that you change your outlook for the day, would benefit yourself as well as anyone around you.  Do this for you.

Happy Mother's Day

  Mother's Day this year means so much more to me then ever.  I truly feel like becoming a mom changed my entire outlook on life and I couldn't imagine a better life. Motherhood is something I don't take for granted for one minute.  I thank God each and every day for allowing us to become parents again after we lost our son Lamar and I truly appreciate everything He has given us and allowed us the strength and comfort to become such a close and loving family.
  From the moment we found out I was pregnant (9-15-12) right smack in the middle of my last semester of nursing school we knew that it was going to take every prayer and strength to get through the end of nursing school while trying to stay as calm as possible and not stress(ya right!); but once school was done, I truly got to enjoy everything.  I remember her first kick, movement (flutters), feelings that were so overwhelming with joy with how much our life was going to change by such a little human being gave me so much comfort in knowing I was growing another baby inside of me.  Pregnancy is amazing!!
  Finding out the gender, just made things that much sweeter.  If anyone knew, I was thought it was a girl just from the beginning with the way I was feeling and what I was craving and how I was carrying her; I just knew in my heart it was a girl. The gender reveal party was one of the best days of days of my life and I loved every minute of it.
  I just want everyone to know that yes motherhood is one of the hardest things you will do in your life, it is also the most rewarding with SO many new and great things that happen with your child, everyday.  From the time he/she first learns to hold their head up, to sitting up on their own, to crawling, standing and walking and everything beyond--each and every new discovery is amazing and I wish I could give all the moms out there a pat on the back, we are amazing!!
 Thank you to my mother, who is the most amazing person I have ever met/my best friend.  I love you so much and I thank you for having my back for every choice I have ever made, and always comforting me and being my biggest supporter in life. Thank you for showing me what it's like to be such an amazing mom, I only hope one day me and Brielle will have the relationship we do! :)

With that said, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all those beautiful and amazing moms out there! :)

YAY!

The moment we found out it's a girl!

Daddy's little girl

We should have known.. ;)

Me and my mini-me!

When we chose her name! :)

My mother, the greatest woman I know!

Swimming In Grace

  I had the honor of attending the Thrive Moms retreat for the first time this year where a lot of women(mostly moms) get together and talk about the Lord.  What a better way to spend my morning then just watching TV and hanging out.  I did not get the chance to listen to the entire session online due to having to attend a birthday celebration but I sure did enjoy the 2 hours that I did get to listen to.

  The ladies from Thrive Moms (you can find them here) first introduced themselves and then the first guest speaker Jessi Connolly (@naptimediaries) spoke about swimming with grace and her struggles from becoming a pastor's wife to becoming a mom for the first time(X4) with each pregnancy being so back to back.  She truly inspired me to become a better mom and to reassure me that it's ok to make mistakes as a parent and that finding peace with everything we do for our children is so important.
  Jessi started speaking on Psalm 32: 7-8 where David is talking to the Lord  and he states "you are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."  I definitely have had to find my hiding place away from everything that's going on (even if it's in my room putting laundry away) to speak to the Lord for a few minutes and really try to focus on the moment that I am in with Him.
  The next verse states "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you."  This is so true in so many ways,  if we all just reach and speak to the Lord when we are going through something difficult, or even when we are going through positive things; it's all about swimming in grace with the Lord.
  I definitely think everyone could benefit from the retreat (mom or not) and just listen to these remarkable ladies who are quite similar to each and every one of us just going through life with the help of the Lord, and how he has changed and made such an impact on each and every one of them! I can't wait for the next one! Thank you Thrive Moms for throwing such an amazing retreat!

Lefty Lucy or Righty Tighty?

  From the moment Brielle started grabbing at her toys she has always grabbed them with her left hand.  I used to think that she would change over time but it looks like we have a lefty on our hands!! It's crazy because most of the time if she can't pick something up after a few times she will just go ahead and use her right hand.
  I am hoping that she is more ambidextrous which would definitely make her life way easier! When she is eating she likes to have something in both of her hands which is so funny because my niece did the exact same thing for so long!
  It's crazy because statistics shows that only 10% of people in the world are left-handed.  Which is not that common at all! I am so glad that they are making it more easy now to have options such as scissors, baseball bats, gloves, etc. for both hands.
  Even though the studies show that children truly don't show their hand dominance until about 2 to 3 years old, I seriously cannot wait to see which hand will she choose!

Picking up the sticks in the yard

Eating goldfish with both hands but feeding herself with her left(look at that FULL belly lol!)

Trying to hand me something :)

Of course trying to put toys in her mouth

 I just wanted to know when most people figured out their children's hand dominance?? I just love thinking that she may be part of the 10% and be a lefty!

Happy

  This past week off was AMAZING to say the least, I literally enjoyed every.single.moment! I have taken time off of working in Austin and go back the 16th, but this time with Brielle is the most relaxing time I have had in a long time.
  My mom decided she would watch Brielle Monday night since she had my niece Emma and I was reluctant to say yes, but I know in my heart it's good to spend time away from Shane and I with her in good hands and spend time with her cousin that she doesn't get to see often..  It was so cute all the pictures they would send us, and a weird/nice oddly relaxing night without her.  Shane and I literally got to catch up on shows/talk to each other and really enjoy just being together--so different then our norm :) I went to catch up with them Tuesday afternoon to spend time with my niece and enjoy them playing together which was adorable. I love seeing them get along so well even though they don't spend as much time as I'm sure they would like, they act like sisters it's crazy how much they love each other!

Emma and Brielle

Emma explaining things to Brielle

Brielle getting caught sitting on the top of the fire place!

Emma in a box!

  On Wednesday, we met up with my mom's parents who live in Midland so we don't get to see them often enough. My brother and his wife and kids came as well from pflugerville area and we all met up in South Austin in the RV resort. Even though their isn't a lot of room with 10 people in one RV the kids had fun and that's all that matters! We didn't stay long since Brielle was showing every sign of wanting to go to sleep and that's exactly what she did when she hit the carseat lol! Can't wait to see them again.

Brielle loving their RV

Emma on the treadmill!

  While Shane was working late the next night, Brielle and I headed on over to go watch my niece Rhyleigh play in her band concert and she did so good! It was right before Brielle's bedtime and she was not really feeling like sitting down and just listening to the music so we definitely got up a few times, and played pass-the-baby with my sister in law! Shane and I are so proud of all that she has accomplished in her 16 years of living, and definitely see such a bright future ahead of her!

Brielle not wanting to have fun haha but Rhyleigh looks cute!

  On Saturday, we went to Rachel's party and Val's baby shower (the family I was a nanny for) and it was so much fun, it was a frozen themed party and I invited my best friend Adriane go with me and we had a blast! Brielle had not had a good nap that morning before so she couldn't entirely hang out (thank goodness Adriane was there so I could enjoy the baby shower part while she walked Brielle around) until 5pm but she tried :)

Brielle playing with the toys

Sara, Brielle, and Rachel the birthday girl! (I was there when she was born, can't believe she's 5!)

haha sticking her tongue out! :)

  Then to end the week off right we spent Sunday morning at my mom's house and went on a beautiful morning walk while Brielle did great and then took her little morning nap while I watched the thrive mom's retreat which was amazing to see other mom's speak of God and going through struggles with their children as well!  Then we picked up lunch and headed on to Seguin to see David and Pop! Brielle loves cat's right now so she was definitely in cat heaven over there (I think they have 4).  It was such a happy and relaxing week I was so glad my mom and mike were able to go to Seguin as well and Shane drove up from Yoakum it was so great to talk about the past and see how well David is going right now. We have been doing monthly meet-ups over there and I have never felt closer to them.

Brielle not wanting to sleep-she thought it was hilarious

 Hope you all had an amazing Cindo De Mayo this past Monday enjoy the rest of the week :)