11 months

Let me just start off my saying what a totally different month this has been for me.
In a GOOD way.
I know the last post I wrote was kind of a downer, or at least several people told me so, haha, but hey, sometimes things just aren't that great, and thanks to modern technology I get to write it out for you instead of doing the whole "Dear Diary..." stuff I did growing up that no one got to read.
I do have to admit though, and this has been done in the past, this month has been so busy I had to rely on FB to help me fill in the blanks in my planner, that has been SO neglected this holiday season.
I used to live and breathe this planner, it's the same one I have had since sophomore year of college!
Before B was born, down to pretty much the day, I continued to use it on a daily basis for EVERYTHING.
Once she was born, I was good about it at first, mainly cause newborns have so many appointments, etc, but nowadays, I have to go on a cleaning binge to find it and FB stalk myself to figure out what the heck I did this last month.
Well thanks to me being overly connected to FB, I was able to get a great reminder of what went on this month and how things are headed for the last month of B's first year.

We started off month 10 with a rotten tummy bug, and I have to take the time to tell all you mom's out there about this remedy, that most likely you already know, I'm just the last person to ever hear of it.
If/when you, member of your family, even your babes gets the tummy bug (not flu like severe, but B had the most hard core diarrhea diapers EVER, and almost complete loss of appetite which was a true sign of something going on) do what I was suggested to do which is the BRAT diet.
Bananas. Rice. Apples. Toast.
Brynlee is allergic to bananas, so we had to go more of the RAT route, haha.
Pretty much for a week straight all I fed her, besides nursing, was rice cereal, apple puree, and toast.
I know it sounds horribly bland and boring, but as I understand, that's the whole point.
My mom's cousin used to be a nurse and my SIL is a labor and delivery nurse, and considering that they don't know each other yet suggested the same thing, I knew it was worth at least a shot and it worked great.
Bryn wouldn't touch any other foods (on her own accord) besides these items.
I had to stay consistent on this menu for about a week before I saw the symptoms 100% subside, but even after the first 24 hours of doing the RAT diet, I saw a difference mainly in her demeanor.
So onto less gross things, but seriously, keep this little nugget tucked away in your back pocket, you'll be doing yourself a favor.

Drew has a NFL fan. :)
Adam Vinatieri of the IND Colts. 

As I mentioned in my last post, my parents made the trek up to Vail with my brother for his knee replacement surgery. While there he actually had to undergo a second surgery about a week after his first.
We'll just say it's been a long month.
Throwing holidays in there was just the cherry on top. ;)
BUT we survived (I think) and it seems, at least from the outside where I stand, that we're getting our old Drewbie back.
He's still in a bit of pain, especially during/after rehab appointments, but overall I can see his demeanor and agility getting better and better everyday.
This knee surgery has not only challenged Drew on a physical front, but same with school.
Drew would be getting ready to start his last semester at EU in January, but because of the injury he's still doing work to finish the fall semester in hopes he can realistically go back and begin the spring.
Fingers crossed and prayers prayed that it works out.
Poor kiddo is totally sick of school and ready to be done, and I don't blame him, been there done that. :)
Drew finally got back from Vail on the 7th, just in time to miss the mountains first "legitimate" snowfall that probably would have forced them to stay there a bit longer.
We've enjoyed having Drew home, even with the down days, I'm not sure any other time he would have gotten the opportunity to hang out this much with his one and only niece!

Snow and puppy kisses.

Our first "legitimate" snowfall happened a couple days later and it was SO great to take B out in it. She honestly could have cared less and totally was more into watching "bob-bob" (Hurley) running around like a psycho in the snow. BUT it was fun for me. These firsts are just so much fun and I want to relish them all.
One of the reasons that this month seems to be so much better is that I'm somewhat out of my downer slump and thoroughly enjoying my time with B, friends, and family as much as possible before school starts and I won't have as much time.
I realize, no matter how blah some days get, that I have been so blessed to be able to be a stay at home mom for B her first year, and I have no regrets in doing it and even more so now in changing it.
Because I know my time/days are numbered I find the most glorious things to cherish sometimes not even having to leave the house to find.
I won't lie, the Newtown, CT shooting really humbled me.
I only know a handful of 6-7 year olds, but considering one is my niece just brought tears to my eyes for about a week. I will never understand God's reasoning in all this. It's not meant for me to understand, but heaven forbid I ever squander a day complaining about how hard my life is compared to those families.
I can legitimately say I will probably never be the same and it didn't even happen to me.
Maybe incidents like that are meant for people like me to learn from, in realizing life is a lot better than you give it credit for....I'm so humbled by it, I just can't even explain.
Having a child changes you, but having your child taken away, especially in that manner, I just can't comprehend....

Sassy pants. 

One of the reasons this month has been such more fun is because B is changing so much.
Her developing personality has made it pretty easy.
She is a HAM.
This has a positive side and a negative side.
The positive side is you are almost ALWAYS entertained and so is she.
I can't tell you how many times we'll be in the car, running errands, and she just starts giggling for no reason. It's like someone is back there tickling her! It's so precious and her giggle is contagious. It's not possible not to smile when you hear it.
When in public B thrives being around TONS of people.
IDK where she would get that trait, haha, but anywhere we go she has absolutely no shy quality about her, waving, talking, peek-a-booing, smiling to complete strangers as we walk/stroll around. I love it. I'm so blessed to have such a secure content babe.
So the negatives.
When you get that much ham in one little baby body, it means the most epic of temper tantrums and the most outrageous attitude ever.
Another trait I'm not sure where it was obtained. ;)
If shaking your head "no" was an Olympic sport, we'd have a room of gold.
If the girl doesn't want to eat that last bite of food, you'll be damned for trying to make her.
It's not only the shaking head, it's the squinting eyes, the lemon face (or fish face if she's tired) along with full leg swing kicks and full body shaking 'no' along with the head shake.
It's awesome. Except not really.
It's actually VERY frustrating.
Take for instance this video I posted on FB of me not sharing my breakfast with her...oh my.
Believe me when I say, this drama is sometimes a daily thing and usually over the dumbest thing.
Like sharing my breakfast with her after she had already eaten...heaven forbid I eat in her presence without sharing.

I'm a "hamster" and I know it.

Another perfect example is actually the other day. We have had a steady stock of clementine oranges around while fam was in town and I kept trying to get B to try it...she's very anti fruit (unless it's puree) for some reason and I've been trying every fruit known to man to try to find something she'll eat. I kept trying, trying, and trying with these stinking oranges and she wouldn't even taste it.
Not only not taste it, threw it to "bob-bob" every time I set any down on her tray (throwing food is a whole other issue...karma, why?!).
Well, apparently if Uncle Drew eats them, then I must eat it too.
I found B down in Uncle Drew's room, mouth full of awesome clementine juiciness with the biggest smile on her face.
WTH?!
Like I said, it's wacko.
I'm about 99.99999% sure she knows completely what she's doing.
She's that good at her game.

Brynlee started going to Rhonda's at home child care starting this month, consistently going two times a week for four hours a day.
She is doing AMAZING.
I am so thrilled with how chill she eased into the whole thing. It made it 100% easier for me to leave her behind!

B's childcare buddies. :)
Went to junior high with some
of their parents!

I have a few things left for school to get done, but other than that, I'm SO ready for this.
I feel like there have been lots of reasons for me to quit trying to make this journey happen, and I just felt so convicted that it was something I should do I just kept pushing the issue...I'm so blessed that things have worked out the way they have, and this time next blog post, I'll have started school!
Aauugghh!!

For the holidays, just know that celebrating your first born's first Christmas is just so great.
I'm sure it's great for your second born, or third (or fourth?) but like I said earlier, relishing those firsts is just contagious.

Sunday before Christmas.

My mom's sister and her family came to town to celebrate the holidays with us, staying at GG's house around the bend from our house. I'm so blessed to have such an awesome family. Not even just mine, but even my in-laws. They are all just so supportive in SO many ways I wish I could describe it all. It actually goes without words sometimes.
Without going on and on and on, just know that I don't think B's first Christmas could have gone any better.
I didn't have anything specific set in mind for her first experience, especially since she's so young, but as the pieces of her Christmas puzzle fell into place it just felt right and perfect.

My self stander. Getting so big. :(

Here we are on the flip side of the holiday and looking back from last post I now have a self stander, crawling speedster, food tosser, bob-bob lover, cat meower and stalker, and the best of all, a mommy hugger. :)
We def have our days, sometimes more than one, haha, but besides dada not being here, I'm not sure she and I could be doing any better.
This first year of her life has been so dramatic, with it's ups being really high and it's lows tending to be pretty low, but all in all I wouldn't trade it for anything and I'm so proud of my little noodle and the trantrum throwing babe she's become.
Thank goodness there is still ample room to learn from each other and grow together.
I'm so grateful for this time and can't wait to see what these last days of her first year hold for us.

December 26th, 2012.

Oh my. Awesome.

Gearing up for B's 1st b-day. Can. Not. Wait!