Baby Annalyn

Our sweet baby girl joined our family on Tuesday March 20, 2012. We were scheduled to be induced the next day but we are glad she came on her own.

It was snowing that morning as we left for the hospital. I didn't start having contractions until about 2:30 that morning and I wasn't sure this was the real thing until about 4am I was really afraid that I would get to the hospital and they would send me home so I waited to call my dad until about 7 that morning. He came over to watch Brynlee and we got to the hospital around 8 that morning. At this point I was already dilated to a 6 almost a 7 but there were no free rooms in the hospital.  I had to wait for an hour and then it took another hour to get an epidural. At that point I was already dilated to an 8. Two hours later and with only a few pushes my little baby was here. We named her Annalyn and she weighed 7lbs and 8oz and she is healthy, and O so beautiful. We love her so much already.

Only a few hours after we had the baby they moved us to a teeny tiny corner room. I guess they had a lot of babies born that day. It is a good thing Annalyn came early because they would probably not have been able to induce us the next day. We spent that night at the hospital and were able to go home the next day. They really wanted us to stay for one more day but we were able to convince them to let us leave early. Joel spent a few days home helping out and we have really enjoyed having this baby in our home.

We all love this baby so much. It is an amazing feeling to be responsible for such a tiny person. I was really worried about how Brynlee would react to a new baby but so far she has done great. She thinks she has to be by the baby all the time and she is constantly giving her kisses and pointing to her face while naming all of her body parts. I think they will grow up to be great friends I just can't leave them alone in the same room for a while. We are all very grateful that this new little spirit has come into our home and we can't wait to get to know her better. 

Canada

Joel spent the last week of February in Canada while Brynlee and I stayed home. He went to help his parents with a job they got putting in sisal and vinyl in some church building. His parents needed the help and Joel loves doing that kind of work. He was more than glad to help out and earn some money. They were supposed to leave at the beginning of February but things kept getting pushed back. It made me nervous to have him gone so close to when the baby was due but we were pretty confident that she would wait for him to get back. Luckily she did.

This was the longest Joel has been away since we have been married. Luckily we have lots of family around here so we were able to stay busy. Brynlee did really well the first few days but at the end of the week she was super whiney. Church was not fun without Joel. He made it home at 4:30 am last Tuesday, about a week ago. A week and one day after he left.

We are really glad Joel is back. We missed him a lot. He is such a huge help taking care of Brynlee in the evenings after he gets home from work. When Brynlee saw him in the morning she was super excited. She kept randomly giving him hugs and kisses all morning. Joel tried to sleep in but Brynlee kept running in our room to make sure dad was still there. I had to take her outside so he could sleep.

Joel worked hard on his trip but he seemed to have a good time. I wish we could have visited Canada with him. He brought home lots of Canadian candy and some pink cream soda. He lost his voice while he was there and it is just now coming back. It is good to be together again.

Facts About Brynlee

I love spending time with Brynlee and seeing her little personality grow. She is very strong willed and she knows what she wants. She is learning new things everyday and getting so big. I can't believe she will be a big sister soon. Here are just a few fun facts about Brynlee

• Brynlee is now 20 months and 2 weeks old. 
• Brynlee has 13 teeth. She has five teeth on the top and eight on the bottom. She has 4 molars.
• Brynlee's hair is long enough (barely) for a pony tail but she wont keep one in. 
• Brynlee loves to give hugs and kisses.
• Brynlee talks constantly but I can only understand one or two words in each sentence. She loves to repeat what we say and she likes to say the prayer. 
• Brynlee gets frustrated very easily and is quick to throw a temper tantrum. If she doesn't get her way she lets me know she is unhappy. One of her favorite phrases is "no way."
• Brynlee is not good at sharing and she will push other kids and scream at them if they touch something she wants. 
• Brynlee loves to sing. When she is in a good mood she walks all over the house singing songs that she makes up. She really loves going to the library for our "music and movement class." She is good at singing the songs and doing all of the actions. 
• Brynlee loves to play with play-doh and make "snakes" that hiss. The other day she rolled each one of her noodles from her macaroni and cheese on the table and pretended they were snakes. They each hissed and floated through the air before they made it into her mouth.
• Brynlee hates sitting in the cart at the grocery store. If we let her out of the cart she runs from us. This makes it hard to take her to the store. 
• Brynlee does not like going to nursery at church without mom or dad. She went fine at first but now she cries every time we try to leave.
• Brynlee still sleeps with a pacifier. We call it her soother and she calls it a "sue." Lately she has been sneaking it out of her bed and she hides in her closet so she can suck on it. She likes to run out of her room with it and show me that she has it and then she runs to hide.  

• Brynlee also cries when Joel or I go anywhere, even if we just go to the bathroom. Joel had to say the prayer at church a few weeks ago and she screamed and yelled for daddy as soon as Joel got up. I had to carry her out of the chapel while she was screaming for dad.
• Brynlee is also good at unloading the dishwasher. I can't leave it open at all or she will start to unload it, even if the dishes are dirty. She also really likes to play with the tablets that go in the dishwasher. If we leave them out she opens as many as she can and lines them up. She took a big bite out of one a few weeks ago. Luckily she spit most of it out.
• Brynlee already thinks she should be the one to drive the car. Every time we head for the car she says "wanna drive." Joel made the mistake of letting her sit in the front seat and he let her "drive" the car down the driveway and into the garage one day when he was cleaning out his truck. Now she heads straight for the driver's seat every time we get in the car and it is a huge battle to get her to sit in the car seat.
• Brynlee loves to watch videos on youtube. She could watch them all day but I usually only let her watch them every once in a while. She likes songs with actions and she sings and dances while she watches the shows. She insists on being the one to pick which songs we watch and she get really mad if I don't do the song she wants.   
• Brynlee has completely figured out how to use my mom's i-pad. She even taught my dad how to use it. The last time we were at my mom's house I put the i-pad away and went to get my shoes on. When I came back she had turned the i-pad back on and she was in the middle of putting together a puzzle. She thinks the computer should work the same way as the i-pad so it is covered with fingerprints.
• Brynlee can be super sweet and still loves to sit on my lap and cuddle with me. She can also be very busy and running all over the place. 
• Brynlee is also extremely independent. She doesn't like me to help her with much of anything. 
• Brynlee is a great helper. She throws away the garbage, puts her clothes in the dirty hamper, and helps set the table. 
• Brynlee is lots of fun to be around and I love her a lot. 

Baby #2

     I am finally nearing the end of this pregnancy. I am officially 36 weeks pregnant which means our baby girl is due in only four weeks. Hopefully she comes before then because I am so ready to done with this pregnancy. I have been extremely tired lately and Brynlee has been a real handful. I will have to write more about some of her antics later. I can't keep up with her.
     At our last doctors appointment we got to see the baby in an ultrasound. We couldn't get a great look at the face but everything looks good and we are definitely having a little girl. Before our next appointment we are supposed to pre-register at the hospital and decide if I want to be induced or not. The baby is officially due March 22 but all of my family is leaving for my brother's wedding just days after my due date so if she doesn't come by the 23 I am going to be induced. I don't know if I am ready to have two kids yet but I can't wait to meet this little girl.

Our baby at 35 weeks

Me at 35 Weeks

Messy Face

Joel built Brynlee a high chair for Christmas and now she gets to sit at the big table and eat with us. She thinks it is lots of fun and she loves sitting with us. She also thinks she needs big cups, spoons and forks. On this day she tried to eat some pudding with a huge spoon and she made a huge mess. 

Can you guess what Brynlee just finished eating in these pictures? Macaroni and cheese

Here is Brynlee eating some spaghetti. She was being really neat and and using her fork, but the noodles kept falling off so she stuck her hand right in there. Then she looked at her hand and laughed like it was the funniest thing she had ever seen. 

Brynlee can be a handful some days and she keeps me busy all of the time. Despite all of the challenges of being a mom; I wouldn't trade this job for anything. I love my messy girls even when she has food all over her face. She helps me to step back and find enjoyment in the small things in life. I love her little laugh and her contagious smile. 

Christmas, Moving, and Graduation

This last month has brought a lot of changes for our family and in a short time it fills like we accomplished a lot. The Biggest accomplishment it that Joel officially graduated from BYU-Idaho with a  degree in Construction Management. He has been going to school for the last three and a half years we have been married so it will be a whole new experience to have him be done; but it is an experience we are looking forward to. We are all really proud of all of his hard work.

Joel's graduation was on the 16th of December, at 8pm on a Friday night. He had a final earlier that same day and then left at 4:30 for the first part of graduation. His family and my family all came down for the occasion and I really appreciated their help. Especially since we kept Brynlee up way past her bedtime so she could watch her dad graduate. 

Joel really didn't get a break because the next morning we woke up and Joel loaded all of our stuff down the three flights of stairs. We had lots of help from family so we were done before lunchtime but it was a lot of work. I spent the two weeks previous packing and we spent the next few hours cleaning so that we could leave. My sister Alesha rode in the car with Brynlee and me to keep Brynlee entertained for the 4 and a half hour drive to Boise (although Alesha slept for most of the car ride) and Joel pulled the trailer with his dad's truck. We pulled into my grandma's house around dinnertime that night and we stayed there while we looked for a house to live in. 

We didn't find a place to live until Monday and the house wasn't ready to move into until late Tuesday night. Joel and several of the family came over to help get things moved in and we spent all day Wednesday unpacking. We also went to the ward Christmas party that night. Right before we left Brynlee scared us by walking in with blood all over her face. Turns out that she found one of her dad's razors and managed to cut up her face pretty good. Luckily the injury wasn't worse than it was but it sure scared us. 

Brynlee helping to unpack

On Thursday Joel went out and bought a Christmas tree and found all of our Christmas decorations. We decorated for Christmas and we went and finished all of our Christmas shopping. On our shopping trip we determined that Brynlee is not fun to shop with. Brynlee loved the tree so I am glad we put it up. She thought all of the decorations were for her to play with and I am still finding them all over the house. 

Me and Brynlee in front of the Christmas tree. Almost 28 weeks pregnant.

Playing with the Christmas decorations. Notice the cut on her face from her first attempt at shaving. 

Friday we spent more time unpacking. We spent Saturday, Christmas Eve, with Joel's family. We ate tacos and went caroling.  We spent Christmas day with my family unwrapping presents and eating a ham and turkey dinner. It was fun to be with family and to remember the birth of our Savior. We all got great gifts and had a great Christmas. I was especially excited about my new camera that my dad gave me. He got a new one so I got to inherit the old one. 

Brynlee showing off one of her Christmas presents. She pushes all kinds of things around in this stroller.

Now that Christmas is over Brynlee and I are settling into a new routine in our new house and Joel has started working on the farm. We are glad things are starting to settle down because that move and everything was really stressful. Joel is still hoping for a job in the construction field but for now we want to stay here at least until after we have the baby. It is so nice to have family around and I am going to the same doctor that delivered Brynlee. Later Joel will look harder for a job so who knows where life will take us. For now we are excited about where we are and we are just taking things one day at a time.  

Eighteen Months

Brynlee has officially turned 18 months old. She weighs 23.8 pounds and is 32.5 in. long. She is constantly surprising me with the things she can say and with what she can do. She can say several phrases and she can repeat almost anything I say. I can's always understand her but she talks a lot. She really is an independent little toddler. Lately she wants to do more and more things all by herself. Here is just a quick update of some things about Brynlee.

Brynlee loves to sing songs, play with her dolls, and she thinks it is fun to sit on the potty chair. She has actually used the potty a few times so that she can get candy and she likes to put each of her dolls and stuffed animals on the potty so she can clap for them.

Brynlee also loves to help me and we spend a lot of time cooking and cleaning together. Brynlee thinks it is lots of fun. She is good at putting the clothes in the dryer, taking the silverware out of the dishwasher, and her favorite thing is to use the dust pan when I sweep. When we cook she likes to mix things and dish stuff into separate bowls. Everything takes a lot longer with her help and she makes a mess when she helps to cook but I love that she wants to help and I don't mind letting her.

I love that she put almost all of the macaroni in her bowl. 

In other news, Brynlee finally has some more teeth. She has four teeth on the bottom and a few weeks ago she got one on the top (her right front middle). The next day she got another tooth on the top but she is still missing her top left middle tooth.

She wouldn't let me get a good picture of her mouth but you can see her top teeth. 

Brynlee is so fun and I love her a lot. She has made moving a lot harder these past few weeks. She loves to play with ribbons, string, or tape measures and she has found a lot of them to play with. She loves to fill up the boxes and push them around the house but she freaks out if the boxes get stuck and she can't move them. Every room I go into Brynlee will follow me and make a pile of all of her toys. She loves to build with her legos and play with dad's boots. Lately she has been really into blankets. She loves it when dad wraps her up and carries her to church and she cries when he takes the blanket off. I love this girls so much.

She found a cassette tape and discovered that they have ribbon in them.

Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving week was lots of fun. We left for Boise on Monday night before Thanksgiving and Joel woke up early the next morning to drive to Washington with my dad and brother. My grandpa had a tractor he gave my dad and Joel went to help him get it. I really wanted to go too but it is a 9 hour drive and they drove straight there and then back. Brynlee doesn't do well in the car and I would have been very uncomfortable having to sit for so long. I decided to stay with my mom and grandma. My sister and my cousin and her family went to Washington too but they drove their own vehicle. Joel got to meet my grandpa (on my dad's side) for the first time. It was a long and quick trip but I think he had fun and he was back by Wednesday night. While he was gone I got to help get ready for Thanksgiving dinner. We had lots of people over so my grandma made eleven pies.

I love these two so much. 

For the rest of the week we did some puzzles, played games, talked to family, went shopping, and enjoyed lots of great food. It was great to be able to reflect on all of the blessing in my life and to think about all I am thankful for. Having Joel gone for a few days made me rally appreciate him. I am also grateful for my wonderful family, for my beautiful daughter, and for my Savior. I am glad for the opportunities we have to visit family. It was a great week. We really do feel so blessed. The only bad part about the week is that Brynlee and I both got colds. Hopefully they wont last long and Joel wont get it too.

It's Autumn Time

This year fall in Rexburg started out really nice. On the first of October Brynlee and I spent the day outside in t-shirts catching bugs and playing with bubbles. 

And then on the 6th of October it snowed quite a bit. Brynlee was not a fan of the snow. The wind was just blowing so hard it was really cold. Since then we have had some days that have been really nice and we have been able to play outside with just a light jacket on and there have been other days that it is too cold to even leave the house.  Lately there are more cold days than anything. 

Brynlee has been really ingenious at coming up with things to keep herself busy on the days we are stuck inside. She loves to dress up in mom and dad's clothes and she is constantly making piles of toys and nicknacks all around the house. She loves to read books, although she won't sit still for an entire story. In the middle of the book she gets up and leaves and then brings me another book to read. She also loves to sing songs. Our favorite part of the day is when dad is home. Brynlee loves to wrestle with dad, they play blocks together, and he builds the best tents.

Here is a short video of us singing some of our favorite songs. 

It's a...

GIRL!

At my doctor's appointment yesterday they did an ultrasound and we found out that we are having another little girl. We are way excited. I think it will be lots of fun to watch Brynlee interact with a little sister. Plus we don't have to buy this baby a whole new wardrobe. Joel was excited to be having a girl to. We plan on having more kids so he said he didn't mind waiting for a boy. 

The baby looks healthy and was moving all over the place. At first we didn't think we were going to get to find out the gender, but at the last second she gave us a brief glance. If this baby is anything like Brynlee we will get a run for our money but I would be really happy. 

Brynlee as a newborn

Brynlee's Favorite Game

A few months ago I taught Brynlee how to play Ring Around the Rosie and now we can't play it enough. Brynlee loves this game. She is constantly walking around the house, usually going in circles, singing "Ashes, Ashes, Down." Then she falls to the ground. She is always trying to grab my hands and get me to come play with her. Lately she has started to play with her baby dolls or her stuffed animals. 

Won't she make a great big sister? Lately Brynlee and her Uncle Brian invented a new way to play the game. We all love it when Brian comes over because he likes to play with Brynlee and he is good at keeping her entertained.