Florida & Brylie's 1st Easter

Nick, Brylie and I had the pleasure of going to Florida to visit Mymouse for Easter.  Mom and Ally met us over there and it was great to spend time with them as well.  Brylie did such a great job on her first plane flight and being in unfamiliar environments.  We spent time in the pool, went to the club for lunch, dinner at the Everglades, talked, enjoyed a fabulous easter brunch and had a lovely time.   Unfortunately many of the pictures from the weekend were taken with my mom's camera which I haven't downloaded yet, but figured I should upload the few that I took.  Such a great trip filled with wonderful memories.

 Brylie with her Daddy and her lovie getting ready to go to dinner at the club.

 Mom, Nick, Brylie, Mymouse and I.

 Now a picture with my beautiful pregnant sister.

 So beautiful.

 Sisters had to take a little picture on the beach.

 Ally and Chips.

 Brylie and Auntie Ally swimming in the pool.

 Happy Easter from my little Easter bunny.

Brylie's 1st Easter.

Many more pics to come soon...

1st Time on the Swings

Brylie and I enjoyed a walk to a nearby Starbucks.  On the way home we stopped by our local park, and she tried the swings for the first time.  She loved it.  It was so cute to watch her face light up as she went back and forth.  I can see this park being regular stop for us in the future.  

1st Time Eating Snap Peas

Looks like someone likes snap peas!!!

Brylie's 1st Haircut

After much thought Nick and I decided that it was time for Brylie to get her first haircut.  I was conflicted about this because it is the hair she was born with and is darker than the rest, but it was getting long and uneven. We decided it would be best to clean it up and then it would grow in more evenly.  I found a place that specializes in cutting kids hair.  Brylie did a great job and only cried a little bit.   They gave her a certificate to commemorate her first haircut with clippings of her hair.  It was cute memory for our family.

 Brylie and Daddy waiting to get her 1st haircut.

Auntie Ally called her a lioness when she saw a photo of all her hair.

 Almost ready.

 Shot from the back so the length of her hair could be visible in a photo.

 Brylie was so grown up.  She got to sit in a little car while she got her 1st haircut.

 "Hmmm I don't know about all this"

 Sophie the giraffe came in handy when Brylie got a little fussy.  She loves her Sophie that Aunt Amber gave her.

 Trimming the back of her hair.

 Mommy and Brylie after her 1st haircut.  She was ready to go home.  It was a late night and she was ready for bed.  She looks so cute!!

Brylie's Dedication

For the last several weeks Nick and I have been taking a "First Step" class at our church.  The purpose of the class is to think about how to lay the spiritual foundation for Brylie.  It was a great class and we both learned a lot about what we want for our family.  We discussed the values that are important to us as parents, and how we are going to work towards instilling these values.  Our goal is to be intentional and purposeful as parents.     

The morning of the dedication we invited everyone over for a light breakfast prior to the service.  We had fruit parfaits, cinnamon rolls, coffee, fruit and bagels.  We then headed over for the 10:15 church service.  It was neat introducing our church to family and friends who hadn't yet been before.  We love our church and can see it being a great place for Brylie as she grows up.

After the service we headed over to Noah's Landing which is a room where the Sunday school is held for the 2-3 year olds.  We showed everyone where Brylie goes if we drop her off during a service, and where she will transition when she starts to walk.  The cool thing about the room for children who are walking is that they have a viewing window into Noah's Landing.  They are able to watch what the older children are doing during Sunday school, and what they will one day be able to participate in.

At the dedication we ate lunch and then our leader brought us up to front of the room.  She had us share the bible verse that we had chosen for Brylie, presented Brylie with a certificate and her first Chilren's Bible.  Then Nick and I read the dedication prayers that we each wrote for Brylie.  This will be such a wonderful thing to keep and show her when she is older.  Lastly the family members and friends were given a paper with prayers.  They were each asked to pick a prayer from the list that they would like for Brylie, or say one of their own.  As we went around the table and people read their prayers I felt so filled with happiness for the support and love that I felt for Brylie.           

I would really like to thank those who came to help celebrate Brylie's special moment.  It was wonderful to have family and friends there to share in such wonderful memory. 

Enjoying some breakfast at our house before church and the dedication ceremony.  It was so cute of Shelden to come from San Diego to participate.  We had a great dinner the night before, and were able to spend some quality girl time together.  

 Cory, Ashley, Gary, Pam, Barbara and Dad and the Dedication ceremony.

 Mom, Brylie, Darryl and Shelden.

 Nick reading the bible verse we chose for Brylie.

 Group picture.  Thank you everyone for sharing in the celebration with us.  

 Out little family.  Brylie had enough with her adorable pink shoes at this point.

 Mommy and Brylie.

 GrandBrad giving Brylie kisses.

Family picture as we were leaving church.  

7 Months Old

My 7 month old little monkey is hiding in the box with all her toys.  Can you see her smiling face???  At 7 months she is rolling over, scooting backwards, sitting up, playing with toys, standing up with assistance and letting her adorable personality shine through.  I can tell she is eager to get moving.  

Brylie loves:
The valance that Grandma Bonnie made for her room.  She has a strange fascination and love for this valance.  When she wakes up or is getting ready to go to bed she searches for it and smiles.  If you block her she will lean until she catches a glimpse of it.  It is really cute.  We don't know if it is because they are the same characters on her crib bumpers, the colors, or just because she knows it was made with love from Grandma Bonnie.  Whatever the reason we love her curiosity and interest.

Brylie doesn't love:
Being sick :( After several days of having a cold I decided I had done all that I could do for her at home.   We were running the humidifier and putting Vick's on her chest, but she seemed to be getting worse.  I took her into the Doctor's and her cold had gone into her chest, so he suggested putting her on antibiotics. She still kept her happy disposition during her sickness.  It may have been more difficult for Mommy to watch her little baby sick than it was for Brylie.

Tender moments:
Watching Brylie sleep peacefully in her crib is something that warms my heart.  I have started letting her use a blanket to comfort her during bedtime.  She brings the soft blanket up to her face and is asleep within minutes.  After she is asleep I will come back into her room and move the blanket and watch as she lays arms spread across in slumber.  It is the cutest thing ever.

Brylie's 1st Time in Our Pool

The weather the last few days has been so wonderful.  It is sunny and warm, yet there is still some snow capped mountains in the distance.  It really makes me appreciate living in Southern California.  Today we decided to take full advantage of the great weather and take Brylie for her first swim in our pool.  She loved it!! We can tell that this pool is going to get a lot of use in the future.  I am really looking forward to more pool time with our little family.

 First time getting her little feet wet in the pool.

 Brylie learning how to swim with Daddy.

I love my family!

 All bundled up with Daddy after her swim.

 Mommy and Brylie with our sunglasses on.

I love this little monkey :)