Brenna - One-Year

Brenna’s one-year check-up went very well! Developmentally, she is right on track with her age group, physically she is doing well also! She got two shots and this was the hardest time to calm her down from them.  She just kept looking at the nurse and screaming until she left the room.  Hope she didn't take it personally!

Her stats were:


Weight: 21 lbs. 3 oz. = 51st Percentile
Height: 28 3/4 inches = 36th Percentile
Head: 18 inches = 68th Percentile


Now, if you go back and check this post, you will see that according to these stats, she has shrunk height wise.  My guess would be that since Brenna is a very wriggly baby, and it was the end of the day, the nurse didn't ensure a good measurement, so don't be surprised when it goes back the other way for her fifteen-month check-up!

At one year, Brenna is walking about five or six step by herself at a time, she cruises furniture like a champ, has six teeth and several more trying to push through, she has learned that when Sammie is messing with her the fastest way to get out of it is to cry for mommy or daddy, she eats table food exclusively and is slowly learning to master her sippy cup, she talks constantly and trys new sounds every day, still loves to be held, and is still (more often than not) sleeping through the night - Thank GOD!

Oh Christmas Tree!

Sammie was very excited to help me with the Christmas tree this year, and she only broke one ornament!

And then...

...and then she was here!  7 lbs. 14 oz. 21 1/4 inches long, our Brenna was here!

And we were a family of four...

It was a rough start, Sammie came down with RSV which turned into pneumonia literally the day I delivered Brenna, which then of course, Brenna caught, sending she and I back to the hospital for eight days.  Finally though, we came home to stay, with two healthy girls to be a family...

It has been exactly one year since we became a family of four, since we were blessed with our second beautiful daughter, and all I can say is thank you God for our special gift, for our wonderful girls, and of course to our sweet little Brenna Bear -

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!!

We love you sweetheart!

On this day last year...

I was packing my bags, doing laundry, cleaning the house, and hugging Sammie like crazy.  Nathan and I were getting ready to head into the hospital that night to be induced and I was running around like a mad woman getting the house "ready" for our new arrival, and Christmas. 

It was nice knowing this time, that we were heading in, when and what to expect as far as delivery goes.  I found myself much more calm about the whole thing.  I sat in Brenna's nursery in the rocker, and remembered all the hours I spent rocking Sammie in that same chair, reading to her before bed time, singing to her, and just soothing her when she wasn't feeling well, and I was thrilled to embarking on another adventure with our new baby girl.

We ate dinner as a family, then packed up the car and took Sammie over to my parents for the night before heading to the hospital.  We explained to Sammie that mommy was going to the doctor to have her baby sister.  This actually worked out great, since the day before we took her to see Santa and she told him she wanted her baby sister for Christmas!  My mom took a picture of us before we left, our last time as a family of three...

Then we headed to the hospital and the fun began!  My labor this time around was easy, and since my body apparently loves epidural, I think if they hadn't messed the initial one up, it would have gone even faster!  As it was, my labor was only 8 hours and then...

The Day After

The day after Thanksgiving this year we were all very tired.  So we spent some time relaxing and napping...

There was some decorating...although probably not the kind you would think...

And of course, we all ate some leftovers...yes, in our pajamas!

It was the first year that I didn't get up and immediately go crazy Christmas decorating, but we had a wonderful day with the girls, and we just may have started a new tradition...we'll have to see!

Mamma's Visit

Mamma (Nathan's mom) came in for a visit for Thanksgiving for the first time since she'd officially moved to her new home.  So for this holiday weekend, we had a visitor for a couple of nights - Mamma!  The girls had a blast hanging out with her for two days strraight and Nathan and I thoroughly enjoyed the visit.  She was also an enormous help to me preparing Thanksgiving dinner (somehow I always convince myself its going to be easy...)

The holiday was wonderful, the visit great, and we look forward to many, many more to share together!

The Hats

It never ceases to amaze me that not only does Sammie come up with ideas like this, but all the adults in her life choose to go along with it AND let me photograph them...Doesn't Nathan look happy!??

Nathan's Aunt Joanie wins the award for best posture as she somehow managed to walk all around the kitchen with this on her head!

Turn about is fair play, Sammie...

Thanksgiving Day - 2009

The table was finally set and ready!

After dinner Samme recruited Grandpa for some more dancing...

And while Sammie and Grandpa danced, and Daddy took pictures, it became official, I have the best assisting clean-up crew around!  We got everything cleaned up, separated for "doggie bags" and put away in no time flat.  These ladies are awesome!  Thank you Grandma, Mamma, and Auntie Karen, I couldn't do a holiday without you!

Daddy's Birthday

For Daddy's birthday this year, the girls and I made him a cake, and we all went to dinner at one of his favorite restaraunts and then back home for some more fun.  Both the girls wanted to help with the cake, Sammie actually got to!

I know this is going to amaze everyone, but yes, I even let her hold the mixer without my hand on it for a few seconds, she was SO proud of herself...

Proof that it was still running...

And of course, she got to lick the bowl...

After we got home from dinner, Brenna snagged some Auntie Karen cuddles...

The girls did some dancing...

And the girls helped Daddy blow out his candles!

My Favorite CAR

Sammie has this little Barbie car that we got as a hand-me-down from my cousin Christi’s daughter. It is small, purple, and plays music. Sammie likes to bend over and push it around the house as fast as she can. Between the music this thing emits and the wheels rattling causes she’s moving it so fast, it annoys the heck out of me!


This morning I was in Brenna’s room getting her dressed and I hear Sammie out in the hallway with this thing, so I say to Brenna “oh boy, sounds like Mommy’s favorite car is coming our way…”

Then Sammie comes running in the room (with the car) and says “That’s right Mommy! It’s me, Sammie Carr!!!”

Kisses

It has happened, my baby girl has learned how to give a kiss!! I have been working with her on it for a while, and it is hit or miss, but this morning she gave me my very first kiss goodbye when I dropped her off. So sweet! Everytime I get sad about how quickly time is moving, and how fast these amazing girls of ours are growing, they do something else to show me that with the passing of the baby phase, and for Sammie, the toddler phase, always opens a new phase full of incredible new things, kisses, hugs, whole sentences involving telling you how much they love you, cuddle requests, etc… I have yet to find an age that doesn’t amaze me and that I don’t love, so bring on the new stuff girls, I can take it!

Grace

Funny the lessons that you can learn from a three-year-old...

The table was set, all the food was ready, and we all sat down for dinner and were waiting on Nathan.  While we sat there laughing and talking, Sammie turned to me and whispered "Mommy?  Why isn't anybody putting food on their plates?"

I told her we were waiting to say Grace.

She looked around for a second and then turned back to me and very simply and sweetly said "Grace."

We joined hands and Nathan said our official Grace and we started our feast.  About halfway through the dinner, Sammie stopped and wanted us to all hold hands again, she seemed to really enjoy this ritual.

I'm not sure, but I think we might need to do a little more prayer at our dinner table...

My 100th Post!

It’s official, this is my 100th post! Compared to some, this is peanuts, but for me, I consider this a nice accomplishment. Like many moms, (and parents in general) sometimes the things that I enjoy doing have to get pushed to the back burner for more urgent and pressing things; laundry, cleaning, cooking, errands, desperately searching for the teddy bear that Sammie has decided she cannot go to bed without.

Sometimes when I have a spare moment that can be spent doing one of my mommy activities (working out, blogging, scrapbooking, etc…) I instead decide that sitting down and watching a show or just going to bed at a reasonable hour is more important at that particular moment.

That all said, I started this blog with the intention of doing it as often as I could, and since this is my 100th post, I would consider myself a success at keeping with that goal. I have had dry spells with a few months that held very little pots, but I do what I can, when I can, and hopefully those people that check on it are enjoying what I am able to do!

What I'm Thankful For

Thanksgiving is a time for family, great food, and most of all for being thankful for everything in our lives. This year, I find myself thinking a lot about how much I have to be thankful for. In no order whatsoever…

I’m thankful for my job, the fact that is it now something I am excited about, and the opportunities that lie ahead. Most of all, I’m thankful to have one in a time when so many do not.

I’m thankful for our home. It is our home, it is ours, it is where we brought our daughters home from the hospital to, where they each took their first steps, said their first word, had their first laugh, etc… It is filled with wonderful memories for me of Nathan and the girls, as well as extended family and friends who have spent time there with us. And it just so happens to be the first place for Nathan and I that was truly ours.

I’m thankful for my memories. I’m thankful for the memories I have of loved ones who have passed on, thankful to laugh and smile and share them with others, thankful for the others that listen, especially when I know they’ve heard the story before. These loved ones live on in my heart and in my memories, and the people that are kind enough to listen to the stories, especially more than once, give extra immortality to them for me, and I love you for it.

I’m thankful for my girlfriends. I am so incredibly blessed with an amazing group of women that are my friends. We all have many common interests, and many not so common interests, we each handle stress and everyday life in a different way. But it is our differences that makes our friendships great. In a time of need, a time to laugh, a time to be ticked off, we each bring something different to the table, to make the other laugh, offer a shoulder to cry on, get mad right along with you, or just plain old say “I don’t know what to say about that!” No matter what though, they are there and I am very thankful for it.

Outside of these great ladies, there’s also some pretty great men and children that they are attached to. These guys and kids are also a huge part of our lives and our girls’ lives. We see them on a regular basis, celebrate birthdays, accomplishments, milestones; it is like have a big extended family and I love it.

I’m thankful for our families. Our parents, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc… that are a part of our lives. Nathan and I each have amazing sisters, who have always been there for us, and have been the best aunts we could ever ask for to our girls. Our parents, who all get great joy of watching us both stumble through the trials and tribulations of parenthood (in good nature of course!), have always been supportive, understanding, a wealth of knowledge, and known just what to say or do when we needed them. They know every memory, every dream, every wish, and our girls are so lucky to have them for grandparents. We love you guys!

I’m thankful for my daughters. Each and every day they amaze me, inspire me, love me, and make me a better person. Things changed when I become a mom, I learned to take less for granted, learned that there are more important things in life than everyday petty issues I used to get absorbed in, and that the most important thing is my family. I have so much fun with my girls, every day I feel like they learn something new, and that I get to learn something new right along with them. Every day when I am exhausted after work and feel like just going home and sleeping for a week, I get to the girls’ daycares and see their little faces light up, hear Sammie yell “Mommy!” and come running or Brenna squeal and come crawling over to me, and I’m completely refreshed! I love being a mom, I’ve said it since I had Sammie and I’ll say it until the day I die; I can’t imagine anything better in the whole world.

And last, but certainly not least, I’m thankful for my husband. He knows me so well, and loves me anyway! He is my support, my faith, my reason, my calmness, my everything. People on the outside looking in sometimes think that Nathan has it easy, that I do so much... Truth is, Nathan helps and not just in chores, taking care of the kids, etc…he helps me be a better me. When I want to get angry, give up, not keep moving forward; when I want to just call it a day, he picks me up, shakes me off, and puts me back on my feet and ready to go. The most amazing thing? Sometimes I don’t even think he knows he does it. The truth is, I couldn’t do anything I do without Nathan, his support, his love; that’s what makes it easy for me to do the things I do, I am always thankful for that.

Thanksgiving 2009 - Carr Family

We celebrated Thanksgiving early with Nathan's dad's side of the family this year and headed to Grandpa's church and then for a FANTASTIC meal back at his and Weta's house afterwards with Aunt Dee, Uncle Howard, Auntie Jessie, and Uncle Nick. Every year, Nathan and Nick's birthdays fall on or around Thanksgiving, so we typically celebrate them together, and at our holiday grathering.

This year, Sammie (courtesy of Weta) got to decorated their birthday cake! As always, Weta came up with something super cool for Sammie to use, these icing pens that you just dip in water to activate, wow! What will they think of next!?!? The food was incredible, the company wonderful, and the girls had so much fun visiting with everyone!