Amazing - Happy Birthday Eric!

So, today I was talking to Discover Card on the phone to settle a little problem I was having and low and behold.... Brynnlee just starts walking across the darn kitchen! She was smiling at me and laughing and made it from the kitchen table to in front of the oven - at least ten steps - and then fell on her tush laughing. It was crazy. Worried she wouldn't do it again for Eric today, I was telling him all about it when he got home. We were all in the kitchen when he started to walk down the hall to go to our room and change out of his flightsuit. Brynnlee started fussing b/c she hates for him to leave her side right after he gets home.... and then she stood up and started walking towards him! I swear that watching her walk makes me feel like someone watching a person who has been in a wheelchair for years. I don't quite know how to explain it. When she walked towards Eric tonight it made me cry. There was just something about the moment and how she just wanted to get to him and show him what a big girl she has became - it caught me a little off guard! Of course, after a few steps she realized it was taking way too long and slammed down on the ground to crawl at lightening speed towards him.... too funny. Quite frankly, I am overwhelmed that just a month ago she was not crawling and NOW she can do both, crawl and walk.... kinda. : ) haha I was sure this would break my heart, but I am just so darn proud of her! Good girl...... she made it a happy birthday for her daddy!!!

xoxo, Jennie

Brynnlee's new room

I am finally uploading pics of Brynnlee's new room. We also just finished painting her new 'craft' table. (who are we kidding... this kid does not do crafts.... YET!) Anyway, here are some pictures of her new suite.... we upgraded her to the old guest room b/c it is bigger and has more room for play and her STUFF. GAH! We painted two walls, one green and one pink. I sewed the curtains from a neat fabric from Kerri's store that is called Modern Midwest... or something like that. We paired it with a green fabric and pink with white dots. All in all, everything turned out great, especially considering my limited sewing abilities. She finally gets to use the neat green dresser I bought at a store in Encinitas last year.... since she can no longer be changed anywhere but on the ground b/c she is part Flounder. It has more room for clothes anyway, so it all works out! She is just my greatest joy and I love working on projects for her... whether or not she has any idea what we are doing.

The new table is actually an old one Eric's P'cola roomie left behind when he moved out. We painted it and I used some fabric from the curtains on top with contact paper over it. Instantly washable, eh? :) The last pic is of Brynnlee "helping" me move the table from the kitchen to the bedroom. : ) SUCH A BIG HELP...haha : )

Love to all.

xoxo, Jennie

ps

report on walking.... just one step at a time and just twice since Sunday! Thank GOODNESS! I am NOT ready!!!! xoxo

random pictures from last weekend

Here are some pictures I didn't get on here from last weekend. The first two are from the Family Day - we just took a walk out on the pier in the lake and they made us wear life jackets - B was not so keen on her's! The last one is the one I have been talking about with B sleeping in the car with her new baby from the prize box. Love to all. Enjoy!

First Earthquake!

So, today Brynnlee and I took a little drive North to a mall in Mission Viejo to get Eric's birthday present. I learned two things - don't wait until the last minute to do birthday shopping and apparently I am supposed to have a signed permission slip from Eric before I take Brynnlee anywhere! : )

We had only been at the mall about 30 minutes when we stepped off the elevator and into a store. All of the sudden there was some loud banging and it almost seemed like there was another big thud that rattled the building. I looked around with one hand on the stroller - and realized that some CA natives apparently knew a lot better what was going on - but were not any cooler about handling it than I was! As I stood there trying to figure out what was going on the building started rocking, almost in a wave like fashion, and women started running out into the middle of the mall - one shouting EARTHQUAKE. Brynnlee was impressed with all the excitement but seemed no worse for wear when everything calmed down! We finished up our errands grabbed some lunch and are now safely back home. I am pretty sure Brynnlee has no idea she has now been in the midst of wild fires AND an earthquake all in her first year! What a tough girl! haha Not like her mommy with "overreact" as a middle name!



I am including this link http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/shake/STORE/X14383980/ciim_display.html to a website with neat info about the earthquake - showing it's epicenter, etc. We were in Mission Viejo which was rated a IV on intensity - it says that is not very intense, but let us just agree - it was intense ENOUGH. :) Camp Pendleton was rated a III - another indicator we should have stayed home! Eric says he felt it - as did people as far South as San Diego and East to Las Vegas. All in all - neat, but something I could have lived without! : )



Brynnlee is now napping and I am going to get started on dinner. It is just unfortunate this does not qualify as a good reason not to cook.... : )

Love to all,

Jennie xoxo

ps

Almost as exciting, and big news to us - Brynnlee took her first step on Sunday. We have yet to see any others, but are certainly keeping 'one eye on the baby' at all times! : )

Family Day for HMLA/T-303

I am dying to share these pictures with you from Saturday. Brynnlee had such an exciting day down at Lake O'Neill (about 1 mile from our house for those of you that have not visited Camp P) with all the families from 303 that she pooped out and fell asleep on the 3 minute ride home. :) It is the first time she has ever slept through the transit of carseat to crib. Usually she wakes up and is too excited to see Abe to go back to sleep.

We arrived at the lake around 11am, dropped off the cake we baked for the cake walk and took a look around. There were pony rides, a petting zoo, balloon animals, a barbecue, face painting, clowns, paddle boats... you name it, it was there! The beautiful thing is it was FREE! : ) A church from just south of LA provided everything which was so thoughtful. I cannot begin to explain how awesome it was to go through the food line - Eric holding B and me with our food --- and a sweet woman at the end carried our drinks for us to a picnic table. Talk about FIVE STAR BARBECUE! It was so helpful for all the fams with babies and kids! I like food too much not to share the menu of chicken, burgers and hotdogs -- all delicious -- I know b/c I tasted it all! : ) Brynnlee nibbled a bit of everything and shared my macaroni salad. She is really good about trying new things - and if she doesn't like them they just end up on the front of her shirt. :)

Anyway, the excitement started when Daddy took her over to the water guns - she picked a huge one up all by herself. Then we hopped in a little fenced in 'petting zoo' where Brynnlee pet a bunny, a duck and chicken. Trust me, we sanitized the heck out of her after that.... yuck! The duck pecked her hand a little and she didnt even react - it was funny. After that we got in line to have her ride a pony. She was VERY unsure to start off but by the end was beaming from ear to ear, even when I thought she was going to get whiplash from the insane pace the horse care-taker was moving (that I had a hard time keeping up with in my sun dress and sandals!) She just smiled and laughed. She is a GOOD KID! : )

It was all so exciting - right up to the end. The Commanding Officer's wife encouraged us to let her pick a 'prize' out of a bin. In my mind I was thinking it wasn't going to go over so well with Brynnlee... until we leaned over the bin and there was a BABY DOLL! : ) Brynnlee started grunting (so lady-like!) and as soon as I put the doll in her reach she grabbed it, squeezed it and started kissing it. She got a pretty great reaction from the small group of people nearby -- and as you will see in the last picture I am including -- didn't let that baby go for quite some time!

Thanks for sharing in our excitement. Hope everyone had a great weekend. Eric is off work today and we are tying up some loose ends around the house... including painting an art table for Brynnlee to use so she won't wreck the new living room furniture. I will check back in later!

xoxo, Jennie

Surprise, SEA WORLD!

Last weekend was uber busy with moving Brynnlee into a new, bigger room (she has a STUFF problem like her mommy - TOO MUCH STUFF!) so we didn't do much fun stuff! Eric found out he would have a four day weekend starting yesterday and planned a little surprise for his girls! We packed up Brynnlee's necessities yesterday morning and hopped in the car headed SOUTH. I kept trying to guess WHERE we were going.... Mexico? NO....the Zoo? NO.... Old Town? NO....the mall? :) NO!!!!.....then we drove by the sign for the exit for Sea World and headed off to the right lane... SEA WORLD? YES!!!! :) I was so excited and sweet Brynnlee... she is just high on life, so she was excited too! We parked, unloaded the stroller and headed in. Brynnlee was immediately pleased b/c there were so many children. If she sat up any further in her stroller she might have fallen out! We were able to get free admission b/c they let active duty military in once a year for free, so that was a great thing. Immediately we headed for the Clydesdales b/c I really wanted to show Brynnlee the BIG horses. They have always been a favorite of Nana's and have also become a favorite of mine. Brynnlee was more impressed with the children around her and hardly noticed the horses. Funny baby! We HAD to take her to see the Manatees b/c her favorite song is BARBARA MANATEE. Now, you might be asking yourself, "what song?".... so I thought this link to the actual song set to a video someone took of the manatees at Sea World might help you to understand! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7RiFXic-_M&feature=related) I did not make this video but when 'googling' the song to find a link where you could simply HEAR it I found this - even better! The internet is an amazing thing - you can hear the song and SEE the manatees we saw! How wonderful!


Anyway, she loved them! We sang the song while she watched them swimming and it was quite a neat experience!


After the manatees we headed over to see sea lions and then Shamu. The Shamu show was pretty amazing. Brynnlee seemed to become so concerned with WHERE the whales were coming from that she missed most of the 'tricks' --- she kept staring at the opening they swam through to get into the show tank. The few times she watched Shamu jump she would get distracted by a bird passing over or children yelling and clapping and she would look away. It made us laugh pretty hard that here is a 10,000 lb whale jumping clear out of the water and our baby was more interested in birds and kids.... which we have in our own neighborhood! :) It was emotionally overwhelming every time I thought about being there over twenty years ago with my own parents and Charlie and how I never would have thought I'd be there someday with my own little girl. Let's just say... I cried when I was 7 and I cried harder when I was 29. When I was 7 I remember my parents asking me WHY I was crying... was I afraid or sad? I am pretty sure it is just the overwhelmingness (is that a word) of the entire experience. Luckily, Brynnlee did not cry - but I will tell you she got pretty good at clapping when everyone else did and when the music would climax she would throw her hands up in the air. LOVE IT! :)


Overall, the day was great. Brynnlee pooped out and Eric carried her to the car while I pushed the stroller. It felt like such a perfect family experience. It was a GOOD DAY. I am happy. :)

Included are some pictures of the day. You can see Brynnlee checking out the manatees, a walrus, some fish ("fissss" per B) and then pooped out in Daddy's arms.

Now we head out to HMLA/T-303 Family Day! Love to everyone. xoxo, Jennie

Home sweet home and 1/2

Yesterday Brynnlee got a new house! :) We had new living room furniture delivered earlier this week and a box remained that was perfect for cutting out windows and a door - she can even stand up inside! I painted it with watered down non-toxic paint and a sponge while she watched me with great confusion on her face. I taped the frayed edges b/c she is a paper eater and I wanted to make sure she did not get scratched. I added ladybug fabric curtains from scraps I had in my stash and then added her sign - 283 1/2, Brynnlee's house. Inside the walls are decorated with magazine pictures of other babies and kids. She talks to them and squeals with delight - it is quite entertaining. Here is a picture of her peaking out the window at me the first time she climbed inside. It is so much fun to do things for her b/c she at least feigns appreciation and that makes Mommy feel good. :) I also like helping her experiencing new things - so exciting! Hope you enjoy that little face as much as I do.
Have a great weekend.
xoxo, Jennie

I know this blog is about Brynnlee, but this post is just for sharing what the grown-ups do when the wee-ones go to sleep! :) Today is my birthday, but on Friday (to ensure my great surprise...b/c I cannot be surprised... such is life when you are nosey!) Eric and I were chatting around the kitchen table after he arrived home from work when there was a BANG BANG BANG on the door. When I aswered it, Chuck and Kerri came spilling in with a large bag and a cooler - all too cook us dinner! It was a joyful evening and I was touched by their kindness and generosity. Here is a picture of us enjoying dessert after Brynnlee went to sleep. Chuck whipped up a fabulous strawberry mouse to put on top of a shortcake. It was tasty. Thank you sweet Chuck and Kerri!

xoxo, Jennie

ps

The reason I found this event especially touching (and it chokes me up a bit to explain!) is that Chuck and Kerri don't have any kids but completely respect and understand how hard it is to 'go out' with a baby - and that it is easier and more enjoyable for this mommy to spend the night 'in' with good friends. God bless them! xoxo

On Friday Brynnlee and I had the pleasure of visiting with Mrs. Barbara Sewall in Coronado, CA. I am including a picture from our adventure for you to see! (Charlie, I hope this reminds you of what Brynnlee looks like... I understand your concern that if I do not learn how to upload the photos correctly you will forget... I'm on it, brother!..... BROTHER!!!) I called Mrs. Sewall on Thursday when I found out we would be driving Ryan W. to the airport. She was sweet to make time for us on such short notice! We arrived at her beautiful home after 11am and enjoyed a wonderful lunch, good company and the beautiful view. Mrs. Sewall told Brynnlee to makes sure she brings her swimsuit next time! I look forward to another visit soon - and hope Eric can accompany us! :)

I am trying to catch up with the weekend b/c we were sans internet part of the time, so I will post more about our weekend next! xoxo, Jennie

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you....

A lot of you get irregular emails about what is going on, pictures, etc. I am really hoping that this blog will make it possible for me to post stuff here and stop pestering everyone with emails for a couple of reasons.
1) Charlie says I am breaking the internet
2) as B gets more mobile I have less time for typing - and she likes to log out of my email by slamming on the keyboard while I type... it is amazing how she can log out of our bank accounts, email or any shopping website with the slam of her pudgy hand!
3) I would like to have this as something funny for B to look back on - a journal of sorts that she can giggle about in the future
4) I never know who to send the emails to - so this way anyone that desires info or pictures can log on and check out what is going on in the life of B! :)

Now for that update....

On Friday we visited the Wild Animal Park with Aunt Jill, Megan, Brittany (Eric's cousins) and Skyler. Eric had to work, but Brynnlee had a blast with our all girls outting and soaked up more attention than a child needs for a week. Keep your fingers crossed that I can upload the pictures... remember, I am learning. (thanks Megan for sharing your pictures!) We brought Skyler back to the house with us, which Brynnlee LOVED and had her with us until Sunday when we drove back to Jill and Jon's and enjoyed a great barbecue with the fam.

B had her 9mo check - but at nearly 10 mos - yesterday. She was 25 lbs even, 28.5 inches and has a melon for a head. :) Just how we like her! Though her weight cannot be charted on the infant chart - still - the rest of her is between the 75th and 90th percentiles. She yelled - a lot - at the doctor for making her put down her doll. I think she felt patronized - or at least that is what she told me in private. They treated her like a baby and she feels like at least a 3 year old... so she was irritated. :)

She was relieved to get home and play with her new (old - circa 1980) Fisher Price playhouse and taunt Abe with the little people. It infuriates her that she only has two hands - so once they are full she picks up the furniture with her feet. I find it quite entertaining and laugh. She, again, feels patronized, but has a short memory so gets over it quickly. :)

Now it is Wednesday - and we are progressing in leaps and bounds in the food department. I am impressed with her willingness to try new things - though last night yogurt made it onto the ceiling. I saved it to show Eric just for kicks - not to mention the fact that I could not reach it to clean it off. :)

Every day she is more mobile. She grabs both my hands, pulls up and wants to RUN after Abe - but only holding on to me. I am sure the little bugger is going to walk some day when I am not looking. Frightening. She crawls now - and with such fervor that it makes me laugh to see her push her chubby body across the floor with one knee bent and one leg straight. Then she stands, realizes she can't go anywhere unless I am holding her hands, gets back on all fours and keeps moving. Quite the sight!

Well, nap time is nearly over and I must attempt to upload these pictures. Have a great evening and check back with us soon!
xoxo, Jennie

I should call this adventures in blogging.... jeepers

So, today I am trying to get this all up and running. Brynnlee has also chosen today to have total meltdown over a few new teeth. Sweet baby. I want to be able to share her with so many of our family, friends, and loved ones b/c she is just TOO good to keep to ourselves! I might not always let you hold her or glom on her or whatever but I will be happy to TELL you how cute she is, right? I know that is what 1/2 of the fam is thinking.... :) Seriously though, I am trying to get better about physically sharing her now that her surgery is over and Eric is home more.... honestly before when he was gone all the time I think I was just SOOO uber-used to being her sole caregiver that I was a little weird about her, you know?
Anyway, I think someone just replied to one of my questions about how to do this - so HERE WE GO! 3-2-1 as I tell Brynnlee....
xoxo, Jennie