Our attempt at capturing and sharing memories...

Easter 2011

2011-04-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

I know it is sad that we skipped right over Braylin's Birthday and went straight to Easter. We had big plans for her turning 2, but a nasty stomach bug was passed through our family for over a week. There is nothing quite like a 2 year old throwing up everywhere except having an 8 month old looking at you while throwing up not understanding what is happening. It was so sad! We ended up just having a little birthday dinner and cake at Mom and Dad's. Sorry Braylin, you kinda got ripped off. There's always next year...

We had a wonderful Easter Break. It was very low key and we were all healthy. Big win for us! This is the best family picture we could get. It's hard to keep 2 year old Braylin still.

As mentioned in my last post, Camden does not sleep. Joel had the brilliant idea of putting a pallet on the floor next to Braylin so they could talk and maybe she would be the comfort he needed. He slept 4 hours straight that night. (That is a successful night of sleep for Camden). The picture below is the set up. We decided to let Camden sleep there during nap time the next day too.
When he woke up, we found him crying here:

Our little roly poly managed to get all the way under the bed.

These pics are Camden making up for being such a stinker at night times. It is a good thing he is so cute.

Top Tens

2011-01-13T08:08:00.000-08:00

I would first like you to take a look at the name of this blog. It is our ATTEMPT....obviously a terrible one since Camden has been born. There is so much to catch up on, I don't even know where to begin.

I have started and stopped this blog so many times, so I finally came up with a manageable plan.

Here are the Top Ten things about each kid since the last blog:

TOP TEN CAMDEN: (These are not in any particular order)

10. Camden loves Braylin. She makes him laugh all the time even when Mama is afraid she is hurting him. He still cries when he hears her crying. He is such a sensitive little thing.

9. Camden has 6 teeth. 4 on the top and 2 on the bottom. Camden has more hair than Braylin dreamed of at this age.

8. Camden will laugh at almost anything. He loves to smile and will at most interactions. He loves for us to sing at bedtime. He also leans over and gives kisses. It's a sweet slobbery mess.

7. Camden is 22 pounds already at just over 8 months old.

6. Camden is not very mobile, but he will figure out any way possible to get to a visible tag. He scoots, reaches and rolls. He loves to sit and watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. (Yes, I know TV is not the best for him at this age, but I have to be able to get stuff done sometimes.)

5. Camden is a little social butterfly. He cannot be further from independent. He loves to be held and at the least be within arms reach of someone. He often says "mamamamamamamamamamamam" or "dadadadadadadadadadadadadada, or "bubububububububububu" for attention. It works most of the time. It's pretty cute!

4. Camden does not sleep. Neither does Mama. We have worked tirelessly trying new systems and methods. Braylin was never this stubborn. Suggestions anyone?? (Of course Poppy can get him to sleep with little to no effort....As mom would say, "that goes in the life's not fair column")

3. The good thing about Camden's sociableness is that he will let anyone hold him. Most of the time he acts better for others than for me. I tell Joel that I can see hamburgers in his eyes when he looks at me. Every time he looks at me he wants to eat. (This is the reason he is already 22 pounds)

2. Camden loves the challenge of peas. I throw some on a highchair and he will sit for a long period of time trying to eat them.

1. Camden's favorite time of day is taking a bath with Braylin. He does not mind the splashing, and he loves to scoot around and chew on the toys.

TOP TEN BRAYLIN

10. Braylin loved Christmas this year. It was so fun to see her go from toy to toy genuinely excited about each. She loved having aunts and uncles to play with too.

9. Braylin had surgery January 31st. For those of you in Texas, yes, it was during the crazy ice and snow that shut everything down for a week. She did very well. The doctor told us that she is a dramatic child, but she really did well at the hospital. Recovery was longer than we would have liked. She had to be put on several meds to stop the pain and bladder spasms, but all in all, it was a fairly easy process. GOD IS GOOD!

8. Braylin is not yet 2 and can work an iphone better than most adults. She will turn on music while she looks through pictures, plays her favorite games (yes, she knows which apps to push and will occasionally text or Facebook message people.) Sorry to those of you who have gotten jumbled messages.

7. Braylin is catching on and learning the songs we sing everyday. The sweetest thing is to hear her sing the "Special Song". We will be riding in the car and she will start singing, "Daddy, daddy daddy dear"-- It melts my heart every single time!

6. Braylin loves babies. She loves her Bubba most of all, she loves baby dolls and she loves seeing babies in public. She may offend everyone around though, because she can't get the word "baby" down. Every time she sees a baby she says, "A puppy, Mama" I love that Braylin loves her Bubba and will call him nothing else. She can say "Cam" and she can say "den". When I say, "Braylin, say Camden" she smiles and says "Bubba"!

5. She can be quite bossy, She will tell everyone where to sit so she can play exactly how she wants to. She often has me sit on the floor next to Bubba while she "fixes" my hair. This consists of painfully brushing through my hair then finishes it off with some lotion. The finished product is as beautiful as it sounds.

4. Braylin loves her Bible and loves reading it before bed every night. She is often too distracted by looking through her Bible to sing the songs. That's a pretty good problem to have, I think.

3. Everyone who meets Braylin and spends any time with her, comes up with the same adjective to describe her..."busy". (Maybe this is why it has taken me so long to blog.)

2. Braylin has the same routine every morning. When I wake her up and change her diaper, she sings "sots and shoes, sots and shoes", as soon as I get her socks and shoes on, she asks for a bow. Once the bow is in, she asks for a "powse". Once she has a purse, she says "bye" and blows a kiss to go out the door. (This is our version of "If you give a mouse a cookie". With us it's "if you give Braylin socks..."She LOVES going places. Even if it is just to the driveway.

1. Braylin is at such a fun stage. She is learning so many words every day. She repeats what I say. She wants to help and will generally do what I ask of her. She loves to "peep" (sweep), bring things to Bubba, wash her hands, go "side" (outside), "pway" (play) and watch "Bora" (Dora, but mainly because she loves Boots). Visiting "Nanny" and "Poppy" is a favorite, even though we constantly correct her to say "Nanna". Okay, I am getting out of hand as clearly this is more than 1 point. Braylin turns 2 in 5 days, so maybe I will blog more then... No promises.....

Our sweet snuggle bugs!
This is Braylin prepping for Surgery. She had no idea what was coming!

Update

2010-12-16T08:40:00.000-08:00

Well, Camden is following in his sister's footsteps. He has 2 teeth at 4 months! I know it may be a weird thing to say that he loves his teeth, but he really does. He will spit out his paci and suck on his teeth. It's pretty precious. We are going to the Dr. next week, but I think he is pretty close to passing Braylin up in weight. He is so stinkin heavy!

Braylin has been battling UTI's again. We were at the ER last night because she had a fever of 104.4 *ugh. My poor baby girl! The good news however, is that we FINALLY have a surgery date. January 31st she will have surgery at Cook's. We are so ready to get this over with and to hopefully be done with UTI's.

Christmas is almost here, and we couldn't be more excited. We are actually getting to have time to celebrate this year. Braylin is ready too. She points at the presents under the tree and says "peas?". We are looking forward to having some down time with family.

I have not done a very good job documenting all the words she says, but a few that she says the most are "puppy" "kiki"(kitty kitty) "foe"(phone) "es hot" (it's hot) and "Bubba e Bubba" (she says "e" for "its")

It's so sweet that Braylin loves Camden so much! They are both pretty sensitive when it comes to the other one crying. Which often ends up with everyone crying.

Here are a couple of pictures from last week.

My big ole babies having a Merry Thanksmas!

2010-11-30T08:58:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning with a strange sadness about how big my babies are. Camden is 4 months old today. 4 months...somehow I feel like I have missed out on his newborn stage. (this could be that it only took him 3 weeks to far surpass his age range in clothes, but still....I'm so sad that it's already gone.) I still have baby weight hanging around to remind me, but that's not quite the reminder I am looking for. Anyway, besides Camden, I was watching a video of Braylin from 2 months ago, and it is AMAZING how much she has grown. She is understanding more, mimicking more (which is scary sometimes) and saying more words and ideas every single day. It is fun and exciting but also makes me a little weary thinking of the unknown struggles I will soon be facing.

We are running full force into the holidays. We had to combine holidays and have them both early to have almost everyone (we missed you Jacob) together for the Kindberg family gathering. It was properly named "Thanksmas" and was worth every second of time together. Josh and Jessica were wonderful hosts, Granny and Pop Pop did way too much with gifts (THANKS again) and we enjoyed seeing Aunt Sarah and meeting Justin (Sarah's boyfriend).

We spent the rest of the week at Nanna and Poppy's house. We hung out sorta decorated for Christmas, went to the light parade and watched the Thanksgiving Day parade and dog show over and over.

Just for comparison sake, here is Braylin at 4 months eating rice cereal for the first time.

Here is Camden at 4 months eating rice cereal for the first time. Like Braylin, he was a huge fan! It's okay to laugh...the comparison is hysterical!
Braylin and Daddy are watching the light parade.

Braylin "helping" decorate the Christmas tree.
And here are some "Thanksmas" Pics
Aunt Sarah is amazing and gave Braylin her first haircut! We LOVE it!
Camden snuggling with Sarah
Uncle Tim came over and hung out for a night too! Cam seemed to enjoy spending time him :)
Granny had the magic touch with Camden. She could put him to sleep when no one else could!

Braylin loved playing at the park She still loves to swing and had a blast playing with the "bawl" (her precious little accent) and she liked sliding with aunt Jessica.

One socked Camden chillin with Uncle Josh

Check-ups!

2010-10-27T15:55:00.001-07:00

Today both Camden and Braylin had checkups. While Braylin was a CHAMP with her shot, Camden struggled (and is still sensitive) with his 3 shots. Poor little guy...

Camden is almost 3 months

Mr Chubkins weighed in at a whopping 17lbs and was 26 inches long (The nurse measured twice thinking she had to have been wrong)

Braylin is 18 months
Little Miss Cowgirl weighed in at 25lbs and was 33 inches tall.

Just pics

2010-10-14T10:01:00.001-07:00

This is a long time coming, and these pics are way out of order, but it's better than nothing!

Bray at Jill and Kevin's pool
The sweetest big sister. (She can be quite aggressive when it comes to loving on her bubba. "Bubba" is her new favorite word!)
Our bathtub escapee
Camden and poppy
Camden and Pop Pop
Braylin and Granny
Camden and Great Grandma Kindberg
T I N Y Camden and Daddy
Braylin and Daddy matching
Good times with the Grubbs!
Snuggle time with Daddy!
BIG Girl!
Granny and Camden
Aunt Traci with Bray and a little bit of Paisley.
Uncle Jake and Braylin at the hospital.
COUSIN DUSTY!!

In Austin with Cousin Dusty.
The Sweetest Babies in the world!

Humpty Dumpty at 2 months!

This is a splash of the last 10 weeks. Hope you enjoyed!

I know, I know. It's about time!

2010-09-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

These past 2 months have been exciting, stressful, long, adventurous, busy, and wonderful. We closed Zida July 27th. We decided to have Camden induced on July 30th. Fortunately, mom and Jacob were there to help us. I want to focus this blog on sweet Camden boy, but there are lots of details to share as well.

Camden Lee was born July 30th at 12:19pm. He was 8 lbs 1 oz and 20 1/2" long. He made quite the dramatic entrance into this world. The umbilical cord was wrapped around his little neck and the Dr. could not unwrap it. He was delivered very quickly and the NICU team was called because he was not responding. They immediately grabbed him and called for Joel to follow them. In the NICU they were working hard to get him to breath. There was not a more precious and glorious sound in the world other than his sweet little cry. After a few minutes he was okay.

Nanna and Jacob brought Braylin up to the hospital to meet our little guy. Nanna and Jake immediately loved him. Braylin...not so much. Whoever was holding Camden, Braylin wanted all their attention. Joel and I braced ourselves for coming home to work with Braylin to adjust to him. Once we got home though, she LOVED him. She is still such a proud sister and loves to take people to him and will point and talk about him for as long as you will listen (granted, you can't understand a thing she is saying!)

A few days after birth, we found out that he had MRSA (as well as momma and Braylin) We were all put on antibiotics and everything was okay (mostly)

2 weeks after his birth we had him circumcised and the next day got in the car to move to Texas. (During those 2 weeks, we had a garage sale, finished up at Zida and packed up or house. INSANITY!!! We are so grateful to all our family and friends who helped. We literally could not have managed without you)

Camden at the Dr. Office

Our Texas trip took 7 days and as crazy as it sounds, it was a wonderful adventure for our little family. (Realize I am writing this many weeks after the fact. I am thankful that I can look back on it as a good time!)

We got to Texas via LA to visit Jill and Kevin and Arkansas to visit Joel's family. (Yes, I realize this was not the quickest way! Many people like to point that out.)

Bray in the car watching movies

At a hotel
Lunch break one day

The day after we got to Texas, Joel and I interviewed to be house parents at Happy Hill Farm Academy. The next day we got the job and have been working and trying to settle in since. (We are really enjoying the job and the 5 teenage girls that have been entrusted into our care. They are great with the kids and have really opened up to us even in this short time.)

The week we got here, we really became concerned with Camden's circumcision, and turns out, we had good reason. He had surgery yesterday to fix it. Thankfully, he did really well and will hopefully will heal quickly and correctly.

Braylin has also seen a dr here as she is still dealing with UTI's. We are looking forward to seeing a specialist and getting her fixed up as well.

As you can tell, this has been an intensely chaotic time, but we can see and feel how God had and continues to have His hands around us and guides us through each day. We are blessed beyond belief.

Minor side note, Joel started seminary a couple of weeks ago as well, and is loving it. It is awesome to see God moving in our lives and for the opportunities we have been given.

As far as Camden goes, he is a sweet baby boy. He LOVES being held and snuggled. He will literally sleep all day if someone would snuggle him (there are plenty of volunteers, don't worry!) He has grown so much already. He is a BIG boy. We have nicknamed him Chubba Bubba. At his 1 month appointment he was 12 lbs 7 oz and at his procedure yesterday (6 weeks) he is 14 lbs 10 oz. This boy obviously loves to eat and rarely skips a meal. He makes the sweetest sounds and is even okay with his sister patting his head, or belly, or pulling at his toes, etc. I think these 2 will be very close!

I know Cam does not look happy in this pic, but it was taken at 1 month old and I wanted to show that he officially lives on a farm by wearing overalls!

Precious Boy!

Recovering from the surgery in just a t-shirt.

I have tons more pics I want to share, but I have to get them from Joel's phone. I wanted to go ahead and post this, and I will have a follow up blog with pictures. Sorry it took so long, but thanks for the much needed grace in getting this up!

Change is here!

2010-07-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

No, Camden is not here yet, but this is a crazy time for us. For those of you who don't know, we are in the final stages of liquidating our store. Yes, an insane task right before having another child. Our goal is to be done by the end of July, so we can focus on Camden's arrival at the beginning of August. Once he is born and gets cleared, we are moving back to Texas. Joel is starting Seminary in Dallas on September 7th. We are still trying to work out the other details of our lives, and would appreciate prayers for those to be worked out. It will be such a blessing being close to family!

An update on Braylin:

Our sweet little girl has been battling UTI's for about 2 months (that we have known, at least). After going to several Dr's and having several less than pleasant tests run, we found out that she has reflux. She is having to take daily antibiotics to clear up and prevent more infection for about a month. Once we are in TX, we will be seeing a specialist about having a procedure done to hopefully correct the problem. If it doesn't work, we will be looking at a more invasive surgery.

We know that God is sovereign and has a plan for us and can more than take care of Braylin. Even though things are hectic, we are looking forward to the next chapter in our lives to see what the Lord has for us.

Thank you all for your love, support, and prayers during this crazy time.

I added some random pictures from the last month.

Joel needed to use the car to take some kids to lunch, so he brought in Braylin's car seat. She loved her seat being in the living room. She just wanted to be strapped in with a couple of toys with the TV on. It felt a little abusive or neglectful, but I cant lie...I got a lot done around the house that afternoon!
We had a heat wave come through, and it was a bit miserable without a/c. It drained everyone of energy. Braylin NEVER falls asleep in our laps, but she was obviously worn out.

We have great friends who have helped watch Braylin so Joel and I can both be up at the store getting things done. This is her very favorite friend, Enoch. She lights up even when she just sees a picture of him.

graham crackers and bible stories...life is goood!

2010-07-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

Things have been so crazy around here. Braylin and I got to stay home and have our normal routine yesterday. It was wonderful. I know I blogged yesterday, so it is a shock that I am blogging today. When I blogged, I realized how terrible I have been about taking pictures. Braylin had a couple of picture worthy moments yesterday, and I wanted to share.

Braylin is a little climber. She loves to climb into chairs. Yesterday all she wanted to do was sit in her rocking chair with her toddler Bible. She talked and "read" for a looooong time. It was very adorable!

Later, Braylin and I were in the living room. She walked out, but I figured I could stay seated for a few minutes before chasing after her. After a few minutes I realized it was very quiet which made me very nervous. When I turned the corner to the kitchen, this is what I found.

Our tall little girl pulled down the whole box of graham crackers and dug right on in.

She managed to take a bite out of each one in the package. The good news is, I had just mopped the floor. The bad news is, I had just mopped the floors. I am learning as a mom, nothing stays clean for long!

I love my little Munchkin and could not be more blessed by this little girl!

Catching Up

2010-07-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry people, but I don't have many pics to show. I have gotten terrible about taking them, which yes, I regret. I'll still catch you up on the things that have been going on though.

This picture was Brayin just being cute before church.

Mom and Dad came out and visited the last week in June. We had a blast! We went to the coast and it was BEAUTIFUL. (Which, if you have ever been to the Oregon coast, you know it's a rarity) We thought Braylin would love playing in the sand, but she was pretty terrified. She would do anything she could not to touch it. She ended up sitting in Poppy's lap the whole time. Mom got to go to the Baby Shower for Camden with me. We were blessed by the shower and the fact that mom was there. We are starting to feel more ready for Camden to be here. The countdown to Camden has begun...1 month! While mom and dad were here, Braylin had to have a test run at the hospital. She is having urinary tract problems. We are going to a specialist July 14th, so we will know more details then.

The shower hostesses.

4th of July was a fun family day (despite having to work). It started with Mommy and Braylin cheering dad on in the Butte to Butte (6.2 mile run). We went to church where Braylin showed off her walking skills. Work, then we grilled sausage and hamburgers while Dad did little fireworks for Braylin. Her new favorite saying is "Oh Wow". And that is all she said the whole time. She LOVED the fireworks. Paisley on the other hand....not so much. We gave her Benadryl, but that didn't really work. We were so afraid she was going to have a heart attack from all the noise. We thought we lost her at one point, but after much searching the house, found her squeezed UNDER Braylin's crib. What a protector we have...a dog that hides under the baby.

Braylin watching the fireworks.

The butte to butte runner. We are so proud of all of you!

Braylin has been walking for about a week now. At first, she walked with her hands above her head for balance, but she is getting better. Now, she keeps her hands in her armpit (looks like chicken wings). She is slowly working her way down. You can tell she is pretty proud of herself. It's crazy to see how many changes Braylin has made and how big she is getting. She is more and more of a blessing every single day, and more and more fun too!!

Sunday Fun day!

2010-06-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

We took the day off from work and went to Roseburg. We hung out with our friends Brook, Val and Charlie and went to Wildlife Safari. I can't lie, I was a bit nervous about how Braylin would handle the animals since she was terrified of the fish at the aquarium. But to our surprise and delight, she loved it! (When she noticed them. She was too busy playing with Charlie.) Braylin and Charlie were the best tour guides as they babbled back and forth. It was so sweet! After the safari, we went back to Brook and Val's and let Braylin and Charlie play. These pictures are completely out of order, but it will have to do.

Braylin loved the pretty flowers on the porch. (Due to her Mother's brown thumb, she had not experienced this before.)
Our family photo on the porch swing.
As you can see through the pics, they both loved playing with plastic spoons.
Looking out the window at their dads.

Yes, Braylin is filthy, but it was all good fun! She had just stolen the spoon from Charlie and was quite pleased about it.
Milkshakes at Sonic were buy one get one free! Braylin loves a good milkshake!
This picture was taken in honor of Mavis and Aunt Judy.
I really tried to get a picture of Braylin looking at the animals. This was the best I got. (giraffe)
Bear
It was such an adventure. Braylin loved not being in her car seat, and most of all wanted the camera. I snapped this just in time before she grabbed it. Look at those blue eyes!

It was a WONDERFUL day. Thanks Brook and Val for taking us on a Safari and letting our kids play! We love you guys!

My little Artist

2010-05-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

Update

2010-05-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

It seems like I can never be satisfied. In some aspects of life, I want things to speed up. But as I look at these pictures, my baby girl is getting too big too fast. Although, we are loving every minute of this "big girl" stage. Wait...I need to back up.

Braylin's 1 year stats (never got these posted)

Height: 32 1/2 " (99th percentile)

Weight: 20 lbs 6 oz (33rd percentile)

Head: 18 1/2 " (91st percentile)

Yes, I feed my child. I feel like she eats all the time, but the doctor still seems concerned that she isn't gaining enough. These first pictures are proof.

For Dad's birthday, we went to Portland for some shopping and eating. Braylin is loving Macaroni Grill (above) and some Pretzel (below)
We had a beautiful day several weeks (okay, over a month) ago that Joel and I decided to drop everything we were doing and take Braylin to the park. We need to remember to do this more often since time does fly and she is growing up so quickly. (I get so stuck in the stuff I just "have" to do, I sometimes forget to just enjoy the day and time with Braylin)

She L O V E S to swing. It took us a while to get her to play on anything else.

Okay, now to the "Big Girl Stage"

This week has been a big week for us. I found a snake in our storage shed (Yes, I flipped out!) but on a much better note, Braylin got to spend some time with her Daddy yesterday and she took 3 steps from the chair to his arms. We are about to have a walker on our hands. (Which I had to admit will be nice so I don't have to bend all the way to the ground to pick her up!) The picture below will help you all understand why.

Camden is a growing boy too (I can't believe I am already in my 3rd trimester...YIKES!) Just when I think life is crazy but I'm getting the hang of it, he'll be here to keep me on my toes...

Monster Blog

2010-04-15T10:16:00.001-07:00

Sunday April 11th, our Braylin girl turned 1 year old. It was a great excuse for us to go on a much needed family vacation away from reality. We loaded up after church and headed to the great city of Seattle. This blog is not going to be for the faint of heart. I decided not to narrow down the number of pictures, because I knew our families would want to be a part of everything we did for Braylin's 1 year extravaganza!

It started off with a hearty breakfast off eggs and biscuits.

She ate so much she needed a before church nap. Thank you thank you Granny and Pop Pop for my birthday shirt.
Once we got to Seattle, we went straight to cake.
Yes, we put our child in the bath tub to eat cake, but it was the easiest way to clean up the mess. I highly recommend it!
If you can't tell, she LOVED it!!
Our hotel was across the street from Lake Union and we loved walking around looking at all the yachts.
We went to a crabhouse for lunch, and they gave Braylin an ice cream Sundae for her birthday.
The next day was our day of tourism. We went to the Seattle Aquarium. Braylin is still a bit too young to understand the concept of cut out pictures.
We thought she would just love watching the fish swim around. Turns out, it scared her to death when those fish would swim in her direction. Everyone around thought it was pretty funny. She would flail her arms and cry.
She did however like to be under the fish as they swam above us at a safe distance.
Somehow the seals and sea otters were not so scary.
We then went to Pikes Place Market.
They are known for the fish throwing.
This nasty looking fish was still alive and would flop every now and then...disgusting!
We visited the original Starbucks.
We ate lunch at a restaurant (Athenian) that Sleepless in Seattle was filmed in.
It was documented!

Of course we saw the space needle.
Then we ended the trip with a Seattle Mariners Baseball game.
It was cold, but the food sure was good!

On our way home we stopped and got Braylin a new big kid seat. You can tell that she LOVES it!
We had the greatest trip. Seattle did not disappoint. I'm incredibly thankful for the gift of little Braylin and the chance to celebrate such a wonderful little life. Although we won't be able to keep up Birthday celebrations like this one, I am thankful for the opportunity to take this chance while we had it.

Sneak Peek

2010-04-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

We are in Seattle for a few days celebrating Braylin's Birthday. (It was just a good excuse for a much needed getaway.) I'll post more later, but I wanted to give everyone a sneak peek of our Birthday celebration.

Wearing a shirt from Granny and a hoodie from Uncle Josh and Aunt Jessica (made by Amanda Kilgore)
Our hotel room had a big jacuzzi tub, which was perfect for a cake mess!

Day 2 of celebration wearing a "1" t-shirt from Veronica.

Much more to come. We are having a blast!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T20:51:00.000-07:00

Last Easter (2 days old)

This Easter (11 months 3 weeks old)
Our little baby is getting so big. She loves carrying her purse!
Her first Easter egg

We wanted a family picture even though it was freezing and started to rain.
We came back inside to play, but sharing was a bit harder than it looks!

The weather didn't quite cooperate with our plans, but Braylin was still the cutest most accessorized girl at church! (Not that I am biased!)

Happy Easter everyone!

A week with Aunt Jill

2010-03-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

Joel took the youth kids on a mission trip over Spring Break. Braylin and I really missed him, but Aunt Jill came to spend the whole week with us. We had to work the store most of the time, but we still managed to have fun. Here is a recap of the week:

Working with mom and Aunt Jill is so much fun!

We went shopping several times!
Braylin would wave at people passing by or coming into the store. What a friendly welcome! (We are training her early!)
Braylin loves the pretty girl in the mirror. She stopped giving us kisses and would only kiss the mirror. (Is the word "Zida" rubbing off on her??) *Zida means vanity in chinese.
She loved crawling to the shiny jewelry and would try so hard to get it in her mouth. (She was just checking to see if they were real diamonds)

We had a mini Birthday Party

She liked mommy and Jill's dessert better than the cupcake
And she finished off with a cookie.
She rode the carousel (not the easiest thing at this age)
She loved it though.

Aunt Jill and Uncle Kevin got her new toys. The lion was so helpful because she could cruise in the store on her own.
We had such a good time. Thank you again Aunt Jill for all your help, especially at such short notice. It is such a blessing to have you in our lives.

Oh, how time flies!

2010-03-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

My sweet little angel is 11 months old. She is more and more fun every day. I have spent the past hour trying to figure out how to get the video from my camera on to this computer, and have officially thrown in the towel. Braylin is now crawling (if that's what you want to call it) It looks a bit like you would picture the hunchback of Notre Dame if he were to crawl. She stays very hunched and crawls sideways...it is quite entertaining! She is also walking along everything, and I am quickly realizing how unprepared and not child friendly our house is. She is also developing quite the personality. She had started making a face that we couldn't figure out. Then we realized she is mocking me. Apparently when I laugh, I toss my head back, close my eyes and laugh with my mouth wide open. She will look at us and throw back her head, closes her eyes tight and smiles as big as she can. (It's pretty darn cute!)

Her Baby BROTHER is growing too! I am 19 weeks along and feel like my belly doubles in size daily. We are thrilled to be having a boy and are beginning to look at and think about boy stuff. It feels like a major shift of gears. It will also be quite the challenge to create a nursery the two of them can share, but we are up for the challenge!

During the past few weeks, we got to have Joel's parents come out and stay with us as well as going on a very quick and packed trip to Texas (Sorry I didn't have a chance to see all my friends there. It was a crazy time!)

In preparation for Jack and Karla's arrival, Braylin and I weeded the flower beds. (Man, you can tell by this picture that it was much needed.) Braylin ended up eating dirt and crying that she was eating dirt. It was a continued cycle until I gave up and went back inside. It was such a pretty day though!

Granny Karla was helping her get ready for church in her pretty new outfit!

After church, Braylin got to have Mucho Gusto for the first time (and maybe the last) She had to go straight to the bath tub.
We went to visit Uncle Jay and Aunt Traci and they got her those CUTE monkey pajamas! You can tell she pretty much loves them!

And she snuggled right into Nanna to go to sleep.

The weather in Texas was PERFECT! We got to go on several walks.

This one wore her out!
This picture is for my dad and anyone who knows my dad. Mom and Dad took Braylin to the bow store. Girlfriend has 28 bows....a little over the top, you think? She may not have been born in Texas, but by golly she will look like she was!

First Valentines (and 10 month post)

2010-02-14T19:04:00.000-08:00

Well, I am late again with the 10 month post, but I now have new pictures. As for this past month, she has seemed to develop and grow by the day. She is quite the chatter box and is trying really hard to mimic everything said (even the preacher during church!) Joel has been absolutely incredible working extra long hours at the store alone and letting me stay home with Braylin. Being home has helped her development tremendously. We got a bad report card at our 9 month appointment, so we have had some ground to make up. With hard work and tears, Braylin is eating really well and gaining weight, she is scooting across the floor, going from laying to sitting and now standing. She is also giving kisses if you ask! We are so proud of the progress she has made and expect her to try walking in no time.

As for Valentine's weekend:

(Caution: Church of Christ people, don't freak out or hold this against us!)

It started by getting ready for the big Valentines dance at church.

Our adorable little Valentine!

This was the best family photo we could get out of her.
Dancing with Dad

Hanging with the girls and Logan. This is the boy that she stood up and kissed on the mouth last weekend. She got in big trouble by her daddy.
She had her first experience with Hawaiian Time. Delicious, but that rice is extremely sticky. I wish you could see the other leg, because it was covered in rice. It took forever to scrub off, but she LOVED it- the rice, not the scrubbing.

Valentines ended with new Paul Frank pajamas. Aren't they so cute! Pop Pop and Granny gave her these for Christmas, but it just now warm enough for her not to need the feet. Valentines seemed like the perfect day to pull them out.

It has been awesome month, and the next will be even better. We find out in just a few days if we are having a boy or girl. We'll let you all know!

9 Month News

2010-01-18T18:09:00.000-08:00

Our sweet girl is growing up before our eyes. Her 9 month stats are:

30 inches tall and 18 pounds.

This post is a little late, but better late than never (I'm pretty sure I have written that before.)

This is happy big Braylin before the double ear infections, pink eye, sinus infection and (yes there is an "and") impetigo. POOR THING...don't worry she has been (a little too) spoiled rotten!
Today we took the youth group and Braylin to Splash. An indoor (for lack of a better term) water park.
BRAYLIN LOVED SWIMMING WITH DADDY!!!
She would pick her feet up and let Dad swing her around in the water.
She loved to play with the "waterfall" in the baby pool.
She wasn't too sure about the big waterfall getting water in her face. (She gets that from her mama!)
Sweet Daddy and Bray. It was very humid in there, so the camera kept fogging up and making blurry pics. I still love this pic though!

This has been a wild and crazy month for us. Seems like it has been a roller coaster ride, but we are very pleased to know that Braylin is going to be a BIG sis! Baby Kindberg #2 should be arriving around August 5th. We couldn't be more excited about another baby even though we aren't exactly sure how we will be able to juggle everything. We know that God is in control and will lead us down the right path and iron out all the details for us.

Christmas in pictures

2009-12-31T18:05:00.000-08:00

Christmas with Braylin was such a blast. I could write all about it, but I think I'll just show Christmas in pictures. Enjoy!

Our sweet little sleepy head. Christmas can be exhausting!

This picture is proof she was spoiled rotten with Nanna and Poppy here. She expected to be held every moment!

In the "Nick" of time

2009-12-24T15:03:00.000-08:00

As you can imagine, things have been pretty crazy around here. Mom and Dad arrived Monday to watch Braylin while Joel and I took care of the store. We have been meaning to get Brayllin's picture taken with Santa, but just hadn't made it happen yet.

On Christmas Eve (just before Santa started packing his sleigh), Nanna and Poppy took her to see Jolly Ole Saint Nick....and she didn't even cry. She didn't really smile, but she didn't cry, so that makes it a huge success!!

Merry Christmas to all!!

In the whirlwind of retail...

2009-12-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

So, I am starting this blog with a not so proud mothering moment. My mom called today to tell Braylin "Happy 8 Month Birthday" to which my response was...."that's today?!" SAD-- Zida is overtaking my life I haven't even kept up with the date. It has been another Crazy month. Just before Thanksgiving we went to LA to stay with Jill and Kevin to do a buying trip for Zida. (The whole time we were down there I kept thinking I should take a picture of her in the fashion district shopping with us...but I never did. SORRY!) Our trip was great (except almost all of us got sick) Mom and Dad also flew in and we celebrated early thanksgiving together. Jake got to come hang out with us 2 days. It was a nice slower paced trip. Then we arrived back home to the whirlwind of retail. We survived black Friday and just have a few weeks to go with crazy ridiculous mall hours. I have promised Braylin that in January it won't be so crazy and that we will slow down and do something fun. I love Christmas, but I am looking forward to it just getting here without all the hectic days leading up to it.

Braylin has now mastered saying "mama" and "dada" (even though they are just noises and she is not directing them at us, we count it!) She sits up like a big girl, rolls over, loves to stand and have you walk with her, but no crawling yet. We went for a solid week with her sleeping through the night, but this past week she has really digressed. I hope it is just the cold and when it warms up she will be back in routine.

Braylin is asleep right now so I am just going to post the most recent pictures from the last month. I obviously need extra grace with everything that is going on....January WILL be better!

She was supposed to hold the sign for Poppy's birthday, but couldn't figure out what to do with her arms.
With Uncle Jake at Jill's house.
Braylin got have Mashed Potatoes for Thanksgiving. She dove right in!

7 Months already??

2009-11-11T17:26:00.000-08:00

How can my baby girl be 7 months old? The time is going so quickly, but Braylin and I had the talk last night that no matter how old she is, she will always be my baby girl.

Such a big girl sitting up in the chair. No, she is not crawling or rolling over much, but she can sit on her own. She loves to sit on the floor and play with her toys.
These pictures are completely out of order, but it will have to do! We went to Sunriver last weekend for a church staff retreat, and Braylin saw snow for the first time. She didn't go out in it, but she saw it!
I let her "paint" with yogurt. She didn't love it like I thought she would. She wasn't even interested in licking her fingers. It might have just been too cold.
This pic has nothing to do with Braylin, but we had some friends come visit from Minnesota, and the boys all got to go to the Duck game ...on halloween...when they worked USC. They had a blast!
Okay, so I am not the best at taking pictures. Fortunately Jess and Amanda are, so I borrowed these from Facebook. THANKS you two!
This was Braylin's halloween outfit. Jess made her the cute onesie and Amanda made the tutu. She looked so cute! (Y'all really need to start a business!)
We went to Hendrick park (which is beautiful) Braylin took this picture from her stroller. (Well, she was asleep in her stroller, but she stayed nice and still to keep the camera in focus.)

From left to right: Adam, Amanda, Me, Joel, Jess and Aaron
Playing in her jumperoo. (she loves it!)

Sweet Dad and Bray!
3 Men and a Baby. (The girls kept saying that all weekend when it was the boys turn to watch her.)
More snow (by the Willamette Pass on our way home.)
Family pic before Joel went to the game.
They are just too cute!!
On top of the butte overlooking Eugene.
So the not so happy part of the month... Braylin and I both got really sick. I ended up taking her to the dr. because she had such a high fever. We are not sure if it was the swine flu, but the dr wanted us to treat her for it just in case. She was so pitiful. She would fall asleep everywhere. It was sweet because she would fall asleep when I held her (which never happens) so it was good snuggle time. She did get better quickly, and we are so thankful for all the prayers for her.

I can't believe we are headed into month 8. It is going to be a good one. We are gearing up for the holidays. We have our tree decorated (pics to come) are headed to LA in 1 week for shopping/ early thanksgiving, and then the madness will begin. No promises on another blog anytime soon, but I will try my best to document the next month.

6 Months and Beyond

2009-10-16T11:54:00.001-07:00

Braylin turned 6 months on our Texas/Arkansas trip. Before we left she had her 6th month check-up and shots. Her stats are:

Height: 29 inches (Still the 99th percentile)

Weight: 17lbs 12oz (84th percentile)

The picture below is waiting for her shots. She was a trooper!

Uncle Jay taught Braylin how to 2-step at Texas Roadhouse.

For those of you who don't know, our family has a tradition of making vietnamese egg rolls. The whole fam was together so we had to teach Braylin how to make them. She was a big helper rolling egg rolls!
When digging through stuff at Papaw's, we found pictures of him holding us while frying egg rolls, so we are carrying on the tradition with her frying egg rolls with Poppy!
Amy let us borrow her walker, and boy did it come in handy. Bray girl loved it!
After seeing the Duty side of the family, we drove to Arkansas to see the Kindberg family.

Uncle Jake with Braylin outside of Grandma Kindberg's house
We had some family photos taken at a waterfall without water.
Granny and Pop Pop with Braylin
Our little Cuddle Bug with Granny.
It's not always fun and games. This is her seriously sad face. She was starving and tired of that car seat!
Snuggling with Aunt Sarah
Getting love from Aunt Jessica and Uncle Josh (Josh, you can stop whining about not being on the blog now!)
I cannot believe that she is already half of a year old. Watching her grow and develop is so much fun. It is crazy seeing new things she does even daily. She is really really working on sitting alone. She is great at grabbing things (especially glasses off your face). She has gotten really good about putting her own pacifier in as well as making new sounds, talking and singing. We have taken this girl everywhere and she is so amazing to be content wherever we are. We have been so incredibly blessed with a mild tempered angel girl. It has been such a joy watching family and friends truly love her. We are blessed beyond belief with love and support that has been showered on our family.

In Honor of Papaw and Memom

2009-09-25T09:55:00.001-07:00

I have thought of what this blog might say for over a week now. Nothing seems good enough, so I am just going to type and whatever happens, happens. The past 2 weeks have been a crazy whirlwind. Joel and I left after church 2 Sundays ago to drive to Jill's in LA to do some shopping for our store. We got there at 4am (Braylin is such a trooper!) slept until 10, then went to LA to start the fun. About 3 hours in to our shopping, Jill got a phone call that was quite unexpected. My dad had called to say that Papaw had suddenly died. It was a blessing that Jill, Kevin, Joel, Braylin and I were all together. We were able to rush back to Jill's, get packed, find flights and head out at 6am to Texas.

Papaw was the absolute greatest grandfather you could ask for. Growing up with grandparents living across the street is a bigger blessing than I could even imagine. The love and support that was in our daily lives is immeasurable. Papaw loved to take us out on the boat, to come to all of our basketball games and concerts and musicals. Everyone who knew us, knew Memom and Papaw, because they were such a big part of our lives. Memom and Papaw loved us and all of the people we loved so much. They just wanted to be involved in our lives....even taping Rangers games we went to just in case we were on TV. We miss both of them so much, but could not be happier that they are together in the presence of God.

I am so thankful that Paps was able to meet little Braylin. I wish she would have gotten to know him more as I know he would have been the best great grandfather! I also wish she would have gotten to meet Memom, but we will share many memories and stories of their lives. Their legacy of love will not be forgotten.

Papaw loved to sing...it didn't matter where he was. He was singing to Braylin when this picture was taken. She really enjoy it!

Braylin was in incredible traveler. We drove 15 hours, flew to Texas, flew back to LA, then drove another 15 hours. That's a lot of miles to take such a little girl on. She was great though! This is Braylin and daddy on the plane.
This is Braylin in the car ride home from LA. She is holding her favorite giraffe (Thanks Gammy Susan!)
Our little bird girl! Nanna found a way to keep Braylin happy at restaurants. We have used this trick many times since. Water in a straw is such a treat!!
It was a along week for all of us. Poppy was so generous in helping Braylin get to sleep :) (Everyone wanted that job!!)
Braylin loves sitting in a bumbo (especially when she gets food!)
Braylin got her first wings. She doesn't seem happy about it, but I got the picture!
Braylin has been doing these monster like faces. It starts as a smile and ends up like this. It is not attractive but really funny. (I have about 74 of these shots...it was a long car ride, and I couldn't help myself.)

It has been a long hard 2 weeks, but God is so good giving peace and comfort. His timing is perfect (Paps always said this) and I am so thankful that Braylin was able to give such happiness, love, kisses and snuggles during this time.

The Fab 5!

2009-09-09T18:39:00.000-07:00

Can Braylin already be 5 months? It has been the sweetest, cuddliest, craziest 5 months of our lives. It's amazing how quickly things can change. I feel like once I have things under control and a system down, something changes. She is eating more rice cereal, she is waking up in the middle of the night again. I guess that's just Braylin growing up. This little social butterfly loves to talk (more like screeching at a pitch Mariah Carey would envy) at 2am. The funny thing is, she isn't fussy, she just wants attention and someone to talk to. I know I will look back and miss these days. (It's just hard to savor the moments at 2am!)

Braylin has decided she is going to be a thumb sucker. (It's easier to put in her mouth than the paci once she has knocked it out.) She keeps her hand sideways though...its her own gangsta style. She is always chewing on something. She has 2 teeth, and I have a feeling more are right around the corner. Braylin now loves to give kisses. I have given up an wearing most make-up. She drools all over my face giving me kisses that it just gets taken off anyway.

We celebrated her 5 month birthday at cheesecake factory. (Or so we told Braylin) I am convinced Braylin loves avocado egg rolls because I craved them when I was pregnant. (Let's be honest though, I crave them not pregnant too. If you have never had them, you are missing out on a gift from above!)
Braylin with Mom and Dad at Cheesecake Factory.

Our big blue eyed beauty.
We had a campout with the youth group. Being so social wore Braylin out early. We ended up going home for an early bedtime.
Happy 5 Month Birthday Little Girl! You are more fun than we ever thought possible. We love that just about anything will make you smile. There is nothing better on earth than to see you smile and hear your sweet laugh.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a tooth!

2009-08-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

FINALLY! It seems like sweet Braylin has been teething for months, and we finally have a result from all the trauma. (She wasn't too terribly bad, but I'm not looking forward to tooth number 2!) 1 tooth down...

Now that Braylin is over 4 months old, we are actually getting into somewhat of a routine. The store is becoming more manageable to aid in this new routine, and it is wonderful. Of course we are still working more like I would like, but that's owning a business for you. (To all of you who want to own a business for the flexible hours...just work for the man. You'll save yourself a lot of time, trouble and headaches!) Braylin has already gotten tired of the store (we all have to work too much!). She will fuss and whine, and after trying everything to make her happy, the moment we stroll into the mall, she is fine. I guess she is bored of our stuff and needs a change of scenery.

Braylin love loves her rice cereal. She is now eating it twice a day, but I think she'd love to have it more often. (She may look like daddy, but she gets her love of food from her mama!) We also may have a muscle woman on our hands. Braylin has always loved her swing, but her new game is to try to sit up and lean as far forward as she can. She is strapped in, but I am still nervous that she is going to roll out of the front of it. (I'll try to post a pic of that later.)

We have been trying to add in as many end of summer events for the youth group as we possible can. We had a cookout swim party last week. Braylin had so much fun in the swing. (As you can see in the pic below) We are having a campout this weekend (You don't have to wish me luck. Braylin and I will be sleeping inside. I'm not so outdoorsy.) Hopefully I will get some great pics to post for next week.

Braylin sleeps best in our bed. I hope this is not going to be a habit. As crazy as things have been for us, it's easier for me to just let her sleep in our bed sometimes. I'll deal with the ramifications of that later...

4 Months and Fantastic!

2009-08-10T21:39:00.001-07:00

Well, we made it to month 4. It seems like it has flown by, but in a way it seems like forever ago when we came home from the hospital. Weighing in at 15 pounds 8 ounces and being 27 1/2 inches, Braylin is at the top of her class (in the percentile ranges at least!) Braylin loves to grab her feet and suck on her toes (the proof is in the scratches around her ankles. No matter how short I cut her nails, she still manages to scratch herself.) We had a major heat wave this summer. (Hence the naked pictures. We don't normally parade her around without clothing, but not having A/C can be a doozy!) Bray is a drooling machine, but STILL no sign of any teeth.

Thank goodness for the pack-n-play. This is what we use at the store to keep Braylin entertained and contained. She LOVES her giraffe friends.

Isn't she the prettiest thing you have ever seen?

Braylin wants to stand or sit up constantly, so with some giftcards we got her a jumperoo. She is getting the hang of it, but isn't actually jumping yet.

Silly mom and Bray
She's a BIG girl now! Daddy fed her rice cereal for the first time. She kept leaning in for more. She would take a bite then try to shove her foot in her mouth too. Rice cereal between the toes...yummy!
I included more pictures of the store for those of you who aren't here. We are finally getting into a routine, so it's not as overwhelming as it has been.

Better Late Than Never

2009-07-28T15:48:00.000-07:00

She is getting bigger and bigger by the minute!
She knew she was close to Mickey when we were at Jill's house! She can't wait until she's 5!

A view of the new store

This is from our Texas trip (That post never happened...sorry people!) Braylin loves her Papaw!

Well, the past 6 weeks (as most of you know) have been a complete blur! So much has happened I don't know where to begin or what I want to relive. We opened the new store on July 1st and has been a ton of work but such a blessing. God is continuing to bless us more than we deserve and we have to give Him all the praise and glory! Thank you to all of our friends and family who have helped get us to this point.

Braylins 3 month blog didn't happen (hence the title) so I am trying to catch up on what she has been up to now.

She is so talkative...like to the point that it can be difficult having a phone conversation because she wants to talk louder than you. Braylin rolled over (so Nanna says...there have been no signs since that one occasion. We believe you though, mom!) Feet are Braylins new discovery. Her left foot is always in her left hand. She is constantly drooling so we keep looking for teeth, but nothing has popped through yet!

We survived the first ER visit. Braylin had a fever of 101.5 when Josh and Jessica were here. Of course it was 10:30 at night, so we had to go to the ER and spend 5 hours for them to tell us "Just give her tylenol" That would have been great advice over the phone when they demanded we bring her in! We made it though.

Braylin took her first long road trip. We went to LA and to visit Jill and Kevin and to buy for our store. She was a wonderful shopper (sorta). She loved hanging out at their house more than she loved shopping.

Braylin also got to spend some quality time with moms side of the family. Paisley loved seeing everyone too.

So much has happened it is hard to write it all out. This is at least a mini update. Hopefully I will get to blog on her 4 month birthday!

Two Months and Growing

2009-06-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

Well, turning 2 Months is hard work! We had Braylin's checkup. Her stats are as follows: Height-25 1/4 inches (In the 97th Percentile!!) Weight- 12 lbs 10 oz WHAT A BIG GIRL!!

That was the easy part. None of us had prepared for the shots. (Next time I am making Joel take her.) In my mind I didn't think shots were going to be a big deal. When we were in the hospital, they gave her the vitamin K shot, poked her heels several times, and pumped her stomach without any complaint. Here I was thinking I had the toughest baby girl in the whole world. Right before the nurse gave the first shot, she assured me it was okay if I cried. "Lots of moms do", she told me. I was thinking, "Ha- that is ridiculous. I will be fine and so will Braylin." When she stabbed Braylin with that first shot, Braylin instantly looked at me like I had betrayed her and screamed a scream I may never forget. Her face was BRIGHT red, she wasn't breathing, tears were STREAMING down her chubby cheeks- It was like I was hit with a curve ball I never saw coming. I kept using self talk to get me through, "Keep it together,Jane. Keep it together." It didn't help. We both stayed in that room and cried and cried. THANK YOU Tylenol for making a dosage for the tiny people. It was the only way she made it through yesterday.

Besides the traumatic dr. appointment, turning 2 months is a great milestone. Braylin now smiles, laughs, and she has found her little hands. I will wake up in the night listening to her slurping on them (kinda gross, but I can't stop her!) She is working on rolling her legs over, holding her head up, and she tries to scoot on her belly like a worm.

There is so much to tell about our Texas trip, but it is going to have to wait for another time. With so much going on in our lives, I have to focus on one thing at a time. So, HAPPY 2 MONTHS LITTLE BRAYLIN GIRL! You are loved by so so many people!

You know you're in Texas when...

2009-06-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it to Texas! I felt right at home when I got off the plane and the bathroom was full of women teasing their hair in a fog of hairspray. I LOVE IT! We had also forgotten what it is like to drive in Dallas with all the nice cars (We new we weren't in Eugene when a new farari drove past us.)

It is going to be a short, fast and furious trip (but it has already been so wonderful!) I'm in a hurry and will have pics and stories to post later,but Braylin had a photo shoot with the fabulous Penny Kendall, and a few are posted on her blog so I wanted to leave everyone with the address to see them.

http://pjkphotography.xanga.com/

Enjoy!

More Family Fun

2009-05-29T14:29:00.001-07:00

Jack, Karla and Sarah came for Memorial Weekend to meet Ms. Braylin. It was a fast and furious but wonderful time. As you can tell, Braylin wasn't starved for attention! We got to walk on the river path, show them all around eugene, and we went to the coast. Here are some pics of all the fun!

Braylin and her Pop Pop

It was a very windy day (obviously) Braylin was such a trooper hanging out (literally) in the elements.

Granny or Ganny or Grandma (it hasn't been decided yet) dressed her up for church (and changed her as often as possible! It's too fun dressing up our little doll. )
Braylin loves her Aunt Sarah! (And I think Aunt Sarah loves her back!)

Like Capturing the loch ness Monster...

2009-05-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

I have attempted many times to capture the most beautiful little smile in the whole world.I started to think it was impossible. Braylin is a really happy baby, but when I try to take a picture, the flash startles her and she makes this weird squishy face. This morning Bray was in a particularly good mood (probably because Aunt Sarah and Ganny and Pop Pop are coming today) and we ended up with......

.....the most gorgeous gummy grin!! She has started laughing, and I don't think anything could make me so happy.

This was an attempt earlier this week to get a smile. It is pretty close!

Braylin has really been talking and babbling a ton lately. She is telling me it is about time to eat! (Just like her mama, this girl doesn't skip a meal!)

Our Little Thug

On Wednesday Braylin and I watched the youth group play ultimate frisbee. It was pretty chilly, so she needed to wear her hoodie. It's still a little big, but it worked.

Bottles and Birthdays

2009-05-18T12:48:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Nanna! Braylin loves you just as much as you love her! I took a little too long to take the picture and a pacifier became a must! (It was naptime) We wish we could be with you celebrating your birthday, but know that we love you and are thinking about you.

Look at her go! Yesterday Dad tried his hand at feeding her her 1st bottle. She did GREAT! There were no hesitations...she doesn't care where it comes from as long as she gets to eat! This is going to be a nice alternative so I can have a break with feedings every now and then.

I realized we have gone on several walks but don't have any pictures of her in her stroller where you can actually see her. This is in our house after a walk.

Tummy Time!

Tummy time was short lived. Bray and Pay spending some quality time together.

Paisley has been such a good dog with Braylin. She likes to be close, but not too close. She is a little mama. Anytime Braylin cries Paisley is right there to find out what is wrong. Paisley is always calm around her too. We are so thankful to not ever have to worry about having a dog and a baby in the same room.

And for all those dog lovers out there, Paisley still gets tons of love and attention.

celebrate good times

2009-05-11T17:04:00.000-07:00

BRAYLIN IS A WHOLE MONTH OLD!!

(Aunt Sarah sent this ADORABLE dress, and this picture really shows the size of those feet!)

It is so hard to believe that a month has already past. Okay, so I am stealing Sharon's idea of taking a picture in the same place each month and watching the growth. (Hope you don't mind, Sharon) I want to recap what happens each month of Braylin's life...so here goes month 1.

What a month it was! Obviously you were born, sweet girl. It was such a great experience and really seems like a blur now. You were 3 days early (which is so much better than being late!) You had lots of visitors this month. Nanna, Poppy, Uncle Jacob and Uncle Tim came to Oregon right when they heard you were here. Aunt Jill also came as soon as she could. This month you have grown and inch and have gained almost 2 pounds. You are just growing so quickly. You got to take Paisley to the dog park, you went shopping at the mall (several times), you went on many walks, you had a special blessing over you at church and have already been working at ZIDA some.

This month has been so fun watching you grow and change. Your mom and dad have loved every minute of you being here (even at 4am when you have poopy diapers.) You are such a joy and gift. We can't stop thanking God for the blessing you are to us. We love love LOVE you!

My first Mother's Day

It was such a strange thing to actually be the one being spoiled on Mother's Day. It is so surreal. I have only begun the journey of mommyhood, and still have so much to learn and look forward too, but so far it has been AMAZING! It's the little things that make it so fun. Yesterday I looked at the tiny little socks and was overwhelmed with how awesome it is to be a mom and to feel so much love for this tiny little person.

The day started off with my favorite donut in bed. Then, Joel took Braylin and let me sleep an extra 3 hours (that was a great gift!) Church was awesome. Little Bray gave me a flower at church (with some help from dad) Joel and I LOVE to go to the movies, so for Mother's Day, we decided to try and see if we could make it through a whole movie with her after lunch. And.....she made it....mostly. About 3/4 of the way through I took her to the back of the theatre to walk around. She went back to sleep and I was able to see the movie, so we considered it a success.

Reflecting on the past month has been a reminder of just how blessed we are. I pray we never take for granted the gift of family and the gift of being a parent. I pray that God will give us an abundance of wisdom and patience as the challenges of raising a child grow.

Week #3

2009-05-06T15:48:00.001-07:00

It turns out that having an infant makes the days fly by. I can't believe it has been almost a week since the last blog. I have the greatest intentions, but the follow through is difficult! I would like to say this week has been exciting, but I'm not sure where the time went. Braylin and I have been coming to work some which has really been easier than I thought it would be. She really sleeps most of the time, and the customers love to see her. She is a great worker and store mascot :)

Thanks to Poppy, Braylin is officially a bow head. I just LOVE it, and she doesn't seem to mind. She has at least 1 bow that will match each outfit. Even though she is not technically from Texas, I want her to look like she is!
This is Bray girl helping mom work. I think she is getting cuter by the day! Her little cheeks are getting so chubby which just gives us more to kiss!

This is the basket Braylin sleeps in next to our bed. We haven't gotten the courage to let her sleep in her own room yet. This baby basket was Jay's and has been used for ALL of the Duty family members and beyond. The names of all the babies that have used the basket are written on the bottom of it, and it is an extensive list.

This was Braylin's first day of work. She's doing what she does best!

Here is our little burrito trying NOT to go to sleep. Little stinker!!

I will try to better about blogging. Thanks again for the bows, dad!!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2009-04-30T12:51:00.000-07:00

Braylin wanted to wish Dad a Happy Birthday. She has made several presents for him today...too bad he is working and is not able to take care of them :)

We love you Joel. You are the best Daddy and we hope you are having a great and stress free day!

We made it!

2009-04-27T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day without my family here, and we made it through! Braylin might have been confused about why she wasn't being held all day, but she did great in her swing and bouncer. She and I were able to be somewhat productive as well.

Day 1 was a success!!

Bray loves her swing. She loved looking around and watching the little elephants until she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.

This was a last picture with Nanna and Poppy before they left. I'm pretty sure she misses them already. (I know Paisley girl does!!)

I'd like to say this is her tiny foot in dad's hand, but can you call a foot with toes that long tiny??

Dad snuggling with the girls

Aunt Jill with the girls. Paisley wants attention too!

It was great having my sister and parents here. I am realizing how much help they were now that I have spent a day alone with our little bundle. I am grateful for the help, but am enjoying learning about being a mom. I know that everyone says it, but time is already going by so quickly. I can't believe she is already over 2 weeks old. I'll continue to work on taking pictures all the time so we can capture and share these precious moments.

Can't believe Braylin is already 9 days old!

2009-04-20T12:27:00.001-07:00

"My first tummy time."

Nanna and her sweet granddaughter.

Braylin's first bath at home.

Our first family outing!

Braylin's baby blessing at Christ Fellowship yesterday.

Blessings!!!

2009-04-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

We Finally have more pictures for everyone! This is Braylin's trip home from the hospital.

Happiest dad in the world.

Braylin gets her beauty from her mother!

Some crazy lumber jack broke into our home and really enjoyed rocking Braylin to sleep. We love you Uncle Jacob.

Braylin won't let go of her Poppy

-Joel

She's HEEERRREEE!!

2009-04-12T17:27:00.000-07:00

Braylin Ivy was born April 11th at 12:03 pm. She is 8 big pounds, 4 little ounces, and 21 inches long. She is healthy, beautiful, and we couldn't be any more blessed. I could add so many details, but let's be honest- people just want to see pictures, so here we go.

This is one proud papa!

Our first family photo!

I wish you could see the length of her toes...she gets it from the Ketchersid's.

HAPPY EASTER!! THIS IS HER FIRST EASTER OUTFIT! (Thanks aunt Judy)

This is all we have for the moment. Now that our computer is working, we will update with pictures more frequently. Thanks for all the love and support we have received from family and friends. This whole experience has been surreal!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Retreating without retreating

2009-04-01T14:25:00.001-07:00

We had a busy busy weekend! We had a youth retreat...sorta...it was at our house. It was a blast don't get me wrong, but after it was over, we were exhausted. Even Paisley girl was wiped out. The picture below is right after everyone left. We felt the same way!!

On Sunday after church Joel and I drove to Portland to get a car seat. (Thanks Gangy and Pop Pop-- okay, those are the names we are trying to get to stick for Joel's parents!) We saw this sign on the side of the road...it seemed perfect. Although I don't know if my stomach can be considered just a bump at this point.

The retreat was our last big event before Braylin is here. We are attempting to take things a bit slower until she arrives. We went to the Dr. this morning and she could come at anytime!

We are now playing the waiting game....

Getting it all together!

2009-03-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

Well, after the shower I couldn't wait to get everything set up and put away. Joel was so sweet to stay up and help until we finished. This picture was taken mid way through. We started with a beautiful mess!

Braylin has the BEST daddy in the world. He took his time making each letter perfect! The lightest pink isn't showing up well in the pictures, but you can take my word that it is PERFECT and PRECIOUS!!

Joel wanted a dresser next to the rocking chair to hold all the books he will read to her while rocking.

Papaw had the blanket that's hanging on the rocking chair made for Braylin. He kept it for a few weeks so he could send his love on it! What a sweet great granpa!

Mom and Dad worked hard on those curtains! When the sun rises, the whole room glows pink! It's beautiful and Braylin will love it!

Braylin won't be naked. She has a full closet full of clothes. (The shelf above the clothes is full of shoes. I think she has more than me and Joel combined!)

The nursery is still a work in progress, but we are getting closer. And the truth is, she will never know if she arrives before it's all done, so I am not stressing out about it.

I'll keep the updates coming!

Showered with LOVE!

2009-03-19T11:32:00.001-07:00

First, we want to say that we have the greatest church family. We felt so much love and support at the shower. We are so blessed! Elizabeth and Jeanine did an incredible job hostessing, and we can't say thank you enough.

Everything was pretty in pink!

WOW

Mom and Dad (aka Nanna and Poppy as they call themselves) sent coordinating presents, of course!
It's official. Braylin is a wildcat!

tMom and Dad monogrammed EVERYTHING they sent. I don't know if the Oregonians had seen anything like it. My favorite comment was, "Now that is Texas!" It was all so adorable! We did joke that the doctor better have been right, because if Braylin turns out to be a boy, we are in trouble!
We almost threw away this diaper thinking it was a dirty one, but upon further investigation realized it was a keeper!

Aunt Jill and Uncle Kevin sent the cutest swing! They were very sneaky about it. THANKS GUYS!!

Notice how my face gets redder as the shower went on.

Thank you to everyone who came and loved on us and Braylin. We are now feeling more ready to have her since we have the "stuff" she will need. The shower was more than we could have expected and are just blown away with what we received.

Here's to YOU Family and Friends!

2009-03-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

About 5 weeks to go!!

We are taking the plunge! Joel and I know that it's not fair that we live so far away and that Braylin will be so far away once she arrives. Therefore, we decided to join the blogging world and attempt to keep everyone up to date on what's going on here in Oregon. So this is for all of you so far away!

First, I want to thanks Sharon for the amazing blog design. What a talented and great friend! You can all thank her for getting us going and encouraging us to document our lives through a blog.

The nursery is still a work in progress, but once we get it at least mostly finished, we'll post some pictures. We still have about 5 weeks...we have plenty of time to get it all done, right?!

Since Braylin Ivy is not here yet, I'll take this opportunity to tell about our lives right now. Joel and I have been in Oregon for about a year and a half. We are still really enjoying the northwest, and are looking forward to having some time to actually explore it. Our church is amazing and we are so thankful to have such a great support system. Joel is the youth minister, which has kept us busy and has really been a blast. Really all we do outside of church stuff is work. We co-own a fashion accessories store, ZIDA. What a learning experience it has been! None of us have had any business experience, but God has been so faithful to pull us through. We enjoy getting to know people in the community and being able to offer such affordable fun purses and jewelry (especially during this economic downturn).

We'll get to work on the nursery and will post again soon.