Go Beavs!

I put Bria's OSU onesie on and did a little photo shoot. Thanks Aunt Sara for her cute onesie!

Aren't these socks adorable?

Here she is sporting her Beaver pride (I added the bow to girlie it up)

Giving mom a little smile:

The blanket is from Brian's mom, it was a perfect back drop for these pictures!

The little booties were cute:

I thought Bria was going to roll over so I started filming, but she started getting cranky and tired and decided she didn't want to. It's still pretty cute though, she sticks her thumb in her mouth and gets sleepy.



Saturday night we went to a BBQ at a friends' house and Bria did really well. I put her in their office around 9:30 pm (way past her bedtime, but she was all smiles) to go to sleep, thinking she wouldn't do it and so we'd have to leave, but my little angel fell right asleep! So we hung out and talked for awhile and then decided it was time to call it a night. I was so nervous to go in and carefully pick her up, but again, she did awesome. She woke up a little but fell right back asleep on the ride home and snuggled up as soon as I put her in the crib. I was such a proud mommy :)

Her sleeping has been great since we got back from Shasta. She sleeps all the way until about 7:30 am and is all smiles when you go in to get her. Sunday she slept in until 9:30 am since she had gone to bed so late, I couldn't believe it. This morning she got up at 5:30 am and was hungry so I fed her and then tried to have her go back to sleep on my chest but she was so curious and just wanted to look around. I finally put her back in her crib and she went right to sleep. Again, she didn't wake up until 9:30 am. I have a little sleepy head! But, I am trying to remember that soon she'll change it up on me because that is what babies do. So I will enjoy it for now and not stress over when it's going to end.

I've got a cute video of her latest milestone, you'll have to come back tomorrow :)

Father's Day-Belated Post

This was Brian's first Father's Day and he said it was by far his best one ;)
I am in awe of how wonderful Brian is, he is the most amazing Dad and so incredibly involved. He loves to make Bria laugh and it's his personal mission everyday to do so. He is also the king of putting her to sleep, once she hits his chest it's all over. Sometimes he even puts her to sleep a little too soon, but I can't complain.
It is truly the best feeling to watch Brian with Bria and it just warms my heart. I could not ask for a better husband and father to Bria, he amazes me everyday.
Not only does Bria have an amazing father, but I do as well. I love my Dad so much, he is always so incredibly loving and supportive. It means the world to us.
Hope everyone had a nice father's day!

Shasta

Well, we survived our first family vacation! Overall it went really well and I was pleasantly surprised for the most part on how well Bria did. Here is a little recap:

Sleeping: A+
Bria did awesome. The first 2 nights she went to bed at 8 pm and woke up around 7 or 7:30 am. It was wonderful and I was so happy. The third night she woke up at 4 am, I fed her and then she went back to sleep until 6:30 am. Not quite as good as the other nights but still not bad.

Driving: C-
Not a complete failure but way worse than I expected. She is normally so good in the car so I thought that would be fine, but I think going over the pass really hurt her ears so she screamed for about 2 hours on the way there. The good news is that it doesn't take 7 hours to get there, only 5 1/2. We made it in about 6 which is pretty good for having a 4 month old.
The way home she did a little better and at least slept more.

Boating: B-
Ok, the first trip out on the boat went really well. She was all smiles and loved it. We took her swim suit and diaper off and let her lay on a towel naked which she loved. We of course kept her shaded by placing her under the passenger dashboard and a towel above her, she just loved it and was so happy.
The second day however was rough. We anchored the boat with 2 others and were enjoying the sun and water. Bria was doing good for awhile but I think it was just too hot, she was overtired and we just couldn't get her to sleep. My mom, Brian, and I all took turns. Our friend Kim came over and was able to at least get her to stop crying by bouncing her on her knee. It worked for awhile which was a nice break. Then Bria went back to screaming her head off. I don't think she's ever cried for that long of a period. Finally we started the boat up and drove off, it took a few minutes but the hum of the boat and cool breeze put her to sleep. Once we got to the docks my mom and Randy headed up to camp but Brian and I stayed on the boat since Bria was sleeping. We layed her down under the passenger seat again and then chilled on the back of the boat. She slept for 2 hours which was so nice.

Overall: B+
I haven't felt that relaxed in a long time and it was wonderful. My mom helped a lot which made it so nice. Wednesday morning she stayed with Bria at the RV while Brian and I went boating with the Delgado's and Snodgrass'. Brian did the sky ski and wake surfed and I just did the wake surfing. I didn't do so well but that's ok, I still had fun and Brian did awesome. He even did a 360 on the wake surf which was awesome.
We both had a good time and are glad we went.

Now for the good stuff, pictures!

Bria chillin' under the passenger seat in the shade:

Lovin' on Grandma while mom and dad took a dip in the lake:

Family picture :)

She was talking up a storm and it was adorable (this is before she started screaming her head off):

Love the little smile on her face:

The hand on my chin melts my heart:

In the middle of her screaming fest Dad calmed her down for a few minutes:

Finally she took a nap while Brian and I hung out on the boat:

Wednesday was Hawaiian night:

Kim holding Bria while Kaitlyn says hi:

Aloha

My mom and Randy enjoying the delicious grub:

My little lady:

It feels good to be home and sleeping in our own beds. While Bria slept well, we didn't. We went to bed late, tossed and turned most of the night, and just missed our bed. So we are still trying to catch up on sleep but it was totally worth it.

4 Months

Stats:
Weighs: 13 pounds 15.5 ounces-60th percentile
Length: 25 inches-75th percentile
Head: 16 inches-50th percentile

I thought she weighed more since she has so many adorable rolls! It looks like she may get her daddies height, I can just see our family pictures 15 years from now: Brian, Bria, another child :), then pan down to see Lindsey.

Bria-isms:
Rolls from tummy to back (both left and right)
Rolls from back to side, almost to tummy
Loves eating her hands
Sucks both thumbs, starting to favor her left one
Loves sucking on her receiving blankets
Started to enjoy her jumperoo
Doesn't like to stand
Started to scream-she is finding her voice :) I'm not a fan of the screaming cry, I miss her little sweet cry.
Started blowing raspberries yesterday and it is adorable! Hopefully I can catch it on video soon.
Loves looking at herself in the mirror, it is so fun to watch.
She is getting close to playing with her feet, she swings her legs up higher each day.
Loves to cuddle, yay!!!!

Her appointment went pretty well yesterday, although she is so not a fan of those shots. She pretty much cries until we can rock her to sleep. Once she had a little snooze she was all smiles and back to her normal self thank goodness. I really hate shots.

She has done a little better the past 2 nights, she has woken up around 1:30 am both nights. I go in there, turn her over and she goes back to sleep. That has been really nice.

"Um, excuse me Thumper, you are kind of blocking me."

"Much better, stay there, thanks."

Contemplating life:

All smiles :)

My happy girl:

Love those chubby legs:

Wish us luck in Shasta, I am excited and nervous all at the same time. Our first family vacation!

Wakeful Period and Video

I think Bria is going through the 4 month wakeful period. I actually didn't think that was a real thing until now. She was up this morning at 4 am and had turned on her back and was talking. I let her do that for a few minutes and then went in to try and help her go to sleep. Once she was relaxed in my arms I laid her down. 10 minutes later she was fussing. She again had rolled onto her back. So I rocked her to sleep and laid her down, she woke up right away and rolled on her back. I let her fuss for a little bit while I laid on her floor. Finally I picked her up and tried to rock her but she was fussing a lot so Brian tried to calm her down. Since none of this worked we decided maybe she was hungry and I fed her. She then fell asleep on my chest and we slept like that until 9 am.
I hope this little wakeful period does not last long. I'm nervous that her shots on Friday and our trip to Shasta will throw everything completely off and she will sleep even worse. Or maybe it'll help her sleep all the way through the night again...wishful thinking.

Here is the little punky monkey doing some tummy time

Here is a little video of Bria trying to roll over, it's not the best but it's hard to capture. MJ kept bringing me her ball during this video so that is why you hear noise in the background.



She also lifts her legs and then turns on her left side and lays like that but I haven't caught that on video yet.

Naps, no thanks

Normally Bria wakes up at 7:45 am, is up for 2 hours and then goes down for a 2 + nap. It's perfect because then I can shower, clean up her bath stuff, get on the computer, clean a little, and maybe do some laundry. She also takes 2 one hour naps in the afternoon and early evening. Well, Wednesday and Thursday she decided to take three 45 minute naps and I have to say I'm not a fan. Maybe she's going through a growth spurt (she cries until I feed her) or maybe she just wants to mix it up on me, keep me on my toes.
What happened to my good napper? She also got up at 3 am Saturday morning and it took Brian and I an hour to get her to sleep back in her crib. She'd fall asleep in our arms but would wake up 5 minutes after we laid her down. Silly girl. I must say I was proud of myself for keeping my patience, it helps that Brian was there to relieve me for a little bit. We make a good team.
Fortunately her nap schedule was better on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday she took a 3 hour nap, wahoo!

Bria is getting so close to rolling on her tummy, she rolls onto her side really well from her back but can't quite make it all the way over. She is still rolling from tummy to back, but not regularly.
It is really fun to watch her on her tummy because she is lifting her head so high and is so proud of herself, it's adorable.

She gets the giggles when she is tired and it is hilarious. Friday night we went to dinner with Jenny and Kyle and so Bria was out past her bedtime. On the way home I was talking to her like I always do and she thought I was a stand up comedian. She was laughing and laughing at me, it was quite precious and I loved it.

We had a mini breakthrough with MJ. I was helping Bria practice her sitting and MJ came up, smelled her, and then licked her on the top of her head! Bria looked up and MJ and smiled. It was quite exciting and I hope it's the beginning of a wonderful friendship between them :)

Thank you for the comments on The Great Shasta Debate of '09, I am starting to feel more confident about it. Although I would like to know how much Brian paid you all ;)
We have officially decided to go, we took a vote ;) Every time I start to get anxious and stress about it, I remind myself that it'll be fine even if it takes us a few days to get Bria back on her schedule. Plus, right now she is waking up once a night and wants to be rocked back to sleep so maybe this will help solve that problem (or make it worse, who knows).

Brian's first week back to his normal schedule went pretty good. Thursday night he worked late and didn't get home until 8:30 pm so he didn't even get to see Bria. That sucked. But the rest of the days weren't horrible. It was nice to be able to have dinner together and watch some tv after Bria went to bed. I think I'll make it after all, but the official verdict will come when he starts his classes again.
Speaking of classes, Brian got his grades back. This was his toughest term by far and the smarty pants got 2 A's!!!! I am beyond proud of him, he is just amazing. During his undergrad he struggled to pass his classes (sorry babe, just keepin' it real) and now that he is working full time, has a wife, and a new baby, he manages to get A's. Go figure. It just goes to show you how the online classes are much better for him. He can log on when it works for him instead of having to go to class at a certain time. Anyway, I really am so proud of him. Only 3 terms left, we can do it. Notice how I say we? I can't help it, school stresses me out even if I'm not the one in it. I feel like I have to make sure he does his homework and logs on everyday, basically I find something to stress about.

Now for some pictures!

We went out to dinner with Jenny and Kyle on Friday night and Bria was telling Jenny how hungry she was.

A cute lil outfit:

She got very excited and started talking, it was hilarious:

Another cute outfit and a smile for the camera!!

I love my little punky monkey :)

Stuff

So Bria seems to be doing better, I am guessing she'll have good days and bad days as far as pain goes with teething. I'm glad she is getting some relief, and I'm not going to lie, I'm glad to have a little as well. She was so happy yesterday and just talked and smiled all day. On our walk she was squealing and talking and smiling, it was so much fun. I made the walk a little longer since she was enjoying it so much. Bria took 2 long naps and a short one yesterday so I was able to get a lot of cleaning done, it felt really good.
It's funny how some days she takes really long naps and others I'm lucky if she sleeps for an hour at a time.

Bria hasn't been a huge fan of the binkie lately. The last couple weeks she prefers her thumbs and I'm ok with that. I'm not going to force the binkie on her. The binkie does help when I give her a teething tablet, but even if she falls asleep with the binkie in her mouth she spits it out shortly after.

Brian is done with Spring term so he has the next 2 weeks off, wahoo! I am so excited for him and I know he is thrilled to be able to relax at home after work. It would be nice if he had the summer off, but he'll finish school sooner if he takes 2 classes so he's gonna push through.

Porter holding Bria-He really didn't want anyone else touching her while he was holding her and got mad at Jaidyn when she started making her laugh. It was pretty funny.

Aunt Heather got this adorable rain coat for Bria, perfect for Oregon.

She has a onesie that matched perfectly with it and of course socks. I love matching her little outfits :)

This is just a little video of Bria being her happy self. She was laughing and laughing before this video but of course stopped when I started filming, silly girl.



This Saturday Brian requested a Bria and Daddy Day of Fun so they are going to hang out and do something that day. Not sure what I'll do, I think of calling people to go hang out but then I'm not sure if anyone wants to hang out with me without Bria ;)

The Big Shasta Debate
Brian and I have been discussing Shasta this year. Brian of course wants to go (and already has that week off) and I go back and forth. For awhile I was all about it, but now I just don't know.

Reasons not to go:
1. 7 hour car ride with a 4 month old
2. Extreme heat-In the 90's
3. If she goes on the boat she has to wear a life jacket at all times and I don't think she'll like that.
4. Since all we do is go boating, the other option would be to hang out in my mom and Randy's RV all day while everyone else is on the boat.
5. Sleeping-She'll sleep in the motor home with my mom and Randy, but I'm not sure how well she'll sleep, which means I may not sleep.
6. Stressful-I think it will be really stressful for me. Her not getting her naps will really stress me out, I love her schedule right now.

Reasons to go:
1. It will make Brian happy.

Shasta is an annual thing so I've known it's been coming up, but I just don't know if I'm ready!

Could it be?

We think Bria may be teething. I didn't think it would come this soon, although she is almost 4 months old. Bria is normally a great sleeper but the last 4 nights have been pretty rough. She wakes up an hour after I put her down, then I'll get her to sleep again and half hour later she's up, then another half hour, etc. Eventually she goes to sleep and stays asleep but I was so confused as to what was going on. Even her happy demeanor during the day has been cranky. After talking to some baby experts we think she's teething. It may still be awhile before teeth actually pop through though. Anyway, today I gave her some teething tablets and those helped a lot. I think I'll do those tonight or baby Orajel and hopefully she won't wake up in pain all night, poor thing.

I'm going to keep it short because I haven't been able to get much done today. Here is what I need to do while Bria is napping: start dinner, clean downstairs floors, vacuum upstairs, clean the 3 bathrooms, do some laundry, and straighten the downstairs. Think I can do it in 20 minutes? Nope, let's hope I can get one of those items crossed off!

Some pictures from Memorial Day weekend at Brian's Dad's house:

Lovin' on our little girl:

Being patriotic:

Bria's deer in headlights look:

Bria being camera shy:

Love this smile:

Aunt Heather getting in some Bria time:

Cuteness

Some pictures

Jaidyn talking to Bria:

As close as MJ would get for a picture:

MJ is still not thrilled with Bria and I think she is getting more and more jealous. She has started going potty in the house and I am just livid. Bria's room is where MJ likes to pee, jealous much? I let MJ out often throughout the day, but she still manages to sneak a little puddle in Bria's room. I may send her to Grandma's to straighten up.
Bria has noticed MJ a few times and watches for a little bit then goes back to talking. She isn't quite fascinated with her yet but it's fun to watch her look at MJ.

Aunt Heather got Bria the cutest PJ's ever, I'm going to be so sad when she outgrows them. Which I think is going to be sooner rather than later, her chunky thighs and arms are getting more and more rolls!

I must say it is good to know my breast milk is sufficient for her, I start to worry sometimes that she isn't eating enough or wonder if my milk is giving her everything she needs. Than people comment on how big she is getting and it helps calm my fears. That and the fact that she has some very wet diapers.

Aren't her little slippers to die for?

"Sassy just like Mommy"

I am starting to see more Brian in her these past few days, it's amazing how fast they grow and change.