Happy Halloween

A post by Brennan:

Today was an exciting day. It was my first Halloween! We started the day by going to church. I was a very good boy and took a one-hour nap in the nursery! Then we all came home, ate lunch, and I took a 2 hour and 45 minute nap at home! I woke up happy, so Mommy took some pictures to commemorate this special day!

I decided to make some funny faces for the camera to celebrate this special occasion!

You might be able to see one of my two bottom teeth in this picture.

It is very exciting day, so I wanted to clap my hands!

Then it was time to get my costume on. I really do love my costume, but Mommy accidentally scratched me with her nail while getting me dressed and I started crying. But she insisted that I post this picture on here!

My tears didn't last too long because Mommy was acting silly trying to cheer me up. You should be able to see both my bottom teeth in this one!

Then it was time to head back to church. Our church was having a Light the Night party. Daddy went early to set up, so we went to find him once we arrived. He was dressed like a zookeeper!

And so was Mommy!

We had a lot of fun, but had to leave before the party was over because I was sleepy.

I hope you had a great Halloween too!

Love,

Brennan

Friday's Fab Five

I feel like this week has flown by! I guess that means we had fun this week. Hope you did too!

1. Even though it seems we just got back from a little trip to Atlantic City, we are about to leave for another little trip to DC. This will actually be Brennan's 2nd time to the city, but this time should be much more relaxing than last time. It's always nice to get away, but this will especially nice because we will get to see our friends Josh and Amanda and Eric and Christie and their handsome new boy, Matthew!

2. I bought Brennan a new coat this week. I figured he needed a warm winter coat to get him through his first full Connecticut winter. The best part?!?! I got it for 50% with a coupon thanks to Money Saving Mom!

3. Speaking of big savings...Amanda was kind enough to call me the other day and let me know that Southwest Airlines was having a huge sale (sorry it ended yesterday). Kyle and I have been looking at airline tickets to fly home to Kentucky for Christmas and even though they were cheaper than we originally expected, it was still going to cost us a pretty penny. Well, we aren't going to go home for Christmas, but we are going just before the holidays, so we will just have to celebrate early. And it is so worth it because it was only $60/person each way! Not bad at all. Of course that is the price before tax and that is where they get you, but we are now both going home close to Christmas for less than it was going to cost one of us to fly! Can't beat that!

4. I won a giveaway! I never win anything and I actually won! Amber over at Amber's Articles was giving away a Seeds Family Worship CD. I have been wanting one for a long time now and haven't gotten around to buying it. The CDs are scriptures set to music, so they are easier for kids (and mommies) to learn! I am so excited. It's kinda funny because my sister won a giveaway from that same blog a few months back. I guess we are lucky!

5. Brennan is excited about winning the CD too. Check out his new trick! He can clap!

He can actually clap even better than that now, but at least I did catch it on video. It's very cute because he will usually clap when you ask him to, but he also claps when anyone says "Yeah!" or "Good job!".

This next video makes me laugh. When we first got our dog, Ringo, we started trying to teach him tricks. He was actually a really fast learner. He quickly learned sit, paw, and lay down. He was always happy to perform them because it meant he got a treat. However, he got so used to doing all three in succession that as soon as you would ask him to "sit" he would immediately sit, give you his paw, and then lay down with the one command. Maybe we tried to teach him too many tricks at once. Does the same hold true with children? Brennan has learned how to put his arms up when we say, "How big is Brennan?" and he just learned to clap this week. But check out this video. I have him so mixed up!

The Versatile Blogger

Like many people, I originally started my blog for my friends and family back home. Kyle and I got married on July 8, 2006 and the very next day drove 14.5 hours to Groton, CT so he could start SOBC with the Navy. Being that far away from home meant (and still means) we can't see our family nearly as much as we would like to, so I started the blog as a way to keep them up-do-date.

Fast forward to now and I guess you could say I am addicted. I try to keep my blog pretty up-to-date and have been doing a much better job of it since Brennan was born. But I am certainly addicted to reading blogs. Some are really sad, yet inspirational. Some are uplifting. Some are about fun crafts and activities to do with your kids. Some are just about families. Kyle doesn't understand why I like reading about these people I don't even know (in real life, because I do kinda of feel like I do know them). I can't really explain it either, I just like it.

Anyways...one of my best friends just recently started a blog. Laura, over at Storybook Reality, blogs about life, religion, cooking, and her new handsome son. She was kind enough to award me with a little blogger award.


To accept this award one must:
* link back to the person who gave you the award
*share 7 things about yourself
*pass it along to other blogs you enjoy (it said 15 but i say do what you want!)
*make sure you tell your awardees about the award so they can repost!

Let's see seven {extremely random} things about me....
1. I don't really like hot drinks. People are always talking about their favorite hot drinks during this time of the year and I just really don't think drinks should be hot. I know I'm strange!

2. I have a fear of stairs. I do not like to walk up or down stairs without holding onto the railing. I have really poor balance and I'm extremely afraid I am going to fall down. I HATE bleachers for the same reason.

3. My husband is working late tonight, so right now the baby is taking a little cat nap before bed and I have a frozen pizza in the oven.

4. A new house is being built right next door to us and it seems to be going quickly, but I am ready for it to be done. It is loud (although Brennan seems to be able to sleep through the noise fine) and the work they are doing makes our house shake. I hope we get some really nice neighbors though!

5. I took a long nap today while Brennan napped (shh don't tell anyone).

6. I kind of want to get my hair cut, but it is getting colder, so I'm not sure if this is the time to do it.

7. One of my friends had this "This brand new week is a blessing from God- what are you going to do to glorify Him with it?" posted as her status on Facebook today and I like it.

So now I need to pass the away along to some other bloggy friends. I do read some pretty "famous" blogs, but I wanted to give the award to some of my friends in real life who have great blogs. Hope you enjoy!

The Hoover Family

Notable Music Studio

One Mama's Madness

Snyder Stories

Nurse in Training

Gotta Love Those Eyes

Friday's Fab Five

We just got home a little bit ago from spending three days in Atlantic City. My parents flew up for a week's vacation and we drove down so they could see us Brennan. Here is a recap and some fabulous pictures from our little vaca!

We arrived on Wednesday, let Brennan take a nap, and then went to dinner with my parents. On Thursday, we got up and drove to Cape May, NJ. We ate lunch, walked on the beach, and shopped a little.

Brennan's first time in the Atlantic Ocean. Haha!


Much happier not in the water.


Not so happy sitting in the sand.


Cap May beach houses...so pretty!


Thursday night, Kyle and I went out to dinner after Brennan went to bed. Ga-Ga and Ge-Ge stayed back in the room with Brennan. Then we got up on Friday morning and packed up to head home. It was a short trip, but we had fun and I'm so glad my parents to got to see us Brennan!

Brennan loves his Ge-Ge and Ga-Ga!

Friday's Fab Five

No lack of fabulousness around here this week!

1. Brennan got his first tooth! It is the front, bottom left tooth. And he really didn't seem to be extra cranky. He never woke in the middle of the night or anything. Check out my handsome boy!

2. We had friends over for dinner on Wednesday night, which is always fun! The Dishmons and McClures came over and Amanda cooked us White Bean Chicken Chili. It was delish! The Dishmons have Adah and baby girl #2 on the way. The McClures have four daughters, so Brennan was the only little boy. He was loving all the attention though! Both families are moving within the next week and we will miss them a lot!

3. Brennan got his flu shot yesterday. I really don't think shots are fabulous, but hopefully it prevents him from getting sick this winter. I feel very blessed to have the medical benefits associated with the military. I hear people complain about them all the time and I do know there are some hoops you have to jump through for certain things, but I think we have it pretty good. I have had to take Brennan to the doctor three times in the past five weeks. Once for an ear infection and twice for follow-ups and never once paid a dime. He has gotten a flu shot and two prescriptions and again we paid nothing. It is a huge blessing!

4. I read this earlier in the week from Shepherding a Child's Heart and it has stuck with me. Brennan is too young to start applying principals like this, but I think it applies to adults as well. I think it helps remind us we need to examine the "why" behind the way we act and the things we say.

"A person's life is reflection of his heart. Proverbs 4:23 states it like this: 'Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.' The word picture here is graphic. This theme is restated elsewhere in the Bible. The behavior a person exhibits is an expression of the overflow of the heart. You could picture it like this. The heart determines behavior. What you say and do expresses the orientation of your heart . . . Luke 6:45 corroborates this point: 'The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.'"

5. Check out what I made! I am loving this wreath. The directions are here. I followed them pretty much exactly except that I used three sheets of each color felt (except for brown---only used one sheet of brown). It cost me a little more to make it because I had to buy a hot glue gun. Now I just need to hang it on the door!

Lizard, Lizard

Brennan loves to stick out his tongue. When he does it, he looks like a lizard. Now he has learned to stick out his tongue on demand when we say, "Lizard, lizard." I wanted to get it on video. I was completely unsuccessful, but what I did get was pretty funny. He obviously loves to squeal too!

When I imported the squealing video, I found some other videos.

This is one of me tickling Brennan while saying the ABCs. Please excuse my giant knee that is in the shot.

This is one of Brennan in his (well it is actually Adah's) jumper.

Dear Brennan,

Today you are 8 months old! These eight months have flown by and with the holidays quickly approaching, I feel like you'll be one in the blink of an eye! Here's a little bit about what you've been up to this past month.

You are wearing mainly 6-9 month clothes still. You can already fit into some things that say 12 months, which blows my mind. I think I need to buy you a winter coat. I think you have some hand-me-downs that are too big. But I guess I need to check your closet before I go out and buy you something new! You are wearing size 3 diapers and should be in those for quite a long time. You squirm a lot more during diaper changes now, so changing you is a little more difficult.

You are getting more used to restaurant high chairs. You are almost sitting up by yourself. You seem to be even better at it just this morning. I thought you were ready to do it several months ago, but that was just a fluke. Now you'll sit for a little bit and then fall backwards. At restaurants I will sometimes stuff a blanket in the high chair with you to help keep you from sinking down. We just went out to dinner Saturday night with Beth and Luke and you were great there! You love your high chair at home, so that's good. You continue to do great in your car seat and stroller. You like every stroller I've ever put you in. In the Chicco stroller, you like to sit up straight and not be buckled in, so I leave the feet raised up so you can't fall through. It makes your legs all swished up, but you seem to like it. We try to go on a walk around the block each night and you love it. You also do pretty well at Stroller Strides in the mornings, but you start to get tired and usually end up fussing a little bit.

You are still a pretty good eater, but I think having an ear infection recently made you not quite as hungry. You usually still eat four times each day and get solids at three of those meals. You've continued to add more fruits and veggies to your diet and you definitely prefer fruits! Sometimes it is hard to get you to eat your green veggies, but just last night you ate all green beans without spitting any out! We've been trying to get you to eat some puffs or Cheerios the past month, but you haven't been interested until just the past few days. You haven't put any your mouth yourself, but when I place a puff in your mouth, you don't freak out anymore. Just yesterday I watched your mouth move and up and down as you were "chewing" it up. You still don't have any teeth (where are those suckers??). You use your sippy everyday with water in it. I still don't think you drink that much out of it, but you do like to chew on it, so I guess that's something. Occasionally you will get a bottle, but not very often.

Sleeping is still going well, although again the ear infection (I'm assuming) has affected your naps some. You usually go to bed for the night around 7-7:30. I feed you, give you a bath, read you the book Time for Bed and your Bible story, sing Jesus Loves Me, and then lay you down. You don't get swaddled at night anymore!!! I am glad because I was beginning to think your college roommate was going to have to swaddle you! I decided to try you unswaddled during naps one day because you kept busting your feet out of the swaddle. Your arms haven't been swaddled down for months, so I figured it was about time. It went so well at naptime that I decided to try it at night and it worked too! You usually wake up for an early feeding between 6-7am, but will go right back to sleep afterwards and wake up between 8-8:30 most days.

You usually take two good naps during the day and maybe a short one before bed. Stroller Strides interferes with your first nap, so those days you usually only take two. Last Thursday you took a 3 hour and 45 minute nap, but that is NOT normal! The past few days I have been swaddling you again during naps just to see if you would sleep a little longer. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with the length of your nap though. I think you are starting to extended your wake time, so I need to watch your cues more closely so I don't lay you down too early. Sometimes it takes you longer to fall asleep and I will hear you in your crib just babbling to yourself. It is very cute!

Let's see what else...you started swim classes and really enjoy those. You're a champ in the church nursery on Sundays most of the time. You're hair sticks straight up most days now even if I try to brush it down flat. Your face breaks out in hives (or something similar to that) if Ringo licks you in the face, so we have to be extra careful of that now. Speaking of Ringo, you LOVE him and cackle when he does lick you. You also love the cats. As I mentioned earlier, you had your first ear infection and still seem to be recovering from that. You still have never rolled over from your back to your tummy. You aren't crawling yet and do not like to be on your stomach, but Mommy makes you do it for a little bit each day. You love being outside. You picked out your first pumpkin just the other day. You still love bath time. Your workbench is your favorite toy. You say "ba ba ba ba" all day long right now. You still spit up a lot and Mommy is hoping you outgrow that soon. You have the greatest laugh and you laugh a lot!

Goodness that is a lot of stuff! It's wild to think how many more things you'll be doing just within the next month. In just a week and half we are traveling to Atlantic City to see your Ga-Ga and Ge-Ge, so that will be exciting. Everyday is exciting though! You are such a good baby and I love you so very much!

Love,

Mommy

Brennan back at 7 months!

Brennan today at 8 months!

B.F. Clyde's

We took Brennan to B.F. Clyde's Cider Mill. Friday was a gorgeous day, so when Kyle got home from work and Brennan woke up from his nap, we decided it would the perfect day to go. As we were pulling out of the driveway, our friends the Cols called us and asked if we'd like to meet them at Clyde's Saturday morning. Kyle laughed and said we were actually currently headed there, but that we'd still love to meet up with them the next morning. So we back today! Between the two days we took over 100 pictures! Brennan was so cute in the pumpkins, but was very distracted and not wanting to smile for the camera very often. We did manage to get several cute shots! And Brennan picked out his first pumpkin!

WARNING! Tons of pictures coming up!!!

Friday's Fab Five

Check out some of the fabulousness that's been happening around here!

1. Last Saturday we went to the zoo with Josh, Amanda, and Adah!










2. Last week I mentioned that I had printed off this prayer calendar for praying for your child. This week I found something else I really liked. It is an old post from the blog Bring the Rain. The entire blog is amazing and you should check it out, but I really like the seven prayers a day I found here. I went ahead and copied them into this post too. The writer picked seven regular events that happen with her children each day and used them as a reminder to pray for her children throughout the day.

1. When they wake up: "Let the morning bring (child's name) word of your unfailing love, for she has put her trust in You. Show (her/him) the way (she/he) should go, for to you (he/she) lifts up her soul." (Adapted from Psalm 143:8)

2. When they are getting dressed: "Therefore, as God's chosen child, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Lord, help (him/her) bear with others and forgive whatever grievances (he/she) has against others. Help (him/her) forgive as the Lord forgave (him/her). And over all these virtues, help (him/her) put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Adapted from Colossians 3:12-14)

3. While they are eating: "Teach (child's name) the secret of being content in any and every situation whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Teach (him/her) that (he/she) can do everything through him who gives (him/her) strength." (Adapted from Philippians 4:12-13)

4. When they go out of the house: "(Name of child), do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Adapted from Romans 12:2)

5. While they are taking a bath: Lord, give (name of child) clean hands and a pure heart, and let (him/her) not lift (his/her) soul to an idol or swear by what is false. Let (him/her) receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God (his/her) Savior. Let (him/her) be part of the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. (Adapted from Psalm 24:4-6)

6. When they are going to bed: "The Lord Your God is with you; he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, be will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

7. While they are sleeping: "I pray that (name of child) will do everything without complaining or arguing, so that he/she may become blameless and pure, a child of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which he/she shines like a star in the universe as he/she holds out the word of life-in order that he/she may boast on the day of Christ that he/she did not run or labor for nothing." (Adapted from Philippians 2:14-16)

3. We went to OCF Wednesday night for the first time in several weeks. It was nice to visit with everyone. It starts at 7pm and goes until 10pm, which is just too late for Brennan. He was great though and slept in the pack-n-play during Bible study.

4. Kyle and I are reading Love and War by John and Stasi Eldredge together. I am glad I have a husband who will read books with me!

5. I have so many books to read right now and can't wait to read them all! I am loving how much time staying at home with Brennan is giving me to study and read on my own. I've added all kinds of new blogs to my daily reading list. I have visited the Focus on the Family website, which has some really great information.