Young Adult Fellowship

Earlier this evening the Young Adult Sunday school class at our church had a get together up at Bethel Park (land owned by GHBC in Ledyard, CT). Kyle and I haven't been back to Sunday school since Brennan was born. We have to be at church early on Sunday mornings for praise team practice and I end up having to feed Brennan during Sunday school, so the timing doesn't work out so well for us. It was good to fellowship with everyone. Kyle and I invited a lot of new couples that just recently started going to our church and some that haven't attended before, so it was also a good outreach.

It was certainly hot out there, but Brennan managed to get lots of loving. Enjoy some pictures of our day!

I think he looks so cute in his little hat!

Here is our Sunday school teacher, Arla, holding B. What a good smile for Daddy!

Here is our friend Amanda and her daughter, Emma.

Friday's Fab Five - SUYL - Meet Val

Happy Friday! Welcome to a very special (and early) edition of Friday's Fab Five!

Over at Kelly's Korner, people are linking up and sharing about their single friends.

I would like for you to meet my {FABULOUS} friend Valerie. She is 32 years old, a music teacher, and lives in Connecticut.


What makes her fabulous? I could come up with WAY MORE than five things, but you'll have to let me know if you'd like more information!

1. She is an amazing Christian! As she says on her blog, she's "just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life, trying to do my best for the Lord each day." She is actively involved at our church. She serves with the youth group and is a mentor for the teens both in and out of church.

2. She's a super talented musician! As I mentioned before she is a music teacher. She teaches at an inner city middle school and does an amazing job. She plays the flute. She also sings in the choir and praise team at church.

3. She loves her family. She is a wonderful daughter, sister, and aunt. She would do anything for her family.

4. She has a great sense of humor. If you spend more than five minutes with Val, you'll be laughing. She is always looking for the positive in all situations!

5. She is a fabulous friend! She has been there for me in good times and bad. She is a great listener and gives great advice, even if it is hard to hear at the time.

Basically...she's awesome! And I cannot wait to see the fabulous man God is going to place into her life.

Finally, here are some words from Val. She says she's a lover of: jesus, the red sox, my friends, washing dishes, all things pink, praise and worship, naps, my family, hanging out, fenway park, my car and the rockers on my parent's front porch.

Want more info?!?!

Leave a comment with your email address!

Family Cookout!

On Saturday we drove up to Southington to Uncle Billy and Aunt Sherri's house. Uncle Tommy and Aunt Wanda were up visiting from Kentucky. Beth, Luke, and Taylor were there too! It was neat having some of that side of the family together because it was Mamaw's birthday. We all miss her very much and many of the foods we were eating reminded us of her! Brennan certainly got spoiled. Probably just a little preview of how spoiled he will get when we travel to Kentucky in a little over a week. Although I'm not sure we're going to be able to get his Geegee to put him down!

Here's Brennan and Miley (Beth and Luke's dog).


Here's Brennan with Billy and Sherri.


Here's Brennan with Tommy and Wanda.


Here's Brennan with Beth and Luke.


Here's Brennan with Taylor. He would only hold him while sitting down.




Here's the whole gang (minus Kyle who was taking the picture).


And one more (minus Taylor who was taking the picture).


Nice funny face Kyle!

Dear Brennan,

Happy 5 month birthday! I am in complete and utter disbelief that you are already five months! Time is flying by and every single stage seems more exciting than the one before. Here are some of the things you've been doing lately.

I packed away more clothes recently. A ton more clothes! I can't believe how many outfits you've outgrown already. Mommy and Daddy are thankful for all the hand-me-downs you received before you were born. It's like Christmas when I start going through your dresser because I find things I had forgotten about it. You are wearing mostly 3-6 months clothes and even some 6 month things. I have to avoid clothes shopping for you because I think things are so cute and could easily get carried away. Besides, you do not need any new clothes right now. You have so many! You have moved to size 2 diapers now.

After you turned 4 months, we were contemplating giving you rice cereal. We did start that. You LOVE it. I think you are certainly ready for more baby food. You get so excited when the spoon is coming towards your mouth. You are also much more aware of everyone's food now. It's really hard for Mommy to eat if you're in my lap because you are grabbing at everything. I've given you some practice with water in a sippy cup. You love to hold the cup, put it in your mouth, and chew it, but aren't too sure about drinking it yet. We did just start putting a little prune juice in your rice cereal because you don't seem too happy about the new stuff that is filling up your diaper! We also bought you some oatmeal cereal that is higher in fiber to see if that will help. This week we will start feeding you sweet potatoes and see how you like those! You eat all your "solid" food meals in your high chair now. It reclines, so it is perfect for feedings!

Ready to eat!


You still "talk" a lot. When we go to Stroller Strides in the mornings, all the mommies laugh because you talk so much. You are getting so good at using your hands. You can put your binky back in your mouth now, which is good because you also rip it out all the time. You can pull your froggy on your bouncy seat and make it play music now. You can press buttons on your musical toys too. It is so neat watching you grow and develop. You still can't quite roll from your back to your tummy. You can make it onto your side, but that's it. You practice sitting up a lot now. I put the Boppy behind you so you learn to balance and you sit in your Bumbo sometimes. You can sit all by yourself for a few seconds if Mommy helps you get balanced first!

You still don't have any teeth yet, but LOVE chewing on things. You chew on your Binky a lot now. Your hands are always in your mouth.

We are getting ready to go on your first airplane ride later this month! I hope you do really well. I think you'll do great because you are such a super baby. You are doing well at naptime and bedtime. We have a new naptime routine now. Mommy used to rock you to sleep at naptime and have to guess when it was "safe" to get up and lay you down. I got tired of that, so we changed it up. Now we go into your room and you sit in Mommy's lap while I read "First 100 Words". Then I play "2 minutes of bedtime music" on Scout. I rock you during those 2 minutes, then swaddle you, and lay you down. You are always swaddled now with one or both arms out, so I think you might be ready to sleep unswaddled. Bedtime routine is the same; we just added a cereal feeding to it. You eat cereal, get a bath, breastfeed, I read you your Bible story, you get swaddled, I sing "Jesus Loves Me", and lay you down. You are still waking around 5:30am for a feeding right now. I thought you were dropping that feeding when you went three nights in a row without waking then, but now it's back. It works well though because I can do a quick feeding and you go right back to bed. Then you sleep until time to eat before Stroller Strides.

You bring so much joy to my life! It seems hard to believe that you'll be half a year old next month! I love you very very much and feel so blessed to be your Mommy!

Love,
Mommy

Brennan at 4 months


Brennan today at 5 months


And we'll finish with a close-up

Friday's Fab Five

It's easy to pick out fabulous things from this past week because this has been a big week in our household!

1. On Saturday we went to a Fourth of July (on July 3rd) cookout. Friends from church host this cookout every year and it is always fun to visit and fellowship with people. It's also a great outreach because we can invite neighbors to the event too! Amanda and I bought matching outfits for Brennan and Adah.

We tried to get a good picture of them together.

This was the best one.


They also had a little kiddie pool set up in the yard. Brennan loves the water, so we went to check it out. He was so slippery from all the sunscreen that I was having a hard time holding onto him since I wasn't in the pool too. I looked around for something I could rig up to help him sit or float and found a life jacket. It was huge, but it worked. He looked so cute!




2. Monday was my 28th birthday! It was a pretty relaxing day, which was exactly what I needed. I feel like my birthdays haven't been that big of a deal for a while now and now that I'm a mom I feel like they are even less of a big deal. I ended my big day by watching The Bachelorette with Christie. We also watched the Jake and Vienna interview and felt embarrassed for them.

3. Wednesday was Kyle's 29th birthday! Again we just had a pretty relaxing day. He didn't have to work long and then we went to OCF that night.

4. Yesterday was our 4 year anniversary! I told you it was a big week around here! We went to dinner last night at David Burke Prime in Foxwoods Casino. It was really good and when you finish your meal, they bring cotton candy to your table for dessert. It was pretty sweet! We ate a late dinner so Brennan was already asleep when we left. Thanks Val and Amanda for staying at the house!

5. And a huge praise because Brennan's eyes seem all cleared up now! I noticed he had a blocked tear duct last Wednesday and he ended up getting one in both eyes. Now they seem as good as new though!

Have a wonderfully fabulous weekend!

A Quick Hello

Brennan just wanted to say quick hello.

Friday's Fab Five

Here's the list for this week!

1. Oh my goodness the weather! The weather has been incredible the past few days! It has been in the mid-60s during my Stroller Strides workouts with zero humidity. The AC is off and the windows are open. Amazing! New England summers are pretty nice!

2. I went and saw Eclipse on Wednesday! I couldn't bring myself to stay up or fight the crowds to go to a midnight showing on Tuesday. I liked it much more than New Moon and found myself laughing a lot. Kyle actually wants to see it, so I will probably go back with him soon. He watched Brennan on Wednesday so I could go.

3. I mentioned last week that I held an online Thirty-One party. The orders already came in and the stuff looks great! I love my bags. They seem much bigger in person, so that was a pleasant surprise. I am actually considering having another one!

4. I am looking forward to this 4-day weekend! Kyle says that every single day is a Saturday to me now that I'm not working, but he is off today and Monday! Today we are going to IKEA. Tomorrow we have a cookout at some friends and dinner with my cousin. We might try to go to Buttonwood Farm on Monday. Have a wonderful Fourth of July!

5. I have to share this picture of Brennan. I just think his face is priceless. He is so good at holding up his head now. I have been trying to put him in the Bumbo or propped up with the Boppy more often so he gets practice with sitting.


On a sad note Brennan currently has a blocked tear duct! I noticed it after nap on Wednesday and I'm hoping it goes away today. We have been keeping it clean and he doesn't seem bothered by it, but it is breaking my heart because it is puffy and red around the eye.

Have a wonderful weekend!