Can You See The Comparison?

The grasshead stocking stuffer given to me for Christmas from Cary

Let me know if you need a hint!

Brylee's Busy Weekend!

From the pictures, you'll be able to see that Brylee had quite a week, and weekend!

This week we decided to approach her rice cereal again, this time in a different way. I guess you could say it was the doctor's recommended way to try. Perhaps she's onto something...

This time around, Brylee is accepting this food so much better, and will actually finish off the bowl!














Her daddy put together her high chair on Thursday, and we stuck her right in, she didn't freak out, and now enjoys being able to sit there with us as we eat. And it has wheels, so we can pull her anywhere with us!


More firsts for this week: I now have to pack away all clothing that is 0-3 months. She is now wearing 3 months, and slowly (well, not really) growing into the 3-6 month clothing. Oh my!

The outfit she has on here is one that she got from my parents for Christmas. It is super cute (I like the hat the best), but since it is velvet, I have a feeling she won't get to wear it much with the sweltering summer right around the corner. I took advantage of her being indoors yesterday and put it on her. The pants legs reach all the way down, but the way she was sitting here makes it look like shorts!




We tested her out in my old rocking chair this weekend, too. This rocking chair was originally my uncle Bill's, but I also got it when he grew out of it. Now she gets to play with it! She doesn't sit up completely on her own yet, but with her T-Ma crouching nearby, Brylee got a chance to observe and enjoy it.








She also played out in my mom's garden, sitting in a pot, and on the edge of her 'ring', looking at the flowers, grass, and even Chester running around like crazy playing ball.





She even sat outside for a short time after her daddy and Opa put up the new sun shade that was purchased for the summer.





I love the spring, and wish that the weather would stay this beautiful a lot longer before the dreaded heat came around. She's learning so much, and I feel like that heat might inhibit some of that because her mommy turns into a lazy, over-heated blob when it reaches 90!






The daycare also warned that she is showing signs of teething now. And with my mom stating the same thing, we are now preparing for the excessive drooling that I have heard so much about. Hopefully she won't be overly sensitive though!





All weekend long, she laughed and talked out loud, loving when her belly was blown, and squealing so much. She loves to copy you when you talk, and at times it sounds like she says 'hi'. She smile is getting bigger and more precious all the time, and her personality is really shining through.






After such a big weekend for her, she slept well!

An Artful Weekend

On Friday night, Cary and I got to go enjoy the spring evening in Ft. Worth at their annual Main Street Art Fair. We have been 3 years now, and every year I seem to enjoy it more. This year, I even found 2 artists I really enjoy:

Jennifer O'Meara Gallery of Window Gardens

Heather Yoki-Sanchez

Someday, when we have walls to fill up, I'll be getting some of their work to decorate with!

The evening was wonderful, with the weather perfect and the variety of art that is out there. Other than the crowded streets (you are pretty much pushed along with the people surrounding you), the only downfall are the people who light up cigars. Please, people, think about others before you insist on bringing cigars to that environment!

On Saturday, Cary and I headed to Downtown Dallas where we visited the Dallas Museum of Art and their exhibit Lens of Impressionism.

I don't know a lot about art, but I did enjoy seeing black and white photography on a wall next to a painting. Especially when the subjects were the same: one showing what the time was like, and then the other showing the emotions of it.

After checking out the exhibit and other exhibits (chocolate!), we headed out into the gorgeous Dallas day and decided to walk around a bit. We even found a little pizza restaurant to eat at, and walked to the Thanksgiving building a few blocks away. There was even a young girl dressed in a beautiful pink dress, probably for her quinceanera.
Just as I convinced Cary to take this picture of her walking down the sidewalk, a horse-drawn carriage turned the corner. What a magical scene!

What a glorious day!

After walking around for a bit, we headed back to the Coppell area where we picked up the little one, who had a busy weekend herself, and headed to my parents' for the evening. Dad even got a rare chance to go to a Globetrotter's game!

Taking A Moment To Brag About Daycare

Brylee's to be specific.

It is so hard to kiss her goodbye on a work-daily basis, but it has to be done (unless anyone has any great ideas on how I can work from home!). But it makes it so much easier to leave her with this group of people at Kids R Kids.

She has been in this daycare for almost 3 months, and I couldn't be happier with the decision of where she is! It costs an arm and a leg (well, does it really? I mean, how much do those cost anyways?), but the teachers (Ms. Maribel, Ms. Carol, and Ms. Cheryl + so many that come in to help out) are constantly having them do crafts, exercises, and reading books (to them).

The best part about all of these? Besides getting to take home the crafts, they also take pictures of the kids while they do them to send home with us!

Brylee was the smallest for the longest time, even after she was no longer the youngest. Now, there are 5 babies younger than her, one who was also a preemie, so when I see little Audrey, my heart melts remembering how Brylee used to be!

I found out that she will soon be along the finishing wall, as the cribs lined up go from youngest to oldest, and as soon as you are in the last wall, in the last crib, you are moved to the next room. How am I going to handle that?!?!

Another incredible part of this daycare is that they have video cameras set up in the rooms so you can check in on your child throughout the day. This used to be an additional charge, but for some reason now, it is included in the weekly charge (thank goodness!). I'm so happy to get to 'tune in' and watch my baby girl sleep, eat, or play on her favorite playmat.

If anyone is looking for a daycare, I cannot recommend Kids R Kids enough. They teach sign language, Spanish, and love to play with textures (mashed potato art!). It is so nice to know my child isn't just sitting there, in a crib, all day long or being ignored. They work with all the children, and it seems that they love the children as if they are their own.

Thank you Kids R Kids, particularly Ms. Maribel, Ms. Carol, and Ms. Cheryl for making leaving my little love every day a little easier. I know she is well cared for!

Blog Of The Month: cjane enjoy it

I have a confession to make: it took me at least 2 months to read this blog. She started it back in 2005 and has several entries, laying out her life for all to read.

This blog also inspired me to create Blog Of The Month. I woke up one morning, anxious to read more of her posts, and thought to myself: "I want to spread the word about her. How do I do that?" Hence this thing called Blog Of The Month.

I discovered this blog after I discovered last month's blog, Nie Nie. This is her sister, C Jane, who took in Nie Nie's children after the tragic event. She , with the help of her family, even told Nie Nie's story to the world until her little sister was able to do so again.

Easily in my top favorites right now, C Jane has an amazing combination of humor, emotion, hope, and narcissm bundled up perfectly in extremely clever writing--Oh how I admire her writing style! She inspires me to reach into the depths of my writing creativity and bring every sentence to life.

Here are 3 examples of her posts, that inspires one to just keep reading:

http://blog.cjanerun.com/2008/09/unexplained-infertility-now-explained.html

She originally started her blog to talk about her infertility and the emotional roller coaster she experienced. This post is about her niece, Claire, and her son after Claire's parents' plane crash. A very touching post.

http://blog.cjanerun.com/2009/06/nothing-to-hyde.html

As I read this one, I had running in my head, "This is exactly how I feel about Cary!". She somehow dove into my head, pulled out the words that somehow never had shape in my brain, and then put them onto her blog. I forgive her. Just as long as she continues to do it and I read it...

http://blog.cjanerun.com/2010/02/customer-service.html

This one just cracked me up. What a funny gal!

I hope these posts inspire you to start reading her story from the beginning. It might take a while but it is so worth it!

For next month, I'm reading:

Steece's Pieces

Happy reading!

Baby Product Review: Nosefrida

(photo coursety of Babies R Us)

Anyone ever hear of this thing?



I learned of it from one of my co-workers who has 2 little ones. She raved about this product, and whenever I checked out the reviews online, I saw tons of additional positive comments. So Cary and I decided to check it out.



This is the weirdest, possibly most gross-me-out concept, but it works. It is a nasal aspirator that is not like the bulb syringes. You put one end against the baby's nostrils, and the other end...in your mouth. Inhale with your mouth, and you have suction that reminds you of a tiny vaccum cleaner.

No worries! There is a filter that is in the tube, which keeps gunk coming up. And the tube is big enough that I have yet to worry about that filter becoming the only safety net between my mouth and gooby-boogers.

Unfortunately, Brylee screams like she is dying when we use this to unclog her nose, but afterwards, it is very obvious how much better she breathes. And with a less invasive tool!

I would love to give this to my friends as a gift for their new babies, but I know that it is a gross concept. But perhaps I will do so anyways, just because it might be a stress-saver for them in the future!

Is The Grass Really Greener On The Other Side?

Last Wednesday we had a celebration to say 'Bon Voyage' to one of our co-workers who is moving on to bigger and better things: becoming a housewife. Yes: newly married, no kids, and getting to stay at home to clean, socialize, and travel at her leisure. Her husband works for a major airline company, so they will be doing a lot of the travel thing. First on the agenda? An Alaskan cruise.

I found myself incredibly jealous of this lady. Ever since Brylee came into our lives, I have wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. Watch every moment of my child learn and grow, keep the apartment clean, have dinner ready when the hubby gets home, go out and spend the day with other stay-at-home moms.

Yeah, right.

In the last 20 weeks I have realized that this is very much a hit-or-miss reality, especially the clean home and dinner ready scenarios. But what an amazing dream, right? Or is it?

Whenever I find myself off in this dream world, I have to remember some very important, specific things, besides the fact that I don't wear dresses, aprons, pearls, and live in the '50s (and just why not?!?!):

• Brylee is doing amazing at daycare. She is socializing and making friends. She is learning how to not be number 1 all the time, to share, and enjoy other's company. Even at 4 months she is learning this, and hopefully will continue that in her growth through her life.


• I would go crazy. During the 8 weeks I was off for maternity leave, I got lazy and even a little cabin fever. Sure, I was also recovering from a major surgery and learning how to be a mom. Now I'm not afraid to put my kid into the carrier and run off to go somewhere just for a change of atmosphere. But what I think about doing and what I actually do can end up being 2 very different things.


• Not to mention, work is currently my social place (which I need to work on). Would I really go to Mommy's Day Out with the church, or would I end up locking myself indoors, not talking to anyone? Conversation is so much easier to have with your husband when there are actually things to talk about besides what was on tv that day...


• We can't afford it. No. Let me rephrase that: we can afford it. Just not live with the comfort of knowing I like to spontaneously buy little things for our little one (and us). Not unless Cary can get a pay increase at his job of at least what I am making now. Anyone willing to do that for us so I can be lazy? Is it worth putting that kind of stress on Cary? (no)


• I am now looking into potentially getting my psychology degree for counselling. My job would help pay for that education. Without this job, it just becomes an added bill.

As much as the stay-at-home life seems to be so appealing to me right now, I have to realize that I would find negatives in it, just as I do with every job I have ever had. I have to remind myself that I am truly blessed to have a job with a steady income, that is 5 minutes from home, a daycare that is just as close to both work and home (that I have to write a bragging post about), a healthy baby and husband (as well as myself and the mutt), a nice roof over our heads, and cars that work.

Maybe someday in the future the watching-my-kids grow opportunity will come to me and I'll know that I can do it right. But until then, I'll have to stare at the greener pastures that lay in front of me, just out of reach.

Brylee's First Easter

And what a 1st Easter it was! This child is truly blessed (and not because of all the candy and gifts she got, but because of her family).

I started off the holiday weekend by taking off on Thursday for Spring Cleaning. Now, growing up, I despised cleaning. I kept everything somewhat tidy, in hopes that I wouldn't have to do more than needed. Now I blame my mom for passing on some kind of disease, some kind of cleaning illness. I bet she wrapped it up in some tiny box and gave it to me as a wedding gift. I HAD to go through and clean the apartment, head to toe, with no one else there. Just Chester and me. I am happy, though, because I got everything checked off of my list, except for dusting. Whoo hoo!

On Friday, what was originally going to be a trip to Sulphur Springs to visit family, turned into a day of semi-lazy fun. Breakfast consisted of eggs, maple sausage, biscuits, and orange juice (a vacation staple for Cary's family that I made as an Easter 'gift' to him). We then visited the Observation tower at DFW airport, where even Brylee watched an airplane land. We took a couple of trips to some stores, and then just lazed around the house for the evening, enjoying a movie and no where to be.

On Saturday, Cary and I dropped off Chester at my parents' house and then met his parents up for the drive to Sulphur Springs. Brenda and Gary gave Brylee some of the cutest Easter gifts: rubber duckies, one with Bunny ears and tail on it, and some books for her to look at. Needless to say, I was more entertained by the gifts than she was (for now--she is getting more alert everyday!)

The trip was changed to this day because storms were supposed to be in on Friday, and we didn't want to travel during that. Brenda and I rode in the backseat, pretty much watching Brylee sleep the entire time (thank goodness-she slept going to and from!). We ate at Mema's, and then went outside into her back yard to take pictures of Brylee in her cute Easter dress. We got some cute pictures of her, but unfortunately the sun was shining pretty bright in her little eyes.

After driving home (with a quick stop at Mary's at Puddin Hill--Brylee isn't the only one who is spoiled--thank you Gary!), we headed over to my parents' house again to drop off Brylee for the night.

Mom was so excited about having her little grandbaby over for the night, and couldn't wait to give her all the Easter gifts she had. Her rewards? Chocolate, chocolate, more chocolate (yay me and Cary!), some quarters (time to get a piggy bank!), and some Easter books to read through. Cary and I were even spoiled with (yet more) chocolate. Ahh...the life of having a young one who can't eat solids yet!

Cary and I took an evening to relax and saw a movie, How To Train Your Dragon. It was a good movie--I enjoyed it!

After the movie, we went home to make Banana Pudding for the Easter gathering on Sunday. After that? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.............

On Sunday morning, Cary and I went to church (excellent service) and then to my parents' house again to pick up the kid and help transport things to my uncle's house. Only, they had already left! With everything! (including our kid, some of her toys, and our food!). So Cary and I drove to Bill's house and joined in the fun and entertainment.

Bill cooked a delicious ham, mashed potatoes, pork ribs, steamed veggies, and mom made broccoli rice casserole, Grandpa brought rolls and potato salad, and topped it off with banana pudding. What a meal!

The afternoon was spent watching everyone bowl on the Wii, having Brylee watch the fish in Bill and Ivan's saltwater aquarium, and catching up with family (Grandma Jarvis joined us for the delicious meal as well).

Needless to say, we went home tired. We did whatever we could to just hang out at the apartment all evening so that we could relax a little.

Brylee also managed to get from her parents some sidewalk chalk (I know, still a little young for it), some chicks for the egg game (putting them on spoons and trying to not drop them as you head for the finish line--still a bit young), and a silly snail that wiggles when you pull the string. And...candy. Yes, I know. We have enough for a while. No, no. We don't need anymore. Do you want some? We'll be glad to give it away...

Now for the post(s) I wanted to write regarding this most beautiful holiday:

I hope everyone took a moment to remember what the significance of Good Friday and Easter is. It's not about dressing up in your prettiest frocks, hunting bunnies hiding eggs, or eating lots and lots (and lots) of chocolate. Those are all fun, wonderful ways to spend a gorgeous day outside in Spring, but it is more than that. So much more.

Good Friday and Easter are what determined that even though we live life, it gave us the opportunity to LIVE.

Hallelujah--He is Risen!!!

Brylee's Gift For Easter

Here is what Brylee did for her grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousin for Easter:

See the purple one on the far right above? That's Chester's paw print--the other side has Brylee's hand print. My parents loved it!

Does Anyone Else Find This Disturbing?

Spring Beauty

Look at the gorgeous tulips my parents sent me!

At work on Monday, I was called by one of our security guards at work to come see him at his station. On the way down, I wondered if something had happened to my car. I mean, why else, would I be called?!

When I got there, he pointed to a vase of beautiful flowers--for me!

Thank you so much mom and dad! They light up our apartment beautifully, and I love to look at them all the time!