Peyton

I'm at the beach, so an update will have to wait. I have an urgent prayer request for you all though. One of my students from this past year, Peyton, was in a bad car wreck Monday night. According to her uncle's girlfriend, who was our family preservation counselor this year, they weren't sure she was going to make it Monday night. But she did. She has a broken back in 3 places and is in ICU in Roanoke. Her mom has a broken ankle/foot, broken ribs, and some other serious injuries. Please pray for Peyton as she in much pain, but thank God isn't paralyzed and has even started walking a little bit. She should be leaving ICU in the next day or two is what I understand. Please pray for her mom, Amy, and her dad, Scott. I just found out yesterday, and honestly, I'm glad I didn't know on Monday night when it was so much more grim looking. I'm thankful she is already making progress and is stable.

Thirty-One

Proverbs 31:10-31 (New International Version)

10 [a] A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

15 She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.

16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

29 "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

31 Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Ok, so I don't technically select wool and flax. And I bring my food from Kroger, which isn't really "afar". But, I do strive to be this kind of wife and mother. I fail miserably most of the time, but it's definitely my goal.

I recently became a consultant for Thirty-one Gifts which is a company that sells bags, purses, and other fun things. It's actually founded on the concept of the virtuous woman that Proverbs 31 talks about. Jonathan and I realized that my student loans were the big thing holding us (me) back from being able to possibly live on one income and for me to stay home with Brenna. So, I'm hoping to be able to make a little extra money by selling these bags. Thus my lack of blogging. I've had my first three (and only potential, so far) parties this week - Sunday night, Monday night, and Wednesday night. It's going well so far, and I hope this will be a great thing for my family.

So there's my excuse for not blogging lately. But, I'll have a new excuse this upcoming week - tomorrow starts Sheri's wedding weekend and all the festivities and then Sunday we leave for the beach! Enjoy the last week of July! :)

Mom-Suit

So it's no secret that my body is DEFINITELY not back to where it was when I got pregnant with Brenna. In fact, it's really no secret that my body wasn't where it was on my wedding day on the day I got pregnant with Brenna. Simply put, I was about 10 pounds heavier than I would have liked when I got pregnant. Then add 40 pounds. I'm honestly not sure how the 40 pounds happened. I honestly didn't eat much different when I was pregnant than I do when I'm not pregnant. I would say I'm more healthy than most people but less healthy than some for sure. I buy low fat/reduced sodium/low calorie foods, but I don't refuse to eat much. I'll have ice cream often, but it's always 50% reduced fat. I'll have chocolate, but I try to opt for the lowest calorie/fat combo. I pretty much refuse doughnuts, milkshakes, and butter except on special occasions. All of this to say, I still gained 40 pounds, but if I had done the pregnancy overeating - it would have probably been much worse. I admit I didn't exercise like I should have during my pregnancy. I started out strong but then I started feeling some cramps when I would workout, and it freaked me out. Miscarriages, I think, make you worry about things so much more. So there's my excuse for that.

Anyhow, is Brenna worth it? Oh, without a doubt. But, I'm still not super thrilled with the way I look. I had lost about 20+ pounds by the time she was 2 weeks old. But then it pretty much halted. I wasn't really working out, besides the occasional walk, but I was nursing. That's supposed to melt the pounds off, right? Well, not so much. In my world of friends who lost all their baby weight plus some just from nursing, I was/am the exception. So, I realized I needed to get in gear. I joined the gym that has a daycar and Brenna and I have been going almost religiously during the week - and then I try to head out during the weekends, too. I'm down about 7 pounds. As of this morning I still have 14 pounds to go to get back to my weight at the very beginning of my pregnancy. I have hopes of knocking much of this off this summer. The tricky thing is that I'm still nursing exclusively, so my main concern is making sure Brenna is getting all she needs. If I start feeling like she isn't getting her "fair share" then the 14 pounds can stay. I'm hoping for a healthy baby AND a healthy mama.

So, back to the blog title. I bought a one piece bathing suit. That isn't THAT big of a deal for me, since I wore one piece bathing suits until I was out of college. (Reminder - I was 31 pounds heavier when I graduated high school than I am now postpartum. I lost 70 pounds during college.) I was really hoping to be back in my normal bathing suits by our beach trip, but seeing how that is 8 days away..... it isn't happening. So I sucked up my pride and ordered two mom suits. I tried to go as trendy and cute as possible without breaking the bank. I WILL enjoy the beach and not worry about my body the whole time. It won't be easy, but that's my goal. There's always next summer, right? So without further adeu (how do you spell that?)....I present you the mom suits.

*You didn't really think I'd post pictures of MYSELF in them, did you?

*And yes, they have straps. No need to worry about, ahem, gravity.

*And yes, they are the same suit in different colors. That's how I roll.

I Am Thankful

I don't really have a lot to say. I've had a few blogposts composed in my head, but I can't remember any of them right now. We've just been enjoying daily life - gym/nursery, naps, eating, playing, and the occasional errand and/or playdate. Life is good - and I dread August 23 more and more each day.

I've been thinking this week about how thankful I am at the point we are in our lives right now. So, in true Erin fashion, here's a list!
*I'm thankful for a healthy baby.
*I'm thankful for a fun, smiley baby.
*I'm thankful for summers off with her.
*I'm thankful that Maggie tolerates Brenna so well.
*I'm thankful we have a nice home (even though we hope to move soon!) that reflects who we are and what we love.
*I'm thankful we don't have to worry about little expenses - such as air conditioning, groceries, car repairs, etc.
*I'm thankful that my diaper obsession has subsided a bit - and I know Jonathan is, too!
*I'm thankful that Brenna sleeps so well at night (10-11 hours) and USUALLY takes pretty decent naps. I'm especially thankful for the 3 hour one yesterday.
*I'm thankful for a gym that I can go to and leave Brenna in the nursery and not worry about her.
*I'm thankful for friends who adore Brenna.
*I'm thankful for family who adore Brenna even more!

That's only about 3% of what I'm thankful for, but I hear a baby about to wake up, so this post is officially over. Oh, and I just remembered one of those posts in my head, so this may even be a double update today! :)

Cow Appreciation Day

Today is cow appreciation day. Yep, seriously, check it out! So, Brenna and I dressed ourselves up like cows (okay, I wore black pants and a white tshirt - but I DID take my dalmation hoodie and some ears I never put on) and headed out to our local Chick-fil-a to meet Lisa, her mama, and her soon-to-be-stepdaughter Em. We were seriously the center of attention. Apparently not that many people know about C.A.D. - and how it gets you free food! Yes, seriously, free CFA food! We each got a free combo and Brenna had what all good calves drink - milk! Well, she didn't have milk AT the restaurant, but you get the point. And so did Lisa's mom, who Brenna preceeded to throw up on. Wow, I'm rambling. Here are the pictures...

Sorry about the blue - Brenna, Erin, Lisa, and Em

Moooooooo

Brenna laughing at Em while Lea Beth held her

Mommy Cow and Baby Calf

She got a free CFA toy! :)

4 Month Well-Check

We survived our 2nd round of shots. She cried, I cried, and then we all got over it (kinda!) She ate in the car afterward and then slept for an hour or so when we got home. She ate again about 6:45 and played with me a bunch. She's sleeping again now. This is really similar to how she reacted last time (aka - same ol' Brenna after the tears) and we're thankful. Here's the highlights of the appointment:
*She weighed 13 pounds, 6 ounces. (31st percentile)
*She was 24.75 inches long. (55th percentile)
*Her head was 16.25 inches around. (47th percentile)
*She is growing great and he was really pleased that she can sit up unassisted for short periods of time.
*He thinks she has a little eczema on her belly but said we don't need to treat it. If we want to try to make it go away completely, the first step is for me to go off all dairy and see if that helps. We may try that after vacation since it's not a pressing issue and with eating out that'd be a rough time to start cutting out all dairy. Kelley, expect a phone call.
*He said we are free to start baby food whenever we want. I think we've decided to wait until at least 5 months to start unless she shows us otherwise. We may wait longer - we'll follow her lead!

Glad it's over and we don't have to do it again for 2 months. I dread when she remembers what goes on and gets scared before they even start the appointments.

4 Months Old (on the 4th of July)

Dear Brenna,

Today is your first 4th of July. Four months old on the fourth of July. Daddy and I were just talking yesterday about how sometimes it seems that you were just born yesterday and sometimes it seems like you've always been here with us. Life's funny like that. We're still enjoying getting to know you and learning with you. You're such a good, good baby and we're thankful for that, of course! Daddy commented today that everytime he looks at you, his heart just melts. He said, "I just can't get enough of her." I think that's a perfect description of how we feel about you!


Your appointment isn't until Tuesday (yep, more shots, I'm sorry sweet baby!) so I don't know how much you weigh or how tall you are. But, you're definitely growing. You are officially out of all your newborn size clothes (except shorts, they still fit) and are wearing 0-3 month and 3 month clothes. Today you even wore a 3-6 month dress, but it was definitely too big - but too cute not to wear to celebrate the 4th of July! You still wear your size small diapers and sleep in your one-sized BumGenius diapers. You don't have nearly as many leaks now that they fit better and this makes us all happy! I went to put you in your newborn shoes (that have always been too big) the other day - and they were too little! You're growing like crazy and getting so, so tall. I think you're the most beautiful baby I've ever seen. I think all mommies say this, but I don't think many people could argue with me about this. You get compliments everywhere we go.


This month you have really developed a lot of new skills. You love to reach for anything that is near you - toys, bibs, your clothes, mommy's purse, mommy's drink at dinner, etc. Anything is fair game (so you think!) and you are very persistent. You hate for things to be out of your reach. You can also take your paci out of your mouth - but you aren't as good at getting it back in. You're getting there, though. Yesterday you even pulled my glass of water toward you and put your mouth up to the edge. Sneaky little thing! You also try to hold your own bottle on the rare occasion you take a bottle. We're mainly nursing almost every feed now that I'm home for the summer. You are nursing 5 times a day - usually about 8:00-8:30 AM, 11:15-11:45 AM, 3:00-3:30 PM, 6:15-6:45 PM, and 9:30-10:00 PM. Everybody keeps asking me when I'm going to start you on solid food, and I'm not sure. We'll probably wait until you're 6 months old, but you may get cereal sooner than that because your reflux has become really bad. You're still spitting up a lot, but it doesn't seem to bother you that much.


You're still a champion sleeper. You take a long nap from about 9:30 until 11:15 or 11:30 and another one from about 1:45 until 3:15 or so. Sometimes you take one or two more short naps. We've started putting you down for bed between 9:30 and 10:00 and so far it's going really well. You usually wake up for good about 8:00 AM. I just love you for this!


Daddy put together your jumperoo and you love it. Your little feet don't quite hit the floor yet, but you love to just play with the toys that are on it - and you LOVE for me to bounce you in it. I know you'll love it when you can actually jump in it. You also still babble a lot and you love to talk to your stuffed animals. We've taken a million videos of this, don't worry. You love to "stand" with us holding you and your legs are so, so strong. You also like to sit up and face outward - and you love to talk to people when you are facing outward in my wrap when we run errands. Everybody loves to chat with you and I can't blame them! You have a favorite rattle that makes a loud, crinkling noise. You also love to pull the toys on your carseat. It's so fun to be driving down the road (thinking you are asleep) and hear you pull your musical ladybug. You're getting so smart! And, of course, you rolled over for the first time this month! I laid you on your playmat on Friday, June 18 as we packed to go out of town. I just had a feeling you were going to make it ALL the way over so I told Daddy to get the video camera out. But, it was too late. You did it so fast that he didn't have time to turn it on. I got a few pictures, but I couldn't wait to scoop you up and congratulate you. You're an old pro at it now and do it all the time. You still haven't made it back to your back from your belly, but you'll get there. It was fun to go to your first wedding (Daddy's cousin Kevin and and his sweet wife Julianna) and brag about you rolling over the day before. Everybody was SO proud of you.


This next month holds a lot of adventure - Daddy's in a wedding and Mommy's in another wedding so you'll get to go to both. We're also going to the beach with London and his family. But during the weeks I plan to just enjoy this time we have together because it's flying by! We love playtime during the day and you enjoy the nursery at the gym while mommy exercises. They love to see you coming and they love to hold you when you stay awake (which isn't often). I get so sad when I think about going back to work, so let's just not talk about it, okay? We've got almost two more months together, so let's make the most of it, sweet girl. There is no other way I'd rather spend my days.

I love you, my little Sprout!

Love, Mommy

Good Idea

Some of my blog friends have recently posted what a day in their life is like. This is a great idea - because I guarantee none of us will remember our daily schedules in a year - let alone when our kids are older. So, here is a typical day with Brenna and Mommy (and Maggie).

6:45 - Lately Brenna has been waking up at this time, but goes back to sleep when Daddy give her a paci before he goes to work.
8:00 - 8:30 - Brenna gets up (or gets woken up by Mom) and nurses.
9:00 - 10:30 - Mommy works out at the gym, Brenna stays in the nursery (sometimes naps, sometimes doesn't)
9:45 - 11:30 - Nap #1, Mommy does dishes/laundry/cleaning/
11:30 - Brenna nurses again
12:00 - 2:00 - We run errands, play with Brenna's toys (jumperoo, big, soft ball, read books), Mommy eats lunch with Brenna in her Bumbo usually, lots of diaper changes
2:00 - 3:30ish - Nap #2, Mommy showers, cleans, or naps for part of the time
3:30 - Brenna nurses for her 3rd feeding - usually a long one!
4:00 - 6:00 - We play some more, start dinner, wait for Daddy to get home, play with Dad, sometimes take a short nap (especially on Wed. on the way to church)
6:30 - Brenna nurses for her 4th feeding
6:45ish - Mommy and Daddy eat dinner with Brenna in her Bumbo pulling on ANYTHING she can touch
7:00 - 8:00 - Mommy runs errands or blogs or facebooks or does more laundry (diapers usually!), Daddy plays with Brenna
8:00ish - Brenna usually falls asleep again, but not always.
8:30ish - Brenna sometimes gets a bath, but not always.
9:30ish - I wake Brenna up to get her changed into PJs, nursed for her last feeding (again, usually a longer one!), then Daddy swaddles her up and puts her to bed in her crib.

I love our daily routine. It's fun that she's so flexible and allows me to run errands - like yesterday when we grocery shopped with her in her wrap facing outward - she LOVED it, and so did most of the people she "talked" to at the store! I also love just being at home with her and watching her grow and learn and explore. This time is so precious and I'm trying to just soak it up! :)