Toys...Toys...Toys...It starts!

Not only is our baby girl lifting her head high off the ground, she is also sitting in her boppy, shaking her rattle, and focusing on Sierra (our fur baby). I have been having a wonderful time taking pictures when I see Bria doing something new. Like I said before, I am not going to miss a moment of her growing up.

 Bria's first time sitting in her boppy. This is her favorite position now and cries when she lays down!

I received her first natural rattle/teether in the mail the other day, and the first thing I did was give it to Bria. The first thing she did was shake it and put it in her mouth. At this point, I can safely say that she is beginning to understand and be developmentally able to use toys!

Bria's very first seconds with her new natural toy!

Everyone who knows our dog Sierra, knows that she is wild and crazy! The first time we brought Bria home, was like we were holding hostage Sierra's favorite toy! Sierra would not stop pacing whenever someone was holding Bria. Whenever Bria was in her bassinet or playpen, Sierra would jump and try to get her. Needless to say, Sierra didn't get much freedom outside of her kennel for the longest time. It wasn't until my parent's recent visit to White Mountain that Sierra finally calmed down in the tiniest way. I really do think that my Dad knocked some sense into Sierra when he smacked her so hard his hand hurt when Sierra tried to get to Bria when he was holding her.

Now a week later? Sierra and Bria are beginning to be great friends...Okay, not great but we can have both of them "out" at the same time....Sierra even sits and watches during Tummy Time! Don't worry though, we still keep a very close eye on Sierra and she goes back in her kennel when she starts to lick her lips :)

Sierra says, "Wanna Play?" ....Bria says, "Are you kidding me?!" - Such a cute picture!

I'm sure there will be many more pictures with our two kids :)

It's another crazy weekend here in White Mountain as we are hosting the WISA (Western Interior Ski Association) meet! And Clint is traveling to Golovin for Peewee Basketball. As much as I love the fact that he is so involved, I can't wait til' this weekend is over and he doesn't have after school activities...We have to have some much needed family time with just the three of us! 

"I'm A Big Kid Now"

You know the jingle right? The one on the Huggies commercial?  It's been stuck in my head for a couple of days now.

I love all the little things that Bria is learning how to do. And I love how I am able to capture some of them on camera. Photographs, for me, have become so important that my camera is within reach everyday. I don't want to miss a thing with Bria because once that moment is past, it's never going to happen again. With the pictures that I have been taking, at least I can look back and remember what the feeling was like.

Bria laying on her new quilt blanket from a friend, looking at her shape beanbags.

She loved. LOVED the blue one and would follow it when I put it in different spots on the blanket.

So, Bria has reached yet another mile stone! It's been going by so fast I can barely wrap my head around it. Last night, Bria was surprisingly happy during Tummy Time! I think it's the fact that she is able to lift her head and look around...yes ladies and gentlemen, the babes can lift her head...Not just lift her head a little bit...She can lift her head high!



Isn't that the sweetest baby you have ever seen? I may be biased, but my golly... Look at those beautiful royal blue eyes!!

I had a wonderful time clapping, laughing and then crying at Bria's accomplishment.

I like this photo so much that I am entering it into a contest that has the caption "Sweet" over at the paper mama.

Play time...

There has been a lot going on the past couple of days with the 33rd Annual Biathlon & Ski Championships going on and Clint being one of the coaches. We haven't been to bed before 10:30 on Thursday or Friday night, so we have some very dark circles under our eyes (at least I DO!).

It's a pretty neat experience watching so many talented skiers from around our district, and it is so nice to see that when kids here hold .22 rifles they are competing for marksmanship and it's a celebration. Not tragedy!  

If you are interested in the race and the photos of the kiddos, here.

Some thoughts...

This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is important, because I'm exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in it's place something that I have traded for it. I want it to be gain, not loss; good not evil; success, not failure--in order that I shall not regret the price I paid for it. Yesterday is history, tomorrow's a mystery, today is a gift, that's why we call it the present.

Bittersweet

Having my parents and my sister hear makes me realize how much I miss them, and how much fun we have when we are together. It sure is bittersweet when I get to see family. I love the fact that we have so much fun together, but I dread it as well because I know we are going to be apart again. Ugh.

This Spring Break was a lot of fun even though we didn't really get out of the house very much. We went on some walks, watched the ditarod mushers come in (one specifically, Angie Taggart from Ketchikan!), and stayed up way to late, every night. There was tons of laughter, hugs, card games, punches (Hi Charley!), and a lot of tears. Seeing my Mom and Dad interact with Bria was so heartwarming and gratifying. Watching them just stare at Bria with huge grins on their faces was priceless.

Now, two days later, I am still trying to get back into the swing of our daily lives. The rush of having family here is over, and now our house is quiet and messy with Bria's stuff all over the living room-I can just imagine what it's going to be like when it's actually her making the mess. And a baby sleeps on my chest as I try to balance her while typing with both hands reminiscing about our family time we had in White Mountain. It was the first, but definitely not the last.


I really wish Clint and Bria were in this picture, but he was taking it...Just know they were there!

Navigate...

Here is a post to show you guys an easier, faster, more friendly way to comment on my blog posts. I absolutely love reading comments from the people that are reading about our lives and what I have to say. So, here is a tutorial on how to make a comment. With this, I expect to see more interaction with you guys :)

So here it goes.

At the bottom of a post you will see this:

 When you Click on "Comments" the page will refresh and then you will see this when you scroll to the bottom of the post:

 

Wait until the comment box loads...

Once you type your sweet, sweet comment you will see a pop-up window that looks like this:

All you have to do now is type in your email address and name and click on "post comment" and you're done!



Waaaay easier right? You can also click the box next to "subscribe to comments by email" and it will let you know if I respond. And if you leave a comment. I will make sure to respond :)

So, what do you think?

Some Bria Lovin' ...

Our little girl has come down with her first little cold :(  She has a runny nose, a little cough, and her eyes are really watery. She's also been sleeping a lot more. I hope she feels better soon, it kinda hurts to see your little one not feeling so well.  She is so strong though, still smiling away. With family being here, I think it has helped her being loved on all.the.time. Serious. I don't think Bria has been put down for more than a minute since Mom, Dad and Charley have come here!

Here are just some quick pictures of B:

Nose Full of Boogers

Here she is sleeping on her Auntie Charley. She loves sleeping on her Auntie, and always looks so comfy. 

Sleeping Beauty! 

Must be dreamin' of something good!

2 more days until they leave :( ... I wish I could freeze time and have them live up here with us! How fun would that be?

Family Visits White Mountain!

Our family is HERE! You don't really realize just how much you truly miss them until you see them for the first time in months. It's truly a blessing having family around...It makes me homesick. BUT, they are having a great time in White Mountain and the time that we do have together is quality, precious moments that are going to be remembered. We are just missing two important members: my sister Jamie and my sister Alexis. We are not complete yet. Come this summer though, we are going to take the summer by storm! I cannot wait for those moments that us girls are sitting around the table and laughing-and not remembering what we were laughing at in the first place and begin to laugh even harder and louder. Not to mention, my dad and Clint looking at us like we are crazy. Oh we are crazy when we are together! It's going to be even sweeter this year with Bria ....Oh B is going to rock our socks this summer!

Until then though, here are some (amazing if I do say so myself) pictures of some sweet family time here in White Mountain:

Daddy Daughter Time...

Daddy Daughter Time is precious... I love just stepping back and watching their bond grow. It's so heartwarming to see Bria smile at her Daddy. He is already wrapped around her little, chubby fingers...

Let it begin!

Bria's Mobile

Remember those cute little birds and owls I made for Bria's tree in her room? Well, I had the brilliant idea of putting those birds on our chandelier in our dining room. We put Bria in her boppy on the table when we are in the kitchen cleaning or preparing food or just hanging out. Everyone knows that the kitchen is the main entertaining place in a house. She absolutely loves looking at them and actually had a hard time yesterday when we took her away from them.

Here are some adorable pictures of B and her birds!