The Exersaucer

We finally put Brynnleigh in Owen's old exersaucer to see what she thought (3/7/11).  O was right at 4 months when we introduced the exersaucer...B...is 5 months old.  We just didn't think about it until now.

Well...she LOVES it!

I think she likes being independant....and well, she loves to stand up.  I seriously think she's going to skip rolling over and go straight to sitting and standing up.

She likes making it go off and make noise...and when her brother plays with her.  O will run his hand along the rattle and she will just laugh...it so funny.  I like the fact that her and Owen can interact with each other in a safe manor.  I don't have to worry about Owen stepping on her!

Brynnleigh plays in her exersaucer at least once a day!!  Baby girl...you are growing up too fast...you too O!

Happy 5 Months Brynnleigh!

Really...5 months already??  I can't believe it...it seems like just yesterday I was pregnant....and now you've been here for 5 months.  Life goes by so fast...it won't be long before you are walking around!

So the past month...some things have changed...

You still get 5-5oz bottles a day and 1 feeding of rice cereal
You have take medicine for your reflux (O had this too)...but now you don't sleep as well as you did.  Troy and I get up with you every couple of hours.  We are not sure if you have teeth coming in or if you are making up for all the times you shouldn't have slept when you were a baby.

You LOVE to smile/laugh and O can still make you smile and laugh.



We had to take you to the doctor about a week after your 5 month birthday and you were weighing 15Lbs 11oz.

Clothes 3-6 (FINALLY....but you won't be in these long...I can tell)
Diapers - size 2

You still are not rolling over but are soo soo close.  You love to sit up and stand w/help, so I think you might just be skipping the rolling over stage!

We love you B!!  Can't believe that this next Happy post will be your 6 month...1/2 a year....crazy!

Swagbucks Update

So...it's time for the weekly Swagbucks update.  I'm trying my best to get more than 170 swagbucks a week so I can get my gps watch.

Here is the break down:

Last week 3/22/11:

1515 Swagbucks

$10.00 redeemed in Amazon gift cards
$240.00 left to earn
20085 Swagbucks needed for GPS watch (if redeeming $5.00 gift cards)

This week 3/29/11

1296 Swagbucks (redeemed 450 for $5 gift card)

$15.00 Redeemed in Amazon gift cards
$235.00 left to earn
19854 Swagbucks needed (if redeeming $5 gift cards)

So this week I earned 231 swagbucks...which is 61 more than last week.  At this rate it will take me 86 weeks, a little over a year and a half.  Slowly but surely, I'm decreasing the amount of time...hopefully I can stick to this.



So I got a new referral this week also so...here's a tip for earning more swagbucks other than just searching...

If you print coupons...print them from Swagbucks, if you use them, you will be rewarded w/swagbucks.  It does take a few days/weeks for the swagbucks to be added, but they will be.  You do have to use the coupon to receive the swagbucks.  These coupons are regular ones that you would use at the grocery store.

To find...on main Swagbucks page..click earn...then coupons...scroll through and print the ones you think you will use!!

Happy Swagbucking!!  Hoping to accumulate more than 231 swagbucks this week!  Click the link...and your swagbuck searches can help me to my goal!!

Brynnleigh vs. Rice Cereal

Brynnleigh got to try rice cereal for the first time on Owen's fourth birthday 2/20/11.

She was not sure what to think of it at first.  She kinda ate it...and kinda spit it out all at the same time.  We had to give her a bite, then give her the bottle so she could get it down.

It was a tad messy, but I think with practice, she'll get it down. (And since I'm writing this a month later...I can tell you...she got it down, and takes her entire bowl of cereal before drinking her bottle now!)

Happy 4th Birthday Owen!

Seriously...my baby is 4 (well 4 and 1 month now...but I promise I'm catching up)...I can't believe it.  It seems like just yesterday he was Brynnleigh's age and I was just learning everything.  It has been a fast 4 years...but an awesome 4 years as well.  I couldn't imagine these past 4 years without you.

Owen...you light up my life...I LOVE to just sit and watch you and listen to the things you come up.  You are so smart...sometimes too smart and know just how to get what you want.  You are a ladies man....but you are a true guys guy as well.  You still love your trains...but you also enjoy drawing/coloring, dancing, and sports.  Your favorite movies are Free Willy (1 & 2), Mighty Ducks, and Karate Kid (my little 80's baby!).  You like to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Mousercise, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  Your favorite sports are soccer and baseball...but you enjoy watching football on tv.  You are always soo happy because your team is always playing....your team is the white team!!

Your random sayings...Chucky Arms (Lucky Charms), Chocolater (Calculator), Limit speed (Speed Limit), Boo (Boo...for anything and everything), Baby Guuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrllllllllllll (Brynnleigh)...

You are generarlly happy ALL the time and you love your little sister.

Since we celebrated your birthday with your friends a week early, we made sure to make your actual birthday a big deal as well.  We started the morning off with one of your favorite foods...Pancakes.  After church, Mommy tried her best to talk you into Red Lobster....but you didn't want it...you wanted to eat at home.  For dinner that night...we invited Missy, Papa, Nana, MeeMaw, PawPaw (who was in Daytona), Uncle Todd, & Ma over for dinner.  You picked....we had dinosaur nuggets, mac & cheese, cold carrots, and green beans.  We followed it with cupcakes...which you made.  You wanted yours to have raisins and a cherry....which it did.

O, B, Nana, Ma, MeeMaw, & Uncle Todd

I don't want you to grow up, but I love watching you grow up and experiencing things for the first time

Also...O...I think I'm ready to say that you will be some type of engineer/designer...we can give you 100 different pieces of railroad track that only fit one way...and you will take your time and patience and will figure it out so you can use every piece of track...and it all connects.

I can honestly say that I live my life through your eyes and your experiences.  I would give up everything I have/will have, just to see your reaction to the simplist thing.  You are so innocent and genuine!!

Your 4 year stats:

Weight - 38.5 lbs (w/clothes) - 60%

Height - 40.5" - 50%

And well...no head circumference....but I can tell you...it's still in the 90-100%... : )

NCAA Bracket

Sooo...I just had to post this before it changes...I'm winning the ESPN950 Martins & Mortins Bracket Challenge...so here's the link

http://www.espn950am.com/contests/ncaa_leaderboard.php

My name is sunshn1709...so yep...that's me in first (unless you waited too long to view)

Now I'm torn...I can get more points if Florida State beats VCU...but it's VCU so...I'm glad they tied...and well I'm just screaming hands up at both teams.  Weird thing...I had this game as VCU vs. Fl. State...w/Fl. State winning...and I had Richmond losing to Kansas...crazy I know.

So what could I win??  I'm not totally sure...possibly Martins gift cards, Morton's gift cards...and USGA tickets...what do I WANT to win.....Morton's gift cards of course!! 

So good luck all you bracket people...I'm going to enjoy winning because who knows how long it will last!

Sibling Love

I LOVE that my babies love each other!!  This is what I walked into the other day...and of course I had to grab the camera.  I didn't get the best pics...but my heart melted when I saw this.  I'll definately need to go back and look at these pictures when they are constantly fighting and bickering in a few years!!

Bro/Sis Hugs

Where did my bro go?

Owen's new swingset!!

My parents made the mistake of promising Owen a new swingset when they got more grandkids (this was after my brother had Kyra...or I would have tried!)...little did they know at that time, I was already pregnant with Brynnleigh.  So...being the great kids that we are...we made sure to remind my parents that the promised O a new swingset.

Dad found one that he liked...and fit what Troy and I wanted...and more importantly, fit in the area of the old swingset.  Dad had it delivered right before O's birthday...and boy was he excited.

It took all O had for him to sit and watch the guys put the swingset together...or course I told him that he had sit in the supervisor chair, and if he got up, the guys had to stop working!

So that Wednesday, O waited patiently while the guys put it together, so he go to try everything out...and Papa tried a few things out too!!

Swagbucks Updates

So...I was excited with my progess...but now that I compare...I'm not too sure...here is a recap of what I had:

3/15/11
1345 Swagbucks
$10.00 in Amazon Gift Cards

$240.00 left to earn
20,255 Swagbucks needed (if redeeming $5 gift cards)

As of 3/22/11
1515 Swagbucks
$10.00 in Amazon Gift Cards

$240.00 left to earn
20,085 Swagbucks needed (if redeeming $5 gift cards)

So in a weeks time, I only earned 170 swagbucks...which would take me 119 weeks to earn enough for the watch...which is 2.5 years....and earlier I thought 10 months sounded bad!

So...looks like I need to start thinking of random searches to help gain some swagbucks.

Feel free to click the link and join....it's fun...even if you set your eyes on an expensive prize...it is fun to earn swagbucks!!

Brynnleigh's 1st Valentine's Day

So at a little over 4 months, Brynnleigh celebrated her 1st Valentine's day.  Unfortunately Mommy & Daddy had to work on Valentine's day and then Mommy had a meeting...so these pics were taking on 2/13 at baby Drew's baby shower.  B had a fun Valentine's day....she got to go visit Missy & Papa and take and pick up Owen from school...then she & O got to have a fun hang out night with Daddy.

So yes...I did not see my kids at all on Valentine's day....and yes, I'm still upset about it.  I left home at 7:15 am, and got home at 10pm that night.

Luckily we don't do too too much for Valentine's day...but I still would have liked to have spent it with my three favorite Valentines!

A girl and her baby doll!

Brynnleigh has fallen in love with her baby doll she got from MeeMaw for Christmas.  As soon as she sees this dolly she starts smiling, laughing, or trying to kiss her.  We had a little fun the other night, and I couldn't resist.  This doll goes with us everywhere...and I'm almost thinking about picking up a duplicate in case she gets lost, or left at Missy's house one evening!!

Owen's 4th Birthday Party!!

I can't believe that my baby boy is going to be 4!!!  It's just crazy how quickly they grow up!  It seems like just yesterday when Owen was only a few months old...and now he's 4!

We decided to do O's birthday party the weekend before his birthday....since the Daytona 500 was on his birthday...and PawPaw would be at the race...so we did his party on Friday 2/11/11.  I felt that it was more important that our family was there than having it on his actual birthday weekend.  Of course Owen told everyone that he was already 4 after his party...since he blew out the 4 candle!

Blowing out the 4 candle

O's party was at Pump It Up again this year.  It is sooo much fun and everyone can enjoy it, the kids and the parents...plus I don't have to clean before or afterwards!  It is a tad expensive so next year I think we will have his party at home...but who knows what will happen a year from now.  I'm pretty sure the money that I spent for his party at Pump it Up, would be just as much if not less than what I would spend to have it out the house, once you add up all the food and games I would need to provide...and the added stress!

B passed out

Owen has so much fun playing and jumping with his friends....Brynnleigh had fun visiting with friends and family, and she had to take a little nap in the middle of the party!!

O, Cousin P, & Aunt T

O, R, & L having fun

Once again O wanted a train theme (that would be 3out of 4 birthdays have been train themed)...I tried to talk him into Robots, Toy Story, Lightening McQueen, race cars...pretty much ANYTHING, but he told me that he wasn't done w/train birthday's yet.  I did talk him into a different cake...this year we went with a train yard theme. I had the cake made by Cakes By Graham...it looked great, and tasted better!!  O was soo excited with his cake (I did have to promise him that I would immediately take the trains off and put in my purse before we cut the cake).



Here is the progression of his train cakes over the past three birthdays:



O's 2nd Birthday



O's 3rd Birthday

4th Birthday





We invited O's family, friends, and neighbors and had a lot of fun!!  O is lucky to have such great friends and family!!  Owen has also become great at opening presents!!  He was happy with everything he got (honestly, the only thing he told me he wanted was a birthday cake). 

His favorite gift of the night, was his present from his good friends Ramsey & Emerson...he carried around his Mater set the rest of the night and asked if he could take it to bed!!





O & B

O wanted to tell all his family and friends - THANK YOU for making my 4th birthday so special!!