A Tidbit About Our Recent Trip to Texas and a Tadbit of Other Stuff

The past several days, we have been BUSY. The weekend before last, we made an impromptu trip to Texas to visit my Mom and Dad. We really hadn't planned on making a trip to Texas until Mom's next surgery, but when she had her last series of doctors appointments last month, we found out that it might be a while before that takes place. So, instead of putting off our trip any longer we decided to go ahead and go for it. We had a nice time lounging around and visiting with everyone. Luckily, Emma and Cole were able to come over a couple of the evenings. That Cole is such a cutie...but then again maybe I'm a little partial since he is my newphew/godson, no?

Brinley learned how to put the rings around the giraffe's neck while at Nana and Papa's.

While we were at Mom and Dad's, Bruce received an e-mail that a house we'd been eyeing dropped in price. We quickly decided to give our realtor a call and set up a walk-through appointment for the following week. The day after we returned to Mississippi, we went over to Mobile to look at the house. Although it was a foreclosure, everything seemed to be okay except for some minor damage, missing blinds/light fixtures/ceiling fans and missing kitchen appliances. We agreed to set up an appointment for the following Saturday (9th) to go over some numbers and possibly give the house a more thorough walk-through.

Brinley decided to help Nana cook breakfast while we were visiting her and Papa's.

A few days go by and we get a call from our realtor--the house has termites! After a few days of being undecided on what to do, Bruce receives a phone call from our realtor saying that four other people had put down offers on the house within the past few days, and that if we were interested in the house that we needed to put an offer down within the next couple of hours. Bruce and I both decided immediately that we didn't feel comfortable being pressured into the situation so we decided to let that house go. We still kept our appointment with our agent, but instead of crunching numbers, we went walking through a couple of more houses that we've been interested in. One of them, we have for sure decided against, but the second one we like quite a bit. We still have a few more houses that we are hoping to walk-thorough this weekend, and then after that point we feel that we'll know which one we're leaning towards.

Now that Brinley is fairly mobile, Bruce and I find stuff stashed in every nook she can reach.

So...that is what has been going on in our lives lately. On a different note, Brinley has been getting a lot more confident with her walking skills. I would estimate that she's at a 50/50 ratio of crawling versus walking. If she's not in a hurry to get somewhere than she'll try walking, but if she spots something across the room that she want to get to immediately, she crawls--she knows that she can get from point A to point B more quickly if she chooses that mode of transportation.

Typically this is A'Pexi's 'Toy Basket', but lately it has become Brinley's 'Anything I Can Stash Into It Basket'.

Brinley has also (finally) figured out how to clap. Since she has never like her hands being touched, Bruce and I have never been able to show her how to do it by clapping her hands together for her. We would just show her by clapping our own hands together. I joked to Bruce that she must have dreamed how to do it, because the first time she clapped was Saturday morning when I came into her bedroom to get her after she woke up. She just started clapping like she was a pro at it and has been doing it well ever since. Speaking of sleeping--and I hope I don't jinx myself by sharing this with all of y'all-- she has been sleeping VERY well since we've been home from Texas. I would say that out of the past week, she has slept through the night (approximately 11 hours) 6 out of 7 times. Not only is she sleeping well at night, but her naps have also become a little longer too. Hopefully we're on to something....

Here's another one of Brinley's favorite places to stash things--the bottom level of our coffee table.

Anyway, I am going to try to keep y'all updated as far as the housing situation goes. Hopefully some success will come out of the walk-throughs this weekend. Wish us luck!

Toman Family Photos

Yesterday evening one of our dear friends took some family pictures of Bruce, Brinley and I. It is something that has been on our "to-do" list for a while, but it seems like something would always come up--we would be out of town, she would be out of town, the weather would be bad, one (or all) of us would be sick, etc., etc. Our original plans were to have pictures of us taken down at the beach, but when we arrived, we realized that it was much too windy. Not only was my hair blowing every which way, but Brinley was clinging to me like a tick on a hounddog (for those of you that need a visual). So, we all decided to go a few blocks inland to Marshall Park, which is the same park that I took Brinley's picture for our Christmas cards this past December. Overall, I have to say that Brinley did well. She didn't let us set her down on a quilt to have individual photos of her taken, but as long as Mommy or Daddy was holding her, she would at least look in the direction of the camera and sometimes even smile for Amanda. After we felt like we had a good assortment of poses, locations and postions from the park, we decided to head back to the beach to see if the wind had died down any. It had a little bit so Amanda tried taking a few shots of us there. Unfortunately with the wind blowing, there was only a certain direction I could stand without my hair blowing every which way, so I think a lot of the shots are going to have the Biloxi/Ocean Springs bridge in them....oh, well. As I write this, Amanda has uploaded a couple dozen photos of us at the park to her online album. Here are a few of my favorite ones, just to give y'all a taste:

All photos courtesy of Mrs. Amanda Fisher Zaiser.

Brinley's Second Easter

I'm sure by now that some of you have to be wondering whether or not we have fallen of the face of the earth, but rest assure we haven't. Unfortunately the past couple of weeks Bruce, Brinley and I have all had the sniffles. Bruce's orignally started a few weeks ago, then Brinley came down with her case about a week and a half ago, and then I finally started mine last weekend. After a couple of days of sneezing, runny noses, congestion, and sore throats I went down to the local Rite-Aid and picked up some Zicam and Emergen-C for Bruce and myself, as well as some throat drops, kleenex, tylenol and the like to replenish our supply. After all that, Bruce ended up acting like most men (stubborn as a mule) and decided not to take the Zicam and Emergen-C...that he didn't need it. Well, just for the record, guess who is completely well and guess who isn't...

Anyway, under normal circumstances, I would have cooked us ham with all the trimmings for our Easter celebration yesterday, BUT once Wednesday rolled around and I was still feeling a little blah, I decided to place an order with our local Honeybaked Ham. I figured that if I wasn't feeling well by the weekend, the last thing I would want to be doing is slaving in a kitchen over a hot stove. I have to be honest that I was pretty skeptical about 'their world-famous ham', but to be honest, it was pretty good! Infact, I may have to keep them in mind for future holidays. In my opinon their side dishes were just 'okay', but the half-ham I ordered has been very moist and tasty.

Last year, since I had just had Brinley, I have to be honest that we didn't attend mass, so this year was our first year to attend mass for Easter as a family. Usually we are Saturday evening mass people just because it can be difficult getting a little one going in the morning, but we REALLY didn't want to drag Brinley through an 8PM Vigil mass. I think we would have all been pulling our hair out by the time it would have been over. So, we decided to attend the Sunday morning mass, and by the grace of God we actually made it on time--even though the parking lot was FULL and we had to park a block away--with a few minutes to spare. I have to say that the full parking lot was nothing compared to what it was like inside the church. It was beyond standing room only. There were SO many people standing that there was only a narrow, clear path between the last aisle of chairs (remember we don't have pews thanks to Katrina) and the crowd of people standing. Bruce and I had never seen anything like it during the two years that we have been attending St. Michael's. With all that said, I do have to mention that Brinley was a very good girl. She did only want Mommy to hold her, but other than that she was very easily entertained by the crowd of people, especially the other little ones.

Brinley and Mommy posing for a quick picture before Easter morning mass.

Brinley and Daddy posing for a quick picture before Easter morning mass.

After mass, we came home, and I got busy putting all the food in the oven to be heated. While the food was warming, Bruce and I decided to grab the camera and try to get a picture of Brinley outside in her Easter dress. Unfortunately, it was a very windy afternoon, and she did not like the wind trying to blow the quilt up around her or Easter eggs going every where. I guess I can't blame her.

Even with her Daddy sitting with her, Brinley wasn't too happy about getting her picture taken outside.

After our attempt at trying to get pictures, we went back inside, and changed into comfy clothes while lunch continued to warm. After enjoying our lunch and cleaning up after it, we just spent our day relaxing together. Bruce had recorded The Ten Commandments the previous day, so we watched that and napped and then watched Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I'm normally not one to watch television, but for some reason I decided to give the laundry and cleaning a break and take the night off. ;-)

Brinley playing with her activity table after church. As you can she, she has a new fettish with sticking out her tongue while she's REALLY busy with something.

So, that was our Easter. Not much to it, but sometimes that's the best way to celebrate special days--without a lot of fuss. Today, we ran a few errands and drove around a particular neighborhood here in Ocean Springs that has a number of houses for sale. I did do a little laundry today--just diapers--my favorite kind. Other than that, we spent our last day together for this weekend relaxing together and just enjoying each other.

I hope all of y'all had a wonderful Easter weekend filled with many blessings and love.

The Toman's Visit The Toman's

This past weekend, Bruce's parent's came down to the coast to visit us for a few days. After arriving in town Thursday afternoon, they treated us to one of our favorite restaurants, Jocelyn's. Unfortunately, Bruce and I didn't get to enjoy our meal too much because I don't think Brinley was feeling up to par (which only started happening after we had arrived at the restuarant. Trust me, I'm not one of those parents that drags their sick kid all over town.) That afternoon, she had only napped for an hour instead of the usual 2, and on top of that she was experiencing a little cough that she had picked up from her Daddy, who has been sick with a head cold the past few weeks. Thankfully though, I think Thursday was the worst of her 'illness' because by Friday morning she was coughing much less and by Saturday, it was almost completely gone.

Brinley showing Grandpa and Grandma that she is an expert when it comes to the game of peek-a-boo.

Anyway, back to our weekend. On Friday morning, we all went out to see Beauvoir, which is a landmark here on the coast. Beauvoir was the last home that President Jefferson Davis lived in. Not only does the home and its grounds have very interesting history, but the home itself is breathtaking. After our tour, we went back home for a simple lunch (for it is lent) and spent the afternoon relaxing in our home. That evening, I treated Joe and Cilla to some of my world-famous cheese enchiladas, spanish rice and beans. Okay, so maybe my enchiladas aren't world-famous now, but they might be one day. ;-)

Joe, Brinley, myself and Bruce infront of Beauvoir.

Brinley showing off our parenting skills to her grandparents--drinkin' and drivin'. Tsk, tsk!

Brinley loved showing Grandpa and Grandma that she knows how to roll her ball around.

Saturday morning we were in for a real treat. This past weekend happened to be the 16th Annual Herb and Garden Festival in the lovely downtown area of Ocean Springs. There were SOOO many different booths. I have to be honest that I was a little surprised at how large of an event this was in little bitty ol' Ocean Springs. There were of course booths that were selling various plants and flowers, but also there were those selling fresh vegetables and fruits, homemade breads, jellies, pickles, pasta, cookies, jerky, soaps, lotions, candles, and home decor. (I am sure that I am forgetting something...) Although I probably could have bought something from just about every booth (and I imagine Bruce is glad that I didn't), the only thing I walked away with was a bag of assorted homemade italian cookies that we all snacked on throughout the rest of the weekend, and a half a loaf of homemade bread that Joe and Cilla bought and split with us which Bruce and I finished off with a little bit of butter Sunday evening. Bruce and I will definately have to keep this festival in mind as something to attend next year...if we are still in the area. For lunch on Saturday, we decided to try out a restaurant that Bruce and I didn't even know was downtown called Bayview Gourmet. Unfortunately, I was not at all impressed. The service was incredibley slow, we saw others who were seated after us get served before us and the food really wasn't that great. Maybe there's a reason why we hadn't heard of it before. Hmmm...

Brinley being pushed around by Daddy at the Herb and Garden Festival.

To finish off the day, we decided to attend mass that evening instead of having to wake up early to catch the 10:00AM. I know 10:00AM itself isn't early, but I would have had to get up by 7:00 to get three people dressed and ready. If I can avoid getting up before 8:00AM, I try. After mass, we came home and grilled steaks, which I served with baked potatoes and salad.

Mommy and Brinley opening birthday presents from Grandpa and Grandma.

Brinley showing Grandpa and Grandma that she knows how to 'read' her favorite book--Brown Bear, Brown Bear.

Sunday morning, Joe and Cilla came over about 10:00, which is the time they had arrived the other two mornings as well. They must know after me being married to their son for almost 3 years that I am NOT a morning person. Brinley hadn't slept very well the night before (therefore Mommy hadn't slept well the night before) so shortly after they arrived, I was putting her down for her nap. Then, we had a simple lunch of sandwiches, chips, fruit, veggies and dip before they were off on their journey back home. After our guests departed, Bruce and I decided that we should take advantage of Sunday being 'the day of rest' and did just that...rested.

All photos used in this piece were taken by Bruce's mom, Cilla Toman.

Brinley's 12 Month Baby Wellness Visit and Other Recent Tidbits

This past Friday (03.20.09), Bruce and I took Brinley to see Dr. Shelby for her 12 month baby wellness visit. To start off, she weighed in at 23 pounds and measured 30 inches in length. Keep in mind, that when we took her for her 9 month appointment she weighed in at 22lbs., 5oz. and measured 28 inches in length. So, she hasn't really grown much--only a little bit in length. Infact, back at her nine month appointment, she was above the 95th percentile for length and at about the 90th percentile for weight. Now, she is around the 75th percentile for weight and height. All of this really didn't surprise me too much because in some brands of clothing she can still easily wear 12-18 months, which is what she started wearing way back at the end of last October! Anyway, everything else went well. Dr. Shelby was very pleased with what all she is eating, what she is physically capable of and her verbal skills at this time. The only issue I brought up is the fact that she doesn't like milk--unless it is mommy's milk--and that she is down to a few nursing sessions a day. I have tried cow's milk, rice milk, almond milk and I even got desperate enough to try vanilla flavored cow's milk (which thankfully she didn't like either. I think the combination of sugar and the high amount of sodium that is naturally cow's milk would have outweighed any benefits that should would have received from it.) From everything that I've read (and I was glad to hear Dr. Shelby reiterate it) children don't need milk past the age of one. As long as she is getting the calcium and vitamin D from other sources--and she is, she loves yogurt and cheese--than there is nothing to worry about. Of course, he recommended to keep trying it just so she'll have something else to drink (because she doesn't drink juice either), but it is not a problem if she doesn't like it. (Obviously she takes after her mommy on this matter because Bruce can easily go through 2 gallons of milk per week alone.) All in all, we don't have to go back to visit Dr. Shelby for another well baby check-up until she turns 18 months!

Brinley and Daddy Playing at G-Papa and G-Nana's.

As I'm sure most of you know, Bruce, Brinley, A'Pexi and I traveled to my grandparents' farm in South Texas to celebrate Brinley's birthday party last weekend. After all the fuss of trying to get everything put together, it turned out really well. My dad and some of my uncles bar-b-qued brisket, chicken, and ribs out at the barn all day on Saturday until the meat was falling off the bone, while the ladies put together green beans and buttered potatoes as the birthday dinner. Needless to say, it must have been good because even Miss Brinley had her share of bar-b-qued chicken and veggies before digging into her birthday cake.

Brinley digging into her birthday cake. Yummy!

Aside from Brinley's party Saturday evening, my nephew/godson, Cole, was baptized after the 4:00PM mass, so it was a VERY busy day for all of us. With that said, it was so nice for everyone to get together and spend time with each other. As you can imagine, I have been chompin' at the bit to meet little Cole, and I have to say that he is just as sweet and cute as can be! Even Brinley enjoyed spending time getting to know him and was anxious to share her toys with him.

My sister-in-law, Emma, my brother, Brandon, the proud godmomma (myself) holding baby Cole and my cousin and the godfather, Trent.

Brinley meeting Cole for the first time. She was in awe!

She was very gentle with him for the most part.

She even wanted to share her giraffe with him!

Brinley's First Pair of Shoes and Planning for Our Trip To Texas

Today Brinley and I made a quick trip to Gulfport and did a little bit of last minute shopping before we head to Texas on Thursday. Our first stop was Party City to pick up a few last minute party supplies for Brinley's first birthday party/ Cole's baptism party that is this Saturday at my Grandparents' farm. Our next stop was Carter's (did you think we would be able to go to Gulfport without stopping there?) to pick up some socks, a dress and a few pairs of shorts for some shirts I had purchased on a previous shopping excursion. Then, we went to Stride-Rite to buy Brinley her first pair of shoes. I figure we've held out for almost a year on buying shoes, the least we can do is start out with the good stuff, right? Anyway, after figuring out what size she is and trying a few pairs on I decided on a pair of white, closed-toe sandals. First and foremost, because they are very versitile. They are something that can be worn with a pair of shorts and a t-shirt as well as something that can be worn with a Sunday dress. I also like the name of the shoes--Baby Guppy Lea. How cute and fun does that sound?

When we finally arrived home, I put Brinley's new shoes on her so that she could get the feel of them. At first she hesitated, but I can't blame her since she's never really worn any before. After a minute or so of try to push them off her feet, she was easily distracted by her daddy reading her Brown Bear, Brown Bear, which is currently her FAVORITE book. She gets so excited and giggly with each animal or person that is presented in the book. In fact, between Bruce and I reading this book to her multiple times a day and her flipping through it herself several times a day, the poor book is almost worn out! It has definately received lots and lots of love.

Tomorrow will be a busy day for us as we finish our last minute packing, double-checking all the lists (yep, I'm a list person) and loading up. We are planning to pull out of here by 8:00AM on Thursday morning to begin our journey to Texas. If that happens and we don't run into any bad weather, accidents, or heavy Houston traffic, we are planning to arrive at the farm around 5:00PM. It will be a long day for all of us. Now that Brinley is getting older, more mobile and more aware of her surroundings, I am afraid that traveling isn't going to be as easy as it once was for us. Luckily, we will be traveling on her birthday so I plan to take her gifts along with us (they are all small) and she can unwrap them along the way. Not only will the gifts, but also the unwrapping help greatly to distract her. Also, they will give her something new to play with at her G-Nana and G-Papa's. (I think that is the names that we've decided for her to call my grandparents. Why? Because my mom and dad are Nana and Papa, so adding a 'g' for great- makes my grandparents G-Nana and G-Papa, which I think would be a lot easier for a little one to say than Great-Grandmother and Great-Grandfather.)

Well, I think that is all for now. I still have a few chores that I need to tend to now that Brinley is down, before I head to bed. Please pray that we have a safe and smooth journey to and from Texas. I look forward to posting some pictures from Brinley's birthday bash and Cole's baptism after we return.

Love to all!

Rest

Lately, our little family has been blessed with rest in more ways than one. First a foremost, Brinley has finally started sleeping well at night...and by well I mean waking up twice or less each night consistently. Not only has she be doing this for the past couple of weeks, but there has even been a night or two that she slept completely through the night. I hope I'm not jinxing myself by sharing this joyous information with all of you, but after being the one that has been sleep deprived for the past 11 months, I had to share this major accomplishment for both of us. Call it coinscidence that this is happening at about the time that she is getting around more/ soon to be walking or contribute it to the reflux medication that she has been on for a little more that a month...I don't care. All I know is that our nights have become much more pleasant, and I am hoping that this is how they remain...at least for a little while. After all, this momma needs to catch up on her zzz's.

Another way that our family has been blessed with rest is the fact that Bruce has been assigned to a new project at work. In all honesty, I think Bruce feels a bit let down that he is leaving behind a project that he has worked so hard on for the past three years before it is completed, but I really feel that this is something that God has his hand in. I know that after many, many months of frustration and prayer, that God is meeting our needs by allowing Bruce the opportunity to use his skills and knowledge in a different area--one that will hopefully run more efficiently and smoothly than he has had to deal with so far.

Isn't it amazing how God is so providing? Just when you think you can't take another sleepless night or another dead-end meeting at work, He provides.


“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:31-34