sometimes mama makes me laugh!

a nice day for a run

Baby R and I went for a run today before the rain came. It was so nice out, sunny and warm! I am still a bit out of shape, so naturally I was tired afterwards. What I didn't realize was that it made Baby R tired. My mom told me that we always slept really well after we had a lot of fresh air, and apparently Baby R does too. Her morning nap normally lasts approximately 40-45 minutes, but today she slept for 1 hour and 45 minutes! Wish I knew she was going to sleep that long, then I wouldn't have waited till she woke up to shower!

peek-a-boo

Baby R has enjoyed playing peek-a-boo for a while now. She originally preferred playing "Where's Reagan?" or "Where's Da-da?" She started liking the actual phrase "peek-a-boo" about a month or two ago. Now she likes to try to play peek-a-boo herself by holding up a burp cloth and hiding behind it. I tried to capture it on camera but this is the best I could do.

play time

Baby R's friends came over again yesterday for a much needed play date. Luckily they brought their mothers with them (aka my friends), so it was a fun day to catch up. Amazingly enough they all ate within approximately 20 minutes of each other, so we were able to take them for a long walk! It was a beautiful day, and the kids did really well during the walk. Baby R was not her happiest self during the day, I think her teeth are still bothering her, and she is not used to being around other babies. She did warm up to them by the end of our play date, so hopefully this fear of other people will pass quickly once she is cleared to be out in public. Reagan is almost 7 1/2 months, Skyler is almost 7 months, and Mason and Hayden are almost 3 months.

Here are the kids yesterday: Skyler, Mason, Hayden and Reagan

Here are the kids about 2 months ago: Mason, Skyler, Reagan and Hayden

A few more candid shots:

Skyler trying to eat Mason

Hayden giving Reagan his left hook

It's a free for all!

sippy cup

Baby R loves drinking from her sippy cup... if there is nothing in it! Whenever I actually put milk in it she hates it. So for now I will continue to just let her think it is a toy.

She also thinks regular cups are toys too!

birthdays in gb

We went to Grand Blanc last weekend to celebrate Grandma's birthday and Daddy's birthday. Mommy made a raw food cake for Grandma's 51st birthday! I think Grandma was the only one who ate it. The rest of us enjoyed the cheesecake that Grandma bought for Daddy's 26th birthday! Here are a few highlights:

We tried to semi-match our outfits for church...

Grandma showing off her raw cake!

Baby R just chillin' with Grandpa and Daddy.

baby shower

I am a little behind in posting some of my pictures, so here are a few from Jodi's shower.

Great Aunt Dyleen helping Baby R play tag with Collin.

Baby R and Karyna breaking the rules by sitting on the table.

Baby R warming up to her Great Uncle Jack.

mobility

Baby R likes to move while I change her diaper or her outfit. Here she rolled over to find a toy while I was putting her in her sleeper. I guess she was just setting a new style!

numero uno

Yes, that is correct, Baby R has cut her first tooth. I am very grateful too, because she was not a happy camper yesterday. Last night I put my finger in her mouth and sure enough I felt something sharp. Then today when I looked in her mouth I could see the top of her first tooth! It would probably be a bit more exciting if she was not hating every second of it. Her cousin, Karyna, cut her first tooth too, and it is the same one! What a coincidence! Also, Allison told me that normally after the tooth has cut through then it is not very painful anymore. So, since Baby R is basically inconsolable today, I would be willing to bet that another tooth is getting ready to poke through soon. I am praying that it will emerge while she is sleeping, so she will be in a happier mood at the birthday party tomorrow. Who needs teeth anyway?

what a pain

Teeth must really hurt when they come in. A friend of ours was telling me that someone she knew (an adult) had a tooth coming in, and it was so painful that it hurt to even move her head! No wonder teeth make babies so irritable. Baby R has been a little extra fussy the past two weeks, with this past week worse than the one before. Fussy for her, luckily, is not horrible. She will cry a little here and there when she can't find something to shove in her mouth. Normally giving her a pacifier or a new toy to chew on will calm her down right away. But the past two days she has gotten really upset in the mid-afternoon to the point where I have given her a dose of Tylenol to take the edge off. Today we had her 6 month check-up at the pediatricians (yes, she is 7 months), and I asked the doctor about her fussiness and teething. Well the doctor looked in her mouth and showed me the teeth ready to come in. She said Baby R's bottom teeth will cut through within 2 weeks, and her top teeth she would give about a month. I was shocked because I had no idea her teeth were that close to cutting through. Part of me is happy that it is that close, because then we will 2-4 teeth down, and only 16-18 to go! But I will miss her little toothless grin! Who knows if the doctor is even correct? I guess we will just have to test her knowledge on teeth.

Doctor's prediction: Bottom teeth will cut through by May 2. Top teeth by May 18.

What is your prediction?

a little bit o' sunshine

We went to campus today to take a lunch-time stroll with Grandma.

We stopped in the gardens for Baby R to look at the flowers that had bloomed.

Baby R is trying to point to Uncle Eric on his mission in Argentina (she's close).

Some days she prefers her front pack over the stroller. I don't really mind because I probably burn more calories toting her around in this.

Baby R playing peek-a-boo with Grandma behind the fence.

ricky

Happy 26th Birthday to the World's Best Husband and Father!

Our Favorite Things:

1. Sense of humor - Rick always has some funny comment to make, normally when you least expect it!


2. Love of sports - Watching the Tigers or the Spartans is a fun pasttime, but he also loves to play sports, even with his ultra-competitive in-laws!


3. Intelligence - Dang, this man is smart!


4. Good looks - How do you think my daughter got so cute?!


5. Loves my family - Not just my immediate family, but the rest of my crazy family too. He enjoys the Miller gatherings, as well as traveling to NC every year to see the Firebaughs!


6. Great with kids - If you thought he was good with his nieces and nephews, you should see how much Baby R adores her daddy!


7. Wonderful husband - He works, goes to school, and works with the young men at church, yet he still makes time to do things for me and with me. Including a date night almost every week!


8. Musical ability - Did you know he can play the piano, the organ, the harmonica (really well), and can sing?


9. Faith - He has a strong testimony of the Gospel, and faith in our Savior.


10. Fun - He is just plain fun!

There are many more things I could list, but it would take hours. If you don't believe me, get to know him! We love you Ricky/Daddy!

laura

Happy 51st Birthday Laura/Mom/Grandma!

Some of our faves:

1. Wants what's best for her kids
2. Her laugh
3. Was everybody's favorite mom on field trips
4. Strong testimony
5. Only lives 45 minutes away
6. Likes to play games
7. Good Euchre partner
8. Good cook (raw and otherwise)
9. Takes good care of Dad/Dennis/Grandpa
10. Creative

dallas

Happy Belated 33rd Birthday Dallas!

Our favorite things about Dallas...

1. Funny
2. Takes good care of Amber
3. Likes to visit the Brooks family often
4. His impersonations of people in their ward
5. Plays well with the nieces/nephews
6. Always volunteers to clean up after meals
7. Name rhymes with "alice"
8. Likes to play sports with the family
9. He's good at playing his "twigs"
10. Lives closer than Idaho

birthdays

I swear that April and May are THE busiest months for birthdays! In honor of our favorite people on their birthdays, or a little late, we are going to make a top ten list for them. Oh, and I am not the best at looking at my calendar frequently, so if you want a top ten list for your birthday then remind me when it is near.

a new adage

"A watched pot never boils," "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" and "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" are just a couple of old adages that I have heard before. Of course, I don't think I really understand what "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" means. Well I have always wondered who thought up these catchy phrases, but not anymore. They must have been invented, so to speak, by ordinary geniuses like my husband. So here is my husband's new adage, "When I nappy, I am happy." And how true it is. Baby R has been a little cranky the last few days, and I am pretty sure that teeth are to blame. This afternoon she took an extra long nap, and she woke up incredibly happy! It was as if her gums were no longer sore. It is amazing how a little nap can make anyone happy!

So pass it on...

"When I nappy, I am happy"

graduation

The day we have all been waiting for is right around the corner! Rick will be graduating with his Master's in Accounting from Michigan State University! The Eli Broad School's undergraduate accounting program is ranked 8th in the nation, while the master's accounting program is ranked 10th! We are very excited for him to be done with school, so we can move on to our next chapter in life. And to be honest, we are a little scared. We have no idea where we will be at the end of May when our lease runs out. We tried to extend our lease into June, and they said to extend it a month it would cost us an extra $150 dollars for that month! You have got to be kidding! So we prayed about what to do, and felt like we should not extend our lease. So we will just have faith that our Heavenly Father has something in store for us. Well, back to the point...

Rick graduates at the Breslin Center on Friday, May 4th at 7 pm.

Admission is free, and all who would like to attend are more than welcome to join us. Congratulations to my wonderful, hard-working hubby! You make us so proud!

amazing

It is amazing how quickly Baby R grows and learns new skills! Today she successfully put a veggie puff in her mouth all by herself and ate it! I have put a few puffs in her mouth previously just so she could get used to gumming some foods. I also put some puffs on the tray of her high chair for her to play with. Then today, she just decided 'hmmm... maybe I will save mommy the trouble of putting one of these puffs in my mouth by doing it myself.' I was so shocked! I was telling her 'good job' in such an excited voice that she started giggling at me. It was so cute!

easter

I love holidays. What a great excuse for food, family, and fun. Easter is really such a special holiday, though. It is wonderful to know that our Savior not only died for us, but that He rose again. Knowing that He lives, and that because of Him we too will be resurrected is very comforting. I know that our body and spirit will be reunited again after death, and we can then live with Him and with our families for eternity. What could be better than that?

On the subject of families, I had the privilege of having my Uncle Jack stop by today. (Sadly, Baby R took her nap a lot later than normal and was sleeping when he came). We talked for a little while about all the wonderful grandchildren in the family. We also talked about my Aunt Dyleen's 50th birthday (which we missed, but will make it up to her as soon as Baby R is cleared to be in public - we will take her out on the town). Anyways, all of this talking made me realize more than ever how I love being close to family. Uncle Jack was so happy talking about his grandson, grandnieces and grandnephews. Having such a caring family is wonderful! It is so nice to not just have a relationship with my extended family, but a great relationship with my extended family. My Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and Grandparents have always played a large role in my life.

That brings me back to Easter... Papa R, Baby R and I hosted Easter dinner for my family. Although our apartment is small it was fun having everyone over. Austin and Nayeli had fun searching for Easter eggs hidden in our apartment. Austin stared at all the "hidden" eggs for about an hour before Nayeli arrived. It was quite funny, he would walk down the hall to the bathroom, and say "WOW" everytime he saw another egg. (Periodically he would try to sneak one, but Molly and Bob kept reminding him he couldn't have them yet). Dinner was a success, and the kids all got along. However, next time we discuss the whereabouts for another holiday I call "not it." Unless we have moved to a larger place by then...

The Brooks Family on Easter

Staring problems seem to run in the family

Do you think she likes her Grandma??

who thinks this stuff up?

After reading a post on my brother's blog, I had to check out this website. It is www.despair.com, and some of their posters are really funny. My other favorites are Ignorance, Dare to Slack and Stupidity.

i love to play

Baby R is really enjoying sitting up in her tub and splashing around. We got her an extra rubber ducky, so now she has her choice - yellow or green. She likes kicking her legs and eating her ducky best. I was trying to upload a video of her playing, but the uploader thingy won't work. I guess you will have to settle for still photos until I can upload her video successfully.

Baby R also loves playing with empty water bottles, measuring spoons, tupperware, cups, lotion bottles and any other household object that was not purchased for her enjoyment. What about all of her toys? Well she likes those too, just not as much.

opening day

Well opening day for the Detroit Tigers was monday. Baby R was dressed in her Tiger apparel for good luck (courtesy of Beth and Rob), but sadly, our team wasn't able to pull it off in the end. Better luck today, hopefully!

Appalled that we lost, after all her cheering!

enjoying the great outdoors

After seeing the weather forecast for the week, and of course, being disappointed, we decided to make use of the few warmer days we were supposed to have before snow returns. Monday evening Baby R took a stroll with her Grandma and I. It was still a little bit chilly, so we dressed her up in her fancy coat and hat and hit the streets. Baby R loves being outdoors, so the rest of this week will be a bummer! Why did winter have to return? We are eagerly waiting for spring to come and stay!