Day at the Park

Yesterday, some of the mommies from our church had a playdate at the park. It was Branna's first time to visit a park and she LOVED it. We slid down the slide, swung in the swings, and walked all over the place. (She held on to my fingers while walking most the time.)

However, I think her favorite part of the day was watching the other kids play ball. She loves balls and is fascinated with them. Anytime she would see a kid kick a ball or throw a ball, she would immediately started signing "ball" and saying, "da", her word for ball.

I'm sure we'll be having many more visits to the park!

Branna on the Slide

Branna and a friend
Having a great time in the swing

We've Been Sick

I wanted to let those of you who are checking our blog know that we're still here! I know it's been a while since I've posted anything. Both Branna and I have been sick for the last week and because of that, I haven't felt like doing much of anything. I think we're pretty much over all it now and feeling better, so there will be new posts coming soon. :)

Here We Go!!!!

In a lot of ways, I had hoped that I wouldn't be posting this for at least another few months, but.... Branna took her first steps today! It's so exciting to see her grow and develop, but at the same time, I know she's growing up.... to quickly it seems. I'm glad that we able to capture the moment on video, so that we can share it and also so that we will be able to look back at it in the years to come!

Peek-A-Boo!

Branna's FAVORITE game to play is peek-a-boo. She can play it anytime or anywhere! All she needs is something to hide behind and a person to say boo. :) Last night, she found the boppy and daddy. They worked great!

Fun In The Sun

The weather has been gorgeous here in Austin, so we've taken every opportunity to get outside. Last weekend, Branna and I laid a pallet out in the front yard while Branyon washed the car. She had a great time pointing to the clouds, listening to the birds, and watching other kids play.

Brrrr!!!

As most of you know, last week was cold here in Austin. Most days we get out for a walk around the neighborhood, but since the weather had been so yucky, we hadn't been able to for more than a week. One afternoon, we couldn't stand it anymore, so I bundled her up, and we stepped outside for a little bit. (The toboggan was one of mine.)

9 Month Stats

Branna had her 9 month check-up today (yes, it's late) and everything looked great. She's 20 lbs (75%) and 29 inches (95%). The doctor was impressed that she was talking and not just babbling. :) Everything else (like locomotion skills, eating habits, etc) is right on target or better.
Thankfully, she didn't have any shots this time, but she did have to get her finger pricked to get a blood sample. The doctor said that it's standard at 9 months to check for anemia and vitamin D levels. I feel like everything will come back fine, but we should find out the results somtime next week.
Her next appointment will be in April at 1 year.

This Week

For the most part, this past week has been fairly uneventful. Branna is back into the "normal" routine: playing, taking a few naps, and eating every few hours. She's still not sleeping through the night, but the last several days have been even worse, with her sometimes waking up every hour! I think it's probably due to the fact that she is cutting two upper teeth. Around 6 months, the bottom two teeth came in with no problems... in fact, I didn't even know she was getting the teeth until they were already protruding through the gums!

This round of teething has been a completely different story. She's been more irratable and wakeful and is definitely in more pain. Tylenol helps, but I don't want to give it to her all the time. Yesterday, I bought homeopathic teething tablets and they seem to be working. I hate that she's not feeling good, but I know it's part of being a baby. :(

Branna has also become more interested in Walker, our cat, in the last few days. She has always gotten a thrill out of "petting" Walker (i.e. grabbing and pulling her fur), but lately it's become more aggressive. I thought the first time that Walker fought back, Branna would learn her lesson, but apparently Branna is more determined than I realized... I guess that's just a preview of what's to come, as I am finding out Branna is definitely her own person with a very determined personality. :)

Can You Believe It?

Can you believe that Branna just had her 9 month birthday?! It just doesn't seem like it can be possible. And, it's amazing all the things she's doing now. She says 3 words: da-da, na-na (banana), and ma-ma. She is also signing a few words. She recognizes "eat" when I do it, but she will put her hands together for "more" and shake her hands to say "play".
I think she'll be walking very soon, too.... I'm a little anxious about that, since I have a hard enough time keeping up with her as it is! :) A few days ago, she started walking by on her own behind her walker toy. I can't believe how fast she's growing!

A Few Late Pictures

I wanted to post a few pictures of Branna's first Christmas, for those who haven't seen them yet. She had a great time unwrapping the gifts and playing with the paper. There were several times we had to take the paper away from her so that she would look at her gift. :)

Grandma Honey & Branna

PaPa & Branna



Mom & Branna