Merry Christmas!!

"Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall." -Larry Wilde

I love Christmas! It's so much more fun with Braelyn this year. She has really enjoyed having the Christmas tree up and looking at all the lights and ornaments. We are excited that all of her grandparents will be here on Christmas morning...what a treat for her! Lots of pictures will be taken, I'm sure.

Since our Christmas cards have already been mailed out, I will post the picture on the blog. I wanted to wait until everyone had gotten theirs so that the surprise wasn't ruined. It's the 2nd one...of her and Santa. I'm hearing lots of feedback that she looks like Joe more and more now. What do you guys think?

Braelyn and her Aunt KK at Gingerbread night. She was on SUCH a sugar high when we left there.

Our Christmas card. She LOVES Santa! She even said "ho ho ho" to him! :)

My precious Mommy & Daddy love Braelyn so much. She is their little Christmas princess! (They look awfully young to be grandparents, don't they?!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Braelyn's growing vocabulary.

She has become quite vocal over the last few weeks! Her words include dada (her favorite!), baa-baa (which she asks for now when she's hungry.), mama (rarely!), papa, thank you, uh-oh!, Grampie, no, Boogie!, dog, ball, bye-bye, love you, "where's boogie?", "Do it again!", "you get it!", Mickey, and snack. We hear a new word every few days or so.

It's so exciting to watch her grow and learn. She's become quite the climber and she can destroy the house in no time flat. She's slowly learning what "no" means and we are learning a whole different meaning for the word stubborn! She's is definitely her mother's child.

As for Joe and I...school and work are priorities. I am finishing up with finals and preparing to start my last semester of nursing school. FINALLY! I most definitely miss labor and delivery. I just finished up my pediatrics rotation and it was definitely not my cup of tea. I can't stand to see the amount of abuse and neglect that goes hand in hand with the peds field. I don't think I will be pursuing a career there. It's too hard to figure out what's ailing a child when they are too young to communicate with you. Next semester I have my psych and med-surg rotations. Neither of which I am thrilled about, but I will keep an open mind! Who knows...I also thought I would hate women's health but as of right now, that's my direction.
Joe somehow manages to work full-time and do an excellent job in school as well. I swear, I never see him crack a single book and he somehow manages to pull A's right out of the sky! I'm so jealous. He's such a role model for me when I feel like I'm overwhelmed. I'm sure my nursing school is overwhelming him as well. He's probably forgotten what I look like without a nursing book stuck to my nose.

That's what is happening in the Hall house for now! We are ecstatic about the Christmas season and break from school that is fast approaching. Christmas is our favorite and I feel like Braelyn will be able to participate more this year.

This was Braelyn's Thanksgiving dress this year. She received it as a birthday present and it looked amazing!

WALKING..KIND OF

Braelyn is trying to figure out how to walk now. She has made great progress in recent weeks. She has gone from talking one step and falling, to taking as many as seven steps, totally unaided. It's really exciting to see her get closer and closer to walking! I will try and post a video of her attempts soon!

Braelyn's 1st haircut!

We took Braelyn for her first haircut a few weekends ago! (Much to both grandmas displeasure!) It was so long that it was constantly in her eyes and she won't leave a bow in more than a few seconds. Even if she hears the word "bow" she starts swatting at her head. Our long time friend, Brooke cut it for her. She did a great job and was so patient with Braelyn. We were very pleased! Of course, it was just a trim. We didn't have too much taken off. It's starting to curl in the back (Yayyy!!) which I am so pleased about.

Almost 1!

This morning I am doing the invitations for Braelyn's 1st birthday party! I just can't believe it has already been a year. We have rented out the lake lodge at our apartment complex for the party and I think it will be perfect! Keep an eye on your mailboxes!

Happy Birthday, GG!

We would like to wish our wonderful GG a very happy birthday! We miss and love you!

TGIF!

Whew! What a week it has been!
I am still LOVING my OB clinical. Labor & Delivery is definitely my thing. Although, I loved the OB OR (C-Sections) and newborn admissions, too. I have had wonderful preceptors who have taught me SO much. Classes are insanely time consuming and I hate feeling guilty for being away from Brae so much, but I know that I am doing this for her future.

Braelyn is still very close to walking. I have seen her take a step or two, but typically she just stands there for a long time before lowering herself slowly to the floor and crawling off. I am fairly certain she is cutting her top teeth right now. She is so so fussy and constantly chews on her finger. She even left a boo-boo on  it! She ran a slight fever yesterday, so I don't think it will be long before we see yet another tooth!
I read a newsletter yesterday from Pamper's that says we should take the pacifier away now, but I'm not sure I'm on that bandwagon yet. While I don't want her to be a 3 year old with a pacifier in her mouth constantly, I'm not convinced that I should take it away just yet. She only uses it at bedtime and I just don't see much of a problem with that. Opinions?

I have GOT to get on the birthday party planning! I can't even believe that she will be ONE year old in a month! Where in the world does the time go? We are definitely going with a princess theme...so fitting! A few things on her list include 12-18 month clothes, a red wagon and a big girl car seat!

Check out this hilarious picture! She is definitely her Mommy's girl.

So sorry!

I know it has been several weeks and ya'll are due for an update. It's been crazy in the Hall house. I started my LAST year of nursing school...thank goodness! It has been incredibly overwhelming already. I am currently on an OB rotation which I am LOVING! I'm starting to think labor and delivery could be my calling. I am really enjoying my clinicals and my preceptors have been amazing. I have learned so much.

Joe's school is going well, too. He's really taken an interest in psychology and always fills my brain with neat facts when he gets home. I am amazed at his hard work and determination. I could never do his job, much less go to school too!

Miss Priss is still growing like a weed! This morning she stood up in the middle of the floor on her own! She had nothing to hold onto or pull up on. She just stood! She looked around for 5 seconds or so before lowering herself back to a sitting position. It certainly won't be long at all before she begins to walk. Yesterday, her precious Daddy rearranged the drawers in the kitchen so that the bottom one was hers. She loves to pull it open and empty it all over the floor. Especially when we are in there cooking or cleaning.

Who is she looking like now days?

Crackberry

I now know why they call it that. I was able to upgrade to a new Blackberry to replace my dead phone and I can't put the thing down. I feel so...connected! My entire life is on that thing. My contacts, my facebook, my calendar, my emails. Joe wants one now too, but one of us has to stay grounded.

Braelyn now says dada, daddy, mama (on a rare occasion!) bye, hey, nini (she is attempting at mimi) and nana when she sees Nanny. She says baba sometimes but I don't think she knows what this really means.

Joe's cousin Matt is here for a few days and Braelyn LOVES him. He will lay in the floor and let her crawl all over him which is like the greatest thing for her. They play together and I'll admit, it is really nice to have a distraction for her.

It's a rainy Tuesday here in GA!

Adios Celly!

My cell phone decided to take the plunge last night. RIGHT into the bathtub. We tried the rice trick over night, but no luck. It will turn on and I can accept a call, but the touchscreen doesn't work anymore so the phone is useless. I can access my contacts to call anyone. I haven't liked this phone from the beginning anyway, so I'm not upset about being forced to get a new one.

Joe and Brae are heading to Florida this afternoon. I'm sure she'll be excited to spend some much needed time with her grandparents. As for here, it's studying studying! I have a final right in the middle of my Saturday. Yuck! Please pray for a safe trip for them!

Getting Better!

Last night I ate lots of ice-cream, applesauce and eggs. This morning I was able to chew up some pancakes that my WONDERFUL husband made for me. He's been such a good nurse. Keeping me right on schedule for all my medicine. They doctor says I am okay to drink through a straw now, but I'm not going to risk that. Dry sockets are my worst fear and I will go to great lengths to avoid them. I still have no experienced any pain. A slight bruising feeling, but that's it. God is so great!

Mom called last night and said that Braelyn has started to say "nite-nite"! Her vocabulary is certainly growing fast! It's won't be long until she talks our ear off from morning to night.

Wisdom Teeth

Teeth are out. Not too much pain yet and I'm praying it stays that way. The bleeding took a little longer than I thought to stop. Prayers appreciated.

Slow down, Brae!

I just can't believe how fast Braelyn grows. Everyone told me before she was born that it would go fast, but this is ridiculous! It's like she is superhuman. I think that if I looked at her long enough, I could literally SEE her growing! Right now she is in the floor climbing in and out of her ducky bathtub!....Really?! I feel like just yesterday she couldn't even move without my assistance. I'm going to post a newborn picture and a "now" picture just for comparison. I have now noticed how much she likes to climb...uh oh! She's going to be one of those children that somehow climbs out of their crib at night. She's also getting really good at picking up small snacks (cheerio size) and eating them herself. She's really proud of it too. When I cheer for her, she usually smiles so big that the puff falls out anyway.   :o) A few of her other favorite past times include playing tug of war with Emily and clapping. She loves the tile in the kitchen and constantly bangs on it. Grammie will be very unhappy to know that I caught her eating a piece of dog food the other day. Whoops!

 Braelyn would like to send special love to her Aunt Meg and Aunt Jeni! I show her pictures of you guys often and she smiles! :)

Teeth!

Braelyn officially has two teeth! I have been meaning to blog about it for a week now, but got busy and forgot. It's her two bottom front teeth. My mom found them last week and we have been keeping an eye on them. They have actually come through the gums and can be seen. So exciting! Finally, all of the teething has paid off and although I am happy about this new milestone, I will definitely miss her gummie little baby smile.

Aiden is 1!

Yesterday was Aiden's first birthday. I can't believe he is already one! We had a blast at his birthday party. It was a luau themed party and Braelyn wore her dress from Hawaii! Aunt Jeni and Uncle Carey bought it for her on their honeymoon. Braelyn made it pretty clear what she wants for her first birthday and put in a quick call to Mimi and Papa!

 

(Aiden & Camdyn)

She loved Aiden's new wagon! She stood up in it and clapped her hands. I'm willing to bet she'll have her own when her birthday rolls around.

Recovery

Recovery is much harder than I thought it was going to be. The pain  is unreal and I have to stay doped up on so much pain medicine that I hardly know what planet I am on. I've pretty much slept for the last 2 days. Please pray that the pain will ease.

What a catch!

Last night was a "crammer" as we like to call it around here. Big test for me tonight. I needed a major pick me up. Joe needed to run out to the store for a dinner ingredient and came back with sushi (tuna, my favorite!) and a Venti White Chocolate Mocha! I could have fainted from excitement! And the best part? The sushi was on sale and the Starbuck's was FREE! It really is the little things. Anyway, what a wonderful husband Joe is. Always thinking of me in the small ways that make a big difference. I used to think I was "lucky" to have found such a wonderful man, but it wasn't long before I realized that I wasn't lucky, I was BLESSED in every sense of the word.

July 4th in Kentucky

We spent July 4th in Kentucky this year. Joe's family had a family reunion so we flew up with Pops. It was Braelyn's first airplane ride! She wasn't too keen on her new headset, but she did great. (A little nervous when Daddy flew, but so was I!) I took lots of pictures with lots of different family, but I wanted to share some here! We so enjoyed seeing everyone and we are so glad Braelyn was able to spend some time with them.

This one's for you, Grammie! This could possibly be the cutest picture ever taken! She is grinning so big with her Grampie. 

 

 

 

The group picture is from Catfish Kitchens. We eat there every time we visit Kentucky. Although it doesn't look like it in this picture, Braelyn had a BLAST! She sang and clapped through the whole dinner. Kristi even got a video of her carrying on, which I have to figure out how to put on here! We decided against fireworks this year for the sake of Braelyn's ears. (and sanity!) Although, the kids had alot of sparklers and poppers. Braelyn LOVED watching those! She made fast friends with her cousin Matt in Kentucky. (Yellow shirt, back of the table.) He let her crawl all over him. We are so glad she got to spend some time with extended family. 

Go away, July!

It would be so wonderful if our family could just skip July. We do have a few fun things like a wedding and Aiden's first birthday party, but I have two surgeries this month. On the 14th, I will have surgery to repair some scars from labor and delivery that didn't heal quite right. On the 23rd, I will have my wisdom teeth removed. This is the one I'm really not looking forward to. I would rather anything hurt but my mouth. Not to mention all of the horror stories people tell about dry sockets and infections!
At the end of the month, Joe and I have finals for our summer semester which is always stressful. Somewhere in between, we have to find time for a family cookout, Braelyn's 9 month check up and several doctor's appointments!
I would happily skip July if I could.

"eyyyy dadadada!"

This is Braelyn's new favorite thing to yell. I'm pretty sure she knows who dada is, too. She and I walked into the kitchen last night where Joe was and she looked at him, smiled and yelled "eeyyy dadada!" We were so excited and praised her, so of course, she's yelling it all the time now. Everyone is dada! But it's great when she's in her crib and she yells for dada! ;-)

*WONDERFUL* grandparents!

Braelyn has the most wonderful grandparents. She really enjoys spending time with them. She spent several nights this week at my parents and she came home spoooiiiilllledd! When her Mimi leaves the room, she whimpers and crawls after her. And when Papa comes home, they head for the pool! They are so good to her. Always keeping her stocked with a wide array of new toys and the latest fashion trends. She really does love them. It's evident in her face when she sees them.

Her Grammie and Grampie spoil and love her, as well! Just yesterday her new pack & play came to the door. She loves it! They visit often and she also loves to Skype with them! She can't quite figure out how she can see and hear them but not get to them. She tries anyway. Grammie bought a book for her where she recorded her own voice reading the story. Braelyn LOVES this book! She bangs and grabs at the speaker trying to get to Grammie. And I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure Grampie is wrapped around that little finger several times! I know he looks forward to teaching her to snorkel, ski, fly and of course, fish! When we visit them, we rarely even hold Braelyn. They cherish every moment with her. She is so relaxed and at ease with them. I just wish they lived closer. Although, if they lived as close as Mimi and Papa, Joe and I might never see her. No, really. We might could score visitation rights, but between the two sets of grandparents, we would be chopped liver.

Brae is one of the lucky babies that have great-grandparents! Not just one, either. She has FOUR great-grandparents! They all think she is just the cherry on top of their world.

She is one VERY loved little Princess! We feel so blessed to have such supportive family that provide her with such a strong and secure foundation for life. I know that personally my grandparents were just the most wonderful people that ever walked the planet and in my eyes, they were perfect. My relationship with them was important and special. I hope that Braelyn grows up the same way. I would stay for days on end with them and I remember crying because my parents wouldn't let me "move in." I learned to play ball, pick muscadines, shell pecans, understand baseball, give a makeover and of course, shop! They played a part in raising me and I'm a firm believer that it takes more than two people to raise a child. It takes a whole web of extended family, including grandparents. We feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to raise Braelyn, but even more so, we are thankful for all the support, help and love that surrounds her beyond what we provide.

Here are a few quotes I found that are fitting for Braelyn's grandparents. :)

"The best baby-sitters, of course, are the baby's grandparents.  You feel completely comfortable entrusting your baby to them for long periods, which is why most grandparents flee to Florida."  -Dave Barry

"Something magical happens when parents turns into grandparents. Their attitude changes from "money-doesn't-grow-on-trees" to spending it like it does." -Paul Linden

And last but not least....here is Braelyn enjoying her new pack 'n play! THANK YOU GRAMMIE!!

 

Boo-boos and family

I guess it comes with the new territory, but we have been fighting the boo-boos with Miss Braelyn. She pulls up all the time and tries to walk. She has fallen a couple of times and left bumps and bruises on her head. We have put up corner bumpers on the glass coffee table (thank goodness!) but she still seems to find things to get hurt on. Nothing serious yet.

Sunday we went to the apartment pool for a while before heading down to Mom & Dad's pool. She woke up with a little rash that morning and I didn't think anything of it. By Sunday night, it was covering her entire body. It wasn't itching or hurting her, but it still concerned me. Since she seemed to be okay and I didn't see the rash in her mouth and throat, I decided to avoid the ER and wait until yesterday to take her to the doctor. He said it could have been anything (probably the red velvet cake she had at Saturday's family reunion!), but it was harmless and wasn't bothering her. It's pretty much gone now. Better safe than sorry.

We went to a family reunion on Saturday for Nanny's extended family. Braelyn wore a precious pillowcase dress that my mom had made for her and she loved all the attention (and food she wasn't supposed to have!) Here is our precious Nanny. She is 86 and still going strong!

The reunion was at the lake and Braelyn had LOTS of fun with the ducks. Cody even made friends with one and had it eating out of his hand.