Arizona: The Beginning

Well, yesterday our little family of three joined with my grandparents to head off to Chicago's Midway Airport. We left the house at about 10 am and arrived at the airport around 12:30 Chicago time. We found a parking lot across from the airport, which was a short walk, but not made easy due to the 3 inches of snow that had freshly fallen that morning. Senior citizens + toddler + luggage + snow = bad combination! Luckily we all survived the walk, albeit with a little complaining, and made it safely to the counter to check-in. And that's where our "fun" adventure stopped. Our flight ended up leaving an hour late due to the weather. It was just a short flight to St. Louis, but Brynlee decided she had had enough for the day and was "that child" on the flight. Due to the delayed flight, we arrived in St. Louis with 10 minutes to spare before our connecting flight left. Needless to say, I was freaking out! Luckily our gate for the next flight was about 10 feet from where we arrived so we were safe. And then Brynlee continued demonstrating her hatred for flying on the 3 hour flight to Phoenix :( We all made it safely to Phoenix after shedding a few tears along the way (both by Brynlee and her mama) and finally got to see my sister, Tia Bria! It was one of the worst days of my life, but so worth it to finally get to visit my sister and be in the warm(er) Phoenix outdoors. We were exhausted but looking so forward to a fun day on Wednesday :)

Showing just how "fun" the airport can be!

Best Weekend Ever!

This past weekend Brandon and I went to Chicago to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. Brandon had planned the entire weekend's events and all I knew going into the weekend was that we were going to Chicago and staying overnight.

Saturday morning we dropped Brynlee off at her Mimi and Papa's and then we were on our way! I was dying to know what Brandon had up his sleeve and he threw me a bone about 10 minutes into our trip and let us know we were meeting our good friends, the Goles, for lunch in Highland Park. I was ecstatic! We got to know the Goles when we lived in Gurnee and hadn't seen them in quite a while. I didn't take any pictures of our lunch at Fuddruckers, but we had a blast and it was great to catch up with them and a fantastic start to our weekend away.

We spent a little time in the suburbs before we headed downtown. Brandon wanted to go to Navy Pier, but it was a long hike from our hotel so we decided to just hang out on Michigan Avenue. We did some shopping at Water Tower and then hustled back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. Brandon let me know that we were going to the Signature Room at the John Hancock. What a surprise! We enjoyed a fabulous, but way too expensive dinner, with awesome views of the city. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience that we will never forget.

We intended to head home pretty early on Sunday but wanted to pick up a few things downtown before we left. We picked up a gift for Brynlee at TJMaxx and then Brandon stood in line for 30 minutes waiting on Garrett's popcorn for his parents. We ate lunch at P.F. Changs (my favorite!) and then finally started our journey back to Indiana.

We were excited to see our little pumpkin again, even though I don't think she missed us one bit :) Definitely a great time spent with my honey and hopefully we can make this a somewhat-regular occurrence!

Brynlee is 11 Months Old!

You are one short month away from your 1st birthday, baby girl! Here's what you've been up to in the last month:

-You have taken to an earlier bedtime (about 7:30) and still sleep until we wake you up at 6 am on weekdays. You usually sleep in a little later on the weekends (about 6:45).

-You are wearing a size 4 diaper.

-Since you got your first official sickness that required prescription medicine, we were able to get you weighed last week. You tipped the scales at a whopping 19 pounds even!

-You are still wearing 6-9 month or 12 month clothes. I have a feeling you may be able to fit in these sizes for quite a while :)

-You are officially weaned from your nighttime bottle as of last Friday and have done great! You're now down to just 3 bottles a day (at mealtimes) and eat snacks along with water in between meals.

-We have our fingers crossed (and toes!) that hair will be one of your Christmas gifts. Anybody know of some "Miracle Grow" for babies?!

-You have 6 teeth (2 on bottom and 4 on top) and we are finally able to start seeing the 4 on top every once in a while.

-You rarely crawl anymore. You're not exactly "running" yet, but if you know you've done something bad, you can definitely move a little faster than just your average "walk."

-Words that you can repeat if you're in the mood to humor us: Daddy, Turner, uh oh, good job, yum, hi

-You have recently become somewhat of a drama queen and are prone to temper tantrums. If something doesn't go your way, it is not uncommon for you to let your body go limp and fall to the ground. You are also a big fan of arching your back when things aren't going well for you :)

-Things you love: dancing to your musical toys, bouncing up and down and all over the couch, opening all the cabinets (especially in the bathroom) and carrying around our mouthwash, unrolling the toilet paper, emptying Turner's water bowl, standing at the door and waiting for Turner to come in from outside, crawling underneath people's legs

Our precious 11-month-old

Enjoying her new winter hat

Dancing along with her favorite Christmas toys

Let the countdown begin....One month until the big 0-1!!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The tree is decorated (and has managed to

maintain all ornaments thus far!)

The wreaths are hung (thanks, Mom!)

All outside lights are finally up

And Brynlee's donned her holiday attire

Bring on Christmas!

Brynlee is 10 Months Old!

Brynlee, you've reached the double digits and are officially 10 months old! Here's the highlights of the last month of your life:

-You still snooze away from 8pm-6am and tend to sleep in on the weekends. How you know that it's the weekend, I have no idea, but I'm grateful nonetheless.

-You are wearing a size 3 diaper during the day and size 4 at night.

-You weigh 18 pounds 10 ounces (25-50%), are 27.5 inches long (25-50%) and your head is 17.5 inches around (50%). You are average on the charts but anything but average in your mommy and daddy's eyes :)

-You still wear 6-9 or 6-12 month clothes, but we have encountered a huge dilemma in the jeans department. Suddenly your 9 month jeans are too short, but 12 month jeans fall right off your skinny little hips. I have searched high and low for jeans that will fit you to no avail. So, it looks like leggings will be your legwear of choice this winter.

- Luckily, you have not outgrown any more shoes over the last month. We are hopeful that your ridiculously huge shoe wardrobe can be utilized for a while longer since we've already paid Pediped enough money to sustain their business for a year :)

-You eat 3 meals a day and LOVE to drink water from a sippy cup. We haven't fully transitioned to the sippy for all drinks just because formula and a sippy cup are not a fun combo. But once you can drink (much cheaper) whole milk, you'll be on the sippy cup only!

-The hair gods are still not really shining on you yet. The back of your head has sprouted a little more hair and is even starting to flip out and curl a little (yay!), but you still look bald to the naked eye.

-You officially have 5 teeth and I think the 6th tooth will be making an appearance shortly.

-You can now wave goodbye when we say "bye bye", repeat "Daddy" and "puppy" when we say them and your new favorite to repeat is "uh oh."

-Things you love: taking your shoes and socks off in the car, chasing Turner, taking all the diapers and toys out of the baskets on your changing table, smacking your lips, and crawling up the stairs with record speed.

- And the biggest news of this month, YOU ARE WALKING!! You can cruise from one side of the room to the other and can even stand up without pulling up on something. You look so cute toddling around because you are just so darn tiny to be walking. But we are soooo proud of you!

Turner is equally excited about

Brynlee's 10 month birthday!

Birthday kisses from Turner

Getting older is apparently hard

work for both baby and Daddy!

Look at her go!

Happy 10 month birthday, baby girl. Only a few more months and we can really celebrate!

Happy Halloween!

We get to enjoy the biggest "treat" of all this Halloween!

Walk This Way

Brynlee has been really practicing her walking skills lately. What started off as basically falling forward into things has progressed to actual steps! Every day she gets a little more brave and adds a few more steps to her "walks." Check out today's best effort!

Sick Day

Brynlee and I have not been feeling the greatest over the last couple of days. When I picked Brynlee up from her sitter's yesterday, she told me Brynlee was running a 101 fever. So, in the afternoon it was off to the doctor for us. Unfortunately, the sitter had given Brynlee some Tylenol, which in turn lowered her temp, and the doctor thought we were crazy since it appeared we brought in a perfectly healthy child. Brynlee has continued to run a fever for the last 36 hours and this morning woke up looking like this:

All the snot just makes you feel so bad for her, doesn't it?! If you feel really bad for her, we'd welcome you to come make her feel better by trying to wipe all that nastiness off her face every morning. She pitches a fit! Anyways, I decided to use a sick day and stay home with her today and am so glad I did. She's gone back and forth between acting like herself and then being completely pathetic and curling up on my lap. I hate that she's sick, but I'm not gonna lie....I love that she's been cuddling up with me :) I miss those baby days when all she wanted to do was lounge around in our arms. Now, she doesn't have time to snuggle up with her mom and dad....she's got people to see, places to go, and things to explore!

Luckily, it appears Brandon has been spared (hopefully not just temporarily) the nastiness that Bryn and I have endured. Pray that we're on the road to recovery soon and that Brynlee is back to her normal shenanigans in no time :)

Outdoors at the Orchard

This past weekend while my parents were visiting, we all loaded up in the car and headed to our local apple orchard for their fall festival. We didn't stay long since it was cold, crowded, and not exactly geared towards a 9 month old. But, we did get some cute pictures of our little princess during her first fall festivity, so I'll let thm do the talking :)

Brynlee's first hayride...she loved watching the

wheels on the tractor!

Brynlee is 9 Months Old!

Brynlee, you are officially 3/4 of the way to your 1st birthday! How in the world did that happen so fast?! Here's what you're up to over the last month:

-You sleep from about 8pm-6am when we have to get up for the sitter's. But, the last few weekends you have blessed us with sleeping in until 8:00 or later. You are a girl after your mother's own heart :)

-You now wear a size 2-3 or size 3 diaper, depending on what's on sale at the store. I'm sad to see the Pampers Swaddlers go because it makes me feel like you're not a baby anymore. You've worn those since we brought you home from the hospital and it's like a little piece of your babyhood is disappearing :(

-Guessing you weigh around 18-19 pounds. Your 9 month checkup doesn't take place until you're almost 10 months old, so we'll find out for sure in a couple of weeks.

-You wear 6-9 month or 6-12 month clothes. For pajamas, you wear 9-12 month size.

- You have the biggest feet EVER! You are now wearing size 12-18 month Pedipeds and Robeez and a size 5 in other shoes. Your feet are as big as your 18-20 month old friends'! Luckily, you have an aunt and grandma that spoil you rotten so you have 3 new pairs of shoes that fit to add to your wardrobe. Included in these new shoes are a pair of cheetah print kicks....love them!

-You eat 3 (food) meals a day. YoBaby yogurt and a fruit in the morning, with a meat and veggie in the afternoon and a meat and veggie in the evening. You still eat just about anything, but are sticking to your guns when it comes to your hatred of peas. You also like to eat Gerber Puffs and Gerber Yogurt Melts for a snack in the afternoon.

-I don't believe any new hairs have appeared on your head in the last month. One of these days I will be able to take you out in public without a bow and have people not think you're a boy, but it may still be a while.

-You have 4 teeth! It appears as though your two top middle teeth may be making an appearance soon too, bringing the total to 6!

-You can crawl with the best of them, but aren't quite walking yet. You literally run along our furniture and will stand by yourself for a few seconds at a time, but haven't gotten brave enough to let go and take steps. I could be wrong, but I'm almost certain by your 10 month update that you will be on the move via your two feet and not your hands and knees anymore!

-You get into absolutely everything. Your favorite spot is in the corner by the TV where you can try and play with all the cords that are back there. Daddy does NOT appreciate this and you usually get a timeout on his lap if he finds you back there :)

-Things you love: your book on animals that makes the corresponding animal sounds, playing with Turner, trying to reach through the baby gate to play with Turner's food bowl, still chewing on every cord and tag that you can find, cuddling with your blanket in the car, and bouncing up and down at all times. You bob your little head while you bounce and then just laugh at yourself. We think you're pretty hilarious!

HAPPY 9 MONTHS, BRYNLEE!!

Happy Fall, Ya'll

Fall is finally here! We've been enjoying football, apple cider, turning off the air conditioning, and taking pictures of our little princess in her adorable fall wardrobe :) Hopefully this weather will last a long, long, long time and we never have to endure winter. Wishful thinking, I know, but it can't hurt. Enjoy pictures of our cute fall flower child!

Brynlee's so happy to be wearing her flower headband!

Go Irish!

Bryn and Turner enjoying the fall breeze

Brrr...had to break out the tights for church today!

My Olivet, Our Olivet

After the Olivet football game last Saturday, we took Brynlee on a tour of our alma mater, and her future stomping grounds. She thoroughly enjoyed the visit and we look forward to many more trips there with her!

Visiting our "spot" where we

would start to think even

in those early days of college

that maybe we could be more than friends :)

Brynlee's really glad her mommy and daddy

got to spend all that time in the quad getting

to know each other!

Checking out Chapman Hall and dreaming

that she can meet her hubby at Olivet

just like her mommy did!

Seeing where Mommy lived her

freshman year (3rd window up on the right).

Daddy spent a lot of time in the

lobby and on the steps of this building too!

Milby Clock Tower

Grandma looks thrilled

to be at the planetarium!

(P.S.-Mom, how HUGE is that sweatshirt

you've got on?!)

My favorite alumnus along with

our future Olivetian!

She was over the "Olivet Experience"

by this point :)

Our Family!

Brynlee is 8 Months Old!

Brynlee turns 8 months old today! This month has been a little slower in terms of development, and I am quite alright with that. I'm getting a little break before she decides to start walking to catch my breath! Brynlee, here's what you're up to now that you are 8 months old:

-You are back to sleeping through the night again....hallelujah! I think the momentary break in sleeping was due to learning how to stand. You wanted to stand all the time, including the middle of the night, but then you couldn't get yourself back down! The newness of standing has worn off and you're back to being a sleeping angel :)

-You now wear a size 2-3 diaper during the day and a size 3 nighttime diaper at night, which has been a lifesaver in terms of laundry.

-I haven't weighed you recently, but I'm guessing you weigh around 17-18 pounds. It seems like you are really starting to get tall too!

-You're now wearing 6-9 month clothes for the most part. Most of your jammies are still 6-9 month too, but you're probably able to wear 9-12 months pajamas, just because you need the extra length.

-You eat 3 (food) meals a day. YoBaby yogurt and a fruit in the morning, with a veggie in the afternoon and a meat and veggie in the evening. The jury's still out on the meats (you've only been eating them for a few days) but you are finally back to liking vegetables.

-Still not much hair to speak of. The good news is we're getting our money's worth out of all of your hairbows and headbands :)

-You still have just your bottom two teeth. I thought you were working on one of your top teeth, but it's been a few days and still hasn't shown up yet. Maybe soon!

-After almost 2 months of army crawling, in the last 2 weeks you decided to get up on your hands and knees. The transition came out of nowhere and you haven't looked back since!

-You still like to pull yourself up on everything. Just today you climbed up every single stair by yourself (with your mama hovering behind you) and you are now starting to walk (almost run!) along the couch and loveseat. Maybe by your 9 month post, you'll be walking!

-You love being outside and going for walks and we're looking forward to doing more of that now that cooler weather is arriving!

-Other things you love: reading books that make noise, splashing all the water out of the bathtub, chewing on every cord and tag that you can find, chasing Turner and trying to eat his paws and tail, and playing with all of your friends at the babysitter's!

Can't believe that Bryn is 2/3 of the way to her 1st birthday. Time sure does fly when we're having fun!

HAPPY 8 MONTH BIRTHDAY, BRYNLEE!

WE LOVE YOU BUNCHES!

Wedding Weekend

It's been so long since I've updated our blog that my sister had to beg for an update via Facebook. I'm happy to oblige her request :) Things have been pretty busy here lately, so I'm planning installments of the Yoder family happenings in numerous blog posts.

Brandon's cousin, Molly, got married last weekend on the golf course. It was a little chilly that day for an outdoor August wedding, but it was beautiful! The occasion allowed for Brynlee to finally meet her cousins Elli and Kolbyn. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the three of them, but Elli and Kolbyn couldn't get enough of "Baby Brynlee." I'm sure the three of them will be thick as thieves in due time.

Brynlee enjoying the rehearsal dinner

Brandon and Brynlee before the ceremony

Brandon and Kolbyn, the ring "bear," showing off their growls

The Girls

Kolbyn sneaking his 2nd (or 3rd!) cupcake of the night

Do these two look like trouble or what?!

Brynlee and the beautiful bride

Take note boys, this girl loves flowers :)

Congratulations James and Molly!