12 Month Favorites

Brinleigh's 12 Month Favorites

Favorite Toys:  Baby Doll, Lego Blocks, Tupperware (especially the salad shaker bowl)

Favorite Games:  Peek-a-boo

Favorite Books:  Pretty Princess Pig, Ladybug Girl

Favorite Foods:  Green Beans, Mac & Cheese, Apples, Bananas, Cheerios, Blueberry Muffins, Strawberry Yogurt

Favorite Activities:  Copying/Mimicking Mommy & Daddy, Running (walking fast) or chasing Mommy & Daddy, Swinging, Dancing, Bath Time
Favorite Words:  Doggie "dah dah", not to be confused with her second favorite word, "Dada", and of course "no".

Other Favorites:  Dogs (especially Gunner), Music, but more specifically The Song "Get Your Shine On"
Least Favorite Things:  Diaper changes, Peas & Carrots

 

Momma's 12 Month Favorites

We ordered Brinleigh a new convertible car seat when we came home from North Carolina.  Brinleigh wasn't a fan of her infant seat and after some extensive research, I settled on this Diono Radian RXT.  We both love it!
We received a grocery cart cover at our baby shower and I absolutely love it.  I have been using it ever since Brinleigh was able to sit up on her own.  I keep it in the car so that I have it any time we go to the store.  Brinleigh likes it, I think it's more comfortable for her, and I like it because it helps eliminate the amount of germs she comes in contact with.  It actually helps me too since it covers the cart handles that I touch.
I have seen these food pouches around for a while, but here in Sitka I didn't think I had much need for them.  I bought a few while we were in NC along with the spoon tips that you can screw on and off of the pouches.  These were extremely convenient when we were traveling home.  I bought a few when we were out and about one day and I couldn't feed Brinleigh because I was pushing the stroller.  I took the top off and gave her the pouch and she just ate right from the pouch.  These have now become one of my favorites for when we are out running around or go out to eat.
Once Brinleigh started walking, I knew I had to order her some shoes with rubber soles.  After shopping around online, I decided to go with these cute baby Nikes from Kohls.  I was worried that they would make it harder for Brinleigh to walk since they aren't as soft and flexible, but surprisingly, she walked perfectly fine in them.  I love the velcro straps on these much better than the shoe laces I was having to tie on her soft crib shoes. 

Grocery Cart Cover
Diono Convertible Car Seat
Food Pouch Spoon Tips

Baby Food Pouches
Baby Nikes 

12 Month Update

Last week we had Brinleigh's twelve month check up.  Our little love bug weighed in at 21.5 lbs and is 27 3/4 inches tall, although I'm going to recheck this since those measurements would mean that she hasn't grown at all in the last two months.  She is in the 10th percentile for height (she's a shorty) and in the 75th percentile for weight (she's also a little chunk).  They seem pleased with her growth and development and didn't have any concerns or problems.  Brinleigh was also due to get her 12 month vaccines.  All together there are six shots and so they gave her three at this appointment and then we will go back in a month to get the other three.  She was not a happy baby (understandably) and I hated having to hold her down and watch those crocodile tears stream down her face.  Especially because she got so upset after the first shot and I knew there were still two more to go.  My poor baby was practically hyperventilating she was crying so hard, it made my heart hurt.  But when Daddy came back in the room (he doesn't stay in the room during her shots) he held her and got her calmed down again.  We had to wait about twenty minutes for the nurse to make sure she didn't have any reactions and she passed out in Daddy's arms.  It didn't help that the appointment ended up lasting two and half hours and well into her nap time.

We are also in the process of transitioning Brinleigh from formula to cows milk.  When she was about eight months old I started supplementing with formula and by her birthday I had completely weaned her from breastfeeding all together.  She was strictly getting formula for a couple weeks and now we are slowly adding cows milk to her formula.  We have one more can of formula to get through and then she will be solely on cows milk.

Ever since Brinleigh first started drinking breast milk from bottles (at about a month old) I have made it a point to only give her milk in her bottles.  I introduced her to juice at about nine months old in a sippy cup.  I'm hoping that this will help us in weaning her off the bottle around eighteen months.

We still have a cabinet full of baby food, but once that is all gone we will be completely done with the pureed baby food, with the exception of the fruit pouches which are awesome while on the go.

Brinleigh's Birthday Party

This past Sunday we had Brinleigh's Birthday Party at the house.  On her actual birthday, half of the close friends that we planned to invite were out of town.  And since my sister and her boyfriend were going to be visiting, we planned it for a couple weeks after.

I have spent months planning this party and spent numerous hours making the decorations and I have to say, I'm quite proud of how everything turned out.

The only decorations that I did not make myself were the balloons, plastic table cloths, and paper crepe streamers.  There were also some foil type swirly streamers that I bought online that aren't pictured.

 I used a plastic table cloth to frame the doorway in the dining room into the kitchen and then tied the corners with light pink ribbon.

 I cut the number 1 out of a cardboard box and then used the eraser end of a pencil to stick square pieces of crepe paper on with glue.

 I wanted a wreath that I could use for Brinleigh's Birthday Parties for years to come so I cut pieces of fabric into small squares and then pushed them into a straw wreath with a phillips head screwdriver.  I used a long piece of ribbon to loop through the wreath, tied the ends in a knot and it is hung by an upside down sticky hook on the inside of the door, so the ribbon goes all the way over the door.  I made the number 1 out of scrapbook paper, glue, and glitter and then hung it onto the ribbon with a small piece of balloon ribbon.

 The Happy Birthday Banner was made out of scrapbook paper using letter stencils and then I applied glitter with elmers glue.  For the paper garland I used scrapbook paper & cut out the holes using a fiskars stencil and shape cutter. Then I just used regular sewing thread, (doubled over so that I had a hook at the top to hang) & glued it with elmers glue. I used a paint brush to apply the glue so that it covered all of the string and then dried flat.

 Don't judge my lopsided cake! I'm still trying to perfect the baking and layering of cakes.  These were my 4th and 5th cakes so I have been practicing.  After my first attempt of baking the cake from scratch, I decided it wasn't worth it and stuck with boxed cake mix.  The big cake is white cake mix consisting of three layers, each a different shade of pink.  The smash cake is a three layer strawberry cake.  I did make the butter cream frosting from scratch and dyed the frosting different shades of pink on the big cake.  I left the frosting white on the smash cake.

For the pretzels, I melted white chocolate chips, added a drop or two of pink food coloring and dipped the pretzels and then laid them on cookie sheets to dry.  I used my new cake plate for the pretzels since I put the cake on a cake stand.

 The highchair banner was made from scrapbook paper.  The wicker basket is full of the party favors which are baby food jars filled with starburst jellybeans and the lids are painted pink with sparkles.  I painted the inside of a mason jar and the outside of a formula can to hold the plastic utensils.

My favorite piece that I made, out of everything, was the cake topper.  I used this in the smash cake for Brinleigh's One Year Photo's as well.  I used scrapbook paper for the pennants, used letter stickers for the Happy Birthday letters, bought some rope string from the craft store & tied it around wooden kabob sticks. I then put glue over the knot in the string & under the knot so that it was glued to the stick & couldn't slide down. I also glued the pennants to the string.  This is something I've decided I will hold onto for Brinleigh's  future birthday parties.

 

I ordered all the balloons, plastic cups and table cloths from amazon.com and bought the pink plates and napkins from a party store here in town.

We also grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and I just realized that I didn't get pictures of the balloons we had outside.  In the front yard and the backyard, we stuck pink golf tee's into the ground and had balloons tied to them so that balloons were floating around the yard.

Brinleigh's outfit was a Birthday gift from her Grandma Deana, which she opened on her actual Birthday.  A cute little carter's dress with a matching cardigan.  I added the white leggings and let her run around most of the day without the cardigan on.  That outfit was the cutest thing ever and I'm going to try and dress her in it as much as I can before the weather cools off and she grows out of it.  And Yes!  It also matched my shirt.

Thank You to everyone who sent gifts or cards or were able to be here and celebrate with us.  We had a blast celebrating Brinleigh's 1st Birthday numerous times over the last couple weeks.  She is absolutely loving all of her new toys and of course, Momma can't wait to doll her up in her new outfits.  Thank You all so much!

We Have A Walker!!!!

So I know I briefly mentioned this in the One Year Photo Session post, but Brinleigh is now walking!!!!  We've had company so I'm a little behind on my posts, but Brinleigh took her first steps on August 1st.  I was video recording her playing with the couch pillows because she wrestles with them and it's hilarious.  Well.... to my surprise, she was standing and all of a sudden took SEVEN steps.  All on her own.  With no prompting from me at all.  I was the only one home with her, Kolt was out fishing, so of course I was SUPER excited that I got her actual first steps on video.

Over the next few days she chose walking over crawling, even when she would fall down she got right back up.  She would crawl if she knew she needed to get somewhere fast...... Like the dishwasher.  Now.... she's a pro!  Walking around everywhere, it is absolutely adorable.

 

1 Year Photo Session

Brinleigh's 1 year and cake smash photos were taken this last week.  Our wonderful photographer ended up coming to our house so we did them all in our backyard.... super convenient.  It was also really sunny out, which made it warm enough that Brinleigh wouldn't be uncomfortable in the outfits I put her in..... or lack there of.  Brinleigh was cooperative for the most part, as usual.  She is a very animated little girl, so we always expect lots of smiles and funny faces.  Towards the end she started to get a bit fussy, I don't blame her.  Four outfit changes, Mommy constantly forcing headbands on her head (which Brinleigh hates right now) and then the bugs..... needless to say, she did great for what we were doing.  We saved the cake smash for last and of course that helped for a little bit.

The photographer brought a board to use as the floor of the photos & laid it in the grass.  We all know that Brinleigh HATES to touch grass so this kinda helped to keep her contained (since she's walking now).  When it was time for the cake, again, she daintily picked at the frosting so I had to go smash her hands into it.  That's all she wrote from then.... she was grabbing chunks of cakes and eating it like a pro.  

This was my second third second attempt at making her birthday cake (I still have two more to do for her Birthday party this weekend).  The first cake that I made for her birthday, was an eight inch four layer pink ombre cake made from white cake mix.  I also made a pink ombre whipped frosting.  This cake was a six inch four layer strawberry cake with white butter cream frosting.  I think this one was a hit so I will probably make this one again for her smash cake for her birthday party.  I also made the Happy Birthday banner cake topper, which I am extremely proud of.  (You will see more of my homemade birthday decorations once I post pics from her party.)

The pink quilt used for the background in some of the pictures was made for Brinleigh by her Grandma D's dear friend, Amy, and was given to her as a gift at Christmas.  The brown recliner chair was a Birthday gift from her Grandpappy Jim and Nana Lidia.