8 months

Baby love, you are 8 months old! You are our whole world. You brighten everyday. When ever I have a really bad day at work and just want to come home and feel like crying, it is impossible with you because you are so happy about everything and you make everything so much better.

--- You laugh at everything these days and I love it. But nothing makes you laugh more than your daddy.

---You are rolling everywhere! I can't keep track of you. You always end up with chords somewhere or under a table.

---I can't believe how much you sleep. You always have to have 12 hours and usually take two 2  hour naps during the day. Sometimes you will just take one 4-5 hour nap.

---You try so hard to crawl, but haven't quite got it down. But you started getting up on your hands and knees. I can't wait for you to take off!!

---You got your bottom two teeth within 2 weeks of each other! They are so cute and you love to just feel them and you look at me like "mom, what are these?".

---You had a really bad cold for 5 weeks! We had you sit in lots of showers and sleep with your humidifier and you finally were better!

---We bought you a sippy cup. Lately any time you see anyone eating, you whine until you have some too. So we got you a sippy cup and put a little water in it. And you LOVE it and act like you are so grown up that you have a sippy.

---I've started cutting up some of my food really small and i'll feed you when im eating. You do so good and can't get enough of it, especially green beans!

---Your first word was papa! For days it was all you would say... Now you have moved on to Dada. ALL day long. You have such a high pitched little voice, we love it. 

You are so beautiful, Braelin. The world is yours.

Love momma.

7 Months

Hey sweet girl!! 7 months old. Every month I can't believe how much closer you are to turning one. It still hits me once in awhile that you are actually my daughter. Those moments are spending friday nights watching bubble guppies, or getting into a bathtub full of toys, and finding your headbands in our bed. You are my everything baby girl.

---You started clapping and it is so cute!

--- You love to talk now. Mostly just whispers.

---You moan and whine everytime I get up to leave the room, and I love it.

---You LOVE the movie Rio. If I put it in you will stop whatever you are doing and stare at the TV.

---You will eat anything! You use to not like fruits, but now it doesn't matter what it is, you will eat it no matter what.

---We started giving you puffs, and I was really nervous thinking you would choke, but you do great and won't even try swallowing until you mash them up with your gums.

---You have such good balance and sit up so good! It is so cute, but you look too little to be doing that :(

---You are in size 3 diapers, and are in most 6 month clothes, but some 3 month stuff still.

The world is yours baby girl! WE love you soo much.

LOVE, momma.

6 months

Sweet baby girl! Half a year has gone by already?! I can't believe it. Time has flown by since we had you, and we enjoy every second.  You are the most perfect baby, and not to mention one of the happiest babies ever. We are so blessed that you came to us.

 Your stats for 6 months. I can't believe you only gained 2 pounds!

WEIGHT: 16.7 pounds HEIGHT: 26.5 inches HEAD: 17

---You had a fever this time with your shots, but still were such a good baby.

---You eat baby food two times a day now and do amazing with eating, and only have two bottles a day.

---You are still in size 2 diapers. Your cheeks and arms may be chubby, but you have a skinny skinny waist.

---Just a few days before you turned 6 months, you started sitting up by yourself like a big girl.

---AND rolling over from back to tummy. Its so funny because you have been able to roll over from tummy to back since you were 2 weeks old, but now that you can roll from back to tummy you whine and whine because you won't roll from tummy to back. Crazy girl.

---You are so beautiful. Really, you are. We get comments from everyone that you are abnormally too cute.

--- If  I let you stay in the bath tub all day, you would.

---You love to go poop right when we get to a store, dr. appointment, church... anywhere really important.

We love you so much Braelin! Thank you for being the sweetest baby ever and teaching us things we never thought a baby could. You are our biggest blessing and I don't know what we ever did without you! The world is yours baby girl.

Love momma. 

Pioneer Day

This year on Pioneer day it was Papa's (Hunters Great-grandpa) 95th birthday. His family had a huge birthday party all day long to celebrate! Unfortunately Hunter had to work so we weren't able to get there until 5pm, but it was still so much fun and we loved visiting with all his family.

Braelin is so lucky to be able to know her great-great grandpa! We were able to get some really fun pictures of Braelin and papa. She loves him! He can hold her and she will be good, even if he has her laying down or anything, she doesn't whine or anything when she is in papa's hands.

5 months

Braelin,

I can't help but think about you ALL day at work and how much I miss you. I can't wait for the day that I can stay home with you all day instead of working. You are so much fun and learning so fast. You are SO smart and are at such a fun age. You grab everything and anything in sight and if we take a toy away you whine until we give it back. We are so blessed to have you as our daughter, thank you SO much for coming to us baby girl!

---You can sit up by yourself for about 10-15 seconds before you decide to lean to much one way. But you are so strong and getting there.

---You aren't to crazy about tummy time, you just roll right over onto your back within one second of being on your tummy. Its so funny :)

---You LOVE your jumper! You just jump and play with all the toys on it, and then fall asleep.

---You have rolled over from back to tummy once or twice. I don't know why you wont do it, but you just roll your bottom half all the way over and just twist your neck. You won't go all the way, silly girl.

--- You still love all your veggies! But now you will eat the fruit just as good, you just make a face when we first give it to you. But you don't throw it up anymore.

---You only have a bottle in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon and eat baby food for lunch and dinner. You are growing so fast!

--- You fight your naps so much. Its so cute, but sometimes its hard when we are at someone elses house and you don't want to nap. You just love to play to much.

---You love standing! You won't stand straight, you just stick your little booty out.

---You are still such a good sleeper, if i dont work you will sleep anywhere from 12-14 hours.

---You love swimming, even in the cold ocean. You just splash and kick like crazy.

--- We went to California, and you did amazing!! Even on the plane you just slept most of the time.

We love you so much baby girl. We can't wait to keep watching you grown and learn, the world is yours baby love!

Love Momma.


These pictures of her just kill me.. She is so cute!! I even caught her mid sneeze. So I thought it would be fun to include all the pictures I took to try and get her 5 month picture.

Just staring and laughing at daddy.. she loves him so much!!

 

Mid Sneeze... hahaha

When mommy tries to get her to smile................................... and when daddy walks in the room she smiles

Huntington Beach 4th of July

Back in April My sister Kari and her husband Brian invited us to go with them to Huntington Beach California for the 4th of July. They had been before and said it was amazing with watching fireworks shot off the pier right on the beach. Hunter obviously wanted to go, but I said no. Anyone who knows me knows I love to save money and hate to spend it. All we would need to do is pay for our plane ticket and food while we were out there. So the plane tickets were on sale and we would be flying out of provo for $275. It was a deal! After 2 days of begging and showing me pictures of the beach I finally said yes. Little did I know that Hunter had already bought the tickets a few hours earlier. haha :)

Now let me just say packing for Hunter and I... easy. But add a baby into that! I didn't want to overpack and I didn't want to underpack! Having to guess how many diapers she'll use, or outfits she'll wear and how much formula to pack! But we made it in one suitcase that weighed under 40 pounds. It was perfect. Now I have never been on a plane before so I was really excited.. I was only nervous for going through security.

July 3rd: We woke up around 6:45 in the morning so we could get ready, put all our last minute items in our suitcase and do the final weigh in. Braelin woke up right when we did, so I got her ready first and fed her and let her play while we finished. We left around 8:30 am to go to the airport. As we were leaving my mom was leaving to pick up my sister-in-law Makenzie and take her to the hospital because she was having contractions every 15 minutes apart for the last day and was exhausted. Her blood pressure ended up being a little bit high so they admitted her. Kari and I were so sad that we weren't able to be there with them! We got to the airport, went through security and then waited for our flight. At the provo airport only one plane leaves at a time. Its kind of nice! We got on the flight and got situated and waited for the plane to be filled with everyone else. We sat on the wing (I didn't like sitting on the wing at all! I couldn't see much of the ground) After everyone was seated we took off! It was fun and new for me, but boy did I get sick! They pulled us in reverse for awhile and then in the air I kept looking out the window to try and see the ground but couldn't without cranking my head all the way around. So I had to keep the throw up bag handy :)

Mine and Braelin's first time on a plane :)

We landed in LA around 11:30 ish. From there we took a bus to a place that would take us to a shuttle pick up. They dropped us off and as we were waiting for the shuttle hunter realized he left his back pack on the bus. I was so mad.. but he was able to wait for the bus and get it back luckily! We then went to the rental car place and picked up the mini van! We loaded up and I was in the back squished with the strollers and luggage and braelin. But I found a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble so it was worth it. We got to the hotel around 3:30 and got all situated. Then we walked accross the street to Johnny Rockets and had a late lunch/early dinner. It was good! Then we went back to our hotel and got ready for a night at the beach! We spent a few hours there and it was so much fun! Braelin loved the water and did great and even took a nap on the beach.

After a few hours we went back up to the hotel. We only had one bathroom, but it had two showers and a HUGE tub. Really. The tube was probably at least 3 feet deep.

 You could fit six people in it probably. So we all took turns and then let brody and Braelin take a bath together. It was crazy how much sand was in the bottom after. :) Then we all got read for bed and just relaxed and watched tv.

Our sweet new baby niece Maizy Rae Anhder was born around 9 pm and we were so sad we couldn't be there. We were looking through face book and left it open and Braelin just reached over scrolled and clicked on the ipad and pulled her picture up by herself and just stared at it! It was the cutest thing ever. She did this like 6 times in a row and each time pulled up Maizy's picture some how!

JULY 4th: We woke  up around 6am and then just waited for Braelin to wake up, then I fed her and got her ready for the day in her fourth of july outfit!

Then we all got read and went to the sugar shack for breakfast. It was delicious! Then we went and walked by the parade and back to the hotel to get ready for a long day at the beach! We walked accross the street to the beach and set up our tent at around 8:30. The boys had gone to walmart for food and bought two boogy boards. It was so much fun. We all took turns boogy boarding and then switching to watch the babies. We spent all day there and got BURNED.

Hunter, Braelin, and brian headed back to the hotel to rest while me, brody and kari stayed to play more and lay out in the sun. We left around 3pm to go shower and rest for a little bit, when I got back hunter had already showered and bathed braelin. So I took a bath, then got ready again and Hunter and I went out and hit some of the stores while Kari, brian and brody took a nap. Then we went accross to the beach again and walked through all the booths to see if there was anything good. There wasnt, so we went back to our tent at the beach and just waited for the fireworks to starts! We got there around 7:30 and the fireworks didn't start until 9. Since we were all do burned, and with all the wind it was pretty cold! But we stuck it out and the fireworks were amazing!! I may or may not have cried... it is my favorite holiday of all time. I can just feel everyone and the love for this amazing country we live in. And they were playing that God bless the USA song and that always gets to me. haha :) Braelin did amazing and slept through everything, including the fireworks. Then we walked back to the hotel, I've never seen so many drunk/high people getting arrested. They had cops on horses, it was insane. Once we got back to the hotel, we got braelin in her pajamas and in her crib. She was OUT like a light.

JULY 5th: Our last day :( Kari, Brody and Brian went to breakfast and Hunter and I stayed behind with Braelin to get ready.  When they got back we went to a few stores and a mall and then traveled to eat lunch at Roscoes (Chicken and Waffles) it sounds like a nasty combination, but it was actually pretty good! Then we went back to the hotel and Hunter and I went and bought some souveneirs and walked braelin in the stroller and then went back to the hotel and we headed back to the beach around 4 pm when the sun wasn't as strong so we wouldn't get burned. We rented boogy boards, but the tide was so strong. You seriously couldn't even get out past your thighs because the tide would just suck you under. Hunter and I were boogy boarding and the HUGE wave came. I knew for sure I would catch this one. And I sure did. 

 We went back to the hotel around 7pm  and I watched Brody and Braelin while Hunter went to get us food and Kari and Brian got Jamba Juice. Then we just relaxed all night :) 

JULY 6th: We woke up early and got everything packed and headed to LA to the car rental place. From there they took us right to the Allegiant portal. And we checked our bags in, then went to security. There was a big line and  we were waiting and then one of the workers had us walk all the way up to the front of the line since we had strollers. It was nice :) Everyone went through before I did. When I did they pulled me to the side and then had a lady come and get me and she tested my hand with a swab. They said it tells if ive been using explosives or drugs. But said a lot of times you get a higher reading if youve used lotion recently. Then we had an hour and a half to wait. Braelin took a nap and we just sat and waited watching all the planes come in and take off. Then we started boarding around 11:55. We got on the plane and braelin was asleep until we took off. Then she was fine until we were in the air and she had a blow out... and she was just whining and crying cause we couldn't get up to change her. Finally they turned on the Seat belt light and hunter went and changed her, after that she was a happy camper and just played and then slept the rest of the way. We landed around 2:25 pm and went home and unpacked and did laundry and braelin took a 5 hour nap. Then we went to see Our beautiful new niece Maizy! Then came home, folded laundry and put braelin to bed at 7 pm.

It was such a fun vacation! But three nights and four days, we could not wait to get home and sleep in our own beds again :)

Strawberry Days Rodeo

On June 20th we went to the Strawberry Days rodeo with our friends Josh and Megan. We stopped at the gas station by the rodeo grounds to get some cheap treats and when Hunter was in there he ran into a guy trying to find the rodeo grounds. So Hunter told him to just follow us there. We parked right by the softball fields and walked over and first stopped and looked at all the Bulls. Then the guy that followed us over there came and talked with us for awhile. He was late and so he was so grateful that we helped him get there!

We went to our seats in the new reserved seating, it was so nice having those seats! Everyone around us would just ooo and aaah over how adorable Braelin was and how cute her toes were painted. I was so happy that we were around so many wonderful people that just would stare at her. I was so worried to take her to the rodeo wondering if she would have a blow out, or whine. But she did great!! She fell asleep about 45 minutes after the rodeo started and slept through the rest of the rodeo, even the fireworks. It was so much fun to go to the rodeo and have one of our first little family outtings with Braelin. She loved it so much and would just watch the horses where ever they were.

When we were walking back to the car, I may or may not of stepped in a huge pile of horse crap.. and just kept walking. It was nasty and I learned to never wear sandals to a rodeo.

Fathers Day

 (I am your father's day present... Mommy says you're welcome)

Hunter's  first fathers day was so fun!! I got braelin all dressed up in the morning in the onesie that the babysitter made her. He loved it!

Memorial Day

It was the Anhder Family Reunion this year on memorial day! We always look forward to our family reunion every other year with my side of the family.We went  up 2 days early so we could have a fun little get away at the Crystal Inn and swim and hang out with family. On saturday we got there around 12 and checked into the hotel. We unloaded and relaxed for awhile and then decided it would be fun to go to Big J's. A favorite fast food place my family has gone to for years! It was delicious. We then drove to my uncle Kurt and aunt Lisa's house but they weren't home, so we went back to the hotel and thought it would be fun to take braelin for her first swim! She loved it!

Then we went back to our room and just relaxed and Braelin took naps, when Braelin woke up we went up to Kurt and Lisa's and my Uncle Jerry and Aunt Julie were there too! So of course we just played cards until around 10-11 at night and went back to the hotel and got a good nights sleep :)

Sunday morning we woke up and went swimming and my parents came up! This time Cousin Brody came with! It was so much fun and Braelin loved it once again!

Then we went to Buffalo Wild Wings with Kari and Brian and used our gift card we had. Then went back to the hotel and swam! After swimming, of course the babies took naps... Well, braelin was fast asleep in my arms so I put her in the crib and then checked on her 1 minute later and she was just playing. haha :)

and then we called Jerry and Julie came and we played games again till late.

Monday morning We woke up and went to eat breakfast down in the lobby of the hotel. Then we checked out of the hotel and went to the willow park zoo. We walked around and looked at all the animals, and even were able to feed some reindeer. Braelin couldn't stop staring at them. Then we left and drove all the way to Kurt and Lisas house and I went in the back of the car to get the bag I keep breastmilk in out of the stroller, and it was gone (I had almost 20 ounces of milk was stolen out of my stroller and I still cry when I think about it, but that is a post for another day.. maybe) So after tearing apart the car 7 different times and driving back to the zoo and the hotel and it was no where. The little bag I keep it in looks like an oversized wallet so I'm guessing whoever stole it was in for a HUGE shock when there was no money in it.

We spent hours at the reunion just visiting with family and playing games and of course, eating! It was so much fun seeing family and playing games and catching up with everyone. Next time i'll remember to get more pictures :)

Mother's Day

This was my first mothers day!!

And I thanked my sweet baby girl for making me a mommy!

4 months

SWEET baby Braelin! I know I say this every month, but these last 4 months have flown by! You are growing so fast, and learning so much everyday. We love watching you learn new things and reach milestones.

---You eat 6 ounces every 4-5 hours.

--- Size 1 diapers still :) You're cheeks may be chubby, but you are still little.

--- Two words, SPIT BUBBLES! You would blow spit bubbles here and there but daddy picked you up from day care and had you alone for a few hours while I was at work. You will NOT stop blowing those dang spit bubbles. It never ends. But it is the cutest thing in the world :)

--- We started feeding you rice cereal, and you do so great with it! You love it, we always mix it with baby food. So far you love Green beans, squash and sweet potatoes. You aren't too fond of the fruits.

---You still are such a good sleeper! On days I don't work you will sleep for 12 hours but now that we are feeding you baby food you will sleep 14-15 hours. I get so anxious to wake you up.

---You laugh all the time. It is so much fun and you are so tired after we get you laughing for awhile.

--- Getting you in the mornings or after your nap are the best parts of my day. You are so happy and all smiles.

---You are so strong and independent. You sit up on your own once in awhile and you love to stand as well. We can only hold you like a baby if its your bed time because you love being sitting up like mommy and daddy.

We can't wait to spend more months with you sweet baby girl! You are our whole life and we can't wait to keep watching you learn and grow! The world is yours baby love.

Love momma.

3 months

Braelin,

The last three months have FLOWN by! I still can't believe you are mine. We love you soo much. You are still the perfect baby. Everyone that meets you says the same thing, they have never seen a baby as alert and interactive as you. You are so smart. We love watching how much you grown and learn everyday.

---You love playing with your piano and toys that hang above it, lets be real. You grab everything in front of you now! It is so much fun!

---You've been rolling from tummy to back since you were 2 weeks old, but now you do it everytime you are on your tummy! And you are trying so hard to roll from back to tummy, you've almost got it.

---We were almost back to 100% breastfeeding, but then I went back to work and I am only able to pump once if I'm lucky so we do both. Im still trying SO hard. Taking fenugreek and on days I don't work and weekends I pump every three hours. Its very time consuming and sometimes frustrating when other people have it so easy. But I know im doing what is best for you :) You only eat 4 ounces every 4-5 hours

--- You are SO close to laughing.. Sometimes you will do a giggle, but most of the time you act like you are too mature to laugh.

--- You love your bumbo and I think that taught you to be VERY independent. You now love sitting up in my lap and don't always want to snuggle like you use to, you also learned that you love it when I stand up while holding you facing forward. I'm not the biggest fan of this one, but you just love to see everything.

--- Still sleeping through the night! 9:30-7:30 or 8 usually and you haven't woken up once since you started at 6 weeks old. Its hard on days I work because we have to wake up at 5:45 for me to get ready and then I usually wake you up at 6 to eat and then we pack you up and leave by 6:50!

---Your hair is getting longer, and none of it has fallen out still! Its definitely blonde, but sometimes even strawberry blond.

---You smile like crazy at everything, especially mommy. I make you smile like crazy.

---You love peek-a-boo, but you get really scared everytime.

Thank you so much for coming to our family Braelin, we don't know what we ever did with out you. We sure love you baby girl,

the world is yours.

Love, Momma.

The Difference

1 month. 2 months. 3 months.

Braelin's Blessing

We blessed our sweet Braelin on Sunday, April 13th! I wish I would have recorded the blessing so I could write it down in her baby book, but the only thing I really remember was Hunter saying how she would be a great example to her siblings... this made me very excited :)  It was such a fun day, it was pouring rain but everything turned out great!