Ready For My Close-Up

While we were in Boise and had Brinlee all dressed up for her blessing, we had my super talented sister-in-law snap a few baby shots for us... and they immediately became my favorite form of entertainment!  She's just so dang sweet!

I can't even count the number of times I have looked through all the pictures we got.  I am so in love with that little face!  Unfortunately I couldn't post them all, she took over 80.  But they're pretty much all just as darling!

We pulled my old blessing dress out of the cedar chest along with a sweet little bonnet and overcoat my grandmother had crocheted for me and had her blessed in them.  It was so much fun to see her in my little baby stuff.

Such a precious angel!  Can you blame me for being so obsessed?!  :)

A Few Numbers

On July 

21

we ventured 

315

miles up to Montana where Tim spent

5

hours taking the MCAT exam for medical school.

We waited

5 

weeks for results and on Tuesday evening received 

1 

glorious email proudly displaying the rather impressive score of 

36

We didn't know much about this whole process until Tim was well into it, 

but from what we have researched, this score will serve him very nicely.

Needless to say I am 

1

proud wife!

Two Two

Yesterday was Brinlee's two month well-baby check up... two thoughts on that: 
     1. I can hardly believe we already have a two-month old?!
     2. It is so fun having a two-month old!

We are seriously in love with our sweet little ladybug!  She is such a doll and only getting more and more fun every day.  Her appointment went marvelously.  She is 100% healthy and looking awesome!  She is in the 50th percentile for height but only the 20th percentile for weight (tall and scrawny, are we really surprised?).  She is starting to get quite a little personality though.  We are having so much fun with her!  Let me outline some of our 2 month favorites:

     - She loves to read!  She studies biology with dad and we've enjoyed Mike 
             Mulligan and His Steam Shovel several times
hello

     - She has almost completely outgrown all of her newborn clothes and is into 
             her 0-3 month stash, unfortunately lots of those are still too big so, clothes 
             are a little awkward

     - She is warming up to the car seat and is actually starting to take a pacifier, yay!

     - She loves the bath, but really loves the shower

     - We found some videos of black and white images that she will sit and stare at
hello

     - She loves to hear singing

     - She smiles all the time (except for when we have the camera out) and is 
             becoming quite a talker.  She'll smile and coo at us all day long 

     - She's a super-sleeper during the night and will often go down for 6 or 7 hours at 
             a time

     - She is not much of a day napper and will often only give us 30 minutes at a time... 
             we're working on that one
hello

     - She loves to be wrapped and cuddled

     - She hates getting her feet tickled

     - She holds herself up really well and is starting to sit up in her Bumbo chair

     - Her eyes are always busy looking around and you can just tell she's learning 
             new things
hello

     - She is DEFINITELY a daddy's girl!  She cuddles with Tim, talks to Tim, calms 
             down for Tim, sleeps with Tim, looks around when she hears his voice, and 
             cries when he puts her down
hello
Basically she is awesome!  Parenthood so far has been so fun.  We feel so blessed to have such a special little spirit in our home and can't wait to see what the months to come will bring!

Back At It

Well, as of tonight I am officially back to the old grind.  

Goodbye maternity leave, how I have loved you so!!!

I'm actually not dreading it too much.  Night shifts might easily end up completely wearing me out.  But just a couple nights a week really shouldn't be too bad.  Besides, I have an odd sort of excited feeling when I think about fitting back into my scrubs again.  Call me weird, but the last time I was in them my pregnant belly was practically popping the seams.  Getting dressed tonight should be a treat!

Right now I'm just avoiding the thought of leaving little Brin... that part will surely NOT be a treat.  I could always call home and check in at 3:00 in the morning.  I'm sure Tim would appreciate that, and it would be more fun than crunching on carrot sticks to stay awake.

Of course, I could get really tough patients that keep me busy all night. Then I wouldn't have to worry about getting lonely for baby, bored, or sleepy...

...but..... I'd rather not plan on that........ ever!  I'll stick with the call home plan.

For now, off to bed

ODUS vol. 10: Conclusion

And thus we bid farewell to ODUS.  This Overdue Update Series was brought to you by the letter Lame and the number Lazy, which are both good reasons why this blog neglect ever even happened.  It has made for some fun reminiscing though, and unfortunately I have a feeling that this may not be the last time we visit such a series.  But we'll try not to make it too often or any time soon.  For now, let us hopefully enjoy some on time updates for a while.

ODUS vol 9: The Fourth

On the Fourth of July we celebrated our first official holiday as a family!

Happy Birthday America!  

Yes, I recognize that there is a lack of first Fourth of July family fireworks photos here, but that is because venturing down to Idaho Falls for the Lords family bbq was plenty for one little baby and we ventured back home and were in bed long before any fireworks started...

maybe next year

ODUS vol. 8: Brinlee's Blessing

On Sunday July 1st we had Brinlee blessed in Boise.  Her daddy gave her the blessing, which was beautiful!  And we spent the day surrounded by lots of friends and family.  In a word, the weekend was perfect!  They say a picture speaks a thousand words (at least I think that's what they say...) so I will let the photos do the talking here.

ODUS vol. 7: Little Travelers

Well our little family has become quite the little travelers.  In fact, one of us is quite literally a very little traveler (9 pounds to be exact).  But much to the relief of her mommy and daddy, that 9 pound little sightseer tackles the road like a champion!

At the end of June we went to Billings Montana so that Tim could take his MCAT exam, which he actually tackled like a champion as well... like father like daughter I guess!  (yes, the rocky theme song was on in the background here)

Brinlee actually doesn't care too much for the car seat (read: officially hates it), and we can't for the life of us get her to take a pacifier for more than 30 seconds.  So unfortunately we spent some time driving thorough some tears  :(  But for the most part she really was so good!

 And she was such a fun companion for the 5, yes 5 hours! Tim was gone testing.

The whole thing kind of wore her out though.  And so, even away from her own bed, that little angel gave us a great night's sleep.  Such a sweetie!

Having successfully gone to Billings and back, and knowing that traveling is (though at times tearful) doable, we packed up the very next weekend and went to Boise where Brinlee was blessed (more on that to come) and where she experienced her first real batch of cousin lovin'!

Brin is #3 on the Lords side and #14 on the Borup side, which means we had lots of eager little baby holders.  Which I actually really love!  Cousin's are so fun!  

The trip to Boise did not make her any more fond of her car seat by the way.  That relationship unfortunately still needs some work...

ODUS vol 6: Daddy's Day

For Father's Day Brinlee and I practiced a couple songs that she (read: I) sang to him.

Her favorite one went something like this:

"I'm so glad when daddy comes home, glad as I can be...

clap my hand and shout for joy and climb up on his knee...

 Put my arms around his neck, hug him tight like this...

pat his cheeks and give him what?

a great, big kiss!"

Happy First Father's day to the most wonderful husband and best daddy there is!

ODUS vol. 5: Six Weeks

On Friday June 15th was my 6 weeks doctor's appointment.

Nope, that's not a typo... I could hardly believe it when I looked at the calendar and realized we were already there!  It doesn't seem like it's been that long at all.  But indeed it has.  Our little lady is getting so big!  In fact, over that 6 weeks we

     - cut her nails 4 times
     - cleaned up 5 blow-outs
     - graduated her from newborn diapers to "big girl panties" (aka size 1 diapers)
     - got several nights of 6 hour sleep
     - ventured to the grocery store as a family
     - learned that we already have quite a daddy's girl
     - went to church for the first time
     - and, my favorite, started seeing a lot more smiles!

She's awake a lot more and is getting to be quite alert.  I love watching those big blue eyes take in the world and figure things out.

We have had so much fun with this little stinker.  I almost wish she wasn't growing so fast though, she's such a big girl!

ODUS vol. 4: Thank You's

These thank-you's are of course overdue, hence why they are part of the Overdue Update Series (aka ODUS... yup, still clever).  But it would be a horrible oversight to completely leave them out.  So, some HUGE belated thank-you's to my mom and mother-in-law for keeping our house clean and our fridge stocked for the first month almost of post-baby, to my sisters for the fun visit, to my dad and Dianna for the visit, gifts, and well-wishes, to our good friends Kreed and Ann for the meals, to our ward and home teachers for checking in, and to countless wonderful ladies for the darling gifts!  We have been so richly blessed and have so many to thank for it.  So, thanks!  :)

ODUS vol. 3: Sisters

In preparation for this post, please enjoy this classic little tidbit:

Perhaps the dancing men aren't the most feminine... but they are entertaining, and the song about sums it up anyway...

Oh how fun to have my wonderful sisters come and visit!  They are marvelous aunts!  And, little known fact, they happen to be quite marvelous dates as well.  While they were here we went up on campus and enjoyed a little bit of Bill Cosby LIVE, aka: dream come true!

And then we went and enjoyed 2 pounds of hamburger and 1 pound of bacon slapped between two massively large buns, aka: heaven!

None of us really look alike do we?  But we do look like we are having a dazzling time.  Two thumbs way up for sister dates!  :)

...two thumbs down though for the extra pounds that big old burger put on....

see you at the gym