One Year Ago Today

I got to see my baby for the first time!

I remember being a little bit nervous, but mostly excited. We were able to get a little ultrasound that day to determine my due date and make sure everything was going well. I loved hearing the sound of her heartbeat, it's a wonderful sound. We also got to see her move around a little bit, it looked to me like she had the hiccups because it was very rhythmic  Louis said she was just dancing around for us though. The year that has followed that day has been my best year yet. (maybe minus the 9 weeks of throwing up) I loved being pregnant, I loved my pregnant belly! I didn't really love labor, but I loved the outcome!! Avery makes my life so happy every day, she is such a joy to have in our home. She is always smiling, and talking now "aaaaaaah aaaah oooooo aaaaah!" I love watching her learn and grow, I'm blessed to have such a wonderful, happy, healthy baby and so eternally grateful for my chance to be a mother. And I sure am grateful for and love my Avery baby!!

just 1 day old and 1 month old

2 months and 3 months

4 months and almost 6 months

Happy Mother's Day!

Yesterday was my first official mother's day since last year I was just in my first trimester! This mother's day was much better of course! We went down to Ogden to spend it with our mothers and to talk to two awesome missionaries! We started out with Louis' family again because that morning we had a mission farewell for one of his cousins. He did a great job speaking. The luncheon afterwards though was outside and it was a little windy and chilly and started raining towards the end, but it's always nice to be with family. We headed over to the Brandley's after and just talked for a while then Kamilla called from Ukraine and we got to chat with her for a little bit before she somehow got disconnected. Phillip called at around 2:30 and we each got to talk to him. It was great, you can tell he's grown so much in the 5 months he's been out. Only two more calls left for him.
Louis left to go home and sleep after he talked to Phill and headed over to Ben and Sarina's after I was done. They are so great, I love spending time with them, they're both so nice and fun. They made a turkey for the Mother's day dinner and there were rolls, home made garlic mashed potatoes, (which Sarina was nervous about, but they were delicious) jello, and veggies. Matt brought dessert, banana cream pie and some other Italiain chocolate, almod cookie thing, that was really good. I love spending time with my family and enjoyed the night.

My mom is so wonderful and has taught me well, I know I can always count on her and I'm glad that we're so close. I am very grateful for Annette (mother-in-law) for the amazing man she raised and all that she taught him. I'm grateful for the mom's in my life, not just Louis' mom and my mom, but my sisters and sister in law too. They are all great examples to me of what I want to be as a mother. I really hope every mother or mother to be had a great Mother's day and enjoyed themselves, and I hope they know that they are all appreciated for all the things they do, big or little.

Now here's a few cute pictures because what's a post without pictures right??

Very cute picture of Avery

The reason why my life is so awesome, my great little family


The newest member of our family born April 26, Teancum Mark Brandley

The difference 5 months makes!

Easter

I know Easter was a few weeks ago, but I've been slacking here a little bit. On Easter we were able to see both mine and Louis' family. We started out with Louis' family, This was my third year being with the Brandley's the first year Annette hid baskets, last year she came up with this awesome scavenger hunt, and this year she hid baskets again. Louis and I shared a basket so I let him go off and find it for us. He eventually found ours under the sink in the bathroom after finding everyone elses basket first. He even found Avery's under the TV. We also read some scriptures and talked about Jesus and each said why the atonement/resurrections means to us.
We left around quarter after 2 to go to my parent's ward for sacrament, but first we needed to stop at their house to get a bottle for Avery that I had forgot there. So I run in and after I close the door I start to hear this beeping. It takes me a while to figure out what it is and then, OH GOSH I JUST SET OFF THEIR NEW ALARM SYSTEM!!! I felt stupid, but what could I do then, I don't know their code, so I go and start warming up the bottle and I leave. When we get into the chapel at church I told my parents that I had set off their alarm so my dad gets up to go meet the police. He got there about the same time they did and told them what had happened. Since they were at church and couldn't get a hold of my parents they called their emergency contact Ben and so he was heading over too, but it was all resolved when he showed up. Does anyone think it was stupid for me just to leave? I figured I can't do anything, I'm on my way to see my parents anyway and they're the ones who will have to take care of it. The whole situation was talked about the whole day, it was great.
So that was our Easter in a nut shell we didn't give each other our baskets until the next day I think. We still have a ton of candy, it's ridiculous.

I Got My Camera Back!

Yay yay I have my camera! I went to the temple because they had people there cleaning everything out and I was able to get it back. So I can now put up the non-bearded picture of Louis and update everyone on what we've been up to. We just moved into a new apartment, it's still 2 bedrooms 1 bathroom, but it's bigger. We moved because there was a mouse in our old apartment. It really freaked me out, I could barely go into our kitchen at night. It was sort of the last straw for me with this apartment. We've dealt with potato bugs (which who cares about that, they're easy enough to deal with) bees, ants, huge monster spiders, and now a mouse. So we are done with that apartment and are in to a new one. We still have things all over, but we're getting things all unpacked. I can put pictures up when it's more presentable. :)

Avery is still just wonderful and learning so much! She's started reaching out for things and bringing them to her mouth and I think it's so fun. She's still the happiest baby ever, she's always smiling and just very good. She still sleeps well during the night, her naps are sometimes not the best, but for the most part she does okay.

Look at how happy she is!

Louis is just about done with this semester , he's doing well, and keeping up on everything. In one of his classes he was doing a group video project (which is why he was growing out the beard) I personally don't like group projects in college. Everyone has such different schedules and it's hard to get a time when everyone can get together. Especially with Louis where he works graveyard shifts and he's sleeping during part of the day. He's still doing well though and will hopefully get good grades in all of his classes.

My multitasking husband, homework and baby watching

and here are the before and after pictures of Louis! He looks a lot better doesn't he

Haircuts

I've needed a haircut pretty badly for a while now. My hair is so thin and fine that at some point it basically just stops growing and just doesn't look good! I finally got a haircut last week and before this I really couldn't remember the last time I had gotten my hair cut, maybe 6 months. . .maybe longer? Seriously I have no clue. I wanted to do something a little different from the same ol' cut I always get, I ended up getting a A-line cut with layers in the back and some on the sides. So far I love it, It looks really cute and I don't have to spend a bunch of time on it. Which is good when you have a 4 month old.

This is the before shot

And here's the after

I'm liking it a lot and today my sister-in-law Tifannee curled it for me (ringlety curls) and it looked super cute, I didn't think it was going to with it being so short. I would have taken a picture of it, but guess what, I left my phone at the Ogden temple Friday. Yep you know that one that's closing for the next 2-3 years. When you give it to the front desk before going in you fill out a slip with your name address and phone number so I hope hope hope I get it back sometime!!! I just got it for Christmas from Louis. Other than that the temple was nice though, that is where Louis and I were sealed so we wanted to get in to do sealing before they change it. It was so packed and just wonderful to see if like that! I wish it was that way all the time.

Louis also got a haircut! Unfortunately I don't have an after picture though because it's on my camera! I do have a before picture and here it is!!

AAAaaa hairy man! His beard was soooo long! He wasn't shaving it for a group video project he was doing. He was supposed to be a man who got fired and eventually lost the strive to find a new job. So the beard was a good look for that he thought. Everyone would ask, "How do you feel about the beard?" Which I won't lie got kind of annoying, kind of how it was when I was pregnant and 15 people would ask me "How are you feeling?" in one hour. My answer to the beard, I really don't mind it at all, you just get used to it you know. I do love the clean shaven face now though! He got a haircut as well and looks really good. I'll use my old camera to take a picture and put it up later. And of course I have to end with a picture of Avery, because she's so cute and smiley all the time!!