Bringing up Brennan

Dora Cupcakes!

2011-07-21T14:30:00.001-07:00

Nick Jr claims to have zero commercials, but they lured Brennan into begging to make Dora the Explorer cupcakes. He has seen this craft demonstrated about 100 times (possibly more) and for the last three weeks makes me come, watch, and learn everytime they show it. So I finally got all of the ingredients and made my attempt at these cupcakes. So here you go!

Here are the chefs! Sorry not the best, but it's all I've got!

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Popsicle fun!

2011-05-21T17:52:00.001-07:00

We have popsicles everyday! It's a great 15 minute break for me! Our cousin Carter enjoyed our favorite part of the day this day!

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My handsome man

2011-05-21T17:49:00.001-07:00

Gotta love him! Go Panthers!

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Words from Haven

2011-02-19T17:17:00.001-08:00

Haven is learning so much and doing new "tricks" everyday. I have so much to catch you up on but let's just start here and see what happens! I'm playing with my new iPhone! Lori, you inspired me!

YouTube Video

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Cheese!

2010-10-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

Just some recent pictures! Enjoy!

Brennan is holding his favorite toy...a John Deere tractor. Who would have guessed?

Two teeth! One more is coming through up top!

Drummer boy...Mimi thinks we're holding him back by not buying him a real drum set. I told her she could have one at her house!

Three beautiful years!

2010-10-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

It's fun to look back at Brennan's birthdays and see how much he has grown and changed! Thank you Lord for our son! He has brought so much joy and laughter to our family. I can't imagine life without his energy and silliness. He keeps us on our toes and loves to laugh. His favorite thing in the world is to play football with daddy. Poor Steven walks in the door every night to Brennan saying, "Let's go play football daddy." That's before he even says hello. I am thankful for the break, but Steven doesn't get one. Brennan is a sponge for information. He asks so many questions and thinks he's three going on thirty. We love you Brennan! We hope to celebrate many more birthdays with you!

2007

2008

2009

2010

More Birthday!

2010-10-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

Steven and I took Brennan on his birthday to the Lazy 5 Ranch. It was super cool! We got to feed tons of exotic animals and enjoy a beautiful fall day outside. Haven played with Mimi and Poppi so we could just spend the day with the birthday boy!

Llama, Llama, red pajama!

Huge pumpkins!

Instead of a sand box they had a sand box filled with corn! Brennan loved it! He was not happy when we told him it was time to get out.

Brennan is Three!

2010-10-30T17:43:00.001-07:00

Brennan is three! We took our annual trip to Monkey Joes and then celebrated with pizza and cake at our house! Brennan loved celebrating with his grandparents, aunts and uncle's and cousins. I can't believe how fast three years can go by although I've felt like Brennan has been three for quite some time. He is growing like a weed...we don't go for his three year check up until December, but I'm sure he's grown at least four inches this year. He could not wear one pair of pants from last winter. Thank God for Mimi! Clothes are expensive! She rounds out his wardrobe very nicely. We aren't getting hand me downs anymore, ahhh! If anyone wants to send any 3T's this way, feel free.

Grandmom and Pop Pop gave Brennan this huge Tiger. He is going to be the closest thing Brennan gets to a pet for a LONG time. Enjoy it now son!

Brennan got a cool bike from Mimi and Poppi, but Haven really thinks it is for her.

Steven, Haven and I brought doughnuts to Brennan's class. Haven wishes she could stay and play too!

Walking!

2010-10-25T13:20:00.001-07:00

Okay, I tried to tell her to wait until she turned one, but she didn't listen to me. Haven took her first steps this weekend while with her Mimi! She is a week behind her brother, he took his first steps at 9 1/2 months. She will be ten months on Saturday. Where did my sweet baby go? This little girl has grown a mind of her own. She can definitely let you know if she wants something or doesn't like something. She has a girly squeal and scream. Whew, I think Steven and I are going to be in trouble. She's still sweet and likes to cuddle, but has been trying to fight her first and hopefully last ear infection for the past few weeks. I'll post more pics soon of Haven walking and Brennan's 3rd birthday, but I wanted to make sure I wrote down the first steps somewhere!

9 months old!

2010-10-10T17:49:00.001-07:00

Love the Fair!

2010-09-20T19:23:00.001-07:00

I love going to the fair! Steven brought us to the Kannapolis fair last week and we had a blast! We'd never been there before, but it was the perfect size fair for us. They had lots of rides for Brennan and it wasn't too crowded. He could have stayed all night, but the rest of us had to work the next day! Mimi and Lindsey kept Haven company since she can't ride the rides quite yet. Maybe next year Haven!

Brennan sporting the motorcycle ride!

My cutie pie!

Mimi and Aunt Lindsey giving love!

Brennan's first ride on a horse!

Please excuse my open mouthed pic, but I couldn't resist showing you Brennan's awesome face. Click on the picture to make it larger. Brennan loved this slide! He said it was his favorite (but it was the last ride we went on, so he may have been swayed by the most recent in his memory).

On the Move!

2010-09-20T18:33:00.001-07:00

Haven has officially started to crawl. It's so interesting, because Brennan had a funny crawl and she is doing the same thing. She isn't crawling on both knees, she keeps one leg bent in front and the other behind. I can't really describe it. I'll have to get some video uploaded to show you. We'll see if she ever straightens it out or if she'll be walking in a few weeks like Brenann did. Anyways, she is too cute. It's weird having her follow us around or just leave the room completely. I think it's weird for Brennan to have her mobile too. He keeps getting my attention and telling me to watch her. He is proud of his little sister!

8 months old!

2010-09-04T17:25:00.000-07:00

Haven is now 8 months old...so I can remember...

She just got her first bottom tooth

She still takes three naps (unless we are out and about most of the day)

She wants to crawl and walk, but has not quite mastered either

She has started to have separation anxiety when I leave the room

She knows who people are...especially strangers

She has a beautiful belly laugh when you tickle her in the right spot

She still isn't a predictable eater...she doesn't seem to love baby food (does anyone have good suggestions for heathy table food for a baby with no teeth?)

She still loves her brother and watches his every move - she doesn't even mind when he grabs her arms and pinches her all of the time!

She gets bored of the same toys...she wants to explore new ones, especially the ones Brennan is playing with

She gets mad when you take something away from her

She can get her feelings hurt if you talk sternly to her and it will break your heart!

She is a sweet beautiful baby and I thank the Lord for her...she is growing way too fast!

Love em!

2010-08-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

It doesn't get much cuter than this!

Sorry for the vacation from Posting!

2010-08-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and family! Summer is coming to a close and I have lots to fill you in on. I'm not really sure why I've taken a vacation from blogging, I just have. Maybe because my laptop's battery only lasts about five minutes, or maybe I've been lazy, or maybe I don't like to wait for the photos to upload...I don't really know, but I know its time for an update.

My sweet, laid back, baby girl has turned a corner! She thinks she can stand up and walk now. She can't yet, but she wants to and she requires a lot more attention! She's still sweet, but she is much more demanding. She is also starting to get her first tooth! I've been waiting for two and a half months for this tooth (since Brennan got his first when he was 5 1/2 mos, I assumed Haven should do the same). She has seemed a bit fussier, but she's still sleeping and that's the most important thing.

Brennan is about to start school in a week and a half! It has been a really fun summer doing special things with him. We have done a ton, so I'm ready for a break and I think he is too. He's enjoyed slowing down a bit over the past few weeks and is getting excited about going to school. He will go three days a week which I think will be the perfect amount. I can't believe how much he is growing and turning into a sweet boy who asks tons of questions and loves to play hard. He is all boy, and sometime he is hard to keep up with! I play lots of football!

I have been working and playing and taking care of these two kiddos. Somedays are easier than others, but I am so thankful to get to be at home with them. Steven has begun a new season, so life always gets a little crazy during the fall, but it's always good to have a change of pace.

I'll try to catch you up on what we've been up to, but I just wanted to let you know we're still alive here!

Place called Norfolk

2010-07-11T17:46:00.001-07:00

I would like to thank my wife Kerry for letting me serve as a guest blogger this week. She does a great job with this blog so I really feel special. Speaking of special, we packed up the kids in the car and headed north last weekend to visit some very dear friends Brian and Meg Hutchinson in Norfolk, Virginia. These are not your typical "dear friends" these folks are truly special. These are people we lived with, shared a dog (RIP Rusty) with, drank cheap wine with, argued over spades with, played NCAA college football video games with, ate Japanese food with and last but certainly not least joined awkward church life groups with. Nawfuhk is a great historic town off the Chesapeake Bay. The town has a military feel and the weather is outstanding this time of year. I really think men would go to war over the breeze that comes off the Bay. We spent the majority of the ride up laughing about old times and funny stories we shared in Jacksonville, FL with Brian and Meg and teaching Brennan the names of the Hutchinson kids. We repeated Cole and Bailey over and over again especially since Brennan didn't sleep for the entire six hour trip. Sometimes when you haven't spent much time with people in a few years it is hard to pick up where you left off - things have changed and people have changed. This wasn't the case with Brian and Meg it was like nothing had changed. They welcomed us into their beautiful home with open arms. We played pirates on the front porch and Brennan even let Cole tie him up, Kerry and Meg took the kids to get treats at the Marina and Hutch took Brennan and Cole on an awesome Kayak ride that Brennan is still talking about. We played on the beach, jumped in the pool, ate amazing lasagna and had the best Michael Jackson tribute dance party you could ever imagine - Bailey is a much better dancer than her parents. Cole even taught Brennan how to play the drums and Brennan loved it so much he screamed every time! The entire trip was a blast and made us realize we miss our friends tons.
Before we knew it was time to pack up and head home, we truly have some great couple friends in our lives but the Hutchinson's will always have a special place in our hearts. Until next time ... keep the skinny dip beer flowing and the "Man in the Mirror" on the radio.

Steven

4th of July

2010-07-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed spending the 4th of July in Atlanta at the Huff's house! Brennan was in love with their trampoline and only took breaks when we made him take turns with his cousins. I think he could have stayed on it all day and night!

A trip to the Zoo!

2010-06-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

Brennan is still obsessed with Lions and Tigers! He has been asking to go to the zoo for a while now, so we made the trip to Columbia to go to the zoo with Hannah and her three boys! Brennan loved following Michael around and looking at all of the animals. He is already to asking to go back. He says he wants to live at the zoo. It was a hot day, but so great to get to spend it with Hannah, Michael, Jonathan, and Grady. We were definitely out numbered, but I thought the kids did great. We also go to visit with Caroline while we were there so it was a great trip while Steven was out of town watching the Gamecocks with the National Championship in Baseball.

Happy 6 month Birthday Haven!

2010-06-29T19:15:00.001-07:00

Can you believe how quickly 6 months go bye? Haven has been a great addition to our family over the past six months. She has been such an easy baby she almost makes me want another one (not really, just saying). She is sitting up, laughing hysterically at her brother, grabbing anything she can and sticking it in her mouth, sleeping through the night (7pm-6:30am praise the Lord!), napping three times a day, eating some baby foods, has no teeth, can roll over but still hates tummy time, a very content baby, loves to smile and strain her neck to see what Brennan is doing at all times, loves when her daddy walks into a room, and is growing like a weed! I am one blessed mama. I can't wait to see what her personality really shapes up to be!

Cutie

2010-06-16T18:13:00.001-07:00

Cute even with crazy bed head!

First Broken Bone (hopefully last)

2010-06-16T18:01:00.000-07:00

Well, it's happened...Brennan has a broken arm. He has a "buckle fracture" as the doctor put it. He also said its more like a bad bruise. He has to wear a splint for the next two or three weeks. Its not horrible, but I'm glad we know thats its not a bad break. He was playing superman with daddy and flew onto the bed and landed on his wrist. Of course I wasn't in the room=) Let's just hope this is his last broken bone!

Swimming

2010-06-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry I'm catching you up on over a months worth of life here...we've been busy! Brennan and Haven have enjoyed swimming in my parents neighborhood pool. Haven's second swimming experience resulted in a nap. She must feel very relaxed in the pool, because she fell asleep in about two minutes after getting into the water the other day. She stayed asleep on this boat until I took her out about 30 minutes later when it was time to go.

Brennan loves his cousin Carter!

Cereal! Finally!

2010-06-12T20:02:00.000-07:00

I have put off giving Haven solid foods until she really showed signs that she was ready. I remember with Brennan, we wanted to start giving him food because it seemed like it would be a lot of fun, but in the end it was something extra to add to our day. Well, Haven has been drooling over our food lately so I decided to give it a try. She did NOT like it the first time we gave it to her, but a few days ago she seemed to warm up to it.

Brennan had fun feeding her too!

Summer Play Group

2010-06-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

Now that Brennan is done with School, I had to organize some planned activities for us to look forward to each week. We invited friends from Brennan's class, our neighborhood, church and my family to join us each Wednesday for a play date. The first week we went to Latta Park which is a city park with a Splash Fountain and playground equipment. We had a lot of fun!

College Reunion

2010-06-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we were able to get together with some of our best friends from college. Niel, Ogden, and Jonathan all lived with Steven in the "Big House." Lori and Kelly were two of my best friends in college too. Jessica (Niel's wife) didn't go to USC, but I'm sure we would have been great friends if she had, we love her now though. This reunion was long past due. We had not all been together since our wedding which was seven years ago (can you believe we've been married that long already?). We hosted the weekend at our house, thus the lack of pictures. I was a bit preoccupied. It was super fun and super crazy. There were 11 kids (7 and under), 8 adults, and 2 babies in utero (not mine by the way). Everyone arrived Friday night, in the rain of course, so we had dinner inside and listened to 11 kids run around our house. They had so much fun with each other. None of them really knew each other, but they all hit it off and played really well. Saturday the guys played golf while the ladies and kids went to the park. When the guys came home we all hung out in our back yard and had a cookout. It was fun watching the kids play baseball, bubbles, ride every toy we have, eat popsicles, etc. The Brooks left Saturday evening, but the Tabbs were able to stay until Sunday evening. The only group pic I got on my camera was on Sunday, so the Brooks girls are missing and Haven is too, but here are 7 of the 11 kids that were here for the weekend. As crazy as it was, I hope we will do it again soon!
If you'd like to see more pictures here is the link to Lori's blog post...
http://mommythoughts14.blogspot.com/2010/05/recent-reunion.html

Viva Las Vegas!

2010-06-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

OK, so it's been a month since we were in Las Vegas, but I felt like I had to go back and tell about our trip! We went with Steven's family for his uncle Thomas' 50th Surprise Birthday Party. I am super thankful that we flew direct and had Mimi and Poppi with us on the plane ride! The flight itself is about 5 hrs not counting checking in, boarding, waiting to take off, taxiing, etc... The kids were great, but we had so much luggage plus strollers and two kids that traveling was NOT quick! You should have seen us go through security holding two kids, our three suitcases, diaper bag, bookbag, my purse, an umbrella stroller, a snap n go, and Haven's car seat. Yes, we were too cheap to pay $25/bag to check the bags. Remember they make everyone take off their shoes too! It was a sight to be seen! I'm sure the people behind us said a few choice words under their breath. But we made it! We stayed at a great resort called Red Rock Resort. It had its own movie theater, bowling ally, casino, and lots of restaurants. We definitely didn't come home with a fat wallet, but we had fun spending a short time in the casino. The birthday celebration was at the resort in one of the banquet rooms and was great! I'm sure Thomas felt special and loved to have so many people make the trip out to celebrate him. I only hope I have half the party when I turn 50!
Brennan's favorite activity while we were there was pool hopping. There were about 10 pools that were different sizes and he checked them all out. His favorite was the hot pools!
We went to the strip one day and walked about 5 miles. It was HOT! It was neat to see all of the hotels. I wish we could have seen more, but pushing two strollers down the strip is not an ideal way to see Vegas.
It will definitely be a while before I hop on another plane with my two children. It was fun while it lasted!

This is classic Brennan grabbing his sister's arm! He loves to touch her!

I didn't have my camera when Brennan was swimming, but before we left, we snapped a shot of his favorite pool! We spent lots of time here.

We met Indiana Jones on the street with his snake...yikes!

Here is our family photo before the birthday party!

5 Months Old

2010-05-31T19:35:00.000-07:00

Haven turned 5 months old on the 29th! She is getting so big so fast! She is a laid back baby and loves her big brother. Here is a recent picture...

Little Gamecocks!

2010-04-29T19:52:00.001-07:00

Fun times!

2010-04-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures of Haven and Brennan both at four months old in their exersaucer...do you think they look alike?

4 months old!

2010-04-29T19:16:00.001-07:00

Wow, how fast can four months go by? Haven is four months today and she is already getting so big! She is such a sweet baby and continues to fit right into our family. She is in love with her big brother even when he pulls on her, pokes her, and roars really loudly in her face she continues to smile and laugh at him. She is a great observer of her surroundings, wanting to watch anything thats going on. She can belly laugh and smiles all of the time. She is beginning to grab and reach for toys. I love having a little girl to dress and redress every day. She is my baby doll! Thank you Lord for blessing us with our baby girl.

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

2010-04-24T06:18:00.000-07:00

We were fortunate enough to get to go to Disney World again this year! My family went together for our annual family vacation. We had a blast treking around the parks with 5 kids under 4 years old. CRAZY?!? Yes. But who can resist that famous mouse? We spent four nights in Orlando and four days in the parks. We were there when they opened and closed each day. I still don't think I've completely recovered! I think I will definitely need a year away from Mickey next year, but I still love it! Brennan had a blast and loved each ride that he went on. He came off each one wanting to ride again. He was pretty upset when he couldn't. Haven was a trooper too. She stayed in the Baby Bjorn most of the time and only got mad when she was hungry or tired. I couldn't have asked for a better 3.5 month old in Disney! So long Mickey...see ya again soon! (in a few years when Haven and Brennan are both over 40inches tall!).

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T04:32:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful Easter Sunday!

Brennan meets the Easter Bunny!

2010-03-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

This is the first year we made it to our neighborhood's easter egg hunt. Brennan had a blast with his neighborhood friends and loved picking up eggs. He got to meet the Easter Bunny for the first time too! Here are a few pics from the day.

Haven loves to Smile!

2010-03-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent picture of Haven. She is growing fast and is super sweet! I love getting lots of smiles and sounds from her throughout the day!

Uncomfortable!

2010-03-08T05:05:00.000-08:00

Brennan fell asleep on the couch with his face smushed on his "big truck" last week. I had to take a picture.

Meet me in St Louis!

2010-03-08T04:51:00.001-08:00

One of my best friends from high school came all the way from St Louis to visit! Evie has a little boy named Noah who is one so we spent the day with Hannah and her three boys in Columbia. We were definitely outnumbered by all of the kiddos, but it was fun to be together. We went to Leapin Lizards, Chick fil a, and then back to Hannah's house to play some more. I didn't get my camera out until we got back to Hannah's but here are a few pics! Thanks for coming to visit Evie!

Yes, Brennan had written on his face at Leapin Lizards...I don't think they were washable. It didn't come off very easily!

Getting six children to look at a camera is was not happening that day! They did not want to be bothered!

Cutie Pies

2010-03-08T04:39:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures for your viewing enjoyment!

Lions and Tigers

2010-02-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

Brennan is in LOVE with Lions and Tigers! It started with the Lion King and then with the Jungle Book. He has a favorite toy at preschool and it is a Tiger. He takes the Lions and Tigers out of his puzzles to play with. He looks through his books to find the Lions and Tigers. He roars and growls at me and strangers like a Lion and Tiger. I couldn't help but buy this T-shirt for him yesterday when I saw it! It fits his personality perfectly!

Happy Valentines Day from Haven!

2010-02-15T06:31:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-11T12:11:00.000-08:00

I know I'm a few days early...but Brennan made this hat in preschool today and I thought it was too cute!

SMILE!

2010-02-10T13:54:00.001-08:00

Six weeks old!

2010-02-10T13:26:00.000-08:00

Here are some recent pictures!
Haven has been a joy over the past six weeks! I can't believe how fast she is growing. She is beginning to smile and coo which is fun. She is also staying awake more often. I still don't feel like life is back to "normal" (which I'm not sure what normal is) but I'm starting to get the hang of two kids. Brennan still loves his baby sister and is great with her. He gets very concerned when she cries and tells me to "Go get her."

This is what happens when you're feeding a baby and talking on the phone. Brennan found the sharpee and decided to make a little art work for me. Thank God for soft scrub with bleach!

The Stats are In!

2010-02-03T08:46:00.001-08:00

Haven had her one month check up today! The Dr said she is perfect (which I'd have to agree) and here are her stats.
Height: 23inches - 95th percentile
Weight: 11lbs 1.8oz - 95th percentile
Head Width: 15.25inches - 75th percentile
OK, so she's a big girl...there's nothing wrong with that...and remember...she was really one month five days ago...so she is being compared to babies younger than her (that's my excuse anyways)!
Thank you Lord for a healthy baby girl!

Snow!

2010-02-01T17:27:00.000-08:00

Brennan was with Mimi and Poppi when the snow hit and stayed there until Sunday afternoon, so today was the first time Steven and I got to play with Brennan in the snow! He loved it and it was all fun and games until Brennan's face hit the snow/ice, and then he (more like I) was done. I think he's a pretty cute snow bunny! Haven stayed inside in her cozy warm bed while we played.

One Month Already?

2010-01-29T08:58:00.000-08:00

Where does the time go?!? Haven is one month old today and I can hardly believe it. It has definitely been a quick month. Just today Haven really started to smile at me for a long time. She is precious! Having Haven has been a totally different experience than Brennan. I'm not sure that if it's her or the fact that I have a little bit more of a clue this time around. She is sleeping great (on most occasions) and is fine to go with the flow following her big brother around. I am trying to put her down for the night at 8:30, then she wakes up around 1:30 and 6:30 to eat. Now if only I could get Brennan to stay in his bed all night, maybe I wouldn't be a zombie during the day! Brennan has been a great big brother too. He loves to kiss Haven and tell me to "go get her" when he hears her crying. I haven't seen any jealous moments yet, so I am very thankful for that. Anyways, I will try my best to update more often...I'm just now getting my photos uploaded to snapfish to start putting real photos in albums! The last time I ordered pictures was Brennan's first birthday (So I have a whole year to catch up on!).

Haven's first week at home

2010-01-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

It has been a nice week at home with Haven and Brennan! I can't believe how fast time flies. Brennan loves his little sister and has not shown any jealousy as of yet. We have been blessed by our friends and family that have brought meals to the house. It's so nice to not have to cook and still be eating like kings! Here are a few pics from the week.

Brennan meets Haven!

2010-01-01T07:48:00.000-08:00

Since children were not allowed in the hospital, Brennan got to meet his sister for the first time yesterday when we brought her home. He has been a great big brother so far and is very excited about Haven. He likes to give her the paci, and kiss her head.

Brennan's new sister!

2009-12-31T03:16:00.000-08:00

Haven was born Tuesday night at 11:02PM! She was 7lbs 15oz and 20.75 inches long. She is precious and we are excited to bring her home to her big brother. They would not let children up to the hospital because of the H1N1 outbreak, so Brennan has been hanging out with his Mimi and Poppi for the past three nights. Thanks for taking such good care of him Mimi and Poppi!

Halloween 2009

2009-10-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

Well, it was a little soggy out, but Brennan braved the elements and got some candy tonight! We had a neighborhood pizza party and then went to about 12 houses to trick or treat. Brennan could have made it to more, but the rain started coming down hard, so we had to call it quits. Mimi and Poppy came to trick or treat with us and they made it tons of fun!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

We got to go to a pumpkin farm today with Grandmom, PopPop, Aunt Lara, Carter, Aunt Melanie, Gabe, and Elyssa! We took a hayride, saw horses, goats, pigs, bunnies, and so much more! It was a blast!

I didn't want to post this picture, because I am in it... and almost 33 weeks pregnant...and very large...but I wanted you to see what my monster was up to. He would not come down from the top of this hay stack to take a picture. I took him down and he pitched a fit, so I decided he could just stay up there. It wasn't worth the fight. Unfortunately he wasn't able to sit in my lap to hide me either! Ugh!

Sept 18th - Moving back in time...

2009-10-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

I know I'm going back in time on this blog...but I thought this video was cute (except for my singing). Brennan is talking up a storm and learning so much it is amazing. His favorite questions lately is, "Mommy, what is that?" I answer this question at least thirty times a day.

Go Gamecocks

2009-10-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

These pics were taken before Brennan's 2nd birthday, but I haven't been able to post them yet! Brennan got to go to his first Carolina Football game a few weeks ago. He loved it! We made it through 3 quarters then decided we were tired of passing him back and forth...so we headed home. We hope to bring him to many more in his lifetime!

Brennan's 2 years old!!!

2009-10-18T11:51:00.000-07:00

WOW! Has it really been two years Lord? What a blessing Brennan has been to our family. He is so full of energy and life and he brings us so much joy. We enjoyed celebrating his 2nd birthday with our immediate family at Monkey Joe's and Pizza Hut! It was great...we didn't have to clean our house! He had a blast playing with his cousin Gabe at Monkey Joe's and loved his pizza, cake and presents at Pizza Hut. We are so thankful to live so close to our families! Here are some pics from the day. I will try to upload some video when I can figure it out!

The beginning of school!

2009-09-18T05:02:00.000-07:00

Brennan began preschool three weeks ago and he loves it! It's so fun to hear all of the new songs and bible verses he's learning. Occasionally he doesn't want mommy to leave him, but once she's gone, he's fine. Mommy needs to take some pictures of him at school, but she just can't get it all together!
Brennan made brownies the other day and he enjoyed licking the spoon and bowl...can you tell?

Congratulations to my husband...he is now officially a master! Steven finished his Masters Degree this summer and we are so thankful he is done! No more late nights studying, writing papers or taking quizzes!

New Dancing skills...Brennan still loves dancing.

Life as a working single mom...

2009-08-13T04:53:00.000-07:00

I give much credit to all of those single moms out there that work and then come home to their children with zero break in between. That has been me for a week and a half. I really don't know how anyone lives far from family...because I couldn't do it without mine. Life has been busy for the last month and Steven has been in Spartanburg at training camp for almost two weeks now. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but it is a small light right now! Anyways, enough of my complaining...I am feeling bigger (yes, fatter) and feel as if the time is flying by! I am starting to get excited about looking on the girls side of children's stores and just bought girly crib bedding that my mom and I fell in love with in a store window. It wasn't the plan to buy it this early, but we couldn't resist...it's that cute! Well, I wanted to post pictures from our beach vacation a month ago...but can you believe this is the only one I have...and it's not even taken on the beach?

Here are some pictures of Brennan at a Knight's (minor league) baseball game with his cousin Gabe. They had a great time!

It's a GIRL!

2009-08-02T07:10:00.001-07:00

Steven and I were very surprised last week when we had our ultrasound and they told us we are having a little GIRL! I really thought Brennan was going to have a little brother to push around. We are really excited and I don't think I've quite grasped the idea yet of bows and dresses, but I think it will be fun!

Dancing to the King of Pop

2009-07-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

Don't ask me where Brennan got his dancing skills, but I think he's pretty cute! He's watching a video of MJ dancing...

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-05T08:25:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the 4th of July on Friday and Saturday this weekend! We went to Pops in the Park on Friday night and listened to the symphony play and saw fireworks. Then on Saturday we headed to Rock Hill where we ate tons of great food and hung out with Steven's side of the family. We enjoyed every minute of it! The camera was dead on Saturday, so someone will have to share their pics with me. Here are pictures of us at Pops in the Park...

EdVenture with the Edgren's!

2009-07-05T08:06:00.001-07:00

Brennan and I headed to Columbia this past Thursday to visit Hannah, Michael, and Jonathan! We had a blast at EdVenture, the children's museum in downtown Columbia. Of course Brennan loved every minute of it and we had to pull him away from the water after he had soaked himself and everyone around him. Here are some of the many great pics! It was great seeing you Hannah! You're boys are wonderful! Let's play again soon!

Brennan and Jonathan loved seeing all of the beautiful butterflies! They wanted to touch them too...which was a no no!

It was hard for us to get anyone to stand still for pictures because there was so much to explore! They had a fire truck and fireman outfits for the kids to put on!

This is a statue...I'm not sure if Brennan really knew that!

Brennan and Michael tried out the bulldozer...

You can't tell Brennan is soaked...but he is...Hannah's boys on the other hand...dry as a whistle!

Welcome Baby Carter!

2009-06-26T06:07:00.000-07:00

Brennan got to meet his newest cousin yesterday! My sister Lara had Carter Joseph freeman on June 24th! He is super cute and we can't wait to play with him more!

Breaking News!

2009-06-20T04:45:00.000-07:00

Well the Drummonds are officially pregnant! Not all of us, but I am! I am now 13 weeks and beginning to feel a little better. I think someone sucked all of the energy out of me for the past three months. I'm hoping they give it back! I am due December 28th so let's start praying now that the baby is not born on Dec 24, 25 or 31st!!! (For it's sake, not mine)

Handsome little man!

2009-06-20T04:37:00.000-07:00

These are just some random pictures of Brennan over the past few weeks. Enjoy!

Hi Mickey Mouse!

2009-05-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well, after our trip to Carowinds we thought we'd do an even bigger theme park since Brennan loved it so much! DISNEY WORLD!!! We took MiMi, Ty and Zeke (Steven's cousin's two sons) and headed to visit Mickey Mouse. We had a great time and Brennan LOVED it! It was great because he really could ride everything except the big roller coaster rides. He finished each ride saying, "MORE!" We can't wait to go back again!

First trip to Carowinds!

2009-04-25T20:31:00.001-07:00

Brennan took his first trip to Carowinds today! (An amusement park for all of you who are not from Charlotte). He loved it! He's not tall enough to ride all of the rides, but he can ride a few. I'm bummed the pic of him smiling on the carousel is blurry but it was a moving horse people!

Are these your sunglasses? They have been in my house for at least a year. Brennan had fun with them today. I promise...whoever's they are...we are taking good care of them!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

We had a very nice Easter Sunday celebrating our Risen Savior! Here are a few pics from the day!

Bye Bye Pacifier!

2009-04-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

MiMi was brave enough to get rid of Brennan's pacifier last weekend! She kept him for two nights while Steven and I had a nice weekend with our friends Tina and Reggie. He has been pacifier free for 10 days! I threw all of them away last weekend when we came home. He has definitely looked for them asking for pa-pa, but I never caved! There have been a few times that I would have liked to given him one...but I will be strong!

Hugs!

2009-03-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates...I just haven't taken that many pictures lately. I just uploaded a few and thought this one was cute. Brennan LOVES to give hugs! He is the best hugger too, if you've ever gotten one (if not, you're missing out)! This is his cousin Ty (Steven's cousin, Rell's son).

All is well in the Drummond household. We've just been busy working and playing as usual. Tonight we're going to a Bobcats basketball game with Aunt Lara and Uncle Lance...so I'll try to take some pictures there!

Growing!

2009-02-24T08:46:00.001-08:00

Here are a few recent pictures of Brennan for you to enjoy! We have been busy lately with work and play! Steven and I may get away for a few days this week which will be awesome. We haven't left town together since last July!

Brennan loves his new book bag! He's ready for school! Somedays I'm ready for him to go to school, but most of the time...I'm not!

Brennan had fun playing with his buddy Eli last week. They played with lots of toys and had fun playing piano together too! Eli is on a Disney cruise this week, and Brennan and I are very jealous!

Brennan is a great ball player. His favorite is playing basketball with daddy every night when he comes home from work.

Brennan loves helping in the kitchen. He really loves banging any type of utensil on bowls and plates. The louder the noise the better.

Brennan enjoys copying mommy as she blow dries her hair way too often. He likes to have it blow on his face. Steven gets mad at me when I let him do this...but the kid knows what he wants!

Winter Wonderland

2009-01-20T06:19:00.000-08:00

We woke up this morning to a Winter Wonderland outside! We had Brennan up early to play in the snow! He loved it! He got really mad when we made him come inside!

How Embarrassing

2009-01-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

I feel like I should apologize to all of the Panther fans out there for the embarrassment of a game we had last night. I guess the one good thing that will come of the loss is that I'll get to see my husband a lot more for the next few months!

Go Panthers!

2009-01-10T07:53:00.000-08:00

Awaiting the BIG GAME!

2009-01-08T17:59:00.000-08:00

This Saturday the Panthers play the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL playoffs and we have been anxiously awaiting the big game. Because of this game, Steven has spent long hours at work and I have been juggling taking care of Brennan and selling houses. I finally closed on a house this week for a client that I have been chauffeuring around for over six months! I can't say I will have made much on the deal, but it was a good learning experience! Sorry for the lack of posting, but I haven't had a free minute to take any new pictures since Christmas. I will try to take some soon!

Merry Christmas 2008!

2008-12-26T20:56:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all of our family and friends! We had a wonderful Christmas with both of our families this week. It's always chaos, but I think I'm learning to just embrace the chaos and be thankful that we live close enough to both of our families to get to spend the holidays with them. Brennan enjoyed Christmas much more this year (even though he still had no idea what we were doing), he at least didn't sleep through the whole thing. He enjoyed playing with all of his cousins and wouldn't sit still for a minute so that I could take a good picture. How do you moms do it? My son is a maniac and the days of easy picture taking is officially over...I think it was over a few months ago, but I have just started to embrace this reality. Here are a few photos...

Am I really 30???

2008-12-18T06:29:00.000-08:00

30 sounded so old to me all of my life...now that I have arrived and I'm glad they're saying, "30 is the new 20" because I don't feel old!!! My girlfriends from college surprised me on Friday night with an awesome evening of progressive dinner and the best surprise was my friend Katie coming all the way from Tennessee to celebrate with me. She brought her 4 month old son Oliver and he is just the sweetest little boy! I was so glad to finally meet him, love him, and kiss him!!! Thanks again Katie for making my birthday extra special. My family also celebrated with me on the 13th having a yummy brunch. Then Steven took me out for a fancy dinner. The weekend was full of eating and I think I gained 30 lbs to match my age. Oh well...that's what the new year is for right?...dieting!!!
Here are some recent pics...

Christmas Tree and Ice Cream Cone

2008-12-10T18:12:00.000-08:00

Do you think Brennan liked this ice cream cone???

We don't really need to put up our Christmas Tree this year do we? We can just take pictures in front of the one at the mall!!!

Dancing with Addison

2008-12-10T17:20:00.000-08:00

I watched Brennan's girlfriend Addison on Monday and we had a little dance party...here is a pic and a video. They were really cute!

Sorry...I'm having trouble uploading the video...I'll keep trying but it's not working.

Go Panthers!!!

2008-12-08T22:19:00.000-08:00

All I have to say is 10 and 3!!!

Sorry for such a large photo!

2008-12-03T17:41:00.000-08:00

This is Brennan's 1 year picture we took a few weeks ago. I can't figure out how to make it smaller...any suggestions all of you blog pros out there? I think it's pretty cute though. Now it's time to take a Christmas photo...that should be interesting!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-30T16:08:00.000-08:00

We had a nice Thanksgiving weekend, especially since the Panthers won today!!! It's never a dull moment with that team. I didn't get to take many pictures, but here are a few. We are thankful for each of you!

Thankful for so much

2008-11-19T19:35:00.001-08:00

Thanks to all that read this blog and are interested in our lives! That seems silly...but I know those who do truly care about us and Brennan. I have been trying to reflect on all of our blessings during this time of Thanksgiving. I thank the Lord for all of our friends and family and how much joy they bring to our lives. We've been doing well...just staying busy with work, school, and raising a one year old. We are looking forward to being with our families for the holidays! Here are some recent pictures of my man on the move!

Will we ever get a good family photo with all of us looking and smiling? Probably not for a while=)

My Pumpkin's a PUMPKIN!

2008-10-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

OK, I know it's not original or creative, but I think Brennan is SO cute in his pumpkin costume! Here's a sneak peak. We are going to a parade in our neighborhood this afternoon, so I hope to get some more cute pictures...but he's a treat for today!

Brennan's Date with Addison

2008-10-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

My one year old son had a date with his girlfriend Addison today. They were so cute...they held hands for at least five minutes as we power walked through the mall!

The Great Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-27T17:26:00.001-07:00

Last week we had a blast when we got to go to a farm to pick out a pumpkin, take a hayride, wander through a corn maze and pet a lot of farm animals. Brennan had a great time with his cousins. Here are some pics from the day...

The Big 1st Birthday Party!

2008-10-27T17:08:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a week, but I'm finally getting a chance to put pictures from Brennan's birthday party up. It was a very nice day of chicken, hot dogs, cake, and presents! Brennan didn't want to smear the cake in his face even though we gave him every opportunity. He had lots of fun hanging out with his cousins and friends.

Brennan's Blackberry

2008-10-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

Brennan's favorite toy is mommy and daddy's phones...here is a video of him talking on the phone and doing some weird thing with his nose and lips. He starts around 35 sec. so be patient!

Full day of Birthday Fun!

2008-10-17T05:23:00.000-07:00

Brennan had a very active and full birthday on Thursday! It started with a play date in the park. He loved swinging and sliding and picking up sticks. Then we headed to McDonalds where we ate chicken nuggets. After his nap, Steven came home and we went to Monkey Joe's. He loved it! Then back home for pizza and cake and presents! It was a nice day to spend with my now 1 year old! I can't believe it! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. I'll post some videos when I have more time. They seem to take forever to upload. We're excited about his birthday party tomorrow with all of our family!

Happy Birthday Brennan!!!

2008-10-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

You will wake up this morning and not know it is your birthday...you won't remember today except for pictures you see...but I will always remember how blessed my life is because you are my son! I love you Brennan!

Brennan's Birthday Eve

2008-10-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby is turning one tomorrow! I can remember one year ago (yesterday) when Steven and I packed up to go to the hospital because I was being induced in the morning. We talked about how crazy it was to think we would be bringing home our baby the next time we slept there. It was a very surreal evening. We knew our lives were going to change forever. I can't believe we actually slept that night...but we did. We were so thankful to God for allowing us to carry this baby and knew what a miracle it is to have a healthy pregnancy. We checked into the hospital at 7am and quickly got hooked up to all of the machines. I remember waiting and waiting and waiting some more. I was having contractions, but my doctor said, "no pain, no gain, no baby" and my contractions were not painful. So around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, the dr asked if I wanted to come back tomorrow and try again, or if I wanted her to break my water to help things along. I didn't think about that for one minute...I was not going home without my baby on the outside! So after a few painful contractions I quickly got my epidural and then waited, waited, and waited some more. Finally Brennan was born at 1:39am! Both of our parents and Steven's sister Lindsey held on strong to meet their new grandson and nephew. He was perfect! It was such an exciting moment! What a year it has been! I have loved every minute of being a mommy...even the hard ones! God truly blessed Steven and I with our son Brennan Waddell and we pray we have many more years and memories with him! I will post more tomorrow on his BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday Aunt Lindsey!

2008-10-10T13:28:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Aunt Lindsey! We enjoyed celebrating last night with you! Have a fun weekend with your friends. Thanks for loving Brennan so well this past year!

Happy 30th Steven!

2008-10-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Steven's 30th Birthday yesterday with our families. Brennan had a great time at Red Robin eating burgers and fries and his daddy's birthday cake. He can't wait till his own birthday cake! The best part of Brennan's night was when he got home and was playing with Steven's birthday balloons! See the video below!

Breezy in the Park

2008-09-28T19:21:00.001-07:00

Brennan had a great time playing on a real playground for the first time last week. We met our friends Isaac and Katie and had a ball. Brennan was really interested in following the big kids around, but he also had fun climbing on the equipment. These are the only photos I took, because I was a bit nervous to get too far away because Brennan is fearless!!! He thinks he's 5!

Apples and Cooler weather!!! Hooray!!!

2008-09-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

Every time I open the refrigerator Brennan will run towards it and tries to touch everything inside. You would think, after opening it at least 20 times a day that this would get old...but no, he still wants to run over there and check it out. Yesterday after we got home from the grocery store he found an apple in the drawer and started taking bites while I wasn't looking. I thought it was pretty cute.

We got to wear long sleeves today for the first time this fall! Brennan wasn't too sure about it this morning. He kept looking at his arms and biting his sleeves.

Friday Night Lights

2008-09-14T05:03:00.000-07:00

Brennan went to his first South Point Football game on Friday night. He loved clapping and cheering with the crowd! He also loved playing in the grass and dropping daddy's phone through the bleachers!

Still Here

2008-09-01T09:00:00.001-07:00

We are still here, I just can't figure out how to download my pictures onto my other computer...but here are a few of the recent ones...I'm using Steven's work computer. The good news is, we just took ours to get fixed. It should be done in about a week!

Brennan likes to do this about 3 times a day...fun times for mommy!

This was taken on Grandmom's special birthday! Brennan loves his Grandmom!

He still loves to put on a smile for the camera!

Walking Everywhere!

2008-08-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

My sweet baby boy is turning into a toddler at 10 months! He took his first steps about two weeks ago and hasn't stopped since. I'm sorry I've been slack on the posting, but I've also been a single mom for the past three weeks. Thankfully, Steven is officially home from Spartanburg so I have some help around here. I can't believe that Brennan is walking and getting steadier every day. He also has developed an attitude. When he doesn't get what he wants he has started to whine and throw a bit of a tantrum. This is not so sweet. My personal computer has died, thus adding to the non posting, so, I will try to take some pictures and video to post, but I'm not sure how to use my work computer as well. I just wanted everyone to know we are still alive and kicking. More to come...

Brennan's new cousin Elyssa!

2008-07-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

Brennan's cousin Elyssa Kay Washington was born on Thursday, July 24th! She is so cute and Brennan can't wait to play with her! Congratulations Justin, Melanie, and big brother Gabriel!

Good 'ol Rocky Top!

2008-07-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

Brennan went to see one of his mommy's best friends this weekend in Tennesee! He got to take a road trip with his best bud Elijah who is 4 weeks older than him. They had fun laughing with each other and playing together. Brennan wanted to keep tackling Eli and trying to give him kisses. I think Elijah was probably excited to get back to his big brother and sister and away from the maniac wrestler today. Angie fed and tried to keep the boys happy in the car while I drove as fast as I could as to avoid the misery of being in the car with two 10 month olds. The boys did better than I expected though and our visit with Katie was wonderful. She is three weeks from her due date and looking beautiful. She is alway a wonderful host and we can't wait to visit her and the baby!

Road Trip!!!

Shopping in Target is always fun! Especially with friends!

Fun in Atlanta

2008-06-30T12:46:00.000-07:00

We had the privilege of visiting our dear friends Ted and Michele and their two kids TJ(2) and Olivia(1) this past weekend in Atlanta. It was our second annual trip with the Crews' and the Scott's. It was also Brennan's first real vacation spending three nights away from home. He was a real trooper as we kept him up late and he didn't get all of his naps. He did great and had so much fun. It was a prelude of what to expect when we go to California in two weeks. I'm crossing my fingers that the time change won't totally mess him up. Anyways, we spent the weekend hanging out with the hostess with the mostess as we were fed way too much! We were able to celebrate Tina's birthday with a nice dinner with no kids Friday night. On Saturday, we went to a waterpark while the guys played the golf game they had been waiting for for at least four months. We went to the ESPN Zone Saturday night where we had a great dinner and then played lots of games. It was fun to watch the men be kids again as they raced around competing at every game they could. I could go on and on about every part of the weekend, but most of all we had a great time talking and dreaming together and staying up really late!

Getting ready for the waterpark!

Olivia and Michele - like mommy... like daughter!

TJ was great at the watergun!

Brennan with Tina!

Steven and Reggie

Ted and Michele loving on Brennan

Life has been busy!

2008-06-26T04:55:00.001-07:00

Sorry to all of you who check this blog regularly and have been dissapointed in my lack of posting. Life has been a bit crazy lately with work, family, and Brennan. Mostly crazy with work, which has left me no free time. Just to give you some updates...Brennan is getting his four top teeth and is moving around like crazy. He is cruising around furniture and beginning to let go and stand alone. I can't believe how fast he is growing and beginning to be a little boy instead of a baby. We are heading to Atlanta for the weekend to visit our dear friends Ted and Michelle and their two kiddos TJ and Olivia. Wish us luck. This will be Brennan's first real vacation. I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures and videos to post next week!

Belly Laugh

2008-06-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed having Hannah and Gabby Huff stay with us for a few days! They were such a huge help with Brennan and he had a blast with them. Here is a video of Gabby making Brennan laugh really hard!