Catching up with some random pictures...

I feel like I've posted a TON lately...but there were just so many little things and pictures I wanted to put up.  Here are some random pictures and things from this past week.

I found this adorable bow and realized it was the one from Aunt Soni and Aunt Kim that was supposed to go with her cute Easter dress...whoops!  Oh well...it looks cute with anything!

Brynn spit up in her sleep so bad that when she got up her hair was totally matted down and covered with it!  Poor thing...so, we washed her hair again and when she woke up the next time this is what it looked like.  Seriously...we didn't touch it or try to mohawk it or anything...this is just what it naturally looks like.

Side view of the natural mohawk! HA!

Our doctor suggested she take a couple bottles a week just to make sure she is able to breast-feed AND take a bottle (very nice for me!)  So...Ryan has LOVED being able to feed her.  Here is Mr. Mom at work!

Ansley (Jason and Sarah's daughter...Brynn's cousin) brought over some cupcakes she made with Pamaw last week.  I just can't get over her smile...it is the cutest thing EVER!  Well...like I've mentioned she LOVES Brynn and talks about her all the time.  Sarah said every baby Ansley has at home is "Baby Ben".  When she sees me or Ryan the first thing she says isn't "Hi" it is "Where Baby Ben?"  We were eating lunch the other day and I walked in and she got a big smile on her face.  I was thinking "Oh...she wants to see Aunt It-Eee!! (that's Whitney in "Ansley talk")  Instead she says "Baby Ben???"  HAHA!  But I love it...I love how much she loves little Brynn! 

More playing with Brynn...she loves to give her kisses and she is so gentle with her. =)

On another note...I don't know about you guys but I am so excited about the Royal Wedding...all week I've been DVRing specials on TV about it and watching them while I nurse...Brynn is probably going to grow up with some subconscious aversion to Royal stuff because that's all I've had on TV all week! HA!  Anyway - you guys know I'm a nerd and I love reading historical fiction and love reading about the Kings and Queens of England...all week the news anchors have been broadcasting from Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London...I want to go back and visit SO BAD!  I just think it is so fun to watch and I can't wait to see it tomorrow!

Happy 1 month Brynn!

I know we are biased, but I think she is just about the cutest 1 month old EVER!   I can't kiss this little face enough!

WOW...what a change this month has brought!  Being parents has been the biggest life change we have ever experienced, but one we wouldn't trade for the world.  I have to be honest...I think the first month is tough.  Ryan and I were talking at dinner the other night and both said that we think we have adjusted really well, but that there just isn't a way to prepare for being first time parents.  The first week or so we were scared to death...could hardly leave her out of our sight, I cried at the sight of her...just how little and precious she was, etc.  By the end of the first month I feel like we are really getting the swing of things.  It is so exciting to think about what the future months will hold!  But...not to get carried away by the future...(I try to pray everyday that God would help me enjoy every moment...the diaper changes, nursing, etc.) here are some wonderful things from this first month with God's amazing gift to us...Brynn Elise Bandermann!  Oh little Brynn...

•    We have started calling you Brynny and Brynny-bear.  Ansley calls you Baby Ben (that's how it sounds when she says Brynn) so we sometimes refer to you as Ben.  Pamaw says she is going to have to start calling you by your REAL name so that Ansley learns how to say it the right way! HA!
• We are using Babywise to get you on a schedule and help you with sleeping.  (For those of you who HATE Babywise...don't hate us...we know it definitely isn't for everyone, it has just been wonderful for us).  We are getting up every morning at 7, and nursing and 7, 10, 1, 4, 7, and 10.  The first couple of weeks you also nursed at 1 and 4 in the morning...but after about 3 weeks you went past the 1 am and nursed just about one time in the middle of the night.  By the end of one month we would nurse you at 10pm and put you down to sleep and you would wake up around 5am...we would give you a quick feeding and you would go back down until 7.  Knock on wood, but you have been sleeping really well and going down for your naps easily. 
• Nighttimes are your fussiest times.  Sometimes you don't like to go down after your 7 pm feeding, and the first couple of weeks you had trouble going down at 10 too.  The swing was our lifesaver a few times...it put you right to sleep, thank goodness!  We just slept out on the couch until you woke up. =)
• We love to watch you stretch each time you wake up.  We unzip your swaddle blanket (we swaddle you everytime you sleep) and you hold out your arms and scrunch up your face...it is adorable.  We videoed you because it is so cute!
• You really like to get your bath from daddy.  But we have to make sure the water is warm enough...you don't want to be cold.  You LOVE to have your hair shampooed...you just lay there so content while we pour the warm water on your hair.  And of course you look adorable in your hooded towels afterward.
• We think that after one month you weigh about 9 pounds, so you have gained almost 2 and a half pounds.  You have gone through a billion diapers!
• You had either pink eye or a clogged tear duct when we went for your 2-week check up.  We got drops for you and they took care of it.
• Thankfully you have taken a bottle a few times (of pumped breast milk)!  This makes me SO HAPPY because I know that if I wanted to go see a movie with friends or needed to be gone during a feeding time then you would be fine.  Daddy likes to give you a bottle because he gets to spend some time with you!
• You have survived some HORRIBLE spring weather...we have been in the basement during tornado warnings 3 TIMES this first month!  WAY TO GO!  If you can sleep through these thunderstorms you should be on your way...although when you get older if you want to come and snuggle in bed with mommy then that would be FINE WITH ME!  =) 
• We love you SO MUCH!

Happy Easter

HAPPY EASTER!  We celebrated all day...at church, then going to Oran with my grandparents and mom's side of the family, and then to Aunt Soni's with Ryan's side of the family.  It was a busy crazy day, but so much fun to celebrate what Easter means for us and to spend time with family (and eat delicious food!)

We all got Easter basket's this year!  Brynn got a litle stuffed Easter bunny and a baby book...and Ryan and I just got each other chocolate...haha!  We even found an Easter card that said "Happy Easter Daddy!"

Family picture...Brynn's first Easter!
Here we are ready for church (Aunt Soni bought Brynn and Ansley matching dresses for Easter...it is seriously the cutest dress ever!  Don't worry...we will pass it down to whichever of you girls needs it next!)

My parent's stopped by after the first service to give us some Easter goodies.

At my Grandma's my sister was practicing putting in an I.V.  Poor Tab...if only he had seen the picture of Lindsey trying to give Curt an IV the day before...I would NEVER let her do this to me!  (But I know you are going to be a great nurse someday Linz...it is just my "scared to death of needles condition."  =)

Tab and Erika told Ryan he should make faces and see if Brynn could mimic them (how do you spell that word?  Ryan and I just had a debate over this.)

Curt and Lindsey just asked Ebby Lee if she would be the flower girl in their wedding...they have officially set a date...it is in July of 2012!

Hi everyone!

I don't think we have taken a family picture in FOREVER!

Then we headed to Aunt Soni's house.  Here is Ansley and Pamaw...look at Ansley's smile!  I think it is the cutest thing EVER!  She does this everytime you ask her to smile for the camera.  She is OBSESSED with Brynn (or as she says "Baby Ben".)  That is another post in itself...she LOVES her some Baby Brynn time!  It is sooooo sweet!  We can't wait until they are old enough to take shopping trips together!

Famous Ansley smile! 

Hope you had a wonderful Easter celebrating the power of our risen Savior and Lord!
PS - Just wanted to give a shout out to my future "cousin" Morgan (marrying my cousin Ty next year)!!  Tell Ty we said hey...can't wait to see you guys in June!

Ebby Lee and Nixon's B-Day Party

On Friday night we went to Zalma to celebrate Ebby Lee and Nixon's birthdays!  (Just a little background for those of you who don't know...my cousin Erika and I are a little less than 2 years apart and have always been really close.  She grew up in Zalma, MO and now lives in Dallas with her husband Tab and their 2 kiddos.)  So...their family came into town for Easter and also had a birthday celebration.  The decorations/ "theme" was ADORABLE.  Uncle Bruce made homemade BBQ sauce for sandwiches and we had fries, corn on the cob, smore cupcakes, etc.  Erika outdid herself with the decor! 

So cute!  I need her party planning skills.  Camden is hanging out in the corner!  (By the way...Kelly and Jared's wedding is less than 6 weeks away!  CAN'T WAIT!  And that's another story...one of my best friend's is marrying my cousin Jared...Erika's brother!) 

The birthday boy and girl...Ebby Lee turned 2 and Nixon turned 1!

Some of the girls at the party...Kelly, my sister Lindsey, me, Erika, and Ebby Lee.

Granny and Pawpaw with Brynn

Erika with Brynn (and there's that bow again...seriously maybe she does wear it everyday??)  She had to change out of her cute party outfit because we had a little poop accident.  HA!

Her first party favor...baby food!  The adults got some of Uncle Bruce's homemade BBQ sauce.

Here was the cute outfit before poop went up the back. =)

We had a great time at the party and loved seeing Erika, Tab, Ebby Lee, and Nixon!  We wish they could visit every month!  And thank goodness we survived the drive home.  This spring has been TERRIBLE weather-wise...I'm so sick of seeing the weather people on the news telling us about the latest thunder storm and tornado warning...it has been crazy.  Well, on the way home (while driving amidst hail and thunder and lightning) the radio was going crazy telling us we are in the middle of a tornado warning, etc. I seriously wanted my dad to pull over and ask someone if we could hide in their basement, but no one went for my idea.  Ryan was in St. Louis for a Cardinals game for a friend's Bachelor party.  This was the same Friday that the tornado blew out the windows in the St. Louis airport.  Needless to say the game was delayed, but the boys evidently huddled in the stadium bathrooms until they started the game.  When he drove home he had to stop twice because of tornado warnings!  CRAZY!  I'll be so glad when all this weather is OVER!

Randoms

Before Easter weekend (and all the pictures and festivities I'm sure I'll try to blog about) I wanted to catch up and post a few pictures we hadn't shown you guys yet.  My cousin Erika told me she gets excited to see pictures and then there are never any of just Brynn! HAHA!  Well Erika...she really can't do a ton by herself yet, so usually we are just holding her in pictures.  =)  But...just for her I snapped a few yesterday when we went out to buy some birthday gifts. 

She fell asleep while we were out running errands (right on schedule...good job Brynn!) so when we got home I didn't want to wake her up...she finished her nap in her carseat. =)

Erika...this close up is just for you!

Stretching before the diaper change =)

I LOVE MY GRANDPA!

Gigi (Ryan's grandma and Brynn's Great-Grandma) came by for a visit last weekend

This was us before our first night out...I think I forgot to post this.

I swear she doesn't wear this bow everyday...I just put it on her for pictures...but it seems like it's all she wears.  It is really soft and not too crazy so when we head out this is usually what I put on her.  I want people to know that beneath all that Frankenstein hair there is a cute little girl!

On a different note...my friend Lauren asked about how I'm doing with my pregnancy weight loss.  Let me first say that last week as I was picking up my contacts the lady behind the front desk asked me "When is your baby due?"  I'm like "Uhh...actually she is 3 WEEKS OLD TODAY LADY!"  In her defense, she didn't stare at me up and down when I walked in and I was behind her desk so she may have not seen my entire stomach...but still!  Why do people ask that? HAHA!  I didn't really worry about it too much because, although I still have weight to lose, I really don't think I still look pregnant!  So...I gained 30 pounds during my pregnancy.  The first 20 pounds came off within the first 3 weeks or so...I'm assuming that was just from the baby, placenta, extra blood volume, fluid, etc.  Now I'm on the hard part...the last 10 pounds that are actual fat.  I tried putting my jeans on the other day and that was a terrible idea.  They seriously won't come above my thighs.  That's the major problem areas...the butt and thighs.  Oh well...I've got a great pair of maternity jeans from Erika that I seriously wear anytime I go out.  I can't wear any bottoms that I used to wear except my stretchy leggings...but all in due time, right?  Brynn was worth my jeans not wanting to come above my knees! =)  Also - my sister told me my paragraphs are getting a little long-winded.  Sorry Linz...this was a long one!

Brynn's First Sunday at Church

This past Sunday we took Brynn to church for the first time.  We were a little late and slipped in while Brother Mark was praying.  We thought she would fall right asleep during the songs, but she pretty much stayed awake the entire service.  Ryan and I were laughing because the choir did a song that had 4 drummers and supposedly reached 97 decibels!  Ryan plugged her ears with his fingers the best he could.  The song was awesome though.  To be honest, I was a little stressed the entire service because I thought she was going to start screaming or crying (although she really never made a peep)...next time I think I will sit in the back row.

With DADDY before church



Proud MAMA!!  She looked too cute in her dress and bow!





Mommy and Daddy's DATE

This past Saturday Ryan and I went out by ourselves for the first time since Brynn was born.  We are trying to keep her on a schedule so it has been WONDERFUL because I know pretty much what time I am going to nurse, and when I need to be back home to nurse her again.  So...my mom came over to babysit and we were able to head out for about 2 hours!  One of my best friends Alicia (who happened to be my random freshman year of college roommate) sent us the sweetest gift the other day.  She knows I LOVE Olive Garden, so she went us a gift certificate for Olive Garden and a little Mizzou hat she had made for Brynn.  Ryan and I ate at Olive Garden and even had time to stop at a shoe store for me to buy some new running shoes (which I better use soon or none of my pants and shorts will ever fit again...my thighs and butt need some work!) We also went to Barnes and Noble and got Brynn a first year baby book.  Anyway - we had a GREAT time!!!  It is so wonderful that both my parents and Ryan's parents are here in town and pretty much beg us to go out so they can babysit!  Thanks grandparents...we needed a little date!

Here is my cute hat from Auntie Alicia...it is a little big right now, but I bet I'll get a LOT of wear out of it!

And here are some cute booties Auntie Lauren had made for me to wear to Mizzou stuff!  They are so cute!

We love to STROLL!

The weather has been SO NICE lately...perfect for strolling!  Brynn actually likes to stay awake during lots of our walks.  Here we are getting ready for one of our daily strolls.  Ryan is off on Tuesdays so he got to go with us! 

New York in November!! YAHOO!

Ryan got some exciting news last night!!  You guys know he loves to work out...mostly long-distance running and training for triathalons.  Ryan, his brother Jason, and their friend Aaron have been wanting to run the New York City marathon, but so many people want to run it that you actually have to "win" a "lottery" and get randomly chosen to run it.  To make a long story short, they are IN!  All 3 of the boys get to run the marathon, which is at the beginning of November!  We can't wait to go to New York City again, and this time I get to watch him run one of the biggest and best marathons in the world!  I went to NYC in college with my best friends on a road trip, and then Ryan and I went together twice for a work thing I had, and we really love the city!  It is SO DIFFERENT from our life but is such an incredible place!  This time though, I have no WORK and all PLAY!  I don't even have to run...I just get to sight-see and enjoy myself!  I've already started thinking about all the things I want to go do...try to watch a talk show, go to another Broadway show, shop for knock-off purses, etc.  I am a dork I know...I love making lists of all these things and then planning out when we should do them! HAHA!  I love to watch several reality shows based in NYC like Bethenny Ever After, the Real Housewives of NYC, and Selling New York (on HGTV)...maybe I'll go visit places from the shows.  =)  I've also never been at this time of year, and I'm really hoping that some Christmas decorations will be up.  Wouldn't that be AWESOME!

To get us in the celebratory New York mode, here are some pics from the last time we were in NYC...last February. 

Last time we took a tour of Central Park.  It was SO COLD and snowy and we didn't want to walk around the park, so we took one of these covered bicycle tours with a guide.  It was SO fun!

My sister went with us in February.  Ryan headed off to explore on his own and Lindsey and I hit up the ridiculously expensive department stores...like $2000 a shirt.  We definitely didn't fit in, but we didn't care!

When I was working at my education thing, Ryan and Lindsey took the day to explore.  Here they are in front of the Statue of Liberty.

Times Square at night!  Ryan's brother also came to NYC and we met him for dinner at a pizza place in the theater district.  Then we headed off to see the Broadway show "In the Heights" which was SO GOOD!

"In the Heights" had a special "guest" star.  The main character was being played by Corbin Bleu.  Does he look familiar to you?  He was in "High School Musical."  After the shows the actors come out and we stood in line like morons to take a picture with him.


NEW YORK CITY HERE WE COME! (Now I just have to get used to Ryan's annoying alarm clock going off at 5 AM for him to train! ) AHH!

First "Big Girl" Bath

After our visit at the doctor we were given the all clear to give Brynn her first "real" bath in the bath tub.  She did okay with her sponge baths, but she LOVED the real bath tub (maybe she gets that from her mama...I love love love taking a bath!)  Here are some pics from the momentous occasion!



The little hooded towel was SO cute!  It has a little monkey at the top.  Another cute thing is that after bathtime when we are changing her into clothes and putting on lotion, she LOVES to have her hair brushed...and you guys know this little thing has a LOT of hair! 

Happy Birthday Paw-Paw!

My grandpa (Brynn's "Paw-Paw") just celebrated his 82nd birthday!  He and my grandma (Brynn's "Granny") stopped by to see Brynn.  They saw Brynn the day she was born but left the next day to visit my cousin Erika in Dallas, so this was their second time to see Brynn.  They couldn't believe how much she had already changed!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAW-PAW!