Moving Up to the Highchair!

Before I forget...here are Brynn's stats from her 6-month doctor appointment.

Weight - 16 pounds, 15 oz. - 75%

Height - 26 1/2 inches - 75 %

Head circumference - 75%

She has only gained about 2 1/2 pounds since her 4 month appointment, but she is still in the 75% so I'm guessing that most babies go through a period where their weight doesn't increase so fast...plus, she is so darn active (for a baby that can't walk or crawl) that I guess that's also slowing her weight gain.  Anyway - we are so thankful for a great check-up!!

Brynn had been eating all of her rice cereal and baby food in her little baby seat, but since she has started sitting up so well, and would try to sit in that seat, we figured it was time to move up to the high chair!  It is CRAZY to me that our little baby is eating in a highchair! 

Ready to go!

Doesn't this just seem like she is such a big girl!

Mommy what are you doing with that camera? 

YUMMY!

Can you believe she is this big!  Dr. Hoffman said that by her 9 month appointment she will be close to saying mama and dada, pulling up, cruising furniture, waving, and clapping.  NO WAY!  I just can't believe she is growing up so fast!

Books, Books, Books!

Maybe it's the kindergarten teacher blood in me, but we LOVE to read to Brynn.  She is usually more interested in eating the pages (thank goodness for board books).  But...she is all smiles and we love spending time with her doing something SO important.  Seriously...if I can get on my kindergarten teacher soapbox, let me just say how important it is to read to your kids!

Daddy and Brynn reading on the couch.

"What is that Daddy?"

Happy girl!

What is one of the best ways to pass the time while Brynn's bath water is running?  Read of course...

Look at that little naked body!  HA!

Yay for books! 

Mizzou Family Weekend

Last weekend was Mizzou's Family Weekend.  I can't believe my little sister is already a SENIOR at Mizzou!  Ryan and I got up early on Saturday morning, took Brynn over to Pamaw's to play, and headed up to Columbia.  We were so excited because my cousin Erika's husband, Tab, was reffing the game, so they were all up in Columbia!

Erika had her kiddos decked out in Mizzou gear...she MADE Ebby Lee's outfit...how adorable is that?  Brynn is definitely borrowing that in a couple of years!

We all met at Shakesphere's Pizza!

Here we all are at Shakesphere's.

Then we headed to campus.  We parked at the BSU...a very special place for us in college...and walked all around.  Nixon wanted to bring this yellow purse for the trip...haha!

Ready to take our campus tour! 
I'm sure it will feel like the blink of an eye before these two are actually touring college campuses for real...sorry, hope that didn't make you cry Erika!

First stop...inside the BSU, where they now have a special coffee shop.  I had to get a pumpkin spice latte...those just taste like fall to me.  Then we seriously walked ALL over campus...the kids were SO GOOD. 

After Aunt Tina took Nixon and Ebby Lee back to the hotel for the night, we had our own little tailgating party before the game.  We played a little football (and what Pingel family event wouldn't be complete without me and my sister lovingly arguing about who is the best at football?  HA!  I still maintain that my intramural flag-football skills are FAR superior to my sister's!  She begs to differ!)

Dad having some fun.

Erika, Linz, and me

Then we headed to the game.  I wish we had pictures of us in our ponchos...it was raining pretty hard at the beginning, but it let up and felt WONDERFUL for the game.  Normally at the family weekend game I'm sweating like crazy, and this year I was wearing a hoodie!  Hot dogs, hoodies, and football make me a very happy girl!  (Oh yeah, and a Mizzou victory!)  Here is Tab on the field.  He was AWESOME!  We are so proud of him!  Mizzou won 69-0 and we had a BLAST!

Halfway to ONE!

 Our baby is SIX MONTHS OLD!  That's HALF A YEAR!  Wow...never in a million years did I realize how amazing (and incredible and challenging and I could go on and on) becoming a parent would be.  Everyone said how fast the time would fly, and sitting here thinking that it has been SIX MONTHS since we were having her seems like it has gone by in the blink of an eye.  But there have been (and will be) hard days that felt long.  We are so blessed to have this amazing little gift...our little Brynn Elise Bandermann!  She has taught us how to be parents (and obviously we are still learning EVERY DAY) and she has taught us a glimpse of what God's unconditional love for us is like.  We have learned to appreciate our own parents even more.  We realize that just like we are willing to pretty much sacrifice anything for Brynn, they were the same way for us.  And even though Brynn isn't old enough for us to discipline her yet, we have been laughing at how true the phrases "this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you" and "I'm doing this because I love you" really are!  HAHA!  We are just amazed at how she continues to grow and learn, and we fall more in love with her each day.  Her smiles and little belly laugh could turn anyone's bad day into the best day ever!


I'm 6 months old!

 Some things we want to remember about 6 months...(sorry this is long, but I will forget this stuff if I don't write it down). 

• She weighs somewhere in the 16 pound range, but we will get her official weight and length this week at the doctor.
• She is wearing size 2 diapers.
• Most clothes are 6-9 months, although some seem a little big.  I tried to put a 3 month onesie on her the other day and she is too long for those now.
• Her typical day (Monday through Friday) goes something like this.  I get up around 6 and get ready and pump.  We wake her up at 7 and get her ready for Nonna's.  Ryan takes her to Nonna's.  At Nonna's she takes a bottle at 7:30ish and then has rice cereal and fruit.  She takes a morning nap from around 9-10:30.  Most days Nonna wakes her up (so she won't sleep too long in the morning and will take a good afternoon nap).  She plays and then takes a bottle and has veggies around 11:30.  After more playing (she likes to sit and play with her toys or watch the big girls) she takes an afternoon nap from about 12:45-3:15ish.  She has to be woken up a lot of the time.  Sometimes Nonna gives her a bottle about 3:45, but occasionally I nurse at home around 4.  I pick her up a little before 4 and we go home and play.  She takes a little 45 minute catnap from about 5:30-6:15.  Then she has rice, veggies, and fruit.  We play with Daddy, eat supper, take a walk, etc. and then around 8:30 I nurse and we put her down for the night.  The only thing different on the weekends is that I try to nurse each time.  Sometimes at 11:30 and 3:30 she doesn't nurse as well.  She wants to look all around and play.  But she always nurses well at night.
• I'm pumping 3 times a day, and nursing at night.  She is still drinking only breast-milk.  =)
• At 5 months we introduced yellow veggies, after 2 weeks we introduced green veggies, and 2 weeks later we introduced fruits.  So by this point she is eating any stage 1 fruit or veggie.  She is a GREAT eater...she seems to love anything we put in front of her.  YAY!
• New this month...she is SITTING UP all by herself SO WELL!  She loves to sit and chew on toys and hold things.
• We think she is teething and her new favorite toy is Sophie the Giraffe. 
• She LOVES to blow bubbles/spit (not spit, but I guess "blow raspberries?") on people and she does it all the time.  We used to do it to her because it would make her laugh and now she does it to everyone...maybe we should quit teaching her that! HA!
• She isn't crawling, but she can move herself around a little bit.  She pulls herself a little.
• She loves the Baby Einstein jumpy seat and can really get going!  She also does pretty good in the jump-up toy.
• Changing her diaper is getting harder...she wants to roll around on the table and pull at the curtains.
• She had her first "sickness" this month...a cold.  Our pediatrician had us get saline spray and baby benadryl to help.  It messed her naps up for about a week, and her nighttime sleep for one night.  Her nose was runny/stuffy.
• She is a social little thing.  She LOVES when we are around lots of family or friends.  She just is so happy and content.  I am so thankful for that, because we have been able to take her to lots of different things (Cape football game, friend's houses for dinner, restaurants, etc.) and she is so good.  We usually try to accomodate to her schedule somewhat (go to dinner when she is supposed to be awake, has just eaten, etc. and I think that helps).  I just love her little personality!
• Favorite toys seem to be Sophie the Giraffe, her cloth baby from Target, and Ling-Ling (the panda Linz and Dad got in China). 

Taking a look back...

Brynn - you are AMAZING!  We can't wait to see what the next 6 months bring! 

Kellan's Birthday

Brynn had so much to look at!

A couple of weeks ago our friend's little boy, Kellan, turned 1!  I can't believe it's been a year since we were visiting them in the hospital when he was born...at that time I was pregnant.  Fast forward an ENTIRE year, and little Kellan is celebrating his birthday and Brynn is sitting up and playing at his party!  WOW!

Birthday boy with his little smash cake.

Kellan's proud mama, Jen, with Ansley.

Ansley was sitting in the "play dentist" chair...getting worked on.

The party was at Discovery Playhouse, which we hadn't been to before.  It is kind of Cape's mini-version of the Magic House.  It was GREAT!  I think by the time Brynn is 1 there will be so many things there she will love to do.  She loved sitting in the water table and splashing in the water.

How could I try to write a caption for this...PRICELESS...I can't believe this is OUR baby!

Kellan and Brynn playing in the water table.  We were joking with Jen and Geoff that this picture might be in their wedding video someday.  HA!

Thanks Kellan for having such a fun party!

A Visit from Texas!

Tuesday night my cousin Erika and her kiddos flew all the way from Dallas just to eat dinner at my mom's house! HA!  Just kidding...my mom's food is good, but probably not THAT good!  They actually flew in this past weekend because Erika's husband Tab reffed Mizzou's football game on Saturday (I'm waiting to post on that because Erika has all the good pictures).  Tab had to fly back for work, but Erika and the kiddos stayed for a few extra days.  Erika and I are so close, and it was sooooo wonderful to get to hang out with her this weekend and on Tuesday night! 

Erika hadn't seen Brynn in person since Jared and Kelly's wedding at the beginning of June!  Here is Brynn, Erika, my mom, and Nixon.

Ebby Lee was excited to play with Brynn...we just couldn't get Brynn to smile for the picture! HA!

"Hi Baby Brynn...do you want to read a book?"

Ebby Lee is so adorable and SO SMART!  I told them I'm going to have a complex because they are always talking about how smart Ebby Lee is!  =)

Of course she had to get lots of love from Pawpaw.

This was her FIRST TIME to eat in a highchair!

Playing with Kelly, Ebby Lee, and Camden.

Hanging out with my grandparents!

Somebody bribed Pawpaw into letting her watch TV!

We love you so much Erika, Ebby Lee, and Nixon (and Tab!)  We can't wait to see you again soon!

Teething and Working

Last Wednesday night was the weirdest thing...Brynn just wasn't herself.  She was SO FUSSY and at one point she was crying like she was a newborn!  We were wondering if she was teething.  She slept fine that night, but when we got her up Thursday morning she started fussing again.  We checked her temperature (which was fine), but still didn't really know what to do.  I had a mini-meltdown and started crying before school (which was doubly bad because I was almost out of makeup and looked like a racoon!)  I just felt so helpless...what do we do to help her feel better, do I need to take her to the doctor, etc.  We went ahead and took her to Nonna's (I caved and had to text Nonna that morning to see how she was doing and also made Ryan call her to check on Brynn...yes, I was that mom!)  I also ordered Ryan to go buy baby teething gel and "sophie the giraffe" teething toy on his lunch break.  Turns out, she had the best day...was so happy and pleasant.  WHAT?  I guess all babies have "off" days and maybe Wednesday night was just that.  Who knows?  But we are glad to have Little Miss Happy back!  Maybe Sophie the Giraffe works miracles!

She LOVES this little giraffe!  (And she better...who would have thought this teething toy cost $23!)

We were signed up to work the fair booth on Thurday night for our Life Group class.  After Brynn's fussiness Wednesday night I was almost wondering if we shouldn't go on Thursday night.  But since she had just a good day and seemed to be over whatever "it" was that was bothering her, we loaded up and had a great time!  She was SO GOOD...cooing and smiling at people and playing with Ansley.  We didn't exactly win the award for best helpers from our class...sorry guys!  I did help put together a lot of glowsticks while Uncle Jason played with Brynn, but I also enjoyed eating my fair food and watching Ansley and Brynn look at the "shaking hands monkeys" at the text next door!  HA!

Brynn was pretty spoiled...getting held by everyone and playing with Ansley...they were passing out lots of glowsticks!  Notice the cute hat and booties from Auntie Alicia and Auntie Lauren!

Brynn spent most of the night with Uncle Jason.  Thanks Uncle Jason!

I love you Uncle Jason!

I seriously am such a nerd, but I love the fair!  The weather was cooler and it really felt like fall!  I'm already excited about the fair next year...maybe I'll try the red velvet funnel cake...