Shout Out

I want to thank a friend of mine for helping me get my blog set up. It was dreary and boring and now it looks AWESOME!!!! Thank you so much Heather for everything! My blog page looks great and I love it!!!!
P.S. You can check out Heather's Blog here!

Going out of State, but not for long!

It's been a while since my last post but we ahve been busy. I have been back to work for 3 weeks now and I am really missing my baby girl while I am there, but I know she is in good hands. My cousin Jennifer is keeping her while I work. You can check out her blog here. Last week was a full week of the kiddos being in the classroom, so I have been trying to juggle lesson planning and grading papers as well as spending time with Brinley and Greg and making time for myself to be able to go to the gym. I know there are 24 hours in a day but by the time I drive to and from work (40 minutes),  am at work for 8 hours, work our for 1 hour, sleep for about 6 or 7, I feel like I don't have much time with Brinley before she goes to bed. So I am always ready for the weekend and this one coming up just happens to be a 4 day one...well 3 1/2 because Friday morning is a professional day:-(

On Saturday, Greg and Gene (Greg's dad) decided we should drive down to Wichita Falls, Tx to look at a Toter Home. For those of you who don't know a Toter Home is essentially a small RV that you can pull a full size enclosed trailer with. Since we had Brinley it is hard to take her racing because if something is going on she will not go to sleep at her normal bed time and then is somewhat cranky the next day and being on the road in her carseat isn't very comfortable for her and believe me she will let yyou know about it. So if we get a toter home she would be much more comfotable. Greg and Gene have been looking for sometime and this was the 2nd one we drove to look at. Well...it was nothing to write home about, so after driving for 3 1/2 hours we got back in the truck and came back home. After stopping off at a friend's who lives in Cyril. Needless to say we are still looking. The only thing good about the trip was I got some quality time with Brinley, she was great both there and back, and it was her first trip out of state.

Sorry no pics for this post. Hopefully will get to post some later this weekend....Ha, who am I kidding we are racing Friday in Meeker and Saturday in Muskogee so it will be another busy weekend.

Happy 4 months Brinley!!!!

Today Brinley is 4 months old! I cannot believe that it has already been 4 months! It seems like yesterday that we were just bringing her home from the hospital. But everyone tells me to enjoy this time while it lasts because they grow up way to fast. I am begining to believe them.

 

Comparison 1/2/3/4 months

(I took this idea from my friend Heather, you can check out her blog here!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am so in love with this girl. Greg and I are truely blessed to have her in our lives. I cannot imagine what I would be doing if she wasn't here with us! I'm not sure that I am ready for her to get any older but I am excited to see her learn new things and watch her grow! She is such a blessing and with just one smile she turns my world around!

 

 

What Brinley is up to...

• She eats 2 - 4 oz every 2 - 3 hours at the sitter, she is so not consistant.
• She nurses when I am home with her and again she is not consistent
• She has only had breast milk and formula, except when dad or grandma think that she needs to like their spoon when we are dinner (gravy, ice cream, watermelon, cool whip etc.)
• She goes to the babysitters Mon - Fri when school is in session:(
• She sleeps about 10 or 11 hours and usually get sup once to eat! YEA!!!
• She gets up at about 7AM and goes to bed around 8-9PM

• She is trying to get two teeth on the bottom, but they haven't came through yet!
• She drools all the time
• She loves to chew on her hands, so much that she will gag herself
• She is beginning to like her carseat
• She is in a size 1-2 diaper, she can still wear 1 but we have a Sam's membership and they only sell 1-2, so that is what we buy!
• She wears 0-3 month and 3 month clothes

• She makes a lot of noise
• She has started to notice her hands and feet
• She is happiest and gives the biggest smiles when she wakes up in the morning or from a nap!
• She loves bathtime and has discovered how to splash, (we will soon be moving her bath into our big tub as apposed to on the kitchen counter)
• She knows her mommy and daddy, and smiles when we talk to her!
• I don't know her weight and heigh and we don't go back tot he dictor until the middle of Sept. so I am going to try to weigh her at home! 

This is Grandma Jane's Boxer - Sock...She has tried to lick Brinley's face since the first time we went over to their house. Brinely has started talking to Socks and laughing at her

 

Dinner at Grandma's House

Thursday was the first day of school for the kiddos where I teach. I am so excited about this school year. I had this same class the first year that I taught Pre-K and now I have them again in 3rd Grade. They are a wonderful class. After a busy day at work I picked Brinley up from the babysitter. Brinley had had a very tearful day. I am hopeing that it was due to her daddy dropping her off today instead of her mommy. We will soon find out because Greg is now taking her everyday so I don't have to get up quite so early. YEA!!!! Thursday night Greg, Brinley, and I went to my Grandma and Grandpa Penner's house for dinner. She called and wanted us to go last week but we were very busy with racing and didn't have time to make it down so we decided Thursday would be a good night. My Aunt Betty, my mom and my sister Victoria also went. My grandma lives in Isabella which is about a 45 minute drive from our house in Enid. Thanks goodness Brinley slept all the way there, I was worried that after her tearful day she would cry al way there. I love going to my grandma's house. They live a very simple life (no tv, no internet, only the necessities) and it reminds me to never take anything for granted, especially our family. When we are there we don't worry about things and just enjoy each others company.  We had a great dinner, sausage, hashbrown casserole, vegetable, meadly, peaches, and a cbocolate browny cake! While we were there I was sure to get a 4 generation pic. I wanted to make sure and get one cause you never know when someone will be taken from you.

4 Generations

Marie (Brinley's Great Grandma), Berneta (Brinley's Grandma), Becky (me), & Brinley

Excuse it being offcentered, Greg took it!

Brinley loves to stand up

(with help of course)

here she is in the cute outfit her grandma berita got for her on vacation.

I thing she looks good in green!

 Brinley and Great Great Aunt Betty

Weekend Recap

Thursday was my first official day of work for the school year, so Brinley went to the babysitter's. My cousin Jennifer is watching her and I am very thankful that I didn't have to put Brinley in daycar. I think I am really going to enjoy this year. My very first year as a teacher I taught this same class in Pre-K and now I will ahve them as 3rd graders. I cannot wait to see how much they have grown up!!

Friday - So after being in my classroom for the first time since B was born, I decided that I needed to purchase a few new items for the school year. So Greg took off early on Friday and we headed to OKC. I have also been wanting a new camera so we went to Epperson Photo to check them out. Here is what I got a Nikon D3000

So far I love it. Used it this weekend at the racetrack and can't wait to learn more about all the technical stuff so I can take better pics of B and Greg racing! After spending way to much at Epperson Photo, we went to Sam's for wipes and diapers, then to my teacher store, and finally dinner at BJ's Brewhouse! We got home later that expected but Brinley was awesome all afternoon/evening! She is such a good girl!

Saturday - Race Day #1: Since Greg won at Muskogee last week he decided he wanted to go back to get his trophy and race because he really likes the track. He also likes to go to tracks where we really don't know many people because then he isn't bothered as much while trying to take care of his buisness! When you win a race you usually get a trophy and your picture taken, so since we (Brinley and I)  were going to be in a picture with Dad, which is very rare because Greg stays as far away from the camera as possible, I thought B needed something cute to wear. So I went to Hobby Lobby got a pink onesie and a few things to put on it and with Jane's (my mother-in-law) help this is what we created!

You can't see all of it but the front has a checkered heart with a pink 66 in it and there is a checkered ruffle sewn around the legs!!!

And the Back!

Dan and Greg debating what to do with the car!

Since we have had Brinley we usually have to take 2 vehicles to the track so the boys left for Muskogee at about 2:30 and Jane and I left by 4. My cousin Harley followed the boys up there because he wanting to see some racing action as well. It was nice to get to see him cause we haven't seen him much this summer since Enid hasn't been racing. The night wasn't bad. Brinley selpt almost all the way to and from Muskogee (YEA!!!!) and Greg finished 4th. Not to bad but he didn't tear anyting up and that is always a plus. His toy is very expensive to fix!!! Jane and I left as soon as Greg's race was over and we got back home at 1:30am! We went straight to bed!

Sunday - is usually a relaxing day as well as our grocery shopping day. BUT...Since Enid has started racing again and on Sunday's it has become anothe race day. Race Day #2...We slept in until about 10 and Greg went out to the shop to get the car ready for abother night of racing. The only plus to today was the we live only 6 blocks from this racetrack so a very minimal drive!! Brinley and I just hung out at the house playing and spending some quality time together until it was time for racing. We then headed up to the track. I love race day's in Enid because I get to see a big part of my family and Greg's family. My cousins (The McCartney's) and Greg's niece's and nephew (Jennifer, Mike, & Ady; Jessi, Ryan, & Reese; and Cody, Vanessa, & Jax) and their families were all there! It was quite an interesting evening of races. Greg finished 4th again but didn't tear anything up (YEA!). Even though we live jsut down the road it was another late night and Monday was to be my first day of inservice so I needed to get to bed, but it was hard to wind down. But once again B slept through the night!

Monday -  I had to go to work today and B had a rough day at the sitter's which I expected due to the two consecutive late nights of racing! But the afternoon was much better. I can't wait till the weekend to spend the whole day with her.

Wordless Wednesday

Piece of me Alphabet Photography Giveaway

So I have heard there are a lot of good giveaways out in the blogging world and I happened to find this one! Alphabet Photography!!!! It is very neat and I would love to win this!

Piece of Me is holding this giveaway!

Alphabet® Photography is the work of Jennifer Blakeley. Jennifer and her husband Sam run the business together, along with other members of their close-knit team. Alphabet Photography is based in Niagara Falls, Ontario. This project was inspired by a children's book called "Alphabet City" published in 1999 by Stephen T. Johnson. Jennifer spent a large part of 2006/2007 travelling Canada with only one goal in mind; to collect a complete gallery of photos that look like letters of the English Alphabet. All of her photos are of objects found in their natural surroundings that are un-staged and not found in any pre-existing signage. After two years of collecting photos and growing the business, Alphabet Photography is now a successfully trademarked company in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, with a customer base from all around the globe.

You can click here to check them out!

Let's Go Racing

It has been a busy and exhausting weekend. For those of you who don't know my husband, Greg, is a dirttrack racecar driver. I love to watch him race and Brinley loves the sound of a racecar engine! Thank goodness cause her mommy and daddy are at the racetrack quite a bit!

Here is a pic of his car at the beginning of the season. An action shot from Enid!

And this is what it looks like now! He was involved in a wreck a few weeks ago and had to replace both door and quarter panels! Fixing to race at Meeker!

Anwho...yesterday was RACEDAY!!!!! We woke up and Greg went out to the shop to get the car ready and loaded and Brinley and I started getting ready for the long drive to Thunderbird Speedway in Muskogee, OK. Before we left Jennifer, Ady, Debi, and Greyson came over to see us. Jennifer is Greg's niece, Ady is her daughter, Debi is Jennifer's Husband's Aunt and Greyson is her son. We haven't seen them in quite a while and it was nice to catch up. Debi had not seen Brinley yet so this was thier first time to meet. She is also a photographer so I go some points on my camera! Thanks Debi!

The trip to Muskogee wouldn't be so bad except Brinley does NOT like her carseat! This trip was alright, she slept a little and chatted it up with her Gma Jane! When we got to the track it was very hot, but B loves to be outside so we found some shade and just hung out until my cousin Stacie and her kiddos arrived. (Her husband Ross McCartney drives an E-Mod, it is actually in the background of this pic). Her girls absolutely love Brinely and between those 3 and her Aunt Alea, I didn't have to worry about her again! So this time I actually got to watch Greg race. He finished 2nd in his heat and won his A Feature!!!!! WAY TO GO GREG!!! Greg's car was hooked up and flyin!!! Greg has raced 12 times this year and won 4, I think that's pretty good! So after the race we packed in the truck for the long ride home! This time I planned ahead, the races didn't start til 8 so I knew it would be a late night and Brinley will stay awake as long as she can and then cry on the way home cause she isn' in her bed, remember earlier I said she doesn't like her carseat. So I packed a nightgown hoping that being in her nightime clothes and swaddled up would help her sleep a little on the way home. Way to go mom cause it helped. She still woke up a few times but not nearly as many as before! We got home at 2:30!! So today is catchup day! Brinley is never on a good schedule the day after raceday so it is usually a little frustrating but tiday hasn't been to bad!

I have to enjoy these last few days with her because I start back to work on Thursday!

Daycare & an Old Friend

Today was Brinley's first day at daycare! It was a sad say for mom, but I made it through. I had a math meeting (I am a 3rd grade teacher) at the school this morning so Brinley had a trial run at her babysitters. I feel very lucky to have a cousin of mine watching her. I feel that Brinley is in good hands. Jennifer has 2 boys 3yrs and 1 yr old so I know that Brinley will get plenty of attention and probably learn how to be a tough little tomgirl, which won't bother her daddy one bit! Jennifer said Brinley was happy and that her oldest boy just loved on her all day!! I know that I will still worry about her but not nearly as much as if she were in a public daycare with strangers.

After my meeting I met an old high school friend, who I have not seen in ages, for lunch. We had a great lunch at La Macarena, a fabulous mexican restaurant here in Enid! It was great to catch up on old times. I wish that I had more time to to spend with family and friends. I really miss it!

Ok I promised I would post some pics so here goes.

Brinley just moments after she was born.

April 21, 2010 @ 7:41am

7 lbs. 1.5 oz

21 inches long

Our first family picture

April 22, 2010

here are a few of her prof. newborn pics by Walker Photography in Lahoma, OK

and for her daddy who is a dirttrack racecar driver.

Brinley 1 month old

May 21, 2010

9 lbs, 12oz.

22 inches long

14 " head circumfrence

I love this pic!

5 weeks old (I was going to take a pic at one month in this chair and do it at every month so see how she had grown and forgot to at 1 month)

Brinley at 2 months

12 lbs 10 oz.

23 1/2 inches long

15" head circumfrence

Brinley at 3 months

I just love her smiling face

and here are a few of her professional 3 month pics by Scantling Photography in Yukon

and a family pic

Sorry there are so many pics but I wanted to catch everyoone up to speed. LOL.

Starting Out

Ok friends, I am finally going to join the blogging world. I have several friends who blog and I very much enjoy going to their sites and reading about things they have been doing and keeping up with their families. I guess it is the new way to keep in touch in this technological world.
I also thought this might be a good way to keep our relatives that live hours even states away from us in touch with our lives since we don't get to see them as much as we would like to. Especially now that Greg and I have a new baby. I say new, she is now 3 1/2 months old! As soon as I figure out how to post pics I will get some up.
I am going to try to keep this as updated as possible. I have been home with Brinley all summer and I should have started blogging when she was born (April 21)or even before so I could be in the swing of things before I have to go back to work. Which by the way I am dreading, only because I have to leave my sweet baby girl for the day. I love staying home with her and spending every minute watching her grown and learn new things. I am really going to miss that.
Well I'm off to do a little more cleaning and then to spend some time figuring out more about the blogging world.