And the race is on . . .

Our little baby has taken her first steps all on her own!! Yep, she is a walker now!! Based on previous posts, you know that she was taking a couple of steps, well last week she took more than 2 steps on various occasions and just starting taking off from any point that she could. The next few days at daycare she perfected her ability to get up from the floor without using anything to pull herself up and now we are chasing after her all over the place! She loves that she can walk and frequently giggles so much when she's walking that she ends up falling down. She still walks a bit like a drunken sailor, but her walk is getting better everyday - I wish I could post video so you could see. I also wish I could post a picture of her in walking mode, but unfortunately, we left our camera (that contained walking pictures) in Show Low during our visit there last week. I'll post some as soon as I get the pictures. Anyway, this picture of her under her highchair is all we have for now. We got to see both sets of grandparents and spend some time showing off Brenna's walking moves. It was so nice to get into some cooler weather and we even enjoyed a meal outside during a rain shower! We also got to visit with Jacy's family (even her grandparents and some extended family) while we were there. The kids ran through a sprinkler and got to play with toy groceries. Brenna is also now making kissing noises when we ask her to "kiss" - it is so cute. She is babbling and pointing a lot, so maybe a first word will happen soon.

A cold in the summer?

Fortunately, we don't have any surgeries pending so this cold doesn't affect us as much as those in the past have, but it is still no fun. After attending a really fun birthday party last weekend (for our blog buddy Jason), Brenna ended up with a miserable fever and then a runny nose and cough. She's still getting over it, and we all had to have some extra rest because of it. Poor Brenna just wasn't herself for much of this week - just not feeling like doing much except getting cuddles. On Friday she was much more like herself, playing and getting into everything. Good thing because mom and dad had a date planned! Brenna's daycare has an occasional "Parents Night Out" where they offer nightime daycare for a few hours so that mom and dad can enjoy each other's company - without the kiddos. We took advantage of the babysitting and had a nice evening out. On Saturday, Brenna played a while with Jacy and a couple of Jacy's cousins will mommy and Jody (Jacy's mommy) went to a yoga class. Apparently, she didn't like the idea of mommy leaving her with people that she wasn't familiar with (Jacy's uncles) - she had to be carried and spoiled the whole time mommy was gone. Next time, maybe daddy will be off work and can babysit instead. On Sunday, we took a quick trip to Tucson to deliver some furniture to aunt Jamie and Uncle Josh and even got a quick visit with Grandma Diane and Grandpa Dave. More with them next weekend. . .

11 months!

Brenna hit the 11 month mark early this week - what a big girl! We don't know her stats since we don't go to the doctor until after 12 months old. But, Brenna is doing all sorts of fun things lately and keeping us on our toes. She is getting closer to walking on her own, but still prefers diving into mommy or daddy if they are close by. She is babbling and making all kinds of new noises more frequently now. Her food options have grown too. She doesn't love the baby food/cereal idea as much anymore - the spoon is too much trouble for her - she wants to use fingers! The daycare is still feeding her baby food (she eats it for them) but also letting her have the school lunch which ranges from grilled cheese sandwiches to bean/cheese burritos and she does great with it. At home we feed her bite size fruit/veggies, chicken sticks (like hot dogs for toddlers), cheese, crackers and other foods that we might be eating. She loves to feed herself and is getting better all the time. She is also getting used to a sippy cup, but we have to take the valve out since she doesn't know how to suck yet, so it can get kind of messy =) Over the weekend, we went to Grandma and Grandpa Harvey's house in Mesa for one last hurrah before they move. Brenna got to swim in a big pool with mommy and daddy and had a great time! She swallowed some water, but didn't seem too bothered by it, so now we really want to get her some lessons! Then, on the 4th of July, we had lunch with Andrea and Benjamin. The babies had fun playing with each other's toys, eating veggie puffs and throwing sippy cups and books on the floor so the mommies could pick them up. What a great time!