Night Owl

Dear Brantley~

You are so good at sleeping through the night! You do it almost every single night! Last night we put you in a cute little owl sleep sack that Tracy and Mary Katherine Brengard have you. It is so adorable on you! Look how precious you were relaxing in your swing after your morning feeding this morning.

Although you slept through the night you're still my little night owl. :-)

I Love You!!
Momma

Happy Valentine's Day!

Dear Brantley~

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!! Today is your first ever Valentine's Day, and your Daddy and I were so excited to get to spend it with you (our new favorite Valentine). It was an awesome day! You are such an incredible baby! We could not be more blessed. Daddy asked me this morning what I wanted to do for Valentine's Day, and I told him I'd like to go antiquing. I knew that would be something he would enjoy, too. It is something we always liked doing together before you came along, and now we figured we would start you young on the fun. Many people believe Valentine's Day is a time to pamper the woman in your life. I disagree. It's a time to celebrate your love as a couple. I can be pampered on my birthday and/or mother's day if y'all want a holiday to pamper me and make me feel special. But I want Valentine's Day to be just as much about your Daddy as it is about me. The first two years we were together your Daddy didn't recognize Valentine's Day at all with me. Last year I decided that regardless of what he did I would make sure to make him feel special on that day. I planned a very romantic dinner for him, and I cooked him a Valentine's dinner that was top notch for his particular tastebuds. I spent the whole evening pampering him. This year he wanted to do something for me, but I knew that was unlikely as difficult as it is for him to do much. So I figured spending the day doing an activity that we love doing together would be perfect. We took you up to Pickles Gap and Greenbrier to do some antique shopping. Everybody had a fit over how cute you are. We shopped several different antique stores, and we loved the day with you! All we bought the entire time was some fudge at The Fudge Factory in Pickles Gap, but it was awesome to look at everything. And, as always, you were such an angel. We love every second we spend with you! Thank you for being our little Valentine!!

Daddy surprised me tonight with a very special Valentine's gift:

I couldn't ask for anything more!!! I LOVE it!! It symbolizes our love together for you. It's perfect!

We Love You!!!!
Momma

Baby Picture: You and Me

Dear Brantley~

Everybody says you are a clone of your daddy, and you pretty much are. From the time we had your 4D ultrasound done everybody has thought you look exactly like Daddy. But he and I have noticed lately that the more alert you become the more we can see me in you. Today your Nana sent us a picture of me when I was a baby.

It's amazing how much my baby picture looks like you right now! We couldn't believe it!

We definitely both have that full head of hair that stands up. It makes me so happy!!! And you definitely have my eyes. I love it!!

And I Love You!!!
Momma

Motivation, Black Mail, & Your Cousin Jax

Dear Brantley~

I went out for another jog today. The other day I tried on some pre-pregnancy jeans that were big on me back then. In fact, they were so big I could take them off without unbuttoning them. When I tried them on the other day they lacked about 2 inches from being able to close enough to button. I couldn't believe it!!!! I was so disgusted with myself. Today while I was jogging a song by Kellie Pickler came on called "Life's Too Short." It says, "Life's too short to hate yourself." It's about being proud of who you are. At one point it said, "You let a stupid pair of old blue jeans that don't quite fit ruin your day and beat yourself up. You beat yourself up. Well blue jeans ain't nothin' but fabric and buttons. They don't mean a thing. They can't make you beautiful. Baby, you're beautiful. So throw 'em away!" That was just what I needed to hear. Not only did it make me feel better about myself, but it also made me push harder to reach my goals... and I did! I hoped to make it 2 miles again. I made it 2.25! I was so proud!

When I got home daddy had given you a bath again. This time was because you had messed up your pajamas, though.... pretty bad! Haha! You will love those stories when you get older... except you won't want us to tell them in front of your friends, or worse yet.. a girlfriend. :-)

We went to Nucle Jeremy, Aunt Tara, and Jaxon's house for supper tonight. Jax just loves you! It is so cute to see him around you. I can't wait to see how y'all interact as you get older. He can't wait to teach you so much.

I Love You So Much!!!
Momma

My First Real Run

Dear Brantley~

I went out for a jog today. Last week when I tried to jog the pain was pretty strong. I was nervous that it might still be a little too soon. So I decided to give it a little more time. Now it's been 5 weeks since you were born, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I did a short walk to warmup, then I started into the jog. It hurt like crazy where my incision was made. I decided I would push however hard it took to make it to a quarter of a mile. When I hit that mark the pain had decreased, so I made up my mind to push harder. I believed I could make it to half a mile. I got there and was already struggling to breathe, but I thought I could make myself go to three quarters of a mile. I got there and knew I couldn't let myself stop without going to a full mile. By the time I got to a mile the pain from the surgery was gone and the only difficulty I had was the typical struggles of someone starting back to running... so I pushed on.

1.25 miles... I can make it farther....

1.60 miles... I accidentally missed 1.5, so I might as well go on to 1.75...

1.75 miles... I can't stop here! If I've pushed this far I can push another .25 miles so I hit 2.0...

1.97.... gasp.... gasp....

1.98.... wooooweee this hurts......

1.99.... almost there... almost there...

2.0!!!!! My first day back and I ran 2 miles continuously!!!! I felt so accomplished!! I'm gonna get back to where I was. It will only take time.

The pics I got of you today were adorable... as always! When I got home from my jog your daddy had surprised me by already giving you a bath. He dressed you in jeans and a hoodie that were so stinking cute on you. That evening he had fun with you as you fell asleep in his arms while he fed you. I had to get pics of you and him...

Then you fell asleep in my arms a bit later. I couldn't quit taking your picture. Look how beautiful your little face is...

I love you more than you could possible imagine!!! And I love you more and more every single day!!!

Momma

Just a swingin...

Dear Brantley~

Today we took you to the Memphis Flea Market at the Little Rock Expo Center in Jacksonville. Yeah... it's pretty confusing. I used our carrier to tote you around, and I loved every second of having you curled up to my chest like that. It is the greatest feeling in the world. Well... it's one of them. I've found there are many "greatest feelings in the world" when it comes to you.

I had to take a picture of you and me to show your size. Look how little you are compared to me. It is so adorable!!!

And then I had to video you tonight while you were swinging in your swing. I love your coo's. You quit doing them as much when I started recording you, but I had to post it for you to watch someday anyway.

I Love You!!
Momma

5 Weeks!!

Dear Brantley~

You are officially 5 weeks old today! And while I failed to get a picture of you in your cradle today, I did take pictures of you in my arms. Of course, I get pictures of you every day. :-) You fell asleep on me as I was nursing you, which you do almost every time, and you were so incredibly precious that I had to grab my camera. (I'm not posting any that show much of me. In this particular one you were covering up the majority of me. What can be seen in it is no more than, and not even as much as, a low-cut top would show. But you were so precious I just had to post it for you.)

I Love You So Much!!!
Momma

Newborn Pictures

Dear Brantley~

I know we're late, but we took you to Jonesboro today to have Emily Cottingham take your newborn pictures. You were so stinkin' cute! Look at this preview we got to see...

Is there anything cuter in the world?

Your Nana and Papa came down to Jonesboro so they could see you. We met them at Longhorn Steakhouse to eat, and Nana wanted to hold you from the second she finished her meal. She absolutely adores you.

I'll post more pictures from you photo shoot as soon as we get them. I Love You So Much!!!

Momma

Momma Check-Up

Dear Brantley~

Today was my 4 week check up after giving birth to you. Everything went great! I am cleared to get back to my regular activities... of course it's all dependent on how I feel. I basically have to just use my own judgment from here on.

You, on the other hand, are growing like a weed. You're growing too fast. It was so hard for me to leave you today. I planned to take you to the doctor's office with me, but you were sleeping so good when it was time for me to leave the house that I hated to disturb you. I left you home with Daddy, and I cried as I walked out the door. I know I need to leave you for short jaunts so we don't deal with separation anxiety later, but it doesn't make it any easier. To help ease my pain your daddy sent me a text when I got to the doctor's office that said, "Look at the security camera." I pulled up the living room security camera on my phone, and he had moved it to your swing so I could watch you while I was gone. It made me feel so much better.

I Love You So Much!!
Momma

Date Night

Dear Brantley~

You went on a date with Daddy and I tonight... at home. We went to the grocery store midday and got a pork shoulder roast and a few other things. (Your 1st Valentine's Day hat is from Nucle Jeremy, Aunt Tara, and Jax, and your 1st Valentine's Day outfit is from MawMaw and Dandy).

Daddy smoked the roast all day, and I cooked some boiled and smashed potatoes (which he loves). Then I prepared some asparagus the way we like it and he grilled it. We had a fabulous dinner after enjoying wine and cheese together earlier in the evening. I got to finish the night by rocking you to sleep.

I honestly don't know if a day could be any better. I got to enjoy it with my two true loves.

I Love You!!!

Momma

1 Month Old

Dear Brantley~

You were born one month ago today. How crazy it is that you are officially a month old! Where is the time going???

Oh how I love to rock you to sleep...

I Love You!!

Momma

Daily Pic

Dear Brantley~

Because I can't seem to go a day without taking a picture of you, here are a few from today. You are too stinking cute!!!

I Love You!!

Momma