Friday, April 13, 2012

A Very Proud Daddy

As the Father of potentially the smartest 18 month old ever, I feel an obligation to share/brag to the world. I wish that I was about to brag about my hard efforts to teach Brielle, but in fact I am a mere observer. Janica has really worked hard with Brielle since she was born to help her learn. I am so thankful that Janica stays home to teach Brielle and I honestly can say that if Janica was not at home that Brielle would not be where she is right now. That is not meant to be a dig at working mothers, I admire mother both stay at home and working and think that each person/family must decide what is best for their family and situation. We have merely decided that it is important to us and our family to have Janica home and it is what works for our family. So that being said Janica has been amazing in teaching Brielle each and every day.

As a result of Janica's efforts Brielle loves to learn. She is always learning! I know that children at this age naturally observe and pick up things, but Brielle truly enjoys learning new things. Particularly she loves to learn number, letters and sign language. We try really hard to create a learning environment in our home. As a result we read a lot of books and do a lot of singing. I truly believe that reading books is where it all begins. I bet that in our home we read anywhere form 15-25 books per day. She loves to read.

Now for the real bragging……

Numbers

Brielle really picked up on numbers 1-4 a while back. She was very proficient with counting 1, 2, 3, and 4. That was a few months ago, but just the other night I was watching her and decided to count to 4…… so I thought. We go to 4 and she kept going! I was so impressed she made it to #8!!! We taped it as you can watch below. I feel bad that this video does not accurately reflect her counting as for some reason she skips 2 and 6, and in the video we are kind of “leading her along” but you get the point. Right now she only can count, she doesn’t recognize numbers yet, but that will come soon enough.

Letters

We started working on letters a while back and have slowly integrated new letters every so often. I really think that we could push letters a bit more, because she picks them up in about 5 minutes and they are committed to memory. She can correctly identify 8 letters right now. We have decided to randomly teach letters from the alphabet so has not to just teach her them in order. As of right now she knows A, B, C F, I, O, T and X. She loves to point those letters out whenever and wherever she sees them. Sorry no video....YET!

Sign Language

This is what I am most proud of. Every day she shows me new signs that I didn’t even know. I seriously have to ask Janica what this sign is and what that sign is. My daughter has a better grasp on a second language than I do! We initially decided to teach Brielle a few basic signs to help her communicate to us before she was talking. Over about the past 9 months she has picked up more and more sign language. Especially over the last 3 months she has really picked it, more than doubling her “sign vocabulary” Right now she knows over 30 different signs. She can recognize them and tell you what they are or you can ask her do a particular sign and she will. She will also see an object ad use the correct sign to tell you what the object is. For example she will see a tree outside and do the sign and tell you “tree”. I have heard many people say not to encourage sign language as it can inhibit speech development, but I don’t feel that is the case at all. Brielle doesn’t use signing as a way to communicate, but rather as a “trick” or just something that she enjoys doing and not a primary means of communicating. I seriously love how smart she is! Sorry no video....YET!

Well that is my bragging for the day! Sorry it was a long post but seriously do you expect a boasting father to be brief? I love being a Father and I take a lot of pride in my family. Thank you Janica for your constant hard work in our home. Here is a video of Brielle and Janica singing. Sorry no video of Brielle doing signs or letters, but I will post them soon.


Friday, February 24, 2012

Back from the dead, with LOADS of pictures!

After a few months of absence from blogging, here I am. Our computer crashed and I got used to going without one.

Anyway, nothing exciting is really going on with us. We are just trying to plug along through this DREA DFUL semester of school with Nolan. He is suspected to be done next winter semester. Can't come fast enough. He is so busy, the poor guy. He gets home about 11 o'clock at night. He does come home most days for lunch so Brielle and I can spend an hour with him. We miss him lots when he is gone, but so proud of him for all his countless hours of work and school.

Brielle: as usual is growing up fast. She is learning so much, and is such a smart little girl!

-She has such a fun spunky, and sassy personality.

-She is going to nursery very soon (mommy is not a fan of this idea)


-Everytime Nolan walks in the door Brielle gets so silly and shows off for him. Falls on her bum, goes in circles, dances, anything to get all the built up excitment out of her little body.

-She loves to dress up.

-She loves to GO, GO, GO.

-SHe is not a child that stays entertained for long, she is busy!

-She loves to go swimming.

-She is OBSESSED with reading books, it seems like that is the only thing that keeps her entertained for a long period of time.

-She still loves baby einstein!

-She is just our little sweet girl, who is my whole world.

-Currently my favorite things she does are: after I sneeze she says: "Bessh Yoo" and giggles. I love when she says President Monson. She knows everyones names but couldn't say her own till a couple of days ago it is darling she says "B" --elle! I LOVE how she tries so jump, she tries so hard to get those feet off the ground but just isn't there yet!

Well there is a very short update on us. Now for what you all care about..PICTURES!


Daddy went out the first snow fall and pulled Brielle around in the sled she loved it! Then he made a snow man for us to decorate!













She looks so grown up these days, Hmmmm.. will it ever slow down? Isn't she cute in her snow get up?



AND A FEW OF CHRISTMAS! SHe was so fun this year. She LOVED her elmo that does the hokey pokey. The funny thing is...she has never even seen or watched elmo!





ALL BRIELLE'S LOOT!! SHe must have been good this year!












Her face watching elmo




New Jammies! THis is a good before picture of NOlan. We both started a weight loss goal this year and he has already lost 21 pounds!! He looks FANTASTIC!!! I will have to post a picture of him!



Daddy's little buddy!








You have to throw in some super cute bathtub ones too!






SO these next couple are of a night when NOlan was working out in the garage. Brielle wanted to play with her car so bad. We had to get her coat on and she played in the garage forever!!!







These are the most recent pictures of her, last week she just looked so stinking cute with her piggies. We just love her! I think she is so beautiful and I am lucky to be her mom!














Here she is playing with my headband, dressing up then taking it off then putting it on and walking around like she knows she is pretty, then takes it off...REPEAT. Such a girly girl.






Brielle reading with dad. NOtice the growing pile on the otoman. She LOVES books!



Thursday, November 17, 2011

"T" for two all about YOU!---Janica




I love knowing little tidbits about others. Sometimes its good to get a refresher about your significant other because lets face it...things change! Here's some tidbits about me!

1. Favorite Color:
-Pink
-aqua blue

2. Favorite Food:
-Pasta
-Molten Lava Cake

3. Pet peeves:
-When people brag about their work outs on their facebook status(Not sure if it makes them feel good about themselves, or if they just need some attention)
- Arrogance

4. Favortie High School Past times:
- Jammin out with best friends in the car
- High School realationships (OH DEAR Ha Ha)

5. Things you want right now:
-massage
-Bedrom set

6. Things you want to do before you die:
-run a race
-make a difference in atleast one persons life by surprising them with something big.

7. Things you are grateful for,that are unusual:
- fingernail polish (Love color, and can't stand not to have them painted)
- bargains (Love getting stuff for cheap!)

8. Your passions in life:
-I have always had a passion for babies
-I have a passion for realationships (especially Nolan) but there is just something special about strong relationships with people you love, admire, and trust. I take my good relationships seriously.

9. Things you wish could dissapear:
-messes
-spiders

10. Things most people probably don't know about you:
-I have a "blankey" I sleep with it every night and it is hammered.
- I have a weird phobia with places that are not lived in. I.E. (especially cabins. and things like basements, hotel rooms)

11. Things that bring you the most joy.
-Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
-Brielle

12. Books you have read this year:
-Matched
- Breaking Dawn

13. People you look up to:
-MY DAD!!
-People who are strong in the face of adversity

14. Things you wish you were good at:
-Decorating
-Running

15. Where you wish your next vacation would be:
-Bora Bora
-Fiji

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Togetherness

So back in August Nolan and I were lucky enough to have a vacation to California. My mom was SOO gracious to watch Brielle. We were actually planning on bringing her until a week before, I came to my senses and realized it wouldn't be much of a vacation. I was so TORN on wether or not to leave her. The longest I had left her was 4 hours. My mom reassured me over and over, it will be good for us to get away just the TWO OF US! Even though I had a rough two days and shed some tears those two days. I AM SOOOOO GLAD WE DID IT!

THis trip was perfect. We did whatever we wanted, when we wanted, how we wanted, without a little cutie to worry about. We slept in, had unbroken sleep and enjoyed lots of unenterupted time together.

THe main reason we went was to go to Seaworld. WE LOVE SEAWORLD! AND they appreciate their military so much that they get us in FREE!!! Thank you Seaworld for saving us 130 dollars on tickets!

We saw lots of fun things, like this crazy porcupine!

Nolan and the sweet Lizard thing!

Then for the whole reason I come to SeaWorld. THe DOLPHINS! They do the feeding so differently now. We had to wait in line for and hour and half to feed them. It was worth it to me! In my next life I will have pet dolphins.







THEN: The next day we went to Disney Land which we weren't planning on but because we were too far away from Six Flags we decided to do it. It was pretty fun. We just aren't HUGE disney land people. But we had a great time none the less.


The Buzz Lightyear ride was Nolan's favorite!


OK so...Nolan saw a couple of people walking around with these turkey legs. He just had to have one and kept talking about it all day! So finally he found where they were selling them and got this gigantic hunk of meat.

The next day was SOOO much fun! We spent the Day at boardwalk. We rented bikes and went riding along the beach front. Went shopping at the little shops. Found a perfect spot to lay out and play in the water. Road around the park. It was so much fun, I have always wanted to do that.






Last thing we did that night, we went to a ritzy part of town that kind of reminded me of Park City mainstreet. It was up on a hill that overlooked the beach. We ate an outdoor restaurant on the patio. Nolan had some great fish. I had some NOT so great chicken alfredo :) I sure enjoyed my company though!


Then finally it was home to my BABY!!! We got home late at night and she was up waiting for us! She came right to me, which I didn't expect. THen within a few min..she took her first steps!! I was so glad she waited for me to get home!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Brielle's 1st Birthday Party

Our little girl turned one! I am going to try not to get sappy because I already have that written in her Journal.
It was fun to celebrate Brielle's birthday. Her birthday was on monday but we celebrated on Saturday with family. She was a happy girl and loved playing with her cousins at the party. We did a "YELLOW AND RED" theme. Her room is yellow and red, and we wanted something different than pink! It turned out so cute! We had tons special people there, and Brielle got spoiled!

BIRTHDAY GIRL




Proud parents who made it through the first year as Mom and Dad!


THe Party Table


MORE DECORATIONS



TONS OF RED AND YELLOW (excuse the messy counter it was before the guests arrived and we were still getting stuff ready)


THE CAKE!!! It's the caterpillar from "BABY EINSTEIN" Brielle's favorite!!

THE CAKE SMASH--Brielle did pretty well with her cake. She was quite the princess and didn't want to totoally get messed up. It was funny in the beginning she pretended to dip her finger in and then sucked of the PRETEND frosting. Then she had a little help and realized what SUGAR AND TREATS really are for the first time. She was hilarious.

READY........

SET.....
......GO
The aftermath


THE GUESTS!


Papa and Brielle watching "brielle's 1st year" slide show

THE PRESENTS. Brielle did pretty well helping open presents for the first time. Her family spoiled her crazy! THank you everyone! We gave her a slide, and she fell in love with it!