The Braun Family

This weeks thanksgivings!

2010-11-08T18:09:00.000-08:00

This evening I am thankful for a restful weekend. On the flip side I am sad that Brent's weekend was busy with the senior class trip which was thankfully drama free but anything but restful. Ainsley and I both enjoyed the extra hour of sleep granted to us by the change in the clocks. I was even thankful for the extra sunshine I got to enjoy before work this morning. I made sure to remind myself of that feeling when I left work after the sun had set ;-).

As I mentioned last week Ainsley's vocabulary is building exponentially the only word that comes to mind is the most recent addition: "Help!"

Saturday Ainsley made up the "Mommy Song." Nothing very complicated just a little bouncy tune to the repeated words: "mommy, mommy, mommy!" The little bounce of her head and the sparkle in her eyes just melts my heart.

POTTY ALERT

We have been working on potty training for a few months now and although we have had moderate success with Number One, number two has been a challenge ( no pun intended). On Saturday night we had a successful trip the potty for number two. This earned Miss A any treat from the candy bucket she wanted. Her choice: a grape tootise roll pop!

Lastly I am thankful for Elmo balloons. On Thursday night Mimi adopted an abandoned Elmo balloon from her work and brought him home so Ainsley could play with during her time at the house Friday and Saturday. Ainsley was excited to see Elmo and even more excited to through him up in the air, at which point she would have to ask for "HELP" to retrieve the balloon. She quickly learned that Elmo could not go in the sky lights because he would get stuck! She especially loved to have the balloon eat meals with her on her highchair. Needless to say she had a great time!!

Now as I am ready to post this I am thankful that Brent is on his last leg home from Senior Trip in Orlando and will be home tonight, even if I will be asleep! I am glad he was able to provide this opportunity for his students but I will be glad to have some adult conversation besides work.

;-)

A month of thanksgivings

2010-10-31T12:25:00.000-07:00

As the month of October comes to a close with the festivities of Halloween we turn our attention to November. In looking toward the upcoming celebration of Thanksgiving I am going to take on the discipline of posting a weekly collection of thanksgivings on our blog to help cultivate a thankful heart. So here we go...

This week I am thankful for

Ainsley's expanding vocabulary.

The last few months (I know its been awhile) have been an exponential time of growth in the words that Ainsley knows and uses on a daily basis. Several weeks ago I noticed that she said, "Okay," as clear as can be but the day before it had been "Otay." It is just one of many signs that our little girl is getting bigger and smarter everyday and that is truly something I am thankful for but at the same I'm just a little sad. Other Ainsley words include:

neat= Eat

nack= Snack

pease=please

be-be= Pacifer

be-be= Baby (especially pictures of herself on Mommy's phone)

be-be= Pee pee

water=swimming pool or a drink

Y=YMCA

night night

bath

puppies, bella, dog - however she has not gotten Cordelia as of yet

Augha/Pawpa= Brent's Parents

Mimi/Papa= Molly's Parents

ducker=dum dum sucker

walk= walk not holding a grown ups hand

cheese

tea!!

payyough= playdough

jessie shoes=crocs with jessie and buzz decals

She is also starting to speak in broken and sometimes full sentences. Last week at Target we found her a new toothbrush with the cowgirl from Toy Story 3, Jessie. At first she asked, "pease out me." We explained that we must first pay for the toothbrush so her incessant mantra became, "pease pay, pease out me..." '

My Husband's sense of Humor

Two weeks ago 'Senior Wear' arrived at PRP. This is one of the big projects for the senior class sponsors that involves making t-shirts with all the senior students listed on the back. The delivery of shirts, hoddies, sweatpants is very stressful as it involves a good number of boxes and lots of students anxiously awaiting their precious new PRP wear. I am thankful that even in this stressful time my husband can have a sense of humor...

Our Healthy Baby Boy

On Monday Brent and I were blessed to have the first glimpses of our son through a 20 week ultrasound. Although we had three ultrasounds with Ainsley I am still blown away at the miracle that we get to see in the sneak peek of the baby growing inside me. The baby appeared to be very healthy with fingers, toes, legs, arms, four chambers of the heart, and all the right boy parts. I will post a picture this week but I left them at the office yesterday. The baby is due in March which is a popular time for birthdays on my Mom's side of the family. The original due date was set at March 19th but the baby was measuring to be due on March 9th. Either way the baby will arrive when he will arrive and we will be waiting for him with open and loving arms.

A surprise family dinner

The last two weeks have been hectic due to homecoming and halloween obligations and the time we normally share around the dinner table has been reduced. Tuesday this week Brent's original commitment, overseeing the junior/senior powder puff football game, was postponed due to the first serious rainfall in several months. We took advantage of the free evening and traveled to Huber's to get our pumpkins. Due to a late nap time that day we did not get to tramps through the muddy field but picked out pumpkins from the tractor wagons. After this we decided to stay and enough the Huber's Family Style Buffet. Ainsley did some damage on the family meal and I enjoyed spending time talking with Brent and of course Ainsley.

Creativity

This year we decided to let Ainsley decorate her pumpkin with markers and stickers. I decided to decorate my pumpkin with Nemo so I will get extra points when we light them tonight since Nemo is the stuff right now. Here are some photos of Ainsley decorating her pumpkin with supervision concerning the sharpie markers.

A need for a Halloween Costume

This year I designed and made Ainsley's Abby Cadabby Costume. Although sometimes making things is more expensive then buying them from the store I again enjoyed the challenge and the resulting cute little muppet.

Coloring!

2010-02-27T12:22:00.000-08:00

For Christmas we got Ainlsey a big bucket of craft supplies complete with crayons, markers, chalk, paper, foam crafts, and lots of paper. I knew she was a little to young at the time but it would be a present she would grow into this spring and summer. While visiting with Morgan and family Ainlsey got to "share" Catherine's stampers. So today with the few minutes I had before work I decided to try the crayons. I know Ainlsey has colored at Parent's Day Out and at restaurants but this was the first time I had gotten to sit down with her. She is such a big girl and she had a great time using both hands but favoring the right. She kept trying to eat the green crayon and was surprised that each time it tasted just as strange at the time before.

Hope you are having a good Saturday!

Travels to Manheim, PA

2010-02-21T18:51:00.001-08:00

Early Friday February 12th (and I mean early) Ainsley and I began our first solo plane trip to Baltimore. Thankfully the flight was not canceled or delayed as air travel to the northeast had been for two days. Ainsley did amazing on the flight. And was asleep almost before we were in the air. She sleep through 75% of the flight until the overhead announcment woke her up. Once on the ground I changed Ainsley out of her pjs and our bags made it in right about the time Morgan made it to pick us up. Morgan and I had an enjoyable car ride and Morgan and I talked the whole time. Ainsley enjoyed the new experience of watching a video on the portable DVD player but she didn't quite make it through before the nap monster attacked. Through out the drive I was repeatedly amazed at not only how much snow there was on the ground and piled on the side of the road, but also how well the the roads and driveways were cleared.

Unused parking lot at a Baltimore area mall

Morgan, Ainsley and I went to pick up Andrew and Catheine from daycare soon after their naptime was finished. Everyone knew my name when we arrived because Andrew had mentioned that I was coming at least 12 times that day. Returning home we all bundled up an took the kids out to play in the snow. Well really we took the kids out so I could play in the snow. Morgan and I had fun digging out a snow fort while Catherine and Ainsley munched on the snow and Andrew made snow castles. Very soon everyone was tired, wet, and cold so we headed back inside.

Bathtime with Friends!

Saturday morning Morgan and I took the kids and went to the outlet malls in Lancaster. We made some very wise purchases at the Carter's outlet as well as Children's Place. The kids each picked out a toy from the Disney store to go in the bags we got for a dollar at Children's Place.

Saturday night Ainsley attended and I helped out at a Parent's Night Out outreach that Ray and Morgan's church hosted. It was a busy night and everyone slept well after all the fun times.

I love cupcakes Mommy!

Snacking on snow inside the snow fort

Church at Bethel Baptist Church in Manheim, PA

Sunday after church Ainsley and I traveled to Harrisburg where we got to visit and share lunch with some of our Stratton family. It was so great to see everyone even for a short time. Before lunch we meet at the Bass Pro Shop were Farmer Joe showed Ainlsey the many interesting animals around and in the big fish tank. She was so excited by each new discovery that I just cannot wait to take her to the zoo this spring and summer.

The Girl Cousins!

Ainlsey giving Hannah a Kiss

The afternoon fun continued with another trip with Andrew and Catherine outside to play in the snow fort. Although Ainsley had the least amount of fun the snow pants I found at carters the day before were perfect. For dinner I joined the Stuart's in enjoying some famous local pizza, Ainlsey had an apple.

"I WANNA GO INSIDE MOM! I'M COLD AND THE SNOW GOT UNDER MY GLOVES!"

Monday morning everyone came to visit Aunt Molly/Mommy in the sofa bed where she was watching Sleepy Beauty.

Monday morning we all piled into the car and traveled down the windy curvy country roads to Hershey, PA. While at the chocolate factory we took the factory tour complete with singing dairy cows and watched the 3D show. Afterwards the adults agreed the kiddos were a little young for the 3d show but most everyone's spirits were lifted with lunch and a little chocolate. Of course a trip to a tourist trap is never complete without a visit to the gift shop! Ainlsey got a cute stuffed cow and I found a pair of Hershey socks, a tote bag, and a chocolater bar or two!

Obviously the person who designed the chocolate layout did not have a new walker...or maybe they did...the more the kid pulls out the more the parent's buy. Thankfully it did not cost to carry the candy around the store

Ainlsey practicing her red carpet walk after the 3D Show

Catherine was taking her critters and hitting the road!

Millie the cow and one sleepy baby

After traveling back Ainsley and I took off to see my Grandmom. The trip took under 2 hours and Ainlsey had a very nice nap while I listened to my iPod. Ainlsey had a great deal of fun playing at Grandmom's apartment. Her favorite new toy was an antique stool that was 'just' the right size. After a trip down to the main area of Foulkeways we all took a ride to Olive Garden for dinner. Ainlsey had lots of fun entertaining Great~Grandmom, the staff, and the other guests. Although the visit was short it was again such a wonderful treat to see Grandmom and Ainlsey interact.

Ainlsey talking to "Mimi" and "Mommy" on the Melmo (Elmo) phone.

Playing at "MomMom's" apartment

Tuesday morning we spent around the apartment packing and getting ready for our trip home. Ainlsey was happy to get an actual morning nap even if it was cut short to get on the road. Our lunch stop for the day was a local mall that has a kids play area. Before running around the kids enjoyed their lunch at a table just their size. Ainsley was very distracted by the fact that she could get up, move around, and sample other people's lunch! Ainlsey's favorite part of the play area was the hockey stick but I had get a few pictures with her and the big toothbrush.

Lunch time

Don't Forget to Brush

Naptime all around

The trip to Baltimore was an enjoyable quiet time for Morgan and I to talk with three sleeping kiddos in the back. Once we got to the airport it was again a quick trip through all the steps and time to board. Ainlsey did not sleep on the flight back but we had lots of fun playing with all the different toys that I had packed. Of course she finally started to get sleepy when we were landing in Louisville. After a quick stroller ride to security I got Ainsley out of her stroller so she could run to Daddy. Her excitement brought a tear to my eye. When we came around the corner and she say Brent her face couldn't contain her joy, her whole body lit up. She let out a big "Daddy" and headed right toward him. She was only momentarily distracted by the crowd around her but then she had arms and kisses only for Brent. All the luggage made it safely and we were soon home and back to our busy lives!

I know this was a long note but it was a therapeutic way to process the time away during and after our trip. Also some of the pictures are of lesser quality because they were taken on my phone. Have a great last week of February...Spring is on its way!!!

Throwing Snowballs

2010-01-21T17:40:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas Break, Ainsley and I, along with Grammie and Paw went to visit the Longaberger Homestead to make some baskets and do some shopping. Before we arrived there they had about 4 inches of snow, so there was a nice blanket covering the landscape. At one point while we were walking along a sidewalk, my mom reached down and got a snowball ready to throw at my dad. When she finally did throw the snowball, Ainsley erupted in giggles, and thus was born the phenomena of throwing snowballs.

Now Ainsley will be sitting at dinner, or just in her carseat, tand you can hear her putting a snowball together and throwing it at you from the backseat. We thought it would be cute to video her and share the cuteness with everyone!! Enjoy!

Testing Web Cam

2010-01-16T17:19:00.000-08:00

We bought a web cam this week as a birthday present for our friend Morgan who has recently moved away from Louisville. I am hoping to be able to post some pictures of Ainlsey's cuteness in action.

7 years ago today...

2009-12-14T19:02:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been a couple of days since I have been on blogging, but Molly and I have been out of town for the past couple days in NYC for our anniversary. Yes, today is our 7 year anniversary. Today 7 years ago, many of you and other friends and family joined with Molly and I to officially begin our life as husband and wife! And what a party it was!! There are lots of details that I don't remember, somethings pass in blurs and other images from that day are seared in my memory.

I remember vividly getting ready with my brothers and my friend Ray Stuart in one of the rooms at Highland and thinking how amazing it was to have such Godly men in my life supporting me on that day. I remember the moment the church doors opened and I saw Molly and the GORGEOUS dress her mother had lovingly crafted for her. Being the traditionalist that I was, I didn't want to do our pictures before, because I wanted to wait to see Molly until the aisle. I also didn't want to know anything about the dress. Although, I did have dreams about it being covered in a band of red sequins...thankfully that dream was not true!

We would like to thank each and every one of you for being a part of our lives, whether it has been in our single or married lives you have had an impact on us, and we thank you sincerely for that. For the lessons you have shared and the love you have freely given, we can not say thank you enough!

Sorry for the lack of pictures on this post. I can't seem to find the images we had scanned in at some point :( maybe I will find them later

Cats and Dogs, Living together...Mass Hysteria!

2009-12-10T19:33:00.000-08:00

It may sound strange to say this, but this ornament brings back fond memories of Christmas mornings spent with my brothers. Now you may wonder how a dog in a dog house and a cat on top of the dog house would evoke such emotions, but bear with me, they are in fact my memories. If you notice the year on the dog house, it is 1989. For those of you that can do the math, that would have been the first Christmas that my little brother would have spent with the family. He was a mere 3 months old, and now, as a 20 year old, it is strange to think that he has been around that long. Maybe I am really in denial because I don't want to admit, that he is in fact 20 years old.

My little brother and I had a love/hate relationship until his early teenage years. He came on the scene and stole my position as the youngest child and grandchild and he was, to put it mildly, a punk. I mean look at him now, can't you tell he is a punk? Maybe not...I digress. Having that kind of love/hate relationship with him, I avoided or pestered him for most of his early years and did little to foster a friendship with him. I am thankful, however, that cooler heads have prevailed in the last 10 years and my brother and I have been able to become friends.

My older brother, Brandon, and Nick and I have a very strange relationship...as exhibited by the dog and cat in this ornament. Living in peaceful coexistence, even though at any moment we could have snapped at each other. How my mother survived summers with all three of us, I will never know! Hopefully she will be able to provide much needed counsel in the coming years as we, God willing, will have sibling issues in our own house.

Christmases in our house were always spent waking up as early as possible....Yes even 4 am on occasion, because I was too anxious to wait to see what Santa had for us. We would all sit around the Christmas tree and begin the carnage that most refer to as unwrapping gifts. In the orgy of tape, ribbon and paper, we three would often find time to see what the other was opening to assess the "playability" of the toy being opened across the way. But the real fun came after all the paper was cleared away. We would display our treasures and pick out what we wanted to play with first and spend time as brothers enjoying our gifts. Even though we are now in our 20s or 30s (Brandon...old man!) I feel like we can still have those moments together! Albeit, now we have more sophisticated tastes so we quote obscure movie lines while opening presents...as indicated by the Ghostbusters quote in the title...

On a side note, I had a moment today where I was swept into a flurry of emotion. I was in the kitchen listening to a song and for some reason my mind settled on my cousin Gene. Gene passed away about a year and a half ago and there was just this deep desire to talk to him and more importantly to hug him. Gene was like a bigger brother to all of us and I hope he felt as much a part of us as we felt included in his circle. He was a bear of a man and there was something about getting a hug from Gene that was special. It wasn't your average hug, it was a full body hug. More than once I think he realigned my spinal column with his hugs! I think its funny how memories can flood back into your mind at random times and for some reason my mind was consumed with Gene. I miss seeing him at family functions and I miss his laugh. In this Christmas season, I hope you find yourself consumed with loving thoughts of family members past and present. May those happy thoughts comfort you in the days to come...

A Special Talent...

2009-12-09T18:39:00.000-08:00

While some people may boast of talents in acting, writing, singing, stalking, etc., my secret talent lies in an age old trick known as guessing my presents and guessing everyone elses. I know, I know...don't everyone jump up and get all jealous, but it is a little trick I have up my sleeve. I get the "gift" honestly. My mother has always had an uncanny ability to pick out her gifts, and it never helped that I was unable to keep a secret when it comes to presents.

One Christmas in particular jumps to the front of my mind in which this gift was a problem. For those of you who remember the restaraunt Sizzler, as you left the restaraunt, they had some fantastic butter mints. My mother has always been notoriously hard to purchase gifts for and my father has always experienced the full brunt of that difficulty. The Christmas in question, when my dad asked my mom what she wanted, she responded that she wanted a box of Sizzler butter mints, knowing in her heart that it would not be possible and really meaning it in jest My father, however, was determined.

Surprisingly enough, the venture was an easy one. He approached the management at the Sizzler on New Cut Road, which I think is an abandoned Hollywood Video now, and they agreed to buy and extra case and let him buy it from them. My father triumphantly brought the box home and wrapped it and placed it under the tree, happy that he was able to outsmart my mom and get her exactly what she wanted. However, that would be all thwarted by me!

One day my mom and I were sitting in the front room of the house wrapping Christmas presents and I just couldn't hold the secret in any longer. The smell of Butter mints was oozing out of the box and it was more than obvious that there was something in the large box underneath the tree that was emitting the fragrance. As we were wrapping, I ever so deftly mentioned to my mom that it smelled exactly like Sizzler Butter mints. I even went as far as to ask her if she thought it smelled like Sizzler Butter Mints as well. Little did I know that she was already well aware that the box contained said mints and was impressed with my father that he had gone out of his way to get her exactly what she had asked for that year.

Yes, this was a time where I used my "gift" for ill and not good, but it is one of those funny things that I remember about my proclivity for not keeping a secret. Molly has dealt with this as well because I have not been able to hold some of her gifts until Christmas and have practically burst before giving them to her. I guess its a good thing that Santa keeps secrets so that I won't end up telling Ainsley what Santa is going to give her. Here's looking forward to those great memories!

Santa Full of Cookies - Day 3

2009-12-08T19:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday everyone!

As I mentioned the other day, there are many reasons why I have originally gravitated to an ornament, and in this case, I can say I picked it out because it was just so cute. It involves two of my favorite things: Santa and cookies! The ornament is dated 1992 and apparently at the age of 11 I had impeccable taste in decor. What can I say?

This ornament, however, has had a very interesting struggle. When I got the ornament in 1992, I did not know at that tender age that it would set off a firestorm of conflict in my house. In the days before we got our own storage boxes at my parent's for our ornaments (yes we all had individual boxes marked so that we knew which ornaments belonged to whom) my mom would simply write our names inside the box whenever we received an ornament. Upon receiving this ornament, my mom wrote my name on the inside of the box and placed it in the pile to pack up for the next year. In the ensuing months between the dismantling of the tree and the reassembling of the tree that most of you refer to as January-November, my mom must have conveniently forgotten who the ornament belonged to, and had fabricated a lengthy story about her ownership of the ornament. I however, could not be swayed and stood by my conviction, and her handwriting which plainly displayed my name.

As the years went by it became a playful back and forth in relation to the ornament as to who it belonged to and how I could possibly feel okay with taking an ornament from my mother. I never backed away from my convictions and pressed forward knowing the truth. As we were preparing the tree in 2001, many things were flying through my head. I had just proposed to Molly 1 month before and we were preparing for our wedding in December of 2002. (Monday the 14th will be 7 years!) I knew it would be my last time setting up a tree with my parents, and it was a bittersweet moment. As I put that ornament on the tree, I remember my mom making some comment about how this would be the last year that I would place the ornament on their tree and I, as I often do in these cases, got really emotional. It was at that moment that I set a plan into motion for Mom's Christmas present.

My plan was to find this ornament and buy it for my mom that year. I turned to the only place I knew to find random gifts at the time: EBay. It didn't take long to find one of them, but I knew I was going to be paying a premium price for the ornament and the shipping. However, I knew the present would mean a lot and I bought the first one I could find. On Christmas morning, I left a note on the present saying that now my mom could always have that ornament on her tree, and she opened her own Santa Full of Cookies. It was one of those moments that I think I completely shocked my mom and I know that she was touched by the gift. Now every year, when I put up this ornament I can think back to years of loving banter between my mom and myself and the memories of putting our Christmas year up as a family. Here's hoping that Ainsley, Molly and I will have those same types of experiences in the future.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Memory of the day!

2009-12-07T18:58:00.000-08:00

First off, I hope you each had a great Monday! I know mine was a little hectic, because I feel like my kids are already ready to go on break (and I can't say I am not ready just as much as they are). Have a lot of other things going on around school and I know the light is at the end of the tunnel for the upcoming break!

Well, back to the Christmas memories! This is a "fairly recent acquisition" in the Braun ornament collection, but the story for it goes back farther than the ornament itself. I remember when I first saw this ornament in last year's Dreambook, I knew it would be added to the collection. Not only do Molly and I have a deep love for teddy bears, but this father daughter teddy bear scene has taken on new meaning as Ainsley has entered our lives. Just taking a look back at the pictures from the last 16 months, Ainsley has enriched our lives in ways that I don't think people can understand until they have kids. She is an interesting and confusing meld of Molly and myself and we both marvel every time she does something new, cute, or all of the above.

This ornament also holds special significance because of a particular bedtime song that we play every night before Ainsley goes to sleep. The song is "Waltzing with Bears" and if you haven't heard it before, you need to look it up, and if you have kids, you should add it to the list of songs you sing to your own child. It is always the first song that plays when we put Ainsley to bed, and I wonder sometimes if she even gets to the second song before she is out cold. We have definitely been blessed with a child who loves to sleep! It has also been very cute to see how she responds to the song when we are not at home and are trying to put her to sleep. Several times when we have been out of town, it has only taken one or two verses for her to go to sleep in a strange place.

All of this to say that Ainsley has truly made Christmas a new experience! And while last year she probably had no idea what was going on, both Molly and I look forward to Christmas this year and seeing our little girl light up on Christmas morning!

A Christmas Memory a Day...

2009-12-06T19:19:00.000-08:00

While Molly and I were putting the ornaments on the tree and decorating the house this year, with the help of the illustrious Lindy Ebbs, I thought about how each of these tiny pieces of plastic and other materials held some sort of memory for me. Upon entry into Molly and my house, it may seem a bit overwhelming during the Christmas season especially when you look at our tree, or should I say trees. We have two prelit 9.5 ft Christmas trees that are chock full of Hallmark ornaments. Some I have gotten over the last 7 years of Molly and my marriage, but there are a great many that I collected long before Molly entered into my life. Each one of them carries significance and each of them has a story to tell. In some cases the stories are about Christmases spent with family and friends, in others it involves a childhood or adulthood obsession with something, and in still other cases, it involves an ornament or decoration that was just too darn cute to pass up. But in all cases, these are memories that I cherish, and I want to share with you. I will *hopefully* be sharing one memory a day over the next couple of weeks, and my sincere hope is that it inspires you to look around at the things you have hanging on your walls or tree and think about the people who have touched your story.

Today, I want to start off with something that is not in fact an ornament on my tree, but a decoration on our staircase. This is Randy and Ramona. You might recognize the reindeer as Hallmark decor staples. These are dated 1986 and I am pretty sure Hallmark has put something out with them every year. But it is not the date on these stuffed reindeer that set them apart. It is from whom they came that set them apart. Attached to both Randy and Ramona is a small tag with a To and From tag placed by Hallmark and on that tag is a name that to me can only signify one person in this world: Nannie.

Nannie (Mary Frances Smith) is my mother's mother and for those of you who don't know, lived with my family and me for most of my childhood. I would say she was a quiet force in my life, but I don't know that quiet is the best way to put it. Let's just say she was a force. She cooked a mean sausage gravy (one that I am glad to say I can almost recreate); baked fantastic jam cakes, German Chocolate Cakes, and Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies; told fantastic stories (esp her story of cutting a dog's tail off just to prove to a boy that she would do it. Fearless I know!); and genuinely loved her grandchildren like they were own children. While I may not have always liked what she had to say to me, I can say with all assurance that she has influenced who I am in every way.

Unfortunately, Nannie was diagnosed with Alzheimer's about 10 years ago and has steadily declined over that time period. She is currently in a nursing home in Louisville and I am thankful that she is still able to recognize me and Molly when we go visit, and I think she is starting to pick up who Ainsley is. God knows every time that we visit that I wish Ainsley could remember all that goes on, because I want her to know this woman who has had such an influence on my life. I wish my Nannie knew that we could have chosen no better middle name for Ainsley than Frances because my hope is that she can become the woman that Nannie is. I also would be remiss to acknowledge that Ainsley is able to have a Grammie that is who she is because she was raised by this fearless woman.

I can really say that I can not explain to anyone the feelings I have had when Nannie has visited with Ainsley and just the rush of emotions that I experience. Whether it is Nannie playing Pattie Cake, Nannie playing Trottie Horsie with her, or the tenderness that Nannie shows towards Ainsley and vice versa the experience is one that makes me choke up.

These stuffed reindeer who are 23 years old this Christmas are gentle reminders of the Christmases that I spent at home with my parents, brothers and Nannie. Those are the kinds of things that make Christmas for me.

Thanks for reading! Have a great week and hopefully I will "see" you tomorrow!

2009-11-22T19:22:00.000-08:00

I thought these were uploaded the other day but I was mistaken. Better late than never. This last week has been a stressful one on an emotional level. Our best friends from college moved to Pennsylvania on Friday to begin the next chapter in their adventure of life. Although we celebrate this day that we knew was coming we had plenty of tears to honor their departure. The last few nights Ainsley has been fighting chest congestion. Although this makes sleeping difficult she has been a big trooper! We purchased a humidifier this evening of which I have no expectations so we shall see how things go. This week we are going to be getting family pictures taken by a high school classmate of Brent's. Then on Thursday we will again be hosting family Thanksgiving. When this note is completed I have to go remove the 25 pound turkey from the freezer so it can begin the long journey to the Thanksgiving table. Not sure where it is going to fit in the already full refrigerator nor where the additional groceries I need to purchase are going to go. The joys of Thanksgiving!

Apple Butter Day

2009-11-19T14:55:00.000-08:00

On Halloween weekend we traveled to Philadelphia, PA to participate with the Stratton Family (Molly's Mothers Family) in the tradition of making Apple Butter. Last year this was Ainsley's first trip to meet her Webster Great Grandparents as well as cousins and extended cousins. This year although the group was smaller in number we had a very enjoyable time. Ainsley traveled very well for being 15 months old and having to sit in a confined space for two hours! Friday we spent the morning visiting with Molly's Grandmother and Ainsley had great fun playing with the "toys" from Great Grandmom's house. She never got tired of the flour/water mixer or the measuring cups that are probably older than Molly! Saturday was filled with cutting and cooking Apples. It was another gray day but thankfully it was significantly warmer this year. Ainsley has now been to the farm three times and we have yet to make it to the barn or ride a tractor but we did get some very nice pictures with Brent's camera. So I realize these pictures are overdue but so is life!

Happy Birthday Little Girl!

2009-07-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

Three in the Family
July 24, 2007

Cute Bow

July 25, 2008

First BIG Smile

September 15, 2008

Baby Dedication

October 19, 2008

Christmas 2008

Chicago

February 28, 2009

St. Patrick's Day 2009

Easter 2009

One year ago today our daughter was born at 10:08 am . All week Molly has been mentioning things that happened this time last year. It is so hard to believe that Ainsley is already turning into such a big girl. This week we have been switching over from formula to milk and she is able to eat most table foods with her two little teeth. Tomorrow we will be having a party complete with catepillar cake (pictures to follow!)

Signing "Please"

2009-07-23T16:35:00.001-07:00

Over the past month or so Molly has been working with Ainsley on the sign language for "please." (This sign is made by placing your hand in the center of your chest and making a small circle.) Before Brent went to Washington DC we saw her make the sign for the first time. We were both caught by suprise and with some encouragement she made the sign again. Well last Friday she made the sign for Molly several times at one meal. And then Sunday by golly she was an old pro! There has never been any doubt in our daughter enthusiasm to eat and this is no exception. Now when you ask Ainsley if she wants some more of something and can she say please she puts her right hand to her chest or her belly and gives it several good pats. It is so funny. Its like she is communicating, "Yes, I would like some more of that to put in this tummy right here!" What fun!!

Tuesday we took Ainsley to have her one year pictures taken at Picture People. She got fussy about halfway through but with help from some goldfish crackers things were soon better. The results were amazing (and expensive). We had some taken with her current favorite stuffed animal, a malard named Max. Then some family pictures. We tried getting some of her standing up but all she wanted to do was crawl...Lastly we had some taken with her birthday dress and some purple cupcakes (thanks to Brent!). She was really not to sure what to make of the cupcakes and insisted on picking at the icing. We kept trying to have her hold a cupcake but she would rather just eat it while we held it. Looking forward to Saturday with more cake and icing fun!!

2009-07-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

Father's Day 2009

Hello World

Brent's First Wedding Cake

Look at me!

Yummy!

Strawberries with Daddy!

Mother's Day 2009

For more photos

Life at the speed of baby!

2009-07-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

We cannot believe that we have reached the month of July. In less than a month Ainsley will be turning one year old. We look back to last year at this time and what changes...It has been an amazing, wonderful, and truly life changing journey. Since we posted last there have been a lot happening in Ainsley's life, hence the delay in posting! So here are some highlights!

At Ainsley's nine month well baby check up she was just over 20 lbs. This is only a pound more than the last weight check at seven months but she made up for it in height.

In the middle of May Brent made his first wedding cake. It was three days of hard work and lots of icing. Although he enjoys making and decorating cakes, he thinks wedding cakes might just be too much cake for him.

At the end of May Ainsley went with Brent and his family to Huber's Family Farm to pick strawberries. She had a wonderful time! She completed a thorough examination of several strawberries: smashing, squishing, and of course the all important taste test. When she was in the shopping cart at the market she even turned around and sneaked one out of the basket! Needless to say she was one sticky mess who had a great time.

Through out May Ainsley had been getting around more and more with scoot, pivot, reach, and some one arm pulls. But after visiting with her friend Catherine Stuart, Ainsley learned some new techniques that she was proud to show off. The very next day Ainsley pulls herself up on her knees and crawls! For the next week or so she would switch back and forth between army crawl and up on her knees. Over the past few weeks she has been pulling herself up onto her knees in her crib but just this week she has begun to pull herself all the way up to standing! Brent said that yesterday she was trying to pull up on everything that would stand still including herself!

The first week of June we took our first offical family vacation! We traveled to Savannah, Georgia and Tybee Island. On the first leg of our journey we stayed one night with Molly's Uncle Bill in Macon, GA. Ainsley had a great time showing off for a whole new audience. In her efforts to move around she got herself into the legs of their bar stools. She had great fun although she could not quite get herself free. In Savannah we visited the Juliet Low House, took a Paula Dean Tour, ate at Paula's resturant The Lady and Sons, and walked around the beautiful city. We then spent two days out at the coast on Tybee Island. Ainsley was not to sure what to think of the ocean and beach the first day. However on the second day she had a blast! And of course everything went straight into her mouth. Brent and Ainsley had a lot of fun splashing with the waves. Several times the wave would be bigger than we thought and she would get a face full of splash but she would just laugh and squeal. Molly and Ainsely spent some time playing in the sand bar splashing the water and eating sand. (Ainsley would try to eat the sand not Molly.) The last leg of vacation took us through Gatlinburg for an overnight. Brent had a good time remembering past vacations and we even took some pictures near the stream that Brent had his picture taken in as a small child. Since we have been home Brent has been enjoying his summer vacation and having lots of Ainsley and Daddy Time!

I think that brings things up-to-date and pictures will be posted soon.

Happy Easter! The Lord has Risen!

2009-04-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

As mentioned before we traveled to Birmingham at the end of Brent's spring break to introduce Ainsley to some more members of Molly's extended family. What an amazing blessing all the family and friends who love this little girl! One highlight was meeting Gigi for the first time.

Molly's Aunt Pam and Uncle Peter

Molly's Cousins Andrew and David in Birmingham

Ainsley helping Mommy dye some Easter eggs.

Happy Easter Daddy!

Brent and his brother Nick (with piano cuff links!)

Following Easter Lunch with Brent's family we had a light dinner with Brent's Nannie. Each interaction between Ainsley and Nannie is a true gift. Ainsley is very much in the pre-mobile squirmy stage (not sure if that is an official category) but for the most part when she sits with Nannie she limits her movement to only the most important.

Just yesterday Ainsley began to wave "Hello". She has been working on the reverse wave off and on for a week or so but then it was like the little light bulb just clicked. She has also recently discovered her toes, well as least the left ones, are good to put in her mouth. I believe she is also working on her second tooth because yesterday she had an unusually mopey, clingy day. She did however get to play in her walker at Grammie's for the first time and that seems to be a big hit. Lets just say her sock bottoms were grayish black!

This is a busy week for Molly at work but look for more pictures to come as we are going to the Sims's to celebrate Papa's Birthday/Easter tomorrow.

Spring is Here!

2009-04-09T11:53:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been very eventful in little Ainsley's life. Last week durning Brent's long awaited spring break we took Ainsley to visit her Gigi (Sims) in Birmingham, Alabama. We camped out with Molly's Uncle, Aunt, and their menagerie. It was a wonderful trip with visiting, good food, laughter, yard sales, and a FIRST TOOTH! While enjoying our Bogangels lunch on Sunday Molly noticed the first glimmer of a tooth on Ainsley's lower right side. Ainsley also has learned to clap her hand and puff her checks out while blowing against her lips. It goes without saying that we are amazed daily by how much she is growing into a small person and no longer our little baby. It is a very bittersweet moment.

On Wednesday we took Ainsley to get professional pictures in time for Easter. I know you will all be shocked to know she was cuter than ever and hammed it up for the camera. I will have more pictures this weekend as I am planning to dye easter eggs on Saturday and of course Easter Sunday.

More Pics

First Trip to the Swimming Pool

2009-03-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Molly and Ainsley, joined by Morgan, Catherine, and Andrew went swimming at the YMCA. There was much fun had by everyone. Ainsley had not one tear or moment of distress but kicked her legs the time they were in the water. She loved zooming around in Molly's arms or jumping up and down. She did not even have problems with the continual shower of splashes provided by Andrew. Both Molly and Ainsley had an early night and lazy next morning due to being so worn out. Also before swimming, Morgan and Molly had another photo shoot with Catherine and Ainsley. What a wonderful day off!

2009-03-19T05:57:00.000-07:00

Well we were not sue it was possible but we have gotten cuter pictures of Ainsley! That is truly hard to believe so here they are for you to judge!

2009-03-16T19:57:00.001-07:00

New pictures! The blanket Ainsley is playing on was originally Molly's Dad's (Papa) and last week during one of our bonus warmer days Ainsley and Molly played in the backyard with the dogs. This afternoon Ainsley and Molly went on a walk joined by Ginger and Madeline. Since Ainsley was in a pretty happy mood (which is most of the time!) Molly put her in the stroller front facing for the first time. It is amazing how just that simple change of position can make Ainsley seem like such a big girl! By the end of the nap she was well worn out from all the fun! However she did wake up when Brent got home and surprised us both by rolling over from back to front for the first time. It was so funny to watch her because she kept staring at us as if to say, "What's the big deal?!" We were both very excited!

Home Again!

2009-03-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

Last weekend the Three Brauns traveled to Chicago for a dental conference. The trip went very well and Ainsley was such a good baby. Here are some pictures of our trip including visiting Wrigley Field and Cousin John's apartment (I think it would be second cousin once removed).

Ainsley continues to grow and change. She is sitting up on her own now and tries hard to pull herself up from laying down. We are still waiting on her first teeth but they are slow to come in.

Work on both fronts is going through a stressful time with Brent's musical he is directing running on 19th-21st and Molly still trying to juggle work and being a new mom.

Almost twenty pounds!

2009-02-15T18:44:00.000-08:00

It is almost impossible to believe that at Ainsley's sixth month check up (actually 6 1/2 months) she weighed 19 1/2 pounds! Life has been a bit crazy here since our last post...ice storm, power outage, living with family, lots of new foods.

So far we have tried squash, bananas, sweet potatos, peaches, and purnes. Tonight she looked as if she wished she could try cupcakes! While were staying with Molly's parents Ainsley achieved a new milestone: sitting up on her own. Although she could only wobble for a few seconds at first she gets stronger every day and can now sit up for long stretches of time. With this development of sitting up Ainsley has also discovered the joy of her toys. At first she watched wide eyed as you played with the toys but now it is all her... Grabbing, swinging, chewing, and of course drooling!

Well we are all settled back in from our week with out power and the laundry has been caught up so now its time for some pictures. During the first snow day we had power so Brent cooked some yummy Key Lime Cupcakes and I played around with iMovie. So here is my second project complete with sound! Hope everyone had a sweet chocolate filled Valentine's Day... just don't forget to brush your teeth!

New Pictures

Please be patient this takes a minute or two to load. This is the smallest size but it still cuts off some of the pictures...work in progress!

Almost Six Months

2009-01-23T07:40:00.000-08:00

It has been a long while. Ainsley will be six months old tomorrow. No epochs in our life just tiny joys each days as Ainsley contibues to grow and develop.

Just after Christmas Ainsley learned to reach out and grab things...anything. Toys, necklaces, hair, noses, lips... But her all time favorite is to reach out for her doggies! It is amazing when her whole face lights up when they walk into her line of vision. Both dogs have been amazing during al their close-up incounters. Yesterday during snuggle time Cordelia came up next to where Ainsley was "sitting". As Cordi settled herself down Ainsley leaned/threw her whole body toward Cordi with her arms wide open to hug her.

Ainsley has learned several new faces the last few weeks. First she learned she could stick her tongue WAAAY out, over and over again. (I credit Catherine Stuart for teaching her this trick) She has only done this one time but it was witnessed. Her next more favorite face is what we have named her piggy face. She will scrunch up her nose and mouth real tight. Sometimes when you get her going she will even puff the air out faster and then she will start laughing at herself. Which brings me to her next trick... giggles. With as much enthusiasm as Ainsley has been "talking" for the past few months she now puts this into giggling. She thinks it is especially funny that you can giggle as well.

Ainsley loves to eat! We have tried rice and oatmeal cereal that both have been a smashing success. She has learned to open her mouth and looks like my little bird from her very first days of life. She has also transitioned to her big girl highchair with no problems. This highchair is a family piece that came from my Grandmom Webster by way of my Mom. It was originally used for my Aunt Marie and then served for all the grandkids during our many visits to Mountain Home. With the help from my mom I made up a pattern and sewed a bright colorful cover/cushion for the chair.

Ainsley is also mastering the skill of sitting up. She has been getting stronger each day because the moment you lay her down she will start crunching up her whole body to try and sit herself up. It is so cute! But in the last few days she is getting much more coordinated with holding herself steady. It will only be a matter of days!

Over the past month Ainsley has stretched out a good bit. She still has her chunky thighs they have just gotten longer. With this good growing we will be saying farewell to one of her first and our favorite baby toys... the bouncy chair! It has been a great help over the past six months but now it will move on to be used by another baby very soon (Come on Baby Purdom)! In saying goodbye to one space sucking baby toy Ainsley has fallen in love with another... her jumperoo. She has gotten better and better jumping and bouncing in her chair. Since it is easy to move we often have her in the kitchen jumping while we cook dinner or in the living room if we are watching tv. Her personal favorite is to do wii jumperoo while someone else is playing the wii fit. She thinks we are joining in on her game. Another favorite is when Brent will bounce up and down in front of her. Her face looks like she is thinking, "Wow you have a jumper too!"

Well I must finish up here as someone is in need of a second diaper change pronto!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=206576&l=df1b4&id=714965514

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T17:28:00.000-08:00

I hope this note finds everyone recovering well from a Christmas dinner, and more importantly Dessert!!! Well, Ainsley's first Christmas went extremely well and I think she had a great time, and more importantly, we had a great time with her. There wasn't a lot of stuff under the tree for her yet, but she didn't really understand what was going on during the whole extravaganza...Here are some pics of her first Christmas! Much joy and love to you all!!!

Christmas Pictures

2008-12-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

On Friday we went to Picture People to get a family Christmas Picture taken. Ainsley did marvelously and was all smiles for the silly lady beside the camera. We had taken our christmas pajamas but none of those photos were very nice so we will be trying those at home. Have a great day!

Solid Foods!

2008-12-02T17:11:00.000-08:00

Today was Ainsley's four month well baby visit which included several SHOTS! Oh no! She produced new decibels of sound not heard from her mouth during and following the event. She weighed in at 16.0 pounds which made Dr. Erica very happy! Big chunky baby! Since here weight is doing well and we have reached the four month mark Dr. Erica recommended that we start solid foods. So on the way home from the doctors Ainsley and Molly stopped to pick up some rice cereal. The results were very good. We think she was wearing as much as she ate, but she did not scream or refuse to eat so we are counting it as a win. Additionally on the plus side she could not stop clicking her tongue or trying to eat her bib.

Here is the first attempt at posting a video and a link for new pictures.

Happy Turkey Day

2008-12-02T06:05:00.001-08:00

Happy Belated Thanksgiving and Happy Advent to one and all. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving here in the Braun House. We were joined by family from both sides as we hosted our second Thanksgiving. Brent masterfully prepared the 21 pound Turkey whose name was Evangeline. We are almost finished with the leftovers, and if they are not gone soon we will be done with them.

In Ainsley news she continues to be an amazing blessing (do I sound like a broken record!). On Saturday she made a giant leap and started to roll over from her stomach to her back. She only got herself onto her side but we were both ticked pink! Sunday we took Ainsley to Molly's church where she grew up for their annual Hanging of the Greens. It was a wonderful service with no crying from Ainsley and it was so special to show her off to many people that had seen me grow from about her size. She must have know it was special because she didn't even spit up on her cute christmas dress (well the one of many she was wearing). As we gear up for the Advent and upcoming Christmas season we anticipate the joy and excitement Ainsley will have from all of the celebration...lights, bows, paper, and great big boxes!

2008-11-21T07:34:00.001-08:00

Still having trouble with the Flikr weblink so for the time being here are two other links. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/album.php?aid=171100&id=714965514

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/album.php?aid=154764&id=714965514

Getting Bigger

2008-11-15T14:51:00.000-08:00

No matter how hard I contemplate I cannot put my finger on were the last month has gone. Ainsley turned 15 weeks this past Thursday and continues shine light in our lives everyday. The last month or so has been very busy around the Braun household. On October 15th Ainsley had her first trip to the pumpkin patch and she had such a good time sleeping right through it in her snuggly carrier. On October 19th we had Ainsley dedicated at our new church Sojourn Community Church. She wore a new dress I made her for the occasion and waited to spit up on it until after the presentaion. That same day she took her new voice out for a test drive. Although she has been giving on little coos and chirps for about a week, during lunch she hammed it up good for the grandparents. Since then she always has so much to say. Wonder where she got that from?

The biggest adventure this month was Ainsley' her first plane ride! We travel to Philli for Apple Butter Days at Wynnorr Farm. This annual tradition of joining together to make apple butter has expanded and for the past couple of years has served as a mini family reunion. This was both everyone's first trip, but will not be the last. Ainsley was such a trooper with the airplane travel and she made hardly a peep either way. First stop on the trip was to introduce Ainsley to her Great Grandmom and Great Granddad Webster. She put on an extra special show for them cooing, squeeking, and throwing away smiles. It was an amazingly special time to share with our family. Saturday was Apple Butter day full of apples, family, apples, rain, and did I say apples? Total production of quart sized apple butter was in the 170 range with 50+ quart jars of applesauce. At the end of the evening while having smores and hot dogs we dressed Ainsley up in her halloween costume: a catapillar! Although we did not get to take her out on Halloween for formal trick-or-treating she did get to dress up for her Pa and Nana! The first weekend in November I was able to get Ainsley weighed while Morgan and I were out shopping. She was up to 15 lbs even after filling her diaper!! She is doing so well eating and looks like such a healthy baby. We pray this continues as we head into the winter weather. Over this last week we have started putting Ainsley into her jumperoo several times through out the day. So far they are becoming fast favorite! She is still learning the finner points of pushing up with her feet but even when she is just hanging out she is holding her head up, looking around in every direction, and really checking things out. I posted some highlight pictures here but I have opened a Flickr account with more pictures which I will try to keep updated however I am still trying to figure out how to post things so anyone can see them. I will post the address soon (hopefully)

Some updated pictures

2008-10-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

I think this is probably the best picture we have taken so far!! And the best part is that Molly didn't really plan it!

Month Two (did anyone see it run by)!

2008-10-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

Well as unreal as it seems Ainsley is now 2 months old. The last several weeks have flown by even faster then the first ones. Labor Day weekend we traveled to Illinosis to visit Brent's bother and sister-in-law. Ainsley took the traveling like a champ and slept all the way there and back. Molly is now back to work several days a week and will be starting at her new office in Novemeber. This past Tuesday Ainsley went to visit Dr. Erica for four shots and she weighed in at 12 lbs 8 ozs! Go baby! Healthy and chunky. Ainsley is working harder than ever at holding her head up. During the second week of September she started flashing world's biggest and brightest smiles for reasons other than gas. No matter how stressful things are one big smile and sometimes a coo makes it all fad away. She has also become increasingly alert the last few weeks. She will stare intently at the toys on her swing as well as her bouncy chair (best thing every created). But by far the best most enteraining toy is the ceiling fan. The other day she informed us with in no uncertain terms that the ceiling fan needed was not on and that the situation needed to be rectified. Everyday is a new joy and blessing as she continues to grow bit by bit. Pictures will be coming soon.

4 weeks old!!!

2008-08-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you are as floored by that as I am...but Ainsley is 4 weeks old today! It truly has flown by! Ainsley is getting bigger by the second and we are loving every minute of it! I went back to school on Aug 12 and the transition back to work has been extremely difficult!

Ainsley is sleeping well most of the time. Her new thing is that she likes to grunt a lot in her sleep. She is fast asleep, but just makes noise after noise. So tonight she graduates into her own bedroom. She has been sleeping in a bassinett in our room, but we think it is about that time. I am sure it will be just as much of a transition for us as it will be for her. Then again, she will probably just sleep right through it!

Some updates!

2008-08-03T19:33:00.000-07:00

Well sorry it has taken so long for me to update the blog! Being a parent sure does suck the abundant time out of your life, but Lord is it worth it!!! We have adjusted pretty well to our new life with Ainsley. She only stayed under the light until Monday morning when her levels went down. We were very excited to finally be able to hold her all the time, and even more to be able to show her off in the amazingly pretty clothes we had for her.

Her first outing was to see Dr. Erica, our pediatrician and friend from college, and to see Nannie, my grandmother. It was a busy day and we really enjoyed being able to introduce Ainsley to one of her Great Grandmothers!!

And now some pictures, just because she is so darn cute!

We are Home!!!

2008-07-26T17:55:00.001-07:00

Here is Molly's bear Hearty watching over Ainsley. Ainsley has a little bit of jaundice so the doctors sent us home with one of the lights so that we could keep her under them and monitor her at home. Keep us in your prayers as we handle this along with all the other things that come with being new parents.

Small back story on Hearty. Molly has had Hearty since she was 6 years old. It was a gift from her Grandmom and Granddad and she sure has seen Molly through some hard times. I know she will see Ainsley through some hard times as well and Hearty couldn't imagine not spending the first night watching over the baby!!

The dogs meet their new best friend! Cordi, the beagle, has been standing sentinel over the baby while Bella, has been letting us know when the baby sneezes or makes any noise in general! We have some interesting times ahead for us!

Here we are just before we left the hospital. I know you really can't see it, but her little outfit says "Thank Heaven for Little Girls!" We couldnt be any luckier! Continue to keep us in your prayers!

Official Nursery Pics!

2008-07-26T06:06:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the official nursery pictures. If it just won't work for you, go to http://www.our365.com/. You will need to put in the date of birth (July 24), our last name (Braun) and the city of birth (Louisville). Of course, we love the pictures!

http://our365.com/NewbornPortraits/BabyDetail.aspx?birthid=7898060f-9743-4546-b290-35851166b0b5&babyid=ebf5cc7d-987c-4ad0-b06a-b0f54c7e653c

A new hat for baby!

2008-07-25T18:38:00.001-07:00

When the baby came back from her most recent visit to the nursery, she had this new hat on that we just thougt was so adorable!! I guess it doesn't help that we already think she is cute as a bug's ear anyway!

The Happy Family

2008-07-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture that I couldn't help but post because I thought it was a great one.

Baby's Second Photo Shoot

2008-07-25T05:21:00.000-07:00

Last night I was left alone with a camera and a very cute and alert baby...so a little photo shoot commenced and these are the some of the results. I know everyone says this, but I think my baby is the cutest baby ever!!

Last night sleep was rare for Molly, but she is a trooper and is excited to see people today and wear normal clothes...oh the little things that make us happy!!!

Introducing Ainsley Frances Braun

2008-07-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

Well guys..here she is!!! Ainsley Frances was born at 10:08 this morning after a fairly quick labor process! The nurses were all surprised at how well it went. I am amazed at the whole process and am just in awe! She is doing extremely well. Weighed in at 6 lbs and 8 oz and is already a good eater. She has had her bath and had her foot prints taken and is already enjoying snuggle time with mom and dad. She did have a little bruising on her forehead from the whole process and if you notice, her little nose is smushed...Dad couldnt possibly think she was any cuter!!!!

Baby's Coming!!!

2008-07-24T02:44:00.000-07:00

Well guys, the day is here! Molly woke up about 2:45 and her water had broken. While on the way to the hospital, her contractions started. It is about 5:45 now and contractions are more regular and they are about to do the epidural. Things are going swimmingly! Well excet for them having a hard time putting Molly's IV in...we warned them!

I will try and update it when I can...and we will definitely have pics up soon!

Some more pictures

2008-07-10T06:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures we had taken last week at JCPenneys. I guess this was our first of many picture appointments at the store...

Week 36 1/2

2008-07-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

Wow!!! We are already at Week 36!! Can you believe it! Lots of exciting things going on in the Braun family! We are nearing the end of this journey and life is getting hectic. Molly has started working at Immediadent and loves it. She especially loves only working 3 days a week! She is getting more and more uncomfortable which is normal and making us even more exciting for the inevitable! What makes us even more excited is that our friends Ray and Morgan had their baby on July 3rd. Welcome to the world Baby Catherine! She is doing well and Molly and I have been to visit. Baby A (which is what we affectionately call her since we are sure on the definite name, only that it will start with an A) was not too happy about Molly holding another baby and kept kicking baby Catherine while Molly was holding her...

We will let you know more as things progress. We are just hoping for a great next couple of weeks and a bit of comfort along the way!!

Molly is done with her Residency!!

2008-07-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

As of June 30, Molly officially finished her GPR residency! Now off to the real world! She will be working at Immediadent for 3 weeks and her last day will be July 16! So now anytime after then would eb perfect for the baby to come!

Baby Shower #2

2008-07-02T16:01:00.001-07:00

Here is the shower thrown by our church friends Melissa, Kasey, and Ginger. Thanks to Kasey for coming in town...it was SO great to see you! And again, thanks for all the great present and even better memories...

Baby Shower #1

2008-07-02T15:56:00.001-07:00

Well here are some pics from the baby showers! This first post is from the baby shower thrown by Molly's fellow GPR residents. Thanks to Gwinn, Delia, and Leslie. Thanks to everyone for all the cool stuff, especially the Diaper Wreath!

Week 33

2008-06-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are at week 33. Can you believe that the time is flying by so quickly? We had a docs appt today and he said everything looked good and baby and momma weight gain was good. We have another appt in 2 weeks and then we start going every week!

In exciting news, the baby is kicking even more and when I had my ear to Molly's stomach tonight, the baby kicked me right in the ear. now this is behavior that will only be acceptable in utero, but it still made me very excited!

Keep us in your prayers! We are hoping to go a little early since our due date is 4 days before I have to return to work. While I do have enough sick days banked up to take a couple weeks off, I would rather not because after the first week the kids are set in their ways. Hopefully we won't have to worry about that!

The Nursery...

2008-06-15T08:29:00.000-07:00

Well here is the nursery!! All of the really hard work is done at this point. The only thing we have left to do is painting some circular canvases and putting the baby's name on it. But that would require that we know what we are going to name the baby....just a small issue. Hope you all like the room!

The Nursery...Under Construction

2008-06-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of the nursery still under construction. Thanks to my dad and little bro for helping with the floors, and to Dave for helping put the crib together. We were surprised that it was so easy to put together!!

Week 30, almost 31

2008-05-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

Here is the most recent picture. We took this one on May 29 which puts us at almost 31 weeks. Can you believe it? I know there are times that neither of us can believe it! The baby is kicking up a storm (Especially when Molly has ice cream) and Molly is slowly but surely getting more and more uncomfortable. As the nursery goes together, and baby showers approach, it feels more and more real with every passing moment. We start the birthing/parenting/What am I supposed to do with this child now? classes on Monday so I am sure those will be an eye opening experience!

The Nursery has begun!

2008-05-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

Well school is officially out, so now I get the lovely job of renovating the room that we are going to be using for the nursery. First thing to go is the horrible gray color that makes the room looks a little dingy...We are painting the room a color called Ho Hum Yellow which looks a little bit like a Winnie the Pooh Yellow. Here are some pictures of the ensuing madness of painting and the like. I also am pulling up carpet and laying Pergo in the room...WOOHOO...is it time for school to start yet? I will put pics up of the flooring process too...man I am a party animal!

Senior Prom 2008

2008-05-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

Well as some of you all know, I am the sponsor of the Class of 2008, and being such, I and another teacher planned Prom. Let me just say that Prom on this end is very different than Prom was when I was in High School. Here is a pic of Molly and I at Prom...It was at the Olmsted, which is a home in the St. Matthews Neighborhood of Louisville. The night went well, and the baby enjoyed the food at the prom, which included a Chocolate Fountain.

2008-05-05T19:52:00.000-07:00

This is Week 26! Almost in the third trimester...can you believe it? I know we can't. the tank top is almost ready to come up over the belly! Molly has been feeling the baby kick a lot recently. At times she is convinced the baby is doing a song and dance number. Maybe she is writing her own musical in utero...that's my little girl!!

Molly Got A Job!!!

2008-05-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have heard, but we just wanted you to know that Molly is "officially" going to be working for Immediadent in Indiana starting July 1 (God willing!). She is working on the contract with them and is uber excited about the job. She is going to be working part time while her residency is still going on and then moving to full time after the time there is up.

The Crib!

2008-05-04T18:12:00.000-07:00

Well we have finally found the crib that we want! After finding two other cribs that we liked, only to realize that they were on back order for 2 months because everyone else wanted that crib as well, we found it today. Oddly enough, it is a crib we looked at early on at the Babies R Us website, but had not seen it in the store! We stopped by today and saw it in the store and walked out with a piece of paper that said they were ordering it for us. It will come in around 7-14 days, so I am sure pictures will ensue of the great day of reckoning when I attempt to put the sucker together. It looks a little more brown in this picture than it really is! It is more dark cherry than brown actually. The bed spread is on order as well and it is on our registry at Babies R Us! Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I can get the room painted and the carpet pulled up and get to moving on this nursery!

Spring Break in Disney!

2008-05-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

Over Spring Break, Molly and I and my parents and Nick went to Orlando, FL for a little rest and relaxation! We had a great time, and Molly and my mom spent some time buying some new outifts for the baby! I think this child has more clothes than me at this point, and for those of you that know me, that is a major feat!

We had a great time on the last vacay that we will prob take in a while...

Week 21 or 22?

2008-05-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! I know it has been a LONG time!! I am going to post several things tonight to sort of get us caught up. lots of exciting things have happened in the last couple of weeks and we just want to keep you all updated about them.

First off, this is Week 21 or Week 22...I can't remember. It was taken the night before we went on Spring Break vacation to Disney World with my family.

Things just keep changing! The baby is getting bigger and Molly is feeling her more often. Molly first felt her move late March and she has just gotten more active recently. Exciting times!

20 Weeks

2008-03-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Long time no type! Life has been busy here! We just hit the halfway mark of the pregnancy! WOOHOO!!! Molly is feeling good and the belly quickly grows. Last night at Good Friday service Molly thought she felt the baby move again, so that is definitely exciting. We also registered last weekend at Babies R Us, which was an adventure in and of itself. Our next doctors appointment is April 2, complete with another ultrasound, so there probably will be more pictures up after that one. Until then, we are still working on baby names (can't get students faces out of my head as we try out names) and getting the nursery ready!

First Pictures

2008-03-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

Well here are the pictures from the ultrasound done on 3/4/08. Thanks to Granddad John for scanning the pictures. The baby appears healthy and we got to see the heart, kidneys, stomach, fingers, toes and straight between her legs. She was moving all around waving her hands and hitting the camera when we were trying to get her to spread her legs... We got a video tape of the entire ultrasound which we will add to next month when Molly will have a repeat ultrasound to check the location of the placenta which was lying low over the cervix. So now it is time to begin the name game...Aunt Lindy suggested Perpetua, but I don't think that will be the one.

IT'S A......

2008-03-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

GIRL!!!!

Just thought I would let everyone know! We don't have a scanner at home, but I will try and scan them tomorrow at school and have Molly put them up here. All seemed well in the ultrasound. We got to see the baby's heart chambers, her toes, her hands, her fingers (which she was sucking on at one point) and even got to see her swallow at one point! Everyone is really excited!!! Will let you know more later!

Which one will we need?

2008-02-25T19:07:00.001-08:00

While we were out at the mall recently, we went shopping in Old Navy and stopped to look at the baby clothes which were all on sale. Since we don't know if it is a boy or a girl yet, we decided to buy both of these outfits since we thought they were absolutely the cutest things ever. I also was able to find matching shorts for the outfit. Just imagine how cute that is going to look!!!

We are still searching for the crib we want, but so far have been able to iron out the stroller and carrier we want and narrowed a couple things down on the list of things to buy. Who knew these things were so expensive. (cue the snide remarks from my parents and Molly's who say"Duh, of course they are expensive. Have you not met yourselves?")

Week 17 - Hand Turkey Week

2008-02-25T19:02:00.000-08:00

So you might be wondering, Why hand turkey week? In a pregnancy book we got from Morgan and Ray, at week 17 it said the baby is as big as your hand spread open. When we told our friend Lindy that, she said "Like the turkeys you used to make in elementary school." So we then started calling the baby Hand Turkey....hopefully we aren't permanently damaging the child.

Still waiting to feel the baby kick/move. Molly thought she felt the baby a couple of weeks ago when she had her hand resting on her stomach, but we aren't sure. I think that is the one thing (and only thing) that I am jealous of. How amazing would it feel to have something moving inside of you...oh well. I think I can get over it since I don't have to experience labor and all.

Week 16

2008-02-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

I think we can all say that there is a baby in there!! This picture was taken on Valentines Day and one week after our last doctors appt. Heard the heartbeat again and the doctor said the heartbeat was very strong! Ultrasound is set for March 4th and I am more than sure that we will have pics up soon after the ultrasound.

In other news, we have succumbed to the old wives tales about how to determine if the baby is a boy or a girl. I was reading a story on msnbc.com about old wives tales in which they tested 5 different old wives tales on 5 different women. The only one that was correct every single time involve putting your wedding ring on a string and letting it hang over the belly. If it goes in circles, the baby will be a boy and if it goes side to side it will be a girl. Well ours went in a circle! So who knows. When we told Morgan and Ray about it, they tried it and theirs went side to side. Who knows?

Molly also went maternity shopping this week with her mom, Ginny, and found some new jeans and some shirts since it is practically impossible to fit into other clothes at this point.

Week 14

2008-02-25T18:48:00.000-08:00

We are finally out of the first trimester, and from out of nowhere...Molly got random bursts of energy. No more going to bed at 8pm, now she can stay up til at least 10 or 11...which was sometimes even a stretch before we got pregnant!

A Little Pre Baby Training

2008-02-25T18:42:00.001-08:00

Every Monday, Molly and I have had the pleasure of watching Morgan and Ray's little boy Andrew. Andrew is 19 months and is every bit of an excited little boy as you could imagine. One Monday Andrew was a little bit fussy...and this picture ensued...we couldn't pass it up!

Week 12

2008-02-25T18:31:00.001-08:00

This is week 12. Baby bump is starting to grow and we are almost out of the first trimester! Clothes are starting to get tighter and Molly went maternity clothes shopping for the first time (of many) with our friend Morgan (who is due in mid July with their second). Molly started off early craving orange juice (just delightful when you also have acid reflux problems) but at this point, she started wanting cheeseburgers. I think one week we had cheeseburgers three times! Thats my kind of craving!!

Week 10

2008-02-25T18:24:00.000-08:00

So one of the things that a friend of ours did while she was pregnant is take pictures week by week in the same outfit so that she could document the growth of the baby. (Thanks Nancy for the idea!!) This is Week 10! 1st trimester had its share of morning sickness, but Molly really lucked out in the daily sickness department. Most of her first trimester issues dealt with being REALLY tired and having to go to bed at like 8pm every night. This was also the week when we first heard the baby's heartbeat at the doctors' office. Very EXCITING!!!

Two Pink Lines!!! (read: We are pregnant!)

2008-02-24T17:54:00.000-08:00

Well guys, if you haven't heard yet, WE ARE HAVING A BABY! We are going to be using this blog to update you all on what is going on. Hopefully we will post some pictures of Molly's growing belly and some cute outfits that we have already bought for the baby.

Just so you know the general information, we are due around August 4 (although Aug 8 would be cool! 8/8/08!!!). Our ultrasound will be March 4 at 3:30 and yes we are going to be finding out if it is a boy or a girl. Things are good right now and we are in the 17th week as of now. We definitely covet your prayers during this time as we prepare for this journey and while Molly is growing a person!