Squeeling Girl

Mary-Brenna is finding her voice.  Here is a sweet clip of her telling me all about her day!

Meeting Ryder Josiah McGinty!

On May 7th Mary-Brenna, Mom and I got to go into Anchorage to visit my dear friend Shayna and her sweet new precious little boy, Ryder Josiah McGinty! It was wonderful to see Shayna looking so well after having little Ryder. She had him 3 weeks early (which I think she was completely okay with). She had a hospital birth, and everything went well for her. Little Ryder was only 6 pounds and 13 ounces. It had been a long time since I held a baby that small. Mary-Brenna was 8 pounds and 11 ounces. The last baby I held that was that tiny was my cousin Aiden who is now 3 1/2. He is so big! But anyway... back to Ryder.

I loved being able to snuggle him and talk with my good friend Shayna. She is an amazing mom and I know she loves being a mom already. I believe that her brother Alan is coming back to Alaska here soon (maybe even today). She is so excited to share her little one with him. And I know Alan is so excited to be an uncle. My brother Michael was the same way. He had to wait until Mary-Brenna was over a month old before he got to see her. Such a long time!

In my eyes, Mary-Brenna is so small. I primarily see her next to her older cousins or older babies at church. So seeing Mary-Brenna next to Ryder was a bit of a surprise. I didn't realize just how big she really is! Here is a sweet picture of the two of them at Shayna's house.

We had to make sure Mary-Brenna was gentle with Ryder.

Rice Cereal

At Mary-Brenna's last doctors visit, she was given the a-okay to try some rice cereal! I was considering trying to make my own rice cereal, since I am planning on making my own baby food. But throughout my research I learned that making your own rice cereal doesn't give your baby a good balance of nutrition that boxed rice cereal does. So I picked up Organic Brown Rice Cereal by Gerber for her first food. Mary-Brenna's first food experience was hilarious! She had no idea what to do with the spoon or what was on it. Mom and I made the cereal really thin, so it wouldn't be quite so different. She choked a bit while eating the first time. But has gotten really good at it.

I tried to introduce her to another new food this past week, but she wasn't having it. I tried avocados, research said that they would be a good first food for babies, since they are mild in flavor, and have a lot of great nutrients in them. Mary-Brenna was having nothing to do with them however, the face she made was priceless, I cannot believe I didn't have my camera with me when I was feeding her. I then tried mixing it with some rice cereal, but that made her even more mad. I tainted her perfectly good rice cereal.

I have had to give Mary-Brenna some prunes with her rice cereal the past couple days so we can keep her digestion regular. It seems to really help, and she gobbles it up!

Mary-Brenna has had a cold since we got back from our trip up to Fairbanks for the UAF Graduation. She is coughing, has a snuffly nose (which she hates me getting cleaned up), and a fever. Poor baby! She hasn't been eating that much rice cereal these past couple days, but I am sure when she is feeling better she will be back to her usually self and gobble it all up!

Hazelwood Necklaces

Recently, Mom and I were given a tip on getting babies through their teething process. We decided to check it out and found a few extra things about it as well.

These hazelwood necklaces are designed to help babies get through their teething process as well as other things. These include: heartburn, gastric reflux, skin problems (psoriasis, acne, eczema), arthritis, osteoarthritis, migraines, cavities, "tummy troubles", or any aliment associated with surplus acid. The hazelwood on these necklaces draws the surplus acid from our bodies through the contact with our skin. There have been many testimonies on how well these work, and I am excited to see if they work well for our family. These necklaces and bracelets come in a variety of colors, and need to be replaced fairly regularly due to the fact that the beads fill up. Once they are full, they no longer are effective.


Mom, Dad, Mary-Brenna and I all got necklaces and bracelets from Pur Noisetier.

Hopefully these will help Mom and Dad with their arthritis issues and help Mary-Brenna get through the teething process with a little bit less fussiness that is normal for an infant.

Here are my necklace and bracelet. I ordered the white and Amethyst set.

Night Time Sillies

While we (Mom and I) were getting Mary-Brenna ready for bed, silliness came out to play. Here are some pictures of Mary-Brenna and I wearing her skirt and tights in unconventional ways. Oh the silliness that comes about in the Lewis house!

Mary-Brenna didn't know where to look on my computer!

Time with Friends

On Saturday Mary-Brenna, Mom, Jaleen and I all went in to Shayna's baby shower! My dear sweet friend Shayna is expecting a little boy in May. We had an absolute blast at the baby shower, and Shayna was very well spoiled with a mountain of wonderful gifts for her little guy. I am so excited to meet him here in just over a month.

While we were there, Mary-Brenna got to play with her buddy Adalynn. My friend Amanda had her little girl 3 days before I had Mary-Brenna and it is so much fun for us to have girls the same age. My dad is already planning on coaching a soccer team when the girls are old enough.

At the baby shower, the girls had a lot of fun playing with each other, and talking to each other. I wish I had my video camera with me while we were there to be able to catch the interaction between the two. Pictures just don't do the cuteness justice. I have a feeling that Mary-Brenna and Adalynn are going to be fast friends.

Adalynn and Mary-Brenna playing on the floor at Shayna's baby shower.

On Sunday we were surprised by a special visit from my friend Suzanna when we got home from church. I was so excited to see her, she is working up in Fairbanks now for the Fairbanks Minor and it has been way too long since we have been able to see each other. This Sunday was the first time Suzanna got to meet Mary-Brenna and it was evident right away that they were going to become fast friends. Mary-Brenna was full of smiles while Suzanna was visiting and was also showing off her tricks.

Thank you Suzanna for your special visit. I have missed hanging out with you and can't wait to see you again soon.

Seeing so many friends this weekend shows me just how truly blessed I am by having so many amazing friends in my life! Love you all so much.

Sweet Little Lady

Getting Mary-Brenna in all her cute clothes is challenging. We were blessed so much with beautiful gifts for her, and she looks absolutely adorable in all of her outfits. Here are some pictures of Mary-Brenna being so cute in one of her Sunday outfits.