I'm two (months that is)

I am very advanced for my age, so mom just thought she would let me tell everyone about myself.
First, I am two months old. Actually I'm older than that now, but mom wouldn't let me use the computer until now. I weigh 12 pounds, am 1'10.84" long, and have a head circumference of 15.47". That puts me in the 80th percentile for weight, the 70th percentile for length, and the 66th percentile for head circumference. In short, mommy feeds me well. The doctor said I was thriving and full of energy. That is putting it mildly. Here I am at the doctors office waiting for the doctor to come in.
I move around like this for at least 3+ hours per day. Pretty good for a 2 month old, right?


Some of my favorite things to do:
1) Smile - especially at mommy. She takes good care of me, so I must reward her with a smile. I like to smile all day, but mommy's favorite times are when she comes to get me out of my crib in the mornings, and when she is putting me to bed at night. If I smile and talk to her while she is putting me to bed, I get to stay up later - it works every time!! It doesn't take much effort for mom to get me to smile. Dad has to work a little harder, but he is getting better at it.


2) Laugh/giggle. Oh what fun it is to laugh. I laugh while I'm sleeping (those funny dreams)I especially laugh at my mom. She is so goofy. She sings me silly songs, like the hokey pokey when she's putting on my pajamas. She makes up a bunch of silly songs about everything - I don't know where she comes up with these things.

3) Play - I don't like tummy time mom, so stop trying. Tummy time restricts my movements. I can't flail my arms or kick my legs. I like to play laying on my back on the floor where I have freedom to move. I like to play in my bouncy chair while mom works around the house. (A video will be coming soon - assuming Blogger lets mom post it.)

4)Talk. I move my lips, click my tongue, coo, and make other noises, but for some reason mom still is completely clueless as to what I'm saying.

5) Blow spit bubbles

6) Arch my back and tuck in my feet when I am waking up but don't really want to. Mom is surprised by the ways I can move my body.



7) Suck on my fingers. I can't decide which ones I like so I suck on each finger individually before finally deciding on my pointer and middle. Then, I stick them so far in my mouth that I tend to gag myself. Mom doesn't like it when I do that; so, I do it anyway.


8) I love to swing. I'm so glad those nice people gave mom and dad that swing. I haven't had a full day until I've spent some time going back and forth in my swing and talking to my fish mobile friends.

9) Give hugs and snuggle up to mom's shoulder. Dad's shoulder is bony and uncomfortable, but mom's shoulder is just right.

10) Play the piano - okay so mom is the one playing the piano, but I sit on her lap while she does. I always sit so still while she's playing. I also like to listen to mom sing. She captivate my attention the moment she starts.

11) to look around the room and watch mom. As long as mom is always in my sight - I am happy. She moves around a lot so I get to see plenty of things, but the moment I can't see her anymore I get sad. Simply seeing her again stops my crying.



12) to go outside. There are so many new things to see.

13) My favorite thing to do is to make my parents happy. As you can see from the above list of things to do - it isn't hard to make them happy. Mom and dad smile and laugh just as much as I do. I am a very happy, content, and cooperative baby. I like when mom holds me the best, but I am getting more used to dad.

Oh... mom wants me to add that I only nap for 30-40 minutes at a time, but I am so darn cute during the day that she doesn't mind, especially when I will sleep for 6, 7, 8, or sometimes 9 hours straight at night. I know how to get on mommy's good side. :)

Some things I do that mom likes for some reason.
1) Toot when I cry
2) Squeal like an elephant when I stretch
3) Do yoga poses in my swing

4) Fall asleep while burping when I am so sleepy

5) Rub my eyes


6) Try to sing along with her
7) Snort like a pig when I'm hungry
8) Say I Love You in ASL
9) Look at her with "those eyes"

(A side note from mom: Aren't those the saddest eyes ever? Whenever Eliza is sad (hungry, tired, uncomfortable, etc.) she looks up at me with those eyes which seem to say, "Aren't you going to help me?" I like them because they make me just want to smother her with kisses. I also like being able to help her and give her what she needs. That's one of the joys of motherhood.)



I sure do love this baby girl!

Back to school

The semester started up again for Bruce today. I must admit that no matter how bizarre, it is kind of nice to be sending him off to start the first day of a new school year instead of feeling the first day jitters myself. I have always looked forward to the start of a new school year. As a kid I loved going back to school each year. When I entered college, I loved starting a new semester. I felt like I could once again get a fresh start. After college graduation, I anticipated the first day of school as a teacher. It wasn't until I became a teacher that I started to feel the pressure of the first day of school. As a middle school teacher, the first day is the day you set the guidelines, the boundaries, and the expectations. I learned from my first year of teaching that if you don't start out the school year on the right foot - you will struggle with discipline the rest of the year. That first year of teaching was by far the hardest. It didn't help that I was new to the area, and Bruce's grandfather died the day after school started. I ended up missing the first 3 full days of school to attend the funeral. By the time I got back, my chance for setting the kids straight had come and gone. Needless to say, I did much better the next year.
The first couple of weeks of school as a teacher are kind of tricky. When I first began teaching, I spent the first week doing various fun assessments to get to know where the kids were in their skill levels - I did quite a few get to know you games so we could feel comfortable with each other since I highly stressed collaboration. If wasn't until the second full week of school (after labor day), that we seriously got down to business and started something. After that I got smart - I gave a quiz the first day (a fun one mind you), or a word activity and went over expectations. Starting day number 2, I jumped right into the curriculum and we got down to business. I decided that it was much easier to assess what skills the students had and to get them out of their comfort zone by assigning them a project from the get go. Oh, the things you learn as a teacher. However, the point of this post is to mention that this is the first time in 21 years that I have not gone back to school. It's bizarre and kind of strange to not know how long it will be until I step foot in a classroom again. I suppose it won't really be until Eliza starts her first day of kindergarten - in about 5 years. By then, I will probably join the PTA and volunteer to help out as much as possible in the classroom. I can't see myself staying away from school for long - it is just too much a part of me. Forget about playing with dolls and toys as a child. When I was young, I played school. I assigned my sister and cousins homework when we played. I practiced writing letters on my chalkboard. I even asked for an overhead projector for Christmas one year. For some reason, I love school, and I have mixed feelings about not teaching this year. Although teaching is challenging - it is also loads of fun. I find myself missing the socialization of school.
However, I am extremely grateful for the opportuity I have to be a mother right now. That's really all I want to do. I know that the teaching I do in my own home is far more important than the teaching I do in any classroom. So good luck to all those who are going back to school.

And just because she is so cute....


I can't believe she is 6 weeks old already!

Who needs sleep?

Me. For some bizarre reason, Eliza woke up every hour last night. She didn't nap very well yesterday and hasn't slept for more than 40 minutes at a time today. This better not be the start of something new.

Calm after the storm

Hurricane Irene has come and gone, and we all survived. We weren't directly in her path, but we did experience a portion of her wrath. In all honesty, I've never seen it rain so hard before. No one in our county was told to evacuate, but we did have flash flood warnings. The storm was supposed to hit sometime around midnight on Saturday night/ Sunday morning. I went to the grocery store on Saturday afternoon to pick up a gallon of milk, and a case of water just in case. Costco was packed. Some people had 3 or 4 shopping carts full of food. I've never seen anything like it. There's nothing like a flash flood warning to scare people into getting prepared. I am grateful that we have ample food storage, and we are not dependent on stocking up at the last minute. However, I do need to take another look at our 72hour kit. I would have been unprepared if we were told to evacuate. The stream that runs by our house did rise about 4 feet and nearly crested over. Although we were worried we would have flooding problems, we prayed that we would be protected, and ended up surviving the night completely dry. We are grateful for that.

Despite the terrible weather we had yesterday (the fierce wind and torrential rain), the weather today could not have been more perfect. On my morning walk, I began to contemplate the phrase calm after the storm. Although debris covered the roads, the weather today was beautiful, peaceful, calm. I couldn't help but relate that to the storms of life. When times are tough, we may feel like we are in the midst of a hurricane - that we will be flooded over and drowned in its depth. If we will turn to the Savior, the source of all peace, he will "protect" us and guide us through the storm. After the storm is over, we will feel that peace, the serenity, the calm and know that we are loved by our Heavenly Father.

6 wonderful years

Last Friday, Bruce and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. In a way, it doesn't seem like it was that long ago we got married. On the other hand, I'm so used to being with Bruce now that it seems like we have always been married. This post is strictly dedicated to my wonderful husband - Mr. Bruce. I have listed 6 things about Bruce under 6 different categories to celebrate our 6 years together.

6 traits I love about Bruce (not in any particular order)
1. Mr. Bruce is funny - he makes me laugh on a daily basis
2. Mr. Bruce is kind and respectful - I always feel special and loved when I'm around him. His respect for womanhood is the reason I married him.
3. Mr. Bruce is a good listener - I never feel silly telling Bruce anything - no matter how personal it may be. He always listens and tries to make me feel better if for some reason I am down.
4. Mr. Bruce is faithful - he always reminds me to say my prayers and read my scriptures. He wouldn't dare let a day go by without his nose in the scriptures. He is always willing to do whatever he is asked, no matter how great the sacrifice.
5. Mr. Bruce is a hard worker - he willingly goes to work each day in order to provide for his family.
6. Mr. Bruce is a good example - if anyone wants to know how to be a top notch, stellar guy - follow the example of Mr. Bruce Richards and you can't go wrong.

6 things I didn't know about Bruce until I married him:
1. how many different pairs of swimming trunks he owns.
2. that he has a teeth collection from all of his old cows - (YUCK!)
3. that he would be so attracted to water. Any body of water no matter how big or small, clean or dirty - Bruce will find a way to get in it, whether it is his entire body or just his feet.
4. That Bruce eats the entire apple - core and everything
5. that he is scared of spiders - he often times makes me kill them
6. how much he enjoys helping people move in and out

6 fun vacations we've been on:
1. Louisville, KY
2. Montreal, Canada
3. Hershey, PA
4. New York City, NY
5. Washington DC
6. Red Wood Forest, California

6 favorite activities to do with Bruce:
1. play tennis
2. play basketball
3. watch episodes of Perfect Strangers online
4. camping/hiking
5. playing games
6. Anything - as long as we are together. I just enjoy spending time with Bruce.

6 life changing events:
1. Bruce graduate with masters degree and move to Illinois
2. Brittney graduate with bachelors degree and obtain first teaching job
3. Brittney graduate with master's degree
4. Bruce graduate with PhD and move to Pennsylvania
5. Bruce's first teaching job
6. The birth of our first child

6 things I will never forget:
1. sliding into the manure when I checked on Bruce's cows for him while he attended his Elder's quorum meetings
2. Making 70+ gallons of orange jello for Bruce's 30th birthday
3. Standing in the freezing cold while Bruce participated in the Polar Plunge
4. Bruce "standing on his bear" for Brooklyn Wheeler
5. training for a half marathon together
6. the everyday joy of being with the man I love

I sure do love you Mr. Bruce. Thanks for 6 wonderful years. I look forward to the many that follow forever more.

Eliza speaks!

Yes, she is saying I love you in American Sign Language. (the pictures is a little blurry) No, I did not position her fingers like that. She did that herself while she was nursing.

First Fair

Last Saturday, Eliza went to her first county fair. She didn't see much except the back of her eyelids, but she was there nonetheless.

Notice the spit bubbles - how cute!

She strolled through the dairy, sheep, and goat barn. Not once did she crack an eyelid - she did make plenty of cute stretching noises and grunts that could give some of those animals a run for their money. She slept through the dairy show. Honestly, I don't really blame her; I wish I could have slept through it too. Dairy shows are not the most exciting in my opinion. They would be awesome if the students would teach the cows how to do tricks like jumping over obstacles, doing back flips in the air, and how to limbo. Instead the cows are judged on their cleanliness, their rib cage, back line, and the looks of their udder. A cow is a cow in my opinion, but to Bruce a cow is more than just a cow. His college had cows in the dairy dhow which is why he wanted to attend in the first place. Lucky for DVC - the "prima donna" as Bruce refers to her won grand champion of the fair. Here is a picture of Bruce, Eliza, and the grandchampion.

Notice that all you can see of the cow is her udder. That is her best asset, the reason she won grandchampion.
I'm sure Eliza will attend many more fairs in her life, considering who her daddy is. Maybe she will be more awake for it.