Bria and the Cookie

I feel like a real mom: yesterday Bria covered me in vomit. She had some kind of 24-hour stomach bug that made for quite a sad Sunday. When I got her up yesterday morning, I saw she had been sick in her sleep, then in the afternoon she threw up all over herself, me, and the couch. So we took took the cover off every couch cushion and tossed it in the washer, and Bria and I got all cleaned up. She wouldn't eat much-- we couldn't even get her to drink pedialyte, so we took her to the doctor. By the time we went there, she finally drank some milk, so she was doing much better. Luckily, she is almost completely back to her normal self today. It was so sad!
Then, tonight, I was eating a chocolate chip cookie, and I gave Bria a little bite. Bad idea. Bria went nuts for it! So she finally got hold of a whole cookie and went to town. She is a girl after her mother's heart. Maybe not the best bedtime snack for a baby (particularly the day after she was sick), but she absolutely loved it, so I don't feel bad at all.

Bria's Dental Report

This has been quite the week! Tuesday night, I kept hearing Bria fussing nearly all night long. I don't think she was ever fully awake, but she certainly didn't sleep well. She was very grumpy all day Wednesday, and hasn't had a great day since. Since she has also been the Queen of Drool lately, I figured she was teething. I can see one tooth barely below the surface of her gums, so I chalked it up to this one difficult tooth. It did strike me as odd, since she had no trouble with previous four teeth.
WELL, yesterday, I saw her chewing on something, so I swiped her mouth (it was a piece of fuzz), and I felt a MOLAR. Yes. It's true. Bria has a molar. I think it probably broke through Tuesday night or Wednesday, but it still has two more corners to come fully in. No wonder she been having a tough week! I think it's strange and hilarious that she has a molar when the only other teeth she has are the two on top and two on bottom.
Also, Bria has started her own interpretation of blowing a kiss to someone. She pushes her lips out and puts her chin in her palm. It is basically adorable. I love it. She'll only do it to me or Sam, so it might be a while before I can capture a picture of it. I am definitely trying though. So just settle for these pictures in the mean time.

We went to my parents' house last week to celebrate my sister's 21st birthday. I made the cake and some jalapeno poppers, and we put Bria in her cousin's bumbo while I was cooking. Bria doesn't need help sitting, but sometimes she needs help staying put so I can cook. :)

Bria always gets to eat yams (in a real high chair!) at my parents' house. And this time she also ate pork, which she devoured. I love the look on her face-- general surprise or excitement.

10 Months!

I can't believe little Bria is ten months old today. We had a great day today. It was free day at Hogle Zoo, so I went with my sister Lindsay and her kids, Hunter and Abby. It was a little chilly, but Bria seemed to love it. I'm not sure that she even noticed any of the animals, but being outside and watching a ton of kids run around is her idea of heaven.
Then, yesterday was such a beautiful day (60 degrees with blue skies! thanks for keeping spring in your hearts, everyone) we took Bria outside and put her in a swing for the first time and she loved it, which you can tell from the pictures.
She has just been so fun and sweet lately. We had a difficult time adjusting after Christmas when Bria started to crawl, but we are getting back into the swing of things, and things are finally feeling good again. It's a constant, steep learning curve (being a parent), but we love our little Briebe and are so happy to have her. So, happy ten months, Bria! Every day that one-year mark looms closer on the horizon . . .

Spring Fever has hit the Mangum household

Sam and I must count our blessings because we got to go on a date this weekend. That's two weekends in a row! We were up in Salt Lake to go to Caputo's with our friends (I love Caputo's-- if you live in Utah, you must go there. It's on about 325 S 300 W), so we decided to take advantage and leave Bria with my parents that night to go to dinner. Sam and I went to The Atlantic-- a kind of hole-in-the-wall place that serves mediterranean food. The food was mostly good, but like our Valentine's date, Sam and I were just thrilled to be out by ourselves. Plus, my parents put Bria to bed, and they must have the magic touch because she slept until after 8 this morning. Glorious.
Ok, now for some pictures (because I know that's why you come here):
I started giving Bria biter biscuits, and she loves them! Please note the mess all over her. And I already used 3 or 4 wet wipes. Also she loves the little Jasmine action (?) figure we found at my parents' house.
Sam thinks it's pretty funny to draw a mustache and goatee on Bria. I mean, it is funny, but I also like to pretend that I disapprove. Bria clearly thinks it's hilarious.

I gave Bria some peaches, which are fairly slippery. She is very crafty, so she slides them to the edge of the table, then slurps them up with her mouth. She does this with bananas too. So cute, and I'm so glad I caught it on camera.


Lastly, I would like to encourage everyone to have spring in your heart. I think the more people who embrace it, the sooner it will come. Thank you.

Melt Your Heart

To celebrate Valentine's Day (I like to spread the holiday out to the next day), here is a picture of Bria to melt your heart. Because that's what Valentine's Day is all about. Melting hearts.
Last night Sam and I got to go on a real live date. It was fabulous! Our dear friends Matt and Elisa watched Bria while Sam and I went to dinner. We called tons of restaurants in advance, but no one was taking reservations! Lame. So we finally decided to try Magelby's because we had never been there, and the wait was the shortest. We waited about 45 minutes (not bad-- our first Valentine's Day we waited three hours at Bombay House). Sadly, it was overpriced and not tasty. But we both agreed that it was so fun to be on a real date that we didn't care. After dinner, we went home and watched Chocolat while eating brownies, homemade truffles, and pots de creme. Holy deliciousness! Sam and I are on a slight chocolate overload, but it was so worth it.

Bria with her buds, Matt and Elisa. She loves them.

Best In Show

Bria is one of the most talented people I know. You may think I'm biased, which I am, but I'm also generous. So I will share a photo essay of Bria's skills.

Bria excels at making weird faces for pictures. She is also a champ at growing teeth. Please notice the top two.

Bria is mastering the art of finger foods. Her favorites are cheerios and peas. She also enjoys tofu (and Trix when she visits my parents).

Bria also enjoys Lion House rolls and sweet potatoes.


Which brings us to our next point. Bria is the master of mess. Just yesterday she extracted 20 wipes from the container and shredded upwards of four wipes. Silence is always an indicator of mischief, my friends.
See all those things on the floor? Our little master of mess decided to empty my closet and drawers while Sam and I were rearranging our rooms.

Bria also masters cuteness, as demonstrated by this photo of her taking her first ever bath in a real bath tub.

So you see, folks, Bria is a veritable Renaissance woman. I am currently drafting a letter to TIME magazine to give them an preemptive heads up on who should be 2009's Person of the Year, because I think the answer is pretty clear.

Bria Land -- Now Open!

I would like to announce the Grand Opening of Bria Land. A magical place where you can roam free with countless toys at your disposal without a care in the world. While there are no plugs or cords to play with, there are books, blocks, and balls to keep you entertained.
There are chairs and couches where you can practice your standing.
When you get bored, you can crawl over to the Bria Wall. You can kneel up to the border-- consisting of suitcases and a rubbermaid-- and whine. Depending on the tone, severity, and volume of the whine, someone will come and pick you up.
Others may also enter Bria land and play with you. Bria Land is much more entertaining if there is someone in there with you. Even if that person is playing his new XBox 360-- he may let you push some of the buttons on the controller if you're lucky. The tv might tempt you, but you can play with the colorful barrier surrounding it instead.

So, come one, come all. Bria land is now open for business. Its hours are 7 am -- 8 pm, Sunday through Saturday, and open all major holidays.