Piano Recital

December has been a busy month and Christmas isn't even here yet! Aislyn had her piano recital and preschool Christmas program all in the same weekend. Below is a video of her performance. She played Jolly ol'St. Nicholas. She was a bit shy having an audience and didn't play it as well as she can, but regardless she did a great job and remember she is only 4 years old:o) Kynsal was proud of her big sister and clapped and cheered her on. Aislyn also said she didn't want to sing in front of everyone this year at her Christmas program so she stood there and pouted. We have the cutest picture of her "singing to herself" as she called it. Last year a ham, this year she was shy. I guess that comes with the territory of raising girls:o) Our other adventures since our last update: I did a 17 hour shopping spree with my mom and sissy on Black Friday and loved every second of it; Jason and I just had our 13th anniversary; the girls and I ventured to Michigan for my sisters surgery; Jason and I took the girls to the zoo with all of his family to see the Christmas lights. It was very cold but fun! Other news, Kynsal has her first tooth! It just broke through on the 15th. She had an ear infection at the same time so there wasn't to much fussing over it. Her ears bothered her more than her tooth coming in. Well, I am sure I will post again soon after Christmas and share moments of Kynsal's first Christmas. Until then, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Fall Fun!

Sisters!

Cookie Monster!

Look what I can do!

Apple of Daddy's eye!

Kynsal's first apple juice!

We have had an action packed October! We have been to the Pumpkin Show, the "apple forest", the pumpkin patch, and the zoo. We have also been able to catch up with old friends, new friends, and lots of family. An update on the girls... Kynsal is experimenting with new sounds everyday. She chatters like crazy. The cutest thing is it sounds like she says "Abba", as in ABBA FATHER. Not Abba the music group:o) She is sitting up now too! She is still the "leaning tower of Pisa", as Aislyn calls her, and falls over but she is getting the hang of this sitting up stuff. As for Aislyn, here is a cute story... One night at bedtime Aislyn asked me if I would pray for her so that she would be able to see Jesus in her dreams. So Jason and I did. The next morning I asked her if she had any dreams and Aislyn told me "Mommy, I saw Jesus taking Pappy (my Dad) up to Heaven! He was holding his hand and Jesus had a purple ribbon on. Jesus was really, really, big like a giant but he wasn't a giant because Jesus is nice." Needless to say, I was blown away! My prayer is that we all can know, see, and believe with that child-like faith! God Bless!

If you need a good dose of joy, listen to the video below. It is sure to make you smile!

Hello Kitty!

After 2 years, ever since Aislyn could say the word "kitty", she has begged her daddy for a "real" kitty. The soft fluffy stuffed white kitten she has slept with since birth has been replaced. Jason finally melts after seeing this stray kitten only a few weeks old. We agreed to let Aisey have it. When she first saw it, she was beside herself and told me many times that she loves it so much! Aislyn has been ecstatic ever since and hopefully doesn't love it to death:o) Then came the challenge of naming it. She wanted to name it "kitty" at first but after suggesting 3 dozen names, Aislyn told me she was thirsty. I said "How about Sprite?" and Aislyn replys, "Yes! I will name her Sprite! I really like Sprite!" So, her kitty is named Sprite or Sprites. She is very cute, surviving the dogs and uses the literbox 100% already! yeah! As you can imagine, Aislyn is overjoyed! Kynsal is doing great too! She is so happy all the time! She is saying "MaMaMa", "DaDaDa", and other crazy noices. She imitates you when you laugh or cough, and her and Aislyn love having skreaching contests. Kynsal loves her big sister so much that she is almost starry eyed everytime she looks at her. We have introduced green beans, and sweet peas to Kynsal's diet and so far so good. Although she loves her cereal! (As you can see from the picture). We have lots of Fall fun scheduled the next few weeks so I am sure I will add more pictures again soon. Until then... Happy Fall Y'all!

My Girls!

It has been a busy summer! Aislyn is now 4! Wow! She loved having all her friends over for her "Blue's Clues" birthday party. She is quite the social butterfly! We also had Kynsal dedicated on August 10th. She is now rolling over but she gets so mad because she can't roll to her back again yet. It is funny to see her a little flusted because she is always so laid back! Aislyn started back to preschool and she loves it! We also went camping this past weekend and Jason took her fishing for the first time. They didn't catch anything but they had fun trying. Aislyn is also a little fish herself! She can touch in most big pools now and she is swimming underwater. We have started giving Kynsal cereal now. At first she hated it but now when you get the spoon close to her mouth she starts sticking her tongue in and out like a lizard. Very Cute! My friend Kim has two daughters and every summer they come down for a week. This summer they are both teenagers and very into shopping. All they talked about was wanting to go to the mall and I told them I would take them. So one morning I was getting us all breakfast when Aislyn asked me what we were going to do that day. I told her we were going shopping. Aislyn replied, "I don't want to go shopping I want to go to the mall!" We have a little teenager already! You will notice she doesn't want me to cut her hair, she says that she is "gwowing out her bangs". We are in trouble:o)

Crazy Times!

Aislyn still adores her baby sister!

Kynsal camping

Aislyn in the Butterfly House at Mackinaw Island
(notice the butterfly on her shirt)

Kynsal gearing up with her Maze and Blue!
That's my Girl!

Well, it has been some crazy times around here the past couple months. As you know my dad past away but the night of his funeral I went to the hospital for emergency gall bladder removal. Then Jason threw his back out! I am so thankful for my mom's help! She pretty much took care of us all for about a month. I don't know what we would have done without her. It was a very precious month for me. Thanks Mommy! Just recently I was back in the ER again with a kidney stone. Please help us pray for this roller coaster to stop! But on a better/happier note, the girls are doing great! We have tried to make the most of summer with trips to the pool, the park, the zoo, and we have taken them camping! Aislyn loves it! Right know she is fascinated with fireflies or lightning bugs. She says to me "Look Mommy, they are blinking their bum-bums!" What is even cuter is seeing her wiggle her bum while trying to imitate them. Kynsal is starting to chatter up a storm. She will just "talk" like she is reading you a novel. Although her best friend to talk to is the ceiling fan:o) She gets so excited when you turn it on. Both girls are growing faster than the weeds in the back yard. Aislyn will be 4 soon. Can you believe it? Time is so precious! Click on the video below to here a word from our sponsor ... :o)

My Dad

If you have not heard yet, my Dad died on Wednesday May 7th. I am so thankful for the few hours we had together before he left for Vegas. He was able to see Kynsal and Aislyn actually had him on the floor coloring with her:o) How precious that day is to me now, even though we left early because Aislyn and I were getting sick. It is a weird feeling when you lose one of your parents. There is a big hole in your heart. You feel like part of you dies with the one who gave you life when they lose theirs. I will miss him. I will miss his laughter and his sense of humor. He was one of the funniest guys I know and was always able to find something humorous in whatever you were talking about. I will miss the funny face he would make when he says "WHAT??? ME???" while he blinks his eyes really fast. He was always innocent:o) I will miss our chats about Michigan football, the Red Wings, and we always compared the weather between Ohio and Michigan. I didn't get to spend as much time with him and Bev as I would have liked, but the times we did have are treasures. Just over a year ago Jason's work sent him out to Vegas and my Dad flew out to spend the week with us. He showed us all around the town that he loved so much. And we never had to look for him while we were out there because we knew we would always find him playing video poker. My dad loved his green beer too (aka Heineken). There are so many things that I will miss about him but I know that I will always have the memories. Some things about him will live on through us like the crazy ability to pick things up with his toes, and pinch with them too. I can do it and Aislyn started doing it about 6 months ago. The three of us also share the love of buttery popcorn:o) I could go on because it helps to remember all the good things. But, I will still miss him. The funeral will be next week up in Michigan. I ask that you all continue to pray for all the Brazelton family and especially for Bev. She is being strong but this will be a very difficult time for her. I know I don't have to remind you all about how short our time is here. Make sure you tell those close to you that you love them. Even more importantly, make sure you love the Lord! And just for the record, I love all of you! Thank you for your prayers and support through all of this. Pray continually!

Faux-hawk

Kynsal has Daddy's faux-hawk!

Well, not to brag about my girls, but that is what this blog is all about right? We have had two nights in a row with Kynsal sleeping 7 hours! Yes, 6 weeks old today and sleeping 7 hours! Can you tell I am excited? Of coarse I didn't get anymore sleep because I kept waking up wondering when she was going to wake up. But hopefully this becomes the routine now:o) I am telling you the book "Babywise" rocks! Anyways, the girls are doing great! Aislyn and I are finally starting to feel better after being sick for a week. She is happy because she gets to go outside again. We flew her Dora kite Thursday and after chasing it for a while she wanted me to fly it and she just laid on the ground and watched it. Here is a quick funny story... Jason was telling me about his day at work and at one point he said "Mike had 3 feet..." etc., talking about measurements. Aislyn was busy and I thought not paying attention when she interrupts him and asks "Daddy, why does Mike have 3 feet? I only have two." :o) She doesn't miss anything!

Bath Time

A Family Affair

Snug as a bug (ladybug) in a rug (towel)!



Kynsal is doing great! We took her for her one month check up and she already weights in at 9lbs. 6oz. She is a great baby and only gets up once a night. Hallelujah! We had to wait until she was 3 weeks old to give her the first tub bath because her cord didn't come off until then. But she loved it as long as she was warm. This girl, unlike her mommy and big sister, does not like to be cold. It fun seeing her different personality and preferences already at such a young age. She is starting to smile at us and coo:o) I love it! Aislyn continues to love being a big sister and talks to her, holds her, tries to play peek-a-boo, and tells everyone who will listen that she is a big sister now!

More Pictures!

Here are a few more pictures of our girls...

Aislyn stamped her arms so she could have tattoos on her arms just like Daddy and Sketch!

Sisterly Love!

Happy Baby!

Kynsal trying to avoid the Paparazzi!

Aislyn & Kynsal Update

Our girls are doing great! We took Kynsal to the pediatrician on Wednesday and she is a happy and healthy baby. Her doctor thought she may of had a touch of jaundice, but that has cleared up already. She is eating and sleeping very well. Not to make anyone envious, but she is already sleeping about 4-5 hours at a time through the night. Aislyn absolutely loves being the big sister! She walks around the house saying "I'm the best big sister in the whole world!" She is so anxious to help anyway she can. All we have to say to her is "It's time to be the Big Sister" and off she runs to see how quickly she can get a diaper and wipes.

Kim is also recovering much better than she did with her first pregnancy. Her labor was nearly half of what it was with Aislyn. The epidural actually worked like it should this time around. Her anesthesiologist was amazing and had her pain free in about 10 minutes. She was so thankful! With Aislyn she had to push for a little over 2 hours and with Kynsal, about 20-25 minutes.

Here's a quick little clip of Aislyn seeing Kynsal for the first time.



And by popular demand, a few more pics:

Kynsal's Home

Everything went just fine today and they let us come home. Aislyn just loves being the Big Sister now! Thanks to everyone who stopped by, called, text'd, and most importantly, prayed. We couldn't have done it without all your support and prayers.

Kynsal E Bennett

Kynsal E Bennett

Well, after nine months of waiting and wondering and speculating as to what exactly the sex of our baby was, it's a girl!

Things are finally progressing. Her water just broke and she's getting an epidural soon so hopefully she can get some rest.

Kim is being a trooper. Her belly is wrapped so the baby won't move & the meds are giving her contractions. She's getting tired...

We are finally settled in & induction has begun. Kim is doing great! Her doctor is thinking she'll begin laboring in the early AM.

Blizzard of '08

Well, we got 20.4 inches of snow within about 32 hours. I loved it! Aislyn enjoyed it immensely while it lasted. All the snow was gone a week later but we made a couple snowmen, many snow angels and snowballs. Jason pulled her on the sled and spent many hours in the snow. I had contractions for about 2 hours during the storm and thought the baby was coming but it turned out to be a false alarm. So here we are on our due date still waiting for the little one. Everything is ready (including Aislyn) for this little one to come and it looks like they will induce my labor Friday night if it doesn't happen before then. So stay tuned to this blog and we will give you the answer to the question of the hour... a boy or a girl??? Happy St. Patty's Day!

Getting Ready!

Aislyn is very excited for the baby to come out of my belly! Here she is helping us paint the baby's room, a dresser, and set up the crib. She asks me several times a day how much longer so today we are making a calendar. She can't wait to be a big sister and the baby kicks like crazy when Aislyn sings or talks to the baby. I think they will both be crazy about each other until they have to start sharing toys:o) We took Aislyn to Kalahari water park for a special big sister trip and she loved it of coarse. She says the baby is swimming in my tummy now but wants the baby to swim with her at the pool in the summer. We are in the final month now and excited to meet this little one. Aislyn says " I am having a sister and her name is Morgan". Not the name we have picked out if it is a girl but that is what Aislyn says:o) So boy? or girl? Stay tuned to find out....

Happy New Year!

We rang in the new year with a bang this year! :o) We celebrated with several friends and their kids. Since all the kids were 3 and under (and the parents are not) we did a count down to 9:30pm. We whistled and cheered, toasted our bubbly juice, then everyone went home to bed! Aislyn has started the new year with a great sense of humor. Making silly faces, loves making everyone laugh with her billy-bob teeth, and has a new joke to tell everyone! Ask her to tell you the next time you see her. We are doing well so far in 08. I am getting bigger by the day now with only 10 weeks to go before we get to see our new miracle. It is going to be a very exciting year! My prayer is that 2008 is peaceful. And I pray yours is as well! God Bless you all in '08! We love you!

Christmas '07

We had a great Christmas! Crazy busy, but great! Aislyn fared pretty well with all the traveling we did in such a short amount of time. Only a few melt downs:o) But it was wonderful to see all our family and friends. The highlights were we got to visit with the Alaska clan (Jason's Uncle and family), Aislyn got to make gingerbread cookies with Grammy, and of coarse the endless list of family we were able to visit with! The time together was brief it is always great to reconnect! Thank you to everyone for all of the gifts Aislyn received. She is having a blast just staying at home playing with all her gifts and I can't get her out of her pajamas! (That's my girl:o) We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as well and remember to cherish the time you have with the ones you love!

Jingle Bells

Aislyn had her first piano performance and she played her rendition of Jingle Bells. She didn't do as well as her practices but with the excitement of people watching her, wearing a pretty dress, and the three cookies she ate beforehand, I think she did very well for a three year old. The important thing is that she had fun and loves playing the piano. In fact she says that some day she is going to play the piano on a stage and sing songs to Jesus for lots of people. We have our very own little "Rock star" in the making:o)