SUPER GIANNA!!!

When Gianna has been fussy, we've tried all kinds of different holds, positions, environments, etc. like most parents...




One hold/position that she seems to enjoy is the SUPER GIANNA where she is lying on an arm facing downward...




We think that being on her front may help with some tummy trouble...


Love,
The Brunners Three

Guess My Weight

Gianna continues to do well. Her micro napping is improving. She's continuing to become more expressive both in facial expressions and noises (she seems to like to sing with Mama and when Daddy plays the guitar). She is beginning to learn to entertain herself (with the help of her stuffed buddies). She seems to be enjoying her stroller more and more. She tried out the new NUK pacifier with zeal..and Gianna continues to eat well!... ;)




...In fact, when Gianna went to the pediatrician's office on Friday, Mama was shocked to hear that Gianna weighed in at 10 pounds, 12 ounces! She gained almost 2 pounds (2 ounces a day) in two weeks! The nurse showed her Gianna's growth chart and it was almost a straight vertical line!

Love,
The Brunners Three

Eight Week Espial

Gianna had a few milestones as she completed her eighth week of life.

* She had her first babysitter - Ali - while Mommy went to work for a few hours this afternoon. Gianna was awake and happy when Ali arrived. Gianna stared Ali down for a minute...and then came the big watering eyes, the BIG pouty lower lip turned down, and the quivering chin. We have to get this dramatic face on camera...it is hilarious. How is she so smart to know that Mommy was going to leave her? They got along fine, even though Gianna made Ali walk up and down our stairs most of the afternoon...as she enjoyed the ride!

* She had her first giggle, when Mommy came back home. That was priceless!




Gianna came along and slept in her carseat while Mommy and Daddy ate dinner at the Cheesecake Factory across the street. Yum!

Love,
The Brunners Three

Sleepy Sunday...

Daddy had to work all day Saturday and Gianna and Mommy went for her first pedicure with our friend Caroline. Gianna was really good until the mid afternoon when she refused to nap and was very fussy for Mama...but she had a good night sleep once she did go down.




Gianna was very good on Sunday and took two 2-hour naps in her bassinet! We had a series of visitors (our friend Ginny and Cousin Luke & Mamie) and went for a nice walk.

Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

Love,
The Brunners Three

Bedtime Bath Routine

Gianna loves her bath time!




We warm up Gianna's super soft towel in the dryer after we take her diaper and clothes off...then transport her in the warm, soft towel to her bath. She's always a bit shocked sliding into the warm water, but she loves it. She hasn't smiled much in the tub - she has a very serious, relaxed expression. Sometimes she even sleepily closes her eyes while she gets her hair rinsed.





Then we dry her off, sometimes Mama gives Gianna a quick lotion massage, we put her diaper and pajamas on, then brush her hair. She seems to really enjoy being pampered! ;)

Have a great weekend everyone!
Love,
The Brunners Three

More Seven Week Smiles...

Gianna was very smiley today!

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Daddy made it home just in time to give Gianna a bath which made Daddy Smile!

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Love,
The Brunners Three

Seven week smiles...

Gianna is becoming more and more beautiful and is already 100% adorable as her onesie indicates...



Love this smile of hers, can't wait for her to flash it more often...

Love,
The Brunners Three

Monday's are hard...

We were fortunate to have a nice, relaxing weekend, spending almost the whole weekend together. We enjoyed a nice dinner at Ted's (all three of us) with some friends who are expecting Gianna's first boyfriend in four weeks, and then Monday comes along and we are separated for at least 8-9 hours. Now with busy work weeks and weekends ahead, time will march along even more quickly. This makes the times that we share together as a family all the more precious...


Gianna is growing more and is more interested/curious with her surroundings. She has begun to enjoy playing with her toys. Today she went grocery shopping with Mommy for the first time, and while she found Harris Teeter to be a little too cold, temperature wise, she loved looking around and knew that she was someplace new.



Gianna really seemed to enjoy her very cute outfit with a cow on it today. Ironically, Papa Brunner called to tell us that he delivered 11 baby calves today at the farm.



Love,
the Brunner's Three

9 lbs?

Gianna had a hip ultrasound this week due to concerns from her being breech for part of her in utero experience and to ensure that the integrity of her hip socket was fine. We had the usual delays in the waiting room and then a wait in the exam room...Gianna didn't like the wait and she didn't like being "ultrasounded" either...but her hip socket checked out fine with the radiation technician.


Gianna weighed in at over 9 pounds (with her clothes and diaper on) and you can see that she's been working hard on her second chin and chubby thighs. We are excited that she continues to eat and sleep well.

We are enjoying a quiet weekend at home. Gianna helped Daddy install a ceiling fan in our guest bedroom and had a relaxing day and took lots of naps.

Love,
The Brunners Three

Six Weeks!!!

Gianna is now Six Weeks old!




Here's a picture of her meeting her Great Grandpa Brunner...

...relaxing in Grammi Brunner's arms...

...Gianna enjoying herself with Uncle Mike & Aunt Cynthia.

Gianna seems to be fighting some colic - as diagnosed by our friend/neighbor/Pediatrician Caroline. Thankfully the temps have fallen out of the 90s and 100s here, as one thing that really calms Gianna down is a walk outside. She loves to look around and take in her surroundings, so we have been spending our evenings pounding the pavement through our neighborhood. She also likes to have her Daddy do lunges and squats while he holds her. :) She must have talked to her cousin Nick, as sometimes bouncing on the yoga ball is the ticket. We are just hoping this doesn't last too long. It seems that colic is one of the great mysteries of babies...http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/colic/DS00058



Really just like this picture of Gianna! ;) Obviously this baby likes to eat...she is really filling out and looks bigger every single day!

Little bit of colic?

Gianna had another relatively good night of sleep and her awareness continues to expand. She's so curious of everything going on around her and enjoyed her first walk facing out in the Bjorn...


...Gianna slept well into the morning, but she got pretty cranky in the evening and she seemed to be immune to all of mommy and daddy's tricks (walks outside, lunges, Mylicon gas drops, Target...;). She didn't even enjoy her bath as much as she normally does (but at least it stopped her from crying for a bit). It's probably just a little bit of colic...hopefully it doesn't last too long.




Love,
The Brunners Three

Grammi Brunner Arrives!

We think Gianna has been going through a growth spurt because Gianna has been particualarly fussy the last two days...or maybe it's just Gianna being a baby! ;)



Grammi Brunner arrived after a long road trip from upstate NY. Gianna was very excited to see her. Grammi Brunner gave Gianna a bottle of milk which made Gianna very happy.

We then went to Ted's Montana Grill for some yummy bison and Gianna was very good.


Love,
The Brunners Three

Happy Birthday Michelle!!! :)

Michelle had a nice birthday and loved all the calls and particularly all the birthday singing from her nieces and nephews! Thanks for showing all your love! We three went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner and Michelle was finally able to enjoy a peach Bellini.


Gianna was pretty good while we ate outside. She really enjoys the warm weather. Afterwards she took a little nap on Daddy's shoulder while Mommy did a little bit of shopping. Gianna had plenty of admirers while she slept.

Love,
The Brunners Three

Gianna's One Month Check Up

Gianna visited Chapel Hill Peds earlier this week and was weighed, measured and examinated by the Doctor. She's up to eight pounds - 10th percentile (she's gained two pounds since discharge from the hosptial) and grown about an inch (also about tenth percentile). She continues to eat, sleep, and poop well. She is also noticing her toys more and taking an interest in things like her mobile (pictured above).


Gianna has been spoiled by loved ones sending her beautiful clothes (and maybe her Mama buying her a few things)! She's barely a month old and she's already filled a closet! She's a lucky girl!




Great Grandpa Brunner and Grammi Brunner visit this weekend!

Love,
The Brunners Three

GREAT visit...Hard to say Good bye...

We had a wonderful visit with the Matthews & Aunt Tiffany. There were lots of tears as we said our good-byes at the airport (including by Gianna as we drove away).

Most of us slept well last night after a HARD day of playing. Aunt Tiffany made a wonderful breakfast of Snoqualmie Falls Pancakes. Millie continued to warm up to Gianna as she helped us with Gianna's bath last night, encouraging Michelle to have Gianna "eat milt" pointing to Michelle's chest, and Millie even "held" Gianna for a bit this afternoon...Millie was so comfortable with Gianna that she was even curious about the texture of Gianna's eyes.



This afternoon we all had another great visit with the Huggins, this time at the mall across the street. We all had lunch in the mall food court and Cousin Millie was so exhausted that she fell asleep there in her Dad, Bobby's, arms (which is apparently a first).



Laurie, Michelle, Nick, Millie, & Gianna shared a nice couch nap before they left.



Gianna did well with all the stimulation (noise) of having her cousins around, but we are expecting her to spend the next couple of days playing catch up in the sleep department! ;)

Love,
The Brunners Three

Gianna's First Month...

It's amazing how quickly Gianna's first month with us has gone. In some ways it's gone by very quickly, yet in other ways it seems like she's been a part of our family for much, much longer. She's been a perfect addition and we look forward to many, many more months with her ahead!



We had a great morning of enjoying Gianna and her cousin's company. We visited our friends = the Huggins, who were so generous to treat all eight of us to lunch and their pool. We had a great time playing in the pool - Water baseball, Nick/Daniel/Cole Ping Pong, 21, speeding down the water slide...




...Gianna really seemed to enjoy herself at the pool as well. She seemed to soak in all the love that she was showered with, and she really seemed to relax in the heat.




Aunt Tiffany made a delicious dinner to celebrate Michelle's upcoming birthday as well as Bobby and Laurie's Anniversary. Nick was more than happy to help!

Love,
The Brunners Three