~ONE~

I was SO worried about Ellie - She has been nothing but amazing with Brooklynn. She is a GREAT big sister!

Alison was so sick when BabyB was born - she couldn't stand to not be close...she never forgot to wear her mask though.

I always have thought that the difference between a "small" family and a "big" family was 3 kids. When I finely decided that I for sure wanted to have kids (after Brian and I had been together for 6 years) I knew I wanted a "big" family. And now that our family is complete, I have to say, 3 is the perfect number. And to top it off...our number 3, Miss Brooklynn Hope, is perfect.




Other people must have the same thoughts about family size as I do, because almost everyday I hear "You've got your hands full" or they ask me their ages, with that tone that implies I have a lot of kids close in age...you know the one. Often people ask if Brooke is a good baby (which is kind of weird to me - like I would admit to a total stranger that she isn't) The fact is...she really is! I always say that God must have known that I needed a baby, with Brooklynn's temperament, to survive :o) She is SO good.


This sweet sweet girl is ONE today. It does not seem that long ago that I was posting about her being born and Brian heading off into surgery. To say that she completes our family is an understatement. She most definitely was supposed to be right where she is...the baby of all girls!


Brooklynn,


We want to wish you the happiest first birthday EVER! You are not just mine and Daddy's baby girl, but Alison and Ellie are always saying "This is the cutest (or smartest, or best, or most perfect - you pick the adjective and they have used it) baby in the WHOLE world!

Here are some recaps of what your saying and doing at ONE:
Your words:
Puck - your first word
bye bye - or sometime just byyyeeee
Mama
Dada
Uh Oh - while you drop things on purpose :o)
pillow
baby
night night
tickle tickle - my absolute favorite next to mama
wow - your newest word
NumNum - when you want a bite of something

Thank you

(although you say almost none of them on command - only when you feel like saying them)


The motor skills you have learned in your first year are:
~you can point to your nose when we ask you where it is - or our nose (usually your aiming to stick your finger right in it)
~you put your hands up in the air when we ask how big you are - SOOOOO BIG!
~you can clap when we say Yeaaaaa
~You can blow kisses - although your hand never really leaves your mouth
~you can wave bye bye
~you can give us 5 - and now high 5

You are cruising along the couch and often let go and balance for up to 15 seconds. You have this wonderful look of accomplishment when you do it. You make sure we are watching and know whats you are doing :o) You can walk around pushing your walker/ride-on toy. You have mastered going up the stairs, but can only go down when someone is right with you reminding you how to do it. Just like your sisters, you LOVE to be outside. If you are fussy, all I have to do is sit you on the grass in the backyard...and you are instantly calm.
Oh I almost forgot the most major accomplishment - - -
you are done with formula AND done with your bottles!!!! (as of 4 days)
I realized the other day that you hadn't had a bottle all day - not that we planned it that way, it just happened, so we figured it was as good a time as any to just go cold turkey!
So far so good - although I probably just jinxed myself!

As sweet as you are, you have a temper that no one would guess. If you are mad, you let us know...you throw your arms down and YELL. Not a crying yell, but a screaming yell. The other day, Daddy was playing with you with a ball on the couch. He let it slowly roll off the couch. You watched it fall off and screamed at him then reached over and hit him. So he did it again (because Dad's like to torment their kids for some reason) and again you got so mad and hit him! It was both funny and not at the same time. I think you might give EllieB a run for her money when your a bit older!

Happy FIRST birthday Brooklynn. We all love you SOOOOooooo Much!