Brooklyn is 5!!

Oh my sweet firstborn! How did you turn 5 today?

You have lost your baby/toddler look and are a full on big kid now! You've moved on to a real kid bike (with training wheels), you don't need our help to swing, and you've outgrown all of the toddler sized play structures in our backyard.

You are an amazing big sister - always showing Dylan and Griffin how to do things, helping them with zippers, or giving them a boost on to the couch or up the slide. I love that even when they come and mess up your work you use your words (even if they are piercingly loud words) and rarely ever push or hit out of frustration. I love that you are quick to forgive.

I love the way you are enjoying the competition of games but after winning will move my game piece to the finish line so that I can "win" too. When you include a friend from school or teacher who was out sick in your prayers it makes my heart full seeing the little ways you think of others.

I'm fascinated at the things you learn and the excitement that you have for learning and for reading. I hope that excitement stays with you your entire life. Seeing the joy on your face as you finished reading your 1st book all by yourself last week was one of my favorite memories.

I'm beginning to see you've inherited some of my anxiety and while a little nervousness is healthy I pray that your daddy and I can model well for you that with Jesus there is a courage and a peace that can overcome any fear or worry.

You have compassion for others, are a seeker of justice, have a thirst for knowledge,  a desire to inform others, an incredible memory, and a tender heart. We love you Beeks and pray blessings over your 5th year!

Dylan's 1st Birthday!

One whole year! What kind of warp speed planet are we living in? It doesn't help that I'm posting this like 2 weeks after her birthday either- HA!

Ok stats then fun stuff!

Height: 29 in

Weight: 20.2 lbs of spitfire

She's got 10 teeth, and she's standing on her own. (she's taken her 1st steps but that happened after her 1st bday so it'll be officially logged in her 13 month stats lol). She's dropped to 2 bottles a day -one before nap and one before bed. I give her milk in the morning and she likes it ok but never drinks more than an ounce or 2. I'll be slowly adding more milk to her formula so we will hopefully be done with the million dollar formula this month!

Homegirl can EAT. she eats nearly anything and everything you put in front of her and always seems to be up for eating. She generally sleeps 6:30-6:30 but has woken up a few nights here and there most likely because she's been cutting teeth like a madwoman. She is already down to 1 nap a day so I feed the kids lunch and put Griffin and Dylan down for their naps she'll sleep from noon-2 sometimes 3.

She gives hugs and kisses and does so with gusto. Hugs get a little loving grunt and pats on the shoulder and kisses get "MWAH!" and slobber! She can say Mama, Dada, Pool, No, and nod her head yes when asked if she wants something. She can moo and bark lol.

She loves upbeat music and will dance when it comes on. She's feisty and will stand her ground even with her older siblings. You can be building her a block tower and her siblings can be building their own and she will go out of her way to go knock theirs down, then laugh about it. She has this high pitched yell she does when she doesn't get her way. She is fearless and I always have to hold her with both arms as she's always trying to lunge for all the things. She is a go getter and very determined little girl who won't put up with anyone's crap.

That said, she's also pretty in tune with reading feelings and faces. Certain looks and tones from people will bring tears, while other tones get her giggle going. I remember finding out I was pregnant with her and crying, then crying harder because I already felt as if I'd failed her by not being excited about this surprise pregnancy. I 100% believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that God knew I wanted another baby and he also knew that my fear and anxiety had me thinking after Griffin that there was no way I'd have another kiddo out of my body.  This little surprise baby has fulfilled the desires of my heart. Her siblings and Daddy adore her and the feeling is mutual. Praying God's will is fulfilled in her life. We love you DeeDee!

Brooklyn turns 4!

Height: 41 inches

Weight: 35 lbs

4!!! It's like she's turned into a mini adult. The baby and toddler features are slowly disappearing and more and more "kid" is appearing. 3 was a whole new frontier in parenting as she learned to push every button and find and stretch every boundary imaginable. It was also super fun to watch her personality develop and see her learning to understand and communicate different emotions.

Here are just a few of the things she can now do that she couldn't one year ago:

• Hold her breath under water (for like 2 seconds)
• Ride and steer her tricycle alone (without crashing)
• Drive a powerwheels (only crashing minimally)
• Identify most sounds of the alphabet and is starting to sound out whole words (3 letter)
• Buckle herself in her carseat!
• Sleep without the bed rail
• Swing on the big swing without help
• Dress herself (minus zipping a jacket/hoodie)

Brooklyn is my firecracker. When she gets frustrated or mad it's, well, let's say a scene. She FEELS everything so strongly it's like she physically can't contain herself. The same when she's excited or happy. We are learning acceptable ways to express these big feelings without you know, throwing toys, or hugging a sibling to pieces. She wears her heart on her sleeve.

She's too smart for her own good. She's independent (well she desperately wants to be), she asks lots of questions and has learned to rephrase them if the answer isn't to her liking in hopes to hear what she wants.

She's such a helper. She gets upset if you take the trash or recycling out without her. She loves to help in the kitchen, rarely complains when it's time to clean up, and always is up for helping with feeding Dylan or helping Griffin with a puzzle. Lately she's been "cleaning" the bathroom mirror for me by smearing hand soap all over it and wiping it with a hand towel. I can't even be mad - she's so excited to show it off. 

Happy 4th birthday to our silly, kind, helpful, smart and beautiful Brooklyn!

Happy Birthday Griffin! 1 year!

One year!

What a wild year it has been! We met this little monkey a year ago after a slightly early arrival (5 days) and a fairly short labor (9 hours).

Griffin has just been a little ball of sweetness his 1st year in the world. He adores Brooklyn and all of her shenanigans and is happy in nearly any situation as long as you have food handy and his lovey-bear. 

His well baby check is tomorrow but the ol' at home measurements have him at 19 pounds and about 28 inches long.

He is an awesome sleeper, eats like we starve him, drinks out of a cup with a straw, and always wants to go,go, go. He's finally learned to crawl normally in the last few weeks, can get himself from laying on his belly to sitting, and can pull himself to standing often only holding on with one hand. He's still at 2 -hour and a half naps a day and we are holding strong at 6 teeth.

He loves his "how big" book and any book that has different textures he can feel. He's always ready to dance to music and enjoys stacking, banging and throwing anything he can get his hands on. He's a wild man in the tub- I'm considering wearing rain gear for bath time because he loves splashing so much. 

We have loved seeing him change and grow and can't wait to see his little personality blossom!