Brooklyn is 18 months

Yep! A year and a half! And I'm only a few days late ha ha! Here's B at 5, 12 and 18 months. I would have done 6 but we were in OKC for that pic so she wasn't in her "chair".

Height: 31 1/2 inches

Weight: 23 ish pounds

Milestones:

Teeth teeth and more teeth! I didn't do a tooth count at 17 months (mostly because she thinks it's funny to chomp down when mommy puts her finger in her mouth to count teeth) but this month I have a number. She has 7 new teeth bringing the total (from the 16 month tally) to 17 teeth! She seems to get teeth like 3 or 4 at a time.

She can use the potty! That's right people I said POTTY. This in no way means she's potty trained. We noticed that 5 out of 7 mornings she'd be dry when we woke her up so we bought a little potty (I thought she might freak if we started her on the big one.). It has a removable seat that you can put on the big potty for when she's ready and then the little potty becomes a step stool. Anywho- we started sitting her on the potty in the mornings and after nap and most of the time she just goes! Sometimes she says she has to go potty just so we can sit there and read books. Now during the day she'll tell us but it's usually right after she's already gone. So we will be working on that (and she'll work on it at Montessori too) but seriously- yay!

Putting words together. She's starting to go from single words to more word combos "Yuv- you" (Love you!) "Mo- (insert food here)" etc.

Recognizing locations. I've noticed in the last few weeks that when we turn down our street she'll start chanting "Hooooome, Hoooome!" and when we turn onto my parent's street "Pa-pawww!" or when she can see the steeple of the church where she's going to school, "Skooooo! Bussss!" and any other building we pull up to "Eeeeat! Eeeat! ha ha!

She has literally mastered the TV remote. She can turn it on and off, change the channel and the volume. And she doesn't fumble around for buttons. She points that sucker right at the TV and hits the button she wants. Then she grins and usually ends up in timeout (it's a standing rule that she's not allowed  to play with the remote which is why we are so surprised that she can use it so well).

Words: Baboon "Ba-BOO", Sorry "Sa-REE", Howdy "Ah-DEE", Potty "Pah-EE", Nite-Nite "Ny-Nye-t" among others.

Personality: She's become a little copycat. She likes to say things the way you say them and make the same faces you make. She's very persistent and has a pretty good little memory which doesn't help me out when I pull the "we can watch 'Wheel' when we get home line to get her to not freak when it's time to leave somewhere that she's playing. As soon as we get into the driveway it's "Wheel! Wheel. Wheel Wheel Wheel". And if she wants something she'll first say it as a question "Cheese?"- then immediately follow that up with saying it as a statement and nodding her head yes "Cheese. Cheese. Cheese".  She's super silly and loves to squeal and laugh and loves to make others laugh. She likes to come at you with her little hands to "tickle tickle" you.

Favorite things: Getting the mail, going to the splash park or the pool, eating, "hiding"  she loves to go in the closet or laundry room and shut the door and just sit there in the dark. When you open the door she'll giggle and yell "More! Hide!" until you close the door and wonder aloud where she could have possibly disappeared to. Scooting herself backwards on her little motorcycle scooter is another current fave (she only knows how to go backwards).

Playing with the Pages

Earlier last week Daniel had to go to Washington (well it was technically in Washington but it was practically to Canada) for 3 days of work meetings so instead of staying home by myself with B we headed up to my sister's house near Tacoma on Sunday and Daniel left Monday morning while B and I stayed with my sister, bro-in-law, and niece.

They recently finished their deck (which if I my brag on them for a minute they built entirely themselves and it is gorgeous!! check it out on my sister's bloggy -the finished deck is at the bottom of the page!) so we spent a lot of time outside enjoying the cool weather. Yes I said cool- other than the first day where it hit a scorching 94 degrees ;) the temps never went above 80! Don't cyber-punch me Texas friends.

My 9 year old niece kept Brooklyn and the adults entertained with puppet shows, songs she wrote, and ribbon dancing. She was great with her little cousin always wanting to play with her and feed her. I loved seeing her take such good care of Brooklyn, if we went somewhere in the car Sabrina was in the seat right next to B playing with her.

While Mark was at work, my sister, Bri, Brooklyn and I watched chick flicks, painted our nails, played card games (that my niece invented) and hung out. It was such a joy to have some quality time with my girls.  

We ate like fat kids too. Mark, my brother in law, BBQ'd some ridiculous ribs, we had s'mores, and handmade grilled pizzas which I could eat every day. My sister also made some reeeeally good cream cheese danishes for breakfast using those Pillsbury crescent rolls or biscuits or something. I think I ate like 5.

Brooklyn had fun playing with her Auntie D!

 

 I absolutely love these 2 little girls!

Have I told you....

How ridiculously awesome my husband is?!?! Oh...I have.

I am truly blessed beyond measure.

Happy Tuesday!

30 day hubby challenge!

So I saw this on Stephanie Cherry's facebook page and absolutely looooooove it! So- I'm sharing it with the blog world in hopes that you married ladies will join in. 

It's a 30 day challenge (yes, another 30 day challenge!) but this time you don't have to blog every day. In fact there's no blogging required! It seems simple enough, and you'd think that it's something that wives naturally do, but you'd be surprised. It's a 30 day challenge from Revive Our Hearts to encourage your hubby! There are only 2 rules.....

#1 You can't say anything negative or critical about your hubby to him or to anyone else for that matter.

#2 You must say something positive or admirable about your hubby to him and to someone else

every day, for 30 days!

One of my 2011 goals (well, it's one of my "until I croak goals") is to be a better wife to Daniel, and while I don't run around screaming awful things to him or about him, it's easy as women to be at lunch with girl friends and carry on about how our husbands "never help with....." or "couldn't dress himself to save his life". Or to be home and point out that he never folds the towels right, . While those things are seemingly little and may or may not hold true, it affects a man's, attitude, confidence, and character. 

I'm hoping this 30 day challenge becomes second nature to me!

Day 4: Mom & Dad

Day 4: Your Parents

Today is easy cheesy. My parents are awesome...crazy but awesome! I love how as you get older (or at least is the case for me) you realize how stupid you were as a teenager! I feel bad for my parents having had to raise me (at least during the high school years) . I've always been one who will fight to get my way, or in my case I was a master manipulator (or maybe I just annoyed them so much they caved). Let's just say if I would have been my parents raising me as a teen I would have punched me. Instead they just loved me through my ugly- and that's why they deserve a Nobel peace prize.

I'll start with my dad:

My dad is the hardest worker you'll ever meet. I wish I had half of his work ethic. He works on airplanes for a living. Stands on his feet for 8-14 hours a day, squished up in a gianormo airplane in the crazy Texas heat. He's good at what he does and he doesn't do things halfway. If you ask him to stay late he does. He served his country (He's retired Air Force - but I'm sure the airplanes gave it away!). He's pretty quiet, dare I say shy, especially in large groups but once you get him talking he's a hoot. He's a big kidder. He's laid back, low maintenance and it takes a lot to get him riled up...unless you're a referee at a Baylor game, then watch out!

Now for my Marmie:

My mom is one tough cookie. Because my dad worked a lot when we were kiddos, my mom inherited the role of disciplinarian. I don't know that she enjoyed it all that much as the three of us kids pushed her buttons on a daily basis! Mom is the planner, scheduler, organizer of the two. If it weren't for mom- dad would still be wearing socks from the 80's, have hair to his knees and would never go for any annual checkups. She got us to school, worked, kept the house clean and somehow managed to feed us. How she did it all is still a mystery to me. My favorite thing about my mom is that her faith in the Lord is unshakable....and she walks it every day.   

Neither of my parents ever received their Bachelors, but they made sure that us three kiddos did. They both work insanely hard to make sure that we had opportunities that they didn't have. Regardless of their formal education they are 2 of the smartest people I know. They instilled in us seeds of faith that would grow into a relationship with Christ, the value of a dollar and hard work that would grow into financially responsible hard working adults, unconditional love that would grow into our own love and respect for our spouses and children, and a myriad of other things! Love you mom and dad!!!   

Day 3: Love??

Day 3: Your first love

Geesh. Really??

If you're referring to 1st love as "what do you love most" kind of 1st love, that is always, will always be my husband. He's the most extraordinary person I've ever known. And let's not forget he plays 2 person Taboo with me... and listens to me ramble.

I'm eliminating the family category as well as the faith category because it's too easy for me to write about (and I think there is a day in this exercise for family and beliefs). When I first saw Day 3: Your First Love, I thought of boys. I thought of grade school Valentine's parties, first kisses, crushes, butterflies in your stomach-  all the things that at the time you my think is love, but is actually preparing you for the real deal.

 

If you're referring to 1st love as in "timeline of feeling the emotion of love" then that's different. That's like a progression I think. I didn't really date until college. I had a lot of guy friends which totally sucks because you inevitably have a crush on one of them and they paint you into the "friend" corner only for you to discover your crush really has the hots for your friend and you have to pretend like you're excited for them. Oh the unrequited 7th grade crush, how you have damaged millions! 

....bring it back, Hare. 

Technically, my crush on Brian Wiggan in the 3rd grade counts since at the time that "in love" feeling I had was what I as an 8 year old believed love to be. Brian was the fastest kid in our grade...maybe even the whole school. He looked like a mini surfer, his hair was blonde from the sun and he was perpetually tan. I can't say that I ever talked to him- I couldn't even look at the kid without getting flabbergasted. That's what I thought love was. A feeling. You get butterflies in your stomach, he chases you on the playground, you tell him he has cooties, and you live happily ever after. Boy was I in for a shocker. 

Then came the Jr. High & High School "you're one of the guys" years. I was always too shy and insecure- I never thought I was popular enough or pretty enough to even entertain the thought that any crush would even kind of reciprocate those feelings. In retrospect, I didn't get painted into the friend corner...I helped paint myself into the friend corner- I was waaay to chicken to put my heart out there. Instead I silently suffered as the "friend".   

I dated a guy in college who was nice, and tall, and an athlete. I pushed all my plans and eventually my values aside. I realize now that I was probably not a very good girlfriend in that I still had poor self image which played out as me being needy and quick to become suspicious and jealous. Finally I wasn't the friend, and I wasn't gonna screw this up! The problem here was that I thought staying with someone fixes everything- I wasn't going to quit when in reality breaking up probably would have saved us both a world of drama. I thought at that point that love= revolving your world around someone and never giving up.

Each of those "loves" or should I say "ideas" of what I thought love should be wasn't the answer but rather gave me another piece to the puzzle.

Along came my husband who I firmly believe that God brought into my life when he did for a reason. Daniel and a deeper understanding of God's love for me, helped me eventually realize that love is so much more than a feeling or committing to not quit.

So, those are my 1st loves in my stages of growing up. Glad the best was saved for last!

Tomorrow you get the lowdown on my parentals.