4 Months

Brooke is 4 months! Wow...time sure does fly! Let me tell you, this maternity leave is just wonderful at this stage of her life. I am so enjoying seeing her grow and change and get a glimpse of her personality.

• Brooke loves to eat...right at 3 hours. 
• Brooke is wearing 3 month clothing but I might be able to start switching to some 3-6. It is on my to-do list this week to go through her clothes.
• Brooke loves to laugh and smile. If I could pick a love language of hers already it would be physical touch. She just loves to be in close contact with others.
• Brooke is still working on sleeping. I can't figure her out yet. She likes to be rocked only sometimes. She sometimes needs to just lay down and go to sleep. Sometimes she screams ridiculously and won't settle down when I try to let her cry it out. It is so much fun. At night she sleeps until 4:00 and then cries and we put her nuk in and she goes back to sleep until about 5:30 to eat. PS: I looked back at Cole at 4 months and this was the exact same thing he did. 
• Brooke is rolling over!! Super fun to cheer her on!
• Brooke loves Cole...she loves to watch him everywhere he goes. Again as long as she can see people around her she is happy!
• Brooke poops through her clothes at least once a day. Now this is not a negligent parent situation...I am on it! It just keeps happening! 
• She looooooves to swim and be in the water! We have been to quite a few of my brothers football games this year and she goes swimming in the hotel pool with us. And she looks super cute in her swimsuit.
• She is starting to play. She loves the crinkly toys and is putting everything in her mouth. She is always kicking her legs and being busy. 
• Some words to describe Brooke: Calm, Sweet, Busy (I find it interesting that both my kids are busy bees...hands are going to be very full)

Brooke totally rocks! I love having a baby girl way more than I ever expected! I mean even her cries are more girly than Cole's were. Or she will randomly squeal and it sounds like a girl. We love our Brooke! 

2 Years Old

Cole is a big 2 year old! I am wayyy behind on posting about your big boy! Let's chat about Cole:
Cole is so joyful. He is entering the terrible twos and is really only terrible when he is teething or bored. I have to keep him engaged and active all day long. He has a busy mind. We play hard all morning, we do school, we cook, we play outside, we run back and forth, we jump off beds, etc. I love his personality. He really loves life and loves to explore every thing. He looooves to learn new things. Some of his favorite things are animals, hikes, playing ball, playing on the bed, swimming, doing projects, and baking. If I give him a bowl of food and then put something on the side...everything gets put in the bowl and he starts mixing. A few words to describe his personality are exuberant, sweet, active, and determined. He loves to challenge me. We have been working on a few skills like picking up, listening the first time, and cleaning up messes. He is now in his big boy bed and is doing a great job. We switched at the perfect time. He knows that rule, "stay in bed until mommy or daddy come get me" and he likes to tell us the rule before we leave. Then he laughs! But he follows it. He is now starting to read before bed. I think it takes him a little bit to really calm down. We always read with him but now he likes to read a few books on his own. He gets scared easily. HAHA It is pretty funny but it has really made me think about the things that we show him on TV or in books. It also has showed me how fast he is growing up and that he is so aware and observant that I need to be careful. This is the first stage of life that has made me realize that he is growing up and I want it to sloooow down. Cole loves to eat. He loves chili, tacos, mac and cheese, peanut butter and jelly and fruit. Lots of fruit! He loves his baby sister so much. He is learning to share with her and not to take toys from her. This is something that he learned in nursery at church when other kids took toys from him and he didn't like it. He was like defeated ...haha! So, he does a good job of sharing until she really starts playing with his toys! :) He also loves to play with his friends!

I am really proud of Cole. He is a good boy! He has started to learn about Jesus in his toddler class at church. We can ask him who made the stars or the moon or Noah's Ark and he says, "God." It makes me so happy to know he is learning these things at such a young age. I could write for days so I will stop now! :) That is our Coley Oley!

3 Months!

Brooke is 3 months and still super sweet!

• She is wearing 3 months clothing - I love that my babies were exactly the size they are...it helps with organization and I love it.
• She has found her hands and plays with them and sticks them in her mouth all the time.
• Still eating every 3 hours and lots to eat. She now stops in the  middle of eating and looks up at me with a big smile before heading back for more...sooo cute!
• She is a very smiley girl.
• I think her love language is physical contact. She loves to rock or just be held. 
• She LOVES her brother. She could watch his craziness for hours.
• She was very spoiled at the babysitters...I am so thankful they love my kids so much...now I am working on some good sleep habits.
• I am now on my family leave time - until Christmas. Me and the babes until Christmas...woohoo! Lots of fun in store. 
• She has spent the last 3 weeks sleeping in a little chair from her stuffy nose. This must stop.
• She is starting to drool more.
• She is finding her voice...she coos and chats and coos and chats. She likes to respond to me and is a good listener. 
• We have had fun going to the apple orchard, pumpkin patch, on many walks, on a few rides down the slide, and a Homecoming parade. 

2 Months!

Baby Girl is 2 months! See her 2 month picture on Facebook as I have not gotten to making a new blog yet...I am thinking October when I am on maternity leave. Brooke is just a great baby! Here are the stats:

• Brooke weighs 10lbs 14 oz. She is in the 50th percentile for height and weight. 74th percentile for head. I mean that is normal for my kids. :)
• She is wearing 3 month clothing.
• At 5 weeks I let Brooke sleep in her room for the first time since I had the pack n play at my parents house. She started sleeping through the night then. I wish it had continued... :)
• She wakes up at about 1 and 5ish. I think it is because she was adjusting to me being back at work or being more aware of her surroundings in her big crib. I just let her do some cry it out...it was probably the first time she cried that hard. Poor girl. It took about 30 minutes and then I calmed her down and she was out. And now I feel really guilty. :)
• She is a smiler. I love it sooo much...I can't wait to see her personality.
• During her awake time she loves to be sitting straight up and watching what is going on. Mostly watching Cole be his crazy self.
• She enjoys bath time!
• She has started to coo and make cute little noises.
• She is drinking 4 oz every 3 hours and then not at all during the night.
• She loves to hold hands and is a big cuddler. She loves to be rocked as well...that is why she was so mad about being in her crib before she was asleep. HA!

Baby Brooke, we love you so much! Cole even tells us that he loves you. We are so thankful that God gave you to us. :)

1 Month!

Brooke is 1 month and we are so happy to have her around! She is such a little blessing. She is content and very relaxed...I think she must know that we have our hands full with big brother! :) Here is her update...

• She weighs 9.6 pounds...that was determined by the very accurate weigh myself and then add her method! :) 
• She is on the same routine as Cole was...my mom said it must be me! :) She eats every 3 hours and is sleeping 5 hour stretches at night. Having a baby full term really helps with that sleep stuff! 
• She is awake quite a bit in the morning and then takes a pretty good nap. 
• We have been laying her down in her crib for 1-2 naps a day...she does really well with this. 
• She is still sleeping in our room
• She doesn't really cry in the middle of the night...she grunts. HA!
• She has been a busy girl in this first month of life...weddings, parks, walks, pools, beach, etc. She sleeps through most of it. 
• She loves bath time...it is almost like she gets excited about it.
• I think she might smile soon as a reaction...I think! 
• I love when she smiles in her sleep...so cute!
• She loves her nuk. 
• Cole and her are getting along well...he doesn't want me to take her back to the hospital yet. We have a few moments where he wants all my attention but we are working on it. 
• She is almost done with her newborn clothing...good thing cause I am excited for the 3 month stash...super cute stuff!
• Dressing a girl is very fun!
• We walk every morning...Brooke in the baby bjorn and Cole in the stroller. That is another thing that Cole is getting used to sharing...the stroller. Sometimes he has to be a big boy and walk...poor guy!
• Everything about her is more girly...even her squeaks and coos sound like a girl! :) 

We are having fun and adjusting to having 2 kids. It is going really well I think. I am lucky to have this time and more coming that I won't be working. Even though I did enjoy going to my training this week. Brooke really is a doll and we thank God for giving us this gift! She was meant for us and it is amazing how God plans that out!  I will make sure to post some more pictures of her when I figure out how to add more photo storage...I AM OUT! OH NO! :) Either I will be starting a second edition blog or buying more space...Guess which option Kyle is going for? I suppose after 4 years it was bound to fill up.