September Photo Dump

We love to Skype and Facetime with Brooklyn's cousins! Makes our day. Brooklyn always gets all shy and extra cuddly when we are doing it but she is thoroughly entertained.

I have a Facetime with Elmo app on my phone and Brooklyn will sometimes request it.

We finally got a big girl carseat for Brooklyn. She really likes it and seems to be really comfortable in it. It is a Diono Radian RXT which has great reviews and should last her a really long time. 

This girl gets some crazy hair after her naps.

Her 15 month check up.

She thought it was funny to suck on her toes.

Brooklyn really likes to look out the windows. I wish we had a sliding glass door so it was easier for her to look out whenever she wanted to.
We have some neighbors who also have a little girl, who is older than Brooklyn so we get some great hand me down toys. This particular toy she loves to use to pretend to wash her hands.

Fit One 5K

I participated in the Fit One 5K this year.  Previously it was called the St. Luke's Women's Celebration and I had run it two times before this.  I absolutely love the course.  You start out right in front of the capitol building and run up to the Boise Train Depot where a group of bagpipers greet you.  This year instead of a bunch of men in tuxedo tops and shorts lining the finishing chute there were people in scrubs (wah-wah-wah). 
The weather was absolutely perfect.  The race has different start times and waves.  I was in the red comptetitve wave.  There were also a stroller wave, family wave, and non-competitve wave.  My wave went first which was so nice because there wasn't a big crowd and we had lots of volunteers ready to cheer us on and offer support.  It was also easy for me to see Thomas and Brooklyn as I passed by.
I really haven't been running more than once a week so didn't have high expectations. I was hoping to have my miles be under 9 minutes.  I ended up running and average pace of 8:05 and finished in 25:05, a very pleasant surprise. Most surprising was that I came in 2nd in my age group.

At the very start of the race

I love the people behind me.

The final stretch

I've always done this weird head tilt when I am really pushing hard at the end of the race.

4 year anniversary

Our anniversary fell on a Thursday this year which is Thomas' busiest day of the week, so we planned a night out on the following Saturday.

Even still, Thomas rode his bike home during his hour break between classes and work to bring me flowers.  Red roses and white carnations, our wedding colors.  So thoughtful.

One of our neighbors has a little four year old and 4 month old that Brooklyn likes to play with and she kindly offered to watch her for us.  I like leaving Brooklyn with people who have kids, it's so much fun for her.

Happy 4 years Baby!

Thomas and I went to try out Dave and Buster's for dinner and arcade games.  Thomas was in heaven with the HUGE t.v. screens playing every possible football game.  We decided to split an appetizer, entree, and dessert so we could have all three and we were so stuffed!

Dinner

I remember as a kid thinking that arcades were SO much fun and loving getting their little prizes.  We definitely enjoyed playing the games (my fave was the air hockey) and having time just the two of us.

Giant connect four game.

The classic basketball game.

I think this past year has definitely been the hardest we have experienced together.  It's so hard not spending much time together because of work and school.  We both have faith that even though it is hard it will totally be worth it.  I am SO proud of Thomas and his hard work.  He never complains about being tired from going to school full time and working full time.  He will stay up late on Friday nights just to get all of his homework done so he can enjoy the weekends with Brooklyn and I.  He knows that by the weekends I am so burnt out of doing dishes and cooking and will usually make sure to do a load of dishes and cook a meal for us. He is my shoulder to cry on.  He is such an amazing Dad to Brooklyn and an amazing husband to me.  I am so lucky!

15 1/2 month update

"Um hello Mom I'm naked here!"

Our doctors appointments are a little off so we go on her half month birthdays now haha. Here are her 15 1/2 month stats:
Weight-19.81lbs (26.46 percentile)
Height- 29.5 inches (12.97 percentile)

Our doctor always asks us at each appointment what we enjoy most about Brooklyn at this age.  My response this time was her ability to communicate.  She amazes us every day with what she can say through sign and speech.

The following are signs she uses daily when she wants to communicate something to us: Hot, hat, grapes, dad, mom, swing, bath, all done, more, eat, milk, shoes, please, thank you, book, dog, toothbrush, wash hands, water, baby, time, ice cream, bird, ball, duck(25)

These signs she will mimic when she sees them but hasn't learned to use them spontaneously yet: wind, rain, grass, stop, go, happy, cold, banana, diaper, bird, frog, car.


Here are the actual words that she can say.  For the most part she will say it and sign it at the same time.
Hot, hat, dada, mama, all done, more, shoes, up, dog, no, tickle, happy (she says happy when she wants me to sing "If you're happy and you know it"), baby, ball, go (15).

I am trying to get videos of all the signs to remember.  I am constantly saying to Thomas "isn't she so smart?!".  I know every parent thinks that.  But it is so amazing seeing your child go from a tiny little infant who can't do anything really, to all of the sudden be able to show their little personality and communicate.

Brooklyn still just loves little boys.  We were at the park the other day and there was a little four year old boy that she would just run after and then run from laughing.

She loves real babies and baby dolls and will insist on giving them their bottle/sippy/pacifier until they accept.

Has gone down to one long nap a day and I LOVE it!!! I can't tell you how I have been longing for this day to come.  It's from noon to three every day.  So that gives us plenty of time in the morning to get out and do something and in the afternoon/evening as well.  It also gives me three hours to catch up on housework and do my own thing.

Sleeps from 9pm-8:30am.  HALLELUJAH!!! Remember when she was waking up at 6:30am every day?? I do, and it was rough.  So glad for this schedule.

Loves to swing at the park, be pushed on her trike, play toss with a ball and we just got her a little soccer ball and are teaching her how to kick.  It makes her daddy and I so proud to see her little kicks.

She has her four front upper and lower teeth, two molars up top, and a molar just broke through on the bottom.

Just started sleeping with a blanket at night and naps.  As a newborn she was swaddled and after she grew out of the swaddle never wanted a blanket but now she wants one.  She also likes to be cuddled in the glider with her blanket after she wakes up and read to.

Isn't a fan of just plain veggies but eats lots of fruit.

Wears size 3 diapers and 12 month clothes.

Loves to help.  She'll put her bath toys away when I ask her to when she is done with her bath, puts her diaper in the diaper genie after a diaper change, and will hold the cord of the vacuum for me while I vacuum.

We just love this little girl so darn much! I think I might explode sometimes from all of the cuteness.