All Growed Up (Beware, Lots of Syrup. Maybe even some powdered sugar)

A year ago today Brooke had her first doctor's visit. At that time her stats were:

Head: 13 1/4 in. (sorry, no percentiles were given)

Height: 19 in.

Weight: 6 lbs. 8 oz.

Now a year later here she is just as cute but slightly bigger.

Head: 18 1/2 in. (90-95%)

Height: 30 1/2 in. (75-90%)

Weight: 19 lbs. (10-25%)

For some reason I was not surprised to see that Brooke was at the top of the chart for head circumference. She did great while getting her 3 shots and the doc even seemed more impressed that Brooke is as social as she is. He said that kids her age normally don't interact as much as she did with him. Way to go, Brooke!!!!

Now a "quick" review at what Brooke has accomplished in the past year:

Crying really loud

Learning to enjoy bathtime

Smiling

Learning to play well with cousins Hanging out with Lexie
Putting up with mom and dad's craziness Mastering tummy time... but not always liking it

Learn to laugh (one of the best sounds in my opinion)

Rolling over

Being a great sleeper since 3 months.Taking after dad's goofinessLoving other peopleSitting upCrawlingFeeding herself.

Anywho, after a trip down memory lane I'm sure you all get the idea that Troy and I have had a fantastic, fun-filled year of Brooke. We love her to pieces and are so blessed to have her in the family.

Party

Ed and Joanna came out on Tuesday to visit Tracie and I, and coincidentally they were here for Brooke's birthday as well! :) We all enjoyed being spoiled to some degree during their visit, be it the extra pair of hands to take care of Brooke, the wondeful meals cooked for by Joanna, or the chance to eat Dim Sum and Cinzetti's in the same weekend. It was a fun and fast few days, and of course, it was Brooke who missed them most, since it was lonely in the back seat without them.

It took some coaxing, some advance ripping, and some placing of the paper right into her hands, but otherwise Brooke was a natural at opening her gifts.

The walker was a big hit.

Thanks for the book!

Wow, even more gifts, when will this all end!

Is this all for me?

All these gifts are great, but I think I'd really just like a nap!




The Birthday cupcake chronicles.

The pristine beginning.

So what do you do with this thing, poke holes in it and smash it to pieces?!?!?!

Oh, I see where you're going with this...


That's what I'm talking about!

These things aren't so bad after all!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for a great birthday!

It was great to see Brooke's face when she saw her new gifts, and we got to see that same face that afternoon after her nap, and again the next morning. I think she forgets about them every time she goes to sleep. Once again, Happy Birthday Brooke.

Happy Birthday Brooke!!

Thanks for a fun first year together. You've grown up so much. We love you lots and ots and ts and s!!! - Mom and Dad

Apple Pie....Mmmm....Delicious

This past Tuesday a guy from our ward at church taught the Relief Society how to make his awesome apple pie all from scratch. It turned out absolutely delicious although we had to wait until the next day until we could dive into the pie that I had made.

We also got to make our way to the park this last week. It was Brooke's first time going and I think she really enjoyed herself. She absolutely loved the swing which is surprising because she sometimes doesn't like to be thrown up in the air. She was a little iffy about the slide but still managed to have a smile on her face after going down.
Friday night Troy took me out on a date. We tried out a new place called Nono's Cafe. Think southern/New Orleans comfort food. It was delicious and we left there stuffed to the brim. Afterwards we went and saw Transformers on IMAX. I was a little worried that watching a movie on such a big screen would make me sick but it didn't and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Troy would say that it was a good popcorn movie. Our friends, Justing and Kristin, came and watched Brooke. They found our camera and decided to take some snapshots of Brooke. The funny thing is I feel like all the pictures that are taken in the highchair Brooke has the same head tilt. Here are just a few to show.

Saturday Brooke and I finally got Troy to the pool. Troy and Brooke had a blast in the deep end. Troy even tried to teach Brooke how to blow bubbles but Brooke would just laugh at him. Lastly, we think Brooke shares the same affinity for boxes as Lexie does.

Will it ever be summer?

So, despite what the solar position, school kids, and people wearing white say, it does not feel like Summer here in Colorado. Is it nice outside, yes. Is it warm in the morning, yes. Is it hot at noontime, sometimes. Does it rain nearly every afternoon and sometimes in the evenings, nearly every day. I swear at sometime I will be able to go swimming with Brooke one of these weekends.

Instead, this is how we keep ourselves busy. We visit with neighbors. Here is Brooke with Louis, who lives behind us. When they are together, it is hard to tell who enjoys it more, Brooke or Louis.

Brooke is a lot sillier at night. I don't know if it is just being at the end of the day, or the fact that I am home from work. Either way, we both enjoy a lot of laughs together.

The other night I made a tunnel with the ottoman and with the couch pillows. She enjoyed running away from me and attacking/crawling over Tracie.

Here is what Brooke does during the day when she is "quietly playing by herself". I think she has learned a few things from Lexie!

Camera work is not the greatest. Don't hurt your neck.