Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Brooklyn is 9 months

Brooklyn is 9 months old today, well sort of.  I figure it must be today by default since there was no February 29th.  She is 17 pounds 2 ounces, and 27 inches long.  So the doctor says she a tiny little thing, but really I don't think she's that small, and I know she's not any smaller than the other kids were at this age.  Well, except for Nathan, but he was a moose until he turned one, and then started slowing down.  Anyway, she's doing great, even if she's on the smaller side.  She still doesn't sleep through the night, although we are down to 2 wake-ups only most nights, which isn't too bad.  Plus I know the extra nursing overnight is helping her gain enough, and helping maintain my supply.  Really, I don't even remember what it's like to go to bed and not have to get up once or twice in the middle of the night, so it's not like I know what I'm missing.
Brooklyn is always on the go, and just today she has started standing up totally on her own.  We are not talking pulling up on things, she's done that for a couple months.  We are talking sitting in the middle of the room with nothing around her, and pushing herself up to standing without holding onto anything.  Once she gets her feet under her in sort a squat-like position, she just stands up.  It's crazy!  I know she's going to be walking very soon.  Megan walked at 10 months, which I felt was so early, but I think Brooklyn might beat that at the rate she is going. 
Brooklyn's newest food discovery is crackers.  She loves crackers.  She still doesn't care for baby food, or really anything you can spoon feed her, but if she can feed it to herself, she loves it.
The biggest problem right now is Brooklyn hates the bath.  Really, I don't know if hate is strong enough to describe it.  She loves taking a shower, but hates the bath.  Her feet hit the water in the tub and she starts screaming until you take her back out.  It's the oddest thing, and I have no idea why she hates it.  The water temp is fine, so I know she's not freezing or getting burnt.  Any ideas about this?
All in all, I seriously can't believe Brooklyn is 9 months old.  Time has gone by so fast it's incredible.  In 3 months I won't have an infant anymore, or ever again.  I'm just really not sure how to feel about that.

Emma turns 8!!!!!!

Holy Crap!  Emma is 8 years old!  :thud:  It's hard to believe this
was 8 years ago.  It seems like much, much less.  Emma is such a grown up little woman.  I called her girl kid (something silly I do with all the kids) the other night, and she argues she was not a kid, she's a young adult.  In numbers of years, I feel I have to disagree, but in maturity, she is so right.  Being the oldest of 5 has caused her to grow up fast, but I think even if we had stopped at two kids, she'd still be mature for her age.  Even when she and Nathan were little she was always motherly and acted much older than she was.  She is so patient and loving with the younger kids, and I love watching her interact with Jackson and Brooklyn.  Jackson will even run to Emma, instead of me, sometimes when he is hurt or upset.  It's awfully cute seeing Emma be the mother hen to the other kids.
Emma is LOVING dance and the tumbling class she started this year.  She has definitely caught up to the other girls in her dance class, and she is doing great!  Of course I think she gets her natural ability from me, lol!  I really love watching her enjoy something I have always loved.  She went to one of my dance classes and marvelled at how good I was.  I told her someday she would for sure be better than me if she stuck with dance and keeps practicing, so that definitely motivates her.
In addition to adding a tumbling class, Emma also started girl scouts this year.  She loves going to her meetings and events, and it seems like she is making friends with a nice group of girls.  If Emma had her way, she would join every activity out there.  She sure has come a long way from the introverted kid who didn't want to participate in anything that didn't include mom or dad.  I never would have expected her to be such a social kid.

First Birthday

2nd birthday

3rd birthday

Fourth Birthday

Fifth Birthday

Sixth Birthday


Seventh birthday

 Eighth Birthday