Our month of September

I took Brooklynn in to her 6 month appointment towards the beginning of September. She is getting to be SO big!! She is now 27 1/2 inches (which is 90th percentile, weighs in at 17 pounds and 12 ounces (75th%ile). Her head is still concerning, which is one of the reasons I have not posted recently! Her head grew another inch and a half and is measuring in at 19 1/2 inches!! The is up another 3 small squares on the growth chart from the previous time (which means she is well above 97%ile).

Her pediatrician is still concerned about the growth. He did some lab work to test for a syndrome that has macrocephaly and frontal bossing (which basically means big head measurement and large forehead, which is what Brooklynn has - Sorry baby girl when all tests come back negative - I know you will be self-consious about this when you are older but it is the truth) and it came back negative (we just found out on Thursday that this lab came back negative - THANK GOODNESS!!!!). What he was testing for was NOT a good condition at all and therefore I am very grateful to God that it came back ok. Crazy enough, the night we found out the labs were okay, I was in my hotel room in St. Louis and watching the news and there was a girl on there who had the same condition we were testing Brooklynn for and this girl died at age three. That made me SOO incredibly grateful for those labs being negative!

He also decided instead of doing a Head ultrasound again (which was the original plan when we go back to see the neurosurgeon in October) he wants to go ahead and do an MRI, which will be done sometime in October. Other than that he says she looks good. She is still such a happy baby! I just can't wait until we are done with all the tests - I know it is just going to be that she has a large head due to familial inheritance (thanks Daddy haha). But I would rather make sure that she is fine than to just assume and something be wrong.

Some of Brooklynn's milestones: she is rolling all over the place and using this mode to go wherever she wants. She is starting to eat solids - she loves her rice cereal, bananas, pears, and sweet peas...and hates sweet potatoes (we will keep working on that one). She is saying "mamama" and blowing raspberries, starting saying "baba", and when we say "horsey horsey" or "giddy up" she will bounce up and down on our knees. She is so interested in all sorts of textures and is always grabbing for things! She is so interested in everything that is going on. She is learning cause and effect and has learned how to bang objects together and learning how some of her toys work. She also has learned that she has her daddy, me, sister, nanas and papas, and aunts and uncles wrapped around her finger...just like big sister Izzy.

Izzy has been growing more and more everyday. She is able to tell stories now - even though half the time she makes up words as "fillers" but I still understand what she is trying to say. She is putting together long sentences, and it is funny to hear her stumble over words, but still do pretty well in forming the sentences. She is working on the order of how words flow in sentences too which is really neat. She is a running fool now and is a quick little thing. She might take after her daddy and I and become a cross country runner with how much she likes to run. She has a pretty girlie trot though, but I love it! She is also singing and dancing all the time!! I think every phase in her life gets better and better!


This last week I went on a girls' trip with my mom, sister Kristen, and my two girls to St. Louis and had the time of my life!! We drove up on Wednesday and were able to see one of my sister's old college roommates who lived with my parents for a year. It was great to see her and her little girl! We arrived at our hotel that night and it was a HUGE hotel! We had two bedrooms (one with two double beds and one with a king size bed), two bathrooms, a living area, and a kitchen!! It was such a nice little place to stay! On Thursday we went to the Zoo and had a WONDERFUL time! Izzy loved seeing all the animals! We went and ate at the Hard Rock Cafe that night. On Friday, we went to Union Station (which really was not what it used to be), and than went to the Magic House! That place was absolutely amazing for Izzy! She had the best time! When I ask her where we went she calls it the "maggot house" - pretty funny! We also ate dinner with my Half Brother Eric. It was really good to see him- it has been forever! We left on Saturday morning and came home. Sam was in Vegas with his dad while we were on the trip, so last night we went and picked him up at the airport! Izzy loved to see him - and Brooklynn could not take her eyes off him!

I will be posting pictures of the trip soon.

Brooklynn is 6 months old today!!

Today is Brooklynn's six month birthday!! I can't believe it is already here!! How much our lives have changed in the last six months!!

Yesterday we decided to allow her to try her first taste of "big girl food". After all, she was constantly eyeing our food and trying to grab for her sister's plates. She did AMAZING! She ate half of the rice cereal and did not even spit it out! She kept grabbing my hand to bring the food into her mouth! It was so cute. Almost the whole time she was smiling!

She is starting to really stand up with support. Rolling from back to front and back to her back again! She is grabbing for toys, smiling constantly, and is developing her own sense of humor - she has started laughing at what we are doing now. She is constantly eyeing her sister and I can just see the wheels in her head turning about all the fun stuff and trouble she can be getting into when she becomes mobile. When on her belly she has started pulling her knees up, but hasn't quite learned how to push forward. She is not able to sit unsupported yet, but we have been working on the tripod position.

Isabella turned 2 1/2 on Friday which is a big deal too!! Everyday she is becoming more of a little girl and less of a little baby!! She is so much more independent now. She can sing songs (her favorites are Twinkle Twinkle, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Three little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed). She loves dancing to anything and everything and tries to imitate all people she sees dancing. She has really started with pretend play, and enjoys telling and reading "stories". She loves being outside and absolutely adores being with her little sister!! Every day she has to play peek a boo with her sister, tries to dance with her, and she is constantly saying "HI PRETTY GIRL!!" I love every moment with those two!

We also have a new dog which the girls adore, and so do we. Her name is Carmen and she is a two year old lab mix who is THE BEST dog! I never realized how EASY being a pet owner could be - you just have to have the right pet! This dog is so calm, she has not gone to the bathroom ONCE in our house, and she lets the girls play with her! She plays catch, loves to chase the ball, and also just loves laying around watching the family do their thing. I am so glad we decided to adopt her and bring her into our home!

Izzy starts her very first day at "school" tomorrow and I am super excited, but also very sad! I know it is only a Parents Day Out program but it is a lot like school. She has her own backpack, her own lunch box and we have her first homework assignment to work on (getting pictures of things that are important for her). I know tomorrow will be the hardest day for me, but it will be one of the funnest for her. After all, she will be able to play with ten other kids her own age!! I can't wait to hear about all the fun things she is learning! I need to post pictures soon - and I promise I will.

Random Post

It has been a while since I have posted anything on my blog. I don't have much to say just thought I would update it with some random thoughts.

My sister Kristen is pregnant (YAY!!!!). I am super excited about that. She heard the heartbeat this morning. It made me so excited for her and also made me think about how much I LOVED being pregnant and what an amazing human being comes from being pregnant! I just hope that her pregnancy is easy and her labor is great. The doctor found out she was my sister...so they will watch her to make sure if she has any of my complications they will catch it early and be able to start some preventive measures. I hope Kristen takes after my oldest sister and mom and has a worry free pregnancy!! Also I am hoping the PUPPPs rash stays FAR AWAY!!!

I am super excited to become an aunt again, and to be there for when my sister has pregnancy related questions. For once I can be the person with some advice - I have always gone to her for so much growing up that I feel good recipricating and being there for her when she needs it!

Brooklynn has started to become a rolling fool! She is going from back to front, and OCCASSIONALLY from front to back - but mostly she gets super ticked off when she realizes it is not as easy for her to roll onto her back. She lifts her head up and looks around when she is on her belly. She is starting to become curious and reaches for objects and feels what different textures feel like. She is also always watching her older sister - I am sure trying to think of ways she can get into "trouble" when she becomes mobile.

Isabella is always playing with Brooklynn. My favorite part of the night is right before all of us go to bed, we lay Izzy and Brooklynn down together, and Izzy always grabs for Brooklynn's hand. It makes my heart just melt! I than take Brooklynn and lay her in her crib and she falls asleep and than Izzy falls asleep. She is such a protector!

Izzy went to her first Sunday School class this weekend and she loved it. She learned about Noah's Ark. It was great watching her interact with the teacher and see her begin to learn more about God. I hope to start working on becoming a better Christian now that Izzy is at an age where she is learning from what others do. I want to teach her (and Brooklynn too) the right way to live. Whether that means we go to church every weekend, I am not so sure about that one...but they will both grow up knowing about God and how to be good and honest people!

I will post pictures soon of our recent outing to Powell Gardens. Not much interesting in our lives but hey - family life might not be crazy, but it is great fun!

Hello Blogging World...It's Been A While

It has been a long time since I posted a blog, so I thought I would just write a little update. Both girls are doing WONDERFULLY! Every day they each learn something new! Brooklynn has found her feet, is grabbing for objects, ALMOST rolling over from back to front, and Hallelujah she is holding her head up when she is on her belly!! She is such a happy baby and is always smiling and laughing. Literally the only times she is not happy is if she is hungry, tired, hot, or needs a little attention. I do think there is a possibility that she is starting to teeth because she woke up last night at 2am crying and wasn't even settled with eating (neither of which is like her). After a dose of tylenol she was out like a light.

Isabella is discovering more and more in her world. She has learned her full name, what mommy and daddy's name is, and we are working on her phone number (that one will take a while I think haha). She is enjoying reading, watching TV (shhh...don't tell anybody - I do have a TV kid so what?), playing outside, and anything that involves other kids. She is SOO active it is crazy!! Her language is ever expanding and is now holding conversations with anybody who talks to her...whether they understand what she is saying I do not know.

I am LOVING life with two kids. I have been contemplating if in the future we want to add another to our crew...and I really truly think Sam and I both want to. We both agree a big family would be so much fun. It is just a matter of being prepared this time for the possibility of me having to be off as much as last time. So we will wait a few years at least. Right now, we are both enjoying our family of four!!!

What are some things I have learning in the last month or so??

1. Patience is a virtue...really it is!! And a 2 year old doesn't necessarily understand this concept - but I can try to teach it to her.

2. Life goes by in an instant. I swear it was only a week ago that we were in the hospital giving birth to Brooklynn, and only 2 weeks ago we were celebrating Izzy's 1st birthday. I try every day to sit back and just try to remember all the little things.

3. I am not going to do everything right in raising my children. My temper will be tested, I might not get Izzy's teeth brushed twice a day, and I just might put them to bed without a bath. But I swear they will know they are loved and I will NEVER forget to give them hugs and kisses every day. It's the little things that matter most!

4. I will always want to be a stay at home mom, and everyday I go to work I will be torn between my worklife and my home life. But I will be teaching my kids what it means to help bring home "the bacon" and that even though I am not with them 100% of the time, I am always thinking of them. It is okay to have two lives - a work life and a home life. I am still working on that balance, but every day gets a little easier.

neurosurgery appointment

Brooklynn had her appointment with Dr. Hornig today to follow up on her increased head size. We had another head ultrasound done to check on her brain. Her head grew another half inch...she is now 18 and a half inches on her head (yikes!!). The doctor said the ultrasound looks normal but we will check it again in three months. He also said she might have some developmental delays such as holding her head up and walking due to the size of her head but she should still be ok. I guess we will see what happens in the next few months. Her head has to stop growing at some point right?? At least she is long and has some weight on her to even out...she weighed 15 pounds 10 ounces today...my little chunky monkey:)

Words of Wisdom

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about what things I would want my girls to know as they grow up. I thought maybe if I write some of them down and show them later they will realize that I am just not nagging them but I knew from the start what I wanted them to know.

To Izzy and Brooklynn:
Your first day of school will be one of the hardest on me...at least one of the first hardest moments of your life. It means you are becoming more independent and I am becoming less of a fixture in your every day life. More people are teaching you things, whether it is your friends or your teachers, and I am going to have to really struggle at making sure you know what is right and what is wrong. That is my job, to instill in you what I want you to take out of life. I hope I do a good job.

When you are fifteen and you come home and say "I am so in love" with a boy in your school, whether he is your age, older, or younger, I want you to know that it might end up being love, but you don't know that for sure. Don't give up time with your friends. If he is worth it, he will understand. Don't make your whole life about him. He might end up being your husband some day, but don't devote your whole life to this possibility.
Izzy - know that your sister is going to want to be a part of your life, and the things she is doing is not because she wants to bother you, but because she wants to be like you...or to separate herself from you to show you that she is her own person. Brooklynn - it is not that your sister doesn't love you, she is just trying to be her own person and develop into a young lady, and it is hard to do with someone watching her all the time. It will be hard to watch her grow up and to see how distant she is becoming, but I promise in a few years you guys will be best friends again!!

I am not an evil woman by telling you that you can't go out past midnight at sixteen years old. Yes, a majority of what you can do after midnight you can do before midnight (both good and bad). The reason for these rules is I want you to have respect for your body and for your family - you need to have rules to live by. When you are on your own you can do what you want. But while you are in my house it will be for the sake of my sanity for you to get home a descent hour - I will be up waiting for you until I hear that door close. It is just a mother's way for us to worry about all the "ifs" that could happen, and I will worry until I know you are home safe.

On your day of high school graduation - I will be balling, and your dad will be holding back tears. It is not that we think we can hold on to you forever, but it is that we wish we could. You are becoming a woman now and everything in life is going to be so different. You will have to make choices, and I just pray that we gave you the tools you needed to make the right ones. And when you make the wrong ones (because you will), we will be right here ready to help wipe your tears and hold you up when you feel like you are falling. No matter what you decide to do with life from here on out, make sure it is something that will make you happy.

On your wedding day - know that it will be one of the hardest days of your dad's life. You are his little girl(s). He has been the number one man in your life, and now he has to give you to someone else. If we taught you well, he will be a great guy who will treat you well and we will be happy with the decision you made! We will be happy to be there and support you, and know our tears are both of joy and of sadness - this means we are never going to be the same to you. Yes, we know we mean a lot to you but you are starting your own family. You will be beautiful on this day!!

The day you have your child(or children): I hope that I get to be there and be a big part of your child's life. It will be the most amazing experience of your life, and possibly one of the hardest as well. It will be amazing to watch you grow into such an amazing woman and mother. I will want to give you guidance in how to raise children, and it is not because I think you need it, it is because it will help ME to be a part of their lives. If you take my advice, great...if not I will try to understand. I think you will be amazing at this job, and hopefully you learned from me the right way to raise a child.

I love you both, and my world is turned upside down every day due to the changes you make. I am more in love with you every day of my life, and I am excited to walk through life with you - be there for the good things, help guide you through the tough times, and hold you up when you feel like you just can't take any more. We will butt heads MANY times, and there will be things you do that I won't agree with, but no matter what I will always love you!!

Need a photographer??

My friend has been doing photography for a while now and I just wanted to do a little advertising for her. If anybody needs someone for beautiful newborn photos, senior photos, or kids photos please visit her website - I HIGHLY recommend her! She has done pictures of both my girls so if you are interested in seeing some of her work from me just let me know!! Go to her blog site to see some of her work!

http://jnicholephotography.blogspot.com/

If you need more information feel free to e-mail me or her (you can find her information on her blog!!