Hey John, does this remind you of anyone?

US! Before Brooklyn came along.

Houston, we have tooth bud! And other news...

Just when I thought we'd have the only baby in history who would need dentures because she refused to grow a tooth, behold we have seen the nub. It's just the tiniest little speck of white on her lower right gum. The nub started making it's appearance on Thursday or Friday. And this explains alot about her mood lately. The poor little thing has a mini dagger pushing through her gums. I think I'd be at the very least a little cranky too. So 10.5 months old and her first tooth. Great job Butter Bean! You grow those teeth, girl!

Also, she's mastered crawling. Well, I use the term "master" loosely. She's mastered it as much as I think she's going to. She prefers to be upright on her feet and loves to walk around the house holding onto our fingers or doing laps around the coffee table. But if a toy is out of her reach, or she's tired of being in a particular room, off she goes on hands and knees. I know it won't be long before she's skipping and jumping rope. *sniff sniff* SLOW DOWN already, jeeze!



So we bought her the first pair of shoes. (Stride Rites...people say they are great.) Now if crazy people tell me stuff, I ignore them. But the people that said these shoes rock are sane, respectable and so far have given good advice. I love having friends who research the crap out of stuff. It makes my job much easier. "Hey Tracy, what shoes do I get...Stride Rites? Okay." "Hey Paige, what's the best car seat...Britax? Okay."



As for food, right now she likes bagels, ham, slices of cheese, still with the cheerios, cucumber, peas, and chicken from Chick-Fil-A. (Who DOESN'T love chicken from Chick-Fil-A?) Oh, and she ate the heck out of a chocolate chip cookie once, though dessert type food is still OFF LIMITS. (That's for you mom, if you are reading this.) LOL

She weighs 18.something lbs and is still sporting size 4 diapers. She is also still able to wear her 6-9 months clothing. We put her in some 12 month stuff only because it is so cute, but the pants fall down off her little hips. *sigh* Mommy wishes she had Brooklyn's little hips.

Well, that's all for now.

(insert fitting title here)

I'm a 'reason' person. I have no problem doing the what. I just need to know the why and I'm on board. Well, unless the why is really stupid. Or illegal. Or boring. Or will make me sweat. But normally, I'll help with the what. Especially for doing something life-altering. Like having babies.

When I was in my 20's I felt like there were only a few reasons someone would have kids:
~ Accidentally
~ To fill some emotional void
~ To carry on the family name
~ To help plow the wheat fields in Oklahoma
~ To make a guy stay
~ To get on a reality show

And see, I knew it was life-altering. I felt too few people regard the decision with the amount of gravity it deserves. And none of the above reasons were good enough for me. I felt I was better than all of that.

Until God steps in and starts kicking over all the tables of fear and doubt in your heart and mind. Through books and words from dear friends that I'll never forget, God tore down all my wrong thinking about creating a family and assured me that John and I would have all the tools needed (the how) to grow a child (the what) who would live for God (the why.)

And now that we have made a sweet and precious baby, I can honestly say I believe the part in the bible that says children are a blessing to their parents. I understand the dreams and desires every mom and dad must have down to their core for their children. I echo the fervent prayers from parents everywhere for the safety and protection over their little ones. If I may be so foolish to say, I think I understand a teeny bit more about God's love for us. And as Brooklyn grows and learns, the more I think we'll grow and learn.

I feel like I've been let in on the most wonderfully beautiful secret that there ever was.

Who's timetable is it anyway?

I really try not to compare Brooklyn's progress or development to that of other babies her age. I admit, it was difficult at first. I would see these other kids who have like 5 teeth, eat hamburgers, can jump rope and speak two languages. And are only 11 months old. I'd think to myself "I'd be happy with just a crawl." But I realized it really isn't a race.

So instead, John and I celebrate each new step that she makes. We realize that all babies do things when they are good and ready. No teeth yet? Well I've never known a 3 year old who hadn't yet popped out any teeth. Or a 5 year old who didn't walk or know how to crawl. I just keep these things in my mind when I hear how well other babies are doing. This frees me to share in the joy of that proud momma and papa.

On the other hand, I don't want to judge or be judged by other moms either. And trust me, we can all tell when we are being judged...we do it to ourselves PLENTY and are experienced in the detection of criticism no matter how silent or unintended. A slight lift of an eyebrow, the smallest inflection in someone's voice, the darting of the eyes when I tell them, "No Brooklyn isn't walking yet. She isn't even crawling. Nope, not even 1 tooth nub."

She'll get there. We all get there. And I'm going to sit back and enjoy every baby-step of the way.

Daddy & Mommy's Day Out

My mom kept Brooklyn after church. John and I drove all over Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach trying to find a great water-front resturant for lunch that wasn't swarming with kids on summer vacation. Oh how I envy kids on summer vacation. But hey, I had my turn. And they can't drink THESE!....



We settled on Sunset Cafe, overlooking the Banana River. It was hot. It was sunny. It was awesome. The perfect Florida day. I felt like we were doing what tourists fly many miles to come here to do. Something that we don't do enough of...kick back, relax and enjoy our lovely state.



Added bonus: We saw a dolphin swimming not far from the little dock we had lunch on. Can you see his fin in the water on the lower right side of the rocks?

Get your swagger on!

So how can I make this my new ringtone??

Underestimating Cheerios - never do it!

I never thought much of them. As a kid they lack that sugary deliciousness that you find in most kid's cereal. As an adult they lack the nuts & chunks that you grow to love in most non-kid's cereals. But to babies.....wow! We are talking about a good 20 or more minutes of pure eating entertainment. I mean, she's eating them now and I'm able to write this post!

So yep, we gave Brooklyn cheerios last night. We sat with her while she chased them around her high chair tray with those tiny uncoordinated fingers. It was so cute to see her focus. We've given them to her before and she could grab them but would always lose one on the way to getting it to her mouth. That was frustrating for her. But last night = SUCCESS. Her motor skills and coordination are getting so good! We celebrated with her as she was able to put the first one in her mouth. Then another. Then another until she ate them all.

I'm so proud of our big girl. I took for granted what Cheerios have to offer. They aren't sugary. They are small enough for little fingers to practice grasping stuff. They get soggy so that a toothless baby can gum them with no problems. AND they will lower her cholesterol. Who doesn't want a baby with a healthy heart? They are essentially awesome.

And now that Brooklyn is finished eating the handful I just gave her, she wants some attention. Gotta go!

Enjoy your Saturday!