Brooks at 10 months

I've lost count of how many times people have made the comment that he's almost one! Or he's so big!  Although I'm very aware of these things, I refuse to believe them. 

Stats| I think around 19lbs 8oz and I have no idea how tall he is.  Wearing 6-9 month clothes and size 4 diaper.  He's looking older and older although he's still petite. 

Eating| 3 meals that usually consist of whatever we are eating, 1 snack and 4-5 bottles a day.  He's always been a snacker and even now, he'll only drink about 4 of the 6oz we make him. He can polish off 8oz before bed though. He had his first french fry this month and he refused to eat anything but french fries after he had one.  We were out to eat so I just let him have a healthy french fry lunch so he wouldn't scream. I'd say his 3 favorite foods are strawberries, lunch meat and noodles.  With the exception of honey, I think he's tried just about every food. 

Sleeping| He slept through the night for the first time ever right after he turned 9 months (May 25) and then continued it for almost a week before a tooth started popping through and that sleeping went through the window. I felt bad for him so I caved for about a week but we did one night of crying it out and now he's back to sleeping from about 7pm-7am. 

Play| Army crawling and started to crawl up on his knees.  Pulled to a stand on May 26 and attempted to climb the stairs on June 21.  He always wants to be standing and can stand for about 15 sec by himself.  He let's go of things and tries to take off walking but his upper body goes quicker then his feet which doesn't work out so well for him.  As much as I don't want him to walk, I want him to walk so he'll stop being so clingy! If I am anywhere in sight, he'll crawl to me or scream at me until I pick him up.  He just wants me to stand him so he can have a better view. He finally says mama and I swear he's trying to say bye.

Health| He's had a runny nose for about 2 weeks and I took him 2 weeks ago to the doctor thinking he had an ear infection but they looked great.  He pulls on his ears a lot when he's teething but I wanted to be safe before we went to the lake for the weekend.  I believe he was 19lbs 4oz at that appointment so I took a guess on his current weight. 

Likes| Water! We already knew he loved the bath but the rain finally stopped and we got to take him swimming and loves it.  Sits there splashing or floats around in his floatie.  Mexico next month will be fun.  He finally got the chance to sit in the seat of a shopping cart and he enjoys the view.  Collins either has to sit in the basket part or we get the hideous car carts at the grocery store that they both can sit in.  Boy does he like driving those! He likes swinging, being outside, giving open mouth kisses and riding on daddy's shoulders. 

Dislikes| Being confined in things like his jumper, going inside or having things taken away from him.  I swear our neighbors probably think he's abused from the high pitched scream he lets out when we bring him inside.  I sometimes think he can throw a bigger fit then Collins does.

Your at such a fun and exhausting age.  Stairs with no gate? Crawling straight for them.  Wires? Straight into the mouth.  Silly sounds and faces? The best laughs.  We love you so so much, buddy.

Collins at 2.5

I'm a little late posting this but since it's been 6 months since I did a Collins post, I figured it was time.  "Though she may be little, she may be fierce." This quote replays in my mind daily.  She's a tiny thing weighing in at 26 pounds but boy does she have sass.  I'm sometimes even scared to look at her because you never know if she'll be sweet or sour.  Girlfriend can throw some fits. And the whining? Lord help me. But usually, she's a pretty great kid and has the best little personality.   

 

Mostly wearing 18-24 month and 2t clothes. We measured her the other day for her passport and she was 2 feet 10 inches.  I'm baffled at how small she is because she eats about every 2 hours! Some of her favorite foods include fruit snacks, goldfish, mac and cheese, mostly any fruit and cheez its.  The girl loves her some cheese.  She drinks mostly water and milk with 1 juice a day and the occasional lemonade at restaurants.  When she's done eating, she likes to set her plate on the counter or load it in the dishwasher if its dirty.

Within the past 2 weeks, naps have been hit or miss.  Some days she doesn't fall asleep but I still make her lay in there for 1.5 hours and some days she only naps for an hour.  Typically she's an 1.5 hour napper and sleeps 8pm-7:30am.  Bedtime can draaaaag on.  She has to give mommy, daddy and Elsie 5 million kisses, go to the bathroom, sing twinkle twinkle, etc.  Needless to say, we don't love Collins bedtime duty so we rotate every other night.  We've started praying at night with her and it's too dang cute watching her put her hands together, close her eyes and say Now I lay Me Down to Sleep.  No less then 3 baby dolls occupy her bed at any given time and an array of stuffed animals can be found there as well.

She is pretty shy but warms up to people pretty quickly.  Because she's so shy, she doesn't talk much around other people.  But get her home and its non stop. Recently she's very curious as to what things and people eat.  "Wha nat (cat) eat?" "Wha Elsie eat?" and the dreaded "why?" is said all damn day.  At first she would prounounce why as "hiiii?" so that got confusing.  Brooks is baby Brooks and she often times calls us by our first name.  "Um Sarah? Elsie um come me house?"  Says her colors, of the rainbow anyways; can point out her shapes, colors and the letters B, C, S, D and M (Brooks, Collins, Sarah, Derek, daddy and mommy).  She surprised me the other day and did pretty good counting to 10.  1-4 is a little tough to understand but 5-10 was pretty clear. 

Potty training wise she is still in a diaper at nap and bedtime.  I'm not changing sheets on a queen bed in the middle of the night so until she consistently wakes up dry, we'll keep the bedtime diapers.  And she down right refuses to get off her bed during nap and bedtime.  It's a good and bad thing but until she'll do it, I don't see the diaper coming off. Collins can finally go to the bathroom on her own.  Shortie had a hard time getting up on the potty without a step stool and she has finally figured it out.  Game changer.  Between that and being able to completely dress herself, she doesn't even need me around. 

She took gymnastics last Fall and started dance in January.  She just had her dance recital and she did so good.  All these pictures were from recital day.  I don't normally put make up on her, although she'd love it. 

 

Some of her favorite things include: playing babies, feeding Brooks, being outside, dancing, watching YouTube videos (like obsessed), swimming, buckling her car seat,  eating, finding things that match, going anywhere and Elsie (the dog and her best friend). 

 

Some things she doesn't like: being told no, bread (with the exception of an occasional peanut butter and jelly sandwich), sharing her baby dolls, bugs and being helped with anything unless she asks. 

Collins, you are the light of our life.  Your so independent but at the same time you always want to be held.  Your facial expressions and the things you say crack us up and I'm not sure that there is a better big sister then you are.  Constantly wanting to hold him and love on him. Your the best and we love you so so much.