tiny sprite

This Halloween we had a bounty hunter, a bloody skeleton and a tiny sprite in the house. It has been such a fun night. The weather was perfect for trick or treating. I absolutely loved seeing my THREE kiddos all dressed up and ready for fun. As you can see I couldn't stop taking pictures all night! Brekka's daddy was so proud to show her off at the trunk er treat. I wasn't even going to put her wings on since I figured she'd be wrapped up but he wanted them on. Hee hee... so cute. Now I just need to wait for the boys to fall asleep so I can raid their candy bags!

♥ ♥ ♥

"What is her name?"

"Brekka"

"Oh what a unique and beautiful name! I love that name.. never heard it before!" These are the types of comments we get EVERY time we tell people what we named our sweetheart.

I had never heard this name before either. Not until I was pregnant with Brekka, half way between sleep and awake talking to her in a dream. In that dream I called her Brekka. I didn't think much of it at the time. Later on when we were coming up with names I mentioned it to Darrell. He wasn't too fond of it so I put it at the end of the list. As we got closer to delivery, the name Brekka would pop in my head whenever I thought of her. It sounded like a beautiful smart girl, a spitfire with confidence, sweet and full of substance. I knew her personality. I knew it fit this name.

One day I told Darrell how strongly I felt, that no other name seemed right. He agreed that should be her name. When she was born we hadn't decided how to spell it. The nurse in the delivery room wrote different options on the whiteboard... Brecka, Brecca... Darrell suggested using a double K, making it seemingly Scandinavian. We asked staff and family to vote. Brekka won out in the end.

Later on we looked up the name BREKKA online and found that it is a city in Iceland. Darrell instantly became proud, knowing that Iceland was founded by our viking ancestors, thus making her name "Old Norse." I have to remind him that it was MY idea to name her that in the first place..

There seems to be no question that Brekka was meant to be a Brekka. Perfect and special in every way. "Unique and Regal" as Grammy Goodwin would say.

Now Brekka's middle name is no less special. VIOLET, the name of both great grandmas on my side. No doubt they were with her, loved and adored her in heaven. Darrell was the one to choose this name for her. He felt very strongly about it. I joked that the grandmas were yankin' his chain and whispering the idea in his ear. He said he likes violets too..pretty and delicate. I started to think he had bonked his head. But I knew he was right., Violet was to be her name. I get the chills whenever I see it on paper, a name so full of meaning, an affirmation that she's finally here!

Brekka is not the only name she goes by.. She has also been called sweetheart, sweet cheeks, sweetie pie, pumpkin, precious, princess, pretty girl, angel, darling, lovely, lunchy, baby Brekka, Brekka boo, baby doll, little elf, little person, tinkerbell, tiny SPRITE! Whatever she's called I know she'll be mine...forever.

big talker

Miss Brekka has been smiling and cooing for a couple weeks now. But just recently she has started socializing, TALKING in her own way. It is the cutest sweetest thing I have ever heard. I'll try to explain..

She looks you in the eye, holds completely still and focuses on nothing but you. Her lips curve around, her chin juts out and in a deep little voice says something like, "ooooh, oooh, agoo." She waits for your reply and says something in return. Her eyes are so expressive, completely light up and sparkle as she talks. It really is amazing. I hope to get her on video doing this. How smart she must be..

Just tonight I was laying slouched on the couch. Brekka was laying across my lap. She looked over at me, smiled and started to talk. Her eyes sparkled as I apologized for the hard day she had at the doctors office. We went back and forth for a minute or two. My heart completely melted. Only two months old and we're already having girl talk.

Today Brekka had her two month check up. She is still perfectly healthy and growing well.

Length- 22.75 in / 64th percentile

Weight- 11.06 lbs / 50th percentile

Head circumference- 15 in / 27th percentile

The doctor's vote is that her eyes will stay blue.

She had three shots and an oral vaccine. This was such a sad scene. She cried so very hard, face red, tears streaming. After each shot I talked softly in her ear and she instantly stopped crying. It was so sweet. Then she was given the oral vaccine which caused her to projectile vomit all the contents of her stomach. Poor girl. But what a trooper she is. She was smiling at her daddy before we even got her new clothes put on.

I came away with a grateful heart. Grateful for the opportunity to take her to a wonderful doctor. Grateful she is protected from bad bugs such as diptheria and polio.

Hopefully she won't feel too rough the next few days. She sure seems happy for now! :)

And a side note.. Brekka does NOT like taking liquid medicine. She's a smart little stink and knows all the ways to get it out of her mouth. She'll clamp her gums shut to keep the syringe out. Once the medicine's in she wont swallow until her mouth is full of saliva and spilling out. I put it as far back in the side of her cheek as I can and she still manages to push it out with her tongue... all the while having a disgusted look on her face. I have to laugh, but of course she's not going to beat her momma on this one!

uncle chella

Today we got a visit from Uncle Chella and Aunt Weezie (Allen and Lisa). Brekka just smiled and smiled at Allen. I loved watching them meet for the first time (on earth anyway). It was great to see them and I was happy they made a special stop for us.

not so sleepy bean

Brekka is pretty choosy when it comes to a sleeping place. At night the co sleeper will suffice (not so effective during the day). Sometimes she'll nod off in the bouncy chair. Other times the swing will do the trick (rarely). Daddy's pillow is number one and coming in at a close second is the corner of the couch. She must feel like she's being held and still apart of things with her eyes closed. Haha. She doesn't want to miss any of the fun!

The time I get to spend feeding Brekka is truly special. I don't know if I can fully describe this bond I feel but I'll try... I don't ever want to forget these things over time.

I love looking at Brekka's sweet face as she gulp, gulp, gulps. I love the touch of her tiny hands grasping at my side and the front of my shirt. I love the feeling of her warm body curled around my waist. I love the way she looks up at me and smiles. I love the feeling that I am providing for her, nourishing her and in a way giving her life. I love being able to get her to stop crying as she settles in with peace and contentment. I even love the way she throws her head forward and attacks that boob when she's especially hungry. And when she's finished, I love the way she looks, drunk on milk, wobbly, fat and happy. Then, we get to cuddle...

Beach Baby

A couple weeks ago we went to the lake with Grandma Wright, Aunt Tone, Monika and cousins. Brekka got to experience the great outdoors for the first time! She did really well considering it was pretty hot and muggy. She fell fast asleep after I stripped her down to her diaper and gave her my cotton sun dress to snuggle. Getting to sleep on her tummy was a real treat. She curled up like a stink bug and crashed for at least a couple hours. I can't wait for next summer when Brekka is old enough to play and enjoy the water. However, I will always cherish this memory of my tiny stink bug all cozy in the sun. :)