9 months

These pictures were taken at Grammy Goodwin's house by Brekka's aunt Denie at 9 months old. She pretty much loved the attention as we all stood around her doing silly things to get her to smile. At one point she toppled over backwards in her red bucket, hitting her head on fence, and was pretty offended we let her fall. She was tough though and didn't hold it against us. :) What a cutie pie.

fun with Grandpa

I promised my Dad I just wanted shots of his hands holding Brekka, but he's never on this blog so shhhh don't tell him about these or I'll be in trouble!

Brekka loves hanging out on Grandpa's lap. She plays with the remote, chews on his necklace and lately likes the yank on the cords of his heart monitor. She flops around and climbs up and down him. Every once and awhile she'll settle in for a quick snuggle.




She definitely has her Grandpa Goodwin wrapped around her little finger. As we were about to leave his house after our last visit, Brekka was in her car seat on the floor and Grandpa got down on his hands and knees to say goodbye. When we got home I realized her blankie smelled just like him. :) The way he dotes on her is slightly out of character for his rough mountain man image, which makes it even more special.

movin' and a groovin'

I can't believe it's only been about six weeks since I wrote last. We have had a very eventful and fun filled spring. Here is the latest.. I'll start with her firsts.



Brekka is now on the move and it's all I can do to keep up. Since my last post she has started crawling! At first she did baby push ups on her hands and toes. Then she started pulling her knees under her and rocking back and forth. In the last week she has figured out how to move her arms and legs forward at the same time and covers a lot of ground! She leaves a little trail of messes in her wake.

A couple weeks ago I went into her room and found her standing up in her crib! Soon after that she started using my skin to clamp on to and pull herself up with. Now she'll use the couch or ottoman and sometimes falls over when we're not quick enough to grab her. She's a tough cookie though and so freakishly strong. If I'm on her level she attacks me, elbows my chest, pulls my hair, pulls on my skin or clothes and smashes her face into mine. One time she pulled me forward and licked my nose!

She can pick up the tiniest piece of food with her little pointer finger and thumb. ( In slow motion.) She uses that same pointer finger to poke food back into her mouth that's stuck on her chin. She's really great with her feet too and will use them to hook on to things or dig in my ribs!

Sometimes when she cries she claps her hands.

Sometimes when she talks she sounds Japanese.

She hates peas and chicken & stars.

Her orange polka dot blankie is her favorite. When she's tired we look for it together. I say, "Where's you're blankie?" and she anxiously looks around saying, "Ooh hoo hoo hoo hooo." When I hand it to her she burries her face in it and snuggles in to suck her thumb.

She has two, very sharp bottom teeth. I love it when I catch her eye and she gives me a giggle and cheesy two tooth grin.

She loves to laugh and will laugh with us even if she doesn't understand what's so funny.

She likes to scrunch her nose up and breath quickly in and out of it.

She gets REALLY ticked off if we try to get something out of her mouth, especially if she knows it's something she shouldn't have. She bites down then freaks out when we finally get it!

She will resort to yelling if she doesn't get her way. I giggle at how dejected Darrell looks when she yells and gets on his case. Sometimes she makes such a high pitched squeal it sounds like a smoke detector that's running out of battery. Wow this girl is a pistol!

We went to her 9mo. check up in May. Thankfully no shots this time. She tolerated the doctor a bit better, but was pretty good at smacking the otoscope away from her ears and ripped the stethoscope from his hands. The doctor said, "She's good with those!" Here are her 9 mo. stats:

Weight: 15.63 lbs - 5th percentile (light but healthy and normal for her)
Height: 27.75 in - 57th percentile
Head Circumference: 16.9 in - 22nd percentile

She is healthy and perfect in every way.

For the last couple months we've pretty much lived at the baseball fields. Blakely and Trentin had games and practice every day of the week. Brekka was good about it and enjoyed the outdoors for the most part. Sometimes we were stuck in the car due to bad weather and I would be completely exhausted after an hour or three of juggling her around.

Blakely earned the first game ball of the season when he was up to bat and got hit in the ankle with a pitch. To my surprise he decided to give the ball to Brekka. He handed it to her in the car and when we got home he went in her room and set it on her shelf. My heart melted at the sight of it.

And last but not least Brekka finally got to MEET HER GRANDMA AND GRANDPA GOODWIN! On May 17th Mom and Dad came home from Chile after a year and a half. They left when I was just three months pregnant. I can't describe the joy and peace I felt when they held her for the first time. They were completely in awe of her.

My Dad is especially smitten and it's so cute to watch. He plays with her and copies her baby noises. They stare into each others eyes and size each other up. Once she stared him down without blinking and even leaned forward show her dominance. ;) He thinks she's petty smart and doesn't miss a thing. Once he said that she doesn't just look at you, she looks right through you. That is EXACTLY the description I've been looking for all along. Dad and Brekka are a lot alike in appearance. They have the same ears, head shape, piercing blue eyes and stubborn attitude. I think he has met his match with her. ;)

And of course there was instant bonding between my Mom and sweet Brekka. Grammy kisses her all over, and forgives her for being a "turncoat" by going blond like Grandpa. She is Brekka's #1 fan, besides me and the boys of course, and thinks she's perfect in every way. Just last night my Mom and I sat in Brekka's room and just talked. It seemed like a dream, so surreal to see her there. I am so excited that they are finally here and can witness all of Brekka's future firsts!

Beauty Redefined

This girl is the true definition of beauty. She is pretty no doubt, those blue eyes stop people dead in their tracks, but what is truly unique is the way her personality shines. You can see on her face she is living in the moment, smiling, laughing, absorbing everything around her. She is very assertive, smart and aware. I adore the way she is so outgoing and full of life.



Her auntie calls her a wild little indian because she is always seeking a thrill. She loves to be bounced (roughly) hung upside down, swung around, tickled, jiggled, and startled. She tends to be a bit bossy about it too. Once you start she'll expect you to keep going!

If you're next to her she wants to be tucked in close and in your personal space. She likes it when I grab her head with both hands and kiss her face all over. There's no resistance as if she wants me to do it again. I love it when she's sitting on my stomach, facing me, she leans forward, folds in half, and snuggles into my chest to suck her thumb. It's like she's the same little ball she was in when I was pregnant.



She loves to laugh and be laughed at. She'll babble something then scrunch her nose and giggle. I giggle with her and she giggles even more.



Brekka is sleeping though the night now. The first step was to detach her co-sleeper from my bed and move it over to the wall. Ugg, I cried a little the fist time I rolled over and saw (felt) the empty space there by my bed. The next step was letting her sleep in her crib. The first night in her room she cried, but not longer than about five minutes before we gave in. The strategy was to have Daddy pat her and hold her for a bit. Thankfully this worked and after a few nights she didn't wake up at all. Pathetically I thought I would rather wake up all night and have her by me. But, this was best for her so I had to do it!



She has two teeth on the verge of breaking through. You can just see them under a small layer of gums. I love those gums and the way she bites together and sucks air through them just to make a funny noise and laugh at it. :)



We went through about three weeks of fussiness before Brakka learned to sit up. She was stuck on her stomach yelling out in misery and boredom. (Her brothers put pillows on either side of her to keep her from crying at them to roll her back over.) We had to hold her the majority of the time, and we'd catch hell if we tried to set her down. She's a new baby now that she can sit and play on her own. She rolls from front to back as well. Gone are the days of leaving her on the bed or couch.



She LOVES anything new, the outdoors, rides in the car, music and crowds of people. Combine the last two and she is supercharged. This girl loves a party.



She views her brothers as modes of transportation.

She can't resist sucking her thumb if there's something soft to hold on to. Her favorite is a fleece blanket. One time she settled for a napkin, squished it against her cheek put the thumb in.



She really likes solid food now and downs a jar at a time. (Her first favorites were bananas and potatoes.) She's even started taking a bottle a bit, thanks to the help of her Daddy who keeps sneaking apple juice into her formula. Grandma Wright was able to put her to bed for the first time last week. She was sound asleep when I got home, and I just had to rock her and hold her for awhile. I wanted her to know I was there and I missed her. (heart aching) Earlier that night she had been calling out for me, "Ma ma ma ma mom.." Somehow at 8 months, without a doubt, she's figured out how to say "ma ma" when she wants me. She also says "Da da da da" but we don't know for sure if this means Darrell or not. Maybe because I'm constantly correcting her, "No, not da da. It's ma ma ma. " ;)


LOVE THIS BABY!!

6 months

I promised myself I would set up a professional photo shoot for Brekka when she turned six months old. I am SO glad I did. These photos are priceless to me. They were taken in a peach orchard by our home. Brekka absolutely loved it there. She had a beaming smile on her face the whole time. I loved to watch her, warm and happy, in awe of her surroundings, simply glowing from the inside out as she hammed it up for the camera. Here are a few of my favorites! (The quilt in the pictures was made by Brekka's Great Great Grandma Barrus.)

put on your dancing shoes

Watch out world, Miss Brekka is on the move! This baby girl has grown so much this week. Last week she was sick and miserable, but it seemed as soon as she felt better she hit the ground running, or I should say dancing!

One of her newest faves is dancing to a little tune I made up. "Daaancy dancy dance. Daaancy dancy dance." I hold her up on the counter and as soon as I start to sing she kicks her legs and taps away, jumps up and down, throws her hips back and forth in a jig that would put The Lord of the Dance to shame! Her heart's a poundin' and she just goes and goes. What's funny is that as soon as I stop singing she stops, and when I sing again she starts jiggin. We have laughed and laughed over this little spunk! She dances in her swing, on our laps, anywhere she can! (These cute jelly shoes were given to her by her Aunt Denie.)

A few days ago Brekka rolled over from back to front for the first time. She was between me and her daddy when she reached over for him and kept going. She didn't get her arm out from underneath her but I say it counts.

Another first this week, Brekka actually willingly ate solid food! We decided not to give her solids until her six month mark. We gave her little bites here and there before but nothing regular. She didn't actually eat the food anyway. Most of it ended up on her shirt. But last night she actually SWALLOWED some applesauce with rice cereal. Woo Hoo! I'm happy because this old milk cow needs a little break now and then. (Brekka doesn't take a bottle, or more accurately, her other care givers (not naming names) don't like to see her sad and have a hard time coercing her to take a bottle..so do I.)

Brekka seems even more aware of her surroundings this week. It's almost impossible for her to focus on nursing. I have to take her to her room, away from distractions. We sit in her rocker and I wait while she grabs my nose, pulls my hair, digs her fingers in behind my clavicle, pinches the skin on the back of my arm, cranks her head around looking at every single detail in the room, notices every sound....then FINALLY after about 10 minutes of this she settles in to eat. Heaven forbid I should try to coerce her before she's ready!

She is really getting serious about playing with her toys. Before she would just grasp things that were held in front of her. Now she notices the toys around her and seems to think, "Oooh what's that?! I'm gonna get it." It's fun to look down at her and think, "Hey, how did you get that in your hand? You were no where near it a minute ago."

At the same time it's not so fun when she thinks she's got to have anything I'm holding. It's like she's got octopus arms. As soon as I pry her gummy fingers off of my phone, or fork or anything else around me, her other hand is latched onto it. So I pull that hand off, but not before she's got it with the other! I pretty much forget about doing anything with her on my lap. :)

We took Brekka to her six month Dr appointment this week. At the beginning of the appointment the doctor said, "By her 9 month appointment she'll notice me more and probably won't like me.." On cue she looked at him and started to cry! He said, "Wait, you're not supposed to know not to like me yet!" Nope, not Brekka. Like I said before, nothing gets past her. The Dr left the room and she settled down. When he came back in she started fussing again. He sat clear across the room, hoping to appease her but she wasn't having it. She focused in on him and started to WAIL. Haha we had to laugh.

Brakka was equally ticked off when she got her THREE immunization shots. She cried because it hurt of course, but there was also a little attitude in there as if she would swear if she knew how. She'd stop and start again just at the thought of it. Poor little monkey. Thankfully she gets a break from shots for awhile.

Here are her 6 mo. stats:

Weight - 14.75 lbs/27th percentile

Length - 26 in/62nd percentile

Head Circumference - 16.1 in/13th percentile (I'm pretty sure the MA didn't measure her head accurately as I watched her.)

Brekka melts our hearts with her sweet smile and precious personality. The other day Darrell put her in her crib to see if she was ready for sleep. He came in our room and said "It's hard to leave her there when she's reaching out to me and smiling. She shouldn't pull on her father's heart strings like that.." She knows how to smile sweet and coo so we'll be tempted to pick her up, and it works too!

I remember from Blakely and Trentin that six months is one of my favorite baby stages. After this week I have realized why. There is something about a roly poly baby that smiles with delight at the sight of you that's just irresistible. Brekka is so bright, so animated and seems to LOVE life. Her brother Trentin said, "She makes everybody around her happy." We all enjoy her so much.

This last picture is of Brekka and Blakely at his fifth grade (first) dance. He saved one of his dances for his baby sister. I'm pretty sure she loved every second of it. Seriously, so sweet!

Wow this girl has grown. I'm expecting her to start packing for college tomorrow.

Brekka just started crying and I found her laying on her belly! She rolled over for the second time, both arms out and everything. Apparently she forgot how to roll back! So fun...

what brekka likes

Here's a list of Brekka's newest faves..

*She likes to let spit collect in the back of her throat so she can make a gargling sound when she talks and sings.

*She likes it when I act shocked while she coughs or sneezes. Now she knows the reaction's coming, so she'll start laughing before she's finished, and even through in a few fake ones at the end.

*She likes to reach out and touch my hand, enter twining her fingers in mine.

*She likes to try and stick her thumb in her mouth while she's eating. Two is better than one right?

*She likes the anticipation of getting tickled, even more than being tickled.

*She likes (loves) her changing table. Maybe because the only thing she can see are smiling faces looking down at her.

*She likes to lay across my lap with her head hanging over the edge, looking upside down at everything.

*She likes to hook her thumb in her shirt, sleeve, blanket, my shirt.. anything she can get her hands on and suck on it!

*She likes to stick her fingers in my mouth and thinks it's funny when I bite them.

*She REALLY likes her mommy. When she sees me it seems she's so happy she could just pee her pants. Maybe she does. ;)

brand new

Poor baby Brekka has a cold today. The sweet girl feels miserable but still smiles all the while. She’s been taking long naps while her little body heals. This is giving me the perfect opportunity to post her adorable newborn pictures. These were taken when she was only one month old. (Seems like forever ago.) I wanted to get them edited and create a book to surprise my Mom before posting them here. They are even more precious to me now than they were then. The photographer kept asking, “Why isn’t she sleeping… Wow I can’t believe she’s still awake!“ Well of course Brekka was awake, she had to be in order to observe every little thing that was happening! Nothing gets past her. Haha. Finally towards the end of the photo shoot I wrapped her up tight and fed her until her little eyelids couldn’t stay open any longer. We had about 10 minutes to take her sleepy, Princess and the Pea photos before she woke up wondering what the heck was going on! I was completely exhausted by the end, but as you can see… SO worth it!