Brooklyn Turns One!

It's hard to believe that one year ago, on August 6th, 2009 at 12:03pm, my little (ok, BIG) Brooklyn came out of my body and into our lives. What an incredible year it has been: Adjusting to a family of four (and the extra time that means to get anything done or get out of the house); Watching her big brother learn about what it means to have a baby sister; Enjoying her adorable outfits and sighing in disbelief when I have to pack away yet another outgrown outfit she wore once; Wishing I had a built-in camera covering my eyeball so that I could capture that moment I am witnessing to cherish it forever; Cuddling every last inch of her irresistibly soft, warm, pudgy body and being secretly thrilled when she lets me rock her to sleep.

Oh, sweet Brooklyn, how you have entered my heart and made this family complete. Where did my baby go? She is walking all over, feeding herself (for the most part), full of personality and opinions, studying the world around her and surprising me with something new every day.

The hardest moment so far was when it was clear that breastfeeding was a losing battle, about 2 months ago. After much anxiety and tears (on my part!), I threw in the towel and resorted to formula. But the world didn't end. She is still happy and thriving and I'm certain our bond has not been affected. Now, she's drinking cow's milk and loving it. But there's just something about seeing my girl toss back her bottle of milk one-handed that makes me miss my little nursing baby.

She had an eventful birthday weekend. My mom, step-dad and little sister came out from Michigan and we started off her birthday on Friday with lunch at Red Robin. She liked them singing Happy Birthday to her and loved the ice cream sundae even more. Then we all became kids again at Chuck E Cheese for dinner that night! I knew Hayden would love it, but I wasn't prepared for Brooklyn's reaction!

I was only able to catch a little bit of her horseback riding performance on video, but she had us all busting with laughter as she flung her head back several times and squealed with delight as if riding a bucking bronco!

She had a BLAST! Everyone did.

Then her birthday party was a couple days later on Sunday afternoon at my sister's apartment complex's pool and cabana. The weather decided not to cooperate and it was a chilly mid-60s day, but at least not raining so several people still enjoyed the swimming pool and most of all, Brooklyn, my little froggy!

It was a really fun party, complete with 4 wardrobe changes for Brooklyn! I made a 'scrapbook' poster board for a decoration and that was fun to put together and see her whole life in pictures.

After all the festivities were over, I put together the pictures and video into this little montage, which is why this posting is so late. Enjoy!



(Note, you can close the annoying pop-up ads by clicking on the X in the upper right corner of the ad space)

And of course, the "ONE YEAR" posting wouldn't be complete without the official stats:

As of August 9, 2010
Weight: 26 lbs - 97th percentile
Height: 30" - 75th percentile
Head Circ: 19.3" - 97th
Teeth: 12! (all 8 front teeth and all 4 one-year molars)

I should mention that we started seeing a new pediatrician, who is actually an ARNP, who takes a more holistic approach to health care. I love her already and we have really similar philosophies on parenting and health care. She said Brooklyn is the 'model for a healthy one year old' so I'm sure that's why I like her, too.

Some more fun facts about our little Brooklyn:

LIKES:
Dogs and Cats - A LOT!
Actually, most furry, soft animals, too - stuffed or real.
Mommy's keys
Mommy's phone
Mommy's camera
Mommy's lipstick
Mommy's wallet
Toilet Paper
Shoes
Balls
Trucks - wonder why?! ;)
Yogurt
Cheese
Ice Cream
Spinach
Swimming
Bathtime
Being chased and then tickled

DISLIKES:
Getting her face washed
Getting her diaper changed
Getting out of the bath
Brushing her teeth (just started getting better)
Broccoli
Long car rides / doesn't sleep well in the car

ABILITIES:
Walking everywhere (doesn't crawl at all anymore)
Climbing up and down stairs
Climbing on chairs or low stools
Babbling
A few words: "Uh-Oh", "Mumumum" (for Mommy, or More), "Kuck" (for Truck)
Waving Bye-Bye
Dropping balls and shapes into holes
Kicking a ball
Turning pages of books, one at a time
Playing Peekaboo with a blanket or shirt
Kissing (lips pop!)
Feeding herself
Drinking from a straw and from an open glass
Dancing - belly dance style!!
Clapping
High-Fives
Jumping - feet off the ground, even, if she holds onto something!
Shaking her head no
Blinking on command
Cuddling on command
Sniffing on command
Sleeping through the night (usually about 7:30pm - 6:30am)
Unraveling a complete roll of toilet paper in about 10 seconds.