Brooklyn is Walking!

I'd say her official first steps were on June 21st. Four steps, to be exact. My little over-achiever! Every day she is getting better and doing more. It's all about confidence! She cruises the furniture and lets go and stands all on her own really well. If I entice her with something she really wants (like my poor, drool-drenched phone!) then she will take a few steps on her own.

Hayden walked at 13 1/2 months, so Brooklyn not even 11 months old caught us a little by surprise. Coincidentally, Hayden walked right around Fourth of July weekend also, in 2008. I find that interesting that now Brooklyn is about the same place, the same week, 2 years later.

We tried to capture it on video last week without success. But finally today, I caught her in action (which is really hard to do on my own today while Phil is at work!). Check it out!

Hayden Turned 3

I could go on and on about what an amazing three-year-old little boy I have. About how he makes me smile with his incredible sense of humor, adorable dimples, and ridiculous intelligence and insight. About how he knows every kind of truck and construction vehicle out there, and can read/recite almost ALL his books (close to 50?) by memory, and sing several songs, and use good manners, and loves to be a helper, and LOVES LOVES LOVES his baby sister and making her laugh (even when they're suppose to be asleep) and clears his dishes from the table after every meal, and asks to cuddle on the couch at least a couple times a day (MAKES MY HEART MELT and whatever I'm doing seem unimportant!), and is learning to get himself dressed and undressed, and learning to read, and ride a glide bike, and goes SUPER FAST on his tricycle without any fear, and chats on the phone like a teenager already, even when there's no one on the other end of the line (or the "phone" is a remote control!), and sleeps all curled up at the head of his bed, even though that looks rather uncomfortable, and STILL talks about the 'big dirty poopy at Lake Tapps', and LOVES water - water fountains, waterfalls, playing with colored water, pouring water, playing with the sink, taking baths - and also loves Jelly Bellies, Brownies, Edamame, Hard-Boiled Eggs, Cheese & Crackers, Broccoli, Zeek's Treehugger Pizza, Mini-Wheats, and Granola but hates Mac n' Cheese, Bananas, yogurt, and ice cream. About how he loves his Grandparents, squeals with excitement when he sees Grandma Doris or Grandma Judi, and loves to look at photo albums and point out everyone and talk about what is in the photos, and how he loves his routines but can usually be flexible when we need him to be, and how he outgrows his clothes, especially the pant legs, before the clothes even look worn. (Have I mentioned he is 40 inches tall now?! And weighs 35 lbs!) I could go on. But here are some photos and I will stop rambling:






Phil and I are the luckiest parents alive. Hayden, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUDDY!