Caught On Camera!

Brooke and I were playing dress-up and taking some pictures, so my camera was handy. Something told me that I better hit the "record" button and I am glad I did!

Days like this are when I am most thankful that I get to stay home with my baby. Not only did I get to see her reach a milestone, but I caught it on camera! Now if I could only turn back time and shut my mouth! (I was definitely more excited than Brooke) LOL

Take 2!

Brooke did such a good job at her first photo shoot - I couldn't resist when I got another coupon in the mail! She did a GREAT job, as you will see from the pictures below!

4 Months Old!

4 months old already?!?! How do I slow down time? My baby is growing up SO fast! It's amazing how much things change in only a few weeks! A month ago it was the coo's that melted my heart, now it's the smiles everytime she sees me!

Smiles 'R Me
The monkey keeps getting smaller and smaller

Wearing her Daddy's sweatshirt, from when he was a baby.

Quick recap of the month:

*** Brooke still loves her hands. She loves to hold them, look at them and of course suck on them!

*** She still loves to talk and laugh! It's so funny how the silliest little things can make her crack up! There is no doubt the sweetest sound in the world are the squeals and belly laughs that come from this little girl!

*** She still loves her swing! There are times when she will just start laughing and squealing, for no apparent reason? I guess she thinks the little mobile animals are funny!

*** Brooke is still a GREAT sleeper. She doesn't have a set schedule, but that's Mommy's fault. Depending on how the day went and how many naps she got, she seems to fall asleep anywhere between 8pm - 11pm. She is still waking up once around 6am, but who's complaining?

*** Brooke is still a GREAT eater! Her fussiness when hungry seems to be taming down a bit, but she still lets you know when she is hungry. She is now getting rice cereal once per day and she seems to like it. Brooke now weighs 18 pounds and is wearing 6-9 months clothing and size 3 diapers. There is no question she will be in 12 month clothing by the time summer hits.

*** She still loves to lay on her back on her playmat, punching, kicking and now grabbing hold of the animals that dangle above her head. Tummy time is still not her favorite, but she is getting stronger and more tolerant of it.

*** Her biggest milestone this month is that she is getting good at reaching out for toys and holding them in both hands. Her hand-eye coordination is definitely improving!

*** She is very conscientious of her surroundings. I've found it very hard to get her to smile or laugh when she is somewhere new. It seems she is way too busy looking all around her, checking things out and taking it all in. She never cries or fusses, even when unfamiliar faces are holding her, but she just holds the smiles and laughs in.

*** Brooke still isn't rolling, but seems to be getting closer. Hopefully that will be next months major milestone. She seems to be more interested in sitting up than rolling. We'll see what comes first!

*** Last but not least, she is still the easiest going baby. I often sit back and wonder what I did to deserve her? She truly is the BEST baby any parent could ever ask for!!!

My Little Model

Brooke had her first professional photo shoot today. She wasn't in a super smiley mood, but we were able to capture a few great smiles!

1 Year Ago Today....

I found out I was pregnant! It's crazy how the past 3 1/2 months have gone by SO fast, but the 9 months before she was here, took FORRRREVVVVVER to get here!

It's amazing that 1 year ago she was nothing but a teeny-tiny rice-sized baby in the making, floating in my belly...

6 week Ultrasound

1 year ago, I could have never imagined how much you could love something as much as I love my little girl! No matter what my mood, she always finds a way to put a smile on my face! Here are a few of my favorite recent pictures of my little monkey.

FINALLY, starting to get better at tummy time and somewhat enjoying it!
Brooke loving bath time!
Happy Baby!
B is for Brown - photo contest submission
Trying on the big flower Mommy made her!

I-L-L-

I-N-I

A few pictures of Princess Illiniwek celebrating the victory tonight over UNLV!



Let's hope we see this big smile after Sunday's game!
And NOT this face! GO ILLINI! Beat Kansas!

Kiss Me, I'm Irish!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Wearing her shamrock outfit from her Uncle Larry!
Having fun with the shamrock garland!

Since it was 64 degrees out today, I decided to take Brooke out for a walk to the park. She loved looking around at the other kids at the park and seemed to enjoy her first time in a swing. I didn't really get any smiles, but she did cry when I took her out, so I guess she liked it?

Weeeeee!
Look Mom, no hands!

Cereal Anyone?

Brooke's doctor gave her permission to start trying to eat some rice cereal at 4 months old. Well, we all know me and my patience... I HAD to try it sooner! LoL I wanted to try out her new highchair AND see what she would do. Well, I bet you wouldn't have guessed, but she LOVED it! We'll see how it settles with her stomach, but this is the first time in a long time, my chubby monkey actually seemed satisfied after eating!

Playing with her toy while Mommy got her food ready
Loving sitting up in her new chair!
I think she liked it! LoL
A little messy, but not near as bad as I expected!

Friday Fun!

Brooke and I went to visit Cousins Sandy & Ray on Friday. Brooke was fascinated with Ray, watching his every moves and loved smiling and giggling for Sandy! We had a great time looking through Lisa's baby book and seeing how much times have changed as far as doctor recommendations. I guess Lisa was always a chubby baby, but Brooke takes the cake for "chubbiest baby" award, weighing in at a whole pound more than Lisa did at 3 months! (Brooke weighed 16 pounds 5 ounces at her 3 month doctor visit)

Sandy winning over Brooke's heart with a bottle!

One of my all time favorite pictures, taken by Ray!

And last but not least - a few pictures of Brooke in a winter hat that was made by my Grandmother. Thank you Sandy for finding and sharing this with Brooke!!!

Fat Tuesday!

A few pictures of Brooke practicing for Mardi Gras...

Brooke showing off her belly for beads!
Brooke sporting her new sunglasses and beads!
Brooke loving her beads!