Robertson Family Five: All About Brooke

Better late than never...so, here are Brooke's stats from her well-baby check-up a couple days following her 1st birthday! Our little girl was 31 1/2 inches long (99%) and weighed 22.0 lbs (82%). Surprisingly, at this appointment, we found out she had 2 ear infections! We had no idea - she hadn't been upset or pulling at her ears like we thought she would be if she wasn't feeling well. We had a follow-up today, and all is well with the world again.

I wish I was able to articulate what it is about Brooke that makes her so special, but how can you put it into words? She is adored by all of us, including her big brother. She has made us so happy & we are incredibly proud of her. Bear with me...here is my attempt to remember and record some of these details as she turns ONE...

What do you see?

Most of the time, you will see Brooke just hanging out, sometimes making us work for a smile or a giggle. When she does smile, though, her eyes light up and she crinkles her nose, which absolutely melts our hearts. Even better yet, you know she is really excited when she kicks her feet and waves her hands in the air. She waves hello & good-bye and leans forward for kisses or to allow you to pinch her nose (something she learned from Papa!). She has big beautiful blue eyes and a bunch of teeth (4 upper and 4 lower). Her molars haven't started to come in yet. Her hair is a bit straggly and longest on the top and down the middle, which makes for a great mohawk when it's wet! Her bangs are just long enough to get some of them in a barrett, which is so adorable!

"How big is Brooke?"
"Soooo big!"

What does she say?

She still only says a couple of words and although she is relatively quiet most of the time, she is starting to babble more and more every day. She loves repeating noises that anyone makes, especially Isaac! Sometimes it sounds like they are having their very own conversation. Despite her limited vocab, she is very effective at getting what she wants by pointing and saying "da".

Where is she going?

She can go just about anywhere! She is crawling like crazy and pulling herself up on everything, although she doesn't have the balance yet to let go. She can walk a few steps holding onto our hands or her baby stroller. She even made her way all the way up the stairs the other day by herself! If not on the go herself, she loves being pushed around the house in the car!

What does she eat?
She is almost exclusively feeding herself finger-foods. Besides yogurt, she is losing interest in being fed. Favorites include dried fruit, fresh fruit...any kind of fruit, string cheese, peanut butter on bread, pancakes, and graham crackers. Getting her to eat veggies or meat is more challenging! She has just started drinking milk and water out of a sippy by herself.

What does she like?

Most of all, she loves to be entertained by her big brother and likes it when Isaac chases her. However, she is getting gradually less tolerant to him swiping away the toy that she is playing with, and one of these days she is going to start to fight back! (I will probably cheer her on!) She still loves to hug her stuffed animals and the dollies she got for Christmas. She sleeps with several of them every night, but doesn't seem to be picky on which ones they are. Peek-a-boo is one of her favorite games, and she loves to take things in/out of containers, be tickled, and take baths. You are pretty much guaranteed a squeal when you go "whee" and swing her up in the air! And my current favorite...she loves to cuddle. Especially when she is sleepy or just waking up from a nap, she rests her head on our shoulder and wraps her arms around our neck. Sometimes I just want to stop time & hang onto this feeling forever.

On Brooke's actual birthday, we had a little party, which included Nana and Papa who were still here. We sang "Happy Birthday" again (without lighting the candle!), which she seemed to like. However, she still wasn't interested in even touching the cupcake! Who would have thought?!?!