Mmmmm....food

This week Brooklin has been very busy learning how to eat real food. We went to the doctor on Monday, and he said everything looked great..."very advanced" to be exact:)...sorry, I'm proud of that one. She weighed 15 lbs 14 oz and was 26 3/4 in long. What a big girl! She had to get shots again...and yes, I did cry....but she did great! That night, she tried rice cereal for the first time. Wasn't too sure of it at first, but by the end, she was grabbing the spoon and sucking on it. Since then, she has had the cereal twice a day. Yesterday, she tried sweet potatoes for the first time. That is an interesting thing to see....she is definitely not sure of that one...but it's a work in progress and I'll keep trying, as will she. Besides that, we've just been hanging out. She found her feet a few days ago and has been trying very hard to reach them to her mouth...well, today she succeeded. She was happy, and I was grossed out...yet, somehow, I felt pride in her accomplishment. Funny how that works. She had worked so hard, I was kind of glad to see her finally do it! Guess it's okay until she gets to be more mobile...then, that will have to stop:). She also got a new baby einstein jumper thing from Grandma and Papa Snyder. She doesn't really know how to jump yet, but she sure loves all the neat things to play with....especially the green spinning frog. Well, that's about all for this week. She's doing great!!!

Four Months Old

Brooklin is four months old today! I can't believe it is here already. What a big girl! For the past week, she has slept all night every night. We go to the doctor on Monday for her four month appointment, which unfortunately means more shots. It's for her own good though...I have to keep telling myself that one. I think I cried just as much as she did at her two month appointment. Anyway, we should be able to start on some rice cereal then. I am anxious to see how she likes it. She's quite a good eater, so I think she'll do great. My mom put her high chair together last night, so we broke it in today. She seems to like it okay....enjoys being able to see everything and grabbing at her toys. It's amazing...just the other day, she was this helpless little thing who could only lay there, and now I can't seem to keep her occupied long enough. She gets bored easily, like her Momma....well, and Daddy too. Still loving every minute of it. Happy Birthday, baby girl!

Pool Time

Today was Brooklin's first time in a big pool. She went in her purple kiddie pool that her Grandma and Grandpa Snyder bought her last week...and she kind of lounged in it like it was her bath tub. Well, today we attempted the big pool and she LOVED it. She just kept kicking and kicking...it was too funny. She's definitely going to be my water baby....and she should be. She's a pisces and "Brook" means brook or stream while "lin" means either beautiful jade or more importantly waterfall or pool below a waterfall...or so my baby name book says:). So, she was destined to love the water. She's so cute! -not that I'm biased or anything. Getting bigger every second. We go to the doctor a week from Monday for her 4 month appointment. Can't believe she's already that old...time is flying by!

A little info....

So, I am starting this blog a few weeks before Brooklin turns 4 months old. It is crazy how time is flying!!! To bring you all up to date, here is a little info about her life up until now: She was born at LaPorte hospital on March 19, 2008 at 2:06 am. She weighed 8 lbs 9.5 oz and was 21 inches long. We (Brandon and I) named her Brooklin Noelle Jones. We had been discussing Brooklin for while, but it took us a few days to actually name her...she was called random things the first few days. The "lin" in her name is for her Grandma (Linda) and I guess her Auntie (Gretchen Lynn) and the "Noelle" is after Brandon's sister Amanda Noelle. And of course the "Jones" is after her daddy:). I was unsure of the name for a while, but now I couldn't imagine her being called anything else...guess it grows on you. I had to be induced, but once I was, she came pretty quickly...couldn't wait to get out and see the world. Her first hour here with us, she was wide awake, taking it all in....and never crying. That's how she still is. She genuinely is a happy baby, only cries right before she goes to sleep....I think she is just so afraid she'll miss something. She's quite the busy body...always scanning the room, taking it all in...just like when she was born. A couple days after she was born, she got to meet her two big brothers (Mason-6 and Kai-3). They are Brandon's two boys from his previous relationship. She sure loves them. And I am pretty sure they love her too:). She has had many firsts already (from baseball games to her own personal firsts such as rolling over). She is a smart baby (I'm biased I know), follows sound well, has great eyesight, and coos all the times. She is babysat by my best friend, Vaushna (unfortunately, I had to go back to the bank...yuck). Brooklin loves her...just smiles and smiles when Vaushna talks to her...plus she has 4 kids who are great with her too...Leo, her husband, is very good with her also. They have truly welcomed her as part of their family! I couldn't have better friends in my life. On Saturdays, Brandon's mom (Granny) babysits her. They love their walks they get to take together and Brooklin enjoys when Granny sings to her! When they aren't helping me out, my parents are there. They have been amazing throughout this entire experience...always willing to drop anything to help me out. I will never be able to repay them for all they have done, but I will make sure Brooklin knows how wonderful they truly are! Most recent big events would be her laughter, rolling all over the place, and being able to really grab onto things (very strong grasp). She is so funny when she laughs. When I sing to her, she just stares at me and coos along the whole time with a smile on her face. It just melts you. Brooklin also loves her bath time. As soon as I start to get her ready, it's like she knows and she starts smiling and smiling. She definitely was a surprise in my life...but God sure knew what he was doing. She is such a blessing in all of our lives. I pray that I will be a great mother to her and that Brandon will be a great father. She deserves wonderful parents, like I have. I will keep you all posted as to her continued growth and learning in her new life here on Earth. I read today that when a baby is born, so is a mother. How true. I didn't know I could love someone so much...and there she was, this little baby girl who needed me so much...and ironically, I found that I needed her so much too. And every day, I think it would be impossible to love her any more...and then I wake up the next day and realize it is possible. She makes every accomplishment up until now dim in comparison. It has been quite the learning process for me. I ask millions of questions all the time, read all the books, and annoy my family (although they are wonderful and help me out all the time!). What a miracle life is... Pregnancy, birth, and motherhood are just amazing. I am so glad I was given the chance to experience it.