Happy 3rd Birthday Colby Cheese!

Poor Cheesey Rice is always put on the back burner. Her actual birthday was March 20th. I haven't had a chance (or the energy) to make her a birthday cake so we finally celebrated tonight with a chocolate chip cookie and some vanilla ice cream. No gifts were opened as they have not been purchased yet--poor girl. Maybe next year it will be better...

Big Girl Room

As the due date for Brynn's little sister is quickly approaching we decided we better retire her crib (temporarily) and get her a big girl bed. Of course, we couldn't have a big girl bed without a big girl room! Darren spent hours, and I mean hours painting Brynn's room. It turned out absolutely adorable!! Her face was priceless when she saw it for the first time. I think we exceeded her expectations. As I stated before when Darren painted the downstairs--we have a backup plan if the whole band thing doesn't work out! He truly has a gift with paint. We also were able to fullfill Brynn's request of fish for her birthday. Included in her room was a fish tank with two fish: a black moor and a gold fantail. Unfortunately, when we came home from work on Monday they were both dead. As she says, "My fish guide (died). Mommy buy some more." We have not been able to replace her fish yet, but plan to do this in the near future.

Two Year Stats

Brynn went to the doctor last Thursday. We found that she is finally growing!!

2 Year Stats:

Weight: 22 pounds 2 oz. (3 %ile)

Height: 33.5 inches (46 %ile)

Head Circumference: 18 inches (10 %ile)

18 month Stats:

Weight: 19 pounds 1 oz. (0 %ile)

Height: 30.5 inches (15 %ile)

Head Circumference: 17.5 inches (5 %ile)

As you can see she has come a long way in 6 months. We decided she is going to be long and lean...just like her mom :)

Bike

Brynn had asked for only two things for her birthday: a bike and a fish. She was able to open the bike up on her birthday, but we are planning to surprise her with the fish when we do her "big girl room" next weekend. Since it was so nice on Thursday Darren and I packed her and the dogs up and drove down to the park for a stroll around the lake on her new bike. As we passed the park it really wasn't a choice to not stop and play. She has gotten so much better at climbing the steps and playing on the equipment. It was a great family outing!

Lovie

Brynn's Lovie is not allowed to come out of her crib or downstairs as she won't keep her fingers out of her mouth. She knows this rule very well. The other day I found her in her room standing by her bed holding her Lovie and sucking her fingers. She gave me a very sly/shy smile and said, "I hab my Wubbie."

Brynn's 2nd Birthday!!

We had an absolutely fabulous birthday and party with Brynn. Darren and I both took the day off on Friday to spend with her at the Children's Museum, and Saturday we had her party. She loved every minute of being the center of attention both days. She loved her doggie themed birthday and was quite pleased with the the cute cupcakes I made her. Thank you to all who were able to come and make Brynn's party a huge success!

This year she didn't even cry when we sang "Happy Birthday" to her, although she turned her head sideways and acted a little embarassed. She had no trouble blowing out her two birthday candles though.
The doggie cupcakes were a big hit!

Here's a picture of the food spread. We had mini hotdogs, puppy chow, sandwiches shaped as dog paws and dog bones, fresh salsa and chips, and a fruit salad.

As Dylan, Angie, and Nolan had another party to attend the same day as Brynn's party they came up early to spend some time with us. We loved having you all here. Nolan is getting so big and fun. Brynn loves him so much!! We are still trying to get a good photo of the two of them together...

Last Day of Swimming

Brynn's last day of swimming was March 10. Darren, Brynn, Katie, and I celebrated by having dinner at Hogan Brothers in Northfield before swimming, all watching her in her last lesson, and then going to Dairy Queen after. Of course Hogan Brothers and Dairy Queen were more for us than Brynn, but she seemed to enjoy the evening as well. I am amazed how far she has come since the first lesson. She is now able to float on her back with a little help, swim independently (with Darren very close by) with a noodle, blow bubbles in the water, and jump off the edge of the pool. She simply amazes us everyday!!

Daddy's Hat and Glubs

Checkin' My Email

Brynn and I were home alone the other morning and I was attempting to get some cleaning done. She was happily playing in her playroom which is also our computer room so I took advantage and ran upstairs to get the bathrooms cleaned. It was all too quiet and we all know what that means. I came downstairs to find she had emptied all the stuff out of the drawers in the computer desk and was on the chair playing with the computer mouse. I asked her in a somewhat frustrated voice, "Brynn what are you doing?" and she replied back, "Checkin' my email for a second." Needless to say she has heard that one a time or two before.

My Hat

What a little goon!

Great Big Sister!

Brynn came with to visit the Berling family and meet baby Claire. She absolutely adored her and wanted to help with everything from feeding her bottle, changing her diaper, and putting her in her cradle. She was even very tolerant of me holding Claire. Let's hope this remains when her baby sister arrives. Again with the "say cheese" face.

Take Out the Paper and the Trash

Another one of Brynn's jobs. She is oh so helpful!

Polka Dots with Polka Dots

Brynn had an accident during her nap at Lynn's and needed a change of pants. Although she had a really cute extra shirt to go along with her extra pair of pants she insisted on wearing the red polka dot shirt with her pink polka dot pants because, "Polka dots with polka dots." Apparently in her world they match perfectly. Also, this is her new "say cheese" face. Any time she sees the camera come out she immediately goes into this pose. Such a little nut!

Twenty-four Weeks

Yep, that's how big my belly is at just 24 weeks! When they say you pop out much sooner on the second than the first they're not kidding!!