Brookie - 11/12 months

Favorite Foods: cheese, ham, yogurt, baby food fruit, crackers, cookies, raisins, goldfish crackers & graham crackers (noticing a cracker theme? She LOVES them!) – Brookie does eat other (healthier) food, but these are her favorites.

Favorite Toys: doll, penguin stuffed animal, teddy bear, instruments, anything stick-like, anything Coleman plays with, gumball machine!!!, new zoo animals quiet book (thanks Grandma!), farm, books (Priddy books, touch and feel books, Noah’s Arc soft book), farm puzzle (banging the pieces like sand blocks), play dishes/pans, silverware or spoons of any kind – plastic or metal, food (yes, she loves to play with her food – especially throwing it on the ground), my keys, tyler’s keys, her keys (noticing another theme?), computer keyboard and mouse, CELL PHONES!!!, slide, swings, sand – anything outside, BALLS of any variety and just about anything else she can get her hands on. Brookie is always exploring. She’s very brave, ambitious and busy.

Biggest Fear: being left. I left Brookie with family and friends while in Utah and Ty and I have left her once since and she’s realized that sometimes we’re not always present. It bugs her and she has been really clingy when she thinks Ty and I are leaving.

Favorite Songs: If You’re Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands – definitely still the favorite, but she likes just about anything, especially songs with actions or songs with fun pauses or sounds to anticipate. I brought her to nursery for the last few minutes Sunday and she had a BLAST singing with the kids. She did the clapping for “If You’re happy and You Know It” and “Heads, Shoulders…” She loves music and loves listening to it in her room while she plays. She tunes in to the Disney shows Cole likes to watch when a good song comes on.

Favorite Non-Toy: blankets, pillows, or anything soft. My phone and keys, crawling around, under and through the tables and chairs, and the ladder in my parents’ addition.

Things Brookie Mimics: actions to songs, some words and sounds, waving/wiggling her head, peek-a-boo, talking on the phone, reading books

Favorite Games: fetch (she loves to throw things and have us pick it up. She’s especially loving playing this game at church where she has more patient friends to play with – thanks Zelinskis!), tag (she loves to be chased), peek-a-boo, tickle wars, wrestling with Dad, up the stairs and down the slide.

Soothers: binki and blankie, cuddling, music, rocking

Favorite Place: outside!!, Grandmas and Grandpas houses, friends houses – anywhere new to explore. She loves to be under furniture or in funny spaces like between the rungs of my dad’s ladders. Sometimes she even likes her bed (can you believe she’s related to Coleman??) She LOVES being in the bathtub and really likes the pool.

Mischievous things that she does: throws food, takes Cole’s binki and wanders all over with it, sneaks food from Coles tray, trades food during meals (this is a two-way mischief that is really really funny!), empties Tyler's bin under his nightstand, empties the cupboards in the kitchen, wanders off with my phone and/or keys, empties baskets of folded laundry, dumps everything out of any container.

Least Favorite things: being put in her car seat, wet diapers, having diapers changed, getting dressed – any time she has to stop moving and exploring to take care of something mundane – you should see this girl drink a bottle in the middle of the day. WOW! It’s like wrestling a greased piglet! She’s so wiggly!

Favorite People: daddy, “mama,” Coleman, grandparents, uncles, aunt Leanne, Addie, kids, anyone who will smile at her. She’s a little social butterfly who makes friends everywhere we go.

Proudest Moments: walking around, climbing stairs, anything mischievous (especially taking Coles binki)

Hair Color: brown – kinda like my mom’s – maybe just a little darker. She’s finally getting more and it’s pretty cute. She doesn’t like to wear bows or flowers in it, but if I sneak one in on the very top, she’ll leave it alone. Anything large or to the side is pulled out immediately.

Best Features: darling personality!!, beautiful eyes, hilarious smile, friendly attitude, loving actions (she’s very good at giving hugs and loving toys)

Sleep Schedule: Brookie sleeps from between 7 and 8 at night ‘till between 6 and 8 (sometimes on rare occasions 9) in the morning. She usually takes a morning nap from 9 or 10 ‘till 10 or 11 (sometimes later). She takes a mini nap later in the afternoon while Cole sleeps. We’re still working on having them sleep together in the same room and at the same time, but ‘ya know. She’s a good little sleeper most of the time.

How Brookie recharges herself: She loves to be with people. She’ll play games or sing songs and her mood improves. If she’s tired, she naps or will have a quick cuddle with a blankie or stuffed animal or pillow. It’s pretty funny. She also loves to snack or have a quick bottle to power up.

Words: Brookie can copy lots of sounds and is babbling all the time. She says Mem and Da (Mom and Dad), Ganca (the word for all grandparents), baby, bah (ball), cookie, boo (like peek-a-boo)and uh-oh.

Brooklyn, you’re a special part of our family. Dad and Cole and I love you very much! Your happy personality, cute smile and mischief make our day! Dad loves how you light up when he comes home and I love the smiles and loves I get during the day. Coleman is loving playing with you and is a very good big brother. You’re an exciting little sister and I’m so glad that you two have a good time playing together. I especially love your tickle fights and when you tease each other and laugh. I love when you share your food at dinner and how you somehow end up with all the veggies, especially broccoli – and how you don’t mind and you eat it anyway. I love how it makes you both so happy when Cole shares his suckers and treats with you. You are such a special girl. Your love and happy personality influence everyone around you. You are a special daughter of Heavenly Father and we are so blessed to have you as part of our family.