He Says, She Says

As you probably know by now, Addison can say some pretty funny things.  Her mind is an interesting place to be and I love when I get a glimpse inside of it.  I try to record them as they happen so I can document it on this blog.  Sorry for my facebook followers who get to read it twice.  ;)

Addisonism #1:
While handing her food to put on the table for dinner...I gave her a bowl of avocados...A: "Mom, I do NOT like deese!"M: "Addison, is that a nice thing to say to Mommy when she is cooking dinner for everyone.A: "Mommy, thank you for cooking dinner but I do not much like deese very much."

Addisonism #2:
Not necessarily anything cute or funny but just a reminder that I have a sweet and helpful girly.

I left the three kiddos in the van (with the A/C on) and watching a movie while I took a quick 4 minutes to wash the outside of it at the carwash.  Within those four minutes both Jonas and Brooklyn cried....a bunch.  Poor Addison unbuckled herself and tried to make them both happy with no success.  When I was done, she tried to tell me about it all and started tearing up because "I couldn't make dem stop crying Mommy."  It was so sad and thoughtful to hear how she tried her hardest to help.  Looks like she got a good glimpse of how chaotic a 1 year old, and a 2 month old can be.  And looks like I got a good glimpse of how helpful my 4 year old can be.  We were both grateful...especially when the crying finally stopped.

Addisonism #3:
While at the mall waiting for her to buckle her seatbelt by herself (which she has done plenty of times)...
A: "I can't do it Mommy! I need hellllppp!"
M&D: Continue coaching and assure her she can.
A: "It's not working Mommy! I can't do it!"
D: "Let it go back and rest and try pulling it softly."
A:"I CAN'T Dooooo .... I DID IT!!! I KNEW I COULD!!"
Nothing like the power of positive thinking......eventually.

Addisonism #4:

During her 'after-nap tantrum' which I'm ignoring:

A: "Mommy, you are NOT nice to me.  You don't let me play wif my cousins, you don't take me to da store, you don't let me get on da trampoline, you don't let me play with Donas...hey Shannon can you say okay for me Shannon?

I must say this tantrum is more entertaining to listen to than all the others.  I must be one mean mommy!

Addisonism #5:
A: "Mommy, could you help me put on my socks?"
M: "Sure Addison.  Thank you for asking me like a big girl."
A: "Yeah, I asked you like a big girl and not a little mean stinker because I'm not a little mean stinker anymore."

Jonas can say some pretty funny stuff too lately.  He's taking after his sister.  I'm enjoying the race of figuring out who is more funny.  His isn't so much "funny" as it is hilarious to hear him say his words in his deep man voice.

Jonas'ism #1:
This didn't necessarily involve something he "said" but was still just as funny and he was involved.  The kids were hanging out with Aunt Sarah and cousins one day while I was running an errand.  This is her story:
Overheard while Bradley was making your kids popcorn today: Bryce says, "Jonas can't have a whole bag of popcorn...he's little"  Bradley responds, "Bryce.  Yes he can.  Don't you know his Dad is Uncle John?"

And yes, he has been known to down a whole bag of popcorn.  He has Hufford blood in him you know!

He has gotten very generous with his "thank-you's" lately and I love it.  While Addison still has to be reminded to say it, Jonas says it automatically.  I love hearing his deep manly boy voice say "Dank You" when I give him something.  

One of my personal favorites of his is when he is trying to give someone something.  He'll patiently stand by your side, holding it out for you, while saying "Hurrrrrr, Hurrrrr, Hurrrrr" (Here) over and over again.  His tone of voice is hilarious and I love that he mispronounces it so cutely.  It's a fun one to impersonate and the minute you do he starts smiling because he knows you're talking about him.

He's also learning a few more words and it helps immensely.  I'm hoping there will be less whining and fits in the future when we can understand each other better.  His newest words are "Dank you", "Hep Meeee" (Help Me), "Disssss" (when he wants something - good luck figuring out what that something is) "Nack" (Snack), "Nigh Nigh" (Night Night), "Ahhhhson" (Addison), and "Side" (Outside).  He's also doing great at putting together short sentences.  Most of the time he's saying "I fall"  Yes, this one is a common occurrence with this boy.  If he's not falling he's making messes.  It's usually one of those two.  ;)

Bye Bye Binky

Jonas has achieved a big boy milestone, check it out folks....

He's gone from this....

To this!

Have you guessed it yet?  Yep!  He's binky free and proud to be!  Well, I'm sure "he's" not proud to be - but I am!

It was a process folks....

Our goal all along was to wean him off his beloved binky by the time he turned two years old.  I was going to phase it out before then by only letting him have it at nap time and night time but I couldn't be consistent so we shelved it until this September.  I figured it'd be cruel of me to make him give it up on his birthday (he loves his binky folks).  So we waited.  Then, we had a little road-trip to Branson the following week and heaven knows you don't want to interrupt sleep patterns on a road trip....so I waited.  Then the following Sunday I was prepared to wean him off of it and instead he decided to scald his little hand on my hot curling iron while we were getting ready for church.  I figured it'd be cruel to take away his one source of comfort when he was in so much pain....so we waited.  FINALLY, the day came where he was healed, and happy, and we were homebound...so we did it!  And can I just say I do NOT miss having to hunt down those binkies anymore.  Life is so much more simple when you don't have to haul three kiddos AND their accessories everywhere you go.

Essentially, we did it cold turkey.  But I was nice about it.  We gathered his binkies up on a Sunday afternoon and put them in a baggie.  He even got to take a final suck off of each one before we put them away.  Then, we sealed up the bag and walked to the front door and placed them outside for the "Binky Fairy" and waited.  Within a few minutes (and thanks to Daddy's secret stealth moves) we checked back to see what the Binky Fairy left him.  She was so kind as to take his dirty, nasty, old binkies and leave him some cool matchbox cars instead.  He was in heaven.  Until he wanted his binky again that night.  I don't know how much of the process he actually understood (if any) but hey at least we tried to transition him.  All of our kids have been binky lovers but he is particularly more than Addison was.  The first night was not fun...for him or us.  Just a lot of repetitive "Binky went bye-bye, you are a big boy now!" as we laid him in bed over and over again. He cried...lots...and moaned for his binky.  "Biiiinnnkkkyyy....biiiinnnkkkyyy"  Eventually he fell asleep with tears in his eyes.  It took a few more days and nights of that process until it became obsolete.  Now, almost three weeks later he no longer mentions that binky....which is a HUGE step for him!  He had TWO years of his life (all he's ever known) with that binky as his comfort.  To be forced to give it up cold turkey is quite an accomplishment.  I'm quite proud of him (even though he didn't have a choice ;).  It was a big step for Jonas-kind.  He doesn't even ask for it now but there are many days where I wish we could have it back just for a few seconds here and there.  One thing he does do more often is whine....ahhhhh I don't have much energy for whining....non-stop.  It's a good thing I don't carry a back-up binky on me because there are a handful of times I got weak and just wanted to put an end to the whining.  We push through though.  I just keep reminding myself that the days will get easier and I'm not about to go restarting the process/transition by giving in and plugging him up with a binky.  And he's only tried to sneak a few sucks of Brooklyn's binky when I wasn't looking.  I figured he'd try to do that a lot more too.  

So proud of our big boy Jonas!  And so glad we don't have to hunt that binky down anymore.  Yay for one less accessory!  

The happy guy posing with his treasures the Binky Fairy sent him.  

Tag Along Trip

We had the lucky privilege of meeting up with some cousins this past weekend in Branson.  I heard through the grapevine that my sister and her family were planning a little trip to Silver Dollar City with some friends.  Since I never like to be left out, I hurried and invited myself and kiddos.  I'm hoping she didn't mind the extra four people tagging along and following her around like lost puppy dogs.  

John stayed home and worked so I drove the kids up to Branson Friday morning after Addison got out of preschool.  It's not too bad of a drive if you like windy curvy roads and you have a strong stomach.  Strange, but I do.  You see some beautiful country side along the way and it can go fairly fast if you timed it perfectly at naptime and you have snoozing kiddos in the back.  Thankfully two out of three of mine were out in minutes.  And thankfully my kiddos have strong stomachs as well.  It was a vomit-free trip.  And a mostly happy one since they knew they were going to see cousins and a fun hotel at the end of it....oh and Grandma Bell....how could we forget her?  She's my free nanny.  :)

Once we arrived in Branson, we picked up Grandma Bell on the street corner.....seriously we did.  She had parked and was ready to help haul luggage and kids up to the hotel.  I was reminded yet again how priceless her help can be.  She's great with the kids and is always quick to give me a break.  The kids adore her too so it's a win-win-win.  

We scored a nice "condo-unit" at the Hilton using our points and we stayed in it long enough to throw on swimming suits and head down to the pools.  My kids have turned into fish and I love it.  Except for the part where Jonas still jumps up (instead of out) when jumping into the pool.  I'm wondering how many times his bum will meet the pavement before he figures it out.  Anyway, we got a quick swim in and had a blast while Grandma hung out w/Brooklyn.  Then we changed and walked across the street to meet up with Michelle and clan for some dinner.  It was a relaxing evening that ended with a little bit of park play.

The next day we arrived at Silver Dollar City with about 40 kajillion other people (I lost count).  It was crazy but luckily Grandma Bell is good at juggling a double stroller while I have one child strapped to the front of me and one hand for each of the other two.  We went straight to the kiddie-land and rode some fun rides and saw a couple of shows.  The kiddos were having a blast with each other.  It's so nice to see them running around together and jabbering away with each other.  I love that they have close relationships with their cousins.  I also love the fact that they bug me less when cousins are around.  

We managed to do enough things at Silver Dollar City to wear ourselves out by evening time.  At the end of our stay Aunt Michelle had actually convinced Addison to ride The American Plunge.  I was surprised and of course had to join them so I could make sure she didn't fall out of the boat.  Jonas came along for the ride so Grandma Bell could use her hands to juggle two babies.  I was trying to anticipate how my kids would do on their first "big-person ride."  I kept reiterating to Addison that once we are in the boat we can NOT get out until it's over.  She seemed to understand.  The ride itself is a bunch of floating in a log and then going down a big hill at the end and being sprayed with water.  After it was over we were drenched (mostly Jonas and I) and there were a few tears from Jonas.  I kept overacting all happy-like so they'd realize it was "fun" what we just did....and not scary.  It seemed to work.  Except when I asked Addison if she liked it she said "Yes, I liked it except for that big hill."  Um, yes child that big hill is 90% of the actual ride.  At least she didn't bail ship mid way through.  We'll see if she lets me take her on it again.  ;)

Overall it was a fun time and we were tuckered out and ready to make the voyage back home to Daddy.  We stopped for some dinner w/Grandma before hitting the road.  We had a little delay after dinner when I was trying to juggle tired kids, a hungry baby, and now a van that wouldn't start.  Lovely.  I almost melted down with exhaustion.  I immediately had visions of me being stranded with three kids at 9:00 at night in the middle of nowhere on country roads.  Luckily, we got jumped by Grandma and the van returned us home safely to Daddy.  It was a fun trip....most of it at least. 

I only managed to get one picture during our whole trip - but it was a good one!  This is Jonas, soaking wet, after riding the American Plunge.  Such a brave boy!

What We've Been Up To

Singing in Sacrament!
Addison has been in primary since the start of this year.  However, any time there is a primary musical number in sacrament she gets shy and doesn't get up with the rest of the group.  I've tried encouraging her, walking her up there, or finding a friend to take her with them.  It never seemed to work.  However, a couple of Sundays ago she did it!  I was home with a sickly Jonas but Daddy made sure to take a picture and document this momentous occasion.  I was so proud of her!  I can't wait to see it in person next time.

Emergency Preparedness Fair
Daddy was volunteering with the scouts at our stake's annual preparedness fair and we decided to load up and go see him.  It was a HOT day and we didn't stay long but we did manage to get faces painted and balloon animals made before we went back home.  Sadly, the face paint was quickly sweated off and the balloon animals all popped (mostly by Jonas) so we didn't have anything to show for our efforts.  It was a fun day regardless.  So thankful for air conditioning.

Bike Rides
This little girly can never get enough of riding her bike.  She's begging all the time to go out and do it.  It's been so hot that we haven't had many chances to let her but we decided to enjoy the coolness of the evening and go for a quick ride.  How cute can she get folks?  She's quickly learning to be such a good bike rider.  She's getting VERY fast.  I don't think it'll be long before those training wheels come off!

Ice Cream Trips
Some days are not as exciting as others.  On those days we load up the van after nap time and head off to Chick-fil-a and enjoy some ice cream and a play place.  The kids love it and this Mommy loves being able to watch them burn off some energy while she sits back and cuddles with Brooklyn.  This Jonas boy loves his cone....just like his Daddy.  I think his teeth are sensitive to the ice cream so he always tries to eat the cone first which usually ends up in quite the mess.

Messes!
It's inevitable that this guy will make a mess eventually.  On this particular day I was hurriedly packing us up for a trip to Branson while Addison was at school.  Apparently Jonas didn't think I had enough to do so he so kindly decided to mix the powdered sugar and the flour together on the floor.  Thanks Jonas!  Good thing (for him) that I decided to take a picture of it instead of taking out my aggression on a bum.  ;)

Cuddles!
It's no secret this family LOVES to cuddle.  We've had plenty of opportunity to do it lately and we are very grateful.  Mommy gets some good cuddle time with Brooklyn after the two older kiddos go to bed at night. 

Addison loves to cuddle and help hold Brooklyn while Mommy tries to get some stuff done around the house.  She's such a good helper.

Don't let Jonas' rough and tough nature fool you.  He is so sweet and soft with his little sister.  He loves to play with her and pat her head and try to get her to hold his finger.  He's good at being soft.  But he hasn't quite learned that flying objects around her head aren't a good thing.

Haircuts!
We thought it'd be fun to give Addison a new do before preschool started.  Something cute and easy to fix since Mommy had a few more responsibilities in the morning.  We both thought it'd be cute to get a short do but she didn't like the one I described to our hairdresser friend.  Instead she told her "I want it short in back and long up front."  Who in the world knew that Addison would know what an A-line cut was?  I was a bit nervous but it turned out sooooo cute.  She knows what she likes!

And Jonas decided to dress up as John Wayne (or an Amish boy) while we played when Addison got her haircut.  Such a silly boy.

Late Night Ice Cream
Yep, Ice cream once again.  But this time it was Daddy's idea as we were heading back home late one evening.  It was definitely a good time but this is what the little guy looked like right before bedtime.  Nothing like sugar and chocolate to make bedtime a little more exciting I guess.

Daddy Parties!
Mommy has been blessed to have a few "Girls Night Outs" lately which means the kiddos get to have a "Daddy Party" at home while I'm gone.  This was what I came home to after a night out.  Jonas was running around slap happy with no pants, root beer in his zippy, and a donut hat over his eyes/head.  It seems these Daddy parties are quite the wild events folks!

Picnic In The Park!
One summer day we decided to take an impromptu picnic to the park before we headed up the street to Addison's preschool open-house.  It was a hot day but definitely a fun one.  Here are the kiddos eating our packed lunch under the tree.

And of course, a little ice cream after our picnic so we could cool down.  We love air conditioning.

This little girly loves to have her picture taken.  And who wouldn't when you look this adorable?  So photogenic pretty little girl.

Cooling off after our lunch by soaking our toes in the fountain.  We love our small town and all the fun it provides.

Preschool Starts...Finally!

While we definitely had a fun-filled summer, we still had a few days that were not so fun.  Mostly from boredom and fits and butting heads.  It's no secret we both missed preschool.  It's hard to figure out who missed it more...Addison or Mommy.  It seemed almost EVERY single school/preschool around this area started up in mid-August.  Our preschool was one of the lonely few who didn't start until after Labor Day.  That was a LONG two weeks folks.  I went from thinking how I'd survive without all of Addison's help when she went back to school to nearly almost calling and begging the teachers to start early for both of our sakes.  Addison LOVES school and it really helps give her something that is just hers alone.  Which she definitely needs since she's the oldest and is always so helpful and sharing her time and attention with two other siblings.  One who is newly born and requires a lot from Mommy and the other who is constantly into messes and also requires a lot from Mommy.  When Addison doesn't get her "me-time" or an outlet to help her burn off her extra energy it really starts to show in her mood.  And the poor girl didn't get many opportunities to burn off that energy with a newborn Brooklyn joining our family this summer.  

So, the long awaited day FINALLY came and we were oh so thrilled.  Since she's in the older 4-5 year old class she gets to go THREE times a week (Mon, Wed, and Fri) and Wednesday is the "long day" where she gets to take her lunch and have quiet time on her nap mat.  She was quite excited about this especially.

For her special first day Daddy made sure to join us in getting her to preschool before he had to go off to work.  

Her special "first-day-of-school" outfit.  She loved picking it out and especially wearing it.  This little girly is definitely into fashion and knows what looks good.

Since this was technically her second year of preschool, she had no fear when it was time to say good-bye.  Preschool has really helped her become more independent and outgoing when she's in new situations or meeting new people.  We are very grateful for all the things she has learned from preschool.  She was beyond excited to FINALLY start preschool instead of asking Mommy every day when it was going to start.

I love packing her lunch on Tuesday nights and putting a little note in there for her.  I hope she loves it as much as I do.  I've dreamt of doing this long before I ever had kids.  :)

Jonas and Brooklyn and Mommy got to take part in the yearly traditional breakfast after dropping sister off at school.  He was a happy camper.

And the verdict is in....this little guy was MORE work when Addison was at school.  He is into even more messes and craziness than he was before.  I know, pretty hard to believe right?  It's a full-time job just keeping up with him.

We definitely miss Addison when she's at school but we love knowing how much fun she is having and can't wait to ask her all our questions when we pick her up.  She's very good about telling us about their snacks, what toys she played with, and which friends she hung out with that day.  I have also noticed just how quiet it is when she's away at school.  We are always excited to see her when she comes home though.

The day after her first day of preschool was "shot-day".  We had apparently missed a few immunizations when she turned four last May so we had to play catch-up.  Which means this poor girl had to endure FIVE shots.  I made sure to be honest with her and let her know that it will hurt a little and then it will be over and then we will get ice cream.  I told her it was okay to cry if she wanted to.  Well, she did SO well and tried SO hard to be brave.  I gave her hugs while the nurse tried to give them as quickly as possible.  Five shots are a lot for any one to get at one time.  She definitely earned every bite of that ice cream.  And she also earned FIVE suckers from the nurse since she did so well getting her shots.  She shed some tears (I would have to) but she was quickly happy again once she got all five of her suckers.  So grateful that is all out of the way and now she has little (if any) shots to get before kindergarten starts next year.  Yikes...my baby is growing up!

Holding her booty after enduring those yucky shots.

Handsome Little Guy

As the last post declared - Jonas is officially a two year old.  And with turning another year older always comes pictures.  And boy did he turn on the charm for these…

 This one is easily one of my favorites.  This little guy has such a way of melting his Momma's heart.  We actually took his 2 year pictures and Brooklyn's 3 month pictures at the same time right after we dropped Addison off at school.  Jonas is all boy and then some but without Addison around he can turn into a shy little guy.  It took us a few warm-up shots to warm him up to the idea of smiling for the camera.  Isn't he soooo handsome?

 

He was easier to make smile when we let him hold this little tree fruit in his hand.  Of course he called it a ball since anything round is a ball right?  I'm telling you….totally boy.  He is literally moving from sun-up to sun-down and most days I'm exhausted just chasing after him and cleaning up mess after mess.  He's just like his Daddy and curious about EVERYTHING.  He never maliciously makes messes but it's usually the result of his daily explorations.  Luckily he's cute and there is no one else I'd work myself to exhaustion for day after day.  He is FINALLY starting to actually sit still and watch a cartoon and I must confess we do more of that than we should.  However, I'm embracing it as a part of life with a 4 year old, a 2 year old, and a 4 month old.  It's usually the only time I can get something done before he's on to wreck something else.  Which reminds me…we've coined him with a few names….  Wreck-It-Ralph and Megamind.  He's both…a mess maker and a huge headed boy.  I must confess that I do secretly love that he is all boy even though it requires more work on my part.  I'm finally learning just how much a cute little handsome boy can hold his Mommy's heart.  I'm grateful for this little guy and his sweet and mischievous personality.  He is a happy guy and I love that he loves and needs his "Mommy cuddles."  I'm a lucky lady that's for sure.

Jonas Turns Two!

This big boy got bigger!  And we got to celebrate it!  Our little J McKay turned two years old and we had so much fun showering him in attention.  We love having him in our family and have enjoyed hanging out with him these past two years.

I love this picture of him showing me his "Cheeeeethe" smile.

The big dude's birthday was on a Sunday so we improvised a bit with our festivities.  Which worked out great since we are trying to do a little more low-key and less formal celebrations.  Daddy & Mommy sang "Happy Birthday" to him the minute he woke up.  We also sang it multiple times throughout the day.  It was adorable to see him smile and soak up all the attention.  His nursery class even sang to him and they said he loved it.  By the end of the day, I think he was convinced the song was made just for him.  

After church and naps we got to dine on Jonas' favorite birthday dinner.  Of course, getting him to actually tell me what he wanted for dinner was not possible.  So, I ventured my best guess and it looks like I guessed it right!  This boy gobbled his plate up faster than I've seen him do it before.  His dinner was chicken nuggets with "dip it" (aka white gravy), curly french fries (he liked these the most), cantaloupe (the boy LOVES his fruit), and black olives (he's just like his Mommy).  Oh and pink lemonade to drink of course.   

Getting ready to dine on the big boy's birthday dinner!

He loved it all - mostly the curly fries of course.

After dinner we were lucky enough to have Grandma & Grandpa Fields come over and help us celebrate with a little family gift giving.  This year Daddy and Addison made the cake while Mommy wrapped the presents.  Daddy and Addison are quite the cooks.  I don't have a picture but it was a double layered chocolate cake with some gooey chocolate icing drizzled all over and some cool bulldozers and construction trucks on top.  He loved it and so did we.

He especially loved opening his presents from everyone.  Mommy & Addison and Brooklyn got him a cool drill screwdriver, and a fast motorized car, and a spider-man ball.  Daddy got him a t-ball stand and balls and a bat, and Grandma and Grandpa gave him a cool car/ramp/garage toy (see below).  He was definitely showered in gifts and he was very nice to share with his sister.

Here's the birthday boy surrounded in all his fun toys.

The following Monday was Labor Day and we had planned a little family swimming party that evening at Tom & Sarah's Donkey Hill.   It was so nice of them to share their fun pool with us and we all got to swim and eat pizza and dine on a big cookie for Jonas' big day.  So many family and friends came to celebrate Jonas and we were very grateful.  It was a really fun day.

I'll have you know that Brooklyn and I had to leave and go pick up the pizza while the rest of the gang was swimming.  By the time we got back I got to see how much of a water boy Jonas had turned into.  He's always loved the water of course but was hesitant when it came to going under or jumping to us.  When I came back Daddy and Jonas were proud to show me his newly acquired skills.  The little guy was jumping non-stop off the side of the pool and to Daddy....barely in time for Daddy to get to him.  Luckily he had his floatie on so he would bob right back to the surface.  He was loving it.  He even went off the diving board to Daddy.  The little guy has turned into quite the fish!  So much so that he'll jump up (instead of out) and almost hits the side of the concrete pool each time.  I'm hoping he'll start to grasp the jumping "out" concept soon.  It'd really help my nerves if he did.  He jumps into the pool non-stop and within seconds of him getting out.  Now we really have to keep an eye on this little monkey.  

We are sooooo grateful for the addition that Jonas is to our family.  He's such a fun, funny, loving, crazy, curious, sweet, silly little boy.  If I were to pick and choose the perfect little boy for me - it would be him exactly.  He's alllll boy and a lot like his Daddy was when he was little (curious!) and we are grateful.  I'm especially grateful that no matter how much he wants to be rough and tough and wrestle and be silly that he still needs his Mommy cuddles.  I could lay next to and cuddle this guy for quite a long time.  The fact that he holds still shows me he loves it - because the boy rarely holds still.  Even if I stop giving him rubs/cuddles he'll pick up my hand and put it on his arm or leg again for me to do it some more.  Adorable I tell you.

We love this little guy and can't seem to get enough of him.  He keeps us on our toes but we wouldn't trade it for anything.

Happy Birthday Jonas!!

Guess Who's Two.....Months?

Our little babbling Brooklyn is officially two-months old folks!  Time is just flying by!

She's definitely growing some baby chunk and quickly leaving that newborn phase behind.  It's always so fun to watch her grow each month and get to see her little personality blossom.   Yes, she's still such an easy going baby.  Rarely fusses unless she has a bubble or is hungry or tired.  And since we are now getting into a routine/schedule she doesn't ever have much of a chance to fuss before she is sleeping or fed.

And speaking of feeding - it's working this time!  We've had a few bumps along the way but it has still been way easier than it was with Addison or Jonas.  I'm hoping as we keep mastering this nursing thing that we can go a little longer than we did with both of her older siblings.  John asked me once how long I thought I'd nurse her and frankly I try not to think/stress about it.  As long as it's working we will ride this wave.  I don't particularly love to nurse but I love that it's the best thing for her and its easier on her tummy than formula would be (easier to get those gas bubbles out) and frankly it's a lot more convenient than packing around bottles and all the gear that goes with it.  And this just in - she knows how to drink out of a bottle!!  Technically we started practicing when she turned 1 month old.  It's important for me to have a baby that can do both breastfeeding, and bottle-feeding so I can have some freedom if I ever need a night away.  However, she's so fun to hang out with and bring along that I have yet to leave her at home for more than an hour.  Either way, it's nice knowing that she's able to figure out how to eat from a bottle.  :)

I wasn't able to get her dressed up and posed for this month either but I want to include a few random shots of our little Brooklyn at two months old.