Brooklynn Visits the Doc!

Last week was Brooklynn's 4-year check-up.  It was comforting to assure her there'd be no shots this time around.  She did an awesome job, and her doc was very impressed!  She did better this year than last year on her ASQ (Ages and Stages Questionnaire), which looks at her motor skills, social skills, intellectual development, etc. 

This was the first year they tested her eyes, which always concerns me, just because my vision is so bad!  When the nurse tested her distance she pointed at different letters and asked Brooklynn what they were.  Chandler and I were standing next to the wall with the nurse, and Chandler started blurting out the letters.  It was freaking hilarious!

Next to work on:  quitting the finger sucking.  Uggghhhhh!

Stats:
Weight - 37 lb (69th percentile)
Height - 42 in (91st percentile)
BMI - 14.8 (33%)

She's our little lean bean now!  Now onto our birthday celebrations..........

Can You Feel the Love?

When I found out I was pregnant with Chandler one of my first thoughts was "I hope they get along".  I could only imagine sisters 20 months apart as teenagers fighting over friends and boys.  Uggghhh!  Most people who knew sisters so close in age told me it was a tough 18 years, but "don't worry....they're best friends now that they're 30!"  Needless to say my expectations of them getting along are never very high, but they actually really love each other and are so sweet to each other (most of the time).

Some of my favorite things they do:
1.  They love to do fashion shows together, alternating which princess they each are
2.  When older kids try to play with Brooklynn she just ignores them, saying she just wants to play with Chandler
3.  When Chandler gets in trouble (which is a common occurence), Brooklynn always defends her, sometimes really giving it to Steve and I
4.  If Chandler doesn't eat her dinner and doesn't get a treat Brooklynn ALWAYS shares some of hers!

This week they've both been sick with colds and have enjoyed some snuggle time.  When I came downstairs the other day I found them eating breakfast like this - loving to share a chair!

And then snuggling together on the couch

Now, they're not always this sweet to each other, but with low expectations, I'm always amazed how sweet they are to each other.  Now to see how another baby changes/adds to the dynamic.  Yikes!

Those of you who know me, know I'm not much of a "church person", but we've been going back to Flatirons Church more recently.  I like this church, because they welcome anyone and everyone, and the pastor, Jim, teaches life lessons while incorporating religion.  Last week the service was about being a father and what that meant.  As Jim read aloud his "checklist" of how to be a good dad, I was sitting there thinking how Steve has mastered these and how lucky we are to have him as a husband and dad.

One of Jim's points was to spend "a large quantity of quality time with your kids".  This has been a priority for Steve from the get-go.  He works early, so he can get off work early and spend lots of time with us.  I know he could go out and get a big corporate managerial job, but he chooses his job for the family. 

Jim's last point was to "teach our sons, protect our daughters."  I know this won't be tough for Steve to do,  especially when the real time comes.  He's already establishing some rules for the girls - no bikinis, no ear piercings, and no marrying princes! 

The girls absolutely adore their daddy (even though they're with mommy all day).  I know we'll have obstacles along the way of raising kids, especially girls, but knowing they have a supportive, sometimes tough, dad is reassuring.  We're thankful to have our wonderful dad!

Snow Days!

Last Friday we got hammered with snow - 15 inches in a couple days!  After being home-bound on Friday we wanted to venture out on Saturday to the Butterfly Pavilion with the girls.  Apparently very few people also wanted to get out, so we had the museum mostly to ourselves.

Brooklynn holding Rosie

 Chandler's turn (you're supposed to be 3, but we lied for her)  She rocked it!

 Brooklynn trying to get a butterfly to land on her

 Token belly shot (We figured we'd better get one before baby comes)

Sunday we went sledding close to our house on a small hill.  Ten minutes into it, I was glad we chose a small hill - getting my big butt and the girls up the hill was no small feat!  The girls absolutely loved it!  We forgot the camera, but I'm not sure we would've gotten many good shots - we just wanted to have fun and keep sledding.

I've really been enjoying having 2 "big kids" to do that type of stuff with - sledding, bike riding, just wrestling around.  I'm a little scared to "throw" a newborn into the picture and give that up for awhile (especially the summer bike rides).  But I know it'll go by quick and soon we'll have 3 of them out there riding!

The Princesses are Eating My Daughter!

The other night Brooklynn  was looking at one of our wedding pictures and turned to Steve and I and said, "I want to get married NOW!  I want a prince to marry now."  We began to explain to her that she could get married when she was older....much older.  After throwing a small fit, Steve became agitated and told her we may have to stop watching, playing with, and even associating her with the princesses (the Disney princesses that is).  I know he didn't mean that (as she was utterly upset), but we've always been a little wary of the effect of the Disney princess movement.

A few months ago I read "Help!  Cinderella ate my Daughter" by Peggy Orenstein.  I knew it was a must-read with a pink-obsessed daughter.  Since I didn't play much with dolls, Barbies, or watch the princess movies, I wasn't sure of the consequences effects of it all.  As I read it I couldn't help by think we were making poor choices by allowing Brooklynn to be engulfed with this phenomena of pink, Barbies, and princesses.  But then I also realized I had to take the author's opinion with a grain of salt.  Here was a feminist who refused to allow her daughter to play with anything pink, girly, or princess-y.  She insisted girls who play with that stuff will have daughters who grow up to be needy with no sense of reality, thinking fairy tales are a reality. 

After long conversations, we've decided to embrace allow the girls to watch the movies, read the books, and even own some of the toys.  Of course we'd rather they had other interests, but I think embracing what makes them happy is the most important.  We do make sure to talk to them about the stories, but I want them to make the decision on their own of what they think life and relationships are all about.  Just like any issue as a parent, it's imperative to education them but let them go and make their own choices and hope they make the right ones and learn from the wrong ones.  I hardly believe that playing with this stuff as a 3 year-old will make her competitive with other girls, need a prince to marry at 18, and be consumed with her appearance!

“There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: One is roots, the other is wings.”

-Hodding Carter