Bed Head

Brooke woke up with a crazy hairdo this morning. The picture just doesn't do it justice!

One Year Doctor's Visit

At her one year doctor's visit, Brooke weighed 21 pounds 4 ounces and was 29 1/2 inches long with a head circumference of 45 cm.

Birthday Party

Birthday Girl from Jaira Grathwohl on Vimeo.

Birthday Girl

Brooke was playing with a birthday balloon given to her by a sweet friend Rebecca.

Untitled from Jaira Grathwohl on Vimeo.

Brooke's friend Cayden came over to give her a birthday present and some birthday hugs and kisses.

Walking Improvement

Brooke finishes this little stretch of walking with finesse. Normally she ends in a face plant.

Walking Farther from Jaira Grathwohl on Vimeo.

Mommy's First Time Away

So I left Brooke overnight for the first time ever, except it wasn't one night, but three. Ryan and I went to Big Cedar lodge outside of Branson with 3 other couples. We left Brooke with Nana and Poppy and they said she did great. I did okay until the last day I kept crying when I saw babies. I had originally planned on staying a fourth night but was dying to get home. I was quite disappointed when Brooke wasn't overly happy to see me. I picked her up at 9:45 PM so she had been asleep and I took her home and put her in bed. But I was hoping the next morning that she would be thrilled to see her mommy. Boy, was I disappointed. She took her bottle and then immediately wanted off my lap to play. Then a few minutes later I picked her up to change her clothes and she went limp indicating that she didn't want me to pick her up.

I then dropped her off at the babysitters and sat through work all day dying to be able to spend more time with her. So after work I raced over to the babysitters. She has a dog and it started barking when I came to the door and the babysitter said that Brooke was still asleep upstairs and I could go get her. At that point I hear Brooke crying and it sounded like it was a startled cry that the dog awakening her had scared her. So Jen and I went upstairs and Jen scooped Brooke up first since she was ahead of me. I then took Brooke from Jen but Brooke frantically wanted to go back to Jen . . . it broke my heart! She was upset and didn't want her mommy. So Jen carried her dowstairs and Brooke calmed down and quit crying. Then I took Brooke from Jen to leave and Brooke started crying again and wanted to go back to Jen!! Brooke was just twisting the knife! So I marched out the door with a crying baby! Mommy felt like crying, too! I don't know if Brooke is punishing me or what!

Poppy showed me this picture of Brooke in the nursery at church on Sunday when they took her and my response was . . . what is Brooke doing at church in her pajamas??? But I guess if that's the worst thing that happened while I was gone then I could be happy! (Nana's defense was that it was the only thing warm that I had packed!)