Snow and Sledding

We woke up on Christmas Eve day to a lot of snow. We were lazy all day but then after Brooke's afternoon nap we decided we needed to try some sledding. Ryan went out and was shoveling the sidewalk and I was getting Brooke bundled up to play. She woke up from her nap a mess and was crying about everything. It took me forever to get her gloves on because she kept crying and I was losing my temper. I wanted to scrap the whole idea because I figured she'd fall down in the snow and cry and want to come back in. We didn't have a sled so we called Poppy and he said he'd bring his over. Again, I figured Brooke would be over the snow by the time Poppy made it over, but I was definitely wrong. She got outside and loved it. Playing in the snow:

Playing in the snow from Jaira Grathwohl on Vimeo.

Poppy pulling Brooke on the sled:

Pulled on the sled from Jaira Grathwohl on Vimeo.

I decided that I didn't want to miss out on the sledding action so I bundled Brenna in the stroller and we all went. Here is Brenna all bundled:



So we get down to the hill at the end of our street and I'm at the bottom with Brenna and Ryan and Poppy are at the top with Brooke. They asked if I was ready to film and I said yes and they said they were ready to go except Brooke was the only one sitting on the sled. I said, "you aren't sending her down by herself are you?" and they said "yes". I said, "what, she's 2 years old!" They assured me she'd be fine. So her first trip down was pretty slow and she loved it. After that she acted like a pro. I was so impressed with her. We had a blast.

Brooke Sledding from Jaira Grathwohl on Vimeo.

Here she is riding with Poppy, but it wasn't fast enough for her liking:

Sledding with Poppy from Jaira Grathwohl on Vimeo.

Brenna Laughing

Brenna is really starting to find her voice. She has laughed a couple of times and it's awfully precious.

Brenna laughing from Jaira Grathwohl on Vimeo.

Christmas at Big Cedar

The weekend before Christmas we met Ryan's family at Big Cedar to celebrate Christmas. Ryan's mom actually took Brooke down a few days early. Brooke had a lot of fun. She did tons of activities. She decorated cookies (or in other words, ate a bunch of candy toppings), decorated a stocking, rode a horse and took an evening wagon ride to look at Christmas lights. We all had a really good time.

Decorating a stocking:



Riding a horse:

Beginning of horse ride from Jaira Grathwohl on Vimeo.

End of horse ride from Jaira Grathwohl on Vimeo.

Brooke opening her doll named Brianna:



Brooke on the evening wagon ride:

OOPS, I don't have pictures yet because I am waiting on Aunt Rachel to send them to me!!!!!

Brooke's Visit to Santa

Brooke's daycare went to visit Santa at the mall. Brooke acted excited and in the car on the way she said she loved Santa and she wasn't scared and wasn't going to cry. Of course her prediction turned out to be false. Once her first fellow classmate started to cry it was all downhill for every child after. Brooke didn't even get close to him.

All is well before walking into the Santa section:




Daddy is coaching Brooke on what to do and say:

Before Santa from Jaira Grathwohl on Vimeo.

Sitting in the Santa enclosure and things are starting to get shaky.



All is NOT well. Got too close to Santa.



All is well again after leaving Santa.

Carousel from Jaira Grathwohl on Vimeo.

Brooke cracks me up. When Ryan was coaching her, he said she is supposed to ask Santa for what she wants. So we asked her what she wants and she was being silly and said "a shotgun". Ryan and I both started laughing. I said, "Brooke, who really wants a shotgun" and she smiled and said "daddy"! She sure has her daddy figured out!

Sweet Sisters

I hope and pray that Brooke and Brenna will have the special relationship that I have with my sisters!

Brenna - 2 months old

She is growing so fast. It seems like she is hardly a baby to me anymore. Life is definitely hectic and crazy have two girls now. Brenna came be as sweet as can be, but can go from quiet and happy to full screaming mad in a span of two seconds. When she is hungry she wants to be fed 10 seconds ago! I don't remember Brooke ever having lungs like Brenna does.

At her 2 month doctors visit Brenna weighed 11 pounds 4 ounces (63rd percentile) and was 23 inches long (82nd percentile).



Brenna sitting in a big girl chair:

Brooke is ready for winter

Brooke just daily amazes us. She speaks like she is at least 3 years old. She is able to identify so much machinery, thanks to her daddy. She knows backhoes, trackhoes, compacter, paver, hi-lift, skid-steer and motorgrader! We were driving the other day and she said, "look mom, there is a skid-steer on the playground" and I turned and looked and sure enough! And at her daycare they have words for the week and at dinner daddy had eaten all of his spaghetti and Brooke said, "look mom, daddy had a big appetite (which was the word of the week a few weeks earlier)!" Too cute!

Happy Thanksgiving

All the family was together at Thanksgiving and it was fun seeing all the cousins playing together!

Starting to Smile

At the park

We took advantage of one of the last warmer days of fall.

At the park from Jaira Grathwohl on Vimeo.

Brooke's Aunt Elise will have a heart attack when she sees this video since a vehicle shouldn't move inches without a baby in the car seat. Don't worry, we were in a wide open parking lot with not another vehicle in sight! :)

Driving 101 from Jaira Grathwohl on Vimeo.

Mommy's Girls

My girls are such a blessing!

Brenna - A month old

They don't really do a whole lot at just over a month old . . . but they sure are cute! At her one month doctor's visit, Brenna weighed 9 pounds and 14 ounces (75th percentile) and was 21.75 inches long (81 percentile).

Brenna from Jaira Grathwohl on Vimeo.