WOW! 2.5 years already!!

Brooks will be 2 1/2 on the 13th of this month!! We can't believe how fast the last 2.5 years have gone! He has brought so much joy to our lives, and Josh and I always talk about how each day, even though we don't think it is possible, he becomes more special and more fun! As he becomes more verbal he says some of the funniest things. His most current is he will run in the room and say, "I tooted!" And if I say oh, he will respond, "I tooted, right here" and point to his booty! He also likes to commentate everything that goes on. For example, "Mommy, Daddy go work, Mommy and Brooks stay home. Daddy come home in big truck. Maddy go outside go schooey. Maddy come inside and eat breakfast." This goes on all day. Recently Miss Patty told us a funny story. She said that when Danny (her husband) comes down every morning all the kids say hello, hello, hello so he always responds hello, hello, hello. Well the other day Danny dozed off reading the paper in the recliner and Brooks said, "Patty, Patty, Hello is sleeping!" Patty said she hadn't laughed that hard in a long time! So cute that he thought Danny's name was Hello! Brooks has also taken up saying "I can't" when he doesn't want to do something. For example, "I can't go night-night!" "I can't change diaper!" "I can't like pancakes!" He also calls frosted flakes "cheerio tigers"! He LOVES Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! That is the first thing he asks for every morning. He also counts to twenty, but requires a little help when he gets to 14. Otherwise, it is 11-12-14-15-15-15-15-15-15. Now he will get to 20 if prompted on 13, 16, and 18. He also says his ABC's and can recognize a little more than half his letters. He loves to talk about opposites and every night before bed we have to read at least three books. He always chooses between the same 10 even though we have 100's of books. He definately can "read" us the books (by memorization). He LOVES shapes and can identify circle, square, oval, rectangle, triangle, diamond, star, heart!!! He is all about routine. He is definately a little OCD! And he is more humble than his mother :-), but it is fun to share all the things he is doing!! We can already tell fine motor skills are not going to be his strength. Those little sausage fingers are hard to manipulate!! I was a little freaked out the other day when I realized Brooks would qualify as a peer mentor for the public school preschool because he will be three by Aug. 31! I just can't believe he could be going to a big kid school!!!

At this time last year we never could have imagined the events that have transpired this past year. Our family lost one of our biggest supporters in the form of a Mom, MIL, and Mimi. As Valentine's day approaches I smile as I think of the day last year! Mom had us bring the boys early so she could make us all heart shaped pink pancakes. This was a tradition she started when Tiff and I were little. I also mourn for my Dad the loss of his Valentine for the past 35 years! When Brooks and Jack were both barfing this past weekend Tiff and I were talking about how hard it is to be a Mom. My response was that it is even harder to be a Mom without having your Mom! As we look forward to the next year, there are sure to be many more changes. We haven't yet decided if Brooks will go to 3 year old preschool next year as one of the youngest, or the next year as one of the oldest. We are in no rush to make him grow up but we also want to offer him any and all opportunities. And maybe this coming year will also bring the final member of our family?!? If Mommy gets her way there will be a room covered in pink and frills! But even if it is another boy it would be just as special! (No, we aren't at this point yet!!) :-)

As Brooks completes his "twos" these next six months we are anxious to experience all the exciting moments! Stay tuned. . . .