9 months

Brooke is officially 9 months old. It is crazy to think that she has now been here with us just about as long as she was growing inside of me. She is such a joy! I love her fun little personality, her smile, her deep belly laugh, her piercing blue eyes, her inquisitive nature, her two little teeth, that she can crawl on her knees but still chooses to army crawl, the fact that she is pulling herself up on things, that she mumbles mama and dada, that she mumbles (hums) along when I sing to her, that she waves hi and bye, when she is tired her head still falls on my shoulder, that each day I love her more and more. I am so thankful that God has given her to us. I pray that she comes to a deep understanding of His love and grace and deisres a relationship with Him early in her life.

For Brooke's 9 month pictures we went up on a hill in Vacaville and had Courtney and Cady as our great photographers. I loved the way that the pictures turned out! I can't wait to frame them and put them up in our house. Sorry there are so many... I had so many great ones to choose from. Thank you Courtney and Cady!

in between outfits

Happy Father's Day

Tim and I have been together for over 6 1/2 years (dating & married). I love him more now than ever. One of the reasons I love him even more is how he is with our daughter.

When I found out I was pregnant, I immediately began daydreaming of having a little boy. In my mind I had already pictured Tim and our son playing catch in the yard. I had thought about colors that I would want in a nursery for a boy... I was excited to have a little "Tim". So when the ultrasound technician told us that we were having a girl, my daydreaming changed from thoughts of blue to thoughts of pink...and honestly, now having a girl, I can't imagine having a boy. When we found out that we were having a girl, a new Carrie Underwood song came out. This song kind of summed up that short season for us. Here are some of the words:

"Since the day they got married, He'd been praying for a little baby boy.
Someone he could take fishing, Throw the football and be his pride and joy.
He could already see him holding that trophy, Taking his team to state.
But when the nurse came in with a little pink blanket, All those big dreams changed.

And now he's wrapped around her finger,She's the center of his whole world.
And his heart belongs to that sweet little beautiful, wonderful, perfect All-American Girl."

Tim is an amazing dady to our little girl. Some of my favorite moments of them together are seeing him hold her for the first time, hearing him read to her, and watching him take her in the water at the beach for the first time. He is so sweet and gentle with her, but she is going to know very quickly that she is not going to get away with anything. I truly believe that he is an incredible example of God's love for His children. Who could ask for anything more than that?

Happy Father's Day Tim! Brookie and I are so thankful for you!

Toys...

As Brooke gets older the more she wants to be entertained, the shorter her attention span becomes, and the more she knows what she wants. Tim and I thought we were being good parents when we bought her a baby einstein stationary jumper when she got too big for her swing...sometimes she really likes it...

but sometimes we get this...

So we decided to let her play with what she wants. Here are a few of her favorite toys...

waterbottles

door stoppers (which we now refer to as the boingy)

my phone

The remote

and the kicker...the little plastic hooks that attach to the top of the jumper. Why do I buy her toys???

I like to move it move it

Well, here she is...this is Brooke's version of crawling. Daddy calls it the army crawl and my parents call it scooting, but whatever it is, it's pretty cute!

This was a few weeks ago

and this is how she moves today! (btw...listen to her at the end. It sounds like she says hi!)