EASTER CHICK

Even though this wasn't your first Easter, it was the first Easter where you were big enough to participate in all the glory of the holiday, and participate you DID!

First there was the Easter Egg Hunt, which girlfriend, you knew exactly what to do, like it was just in your blood to find those eggs!  It was soooo CUTE!

you took off after B.

Finding the CANDY!

Eating the candy!

love these simple moments

your little fingers, already full of jellybeans cheeks, wispy blonde hair

you are so perfect

so lovey

so wonderful

Oh yeah, a mouth FULL of jellybeans, life is good.

Showing Dad your loot!

Later that day we decorated eggs!  You were pretty interested in all the colors.  You kept blowing in the glass and you even tried mixing colors, much to the distress of your big sister Julia!  ;)

Lauren so lovingly was teaching you about this

getting a closer look.

LOVE this shot of you!  You got so excited when you saw the eggs come out colored.  Not sure if you were really impressed or just mimicking everyone else's reaction, but it was precious!  You are really into mimicking right now.  ;)

you're always right in the midst of the action- you're not about to miss out on ANYTHING!  Love that you're down to your diaper - Mama knew you would be dangerous around all those dyes.

We finished the night with some yummy treats- your favorite thing ever- TREATS!

EASTER MORNING....

you had just tooted really LOUD and we were all cracking up!!

wearing your new sunglasses "mama style"!

CAAAAAAAAAAAAANDY!!!!!!!

You were crying and freaking out about not being able to get into everyone's baskets, until you figured out there was a BUNCH of candy in YOUR basket.  Then you was all sorts of happy.

 Looking for easter eggs from the Bunny.  Not the most thrilling event of your life.

 CHOCOLATE FACE

quintessential easter morning picture

you rock!

Some shots we took before church....

 i made these skirts for each of you girls this year.  it was a challenge, but they turned out so cute!  i love dressing up my little dollies!

 Oh, angel girl.  You have sooooo much personality.  You pose, you make the BEST faces that are always so full of expression, and you have very strong opinions.  I love what a STRONG spirit you are, you are confident and determined.  You are sweet and obedient as well.  All these things mix together to make you just one AMAZING girl and I am so so so very thankful you are MINE and that you came to our family.  You are such a miracle and blessing and I am grateful EVERY DAY for you!

even when you give me your pouty face! ;)

 You're adorable and you know it!

MOMMY'S Girl

Oh baby love, nobody has loved me as fiercely as you!

It really is intense and I LOVE it!

You do not do nursery at church- nope, not even if your Dad stays in there with you, it has to be ME.

That and the fact that it is your nap time, we alternate taking you home for your nap.

You are the most insistent and resistant of our children.  

Sometimes that is a good thing, but mostly, we're anxiously awaiting you to "grow out of it".

 When all that determination is focused on sitting with me or laying with me or rocking with me, there is NOTHING better in the whole world.  I love that I am your safety zone, your comfort and peaceful place, your Mama.

 And your kisses- GIRLFRIEND!  I could live on your kisses alone!  They are the sweetest, softest, most gentle and powerful kisses EVER!  I adore your kisses and I physically get so happy when you give me one.

 It cracks me up to think about when you were a newborn and I thought you didn't even like me.   I think you are the MOST attached to me!

Brynnly there is just SOOOOO much to you now.  You have such a personality!! You are FUNNY and quick and so so smart.  You mimick and copy EVERYTHING your siblings do, which honestly is a GOOD thing.  In fact you even dance with them when they are doing the Wii- it is hands down THE cutest thing on the planet!!  You got some moves girl!!!
The other cutest thing on the planet, is listening to you sing "Happy Birthday"  you say, "Happy To Do" in such a singsong voice. You LOVE birthdays!!  You are so happy and excited for the birthday person, it is darling.Your birthday will be A BLAST!

You are a GREAT communicator, talking is so awesome!  You already are putting two words together to make sentences.  "Bye-bye Dada" is one of the most popular or "Ni-night GG".  You say every single one of the Sesame Street characters, most recently learning Grover- "gofer".  You say your color words and are getting better at knowing the right word for the right color.  You are learning the ABC's and will count "two free" when jumping into my arms on the stairs.
"Meme's" (excuse me) you say this whenever you burp, fart, or need to get by someone. IT IS AMAZING! I don't even recall really teaching it to you, and that you use it at all the right times, just impresses me and tickles me so much.  How smart and good and sweet can you be?!!?

And another total Brynnly thing you do is run to show everyone what you're wearing when you get dressed. Oh man, it is soooooo funny!  I always make a big deal once you're dressed about what a PRETTY GIRL you are.  You will say, "pitty" and then ask where people are, like, "B?" or "Youlu?" then you RUN to show them.  When you find them you pose!  Seriously, you open your arms and tilt your hips and stand there until they tell you how beautiful you look!  Baylor has even caught on and will always say, "nice Binny".  If by chance they don't pay attention when you come running, you YELL their names until they look at you, it is pretty darn hilarious.  I LOOOOOVE YOU!  I love your self confidence, already, you KNOW you are special!

You LOVE baby dolls and have taken to walking around with your Snow White baby "singing" Lala-Lu to her, wrapping her up in a kitchen towel.  "Towel" would be another word you know, mostly because you are ALWAYS wiping up something you have spilled, you are a messy girl!  ;)  But HOW COOL are you that you run and get towels??

Brynners, seriously I couldn't imagine my life without you!  You are a challenge, as any toddler is, but you bring a life, an excitement, and so so so much joy, our family is ONLY complete with you here!  We love you, we are grateful for you and your sweet sweet AWESOME personality.  It is so much fun to watch you learn and grow and do new things.  ALL of us love watching you and entertaining you and being entertained by you!  And me, most of all, feel so incredibly lucky to have your 110% love, I am the luckiest most blessed mom EVER!

MEASLE THE WEASEL

That is what I have been calling you the past week, or at least since Wednesday, when I FINALLY figured out what your relentless fever was from- THE MEASLES!  My poor baby girl!  Your MMR shot you received a week before your fever apparently gave you a bad reaction and you came down with a minor case of measles!

You had this fever and were so sad and wouldn't eat (except bagels and lots and lots of bottles of 'appa joo').  After four days your fever seemed to be subsiding (prior to that I was sure it was a UTI) and on day 5 I took off your clothes to get you in the bath and you were COVERED in red splotches.  I knew right away what it was ad wasn't too freaked out, I knew the virus was ending when the rash comes forth, so whew!  You were a trooper!

The "weasel" part of your nickname has been earned by your incomparable behavior!  Brynnly Kathleen, you are like nothing I have experienced before, it is both entertaining and frightening!!
As I have discussed this with your dad, I have come to the conclusion that you are just being raised so different from your siblings because A) you're the youngest of four, which means you have not only lots of siblings to learn from and contend with, but they are older and showing you things they never saw- like how to pull the tall bar stool to the counter and climb on the counter to get FRUIT SNACKS!  Yes my dear, that is the newest skill you have developed! 
 B) you are so much closer in age to Baylor than any of the other 3 are to each other and that has set up a pit fall, in that your closest older sibling, instead of being an incredible helper and prime example setter, he pushes, hits, pinches, screams at, and all round roughs you up.  That being your example, you are quite a bit more feisty, whinny, and aggressive, not by nature but by product of your environment.

Although you two can also be the BEST of FRIENDS!  You LOOOOVE Baylor.  He is sooo much fun!  This is you 2 looking at the garbage truck. He hasn't figured out just how COOL you are, but when he does, man you two will be unstoppable!  Right now a favorite game you two play is running/chasing.  You love following him around and anytime he gives you attention you are in heaven!  The sweetest thing he did the other night was say, "come on binny" and you two went in his room (gasp!  he never wants you in there) and you guys read books together...a.k.a pulled all the books off the shelf and looked through them, which since it was such an act of goodwill on his part, I didn't even mind.
That all being said, you are still one SWEET little lady.  You are a bit of a magpie, collecting multiple babies and purses and piling them into a stroller which you push around all while wearing sunglasses.  You LOVE dressing up, particularly in your sisters' laundry.  I believe yesterday you went out in public wearing one of Lauren's shirts over your clothes, with the neck going across your chest like an evening gown and the sleeve just dangling as an accessory.  You put on shoes constantly, yours, mine, everyone's, you are a shoe girl!  You are not very messy, well you are, but you don't like to be.  Your EVERY SINGLE DAY breakfast is "cocos" and "mil" Cocoa Krispies with milk.  You love drinking the milk out of the bowl, you also inadvertently spill 50% of the milk and krispies every time and are covered by the time you're full.  Your saving grace, bibs.  You LIKE wearing "bibbies".  Thank goodness!  Grandma sent us this cup, it use to be mine.  You likes it!! Could you be any cuter!?!?

You also very much enjoy wearing your hood when you put your jacket on.  I taught you to say hood which you say perfectly and with so much "oo" sound.  It cracks me up!  You say it about 12 times in a row and walk around all stiff cause you loose your peripheral vision when it is on.  HA!!!

You talk sooooo much, my favorite unexpected word right now is "me-mes" for excuse me.

You are so full of energy, life, personality, expression!  Sometimes you wear me out, mostly because Im your favorite person and you like a good dose of Mama in just about every other minute of your day, but baby girl that is the BEST way to get exhausted- being loved on from my best girl, yeah, I'll take that ANY DAY!  

I love you Brynners, my little weasel. Just be safe, ok?  {kisses, kisses, kisses}

a little tid bit

i love when i ask you (or tell you) to do something and you don't want to you do this "way too old to be doing this" thing where you drop your shoulders and put your head back and even sometimes roll your eyes.  man you are too big for your britches and yet it fits you 110%, you just are ahead of your time.  But when I hold you OR ehem.. nurse you in the middle of the night, you still feel and seem like such a baby.  Im soaking you up and appreciating every minute of your little amazing too big self!

18 months

you are wonderful.
you are soooo full of life and happiness.
you LOVE to dance and be busy- you climb up on us whenever anyone is on the computer, you pretty much climb up everywhere.

you like to look for "bugs" in between your toes.
you laugh and hold your boobies and belly button when you're naked.
you know all your body parts.
you like running around naked.

you are smart and independent!
you KNOW what you like and what you want.
you are loving and forgiving and obedient, even though sometimes you don't want to do what i ask, you most often do it.

you're gorgeous and delightful.

you are FUNNY and happy.

you are the light of my life and i am so thankful for you.

you're just going to get bigger and bigger, but for now i am milking every ounce of baby left in you.  you have been a WONDERFUL baby, filling my arms and life with MORE baby goodness and precious happiness than i ever thought possible and i have been grateful for you every single day of your life.  i LOVE you.