18 Months

It's hard for me to believe that my baby is a year in a half old. I have a harder time believing that I was 6 months pregnant with Mckenna when Baileigh was 18 months old!

Brooke thinks that she is 3 or 4, as I bet is typical of a third born who wants so badly to be a big girl like her sisters.
She is always babbling away and wants so badly to communicate. She says a handful of words, her best being Baileigh, ball, more, please, Mommy, Daddy, NO, dog, woof, meow, moo, bubbles, and juice. She has started to give great hugs but is still a little dangerous with the kisses as they frequently turn into a headbutt followed by tears. She loves her Daddy and her doggies! She sucks her thumb, primarily just at bed/nap time and it's always her right thumb and she always wants her yellow taggie. She's also grown attached to a pink blanket and has to gather them up when it is time to get out of her crib. She usually sleeps from about 8:30pm-9:00am and then takes a three hour nap in the late afternoon. Ninty percent of the time she goes to bed without a fuss. If you think I'm bragging...you're right! This was my third attempt at a good sleeper so I feel I can finally brag since I've paid my dues.
She loves to eat salad, brocolli, red onions, asparagus (where did she come from?), yogurt and pancakes! Strawberries, grapes and bananas are favorite fruites. She will eat cheese and noodles, but not consistently and she never gets that excited about them...this threw me at first as they were my other girls favorites.

Brooke is definitely opinionated but not defiant. When she is disciplined she frequently makes a bottom pouting lip that starts to quiver and then follows with a cry. It's pretty adorable despite the deafening cry. She has an awesome belly laugh and a cute grin complete with dimples (I think that is my strongest gene).

She has been an easy baby and a real blessing to our family. I can't deny the difference birth order makes in what kids are exposed to or allowed to do. I know that I'm a pretty different mother with her then I was with Baileigh, in both good and bad ways. A pro is that I know I let her experience things more then I may have with Baileigh when I was still in my first born overprotective stage! A con is that I know I was never yelling when Baileigh was a baby...unfortunately I'll admit that Brooke hears me yelling at her sisters probably more then I would like to admit.

It's going to be fun to see Brooke continue to mature and develop relationships with her sisters. I kinda wish she would have been a nightmare and it would have helped me completely eliminate the idea of ever having another baby. She has been so good that I wouldn't mind another kid just like her...but what are the chances of that happening again!