Brooks at 2 1/2

This morning, we had Brooks's 2 1/2 year check-up, and it dawned on me that this was probably a good time to blog a few things about him at this age that I want to remember. So, for no other reason that my own memory preservation, here are ten things about this incredible little boy that I want to remember about him at 2 1/2 years old. Let's go!

1. Pronouns are hard.

One of my favorite things about two-year-olds is their Caveman-speak. I hear a lot of "Me do it" or "Me have one" or "Me want that." As much as the grammar snob in me wants to correct it, I've been around this block enough times to know that it's fleeting, so I'm HIGHLY encouraging the "me" to stick around. ;) He will occasionally get the "I" part correct...but more often than not, he talks as "me." 

2. Kidz Bop is his JAM.
Specifically, Kidz Bop 37 is his jam. Current obsessions include "How Long," "Havana" (which he affectionately calls Havana Na Na), and "Mi Gente." We made the catastrophic mistake of buying the CD at Target a few weeks ago in an attempt to save our data in the car, and the minute we buckle him in that car seat, he demands, "Play How Long!" It was cute at first...not so much four weeks in...sigh.

3. He has some mean dance moves.

Building on number two, he throws down some wicked moves when we turn those songs on the TV upstairs. He can jump, spin, and bounce with the best of 'em. My favorite is the head bob.

4. He is an engineer. Or doctor. Okay, or ice cream man.

His favorite toys currently are the doctor kit, the magna-tiles, or his ice cream truck. You can find this boy either building a house, giving someone a check-up, or asking "What do you want?" from his ice cream truck at nearly every hour of the day. I'm praying that we further pursue one of his first two options... 

5. He loves his people.
The first thing this sweet boy does when he comes downstairs in the morning or after a nap is assess the room. He wants to know who is here, who is missing, and where his people are. He is NOT a fan of anyone in the group being missing. Ever. His ideal world includes all five of us...all the time. It's the sweetest thing.

6. He has some wicked gymnastics ability.

So, I noticed out the window earlier this week that he has figured out a little front handspring-type move, 100% on his own. He bounces on his knees first and then flips over forward. We absolutely did not teach him this, nor can his big brother or sister do it. I'm going to go ahead and call this one a gymnast - what do you think?

7. He still naps like a pro.

Fun fact: Brooks is legitimately the ONLY child in his preschool class that takes a nap every single day. There is one other that occasionally naps, too, but Brooks naps every single day for at least an hour. With my older two, this was an age where naps were either dropped entirely or became a battle. Not with this one. He is the best little sleeper!

8. He's a peanut.

We had a well-check earlier this week, and despite my 100% confidence that he would've jumped up past the fifth percentile for weight...we did not. We stayed exactly the same. He is in the fifth percentile for weight and 15th for height. We are still in 12-18 month pants and 18-24 month tops, occasionally a 2T shirt if it's cute enough to wear a little big. He seems a little bit stockier and filled out to me, but percentiles don't lie, so apparently we're still a peanut. (I secretly love it!) 

9. He is not a fan of any meat other than pepperoni.
Don't even bother offering this kid chicken or turkey or beef - he'll have none of it. Pepperoni or nothin' for this kid. It's so very healthy. Except not.

10. His favorite place is on the kitchen counter.
I pray that he still feels at home enough to hop up on our counter when he's 25. It's my favorite spot to chat with him. :)

This little boy is just so special, and I cannot wait to see what BIG and beautiful things God has planned for his life. Love you, sweet boy!

Brooks Turns TWO!

Brooksie Brooks, you are TWO!

I can't even believe it. Last year on September 16th, you were living in an orphanage on the other side of the world. You had a family, but you didn't know it yet, and you certainly didn't understand what a birthday was. We did our best to celebrate you in your absence, but our hearts were just broken to know you were so far away on such a special day. 

This year, we spent the day doing all your favorite things!

We started the morning with donuts...because 'Merica. ;) 

After opening and playing with your presents from Mommy, Daddy, Carter, and Kate, we headed up to play at the mall and go pick out some clothes for our Build-A-Bears. You picked out an Elmo outfit, complete with slippers, and then we played and rode the cars at the play area before heading to the food court for lunch. This was strategy - I knew you'd want your beloved lo mein noodles, but I wasn't about to clean those up at home, so the food court was the perfect place to let you glory in your love for the noodle. Bonus - we even ran into your sweet teacher eating lunch with her husband! 

After that, we headed home for naps and to get ready for your big fiesta! Cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles arrived late that afternoon, and we had a "Choo Choo, He's TWO!" party. :) Not only are trains one of your favorite things, but your Chinese name was also Zhi Qiu (pronounced Ji Choo), and your ayis in China called you Qiu Qiu (pronounced Choo Choo), so obviously that fit. ;) 

You LOVED all the attention, ate great food, got more presents from your family, and even tried your hand at a pinata! 

Your absolute favorite part of the day was watching all your family sing "Happy Birthday" to you. After you blew out the candles and we all cheered, you got the BEST little grin on your face. You know routinely ask for "Happy" anytime we sit down to eat. Apparently, you think this is going to be a regular thing around here...

Brooks, we don't know what we did right to get the absolute JOY of being your parents, but all of us truly count our lucky stars EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. that the Lord blessed us with the gift of YOU. You are incredibly smart, kind, observant, loving, compassionate, funny (SO funny), and dangerously handsome. Your joy is contagious, and I've yet to meet someone who doesn't immediately fall head over heels for you. Adoption is not an easy road for anyone involved, and there is a lot of fear and brokenness at times...but YOU, dear boy, are worth every sleepless night, every grey hair, and every blank on every piece of paper we had to fill out to bring you home. I would go through it all a thousand times over just for one of your million dollar smiles and to hear your sweet little voice call "Mommy."

We love you, sweet one...happy 2nd birthday!  

Post Adoption: 9 Months Home

I will not start every post with an apology.

I will not start every post with an apology.

I will not start every post with an apology.

ARGH, I can't help it...I'm so sorry, y'all! This whole three kids thing is HARD, and I missed both eight AND nine months home posts! Dang it!

Well, better late never, I say...so, for all ten of my readers, let's see what Mr. Brooks has been up to lately! ;) 

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT: Brooks hit a SERIOUS growth spurt these last few months! He seems taller, fuller, and just like he's losing his "baby." His face is getting leaner, longer, and he's looking more and more like a little boy and less and less like a baby. :( I think he's close to 22 pounds now. No clue on height, but we'll get all of his stats at his well-check in September, so I'll update those soon! I know his head circumference has grown because his "Infant" Texas A&M hat he wore a lot when he got home doesn't fit anymore. He continues to be a gross motor genius - jumping with two feet off the ground, climbing EVERYTHING, and generally giving his mama a heart attack on the daily. He wears me out, but in the best way.

ATTACHMENT: This continues to go well - no issues! Also a big victory...his night crying has finally subsided! Up until this point, he's cried out in his sleep multiple times per night. Not long enough or loud enough for us to address it because he's not truly awake, but I think that was where his grief and trauma came out. I haven't heard those cries in several weeks...so amazing!

LANGUAGE: The biggest development leap we've noticed this month is his beginning to string words together. We got an ADORABLE video of him saying, "Hey, Kate," the other day. He'll also say "Hi, mama," "Bye bye, Dada," "Night night, Carter," or the like. We're getting two words together and considering he's only heard nine months of English, we're pretty impressed! 

SLEEP: Still no issues...praise the Lord! It only improves every day. Cross your fingers as he starts preschool that we won't have any regression with his naps or nights!

FOOD: We've discovered a new favorite this month - cheese ravioli, hold the tomato sauce. ;) I think he ate about 10 on Tuesday night. Noodles/pastas/starches continue to be this kid's jam...just don't add any red sauce!

HEALTH: Praise the Risen Lord, we are COMPLETELY OFF STEROIDS! We weaned Brooks off of those in June, brought them back to help him get over a brief cold in July, and haven't touched them at all in August! That'll probably change once cold and flu season hits again, but for the moment, we are enjoying our time OFF the nebulizer!


RANDOM FACTS: Full disclosure - I was absolutely terrified of how our move would cause little man to regress, but he handled it like an old pro! Our older kids actually struggled much more than he did...he's loving his new digs!

Another fun fact - he became very interested in putting on other people's clothing this month.

Exhibit A...

He makes us laugh EVERY DAY. :)

It's crazy to think that two years ago this month we applied to adopt. We had no idea that our sweet son's first mama was entering her third trimester of pregnancy with him. I have no idea what she was feeling at that point...fear? Joy? Anxiety? I'm not privy to those details but what I do know is that she loved her son. I do know that she chose to give him life when doing so would cause her immense pain. I do know that she must've faced just an absolutely impossible decision to make when she placed him to be found. I pray that God opens some cosmic door one day where I can meet this boy's first mama...but if He doesn't, she will always have my utmost respect and love.

We are so thankful to be this little guy's family - happy weekend, friends!

Post Adoption: 7 Months Home

This sweet boy has been home seven months! (Okay, seven months and some change. Summer is hard.) 

It's crazy to think that a year ago, we hadn't even seen his face yet, and now we can't imagine our life without him. What an amazing God we serve.

So, let's see...here's what has been going on this month with our Brooks!

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT: Not a whole lot of change here...Brooks continues to be 90 mph most of the time. Blake and I have both noticed that he's gotten heavier lately, so I'm very curious what his weight is now. I'm guessing 21-22 pounds, but since we haven't been to the doctor in a while, I'm truthfully not sure. His clothes seem to be getting tighter, too, so I'm eager to see how he's grown! 

ATTACHMENT: All good things here! This month, he got pretty particular about only wanting Mommy to do certain things...that was kind of hard, but it's also totally normal toddler behavior. As I'm writing this, he's currently at his first preschool camp...his first separation for longer than an hour in a structured, school-like environment. Prayers! I'll let you know how he did later this week.

LANGUAGE: I'd definitely say this has been his biggest improvement again this month. He's trying to string words together which is super cute. He'll try to say "Bye bye Carter," "Night night Daddy," and things like that. It's not totally clear yet, but he's trying which is just about all I can hope for right now.

He's also gotten really into animal and vehicle sounds this month. He knows the sounds that cows, monkeys, snakes, dogs, cats, horses, ducks, and birds make, and he'll also say "beep beep" or "vroom" for cars and "chugga chugga choo choo" for trains. It's pretty adorable if I do say so myself. Also...I've never had a kid before that lined up cars. I've always seen other kids do it, but mine never have. Brooks LOVES to do this...and it's apparently exhausting. ;)

SLEEP: So, we finally weaned him off Melatonin this month which means the days of rocking him to sleep are gone. He has a very hard time winding down and shutting off at night, so we started a new ritual at night where we tuck in his stuffed animals ("woof woof" and "ah ah," his monkey and dog) with one of his blankets and then tuck him in with his blanket. We give everyone kisses and say "night night" and then I leave the room. 99.9% of the time he doesn't fuss and simply yells "night night" back to me once the door shuts and then he goes to sleep.

Part of me is so happy about this because it shows tremendous attachment growth and also shows that he feels safe, but I won't lie, I kind of miss the snuggles! Part of growing up, I know...but knowing he's probably our last baby, it's hard to let go!

FOOD: This continues to basically be his love language. No real change here other than he fell in love with whole milk yogurt pouches this month. Mom didn't fall in love with the price (over $1 per pouch...ouch!), but since we can't get more than a few sips of milk into him here and there, I know he needs the calcium and vitamin D, so we bite the bullet and pay it. 

HEALTH: No sickness this month, and we've cut our breathing treatments down to just once a day! WOO-freaking-HOO! He also got two thumbs up at his post-op check with the urologist, so that was great to hear! Healthy boy! 

RANDOM FACTS:

Brooks is no longer "unaware" when the big kids get treats...and must have one of his own. SIGH. So, this month, he's had his first Blizzard, Slurpee, and ice cream sandwich.

Maybe that's why he's heavier? ;) 

This kid will NOT be left out of pictures. He will weasel his little tushy in the middle of the mix and "DEE!" (cheese) until the cows come home. He wants to be IN the mix...such a stinker! Also, he has NO IDEA how many "big brothers" he actually has. This kid is so doted on by all of our friends and their kids that I'm quite certain NO ONE will mess with him. He has been so incredibly accepted and loved by so many...it truly takes a village, y'all. 

He has some mad love for the splash pad... 

and went to the zoo for the first time this month!

And got another haircut...why does he looks SO BIG?!! 

We love this little man something fierce...looking forward to all the next month will bring with his first trip to the lake, moving into our new house, and another week of camp! Happy Monday, friends! 

Post Adoption: 5 and 6 Months Home

Soooo...it's been a while. ;) And it would appear I have missed quite a few updates on my dusty little blog here. EEEK.

I could write a litany of excuses as to why I haven't updated anything here in almost two months, but the truth is that life just gets crazy sometimes and the hobbies take a back seat. I know you all understand that! BUT, I'm no quitter, and I promised a monthly update from each month of Brooks's first year home, so let's play a little catch-up, shall we?

5 Months Home on 4/14 - EASTER! 

Let's call this the 5/6 Months Home Update...because truthfully, I'm not sure anymore what he did at five months home and what happened at six. #thirdkidproblems

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT: So, this little ninja has grown quite a bit since coming home! At his 18-month check-up, he weighed in at just over 20 pounds (1st percentile) and was 30.25 inches tall (2nd percentile). His head was still the same and they marked that as the 5th percentile. He's small and mighty, but no one seems concerned because he is continuing to grow on his own tiny curve. A month after these measurements were taken, he went in for a little surgical procedure and weighed in at 21 pounds, so we'll take it! He continues to be a non-stop, all boy, Energizer bunny. His favorite word is GO, and that totally personifies him. He loves to climb, jump, slide, and hang on the monkey bars. We're fairly certain he will one day excel at gymnastics. 

ATTACHMENT: He continues to do so well in this department. No tears at drop-off at church for several weeks in a row now. He has gotten a little more particular about who he lets hold him and always looks to me for approval before allowing one of my friends or a family member to interact with him which is totally appropriate and a GOOD thing. I really couldn't be any more grateful for how well his attachment has gone. He continues to prefer me for comfort and Daddy for play time...just like my other two did at this age! 

LANGUAGE: So, this has been a HUGE season of development here. He attempts to say 50-100 words now (all in English...his Mandarin is long gone) and has begun to try putting words together. He'll sing song lyrics ("Row row row ba boat") and understands generally everything we say. He follows commands, "talks" with his siblings, and has a very clear NO. (His favorite word...oy.) It's really been shocking to me just how far he's come in just six months of hearing English. He's a little sponge and it's such a gift to see him learn! 

SLEEP: We had a few rough nights over the last few months, primarily due to travel and some fear/anxiety over seeing us start packing to move later this summer, but I generally can't complain. He fought a few naps here and there, but he really has done so well here. 

FOOD: No huge changes here, but he did discover a few new favorites the last few months. Lately, he's become a BIG fan of ice cream, clementines, Cheerios with milk, donuts, and he FINALLY accepted chicken nuggets. (Is it sad that I'm secretly thrilled about this? If you're going to survive in this family, you've gotta eat nuggets. Sorry not sorry.) He continues to love all noodles, soups, eggs, blueberries, fruit snacks, yogurt, grapes, rice, quesadillas, and queso. The only things I really can't get him to eat are ground meats and watermelon. :) 

HEALTH: Alllllllll the praise hands here - we seem to FINALLY have his asthma under control! We have not needed Albuterol in over two months, and we go back to the doctor this month to discuss weaning him off the steroids. I think the increasing heat has killed off some of his allergy triggers, and the steroids helped him through that rough patch. Also, knock on wood, we haven't dealt with any sickness since late March. Praise the LORD! 

RANDOM FACTS: Brooks celebrated his first Easter since last update! 

He also enjoyed celebrating Carter's birthday...

and loved our first family trip as a family of five! 

He is LOVING all the pool days...

and went to the splash pad for the first time! 

I know all parents think their children are the greatest, but you guys, everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, who meets this precious little guy remarks on how special he is. I was sitting at a girls' night dinner last night, and one sweet friend said to me, "I just feel like he's going to be something really special." At the risk of sounding all gushy, I couldn't agree more! Brooks is truly a GIFT to us, and when I think of all the times during the adoption process that we felt like throwing in the towel, I just about lose it. We could've missed this...and I'm SO GLAD we didn't let fear stop us from saying YES to this precious one. What an awesome God we serve.