Brooke is 3! 1/16/06

Brooke turned 3 years old on January 16th. I can hardly believe she is such a 'big girl' now! Well, I guess she isn't all that big(she weighs a whopping 28 lbs.), but she she sure is growning up! What Brooke lacks in size, she makes up for in personality and determination. Brooke was born about three and half weeks early....she only weighed 5 lbs. 11oz. Her Grandpa Lou, who was in the delivery room when she was born, was shocked when the nurse anounced her weight, he said, "I've stuffed chickens that were bigger than her"! She got a perfect 10 on her Apagar score at 1 minute old (which means means she was moving, crying, had good coloring, and was reacting to everything exacltly like she should be).......Hmmmm, was my only girl and middle child trying to warn me that she would be strong willed, liked over acheiving, and already a perfectionist-in-training?
Brooke is a natural nurturer. She loves babies....but then again, when your baby brother is born just 11 months after you, it's not hard to take on the mothering role. She always wants to be around and hold babies, even if they are as just as big as she is. For Chrismas she asked Santa for a baby Finn. Finn (the darling baby in this picture with Brooke) is our good friends' baby. I had to tell Brooke that unless Linsey and Ryan were feeling extremely charitable this year, she was not going to be getting a baby Finn for Christmas. She looked completely crestfallen, until she looked up and said " Oh, then can I just have another brother?". Uh, no.....Santa can't bring those to Mommy anymore.

Brooke also really loves animals. She especially loves cats and dogs. This summer we spent some time up at my Grandparent's house. They had a kitten runningaround on their little farm. This cat wouldn't let anyone hold it......except for Brooke. And for the life of me, I cannot figure out why. She would walk out the back door and the cat would come sprinting up to her. She would pick him up by his neck and carry him around like a rag doll.....squeezing him to her, while peppering his head in kisses. He never tried to bite or scratch her. One day, I thought she was choking the poor thing, and I tried to take him from her......the darn thing hissed at me, bit my finger, and ran right back into Brooke's arms. We should just call her the 'Kitty Whisperer' .

Brooke is the ultimate girly girl. She already has several boyfriends....two of whom, she will tell you, are Harry Potter and Daniel Cook (if you don't know who Daniel Cook is.....you obviously don't watch the Disney Channel as religiously as we do in this household). She already understands the strong power of the sacred feminine. She has her Daddy, her brothers, and every one of her adoring Grandpa's wrapped around her little sparkly pink polished finger. (At three months old, she had two of her Grandpa's arguing over who was going to buy her her first pair of diamond earrings....no kidding.) Most of the time she is happy and giggly and telling her brothers what they should be doing. But, on the rare occassion she is not happy, she will sure let you know about it. She is everything I dreamed of, when I had hoped to someday have a little girl. Happy Birthday Brookie!