2.5

Back in November, my sweet baby girl qualified for the status of "two-and-a-half". She did well at her check up, measuring 37 inches tall (90th%) and weighing in at 29 pounds (40th%). Around this time she was really struggling with her two year old behavior. She and the naughty rug got to know each other well this fall and winter. She still struggles, but after lots of work I feel we are past the worst of it (fingers crossed).

As a two-and-a-half year-old Brooke shines in so many areas. She has a big personality, and she's a lot of fun to be around. Brooke's vocabulary is extensive for her age; she amazes me every day with something I wonder how exactly she learned. She loves going to preschool and all the teachers and friends there. She can count to 14 in order and 20 out of order (hey, the teens can be confusing). She knows all basic colors and shapes and then some, and she can recognize many letters. She loves books and animals. She is pottytrained for the most part. She is the sweetest big sister ever, and she is fluent in baby talk. Her favorite breakfast is sausage patties, which she calls "daddy's sausage". Other favorite foods include "nac-n-cheese", chicken nuggets, "girl" cheese sandwich, yogurt, oranges, applesauce, chocolate milk, and of course cheese. She loves Jesus, Bible class, and saying the prayer before meals. She likes to dance. On non-preschool days, you will find her wearing a princess dress, princess shoes, a princess crown, and several other princess accessories. She likes to host tea parties. She loves her baby dolls, which she usually names Claire or Keely. She takes great care of them. She is an affectionate friend. She can say her full name, sometimes mixing up her middle and last names. She often refers to herself as Brookie. Occasionally we get an afternoon nap together with snuggle time, no doubt one of my favorite parts of any day. She is my heart walking outside of my body. I love this girl more than I can ever put into words!