Quick post

So I know I have a lot of videos posted of Brooklyn laughing but here's another I just can't resist. Sunday afternoon Eric's mom and grandma (who is visiting from Arizona) came up. We were sitting at the table talking and Brooklyn decided her toy caterpillar was pretty funny. Sometimes when she's fussy I watch some of her giggling videos and they put a smile on my face and remind me what she can be like :) Enjoy!

6 months old!

It is crazy that the month of June is almost over. I don't know where the time went! Next week we leave for vacation so I am sure July is going to fly by too! Brooklyn had her 6 month well check yesterday. I think I hate shots more than she does. She was up at 2:30 this morning screaming with a 103 degree temp. We didn't get her calmed back down until 6:30. Even with Tylenol her fever has still been around 101 all day and she is CRABBY!!! Every time I would lay her down today she would cry and cry and cry and cry. Tonight I let her cry in her crib for an hour just because I had to get supper made and I knew she was tired (she was up since 2:30 and only had taken one short nap during the day). After exactly an hour of crying she fell asleep...for 15 minutes. Grrr! Some days I just want to pull my hair out because I can't take all the crying. She does have her good days and I guess I just need to focus on those when she is having a bad day. It just is so frustrating because she is not a content baby. She can't lay on the floor or be in her jumparoo, etc. unless I am right there playing with her. The minute I leave the room she starts crying. I know this is a bad habit so I do just let her cry sometimes but she does not give up and then it just makes the rest of the day that much worse. She does the same thing in the middle of the night. She still gets up 4-6 times a night and I know I probably should be letting her cry it out but sometimes when I am so tired and out of it, it is just easier to get up and rock her in the chair for awhile to calm her down and get her back to sleep. I still think she has some tummy problems because a lot of the time she will start screaming out of the blue. So, all you moms out there, give me some advice! Do I let her cry it out and hopefully have her learn to be a little more independent?

.

Brooklyn's appointment went well (besides her shots...I think the whole clinic heard her screaming!). She weighed 17 lbs. 13 oz. (90%) and was 27 and 1/2 inches long (95%).

Here is a picture and a video from this weekend. My parents were camping at Okabena so Brooklyn and I spent some days up there with them. She is so much happier when she is outside so I think we are going to have to plan some camping trips this summer!

.

Loving her make-shift bathtub while camping!

Here is a video of Brooklyn's new giggle. It is probably the

weirdest noise you have ever heard come out of a baby's mouth!

(sorry it is sideways...I don't know how to fix that).

Today our niece, Addison Jo, turns 1. Here is a picture

from the day she was born. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADDIE!

We love you!

Summertime fun

Even though the weather has been quite rainy and cool the last few weeks, we have had a few dry, sunny days where I took Brooklyn to the park. She absolutely loves it! She loves swinging, going down the slide with me, and just staring at the trees and grass. She's at a fun age now where she enjoys doing things and being outside. Tonight we took her swimming for the first time and she loved that too. A couple of times she got splashed which scared her but no tears were shed. I am hoping that the hour and a half of swimming will tire her out so that she actually sleeps through the night tonight. HAHAHAHA!!!

I took her in to the doctor again yesterday because she has been crying so much again and up 5-6 times a night crying and flailing and just not content or consolable. She is finished with her antibiotics from her ear infection and I thought that maybe her ears were still bothering her, but the doctor said her ears were clear. She thinks it's a combination of a growth spurt and teething. She told me to feed her more formula during the day and night and also feed her baby food at least 3 times a day. I don't know what to do! The kid already has five or six 8oz. bottles a day plus I started her on baby food last week too. You can tell by the size of her cheeks that she isn't exactly lacking any nutrition!!!! :) It's so hard when you see a different on-call doctor each time you go in because they all tell you different things. One doctor tells you she's eating too much and that you shouldn't be feeding her during the night anymore, and then another doctor tells you to feed her whenever she'll take it. Next week I have Brooklyn's well-check appointment with our family practice doctor so hopefully I'll have more answers then.

Here are a few pictures of our recent outings to the park and pool.

I love swinging!

.

Mmmmm...sweet potatoes. Don't worry, I am a much better

eater now. I actually get some in my mouth!

Having fun at the pool!

Chewing on my fingers...my newest hobby.

Drying off with Mom

Have a good week!

And the fun continues...

Well, Brooklyn is sick again. She has not been herself lately and I had been thinking it was because of her 2 new teeth she's cutting. Saturday night was awful. We had my cousin's wedding (congrats Kyle and Lisa!) and Brooklyn started fussing early in the afternoon so Eric decided to stay back from the wedding and watch her. She ended up crying for 2 hours straight. The reception and dance were at Key Largo on Lake Shetek so we decided to brave it and take her to that. Bad idea!!! She made it about 10 minutes and then Eric ended up leaving with her and driving around the lake for over an hour to try calm her down. It was quite a night!! Last night she screamed most of the night (she slept from 2:30 a.m.-4:30 a.m. and that's it!). After much crying again today I took her in and she has an ear infection--at least they think she does. She didn't exactly cooperate when the doctor tried to look into her ears. It took 2 nurses and myself to try hold her down and keep her head still and we still weren't that successful. The doctor did notice some drainage so he was quite sure it is an ear infection. They still cannot figure out her "raspiness" and what is causing it. They think it might be allergies either weather or food related. I have been doing some "research" online (aka self-diagnosing) and I think she might have asthma. I asked the doctor today and he said that could be a possibility but that they won't be able to determine that until she is older. I'm hoping at some point this summer we might have a healthy, happy baby! :)

Summer is flying by. I babysit my 2 nieces 2 days a week and man, do things get a little hairy sometimes! I love doing it, but having a 5 month old and an 11 month old who somehow always need to eat, have their diapers changed, and go down for a nap at the exact SAME time isn't always so easy. My niece who is 5 years old just hides in the basement to get away from all the commotion! I can't blame her!!!

I will leave you with a few pictures. I have a cute video of Brooklyn but am going to wait to post it until I have more time (and a content baby...if that is possible).

Brooklyn and Addison (they are 6 months apart)

Brooklyn and Addison playing. This lasts for about 2 seconds

and then Addie goes right for Brooklyn's hair. She shouldn't

be as jealous anymore since most of Brooklyn's hair is falling out!

Sitting with the help of her Boppy

Family picture