"Finger"painting with Clayton

While Brooke was at preschool today I decided to fingerpaint with Clayton. He's definitely the 2nd child as I had tried this much, much earlier with Brooke. He was SO excited to paint, but I think he thought I was talking about watercoloring (a special treat daddy introduced him to several weeks ago.) When I told him and showed him how to dip his finger in and draw on the paper, he refused. He ended up having a grand old time fingerpainting with Q-Tips.

My kids are definitely different from each other - here are pictures of Brooke at almost the exact same age! (February 2007)

A New Addition

Mike and I are expecting again. I went to the Dr. yesterday for my first appointment and was able to see the heartbeat and get some pictures. The official due date is 9/16. We're very excited, but it looks like this pregnancy too will come with some challenges. I'll start seeing a perintatolgist at 16 weeks and be on bed rest between 26-28 weeks until 36 weeks. We knew there was a good possibility of that, but the Dr. confirmed yesterday that would be our course.

Brooke has been very humorous through all of this as she tries to wrap her little 4-year old brain around the topic. She's asked how the baby got there: "Jesus put the baby there." And how it will come out - thank goodness for c-sections! When I showed her the pictures yesterday, I don't think that she was expecting a lima bean with a head...hmmm. She wants a sister - Clayton wants a brudder, so one of them will be right! We've talked about the special place the baby grows is called a "womb" - she often refers to it as being in the "groom." She's also has had many stories about how little Pooh and big Pooh had babies that grew in their arms and came out their mouths - she then says "Do I have a good 'magination mom?" She's excited that Clayton is going to be a big brother AND a little brother and that she'll be a big sister AND a big sister. She wants to know what I'm going to eat when I'm in the hospital and what things we'll buy for the baby. Let the questions begin!!

Brooke's "victims"

Brooke has a bin that we call "Let's Pretend." While I was away yesterday morning, Daddy and Clayton fell victim of the Let's Pretend box...what good sports they both are!

• And as always, I have Brooke quotes:
  "Mom, in school, they teach me all the things I don't know."


• This week in school they were studying about planets, stars, etc. She was playing with a toy and told me it was her telescope. I asked if she learned about that in school. "No mom, Bob the Builder taught me about them."


• "Mom, how does the dishwasher work?" It washes the dishes Brooke. "But how?" I don't know Brooke. "We should get a book about that."


• Mike was flipping through stations and Brooke was reading the guide - she insisted upon the Puppy Bowl - "Dad? Did I help you find exactly the show you wanted to see?"


• "Brooke, did you hear me?!" "Yes, mom - my ears listened - I'm just not doing it yet."