More Videos

Party Time!

Caitlin and I invited some people over for a post-Christmas party! Even though many of us didn't know each other we found a lot in common and had a great time. I was worried Brooke wouldn't have a good time because she was on her second day without a nap... but she got to have her friend Riley over. That made everything better!

Hugs for Riley!

The girls enjoyed eating sitting next to each other. They both stole food off each other's plates! Maisy stayed nearby for any possible treats on the floor.



The gate with dogs on the other side was a huge hit! Riley played and talked to the dogs while Brooke ran around laughing at the party guests and back to the dogs.

Caitlin had lots of fun getting to know Riley.

It was our friend Anne's birthday! Caitlin made her the rich chocolate cake that we all love.

Wow!

Brooke was having too much fun with Auntie Caitlin last night!

17 Months Old

No fancy photos today... just random snapshots from the day in the life of Brooke. Every day we encounter so many new challenges as parents, but the joys outnumber those challenging by far! We often try and think about this amazing path we have been on and how blessed we are to have such a wonderful daughter.

A little idea on how Brooke is doing at 17 months... She loves naming body parts. In the photo above we asked her where her belly button was. Last night I had a challenging night with a teething little girl. Around 2:30am I let her lay in bed with us for a while (hoping that we would actually fall asleep), but she was determined to stay up. It ended up being a fun round of "name Mom's body parts" game. She points and says her best version of "nose", "mouth", "ear", and "eye". After that she was standing on the bed looking around the blinds, then she sat on my face, finally I brought her down to her crib for a final goodnight! Phew...

On of Brooke's favorite activities is taking things out of bags, taking her books of the shelf, and exploring drawers or rooms that she usually doesn't get into. Oh yes, and she doesn't know how to put things away yet, so I'm constantly trying to stay one step ahead (or should I say behind?).

I turned around and noticed Brooke was sitting ON Maisy. I ran to get my camera (hoping Maisy wouldn't get up and knock Brooke over) and she was already off... darn!

It still takes Brooke a while to get used to the crunch snow, but with her new pink snow boots she's eventually off and running!

Most nights (80% of the time) we put Brooke down for bed at night and she's so happy to be there. What a blessing it is to finally have a good sleeper! Brooke's not attached to any blanket or toy but I try and give her something cuddly to hug on to. Above is a photo of Brooke when I got her up from her afternoon nap a few days ago.

Hotel Stay

My mom and dad couldn't get out on their Wenatchee-Seattle flight yesterday, so Caitlin and I drove them to Seattle. We stayed in the Doubletree last night so they could leave this morning on the plane. Brooke would not fall asleep in the car, so we had a wired little girl at 8pm in the hotel room!

Sweet dreams? NO WAY!


Brooke is getting to the stage where she wants to dress herself. She is constantly putting on hats and trying to put coats, clothes, and shoes on.

Brooke loves mirrors. She points at herself and says, "Brooh." She was a little surprised at what she saw naked baby in the mirror this time. She started crying and ran to mommy (that is my reaction sometimes when I look in the mirror too!).

Fun in the Snow

Brooke's grandparents are off to Alaska tomorrow, so we made sure to get outside and enjoy the snow with them. Brooke is getting more comfortable with the snow every time we take her outside. It's so nice to not have tears anymore!

What a cutie pie!

Brooke and her proud mommy!

Brooke got a nice red sled for Christmas from her Kettle Falls grandparents. We took it out for a spin! Below is a video of some of the funny moments we've had in the last few days. Enjoy!

A Few Random Photos

Brooke wearing her new tutu from Auntie Caitlin!

Reading Brooke's new book from her friend Riley.

My wonderful Grandparents, don't they look great!

Hanging in Caitlin's nice basement.

Brooke playing some Wii with her cousins!

Leavenworth in the Snow

Here is a photo of the Swanson family enjoying Leavenworth in the snow! We made sure to stop by Starbucks, a few wine shops, a taffy store and many other stores along the way.

Every day Brooke is enjoying the snow even more. As you can see, we didn't have any good boots for her... but today we solved that problem. I can't see what she'll get into now that she has all the right gear!

The second pregnancy is sure different than the first! I did pretty well last time to take photos of the growing baby bump every week. Now I have to try and get myself to capture a photo of the milestones! Here I am at 20 weeks. It's really hard to believe I'm half way there!

The Swanson Clan Visits Cashmere

Brooke chats on two phones, what a multi-tasker!

"Hello, are you here yet?!"

They arrived! My uncle, aunt, two cousins, grandfather and grandmother drove over the mountain pass to visit us! Kent and I used our new table at it's largest size to seat all eleven of us. Lasagna, garlic bread and salad was on the menu this night.


Brooke's Great Grandfather Wally had fun reading books with Brooke.

and Brooke's Great Grandmother looked on!

More Photos

We went on a few walks but it was very cold!

Kent's creation with Brooke's Lincoln Logs.


Brooke loves the "toys" that Grandma Britta finds. These cups and plate are so much fun!

She loves to dress up!