Well, we had hoped to be able to wait to do another update once Baby Wilkin #2 arrived, but unfortunately, the plan didn't work. That's okay, he will join us when he is good and ready and we already have plenty to share.
Brianne has been in a major baby mode lately and not in the sense that she is acting like one, more so that she wants ours to come home. We are constantly being asked "Where Baby?" and she is consistently rocking and feeding her doll babies. Lately, when Kami is doing the laundry it isn't uncommon for Brianne to be taking her babies for a stroller ride (in the apartment), feeding them, rocking them, or putting them to bed. It is so exciting to see her wanting our new arrival to be here. We can only hope that excitement continues after he arrives.
We also took Brianne to the mall to pick out something for the baby when he decides to arrive. First, that was a mistake on our part. Second, oh boy was that a mistake! We get to the store and go to the baby section and next thing we hear. Mine, Mine, Mine as she runs through the aisles picking things left and right. Finally we get her to a few items we thought would be nice for the baby and of course she has to have both, then something much more expensive, then back to both previous items. Needless to say, we finally asked her which one is "cute" and that is the one we got! Now let's hope we can keep her convinced it is for the baby and NOT for her.
As excited as Brianne has been, Kami has been happily watching our old videos of Brianne when she was a baby. Brianne hasn't been too sure about watching the home videos. Her typical response is "Bye Bye Baby, VeggieTales mama." It is definitely fun watching those old videos of when Brianne rolled over, started to crawl, playing in her exersaucer, etc. Man those were the days. You could just sit her in a room and not have to worry about what she might get into, where she went, what she climbed on, what she put stickers on, etc. (I know your laughing, and many of you are going, I know the feeling).
Brianne has had many play dates with friends here in Columbus and with visitors from Findlay (Dick and Barb, Connie and Robert, Katie, Krista, and Aunt Jody, Auntie Sheila, "Adopted" Auntie Lora, and Uncle Elijah). As with any 2 year old, we are in the mindset of Mine Mine Mine. If I see it, it's mine. If you have it and you set it down and I see it, it's Mine. If it's broken, it's yours. Tis' true, this is the mindset of at least our 2 year old.
Even with the mindset of a 2 year old, we have to be proud of our girl. She has been actively picking up her toys (when asked), her politeness level is threw the roof (constantly saying please and thank you). At the store, at home, at play dates, it's fantastic!
However, we have also started our tantrums. But Daddy comes to the rescue, well, I actually have to credit the Simple Dollar, as it was actually their idea, I just helped implement it. In short, we have started a "quiet time" both in the morning and afternoon. We dim all lights, play a CD and Brianne can entertain herself with singing along, falling asleep, or reading books for the length of the CD (usually 45 minutes to an hour). Since Brianne is only taking a short nap, this quiet time has been a life saver.
When Katie, Krista and Aunt Jody were here, they decided to try and paint everyone's finger nails. Brianne decided she was just going to do it herself, and let me tell you, she is a pro! Don't believe me, checkout the following photos.
Then there is Easter. This year's hit was of course the easter egg hunt, but the one thing that really got our little girl in a hysterical fashion was Rock n' Roll Elmo. Yes, if you haven't seen it on Facebook, hopefully you can see it below. It is quite funny. Of course, we realize the true meaning of Easter is no where near eggs or gifts, so don't you worry for the last 5 weeks we have been going over the Easter story from the beginning to end, each week leading up to the crucifixion then to the resurrection.
Over the past month, we have had wonderful weather, 60's, 70's, and 80's. This has been the mildest winter and spring I think I have ever had here in Ohio. It's a good thing too, as Brianne has been wanting to wear dresses left and right. Any time we ask her what she wants to wear, it's "Dress." And let me tell you. Every boy will be heart broken by the time she is dating, that is for sure! She is just the cutest, and you don't have to take my word for it, here are a few photos to prove it.
Lastly, let me close up with how Brianne loves to help out in the kitchen. As I stated previously, she is banned from eggs and anything dealing with peanuts or materials that were produced in a factory that works with eggs or peanuts; so working in the kitchen can be a terrifying experience. This particular time we were making egg-less cookies and we had just finished mixing the flour and sugar into the bowl and next thing we hear, "mmmm delicious!" Yep, that is right, our darling daughter took a handful of sugar and flour and ate it. How lucky are we! If she thinks that is delicious, we can definitely ~~burn~~ cook anything and she should enjoy it (well at least that is how we hope it works out).
Well next time we will definitely be posting after the baby is born (as I highly doubt Kami will wait 4 more weeks :)). So stay tuned.
Love,
Matt, Kami, Brianne and Baby Wilkin