Trip to the Hill Country

We went to San Antonio to visit Gammy and Pappy and went to the zoo. The zoo was great. They have a really great zoo. We then went to Fredericksburg to visit Nonna and Poppy.

Queen of the Kitchen in Training

Here is Brooklyn modeling her new apron from Nonna. It is a little big now but she has time. Nonna has her about 5 aprons, one for every holiday.

15 months

Brooklyn is doing something different everyday. Her newest thing is "doing the monkey". She imitates the motion the monkey does and the sound. She says "thank you" a lot. She does it when she gives you something b/c she hears me say it when she gives me something. She talks a lot but is not a loud child. She is reserved and very cautious when walking. She just does not barrel through things. She smiles all the time and laughs a lot. She likes people a lot and makes friends with the waiters at restaurants. She is like Laird and I but she is also different. Let's put it this way she is not a risk taker. Pappy said it right when we were talking about her being a heartbreaker (and by the way this is all Laird talks about is the day she starts dating), she will definitely not go out with anyone she will have to give it a good thought (just like her mama).

Spicy Peanut Noodles with Shrimp

This recipe is one of my go to's for several years. It is from Cooking Light. It is a spicy dish but you can vary the heat. It serves 4. Calories 424 Fat 13.2

Peanut Sauce:
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/4 to 1/3 cup water (add 1/3 cup if you want less spicy)
2 Tbls low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbls rice vinegar
1-2 tsp chile paste with garlic (you should be able to find in regular grocery store)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt, divided

Shrimp:
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
cooking spray

Pasta:
4 cups cooked thick udon noodles or linguine (8 oz uncooked)
1 red bell pepper cut into strips (this is the only veggie I use b/c Laird does not like cucumber so it may take a little less time for me)
3/4 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup diagonally cut green onions
3 Tbls roasted peanuts (I don't roast them but you can)
2 Tbls cilantro
4 lime wedges (if desired)

1. To prepare sauce, combine first 6 ingredients and 1/4 tsp salt; stir with a whisk.

2. To prepare the shrimp, toss with 1/4 tsp salt. Suate in non stick skilletcoated with cooking spray over medium high heat for 3 min on each side or until done.

3. To prepare pasta, combine peanut sauce, shrimp, noodles, bell pepper, cucumber, and onions in a large bowl (just combine in pan); toss well. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts (I don't chop them) and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges if desired.

Pumpkin Patch Fun!

We went to a Pumpkin Patch in Argyle on Saturday. It was cool! They had a really neat train ride and the adults even wanted to ride again. Aunt Heather, Uncle Clint and Aunt Kim went with us! Brooklyn is attached to both Heather and Kim. She cries when she has to come back to Laird or I.



Checking out the pumpkins



Smiling for the camera



Crawling through a wood log



The fam

It's a...

Girl! I had my ultrasound Friday and we are having another little girl! We are excited for Brooklyn to have a little sister. She is going to be such a sweet and loving big sister. I will definitely have shopping partners. I had a dream the night before that it was a girl. I guess it is true that what you dream about is real. We are excited about her February/March arrival!

Brooklyn 13 and 14 months

Well I did not get around to posting about 13 months but here are the last two months summed up:

Brooklyn had her first fever which was due to a ear infection. She had fever for 3 days of 102-103 and so they gave her penicillin. She was allergic and broke out in rash.

She eats ok but I would not put her up there with the best eaters. She eats anything with cheese. Macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, quesadilla. She eats the Gerber ravioli which is how she gets her vegetables. She will not eat any vegetables plain. I can get her to eat some sweet potato. She will eat some fruits but she will just surprise you when she does that. We still do some babyfood to make sure she gets veggies and fruits.

The things she says consistently are: hi, bye-bye, ball. She can mimic other words but will not say them without being prompted. She can also make the sound of a dog when prompted.

She still claps and dances. She now gives high fives, knows where her ear is, likes to be chased, plays peek a boo.

We have had a lots of visitors lately and Laird and I get a break b/c it is like we are not even here. So if you come visit you better want to play with Brooklyn.

Her favorite toy right now is her Cabbage Patch Kid that Poppy's cousin Cynthia gave her for her birthday. She also smiled for these pictures when I said smile. She loves the camera. Here are some pictures of her dragging it around.





Look for pictures of her Halloween costume. She is going to be a butterfly and she loves her costume.