The Stroud Crowd: Two of a Kind

Here is the proof...I really do have a daughter. She is just so precious and sweet. I can't believe she is almost 8 weeks old. Time is just flying by. It feels like she is almost twice the size she was when she was born...and that is saying something since she was 8 pounds 5 oz and born a week early! She is such a good little sleeper too. She wakes up once in the middle of the night, eats and goes back to sleep, and then again around 5 or 6 AM. So, that is great for me. Adding a second child to your family is just so interesting (I need a better word for that, but my mind is blank right now). For the first couple of weeks, we could NOT get our pronouns right. We kept saying "he and him" since we are so used to saying that for Cooper. Then, and I still do this sometimes, I'll call Brooklyn "Cooper". My poor baby girl is going to be SO confused if we can't get our act together soon. Anyways, one of my favorite times of the day is getting Brooklyn dressed. I LOVE playing dress up with her. If she gets just a tiny bit of something on her current outfit, I immediately change her because I like to dress her up in the cutest things. I already have a basket full of bows and barrets that I'm just dying to put in her hair when it gets a little longer. I should be banned from all baby departments in clothing stores because I cannot seem to stop myself from buying her things everytime I am shopping. It is like a disease or something. But so much fun. Brooklyn is a trooper too. At two weeks old, she went to SeaWorld with us. She did so good. And at six weeks old, she went to the Frio on the annual Stroud family vacation. That vacation was fun, but hot. I think it got up to like 106 degrees everyday. So, she and I stayed inside most of the time. So, my maternity leave has been fun, but sadly it is coming to an end. I get a lump in my throat everytime I think about it. I'll go back to work on July 27th. I wish I could stay home with my kids, but I just keep telling myself that I'm working for them. That makes me feel a little better. Anyways, I've uploaded a few random photos of the kids just to show how much they have grown. Cooper is in the middle of potty training right now, and let me just say this ranks as one of the NOT funnest things I have ever done. The progress is there, but gradual. He is talking up a storm now and counting (in English and Spanish...Thanks Dora and Diego!) and singing the ABC's and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. It is just amazing what they pick up. He can read a few words which blows my mind. I know I didn't read until the first grade. So, he is keeping us busy and surprised most of the time. The funniest thing he does is that he will put himself into Timeout without a fuss. All I have to do is mention it, and he goes to "the chair" and sits there until I say he can come out. On vacation, I said one time..."Do you want to go to Timeout", and he went and found an appropriate spot and sat there facing the wall. It was so funny. We all had a hard time keeping a straight face. So, before I digress again, here are some pictures from the past couple of months.

Cooper is a very good big brother. He is always loving on her and kissing her. It is just too sweet for words. However, we have found out that it is very hard to get both kids in the same picture...not to mention actually LOOKING at the camara and smiling. So far...this is the best we've got.

This is one of my favorites of Brooklyn. She is a month old in this picture. Check out that hair! It will not stay flat on her head. It has a mind of its own.