Brooklyn Veneta Heywood

Brooklyn Veneta Heywood

1-27-11

6 lbs 11 oz.

Welcome to the world and to our happy family Miss Brooklyn! We love our new little buddle of joy.

The labor for Brooklyn was 4 hours long (my second longest) and was my easiest! She had a bit of a hard time breathing the first 1/2 hour of life but soon got the hang of having lungs and the whole oxgyen thing! From the start she had a great appettite and was a pro at nursing. It is such a joy to hold my baby in my arms after waiting 9 months!

So what's in a name? Brooklyn's middle name, Veneta, is the name of my Grandma Culotta. My Grandma was an amazing woman. She was so loving and kind. When I think of her I think of warm hugs, delicious food, laughing...I have so many memories of her. Braden and I have wanted to name one of our children after her, and Brooklyn is the lucky girl who is my Grandmas namesake! Brooklyn also just had a cousin born who also shares Veneta as her middle name! Ivory Veneta Henage was born just 3 weeks after Brooklyn.

Nicknames run deep in our family. My kids LOVE nicknames. Brooklyn has already been called: Brooklyn Daneta (that's from Olivia),The little,little, little one. Little Lady. Brooke (That's Levi. He doesn't know that Brooke is also a real name, so he thinks hes calling her a nickname!), Brookie, "Wook" (That's from Sabrina) (I'm just waiting for Sabrina to call her "Wookie"). Her uncles have called her "Brooklyn Dodger".

Thank you Disneyland for the free ticket on my birthday. Me and my two girls had a great time going on all the little kid rides. Olivia's favorite was Small World which we went on not 1, not 2, but 3 times. Storybook Land was her 2nd favorite. I think Sabrina's was small world and pirates because she got to nurse.

I've always wanted to do the "Princess Faire" with Olivia, and since I didn't have Levi or Braden with me it was the perfect time. When Olivia met the princesses she couldn't get over the fact that they "didn't have sleeves!". Funny, Ariel was the only one covered up!

Like a true Kindrick I milked the Disneyland experience as long as I could. I wanted to stay for the fireworks but didn't think the girls would last in the long tram line for double strollers that piles up after the fireworks. As it turns out we watched the fireworks from the 3rd story of the parking lot-a perfect view.

Some of Summer

I haven't blogged since January 1st? I'll make this my biannual update, that way if I blog anymore in the last part of the year it will shock all of you who still look at my blog.

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2009 Theres something about January that feels so crisp and clean. Christmas decorations get packed away to hide for another year, the last page of the calender is closed, and the hustle and bustle of the holidays slowly simmer down. I always look forward to starting a new year, renewing old affirmations and goals and adding to them. It's a great time to start over again. It's refreshing and encouraging.

Happy First of January!

Just some pictures

What's In a Name?

I'm due October 21. Thats in just a few weeks. But Braden and I don't have a name picked out. Why is this so hard? I just want the perfect name for my little girl.

I've come to the point in my pregnancy that labor pains are starting to resurface in my memory. I think Heavenly Father blesses women to forget labor so they can have more than one child. But the thought just hit me-there's only one way out of this!!! This week I decided I should probably get ready for the baby so I dragged in the baby girl clothes from the garage and washed them. So cute. Olivia had a hard time with it because she thought everything was hers-which it was two years ago. She found her "shwimp suit" from last year and insisted on wearing it.

I also set up the baby's bed-which Levi and Olivia quickly filled with Olivia's dolls. I walked into my bedroom and heard Levi singing "baby mine". Every few days he asks when the baby will "come out". He is really excited for another little sister. This time around he really knows what it means for Mommy to have a baby. My sisters Ashley and Brittany both had baby boys earlier this year so my kids are around babies a lot-which I'm very glad because I've been able to help Olivia learn how to be soft around a baby (Poor Porter!!!!).

Dolls and Superheroes

As Olivia's older brother Levi feels it is his job to teach her how to be a superhero. His first rule is that a cape is always necessary. He has a speical radar built in his chemical make up that helps him find supplies wherever he is. Towels held together with rubber bands or clips are his favorite make shift cape. The second rule is sound effects. Swoosh, Caaa,-every move, sword, and gun has sound. And the sounds can't be "bang" or "bam", he only does "realistic" sounds.

Olivia follows Levi in all his superhero endeavors but she adds a "women's touch"- her baby is usually snuggled in her arm. In her chemical make up is the ability to take any object and pretend it's a baby. The other day I found her wrapping a dirty, 2 foot work brush in a pillowcase and singing "Baby Mine" to it. She then gently put it "to bed" on a 5 gallon paint bucket.

"She's going to the TEMPLE and she's gonna get MARRIED"

On June 14, 2008 one of my dearest friends, Jasmyn Bradley, was married in the Redlands Temple to Marc Nehring.



Me, Jasmyn, and Amber (Jasmyn's sister and my friend). We didn't plan to match.
Braden and I are coming up on our 5th wedding anniversary!
Jasmyn and Marc's reception was beautiful. The Cultural Hall was transformed into a garden, complete with bird bathes, fountains, trees, flowers, garden benches and twinkle lights strung across the ceiling.

Watering with Papa

Levi and Olivia love working and playing in Papa's backyard. This year Papa's trees are covered in fruit and the roses in the frontyard are in beautiful full bloom.

After a trip to Texas Papa Heywood gave Levi a shirit that reads:

"Life is Good When You've Got a Papa like Mine!"

How true that is.

More Broccoli Please!

Olivia loves broccoli. During Sunday dinner last month she kept asking for more and "mor broc-lee please!" Of all the things she could love I'm happy its something good for her. She could eat 7 (or more) servings of broccoli. So to quote Kronk, "More broccoli?"

Sorry the videos a bit long, but it does have some great music.

Chocolate Bananas and my little kidletts

Chocolate Bananas. A few weeks ago I was craving chocolate bananas-before lunch time. So we froze the bananas, mixed up the chocolate, dipped them and spent the next few minutes enjoying the delicious treat. Well, I went a little overboard. It was before lunch...and I did finish off the "extra" chocolate. Lets just say I never want to eat a chocolate covered banana again.

Pongo and Minnie Mouse

Minnie Mouse Olivia. Little Miss Olivia was fun to dress up this year. Thanks to my sister Bridey who found the fabric I was able to make Minnie's dress.
Minnie Mouse and Pongo (the dog from "101 Dalmatian"). No, Levi's not a cow. The fleece fabric was on sale and it was so cozy. Levi loves to have fleece next to his skin. At first he wanted to be Pluto, but changed his mind when he saw the Dalmatian fabric.

Levi still wears last years Peter Pan Halloween costume. On any given day he changes from Pongo, Peter Pan, his ORANGE shorts, or "Batman Super Dog" (he wears an orange mask and orange cape) and today he added "A Laker" by wearing a Laker Jersey. All day he would only answer to "Laker".
Levi wanted a "Truck with a trailer-like Daddy's" on his Pumpkin. You gotta love "The House of Bounce!" "You Pick the Day and the House of Bounce with Bring the Fun". Levi listens to me answer the phone all day long and he talks about jumpers, trucks, and trailers all the time. I am a firm believer that what you expose your child to, at least when he's 3, will become his tastes and preference.
"Daddy!" is one of Olivia's favorite words. She's in a really fun age right now. Thus far in her little life she's been a Momma's girl, but that is quickly changing.