Dear Bria-

One year olds are so hard! I completely forgot how hard one year-olds are. Dallin and Akarie have been away at Bible School. I thought this would be a nice break but it means that you are a lot less entertained. Being less entertained means a lot more whining to mom. You're starting to talk a ton but I can't understand most of it. Our day is full of me pretending to understand you or working ridiculously hard to understand you.

Worst of all, you discovered how to climb out of your crib last night. You kept climbing out of your crib and we kept lowering it. When you climbed out last night, it was as low as we could make it. We locked you in your room for 45 minutes. That's how I remember handling Dallin and Akarie when they figured how to climb out. However, you screamed the entire time. Your room was a wreck and I also worried about choking hazards.

I called Aunt Shawna in despair. How did we get Dallin and Akarie to sleep after they were done with cribs? Shawna reminded me of what she called, "Pick and Place." You pick your crying child up and place them back into bad. You tuck them in lovingly one time and then you become a robot. You show no emotion. She suggested letting the child walk to the door so that you don't resort to holding them down in bed.

Your dad tried this method out while I breastfed Crew. He said that you fell asleep. However, when I came in at midnight to check on the situation, your dad had falling asleep and you were sitting next to him reading a book. I had him go to bed and proceeded to do the pick and place method for forty five minutes before you fell asleep.

I promptly went to bed only to have you wake me up at 5:00am! My immediate reaction was to let you sleep with me. Thankfully, you are the worst to sleep with! You want to lay on top of me and that's not comfortable at all. So I did the pick and place method. You fell asleep on the floor and I stayed there for twenty minutes until Crew started cooing. I got up to feed Crew and you got up with me! I had to get Dad to help you back to sleep.

Tonight so far has been better. Dad went to put you to bed and I haven't heard much of a commotion. I suspect that Dad fell asleep because he's been in there for over an hour and a half.

I love you, Bree,
~Mom

Dear Bria-

Your talking has exploded lately and it's about time. You were at a standstill with your words for a while. You would use the same ones over and over without adding much to your vocabulary. I remember with Dallin and Akarie that once they started talking, the progress was steady. You've forged your own path. Now you finally started to say multiple word sentences and your words are becoming more and more recognizable.

You say, "Water" all of the time. Your water is two syllables but leaves out the "t." "Milk" is another popular word for you. You'll say, "Muh!" I love hearing you say, "I don't know." It sounds like, "No know!"

We just came back from Virginia. Your cousins and Aunt and Uncle are amazing with you! By the end of the trip, you were pretty comfortable with all of them. It's a comfort to me because if your dad and I ever died, you would go live with them. I liked seeing you so comfortable and well-loved.

I can't determine if you're shy or not. You have situations where you're painfully shy and situations where you're terribly outgoing. One minute, you're hiding your face on my shoulder and the next, you're letting a stranger carry you.

Have I told you about your tenders? You are a sensitive child and get your feelings hurt very easily. Since you were twelve months old, all I have to say is, "Bria, no!" and you'll pout your face and start crying. The best is when you sniffle and pout. It is possibly the cutest thing ever.

Nana and Grandaddy are aware of your tenders. In fact, I didn't expect for you to have a good relationship with your Grandaddy. He tends to be a yeller of "No!" While he has hurt your feelings, you two are good buds.

Okay, I best be getting to sleep as it's quite late. I'm sorry I haven't written to you very much, Bree. I love you so much. While you are currently at a hard age, you are also the cutest and sweetest little girl a mom could ask for.

All my love,
~Mom

P.S. I forgot to tell you that in the past few weeks you've learned to say your siblings names. You learned to say "Crew" first. I love hearing you say it, especially when you first learned it. You would say "Crew" in the softest voice. Your voice would rise like you were asking a question. "Creeeeeew?" It was adorable.

You say Akarie's name quite well, too. You learned that about a week and a half ago. Akarie annoys you the most by far. It's not uncommon to hear you loudly proclaim, "Stop, Karie! Stop Karie!" This phrase is so ingrained in you that you'll say, "Stop, Karie!" to Dallin!

Aunt Christina had you call her Aunt Nina for ease of pronunciation and you humored her at the end of our Virginia trip by saying it.