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.

Dear Bria-

Oh how you are changing!  First off, you've learned to grab.  Specifically, you've learned to grab hair. My hair is quite thin and so this is actually a little stressful for me, funny enough.

If you were more aware, you would actually be feeling worse than me.  While my hair is thin, your hair has disappeared!  You lost most of your dark hair on top and look like an old man (or at least what your dad will look like in five years).

You still have some lighter colored short hair on top but it does not stand out like your longer dark hair did.  I think your hair will follow your brother's.  You'll have light brown hair for a couple of year before it goes darker like your dad's.  I'm actually pretty excited for your brown hair.  That's saying something because before you came along, I was a die-hard blonde hair fan.

Dallin and Akarie have been quite instrumental in helping you figure out days and nights.  They wake you up every morning when they wake up.  Since I'm the last one out of bed, I've been slightly helpless at their intrusion.  Plus, I don't mind them waking you up all that much.  If they're awake, I have to be awake anyway.  Might as well have all of us up!

Also, you are an excellent sleeper.  You've been consistently sleeping through the night and spoiling me dreadfully.  You fall asleep between 9-11 every night and usually don't wake up until Dallin and Akarie disturb your slumber in the morning around 7:30am.

Unfortunately, you've had your first taste of formula.  I had a dentist appointment and no ability to pump.  Nana had quite the time getting you to accept formula!  At first you were too hysterical to drink it.  You fell into an exhausted slumber.  When you awoke, Nana was quick to get the formula to you before your emotions got the best of you.  You drank a whopping 2 ounces.  I'm sure the experience was quite odd for you.

You've had a huge first this past week.  You've rolled over!  I can't tell you the exact date because I'm not sure.  The first time you rolled over, I thought it was a fluke.  Same with the second and third.  I figured I had put you on your stomach in just the right position.  So your rolls never felt real.  However, you have turned over four or five times.  So I think I can officially say you've rolled over.  Today you rolled twice in a row.  I busted out the camera and of course you stopped!  But I did get a roll on tape last night!

You have collected a couple of nicknames.  Dad and I are super sensitive to calling you any nickname we call Akarie.  We don't want jealousy issues on her part.  Considering that we've called Akarie almost every girly nickname in the book, it has proven challenging to find pet nicknames for you!

Nana told us the day you were born that she wanted to call you "Breezy".  I think that's a cute nickname and that's practically all I called you your first month of life.  I've backed off that a little now as I really would like you to be known as Bria or Bree.  I still think Breezy is really cute though!

Dallin and Akarie rarely call you by Bria.  At first they preferred Breezy.  Now they've each found their own pet names.  Dallin often calls you Bree Bree.  Akarie has somehow come up with the nickname of Breester.  I'm not going to lie, not my favorite nickname!  But it's cute to hear them affectionately call you these names.  From experience, I can say that babies tend to outgrow their nicknames.  None of the nicknames we called Dallin and Akarie have really stuck around.

I love you Bria!
~Mom