This week little baby Gabby (yes we are announcing that her name will be Gabriela Dawn Brower) is the size of a pineapple... of course, because that's the next closest sized fruit/vegetable to a cucumber. Whatever.
This week her little nerves are developing and we got a fun video on facebook from our sweet birth mom showing us all of her crazy movement!
I'm sure Ali thinks I'm crazy always taking pictures with fruit/veggies. She figured she'd get in on the action this week and get one taken too!
We were doing laundry the other morning and Ali decided that she should add to her outfit. My favorite is the extra skirt she has around her ankles. She kept trying to walk, but it was really more of a waddle. Love this girl!
Ah, I'm a week behind! Today our little girl is actually 31 weeks, so I'll have to do two posts this week. But, last week our little darling hit the 30 week mark! She is the size of a cucumber (so they say).
We are very happy to have hit the 30 week mark, and even happier to hit the 31 week mark this week! Every week helps! Not sure why this picture is so blurry... but the cucumber is gone now so I can't retake it!
I guess someone is ready to go back to school after the long weekend!
Yes, me and Stuart are just that much fun to hang out with! :)
This week little baby girl is the size of an acorn squash. I'm a cheater and just take pictures with the fruit/veggie at the grocery store.
Ali was pretty sure she needed a bite of the baby this week. I did stop her before we had to buy the squash!
Little baby girl is working on fattening up this week and because of that she has more energy!
Ali has officially been in school for 2 weeks now, I've been meaning to post about it since her first day, but it's been really rough on me. I think I can finally post about it and not cry.
Since Aliyah has Down Syndrome she qualifies for a special needs preschool. It is run at the elementary school here in town, right by our church house. She goes 4 days a week for 2 1/2 hours a day.
I'm not going to lie, the first day was ROUGH for me! Actually the first day I found out she would go to preschool was rough... the meetings with the school were rough, the days before preschool were rough... see the pattern?
Here she is all ready to go to school, cute as can be. She did great and was happy to go. I cried before I dropped her off, while I dropped her off and after I dropped her off (and of course I ran into a bunch of people I know). The second day I did better, but she cried... so then I cried. I seriously though about not taking her back. She's my little buddy, my sidekick. I miss her when she's gone!
But then things got better. She has the BEST teacher. I'm pretty sure she gets spoiled. She's always being carried around when I go to pick her up from school. She likes to go now and I have to admit I can get a lot done in 2 1/2 hours when I don't have a little tornado following me! :) I still miss her like crazy though. 
Also I have the most beautiful picture hanging on my fridge. It's hard to see in the picture, but she 'colored' it. I know it sounds stupid, but when you try to have kids for 10+ years you really appreciate the little things. I love everything and anything that proves I am a Mom... even if it's crying at the school!
Aunt Whitney and her family got Ali these super cute slippers for her birthday. They work out perfect because she is in love with shoes right now! Plus she can put them on all by herself!
Thanks Bytheway's!
Girly is the size of an Eggplant this week. I have no idea why these sizes are so strange, but I've come this far... I have to keep posting! :)
Her lungs are developed enough that she could be born and have a good chance at survival. However, I know she'll listen to her mother and stay put for a bit longer.
This week we got our Idaho attorney squared away and we are looking to get our homestudy completed (again, they are only good for 1 year)!
Ali was pretty sure she was going to work with Daddy today. She went and grabbed some shoes when he did and put them on. Then she stood at the back door and blew me kisses and said, 'bye!'
Luckily we got her distracted and she wasn't too hurt that she got left behind.
Little Miss has the flu today. Poor thing.
She slept on me for most of the day, but hasn't thrown up again since this morning (fingers crossed!).
Happy Birthday to this sweet little kid-o!
I've posted all about her birthday party, cake, gifts, etc below.
A week or so before her birthday we went into the doctor for her 3 year check up! She's doing awesome! She's still a short little thing, and only weighs 26 lbs, but she's growing and developing wonderfully!
Sadly she did have to get a flu shot and her blood drawn to check her thyroid. She didn't even cry for the flu shot! Then we went to get her blood taken, she put her cute little arm out for them and sat so still. They poked her and she didn't even make a sound. But, they couldn't find a vein, so they wiggled and wiggled the needle looking for it... still no crying. They finally got a vein and it collapsed. So, they tried the other arm, and wiggled and wiggled the needle (we're talking 5 min per arm here) STILL no crying! Then they poked her a 3rd time! This time she cried. I don't blame her. They finally got blood from her and gave her a sticker and she stopped crying instantly! What a tough little girl!
A few of Ali's favorite things at age 3:
*Goldfish crackers... I'm surprised she hasn't turned orange, all day everyday she asks for 'fish' while signing.
*Morty - I'm not sure what we would do without him!
*Daddy & Mommy
*Howie (her cousin Hadley is her best friend, she always includes her and Ali loves to give her hugs!)
*Books - she generally likes to 'read' them herself, outloud.
*IPad - once upon a time it was my ipad... not anymore.
*Music - she loves primary songs on her ipad and she loves singing them with me.
*Dolls - she is an excellent mother... until she throws them down the stairs.
*Dancing - she moves her feet as fast as she can, she gets her moves from her Dad. :)
*Brushing her teeth - crazy, but we'll take it!
*Giving Kisses - to us, books, animals, babies, random objects, etc.
Ali doesn't nap anymore... sad day for us, but she still sleeps 12 hours straight at night and loves to go to bed at night. She loves veggies and yogurt. She doesn't really care for juice or candy or sweet stuff. She's all about the salty snacks, chips, crackers, nuts, etc.
Ali is talking more and more these days, sometimes it's just repeating what we say, but she says 'please' now while signing and babbles at us like we should know what she is talking about!
We sure do love this crazy little girl and can't believe she is 3! Happy Birthday sweet girl!
