Brooks - 1 Month

It's amazing how Brooks is changing week to week. 

Although he is our 3rd baby it is remarkable for us to see him grow so quickly...in fact he seems to be getting older faster than Marie and Bennett did - funny how that happens!

Even so, we are soaking in as much of him as possible during this phase as we know it goes so quickly. 

We are not quite sure how much he weighs but we do know that he is filling out his 3 month clothes very nicely and stretching the toes in his jammies to the max. We will be moving up in size soon. We are guessing he is right around 11 lbs.

He continues to eat very well with Mommy and from a bottle with Daddy. 

He is having a nice awake period during the day where he is very alert and wants to be wherever the action is. The action is usually where his brother and sister are along with the two dogs of course. 

He enjoys laying on his boppy pillow while looking around and moving his arms and legs like crazy.

We have started some tummy time too and his neck and head control is getting so much better already.

He is eating every 3-4 hrs at night and sleeps very well in his crib.

He is starting to prefer certain people at certain times which is very funny to see. 

Marie likes to hold him in the morning before school starts and Brooks enjoys that time with her while playing with her hair and eventually falling asleep. 

Bennett and Brooks lay on the couch or the floor together and I'm pretty sure Bennett will be the one who will get Brooks to laugh out loud first. 

The dogs are so gentle with Brooks and are rarely in his space.

All of a sudden we will notice them watching Brooks and sort of asking permission to lay by him or give him a little kiss.

Overall, Brooks continues to be content and a very lovable addition to our family.

Below are comparisons of the 3 kids at 1 month...amazing to see how similar and yet different they looked!

Marie at 1 month - July 2009

Bennett at 1 month - July 2012

Brooks at 1 month - January 2015

Brooks - 3 Weeks Old

  

I can't even believe I am typing "3 Weeks Old" in the title of this post!

Time flies when you have a big sister and brother watching over you every step of the way.

These 2 kiddos love their little brother so much. 

 One of their favorite things to do is climb into the crib with him (supervised) and shower him with attention. 

Marie tends to be a little more tender with her touches whereas Bennett is ready to wrestle even when he is being "gentle."

They both speak very sweetly to him and he turns his head towards them as they giggle and tell him stories. 

 He is starting to have more awake periods during the day and is much more alert to sounds, books, and movement. 

His 3 month clothes are starting to get more snug and his belly is definitely growing!

Bathtime for Brooks

Brooks loves his bath.

While in the hospital, the nurses showed us a way to set the temperature just right, swaddle him in a towel, and get him to relax in his bathtub. I was suspicious but it was amazing how much he loves it!

The only time he cries or becomes stressed is when we take him out of the tub.

I have a lot of help from Marie and Bennett of course.

Brooks - 2 weeks old

 Brooks is an absolute sweet heart of a little boy.

He is content, observant, and relaxed. 

So far, his interests are eating, sleeping, pooping, and making this silly little noise that is hard to describe in words but adorable all the same. 

 He sleeps fairly well in 3 hour blocks at night.

He likes to watch his brother and sister play and tolerates kisses from the dogs.

He handles noise like a pro - sleeping through screaming, laughing, and vacuums.

He is a joy.

We are so thankful for his health and how well he is growing. 

We are so anxious to learn more about him as his personality continues to develop.

Van Beek Christmas

Because our little Brooks came early, we had to postpone our Christmas celebration in Sheldon till after the new year. It was worth the wait!

We all had a blast opening gifts, eating good food, playing games, and spending time with the family. 

Everyone took their turn with Brooks and he had a lot of attention!

We were so blessed with a lot of time with family this Christmas season!

Christmas Vacation

Once Andy was done with work and began his paternity leave, we decided to make the most of our time with Marie and Bennett home from school on Christmas break.

We filled our time with a lot of playing, movies, sleeping in, relaxing, and discovering our new toys. But we also filled our time activities we don't normally get to do like...

playing, swimming, and exercising at the YMCA

 

going cosmic bowling,

 

  playing in the snow,

 and celebrating the new year with a party!

The kids had an eventful Christmas break but both were ready to go back to school this morning and see their friends!

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

Once we found out that I would be 37 weeks pregnant at Christmas and Andy would be working Christmas Eve, we volunteered to host the Mueting Christmas at our home in Sioux City.  Thankfully it still worked out to have everyone travel to us since we had a newborn preemie Brooks to take care of now!

Bennett and Marie spent the night of the 23rd in Spencer with Papa Joe as they welcomed the rest of the family into town. They were busy with movies, popcorn, and so much playtime. This allowed Grammy to stay in Sioux City with us while we continued to get over the flu and adjust to life with a new baby. We were so thankful for the help!

 

On Christmas Eve, everyone traveled to Sioux City to meet Brooks, open gifts, attend mass, and eat many many goodies. Andy was working on Christmas Eve so he was in and out of the celebration but was able to be a part of most of it.

 ***

On Christmas morning, we slept in as long as 2 eager little kiddos allowed before we ran downstairs to open gifts from Santa.  Marie and Bennett loved finding the note from Santa, seeing the open fireplace, and opening their stockings. 

We enjoyed the morning with time as our new family of 5 before the rest of the gang showed up for brunch and more gifts.  

Christmas day was full of relaxing, eating, playing, and napping. Just as it should be. That evening we decided to go to the hotel where Grammy and Papa were staying so the kids could swim.

 After all the craziness and unexpected challenges the week before Christmas, it felt so good to just enjoy our time with family on Christmas Day.