After we exercise we like to drink shakes to make our muscles nice and strong.

Brooks drinks his as only Brooks can do, with pure gusto.

Because remember that nothing Brooks does is like a normal little boy.

"Look Mom! I'm getting strong! Do you wanna see my muscles?"

How can you not love a face like this? What a special boy.

Chloe is really good at using the I-Phone. It's not like she's able to play anything on it really, but she is able to grunt enough to get us to open up our photos and videos on the phone. Once they are opened for her she is able to navigate them pretty well. She scrolls through them with a swish of her finger and is able to press the triangle to get the videos to play.

I'm not sure if this is good or bad, as it may seem that we are using the I-Phone to raise our kids. We're not. We are just being real and doing what we've got to do to get through the days.

The days are long lately. Chloe and Brooks are sweet, so sweet...things are just hard lately. It must be the ages or at least that's what we are hoping. It could be the weather, too. We are pretty sick of being stuck inside. We are READY for summer!

So, until we have figured out how to achieve peace and quiet without the I-Phone involved, we'll keep using it. Oh, and to that (651) number that Chloe called the other night...so sorry!

We like Angry Birds, too. Brooks much prefers the real life version of it, though. If you don't know what Angry Birds is (game on I-Phone) these pics will mean nothing to you. If you do know what Angry Birds is, these will be rather amusing.

Brooks had a great birthday. It's hard to believe he is four.

Our hope is that year four is just as fun as year 3 and maybe just a tiny bit easier, too.

Brooks is such a blessing. We love you, Buddy.

We continue to be in awe of the differences between Brooks and Chloe. Each child is precious in their own way, but having a girl is so very different than a boy. It's cool how at 18 months we can already tell that Chloe is a true girl.

Although Chloe struggle to talk (Brooks was saying Bible verses at this age), she knows what she wants and won't stop grunting until she gets it. She is very difficult to get a smile out of and is not interested in anyone talking to her, holding her or looking at her.

Chloe is, however, MUCH more easy going than Brooks ever was as long as she is with her Mommy or Daddy. She is content to waddle around behind us while we complete our daily routines and would be even more content to sit on our laps or be held most of the day. Chloe also enjoys sitting still and being rubbed. Brooks was never a kid who sat still for more than a few seconds.

Chloe can't stand to have her hands messy and loves to put her coat on and wear it around the house. She also loves to wear bracelets and necklaces whenever possible.

It's going to be fun to watch Chloe grow up. We wonder if she'll be sugar and spice and everything nice OR if she'll take after her brother and enjoy frogs and snails and puppy-dogs' tails?

What an adventure.

As the day draws near that my precious Brooks will turn 4 I find myself in a roller coaster of emotions. It shouldn't be such a big deal. He will continue to age each year and that is part of being a mom. BUT, it is a huge deal to me. I remember his birth like it was yesterday and really it would be almost impossible to forget a full day of labor only to have a C-Section 36 hours later.

It was no wonder my dear sweet Brooks had to be extracted from me rather than enter the world in a "normal" fashion. From the first minute Brooks welcomed himself into this world there was little to nothing "normal" about him. My 10 pounds lover, with a full head of black hair, and a cone shaped skull won my heart from the second I laid eyes on him.

Brooks was referred to as the "beautiful baby" in the nursery, as he was twice the size of many of the babies and looked much like a man rather than an infant with his comb-over hairstyle. Brooks had a little bit of jaundice as well, which although not healthy, made him a little bit more beautiful than those babies who were the color they were supposed to be. A tan looks a little better babies too, I guess!

My dear sweet BOY! What? A BOY? Although is was shocking to welcome a BOY into the Doty family (we only "do" girls around here), this BOY would turn out to be a blessing bigger and better than anyone would have ever expected.

This BOY has challenged us like only a BOY can do. He has energy that far exceeds any girl that I've ever met. He has passion and everything he does he does with gusto. My BOY is also tender beyond what a 4 year old BOY typically is. He has feelings for others that run deep and is easily hurt by others as well. My BOY keeps me on my toes, frustrates me to no end and also blesses me more than I deserve.

It's hard to be happy that my precious boy is turning 4 and will soon "need" his Mommy less. Brooks is nearing the 60 pound (no, that is not a typo) mark and is getting harder for me to hold and snuggle. This morning my "little" guy sat on my lap and got his back rubbed. As I ran my fingers through his thick hair and kissed his rather large head, it became so real to me that my baby is no longer a baby and never will be again.

I get so fed up with my kids at times (lots of days, actually) but it became so real to me that I really should be embracing this time because it is going away all too quickly.

My goal (and I will fail only to start again):

Embrace the enthusiasm. Embrace the passion. Embrace the gusto. Embrace the need for Mommy. Embrace the sleepless nights. Embrace the throwing up. Embrace the temper tantrums. Realize this is a season and most likely a season I'll wish I could have back in the future.

Bless you baby boy.

I love you.