The boys

My intentions when I first started this blog were to be able to update our family out of town about our whereabouts and happenings. Enter two babies and all of a sudden you would think this would just be a collage of pictures or a "baby book" of sorts but instead my insides got all mushy and I tend to spend more than half of my time writing about bigger life issues....patience, sin, happiness, trials, you know...all of the stuff you probably don't come here to read. And since I acclaim to be no profound writer or have any bigger insights on this journey than the rest of you today I will stick to the "baby book" type thing. I've said it many times on here but the days are sometimes excruciatingly long and the years are bitterly short. Technically, we no longer have a baby in the house but two-toddling-toddlers. So, here is a mini update atleast for my memory years down the road. Speaking of memory - are any other moms out there seriously worried about when the supposed "mom brain" goes away. I thought it was just during pregnancy but I can't remember anything. I cant remember what we did last week and I can't remember dates Brad and I went on 4 years ago. Which always makes for a pleasant evening when the conversation goes, "Babe, do you remember when we went to Jacksonville on a plane together?" Me: "I've never flown to Jacksonville. Never." Oooppss.....mommy brain?? Please tell me it isn't just me?

Anyway, since the boys seem to be polar opposites of each other I'll do this how I probably never should and compare them. Bring on the sibling rivalry, right?
* William is a walking disaster and Brooks is scared of his own shadow. Hence the 4 bruises on William's face right now and the notion from Brad that we shouldn't leave the house in fear that DFACS will take me.


Sweet, sweet, sweet. And where was W? In the fireplace!
*Brooks could sit and figure out a Rubik cube for 2 hours without making a peep. William has the attention span of a small flea. Yesterday when the rain started I pulled out the paints and the leftover pumpkins. Before I had even put Brooks in his chair William had thrown his pumpkin and wiggled himself half way out of the chair.



William would NEVER Sit this still. Hence his baby mullet.
*William would not follow me or delight me so much as to try to mimic me if I gave him a whole tub of Breyers. Brooks will repeat words I said 4 weeks ago. This could be just a factor of age rather than personality but I think there is a little of the latter in there, too. Here we are "exercising" last night.

*Brooks has an obsession with shoes and clothes right now and has become quite picky when it comes to what he wears. William belongs in a nudist colony. I came into his room this week during what was supposed to be a nap and he had unsnapped his drawers and taken off his diaper and peed all over himself. Brooks is 14 months older and has never even noticed how to take off his diaper.
Excuse my poor editing job.
*Speaking of shoes Brooks is going to have the foot of his uncle Carter...a humble size 14. William on the other hand can't wear shoes because his feet are too thick. Not too wide or long but too thick!
*The oldest is a little fixated with television or anything with a picture. He loves to sit and look at slide shows of our 1000's of pictures on the computer and point out all of the people he knows. William hasn't glanced in the way of the tv not even once. Hopefully this means he will be brilliant???
*Brooks hoards and hides. William throws and destroys. Example - after a night of light trick or treating Brooks literally had to sleep with his candy and because it was cute we let him the first night and then have paid for it the last two nights. William launches anything given to him even if it is his most favorite thing as soon as he gets it in his hand. Luckily we really do think we have a future bulldawg on our hands!

But...they are sooo sweet to each other. I'll say it again - I think the most rewarding part of procreating is watching the little people under you interact with each other. They look for each other when they are apart, they give sloppy kisses to each other at night, Brooks always says thank you for his brother in his prayers at night without prompting, and it is truly the best and most rewarding part of being a mom! Oh, and get this, last weekend we had a babysitter who said Brooks was sitting on the sofa with William and he was rubbing his hair to one side like I do and then playing with his "piggies." That makes a mama proud. And yesterday when I came to pick them up from wee-school Brooks had wondered into William's class and was holding him on the floor (or wrestling...not sure) when I came in to get them. I'm so grateful for this early bond they have created. Trust me, they have their moments, too, atleast daily but the sweet times erase all the knocking over, stealing, and screaming. We looooove having two boys!!!