Lately

We are fascinated by big yellow trucks.
And our jumperoo! (Thanks, Sherri!)
{Ignore the weird lady with the nasal voice. I don't know her.} Oh, and how do I turn a video sideways? Sorry.

9 month pictures coming soon! We had to find the sheep buried in packing paper.

Pregnant Jeopardy

Category: Weight Gain and Loss of A Normal Body Shape

$500 question
During this season of pregnancy a woman's weight skyrockets all the while her thighs turn to jelly but she is happy and her hormones seem to rely completely upon this very season.

What is Girl Scout Cookie Season. Final answer.

Ding ding ding. You win a box of tagalongs with your $500.

9 big ole' months!

The baby boy is 9 months old today. And just as I said last month and the month before and the month before - this one is going to be so much fun. Within the last week Curious Brooks has perfected and learned so many tricks. I love watching him do something the first time and then within 20 minutes act like he is the master of universe which of course he is to us!

He had his 9 month check up today and there is nothing major to report other than he is about average on all accounts (of course, way above average in my mind!) and he is super fidgety and likes to flirt with the nurses. He has to take his clothes off to get his weight and you know how he loves naked time! He was crawling all over the office and squealing like he was at Disney World. He wasn't as thrilled about the attempted (note: attempted) vision test. Oh well, we'll try that one next time and in the mean time just believe even his eye sight is perfect. Just in case you are on the edge of your seat wondering....he was 21lbs and 28inches. He was so happy to be back in his regular Pediatrician's office. He loves Dr. Pip and so do I! Dr. Pip told him he could have a grilled cheese any day now and Brooks leaned over and kissed him on the nose for that news!

Note to new moms - don't mention to the nurse that you've had a rough morning because your baby fell off the bed and slammed his finger in a cabinet. I thought we were being cordial - just shooting the breeze and then I was interrogated with questions that made me feel like I had thrown the baby off the bed by his feet and into a wall or something. Baby is just fine after some "I've never done that before, why did my mom abandon me for .2 seconds, I think I should cry even though I am tough and not hurt" screaming but I am still severely scarred. I vowed to him that I would never ever do it again and that I was so sorry. There was an angel protecting that fall - I promise because somehow the gymnast did 1.5 flips and landed on all fours like a cat. I've replayed the event over and over and every time I want to turn curl up in a ball and declare worst mom of the year but I still can't figure out how he landed so perfectly (other than he is perfect) and he was certainly being protected from someone above who loves him very much.

Just so I can remember this for this second baby (because isn't it true that when someone asks you how you did this or when Brooks started doing that - you don't remember what your child even wore the day before! Nod your heads - very true)...so here we go...
Brooks
*pulls up onto anything that is 6 inches above his crawling eyesight whether it is remotely stable or not
* is actually real baby crawling rather than that one armed injured army veteran crawl he had so mastered last month
* sleeps 7:30-7:30 pretty consistently and now takes the longest morning nap ever - long enough to make me actually twiddle my thumbs in anticipation for him to wake up! But he takes a quick hour afternoon nap and he fights it the whole way.
*drinks 4 6-ounce bottles and eats breakfast and dinner. He love blueberries, black beans, rice, yogurt, socks (yes) and of course bananas and sweet potatoes (and anything grandma Nise isn't supposed to give him but does anyway. Gotta love grandma!)
*likes to clap his hands if you ask him to and he has sort of started giving me a slobbery kiss though you might mistake it as a messy head bump or something
*wears 12 month clothes, loves bath time still, loves being naked, likes to throw things on the floor as a game, holds his bottle by himself and doesn't want me to feed him, plays peek a boo, thinks Amos is funny and likes to pull on his face, and giggles the whole time he is in a swing at the park!
*says "da da da" even after I say "ma ma ma"
*doesn't think teeth are cool
*flirts with anyone who will give him attention
*is currently licking the window of the sliding glass door because it makes a funny sound and he can see his reflection (and who knows, maybe it tastes good? The boy hasn't found a menu he didn't like!)
*makes my heart flutter when he smiles at me or reaches for me or makes a noise at me or heck, even when he poops on me - I fall more in love.

Thank you, Mr. Brooks for giving me a purpose on a daily basis. Thank you for giggling even when your mom and dad are overwhelmed, exhausted, and a little out of it from the last 6 crazy months! You are our joy every single day! Now off to celebrate at mom and dad's favorite place - Taqueria Del Sol.....welcome home!

We're here!!!!

I wish I had some pictures to share with you of this 72 hour journey but if I could actually remember where the camera cord is packed I would award myself the smartest packer in the world and take a break for the rest of the day. For the most part we arrived in Atlanta intact and smiling. Here are just a few of our hiccups. Minor in scale if you ask me but comical.
1) There is a small to medium divot in the Savannah yard from the first attempt to back the 26 foot yellow truck into the driveway. Sorry!
2) Amos nearly lost his left arm as he bolted under the brake pedal of the Big Bird when Brad has just pulled into a little Atlanta traffic on Saturday. To brake this 8000lb truck with my entire life in it or to spare my dog his arm? That was the question. Amos still seems a little shaken but we know after a trip to his old dog park he'll be just fine.
3)I packed all 9 boxes of wet wipes I had just bought and Brooks didn't care. He has taken to black beans lately and his diapers are representative of his new favorite food. {Why do moms feel the need to describe their baby's diapers on the world wide web?}
4) Somehow our once seemingly even king size bed is no longer even. Have we been sleeping in a crooked bed for 18 months now or were we just too delirious to figure out why the four even sides of the bed rails don't make an even square last night? Mama said the crooked bed may be the cause of unexpected pregnancies. Thank you mom, we've been looking for the most logical explanation.
5) We somehow seem to be missing a box full of lamps and light bulbs. This wasn't an obstacle yesterday as we unpacked as it was sunny, bright, and 65 degrees but last night when we came home to a home with minimal overhead lighting and no functioning lamps and a flashlight packed in the bottom of a nameless box and boxes in every corner - dancing in the dark took on a new meaning.
6) The green truck got a warning. A dear Savannah friend offered to drive Brad's over sized South Georgia vehicle (his 2nd wife) up from Savannah to Atlanta. This was the biggest blessing last week! I was so worried because I can barely get in his truck without a boost but our sweet friend was fearless. Until some bored Atlanta police officer pulled her over - in what looked like a stolen truck with an expired registration. I would have been shaking in my boots but she seemed to laugh as she recalled the story. Luckily, the registration is up to date - the sticker just had fallen off. Of course someone doing us a favor would get pulled over for this even though Brad has never run into this little problem during his many run-ins with the law??? Oops.
7) We are living out of a Styrofoam cooler until we find time to buy (or accept an unused) fridge! If you stop by we have beer, butter, and some applesauce. Dig in!

Overall, this move was pretty seamless so far thanks to my hard working husband. You would be proud, too, we reused every piece of packing and paper that the professional movers used just 6 months ago and I was given strict orders to save every piece again - as there may be another more permanent move in the future. Really though, if you need help moving - don't call Brad! He is awesome and literally moved our 8000 lbs of stuff by himself and I hope he never has to do it again. He can give you some great advise though...and he looks pretty hot driving a 26 foot truck. I think his tractor's sexy!

Oh, and to top off this whirlwind of a weekend we had three dear friends just pop by yesterday to check on us. Goodness, we hadn't had anyone pop in to see us in such a long time and despite the chaos in the house we welcome any visitors! We are so happy to be back to a city that knows us even if it means a few more weeks in boxes!

Oh, and (my mind is racing as I am a little overwhelmed...I didn't get one hour of sleep last night due to this silly anxiety (and a loud thunderstorm)) Brad went to his first day of school today - or so it felt like. I packed him a lunch in his lunch pail and he skipped out the door. He'll be working about 4 miles away so we are so excited for many lunches together and hopefully a very pleasant commute - which is rare in Atlanta. He says he has a window office and he likes the restrooms in the office - so far so good. Those are the essentials to figure out on one's first day, right?

A day at the park

I will miss Forsyth park. Situated on the west end of the city and marked by the perimeter of moss adorned trees, this mile stretch of the city has come to be one of my favorite places anywhere. Due to this horrid winter weather this season experienced throughout the typically mild South East we haven't been able to spend hours on end in the park like I would have liked when we first moved here. Yesterday Brooks and I had lunch at a new cafe in the middle of the park with some friends and then we spent the rest of the day taking in one of our favorite places. I was a little weepy strolling around because I could just see the activity and life that would come to live at the park in a few weeks as the temperature creeps a little higher. Of course, the perfect Savannah weather is on it's way just as we are set to leave. Needless to say, we had a fun afternoon hitting all of the corners of the park and getting a little wind burnt in the meantime!

Our own little cupid

He's got me. And his dad, too. We are both smitten and head over heels. Thank you, Brooks, for stealing our hearts! Thank you, too, for your personal Buzz Light Year Valentine you game me along with a pencil. I need a pencil. I love you little man!

Here is a glimpse of our gorgeous Valentine's Day and Brooks' new toys...the activity table and the pregnant mom/jungle gym who did not wish to be photographed.