Fun Times

After having kids, a lot of people say that it is hard to imagine life before kids...this is true. But, I think it is also important not to let go of the things that were so much fun before having kids. Last week we took a little road trip down to Colorado Springs and hiked around some waterfalls. Granted, we saw waterfalls bigger on the side of the road in New Zealand, but it was still fun to get out and hike around. It's fun that we can continue to do some of the things that we did before Brooks came along - now it's just a little different. It takes us a little bit longer to get out of the door, with a little bit more preparation. The timing is essential - planning around eating and nap times. With all this said, it worked out great and we had tons of fun. Brooks was a trooper in the Bjorn!

We also stopped at the top and took some cute pictures.



The waterfalls were great, but the car ride home was just as fun. Chad and I played a little game with the iPod. We play songs and see who can name the artist first. Of course, Chad is amazing at this game. He does have a slight advantage since he downloads most of the songs on the iPod. The sweetest thing was that every once in a while he'd let me win. After playing that game for about 40 minutes, the last 20 minutes or so I found fun songs to listen to. We jammed out in the car to the likes of Lisa Lobe and Men at Work.
It was a fun day from start to finish.

A Year Ago Today...

A year ago today I found out I was pregnant. Chad was out of town, but I couldn't wait to take a test. I woke up and thought, 'What the heck - I'll take a test for a piece of mind!' I took a pregnancy test for maybe the tenth time since we'd been trying for a baby, and for the first time I walked away from it and expected the single line just like all the times in the past. Instead, I came back to see two lines in that little "window". I'd love to say that then I went to the store and bought five more tests just to be sure - but I didn't. I knew that I was pregnant, and I was overwhelmed with joy. I couldn't stop rubbing my tummy and thanking God for the miracle growing inside me. Little did I know how precious that miracle would be. I couldn't have imagined Brooks any more perfect than he is.
A year ago I was worried about myself. A year ago I was trying to make sense of what was to come. A year ago I had no idea what being a mom meant. A year ago I underestimated what love was. What a difference a year makes.

Brooks and Daddy

Chad and Brooks had such a good time playing together the other day while I was sick. I snapped a video that is pretty cute. Notice our poor neglected dog, Kansas, in the background.

Just some cute pictures

Brooks is growing and accomplishing new things everyday, so it's hard not to just snap as many photos as I possibly can. Plus, I kind of think it's going to be harder to blog as Brooks gets older and more mobile. RIght now he's totally happy just sitting on a blanket for a while. When he starts rolling and moving and sleeping less during the day I probably won't have all this free time to sit and mess around on the computer. So for now you'll have to deal with all my pictures and silly updates.

Brooks is now playing with his exersaucer. The doctor recommended it since he is able to stand so well. He looks really tall in this picture, but actually it's because there is a folded blanket underneath him to help him stand. He is still a little short, and without the blanket his legs just dangle there (they really almost touch). He likes looking around at all the things there are to play with. Chad thinks those things cause ADHD...we'll take our chances I guess. The other picture I took because I saw all these adorable pictures of my friends' babies playing on their tummies. So I though, 'I should take a cute picture like that'. It turned out pretty cute - and I love how it really shows his bright blue eyes!

Having Fun with Daddy

Brooks is really able to recognize his mommy and daddy, and he is having so much fun playing with his daddy. The other night Brooks had so much fun playing with Chad and grabbing his glasses. It was so darn cute!

Happy Halloween

This is what it looks like...

For those of you wondering what moms mean when they say that their baby pooped up their back, this is what it looks like: