HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!

Chad has reached a new place in his life...his 30's. He keeps telling me that he is not old - just wise, and I keep telling him that's something that old people say. It's fun for me because I still have a couple of years until I hit the big 30.
Chad was greeted this morning by a very naked little boy with a big smile on his face for his Daddy, almost as if Brooks knew it was a special day. Brooks loves his Daddy very much. Here are some pictures of my boys this past year:

In Love

There is something so wonderful about sneaking into Brooks' room each night and watching him sleep. I never used to do that, but recently it has become part of my nighttime routine. It's my FAVORITE part of my nighttime routine. Every night I have to resist touching his little face or holding his little hand. And I am always amazed at the positions that he finds comfortable enough to sleep in. Tonight he was on his tummy with his butt up in the air and his face squished up against the bumper. This is one of my favorite times of day. Surprisingly enough, my other favorite time of day is when I get him up in the morning. I love his excitement when I come into the room. And it's even more fun now when I am welcomed by my little boy standing up in his crib just staring at the door in anticipation. It's the little things that make me fall more in love with him everyday.

Vampire or Hockey Player??

I have been trying to get a picture of Brooks' top teeth, but it is near impossible. We took a cute picture together the other day and I noticed you could see his top teeth. So...I cropped and zoomed in and there they are. You might notice the Brooks' teeth are similar to that of a vampire or a hockey player. He actually does have the other two teeth in the middle, but they are too small to see. This smile just cracks me up!

Recent Mischief

Brooks usually just follows us around the house and finds things to do wherever we are. We spent lots of time in the kitchen making meals or cleaning up meals that have just been eaten. Brooks is finding plenty to do in the kitchen..but not necessarily things I want him to be doing. Brooks has recently put 2 pieces of dog food in his mouth at a time (don't worry I got them out before he actually ate them). He discovered Kansas' water bowl and thinks it's lots of fun to splash around. He loves the game where he gets to open and close the kitchen cabinets. He has hit his head once and slammed his finger in the cabinet once. He pulls all kinds of things out of the fridge, the most recent being a gallon of milk.
This kid is full on wonder and perhaps a little bit of mischief. Since these pictures we have latched up the kitchen cabinets, and have to keep a close eye on Brooks around Kansas' food/water. The fridge, however, is just too fun!

Frosty the Snowman

So the other day our school actually let out at 12:00 in fear of the snow to come. The meteorologists were predicting 8-16 inches of snow, and it was coming fast. We ended up only getting about 8 inches, so it wasn't so bad. Chad really wanted to make a snowman "with Brooks" since we won't have the opportunity to do that much in Texas. The next day was pretty warm - I could've built Frost in my bikini it was so hot! Chad was ultimately in charge - I was trying to help, but also trying to keep Brooks busy and do lunch. Chad collected the snow to build the bottom of Frosty, and then we packed it tight and kept building up. In the end, Frosty stood about 5 ft tall. Even though Brooks won't remember this, it's a nice memory to have.


Brooks helping Daddy.



Brooks and Mommy. Brooks is sitting on top of the bottom section of Frosty.



Team Hoff + Frosty

9 months old, cont...

Brooks' 9 month check-up went great. He weighed in at 16 lbs 7 oz and just shy of 29 inches. He is still in the 3% for his weight and moved up to the 65% for his height. He is a growing boy! Here are some recent pictures...too cute not to share!

9 months old

Happy 9 month birthday to my little boy! It won't be long before he is one.
Here's just a cute pic of Brooks watching some March Madness. Doesn't he look like such a big boy?!


Here are some "Brooks-isms" for his stage of life right now:

9 month old Brooks-isms

- He can wave. It is totally spastic, but it's a wave.
- He loves to take things off of shelves or out of baskets. Taking the DVD off the shelf and taking his books out of his book basket are two of his favorite things.
- Eating with his fingers is much more fun then being spoon fed.
- We like to play chase.
- Brooks has a huge vocabulary (well in comparison to the previous months). He says, "momma", "dada", "uDU" for dog, and today he looked at Brooks and said "uuuf" for woof...so cute!
- By the looks of Brooks' teeth, you would think that he was from Tennessee. He has 2 teeth on the bottom, and is getting 4 on the top. That's right - 4 at one time! Only, instead of getting the 2 teeth on top in the middle, he has a fang on the outside. It's pretty funny.
- The first of many serious bumps happened today. Chad and I were hanging pictures, and Brooks was in the kitchen. Then there was a BANG and then there was a WAAAAAAAAA!!! He now has a bump across his forehead...he seems okay.
- No longer a little boy, Brooks sits in the high chair and feeds himself and grabs his sippy cup to take a sip. It makes me happy and sad.
- If the sippy cup isn't around, Brooks loves to drink out of a cup (with the help of mom or dad). The water doesn't just dribble all over, he is actually taking sips and swallowing.
- Who needs toys? Brooks loves to play with his sound machine.
- Nobody can make Brooks laugh like his daddy. That beard gets him every time!
- Some times Brooks get so excited that it takes his breath away.
- Nothing better than the outdoors for this little guy.





There is so much to soak up everyday as I try not to miss a beat.