Snowed in...

Philadelphia got 28.5 inches of snow yesterday- WOW!!!

Fortunately we had good leftovers from book club and it was a weekend, so we lit a fire and enjoyed the day :)

Pictures- here is what we opened the door to. Keep in mind the door is 2 steps up!





I stepped outside- yes the snow is up to my mid thigh!




Brooks was not very into making snow angels...





After we played in our yard, B took a nap and then the family (Ming included!) went to the park. We do not have a sled or tube for Brooks yet, so we brought his ducky bath tub to use. Also- he is in the coat we bought him for next year (size 12-24) so is quite stiff armed and it is a little big.





Ming LOVES running laps in the snow!!











And today- Sunday- we played out back again. He enjoyed it for a little bit.






And then looked tortured...

Slacker Blogger

I cannot believe it has been a week since I last updated- SORRY!!! Needless to say I think that it is indicative of how my life is really changing. Brooks is the most fun little boy I ever met, but to get 15 minutes to myself is harder and harder. And when I do get it, it is usually used for cooking/cleaning/laundry rather than blogging.
Everyone keeps asking if he is crawling yet- he is not and I am totally ok with that. I think that once he starts crawling I will never get break. Brooks has always loved standing since he was little- I almost wonder if he will be one of those kids who walks before crawling. Look at how well he is standing. He cannot quite pull himself up yet, and I wouldn't walk away- but it is so cute!




In other big news- if propped correctly- someone has learned to use his sippy cup himself. What is he drinking? Either water or diluted prune juice for bathroom issues!




PUFFS- puffs are akin to cheerios- a small, easy to eat snack for little ones. The puffs come before cheerios because they dissolve pretty easily so are great for a first food.


Brooks LOVES his Puffs. However, he isn't that great at the pincer grasp yet. He kind of just grabs them in his fist and hopes for the best when he brings them to his mouth. He is getting better and better about feeding them to himself- but the hard part is, as he eats, his hand gets wet, then they stick everywhere and are more difficult to maneuver. Then he gets MAD. And I mean mad- he will start crying and grunting in anger, but as soon as you help him out and get him a puff he is happy as a clam. It is kind of funny to see him get frustrated, but hopefully he learns fast with practice!

mad about puffs



PUFFS stick everywhere




And some other randoms from this week :)


All week long he has been sucking on his lower lip like this. He smiles while sucking on it, and has been 'talking' like that so it seems more like grunting. I don't know if it is b/c he is teething, or just the wonder of 'wow, i can suck on my lip', but it is pretty funny.

Slacker Blogger

My husband the rock star...

Brooks loves his daddy- just LOVES him. Here is a video of how Eric gets greeted every day when he comes home from work. I didn't have a lot of warning (just heard E's keys jingling at the door) so there is not much before. But- you can see B is playing quietly (with his favorite- the remote despite all the cool toy). Then, he hears the door, and then he sees his daddy...



In other news- We have been hibernating from the deep freeze that Philadelphia is in. I have been on a mission to get him some bigger sized fleece pj's but they are gone. I went to about 10 different stores and only found one pair- and they are 2 piece with no feet.
Here is B in the last pair of 6-12 fleece PJ's to be found in south Jersey. (no 9 mo sizes either)


Also- as a shower gift, I received an enormous Panda. While cute, at first I wondered what we would do with it. Well B Loves it and it makes the perfect backdrop for him to sit in front of, because as you can see in the video- when he gets excited, he falls backwards from sitting. So Mr. Panda has become a protective barrier and is now at home in the living room.





B's new thing has been to get from sitting onto his tummy. At first this made me nervous, but he is getting quite good at it and doesn't cry (until he gets bored on his tummy). This little guy will be mobile before we know it


Last Sunday B got to visit with Poppop Jim & Grandma Sue. A good time was had by all


And here he is looking like a thug in his I make Noise & Trouble shirt

If you have 5 minutes to kill...

I have 5 videos!

This is why Mommy needs tylenol and wine... it has become an all day thing to scream. Adorable though!



Even during meals, we scream....




2 new skills! In the beginning of the clip, if you watch his lips he has been doing this 'fish-lip- motion a lot. And the 2nd part you can see he has begun to reach for me and gets mad if I don't get him



Lots of Laughs- 2 parter. EVERYTHING is funny these days... as you can see by part 1, tickling, part 2- playing



And lastly- this is what poor Ming has to deal with everytime she walks by

A visit from Nana, Grandpa, & Uncle G

Nana, Grandpa, and Uncle G came to visit this past weekend. It was nice for them to come down here, it had been a while, and it was also nice to entertain and cook a sit down dinner. It made me feel functional again :) We had a great time seeing you! B did have a cute outfit on, but since we all know that once 6:30 hits he begins to shut down, we took his clothes off. Being naked makes him very happy :)

Happy 7 monthday Brooks!!!

Happy 7 Month Birthday Brooks-baby.

Funny that I typed Brooks-baby. That is what Eric calls him most often. I seem to have taken to calling him B-boy or pickles. Brooks is a very difficult name to get a nickname from. We occasionally catch ourselves saying Brooksy, but HATE that and don't want to get in the habit of calling him that unless we are singing or something, so we are trying out different things. The ones I have mentioned seem to be sticking the most. Any suggestions for a good nickname?

So Pickles- at 7 months you are the most amazing, fun, curious little boy. You show your emotion more and more- we know when you are angry if we take something away, you crack up at things (especially the dog), and you make us feel so loved by greeting us with smiles every time you see us.

At 7 months old- Brooks
* rolls from back to belly now
* is much more expressive of emotion- smiles a lot more, belly laughing, anger if we take something away from him
* wants everything we have- the laptop, cell phone, house phone, etc ALL are more desirable than his toys
* imitates sounds and strings them together (he says a lot of mamamama, bababa type stuff, but not Mama as a word)
* LOVES the dog. Grabs her, squeals for her, laughs at her, lunges for her, watches her.
* responds to his name sometimes (he has to be in the mood)
*can somehow scooch his body forward if he wants something badly enough- but he has to really be focused and intent on getting it
* is ticklish on his feet, armpits, and the back of his neck
* Eats rice cereal, oatmeal, mum mums, apple sauce, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and sort of peas (not a fan)
* Is sleeping much better- getting up to eat only once around 4-5, and occasionally waking up one other time in the night.
* Naps like a champ.
* Is involved in multiple playgroups
* Squeals and shrieks like an adorable loon
* sits very well on his own
* lunges from sitting into tummy position (instead of collapsing like a clam, he gets himself on the ground)
* is just beginning to push up with his arms to lift his body off the floor (so his weight is on his hands, not just his elbows)
* gives us kisses
* Loves the book Goodnight Moon and anticipates different parts, squealing, smiling, and reaching for the book
* Loves to say "hey" to his Daddy when he comes home from work (Eric say hey, B says eh- back and forth continuously)
* Has fallen in LOVE with seeing himself in the mirror
* Reaches for us with both hands when he wants to be picked up

Stats: 7 Month stats will be coming shortly- we go to the Dr. early this week for his 2nd round of the flu shots so he will get weighed and measured then.

Pictures:
7 month photo shoot :) This month the photo shoot was an entirely different experience. Fortunately the 17th was a Sunday so Eric was around to help out for the chair pictures. If not, it would have been too dangerous to do, this kid is very fidgity.

Here are some fun shots we got along the way

This is B's new picture face


A series of shots that show why it was necessary for Eric to help me this month (yes mom- he is wearing his rain jacket)




This is his natural hair- I don't spike it, that's just how it goes


and- distracted by the monkey and the dog all at once


Monkey shots are much more difficult because of his love of toes and his ability to roll :)





And of course- our official monthly pics
With the monkey. (it is very tough to get a pic of him stretched out)




With the chair (this is the new pic on the side of the blog!)