Excuse Me, Sir, but There Appears to be an Alligator on your Noggin

Edited to add the following disclaimer: No Brooksies were harmed/frozen during the taking of this picture. I know he may look a titch chilly, but I can assure you that he was not only completely content at the time of this shot, but also completely covered up in precisely 1.2 seconds. But...perhaps we can all take this picture as a protest statement about how BGE has raised its electricity rates so insanely high that we must either shiver literally in the cold or shiver figuratively over how much money is flowing from our wallets to their coffers. And that, my friends, is as political as I will ever be!

Sing-Along

Clearly my singing to Brooks has paid off. Check out these pipes!

Trivia Challenge: What song is he singing?

Hey Cousin!

Thanks to the wonders of a webcam and Skype, we can feel like we're visiting Texas family all the time. Seth and Brooks are seen chatting here with Aunt Sarah and Cousin Rachel in Dripping Springs!

Only Happy Brooks Allowed

Since the diaper-changing picture (earlier post, below) didn't show a very happy Brooksie, I thought I better remedy the situation. Brooks's dad better watch out or he'll be replaced by one green octopus!

The Best Part About Spring Break?

Daddy diaper changes in the morning!

Brooks's New Friends

Today, Brooks and I went to the first session of the "New Moms Group" run by a community foundation connected to the hospital. There were 8 other moms and babies there and we'll spend time together each Thursday for the next 7 weeks. I'm really looking forward to getting to know these women and for Brooks to have some friends exactly his age.

The first woman I chatted with had her baby on January 15th, too! That baby was born shortly after midnight so I guess they were one of the families taking up the L&D rooms that night that kept us from being able to check into the hospital late on the 14th. (I'll try not to hold it against her!) It's a little bizarre to think that she was probably getting wheeled over to the Maternal Child wing as we were getting wheeled into Labor and Delivery!

Nothing too eventful going on over here in these parts. Seth is down to only 3 days left of his spring break so I'm sure he's kinda sad about that. What's he going to do when he can't play Spider Solitaire for hours on the computer?

Now THIS is a Chin!

I'm double-posting today because I absolutely must set free the beauty of this picture that my parents just sent me. They haven't been able to put their hands on any of my baby pics--it's hard to find me amidst the thousands of pictures of their beloved first child--so they found this one at my grandmother's house over the weekend. It is marked "2 months" so 'round about the same age as Brooks is now. What do you think?

Important Business Between a Silly Monkey and an Octopus

Brooks is starting to reach out (with fists still) towards objects so we're slowly adding the dangly things to the play mat. He and the octopus have had many scintillating conversations of late. Hopefully they are not preparing a coup.

Happy Easter from Brooks!

Take a Look--It's in a Book

Seth is on spring break this week and Brooks and I are both so excited. Here, the Brookster is getting in some good reading time with his paternal unit:

Are you my Mama?...No, She's Nacho Mama!

Brooks made his first trip across (well, under) the Chesapeake Bay to Nacho Mama's restaurant in the Canton section of Baltimore. He also got to have his picture taken with Polly and a St. Patty's day green spray-painted Elvis!

Show Me That Smile Again...No Really, SHOW ME

Since Brooks is getting so long so darn quickly, I figured I need to be dressing him in outfits every single day to get the most out of the small window each size offers. (Not that I haven't been dressing him before-- I was just less concerned with variety!) Now that we generally go out and about at least once each day, it makes a bit more sense to pay attention to his wardrobe anyway. So today, Brooks wore his first officially preppy outfit...thanks Donna B. if you're reading this. But unfortunately, he doesn't want to smile:

So we're now off and running in the crazy halls of Emily's mind because hopefully you realized this post title not only applies to my endeavors this morning to get a grin out of the little one, but also to a certain family sitcom from a few years ago. Strangely enough, the Growing Pains theme song made a sudden appearance in my medley of songs last week. I was moving between my 9 regular ditties and boom! There was "Show me that smile again; Don't waste another minute on your crying..." My singing of this song rates maybe this kind of look from Brooks but it's still not a real smile:

You know what makes ME smile? TRIVIA CHALLENGES!!! So the next thing I'm thinking is that I should see who can win a theme song contest. (Yes, you can cheat and find the answers online but cheaters never win and winners never cheat.) Admittedly, I had to consult the encyclopedia (AKA Geoff) to get some of these songs back in my head so he has been excluded from the competition. Big props will go to whomever can give me the first line of any of the following theme songs from that era: Family Ties, Diff'rent Strokes, Mr. Belvedere, Full House, and Family Matters. Go on!! Post away!

Oh, you know what? I'm apparently not the only one who loves trivia challenges:

Growing Like a Weed

Brooks and I went to his 2-month appointment this morning. Here he is before we left, resigned to his fate:

It worked out really well to be shortly after he ate so he was very quiet for quite awhile once we got there. By the time the doctor came into the room, however, he was exhausted and decided to make some noise. I'm sure everyone says, "I promise [my baby] doesn't really make this much noise" in such a situation, but those of you who have been around Brooks know he really doesn't make much noise! I felt really bad because she was trying to give me advice and pointers and I'm sitting there trying to figure out how to calm him down.

Since he clearly was so exhausted having not had a nap, he actually fell asleep in between the doctor's check-up and the nurse coming in to do the shots. He took them well, only crying a bit, and then quieted right back down into his exhausted stupor. So yay for a successful first battery o' shots experience.

The most notable thing about the appointment was that the nurse measured him twice because she couldn't believe he was as long as she had measured. But sure enough-- he's 25 inches long which is literally off the charts for a 2-month old. And I knew I was starting to see some hints of fat rolls: he weighed 12 lbs after weighing not quite 9 lbs at the one month appointment.

What's this I hear? Man-- I really thought he'd sleep for hours but alas, I hear noises from the nursery. Off to check on him...

Don't Fall In, Narcissus!

Look at me....looking at me!!!!!!!!!

Weekend Stuff

First of all-- GO BEARS!!!!! Nothing like being called as the LAST team in the NCAA field to crank up the tension. And crazy that they're playing in DC (which makes NO sense for the "West" region, but whatever)! Wonder if Seth will have to play hooky for the first time ever??!

Speaking of Seth, he had a full weekend of Science Fair fun. After serving as the Safety Inspector all evening Friday, he got to spend his entire Saturday grading projects and supervising the kiddies as well. Because of this commitment, he missed a fun gathering chez Pine. Brooks and I ventured out to Phase I of the event which consisted of Texas Hold 'Em and then dinner. While the game got underway downstairs, the Brookster and I were hanging out upstairs trying to prolong the start of feeding time. And by "hanging out" I mean "rolling over for the first time" (front to back). So that's something.

In any event, since Brooks's daddy couldn't come to the party, he had to find other strong male types to get in some snuggles. Thank goodness Drew was there to share the paternal wisdom he regularly bestows on Ethan:

Take Me to Your Leader

Brooks has joined a top-secret band of alien space elves. (oops-- not so secret anymore.) They don't believe in wiping their mouths after eating. Slobs!

And...We Have Lift-Off (Lift-Up?)

Brooks's 2-month appointment is next week and I know I'll have to check things off on the list of developmental milestones. While he's shown serious neck strength from the beginning when being held upright, he hasn't seemed very interested in lifting his head while on his stomach. I was pretty sure he'd done the 45 degree lift but now I have no doubt...and can pretty much check off the 90 degree lift, too!

Song Update

Many thanks to those of you who suggested songs a few weeks back. I seem to have settled on a very diverse collection of tunes and it is an interesting look into Emily-ness to see which ones rose to the top. I honestly have no idea how or why these particular songs came out of my mouth when I was trying to make somewhat pleasant noise, but I'm guessing it's largely because they all can be sung in my range! And, as you'll note, there's not a "child" one in here...I don't know what my deal is but I can only think that my interest in singing "adult" songs is along the same lines of how I never got into the Aladdin, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, etc, animated Disney movie trend back in the early 90s. I was the kid sitting on the couch with a cigar and brandy and watching real people with real problems. (You know I'm kidding about the cigar and brandy, right? Let's not give Sheils a heart attack!)

ANYWAY-- here is the current repertoire of my rocking chair songs. They can be divided into 3 categories: Broadway, Religious, and Nostalgic. See how many you know! (Oh, and let me state here that I only have to know a few lines for me to consider it a song I can sing. I just repeat the same lines over and over if need be!)

BROADWAY
1) "Castle on a Cloud" from Les Miserables
2) "Bui-Doi" from Miss Saigon
3) "I am the Starlight" from Starlight Express... and yes, I sing both the Rusty lyrics and Poppa lyrics which is quite the feat when they start overlapping!

RELIGIOUS (honestly, these might not be the real names so consider this a "First Line Index" as in the hymnal
1) "Lord, Prepare Me to be a Sanctuary"
2) "Father, We Adore You"
3) "As the Deer"

NOSTALGIC
1) "There is a Place Among the Hills and Dales" (Camp Longhorn theme song)
2) "Taps" (with a bonus Longhorn campfire special verse)
3) "Chester"...see explanation below

For all you EHS Chorister alums out there, I must admit that one day I opened my mouth and "Chester" came flowing out. Of course, I don't know the melody--just the alto line! (It's a pretty good one as far as alto lines go, however.) It's interesting to note once again how unique our public school chorus situation was to be able to sing so many songs with a Christian bent. I just looked it up on Wikipedia and apparently this song was the second most popular American Revolutionary song after only Yankee Doodle. I leave everyone with the words of this fine song by William Billings:

Let tyrants shake their iron rod
And slavery clank her galling chains
We'll fear them not; we trust in God
New England's God forever reigns

The foe comes on with haughty stride
Our troops advance with martial noise
Their veterans flee before our youth
And generals yield to beardless boys

What grateful offering shall we bring?
What can we render to the Lord?
Loud hallelujahs let us sing
And praise His name on every chord.

(Interestingly, it appears the arrangement we sang left out a few other verses but Brooks will only ever know these 3 above!)

Monday Musings

Well, the switch to Daylight Saving Time sure didn't affect Mr. Brooks negatively-- he slept for 9 1/2 hours on Saturday night (!!!!!!). I guess I can't claim that it was all sleeping since the 3rd time I crept over to his room to make sure he was still breathing, I actually went all the way over to the crib and found him awake and just chilling. Wonder what he was thinking about? His fancy new mobile, borrowed from Owen D, wasn't even on so I don't think he was pondering that but he does occasionally as evidenced by this picture:

A few other assorted thoughts on this sunny but chilly morning:

1. I just saw a commercial for a local plumbing company called Peed. Peed Plumbing? Too funny.

2. Seth has been teaching the reproductive unit in his AP Bio classes which always makes him a little nervous. Apparently Friday was the discussion of childbirth and boy, did his kids this year get a whole lot more information than those in years previous. Classic Seth teaching technique: he gets out a ruler so everyone can be sure to understand just what 10 centimeters looks like!

3. Sheils reports that, according to the Dallas Morning News, Brad and Angelina have purchased a 270-acre farm in Smithville, TX which, as many of you recall, is where Seth spent his first 3 years teaching. I think he's wishing he still lived there so Brooks could be friends with their army of children!

PS- We did NOT have 9 1/2 hours of uninterrupted sleep last night so I'm sure it was a fluke!

Sleeping on the Job

Brooks and I traveled to Auntie Chisty's "office" yesterday for some lunch and playtime. While Christy dutifully fielded work phone calls and took care of emails, Brooks grabbed a little shut-eye:

Ten Tidbits

Last week, Rosemond "tagged" me to list 10 random facts about myself. I initially dismissed the challenge because, let's face it, I have such a compulsion to be honest--and to give way more details than are necessary--that I figure everyone knows all they want to about me. (Not to mention that my pregnancy musings found at http://www.bf2k7.com/ covered such quirks on a regular basis!) I found myself cogitating upon such a list while I was feeding Brooks in the middle of the night last night, however, and I decided it might actually be kinda fun. There is nothing on this list that someone out there doesn't know but give me a break, people-- I lead a pretty dull life!!

1. When I was in the first grade and we still lived in Houston, I took a runway modeling class. (I think it was a prize from the school "fun festival.") I know you're all chortling at the thought of such a thing but here's the proof of me rocking the runway with my bear, Freddy:


2. I didn't get my driver's license until September of my senior year. Yes, that's only 5 months shy of my 18th birthday. I'm sure it surprises no one that I am incredibly risk-averse and was really quite frightened of the whole driving thing. I remember practicing in the parking lot of the local community college and freaking out when I hit 17 mph.

3. One of my most favorite activities is to go grocery-shopping. I am all about bargains over brand loyalty and will pretty much try anything except I will NEVER buy any other kind of rice besides Texmati.

4. Seth and I didn't live in the same town the entire 2 years we dated. He also had a phobia about talking on the phone so we spent the first year communicating only through instant messenger. This was before the days of high-speed internet so Linds, I am sorry once again for tying up the phone line for so many hours on end!

5. My most common scary dreams involve not being able to remember my locker combination, not having written an essay or done math homework, or being attacked by giant bugs.

6. After Seth and I got married, we spent a year living in a converted garage in Elgin, the Sausage Capital of Texas. We had to climb a ladder to get to our mattress which was on the "shelf":

7. I went to my senior prom with the foreign exchange student from the Ukraine. Enough said.

8. If asked where I'd want to eat if I could go anywhere, I'd immediately say Ninfa's in Waco for an El Alfonso with chicken. But this would be because I have so many fond memories of going there to scope out the Baylor peeps and I'd eventually realize that maybe it wouldn't be quite as much fun as it was in college. So where I'd really want to go is to Tukta Thai, a local Thai restaurant in Dallas, and feast on a dish called Waterfall. So far, I don't think anyone has liked Waterfall except for the 4 Moores but they don't know what they're missing!

9. I tend to worry about things until I am absolutely sure of the outcome. Recent case in point: even after 2 ultrasounds, I still worried that Baboo wouldn't actually turn out to be a Boyboo and I'd be totally unprepared decoration- and clothes-wise. The first thing out of my mouth after the doctor delivered him was, "Is it really a boy?"

10. I don't bite anything with my front teeth. Sheils has stories of me eating PB&J sandwiches with a trail of goo from my mouth to my ear because I bite everything with my back teeth. Because of this, I never lost the ridges on my front teeth (top and bottom!) so I had them filed off several years ago!

Whew! There you go.

Gaining Mobility

Now that Brooks is 7 weeks old, we're beginning to venture out into the world a bit more. We had been advised to keep him away from public places because of cold and flu season-- and clearly, this has been the year that protection has been necessary what with all these unexpected flu strains. After our Monday adventure in the park, we went to Sam's Club yesterday (yes, Uncle T-Dawg-- it's in LAUREL), and then to an impromptu bagel brunch this morning. I am happy to report that Brooks is for the most part a very good adventurer...especially when he's asleep in his infant carrier!

As for that other kind of mobility--he started out fully ON the mat this morning for tummy time:

Never Meets a Stranger

"hello friend!"

Picnic in the Park and an Interview for Fox NFL Football Coverage

It's 65 degrees here today and Brooks and I went to meet our friends at a park. Jen/Molly and Gen/Ethan all were able to enjoy the weather:

This is what Brooks did:

In other news, Brooks is following in the footsteps (well, actually hair-steps) of friend Owen who entered "Terry Bradshaw Territory" (credit given to father Travis for this term) with his hair growth pattern several months ago. Brooks is now there: