Happy Halloween! November 1, 2009

Brooks had an eventful first Halloween (as did his parents!)  He was the cutest monkey you ever saw!

Despite the fact that he is only 3 months old and cannot eat candy, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to dress him up!  Sassy and Pop came over after lunch to see him and witness his monkey debut.  Unfortunately he was not his most charming self while they were here, but we did put the costume on him for a few minutes before they left so they could see it.  Brooks then took a nap so he would be in a better mood.  Once he was up, we had to rush to get him dressed again so we could get to the First Baptist Fall Fest in time.  Here he is in the car seat ready to go.

We strolled through the Fall Fest and got lots of compliments on our monkey.  We then proceeded to do some Trick-or-Treating.  Our Trick-or-Treating was a little different, as we did not want candy from anyone but simply a picture of Brooks with those that we visited…this was an effort to help protect mine and Matt’s waistline as well!  We tried  to visit Jerry and Carolyn Edwards, but they were not home, so we went ahead and took a picture in their driveway anyway!  We then went down the street to Mrs. Euda Raley’s.  She had her house locked up and was not planning on taking visitors, but who could resist this monkey at their door?  She was also not thrilled about us taking her picture, but we had to!  We tried to visit a few others who weren’t home before we made it over to the Gurganus’s to get some pictures of Brooks with baby Deegan who was also a monkey!

We then headed over to Meadowlakes where we showed Brooks off to several of our friends including the Stanleys!

By this time Brooks was getting a little tired of how much we were enjoying ourselves and he was ready to go home. He crashed pretty soon after we got him in the car.

Matt and I swung by Sonic to get some 50 cent Halloween corndogs (since we hadn’t had any candy all night!) and by the time we got home, Brooks was ready for a little monkey business!

It was a great first Halloween.  We were a litte disappointed we didn’t get any of Brooks’ really good smiles while he was in his costume, so I guess we’ll just have to put it on him again another time for a photo shoot!  Happy Halloween!!!

Rockport October 27, 2009

Weekend before last we spent the weekend with my parents in Rockport.  The Homeyer Clan has been going to Rockport since well before I was born.  Growing up my family, my grandparents (sometimes both sets), my Aunt Robbin and my cousins all would go to the Sandollar Motel for a few days and fish and swim and have a great time. 

Mom and Dad rented a Condo at Kontiki Condo’s, where the family has stayed the past few years and we jumped at the opportunity to join them and introduce Brooks to this time honored Homeyer tradition.  The cousins weren’t able to make it (thanks Gina!) and Mallory wasn’t either (thanks Jouleen!), but Maw-maw and Paw-paw were able to join us on Saturday for the day. 

Here are a few pictures and a video from the weekend. 

 

Dad and I attempted to fish…and I emphasize “attempted.”  Still, it was beautiful out on the bay Saturday morning and we had a good time.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were so happy Maw-maw and Paw-paw could join us on Saturday.  Although we missed the rest of the family, it has been a long time since we got to spend a whole day with just them.  As soon as Maw-maw arrived she took Brooks and he promptly napped in her arms for almost 2 hours!  She must have arms of steel!

As you can tell from the above picture on the right, Brooks was the centerpiece of the weekend’s entertainment!  Surprise, surprise!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brooks was in a particularly smiley mood throughout the weekend.  It made the weekend that much more fun.  He seemed to like his first experience of sand between his toes…although admittedly, his range of reactions is rather narrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here we are relaxing on the patio.  I love getting the 4 generation pictures whenever we can.  Very special. 

It was a great weekend away relaxing on the coast and spending time with mom and dad.  Here’s a video captured on the patio.  Take special note all the way until the end and you will catch my dad enacting his famous “cast net dance”

It is a hoot!

Talkative Brooks October 26, 2009

Brooks is becoming more and more talkative recently.  We are becoming increasingly certain that he has inherited the Homeyer loud voice.  Whether in the nursery or at daycare he seems to easily outcry and out squeel other babies. 

Here’s a good video of Brooks expressing himself during tummy time.  Enjoy!

It’s been a while… October 21, 2009

 

So it has been a good while since our last post!  Lots has been happening.  Brooks went for his 2 month check up a few weeks ago and got a great report.  He weighed 13 lbs 12 oz and was 22 5/8 inches long.  That put him in the 90 percentile for his weight and 50 percentile for his height.  He is a growing boy! 

Last week I had to take him back to the doctor for an eye infection and in one week he gained 9 oz and was 14 lbs 5 oz. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It seems like every few days brings something new with Brooks.  A new little sound, better head control, more responsive smiles, and continually trying to roll over.

Now that he is a bit older we are really enjoying getting to take him out, show him off, and begin exposing him to new experiences.  One of my favorite parts of my week has become taking him to church with me before Sunday school and holding Brooks while I greet everyone as they arrive at Fellowship on Sunday mornings.

Not only does this score me MAJOR points, it really is a lot of fun to start forming his relationships with those that will be his family of faith. 

This past weekend we went to Rockport with my parents, but that is fodder for another post.  The weekend before last we ventured to Krause Springs, one of our favorite spots in the area, with Kelley’s parents and her sister Amy. 

We were about 2 months too late in the year to properly enjoy Krause Springs, but it was a lot of fun seeing the beautiful springs and pool and cooking some hotdogs.  Below are some pictures of the outing 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brooks goes to school October 4, 2009

We have entered a new phase of life now as my maternity leave officially came to an end last week.  It was a wonderful time spent at home with Brooks, but we must learn to function as I go back to work part-time for Marble Falls ISD.  About two weeks before I was to return to work I got a call from the First Baptist Church Christian School letting me know that they had an opening in their infant room.  I was so excited!  We got on the waiting list there soon after we found out I was pregnant, but they told us they probably wouldn’t have a spot until Brooks turned two…so we made other arrangements.  I felt okay about what we had worked out, but was not super excited about it.  So, I feel that it was definitely an answer to prayer that a spot opened up for him at First Baptist when it did.

Brooks' first day of school!

I will only be working Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays, but I took Brooks for the morning on Monday so I could get my initial tears over with before I actually had to function at work.  It was pretty hard to leave him, but I knew it was only until lunchtime.  I kept myself busy by giving my house a good cleaning for the first time since Brooks arrived(It’s already pretty dirty again   )  About 11:45 Matt and I went to pick Brooks up together.  He, of course, had had a great time and done really well.  He has two teachers in his class, Ms. Lajuana and Ms. Elizabeth.  They are both wonderful and have worked in the baby room for a LONG time so they will definitely have a thing or two to teach Matt and me about baby care! 

The rest of the week was not too bad.  In some ways it was nice to be back at work, but I did miss my little man terribly.  I kept this picture as my screen saver and visited it frequently. 

One of the hardest moments of the week was when I was unpacking and organizing my desk.  I found a ruler that I had kept out on my desk last year while I was pregnant so that each week I could see and show my students how big Brooks was.  When we first learned of his presence he was only 1.7 centimeters!  It was crazy to think how far we’ve come since that first week of December when we first heard his little heart beating. 

I think that Brooks will really enjoy his class.  There are a total of 9 babies and most of them are a lot older and much more mobile than him.  Four will actually be moving up to the next class in the next month, so he’ll get to make even more new friends when those spots are filled with new babies.  But for now these babies think that Brooks is a new form of entertainment.  They love to walk/crawl over to him and check him out.   He loves to watch them play and smile back at them. 

I had been having trouble getting Brooks to nap in his crib.  He seemed to prefer his bouncer or something more upright than the bed.  It didn’t take Ms. Elizabeth and Ms. Lajuana long to figure out the secret to crib sleeping.  The third day when I picked him up, they had him swaddled up so snuggly and had put a little vibrator machine in the crib and he had gone to sleep instantly.  They have since used this as their nap tactic for Brooks when he’s not in a swing.  Anyway, that night I tried swaddling him when he went to bed.  He had been sleeping pretty well in the crib at night but still woke up every few hours.  BUT, the next two nights he slept for six and five hours in a row!  Last night he slept from 12 until 6 (with only one pacifier intervention around 3).  This is progress for us!  I told you they would teach us a thing or two about babies! 

I am so greatful that I get to work part-time this year, and after knowing what it’s like to be away from Brooks, I have not slighted him on the number of hugs and kisses I’ve given him the past few days.  When I picked him up on Thursday afternoon, there was a sign on the door informing me that there had been a confirmed case of swine flu in his class.  Since Friday afternoon he has had a very runny nose with lots of sneezes and coughs.  So, this paranoid mom is keeping him quarantined for a while to make sure it doesn’t turn into anything more serious.  Hopefully he’ll be doing better when he has to go back on Tuesday.  In the meantime, Matt and I are spending lots of quality time with our little man. 

Mam-maw and Aunt Linda Visit! September 30, 2009

 We’re a bit behind on our blog posts.  Life tends to get a little busy with a little one around.  This week Kelley started back to work and Brooks subsequently started daycare at FBC.  Elizabeth and Lajuana take great care of him and he seems to enjoy watching the other kids that are a few months older than him and are crawling around. 

It is very odd to think of him having all these experiences during the day without us around.  Although it is a common experience for parents and it shouldn’t surprise us, there is a sadness to it.  More on that in another post.

Last week Aunt Linda brought my Mam-maw fom Longview to meet Brooks.  Neither Mam-maw or Aunt Linda have had a chance to meet Brooks yet, so it was a great time for all of us. 

Brooks did NOT take to Mam-maw at first.  Truthfully, they arrived on an afternoon where he was fussy, but the next day brought lots of quality time with Aunt Linda, Mam-maw and Brooks.  I was able to take the day off and my mom was able to take the day off and come up and join the festivities as well. 

Here are some pictures from the visit.

 

                    

 

 

Above are some good ones of Mam-maw and Brooks.  Now Brooks has met all of his great-grandparents!

 

 

                                                                                                                              

 

Here is Aunt Linda and Brooks.  I should note at this point, that Uncle Ken also made the trip and got to spend a good time with Brooks before Linda and Mam-maw arrived.  He had an administrative retreat at Camp Buckner and wasn’t able to hang out on Wednesday.  We don’t get to see them nearly enough, so it was great to have a full day to hang out. 

 

 

Here is one of Mam-maw with her kiddos!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And one of Brooks with the ladies.  We will be gathering back in Marble Falls for Thanksgiving the Mom, Mam-maw, Aunt Linda, Uncle Ken, and the rest of the Hall Clan.  It promises to be a good time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the Single Ladies September 28, 2009

So I have never watched Beyonce’s “All the Single Ladies” video, but it has inspired quite a few interesting and funny moments I have witnessed. 

1)  The first was Paul Rudd, Andy Samberg, and Justin Timberlake’s SNL sketch with Beyonce. 

One of the funnier SNL sketches of the season in my opinion.

 

2)  Kanye at the Grammy’s making a fool of himself and embarrassing Taylor Swift.  Ok, I didn’t see this, but sure heard enough about it. 

3)  A funny Glee episode this week that prominently featured a football team, not to mention a teen gay kicker performing Single Ladies. 

4)  This hilariously cute video Kelley showed me today of a baby dancing to “Single Ladies”   I don’t know if it’s real or not, but it is funny.

 

 

There’s no real point to this post, just random musings late at night.  Enjoy the videos.

Brooks Meets Kenedy, Kenedy Meets Brooks September 27, 2009

 Sorry it has been so long since the last post.  It has been a busy week.  Last weekend we took our first overnight trip with Brooks.  We went to Kenedy (where I grew up) where my cousin Amy, Gina, and other assorted friends from FBC Kenedy threw Brooks a baby shower.  It was a wonderful weekend complete with shower, good dove hunting, and lots of quality time with the family.   Below are a couple pictures from the shower.  Amy knows (how she knows maybe another retrospective post) how much Kelleylikes cake, so they had all sorts of different cake at the shower.  Lots of the ladies I grew up around were there as well as several of my friends.  It was a great time. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To the left are the Fudge’s, as well as Aunt Robbin and Expectant mother cousin Gina!  Above are the wonderful cakes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is Aunt Mal holding Brooks and one with sweet Maw-maw fawning over Brooks at the shower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shower hostess and cousin Kayce Jo is hiding behind the balloons, while Brooks got to meet future Kenedy play pal Broden Fudge with mom Erin. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above is a great picture.  Four generation of Homeyer men.  Very special.  We didn’t get many pictures of GJ, but here is one of her giving a visual tour of the backyard to Brooks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One recent development of the past couple weeks has been a sweet smile by Brooks that is motivated by joy and not simply gas!  GJ and Kelley coaxed a few good ones out of Mr. Brooks on Saturday morning. 

 

It was a great first trip to Kenedy for Brooks.

Grandparents’ Day September 14, 2009

Brooks was lucky enough to get to spend a few hours of grandparents’ day with Sassy and Pop.  He enjoyed seeing them and having their undivided attention.  He was full of smiles as soon as they arrived.

He got to show off his kicking skills to Sassy on his little gym (you can’t actually see his feet or the ball in this picture, but trust me, he can really kick!) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a good day for showing off kicking skills since it was his first time ever to wear shoes.  They were so cute on him and even matched his outfit!

 

After all the fun, he was pretty pooped.  He found a good spot to settle down for a nap.

Thanks Sassy and Pop for coming to see him!  Hope you had a great first Grandparents’ Day!

Memory Lane September 10, 2009

Among my random thoughts today you will find some pictures to take you down memory lane.  I was looking back at all of our pictures and it’s so crazy to see how much our little one has changed.  I hope you enjoy as much as I did!

It’s Raining!!!!!!!!!!!  That’s right, as I sit here writing this, I’m looking out my window watching rain fall from the sky and listening to the thunder rumbling!  It’s a beautiful thing that hasn’t been seen or heard around here for a long time.  AND, baby Brooks has been sleeping soundly for almost an hour now!  We’ve been working on our napping so this is

quite a success!                                        

                              

Day 1- TINY!

It’s been a while since I’ve found the time to sit and write, leaving much of the blogging duties to Matt, but, this seemed like as good a time as ever.  Brooks and I have started to figure each other out and settle into a little rhythm here at home.  I’m slowly starting to be able to interpret some of his cries and he’s slowly starting to give me some new grunts and coos to try and express himself in new ways!  He even gave me some really good smiles this morning, something we’ve been waiting for and getting fleeting glimpses of here and there.  But this morning this little series of smiles was definitely meant for me and it was a beautiful thing!  We went and visited the daycare where he’ll be spending his time when I go back to work in a few weeks.  He handled it like a champ.  The other baby napped the whole time we were there, so he was happy to watch the big kids in their class and take in all the new surroundings.  Mommy feels a little better after having visited, but I’m sure will still have lots of tears the day I actually have to leave him there for a WHOLE day.  I’m so thankful that I get the opportunity to work part-time this year so I’ll still have a few days a week to spend at home.                                                                    

2 weeks-Skinny Legs!

We’re starting to figure out how to maneuver around town…in my new ‘mom car’ as I like to call it.  No, it’s not a minivan…I hope to never eat these words, but I don’t plan on ever owning one of those!  We’ve been all over the big city of Marble Falls, you know, Wal-Mart, HEB, the gym.  We even went and visited a new tiny baby yesterday, Brooks’ new friend Deegan.  It’s the first time Brooks has met a younger friend.  It’s crazy how small Deegan seemed (he’s now 8lbs, 2oz and he wasn’t even due until September 16th!) and sad to realize how big Brooks has gotten already (though I am SO happy that he’s healthy and growing!)  Brooks’ most frequent outing spot has been to church.  The Dellinger girls have taken spectacular care of him in the nursery there. 

4 weeks-Sweet Baby

It’s been quite the seven weeks.  There are some days it seems we’ve got this new life all figured out and then in an instant our world seems to be turned upside down again!  I keep waiting for his instruction manual to arrive in the mail, but so far it seems to be lost out there somewhere.  I know it’s cliche, but it truly is hard to imagine life without Brooks.  He’s such a blessing and we’re constantly reminding ourselves to enjoy each moment because he’s growing SOOO fast!  We won’t go for his 2 month checkup for another few weeks, but I’m very eager to see how much he’s grown.  One of our church members suggested taking him to the meat market to weigh him…I’m not sure if he was serious or not, but I have refrained from doing this so far!

7 weeks-Chunky Monkey!