Brooks: Week 8

Brooks is now eight weeks old. It is amazing that he has been a part of our family for two months now…it seems like he has always been here! We are really enjoying our little boy these days. He is really starting to develop his personality and to interact with us and his environment. He is so observant of everything…he doesn’t miss a beat! When he is being held he no longer likes to be facing into you…he would much rather be facing out so that he can see the world. It is the same when he rides in the Baby Bjorn…facing out is the only option now! He is so strong and can hold his head up so well so that makes it easy to carry him facing out…he just thinks things are great when he is in the Bjorn!

We have had a busy and exciting past week and a half. Our days are filling up quickly with our normal daily routines and especially now that Brooks and I are starting to venture out more. He still doesn’t like his car seat too much but if we time things just right we can get from the house to Target without his melting down for too long. It is ALL about the timing! I’m still teaching at UCF one day a week and Brooks is enjoying his time with his various babysitters (his PG, Aunt Becky and even Daddy). He is doing great with taking a bottle while I am away and it is also good for me to get out of the house for a few hours. I am really enjoying my class and I’m looking forward to teaching again next semester.

This past weekend we decided to take another road trip to Perry so that Mark could get some hunting and target practice in before his big Pennsylvania hunt after Thanksgiving. It was great to see all of the kids and for them to visit with Brooks. My youngest nephew Fletcher is SO cute. He always wants to help give Brooks a bath and change his diaper and such…Fletcher says that it is hard being a “big brother”! He is so cute about it that we don’t correct him and tell him that he is his cousin not his brother…it wouldn’t matter anyway!

My dad had a huge surprise for all the “boys” in the family this weekend. They all received brand new rifles as early Christmas presents. Talk about some excited little boys and men! Brooks even got one! Mark was so pumped…now he will have his own firearm to use on his big hunting trip! And when Brooks gets big enough his PopPop (my dad) will have to teach him all he knows about hunting and shooting.

Brooks had his 2 month doctor visit this morning and that means he had to get his first set of shots. He got a super clean bill of health from the pediatrician. Brooks is in the 75th percentile in length and weight! He now weights almost 13 pounds and his 23 ¾ inches long! The doctor was very impressed! He said that Brooks was very active for a two month old and that is a sure sign that he will more than likely walk early…his words were “at least by 9 months”…yikes! He told Mark that we need to start baby proofing the house! Ha! That is crazy! So about those shots…they were terrible! I think it was more traumatic for me than it was for Brooks. I cried just as hard as he did. It was just so sad to see him get so upset. He cried like I’ve never heard him cry before and it just made me die a little on the inside. He received four shots total and he also got one vaccine by mouth. I nursed him a little bit afterwards to sooth him and then he fell right to sleep. He slept the whole way home, woke up to eat at 1 o’clock and went right back to sleep. It is now almost 4pm and I’ve not heard him peep. Poor little guy. I just hope that he doesn’t run a fever or anything like that. I know that the shots are for the best but they are still terrible. I think I might just send Mark by himself with Brooks to his next appointment in January for the next round!

Well we are looking forward to this weekend. We are heading out of town again but this time it is to Gainesville for Brooks’ Baptism. We plan on hanging out in G’ville for the entire weekend and to spend time with all of our friends that we miss so much! Sunday will be a great day too. We can’t wait to share such a special time with all of our friends and family. I’ll be sure to take a ton of pictures of Brooks especially of him in his christening outfit that my mom is working so hard to finish in time. Just wait until you see it…it is unexplainably beautiful and that means that Brooks is going to look SO handsome!