Brooks: 1st Birthday Week

Brooks is officially one year old! Way to go Brooks! More like way to go Mommy and Daddy!!! We did it! It's been one wild year of firsts, seconds and more! Brooks is the love of our life...he's such a joy and brings so much "flavor" to our vanilla lives! It's had to imagine what life was like before he got here. We are looking forward to watching him grow into a handsome boy and an amazing man!
We had a great start to Brooks' birthday week with a visit from Mike, Caroline and Cooper Smith. It was so fun to finally meet baby Cooper and to see what amazing parents Mike and Caroline have become! Brooks was not the least bit interested in Cooper until he started crying on the second day of their visit...then he couldn't get enough! He was all about peeking in to see him in the pack-n-play and the bouncy seat. He was all about sharing his toys...we really had to watch him!!! Poor Coop took it all in stride! He is such a great baby!
Brooks and Cooper checking each other out...

Mark looks pretty good holding a baby, huh? Don't worry...Cooper is yawning not crying!

Sweet Smith Family

Oooo...toes!

I love him Momma!

Here...you want to see my crayon???

Stinky face!

When we took Cooper out of the bouncy seat Brooks decided it was his turn! It's his new "lazy-baby!"

Chillin' with my sippy cut and watchin' Elmo!

On Saturday it was Birthday time!!! We held Brooks' party here at our condo complex in the common room. It was a great space for a birthday party...lots of room for the kiddies to run around and the adults to mingle! The Very Hungry Caterpillar was the theme of the day and there were lots of fun ways to add those special touches. Brooks had a caterpillar cupcake birthday cake and there were bugs all over the place...butterfly balloons and even bug shaped gummies! I think Brooks really enjoyed himself...he played with all his little friends and of course the balloons were a huge hit! He had his first taste of cake and he LOVED it!!! It ended up everywhere but I guess that is what it is suppose to do! Poor baby ate so much cake that he ended up with a tummy ache afterwards! It of course didn't keep him down for long...he received a ton of gifts which we really enjoyed tearing into. He had so many that we had to spread the opening of them over the course of the next several days...it was like an extended birthday!!!

You couldn't slow down this birthday boy!

Brooks and Ella...holding hands in the corner!

Brooks is saying..."on the count of three we push it down...GO!"

The yummy/cute cake!

Brooks and his little buddy Brady and his big sister Katelyn

Brooks and Ella chowing down on some animal crackers! Yum!

Balloons!!!!

Getting ready to tear into his cake!

All the party people!

Here it is...Brooks are you ready???

Yep! I'm ready guys...this stuff is so good...I don't care you are trying to get me to look at the camera!!!

This is SO yummy! Why have you been holding out on me this whole time!!!

Mmmmm...icing!

This is pretty messy...is that ok???

Getting it into his eyes...poor baby!

Here's the birthday boy with Ella and Andrew...look and Andrew posing...what a natural with the camera!

Afterwards it was straight to the sink!

He definitely did some damage! No wonder he ended up with a tummy ache!

Here are a few pictures of Brooks opening his gifts...he loves them ALL! Thank you all so much...we feel so loved!

This was his birthday package from his Aunt Becca and Uncle Troy.

I love all my new cute clothes!!!!

Am I a cool dude or what?

Literally tearing into his gifts! Teeth and all!

It looked like Christmas around our house!

These were the gifts that Uncle Richard and Aunt Jennifer sent to hin via mail...an adorable Halloween goodie bag and a fun "My First Backpack" activity book.

This is his new fishing toy that the Smiths gave him...he's getting pretty good and fishing now! Mark better watch out...he's going to be out fishing him soon!

And the awesome musical set that his buddy Tyson gave him...one of his favorites!

This is a fun one...Cookie Monster and Elmo all in one toy!

Here is the push toy from Andrew that he will NOT put down...we go to bed holding on to this one!

Thanks everyone for all the fun toys and clothes...I'm going to be the best dressed and most entertained baby on the block!

On Monday we decided to go with some friends to a Disney pool...Brooks had a little tumble while we were there and had a pretty nast goose egg to show for it. Poor baby!

Hanging out with his two best buds at Panera...

I think Ella was getting tired of Brooks grabbing her stroller...he just loves her SO much!

All in all we had an amazing Birthday week with Brooks. We feel so blessed to have this little boy in our lives. The Lord knew just what he was doing when he placed him in our family!