Waves of Emotions and Memories....

Hey mom! Look what I can do now...

sit up on my own after nap time.

Peek-a-boo

Mom said she never posted pix of my cool room.

I love spending time in here.

That's my name...don't wear it out!

What's up with all these owls?

Weeeeee.....

I love going to the Carmel farmer's market

every Saturday with mom

-Well... this week has been a wave of emotions for me. Brooks has officially weaned himself from nursing. He became less and less interested each day. As of 8/27/10 he was done. That was the first day that I did not nurse him. You can imagine how I felt the evening before knowing it was our last time. I know it sounds kind of silly to some of you, but nursing was such an amazing experience for me. It was my special time with my little guy. When he started to wean, I felt kind of rejected. Silly I know...but he had been "attached" to me in some way since I found out I was pregnant 4/9/09. I just could not imagine anything different. But, I am quickly learning that in order to be a good parent, you can not always do what is right for yourself. I needed to listen to my son. He was shouting (in his own way)...I want to move on mommy. I know this will not be the last time I have to "let go" and give him room to grow and make choices on his own. Ok Ok...I know he is only 8 months, but he is definitely opinionated. He knows what he wants!

-On a happy note, 8/27/10 was Josh and I's 5 year anniversary. Wow...what a difference 5 years makes! We ended up celebrating it the previous weekend because Grandma McCarroll was able to watch Brooks then. Brooks had his first official sleep over at her home. He did great! Josh and I went to a movie and dinner. It was SO nice to just hang out. Not to mention sleeping in without a monitor by my head:) Josh was so sweet and bought me some wooden roses (5 yrs is the "wooden" anniversary) as well as some real ones. I am looking forward to what the next 5 years have in store for us.

-Since Brooks was done with nursing and I was a little sad about the whole thing...we celebrated our actual anniversary at home with a dairy party!!! I had not had dairy for almost 5 months. We ordered my favorite pizza (Ale Emporium) on Friday and I got to have some buttered corn on the cob on Saturday! The simple pleasures of life!!! I sure did miss my cheese and milk. It is one of the only positive things about stopping nursing.

-Brooks went to the doctor last Monday to see if there is anything more we could do about his eczema. The doc gave us some ideas on things to change and what to put on it. It looks so much better...but that is thanks to the medicine. We have also changed his formula to Soy since I am no longer nursing. We are thinking the milk may be causing the eczema or maybe our dogs. We know he reacts to the dogs saliva, so why not the hair too? We are trying our best to keep him on the blankets and away from the dogs. I hate having to do that because he squeals with delight when seeing our bullies. He loves going on walks with them and enjoys holding onto Brutus's leash. He has also learned a new trick. As you can see from the above pix, he has learned to sit up in his crib after nap time. I freaked out the first time....but then thought it was so funny. I was just caught off guard. Soon I know he will be standing at the side when I enter. He is growing up too fast! He is 20 lbs now....my back is feeling it!

8 months old

Pretty soon I'm going to be all over this place! Watch out dogs!

I like to dance

My mom likes to put me in this weird position

-Brooks is now 8 months old! He is getting so big and heavy to carry around now. Not sure how much he weighs..but probably close to 20 or so pounds. He is wanting to grab and get into everything! We are in trouble when he starts crawling. He likes me to put him on his hands and knees as he rocks. He is not getting there yet himself, but is real close to moving forward on his belly. He is also close to moving in and out of sitting. Brooks loves playing with toys and is working on his grasp patterns. He impresses me by putting objects into containers (he loves the ball popper). He also loves playing the "drums". Well....we made our own drums out of pots and pans. He is so funny and loves us to make silly faces or dance around him. He is now trying to dance himself. I will say "dance, dance" and he is starting to respond by bouncing. Too cute! He loves the African music. He is saying "mama" all the time. Even though it is not purposeful yet...it fills my heart with joy to hear those words! He has 4 teeth now and likes to bit things. Speaking of biting.....he is starting to show signs of weaning himself from nursing. (might be a good time now that he has 4 teeth...ouch!). It makes me SO sad to think of stopping, but I have to pay attention to his cues. He is so busy and social that he does not want to take the time to be "down" and nurse. He has been nursing for less time each day and would then snarf a bottle down. He still is interested at night time and sometimes during the day. I just can't think about cleaning all those bottles and buying all that formula. Pricey! But, like I said, I need to listen to him and my body. I am going to try for awhile longer to make sure this is not just a phase he is going through right now. I think I will miss it more than him! He is starting to eat more baby foods finally. He still has bad eczema on his legs and still appears to have food sensitivities (milk for sure). I just pray he outgrows it. I have been really missing my dairy and will look forward to some ice cream, mac and cheese, pizza, grilled cheese, and cereal! Yum Yum.

My First Wedding!

I've been working on my pinching and snapping.

Mom seems to be impressed with this...don't know why.

I just like to use it to pull her hair!

My mommy loves me so much. I had fun hanging

out at Aunt Tammy and Uncle Brian's house Thursday

before their wedding.

I was SO excited to play in this cooler thing. I really

did not mean to flick my mom off. I just could

not control my excitement!

My first massage chair. I got stuck with all the

ladies at the nail salon. I could get used to this!

All ready for the rehearsal dinner. Ties only.

Hey...look at me! I love mommy and daddy! I got to

meet lots of my mom's family too!

Uh....what are these things?

Grandma looked so pretty!

Ahhh...the life of a baby. I was the ring bearer for my

Aunt Tammy's wedding. This was an easy job. Why was

everyone laughing? Maybe it was this silly peacock thing.

-What a weekend we had!! My little sister Tammy got married this past weekend to Brian. We are SO thrilled for them. It was a beautiful wedding and my sister looked like she stepped out of a bridal magazine. I can not wait to see the professional pix. These are all the ones I had to post...but I'll post more as they come in.

-We started the weekend of festivities Thursday night for a cookout at Tammy and Brian's home. It was a nice chance to get to know the rest of the bridal party. My sister Tara and I were the (old) Matrons of Honor. Brooks was the ring bearer (the cutest one I've ever seen!)

-Friday all the bridesmaids and some of my extended family had our nails done. It had been forever since I was pampered like that...thanks mom! Brooks got to hang out with the girls and did great. He enjoyed the massage chair, but no manicure for him! Friday night we met at the Woodstock Club for the rehearsal dinner. It was very nice and Brooks hung in there for the most part. These late dinners make bedtime routines difficult. He fell asleep in the car ride home and was out for the rest of the night. It is so nice to know he can adapt to the situation and still sleep.

-Saturday was packed with wedding stuff all day long. We started off at my parent's home for hair and makeup. I felt so pretty! Again...not used to the pampering. Thanks again to my mom. Brooks enjoyed the ladies again and was passed around the party. My Aunt Sharon and Cousins Heidi and Gretchen were a huge help that day! We then headed off to the IMA for the wedding. We had lots of pix before hand and then the wedding took place at 4:30pm. Brooks was asleep in the pack'n'play until 4:15. We rushed to put on his tux (grandma made the suspenders and bow tie) and off we went. He just chilled in the wagon as cousin Cassidy pulled him down the isle. He was a pro! Tammy and Brian had a beautiful ceremony and the rain held off. It was HOT...but the sun made the wedding site beautiful. The reception was stunning. The florist did a wonderful job and it really had that garden feel. Brooks hung out during dinner but quickly got fussy after a full day of festivities. We had the babysitter put him down for the night in the bridal suite. He ended up waking up an hour later totally freaked out. He acted like he had a cold or ear infection with coughing, choking, and runny nose. Nothing would settle him. Finally after some Motrin and nursing....he settled and was out. We ended up leaving early because he was so out of sorts and appeared to be getting sick. However, he woke then next morning at 8am all smiles. So, who knows what was going on. I quickly got a dose of what parenthood is like with all the sacrifices that are made to keep your child safe. My heart was breaking for him and he ended up not even being sick. This little man is filling my heart so full that it is about to overflow. He lights up my day and can always make me smile. He was so wonderful this weekend despite my anxiety and fears of everything that could go wrong. He always proves me wrong. Even though we had to leave early, he got through the day without any problems. Josh was quick to point out the positive side of the weekend. I was so upset about missing out on my sister's reception. But, our little man needed to be home.

-I wanted to thank my parents for a wonderful wedding and all the love they put into my sister's wedding. They are such wonderful parents and Grandparents. I just hope I can be half the parent to Brooks as they are to me.

Lots of Firsts.....So fun!

Uhh....what is this on my head?

Ok..not the best quality. Mom is still new to the video thing.

She keeps making me wave "hi". What's the big deal?

Here she is again.....enough mom, I'm trying to play!

-Brooks and I had a nice last week despite the fact that Daddy was gone to Florida for a guy's trip (nice huh?). I really love spending time with my little guy, so it was not that big of a deal. Don't get me wrong...I was a little jealous when he called from the pool or beach. But, I got to see many more of Brooks' "firsts". He is sitting well to play with toys (still falls back at times if not paying attention) and starting to transition out of sit. He still does not show interest in crawling...but I'm really ok with that right now! He is putting balls into containers and really starting to figure out the cause and effect toys. It is SO fun to watch his mind work. He is imitating funny actions or sometimes sounds. He is now waving! I love this one!!! I captured just a glimpse of the wave in the above videos. Of course when you have that camera on him, he does not perform quite as well. I apologize for the quality. It is from my camera and not video camera. Still trying to figure it all out.

-Brooks also got this third tooth. His upper left tooth has popped now. He has taken very small pieces of solid chicken and seems to like it. He still does not eat too much of his baby foods (maybe 2 total jars a day). Everyone says it is just for practice, but I feel like he should be eating a little more. He would rather eat solids or nurse. He continues to nap a few times a day and sleeps 10.5-11.5 hours at night (knock on wood). He tends to wake up around 4 am the week before his tooth comes in.

-He is getting ready for his big debut as a ring bearer for my sister's wedding. So exciting! Again...pray for some cooler weather for the big day. His cousin Cassidy has been such a big help this summer taking care of him while I helped finish all the wedding stuff. She is SUCH a good babysitter at 10 years of age!!!

-On a side note, I wanted to brag about my nephew Cameron. He just got back from the youth National soccer camp. There were 100 U-14 boys there that made it from the regional soccer camp. Then there were 20 boys that were personally invited to the camps. Cameron was one of them! He played against the top 120 boys in the nation at this camp. Then, at the end of it the coaches choose the top 36 to play in some games. From that 36, then the coaches choose the top 18 for the U-14 National team. That team then plays in tournaments across the country. Well...Cameron made the top 36 boys and there is a very good chance he made the top 18. Nothing is official yet....but we may have a superstar on our hands!!! Great job Cameron. Brooks has such a great role model to look up to!

"Chew Toy"

Just hanging out with mom and dad on couch

What is this thing?

-We introduced the sippee cup to Brooks this past week. He did a great job of bringing it to his mouth (as you can see in video) but to chew rather than sip! Oh well. Figured I would introduce it now so he can get used to it. Right now it is a good teething toy. I think his top teeth are wanting to come in soon. He woke again at 4:30am last night. He did that last time his teeth were ready to pop through the gums.

-He has been doing this crazy thing with his jaw. He tilts his head down and says "yah yah" as his "pops" his jaw! It is so weird and I hate it! I feel like he is going to pop his jaw out of place. Don't know where or why he picked that one up. Babies do the silliest things when experimenting with their bodies. I hope this stage passes soon or he might be the youngest known person to have TMJ!

Lazy Days of Summer

Grandma McCarroll got me this COOL swing!

Peek-a-boo!

-I can't believe summer is almost gone! Where did it go? It has been SO hot that we have not been able to do much outside. Brooks sweats so bad and gets hot easily. He does not seem to mind it too much...but bothers me. My sister's wedding is coming up soon and it is outside. I pray for a cool evening so Brooks does not get too hot (wishful thinking!). He is the ring bearer, so he has been practicing riding in a wagon. I can't wait to see him in his tux!

-Brooks has eczema. Ugh! It recently flared up the worst it has been. It started out as dry spots on his legs and now developed into red "rash" on creases of his knees and elbows. Of course I am worried about food allergies again. He just has the most sensitive skin and tummy. I pray he outgrows all of this. Only time will tell. I know that I am still so blessed that this is the biggest problem I have encountered so far. I could only imagine how it must feel to have a baby who is really sick. I work with so many kids with special needs. It makes me realize how strong and special the parents are through their struggles. No matter how bad you think things are when you are going through things...there are always others who have it worse. I have learned that it is a mother's job to worry. I don't think it will ever stop. I love my little boy unconditionally and with all that I am.

Birthday Bash

Who's this cougar? I heard her name is Reese.

She noticed me! I'll put some of my moves on her.

This is her mommy...better be nice to her!

I love my daddy.

My first experience with a water park

Not too sure about it....

Playing will my buddy, Brutus, in the morning.

-This weekend was my best friend, Holly's, daughter's first birthday party. Grace is so adorable and was a champ at making a mess in her birthday cake (did not get a pic...sorry!). I can't believe Brooks will be doing the same thing in 5 months. How fun! The party was at the Carmel water park. Brooks had fun at his first kid birthday party. However, he was a little unsure of the fountains. We can't wait until he gets a little older so he will enjoy it more. He is really interested in all the kids and loves watching all the commotion around him.

-We also went to downtown Carmel for the Rock the District Festival. Brooks was a little hot..but a champ! He sat in the restaurant highchair for the first time. He looked so cute!

-Brooks loves to sit and play with toys. He usually has his buddy sitting right next to him. It will be so fun when Brooks can crawl around after him. However, not fun for us! I have SO much baby proofing to do. I'm enjoying the "sit" and play time right now.

-On a side note, Grandpa Lee had his knee replaced last week. Josh was in town to help out for the week. We missed having him around, but knew Grandpa needed him more ;) We hope Grandpa continues to recover quickly! Ouch!!

-Also, Happy Birthday to Aunt Tara!!!

7 Months Old

Hey, this sign says I am 7 months old now!

Where did the time go?

I'm so big now!

-Brooks is now 7 months old! I can hardly believe it. He is such a good baby and so fun. I love his personality and sense of humor. He is a social bug and flirt with the ladies. I guess he got that from his dad;) He is such a joy to have in our lives. I know I have said this before, but he is a blessing. We are so lucky. I just can't believe he is ours! Everything we went through was well worth it. I'd do it all over again for him.

-He is sitting better on his own to play with toys. He still falls when reaching outside his base of support...but each day keeps improving. He is not crawling, but still rolls around the floor to get his toys.

-He tried dissolvable solids for the first time! He loved them and knew exactly what to do. He even cried when they were gone. How fun! (again...tried to upload video and just can't figure this thing out!)

Weekend Full of Fun!

Another outing with mommy

This time I got to have a play date! His name is Carter.

He has fingers too!

Hey...what's so funny? He's so silly!!

My new friend is so cool! I hope we get together more often.

Long day of fun after my cousin Cameron's 13th Birthday Party

-We had a fun weekend of get togethers. Brooks got to meet his friend Carter for the second time. This time they noticed each other and were so cute together. I met Farrah (who also works for First Steps) at Traders Point Creamery. Her son Carter is 2 weeks younger than Brooks. It was so fun to see them together! I just wish they lived closer so we could get together more often to watch the boys play. We attempted to play outside, but it was WAY too hot with this heat. So, we grabbed a few photos and called it a day. Next time we plan to meet inside!

-We went to my parents home Sat afternoon for cousin Cameron's 13th birthday party. We swam and had a great dinner! I can not believe he is a teenager now! He is such a good role model for Brooks. Cameron has been invited to a National Youth Soccer Camp in August. It is an elite camp for the top 120 soccer players (for that age group) in the Nation. Wow! How cool is that?

-Brooks has started stage 2 baby foods. He seems to like them, but also seems ready for solids. He loves to grab stuff I am eating and bring it to his mouth. On Saturday he grabbed my roll and put it right into his mouth to "gum". He got off a little piece and did great. He seemed to enjoy it! I can't wait to transition to solids for good.

Girls Night Out=Daddy/Son Bonding Time

I'm just one of the guys with by belly hanging out...

Bru Bru better not take my phone!

-Last night I helped host my sister Tammy's bachelorette party (no I'm not posting any pix!). We had a great time and I would say it was a successful night when Tammy was the first one to want/need to go home:) So, that meant Brooksy got to spend the evening with daddy. This was only the second time I have not put my little guy to bed. The first was when he was 4 months old when my mom watched him for us. This was the first time Josh has put him down since I am still nursing. I really enjoy and look forward to my evening time with Brooks. It is so special. I missed him, but enjoyed my night out! He did so good for Josh. He went down without any problems. Josh said he now appreciates my "job" a little more and all that goes into it on my days off. I actually really love taking care of Brooks and being his mommy. It is such a joy. However, since his second tooth is coming through...he has been off his normal sleeping pattern. He has been getting up around 3 am for the past few nights! Ugh...that makes for a tired mommy in the morning. I think he is also off schedule still from our mini vacation and small time change. Oh well....hopefully this week will be a better one!

-Brooks finally started his baby meats. YUCK! They smell so bad. I have only tried the stage 1 chicken and gravy. He ate it...but preferred it mixed with the vegetables. I don't blame him! I think I'll just introduce all them to him once to make sure there is no allergies and then move on to stage 2 meats.

First 4th of July: Boom, Pow, Bang....

I got to hang out with my Great GPa again...he slipped me a $20!

(He's SO cool!!)

Hanging out with the boys...

My first vacation with mommy and daddy

My Great Aunt and Uncle Wehmeyer's lake house

at the Lake of the Ozarks

Side view

A view to die for!

I loved watching the birds feed on the porch

Grammy helped take good care of me

(No she did not let me have a taste!)

My first time in the lake...so cool!

I'm such a boy....I loved riding in the "mule"

Slap happy and so silly this night!

I loved the fireworks...but stayed close to mommy just in case

I loved my Great Aunt and Uncle Wehmeyer's beautiful home

My third cousins Jake and Zane were so cool!!!

I loved getting to know my second cousins Jamie and Jeff

Can you see my second tooth starting to pop?

-Where do I start? We had such a wonderful 4th of July weekend! We decided to take our first family vacation to visit Josh's aunt and uncle at their beautiful home. They have 40 acres on the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. It was a 7 hour drive from Indy. We left Wed. am and drove half way to St. Louis to visit with Josh's dad. Grandpa Lee was also helping take care of the bullies while we were at the lake. We got to hang out with Great Grandpa Postol again and then visited Grandpa Lee's work to show off our little guy. Grandpa was so proud! Brooks put on a good show and flirted with all the ladies:)

-We left for the lake on Thursday and met Josh's cousin (Jeff) and his family (Jaime, Jake and Zane) up there. We had such a great time! Despite the fact that their boat was in the shop, we sill had a blast. We got to ride super-charged jet skis (they fly up to 70mph!) and lay out on the large dock. We enjoyed ourselves by visiting with family, having a few cocktails, eating good food, hanging out on the deck with a view to die for, and watching wonderful fireworks. Josh and I felt so spoiled. We were well taken care of with all the good food and drinks! Brooks was SO amazing. I could not have asked for a better son:) He was happy the whole time and loved all the attention. He had everyone going crazy over him and his fun new tricks. He loves sticking his tongue out, shaking his head "no", and smacking his lips by opening and closing his mouth wide. I heard a few "ma ma" vocalizations this weekend as well!

-Brooks had many firsts.... He went in the lake for the first time and seemed to enjoy himself by kicking his legs. He rode on a utility vehicle (mule) for the first time and loved shaking his head in the wind. He saw fireworks for the first time and no cries! He actually seemed to enjoy them! He got to watch birds tweet while they ate from the large bird feeder. He also started to get his second tooth while on vacation. All this while smiling, laughing, and sleeping through night in pack'n'play. Can you tell I'm SO proud of our little man? He is so amazing to me. I know I'm a partial and proud mommy...but I feel so lucky that God sent me this wonderful little boy for me to be his mom. I'm so blessed to get to know him each day. I'm so proud of the little man he is becoming. I just pray I am able to always be there for him to keep safe, offer guidance when needed, and raise him to be a respectful young man. So much to look forward to...for now I am just enjoying being his mom.