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This post is only a month late. Go figure. I can make excuses. I can list all the things we have done in the last month that has prevented me from making normal updates, but well, that would just be pointless ramble. In all honesty, if this website wasn't blocked at work, this blog would likely be updated every single day! :)

Our Little Monkey turned the big O-N-E three weeks ago. It's cliche to say time has flown, but it SO has. Every day Brooks learns something new. Every day he gets into something he's not supposed to. Every day we think to ourselves we could not have possibly uttered the word "no" more in one day... then the next day proves to be the exception. Every day we fall into bed, exhausted, over-stimulated, over-whelmed, and over-loaded with joy. Our little man is the best thing that has happened to us. He teaches us how to be better people--Todd and I love each other more and more every day as we see ourselves through our son's eyes. He beams with love, with honesty, and with a purity that nothing so precious can come close to. No words can describe the immeasurable love we have for our little man. And there is no doubt in our minds we could not have done it without the amazing love and support of our families--the lessons we've been taught in our own lives and the patience we've come to learn as we see ourselves in our little boy. Thank you to each and every one of you for sharing this journey with us. For teaching us to be parents, to love one another unconditionally, and to share this special bond with our best friend.

10 Things You May (or May Not Know) About Our Little Monkey

1. To date, Mr. Brooks can pretty steadily walk on his own. He can make it from room to room (and sometimes back again) without stumbling... and if he does stumble, he finds the nearest table, chair, coffee table, end table, or dog to prop himself up on and pull up to a standing position again... then off he goes in his own little Frankenstein waddle.

2. He can successfully open the back door and let himself out into the yard.

3. Bathtime is his absolute favorite time of the day. Followed closely by hearing the "Play with me Sesame" theme song.

4. He LOVES Elmo, Ernie, Cookie Monster, and Mickey Mouse.

5. He can say Ma-Ma, Da-Da, bye-bye, cookie, hockey (although it sounds more like hock.... with a loogie at the end), Pepaw, Kristie (again it's more like a 'isty'), ball, and bath. He tries to say Lillie and Killian, but they are sporadic.

6. He has his father's attention span. :)

7. He refuses to eat in his high chair, insists on sitting in his booster seat--and is determined to feed himself, no matter how messy or how much of it falls on the floor or gets in his hair. He thinks it's the coolest thing in the world to feed the dogs from the table.

8. Every night he has a bottle in my arms (we're still working on the sippy cup issue), sits with Daddy and has a burp and a few laughs, then I pick him up, we tell the puppies night-night, and I put him in his bed. He puts himself to sleep... every night, without a word. We're blessed.

9. He LOVES to play outside.

10. He loves to play in his ball tent from Uncle Kyle. He also loves to share everything--including his toys with the dogs. He thinks it's the funniest thing in the world to "scare" Lillie (which honestly, is about as easy as saying boo) and laughs hysterically while chasing her through the house.