Pictures!

Hi there! We went and got Justin's pictures taken last week...I think that they turned out really cute! We went to one of the mall photographers around Christmas time and had no luck - he cried the whole time. He did pretty good this time and we got some good pics! If anyone is interested in looking at them, the link is online for 5 days. www.kvimagery.com/clients then click on Brooks....then go to the bottom of the next page where it says "continue to gallery".

We had a nice Saturday and got lots done! We got up early and I walked the dogs, did the laundry, dishes, and was showered by 9am! Then we shopped quite a bit for random things we needed and got new tires on the Grand Prix and headed home to make dinner. We walked the dogs again tonight and usually Justin falls asleep on our walk and that is how we get him to sleep at night...tonight he was wide awake and still is! We're going to try the bed time now....I'm a little nervous! Never know if it's hit or miss :)

I have a few pics from the last couple days, but the camera is in the diaper bag in the truck, so that will have to wait until tomorrow! Have a nice Sunday :)

Kansas???

Someone reads our blog from Kansas - I don't think that I know anyone from Kansas? Although friends move all over the place, so I might know someone there? Just curious - let me know who you are!

Not TOO bad...

He slept until 4:30am. Then I went in and turned his CD back on and he only cried for a few minutes. Then he got up at 5:30am again though....this time the CD didn't do the trick so he came and slept with me in bed for an hour - bad I know, but Rob's out of town and we snuggled :)

I dropped him off at daycare today and put him 3 chairs away from the little girl and her Cheerios....he was not happy. But then Ms. Heather gave him his own and he just smiled at me with that cheesy grin of his like "Look what I have!". I have not given him Cheerios at home - just Puffs, but it looks like he's ready! Cheerios are cheaper too!

Did everyone follow the no real milk until one year rule? When you started your baby on cow's milk, what do you use....Vitamin D? Just curious! He's bigger than most one year olds and he is not really liking the taste of his formula lately....

It's been a while...

Sorry it's been a few days! I was in Chicago for work on Tuesday/Wednesday and Rob left today for a work trip, so I have been hanging out with Justin all night. By hanging out with I mean constantly getting him away from kitchen cupboards, out of the toilet, out of the dogs food, away from the VCR/DVD/Tivo, and rolling the toilet paper back up that he didn't eat :) He's quite the explorer these days. When he can't get what he wants, like when we blocked the kitchen with chairs he throws such a tantrum...it's kind of funny, but I hope he outgrows it!

Here are a couple of funny Justin stories for your enjoyment:

1. Everyday Rob drops Justin off at day care on his way to work. His daycare has these 1/2 round tables with holes in them that have baby seats...sort of like a built in high chair. The table holds 6 kids. The last 2 days when Rob has put him in one of the seats, he looks around at the other babies, usually one boy and one girl and then decides who's Cheerios he's going to steal - he's already a bully! He just reaches over and rakes the pile of cereal from in front of the girl and brings it to where he can reach it easily... I need to teach him manners :)

2. When I was grocery shopping with Justin tonight, I had him in the shopping cart (with his new Cardinals cart cover - thanks Aunt Buzzy!!!!). I am trying to get over a cold and I coughed. Justin looked up at me and did a fake "ah-ah-ah" cough....like a grown up would do if they were teasing you. He did it and he laughed so hard! So I did another cough, more fake this time and he did it again. It was like I was with a 2 year old joking around - not a 9 month old! A lady in the deli saw what he was doing and she could not stop laughing :)


I am probably jinxing this and I'll regret posting this, but he went to sleep in 10 minutes tonight!!!! I got a cheap CD player today and a Baby Einstein Lullaby CD. I played it pretty loud so he'd hear it over the inital screams, but the next thing I knew all I heard was the CD - music to my ears! I also moved his crib away from the window a little and put a nightlight in there? Not sure what helped, but I am PRAYING that he sleeps all night!

OH - and also I want to say Congrats to Laura!!! She delivered a healthy baby boy last night :) I am so excited for you Laura, Casey and Georgia!!! Now it's your turn Erica!!!!

Here are a few pics of my little monster and his antics tonight :)







I love this one :) He is such a smiley baby! We had pictures professionally done last night and he did SO GOOD! I can't wait to get the proofs back!!!!










Uh-oh...you caught me Mommy!

Last night I didn't catch him until he had 3 pieces of dog food in his mouth :(











Hmmm...this looks like something I should not be playing with. Nevermind that I have an overflowing toybox less than one foot away!!!!
















Uh-oh....you caught me again Mommy! At least I have this adorable smile so you can't get mad at me :)

Drama....

...bedtime Drama. Up until this week, Justin has been SUCH a good sleeper. We put him in his crib and he might cry for a minute or two, but then he's sleeping. Not recently. We put him in and he SCREAMS at the top of his lungs...then does the not going to breath and my face is purple scream. Even if I hold him and he's asleep in my arms, as soon as he touches the matress it's all over. He is back to screaming. Last night I tried going in there every 10 minutes and laying him back down, telling him I loved him and then leaving the room. This went on for about 80 minutes :( I put a radio in there and I don't know if that helped or not? At daycare the nap area has a CD player playing lullabyes - maybe that is what he has gotten used to? Our first night in the apt he did great, but ever since we got back fromn Michigan it's been a battle. Did anyone else have this problem??? Any suggestions???

I bet some of you thought this post would be much more interesting than just our sleepytime woes???? :)

Trip to Big Rapids

This weekend we took Friday off of work and drove to Big Rapids to visit! It was nice for Justin to get to meet his Great Grandpa and Grandma Herbig and to see everyone else again.

On Friday me and Rob, Kurt and Ashley (Rob's brother and his GF) and Ryan and Amanda (my brother and his GF) went tubing. It was a super fun afternoon on the river!! Saturday was the family get together and then on Sunday we headed back home.

Here are some pictures.....





Justin watching Grandpa Kent mow the lawn! He just watched him for a long time without moving :)











Grandma Metzler and Justin... so cute!!!! It's amazing how well babies can remember voices. Ever since he was little he always turns whenever he hears her. I think it's because she stayed with us for 2 weeks after he was born and he got to know the sound of her voice. When we put her on the phone he gets the same smile he has here :)














Great Grandma Ellen and Justin












Justin and his cousin Jen - who LOVES babies :) J/K!














Helping mommy and daddy unpack after our trip








These are for you Lori!!! :) I know how much you miss your 4 legged neighbors!!!


It's so good to have our boys back with us!!!

Tucker on his new pad by my desk. He's been laying at my feet all morning....my new work buddy!














They are so good with Justin. He can take their treats and toys right out from under them and they let him do it. He loves his dogs :)

Our new abode....

Hello! Well, it was a long night last night but we are out of the hotel! The apartment is so much bigger! I can't imagine how happy we'll be when we actually get a house :) The apartment is no 5 star resort, but it will work for a transition period. It was built in the 70's so it's got some wear & tear on it, but the carpet is nice for Justin to crawl around on...much softer than the hotel! Plus it's furnished so only had to move food, clothes and baby toys! They even ordered us a crib for the 2nd bedroom instead of a bed. They put jungle bedding on it too...it's cute! We feel like we're taking a huge step back in renting an apartment after owning houses (well, we technically still own one!), but we keep telling ourselves that it's only temporary....


When we were moving in yesterday we met a girl named Ashley who was outside with her 6 month old St. Bernard (80 pounds at 6 months old!). She said that her and her husband moved in a few months ago when they moved from California. They are about our age and she's so nice! Hopefully we'll get to know them better and have friends right across the parking lot. Oh - and their dog's name is Tucker :)

We are off to Big Rapids tonight after Rob gets home from golfing with his boss. I am hoping that Justin sleeps the whole way! Tomorrow we are going tubing with Ryan and Amanda and Kurt and Ashley - should be a fun day! I hope it's sunny so my pasty white body can get a tan!

sorry!

I know I have not posted new pics lately..... we've been super busy! Last night we went out to dinner with my boss, a co-worker and his wife to Jim's Steakhouse. Let's just say we will only be going there if it's with a boss and his credit card :) He couldn't read the bill because the lighting was bad in there, so he asked me to - almost $400 for 5 adults!!! Yikes! It was fun though - good conversations and it's nice to get to see your boss in a more relaxed setting. Justin really liked him too. He would just stare at him and then eventually he got brave enough and grabbed the glasses off of his face :) The only problem was between salads and main courses - Justin has a cracker stick and choked on it a little and threw up all over me and him....I just quickly made an exit to the rest room to change him and use about 20 wipes on myself and we were all better - I'm glad the reastaurant was dark and nobody could tell my shirt was a "chicken noodle dinner" orange hue!

We are moving tonight into our new apt!!! I'll post pictures when I get a chance :)

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all of the dad's we know!

To Dad Metzler, Dad Brooks and all of our Grandpas - we hope you have a great day; we love you so much!

We are going to the Peoria Chiefs game today for Father's Day - should be a fun day!

Saturday on the river

Saturday was a busy day! Rob drove to Chicago to get a few things that we want for the apartment we get on Wednesday....Justin's toybox, our Dyson, stuff for Quincy & Tucker, etc. While he was gone, Justin and I went to the farmer's market downtown and went shopping for a while and then met Sarah (hotel manager who is my age that i've gotten to be friends with) and her 3 year old at Lakeview pool. We had fun! After Daddy got home we went back down to the riverfront for the boat races and dinner at Old Chicago. Fun times!

We have a busy week ahead. Daddy has a meeting Monday night till 9pm in Bloomington, Tuesday we're going to dinner with my boss, Wednesday we get our apartment, Thursday Daddy is golfing with his boss and then on Friday we leave for Big Rapids!





I took this one to get the guy behind Rob with the yellow wristband - he looked so much like my dad! It's not a direct match, but he has the same hair color and skin...we thought maybe Dad drove to Peoria! Love you Dad!













Mommy and Justin watching the races!





























Mmmm...Garlic bread!













This Sprite was pretty good....I have to get it all; even the stuff on my chin :)

Our little fish!

I took Justin to the ear/nose/throat specialist yesterday and he told us what we were afraid of...Justin has to get tubes. He's on his 9th day of this round of antibiotics and he said his right ear especially is still really bad. So July 10th he goes in for the procedure. I am not nervous about the actual procedure (okay; a little bit with him getting put under), but the whole ear plugs thing after I see being a problem. They gave us the wax ones to try and I also bought a pair of more semi-custom ones that are sized for him. They are only the $5 pair - they have a pair that are $60 plus, but I'm hoping the $5 ones will work! He loves the water and I don't want to discourage him from swimming and being a little fish, so we'll just have to find earplugs that work!

Speaking of being a little fish..... We went to the pool of our soon to be apartment complex (we move in next Wednesday evening). He LOVED it! He was getting water on his face and it didn't bother him so we decided to see what he'd do if we dunked him - he didn't even cry! He came up looking surprised, but then got a big smile :)

Pics from Michigan.....and moving!

Here are a few pictures from our trip to Michigan over Memorial Day weekend! I thought I took a lot more pictures than I did :( Oh well; next time we'll take more!

Sandra, Uncle Mikey and Justin

Grandpa Brooks and Justin

So tired!!!

Uncle Mikey and Justin at the circus

Ashley, Uncle Kurt and Justin

Grandpa Metzler and Justin

Melissa and Amanda

In other news, Rob and I have decided to get an apartment. I feel like we're taking a step back, but it's what we need to do right now. We are still waiting for our house to sell and don't want to take on another mortgage until that is sold. The apartment is much bigger than our hotel room and the carpet is softer for the little monster who is crawling everywhere, pulling himself up on everything and attempting to stand on his own and take steps! I want to cover him in bubble wrap, but Rob won't let me!

The apartment has a pool, playground, and most importantly 2 bedrooms! The best part is that they will allow us to have our dogs there! We are getting them back next weekend when we go to BR. Thank you G&G Brooks for watching them for us! Justin will be so happy to have his dogs back :) We are doing a corporate 3 month lease where it's furnished already so we don't have to "double move" and scratch our furniture up trying to move ourselves.

I am excited for the pool! The weather here is supposed to be 92 today, 93 tomorrow, 94 Saturday and 95 on Sunday!!!! No rain either. Even though we don't get the apartment until next week, I think that we might go hang out by the pool before we get keys :)

Hope all is well with everyone!

Weekend up north......

This weekend we went back to our house in Elgin to tidy up a bit. We had not been there in weeks, so I cleaned the inside and Rob trimmed trees and cleaned up the yard a bit. It wasn't bad, but we want to keep it looking perfect for showings...not that it's helping :( The good news is that the house that was the same as ours a few doors down sold. He sold it to his brother, but it sold for more than we are asking so it will help with comps if we ever do get an offer!

Here are some pictures from the weekend.....




Friday evening we made it home in time to swing by Justin's old daycare. He got to play with Ms. Melissa for a little while! You could tell he missed her and she missed him too....she was so surprised!!!










Friday night we went to dinner with the Treml's and then Theresa, Bree and Erin joined us at our house for some baby lovin' and Nintendo Wii. We had so much fun! We were bowling and boxing until almost 1am!!!











Saturday morning me and Justin went to Brandon & Blake's baseball game while Daddy trimmed trees. Here is a picture of Alec and Justin playing catch during the game.....Justin has a really good arm for a 9 month old!








Here is Aunt Connie and Justin during Alec's baseball game later that afternoon.
















Saturday night, Lee & Julie had a BBQ in the court by our house. It was a very fun evening of food, drinks and friends! It made us remember how much we miss our 'hood, but we don't miss the 45-75 minute commutes!

Here is Erin with Justin before he crashed for the evening! After he fell asleep, Bree held him for hours .....I don't know how her arm did not fall asleep! They walked him so much Saturday he was in heaven!





Bree, Theresa and Justin.... Doesn't he look SO OLD here?

Week in review!

Hmmm...where to start? It's been a pretty rough week. We thought that Justin was teething and just accepted that he was crabby and it was part of growing up. Then I took him to the doctor yesterday for his 9 month check-up and he has ANOTHER horrible ear infection. I feel so bad for making him just suffer for the last week :( We have yet another round of antibiotics that will last 10 days until we see the ear/nose/throat specialist on June 14th. The pediatrician yesterday said she's pretty positive that he will need tubes. I don't think that will be fun. He does not like hats/shades/etc. I am sure that he will not like ear plugs. We are signed up for mommy & me swim classes next month - I hope we can still do it!!!

The doctor said that he has all of the teeth that he will have until after he's 1 year old. I think she's wrong the way he's chewing and biting everything. Unfortunately the "everything" includes trying to bite other kids at day care! I don't know what to do! He's not a mean baby, and he does not understand "no" enough to discipline him! I don't want to raise the bully kid either....any suggestions??

So for the last week, sleep has been at a premium in our "room". That's the tough part is Rob and I are both up everytime because there is no nursery that he sleeps in. Just our studio efficiency! Which leads me to the next part of the rough week...the house that I LOVED has been sold. I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, but I really hoped it would be us. Unfortunately we still have a for sale sign on our home in Elgin. I am trying not to get down about it, but it's hard. The market sucks! Everyone says that it's turning around becuase housing sales were up 16% last month, what they fail to mention is that most of what is selling is going for way below market value. Oh well - it will happen sooner or later.

In happier news, we found a pool that is close to our hotel and has a separate zero depth kids area. It will be good to go to on the weekends (weekdays they close at 5pm!). It's a pay as you go, unlike the other "swim clubs" I was looking at which cost a fortune. Justin LOVES the water so I want to go hang out as much as we can!

I think we are going back to Chicago this weekend to check on our house. Clean up the yard, dust, vacuum, etc. Hopefully we get to see Jacobs and all of our neighbors for a while when we're there!

A lot of you who read this (my family) know my very dear friend Kimberly (she went to tech with me, stood in our wedding, etc.) PLEASE keep her family in your prayers over the next week as her dad is having a kidney transplant surgery. I can't imagine what her family must be going through because they are very close, much like our family. Please send your prayers their way for a safe surgery and a speedy recovery! I love you Kimmes!

Here are a few random pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Our little marshmellow lover!!

Lazy weekend!

We had a nice weekend - just relaxed and hung out! Here are some pics from the weekend....






Rob & Justin at the Clifton Gunderson Company picnic at the Peoria Chiefs game.















Perfect evening at the ball park!















He LOVES bubbles! It keeps him entertained for a long time :)


















How cool is this picture? I love it!

Since he has 6 teeth (and more coming in as we speak!), we decided to get him started with brushing. He didn't mind it - the infant toothpaste is berry flavored. We decided bath time was a good time for this!

This thing tastes pretty good mom!