6 Months - A Month Late!

I'm so behind - Grad school is kicking my butt! This is going to be a quick photo update :) At his 6 months doctor's appointment, Blake was 19 pounds even. I think all of his rolling around is making him a lean little guy. Enjoy!

He is pushing up soooo well!

To do the 'Do

This post is probably more important than anything I've ever put on here ... Well, maybe not :)

I'm bored with my hair. Again.

I know, I should be happy with it, since I know it damages you hair to continuously make drastic color changes - but I cannot help myself.


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Let's take a tour of my hair through the years together ...

Highschool I hit up all kinds of colors, dark red, just some highlights, and my personal favorite (ha!) ...

Prom 2002 (all over color, not highlights)

This was 2004-ish, I think I stayed pretty much blonde or this color for my first few years out of college. (Three generations in this picture, pretty awesome, huh?)

2007 With my dear friend, Amanda :)

Spring 2008 for David's homecoming from Iraq, he prefers brunettes - so I decided to go "back to my roots" which turned out MUCH darker than I expected!

2008 with a few caramel highlights

2008, trying to lighten my color up even more before the wedding :)

Engagement pictures, Fall 2008 (Most natural-looking hair color - and favorite because it looks like it "fits" me the best)

May 2009 with my paternal grandmother, I think it shows a pretty good display of a few more highlights

Summer 2011, pardon my huge NAKED belly - but this shows my hair in all it's glory. Something about me ADORES the contrasting colors because it's different, but not like green streaks in your face trying to make a statement - ya feel me?


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So, now ... I'm thinking that it's waaay too blonde on top. And my roots looks like trailer trash 3 weeks after I get it done, which is a little crazy and too much maintenance for me. However, when it's blonde my gray hairs blend in a lot better than when it's brown!

This is what I WISH I could do, but I have about 70 pounds to lose first ...

Minus the bangs if it's this short

Or this, but in brown with some highlights ...

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However, this is realistically what I'm looking at now ...

Maybe touching my shoulders, though - in brown of course

Not a fan of her, but this captures the bang and length

Love these bangs!

So, am I crazy for considering side swept bangs - I know they can be a pain? What's the verdict on your favorite color for me?

Don't forget to comment below!

<3 Brooke

5 Months

To all 3 of my readers out there, sorry it's been so long since I've blogged! Every moment of my free time after work has been spent squeezing on my little guy, studying, and doing homework.

Blake has been blowing our minds here lately with all of his milestones and growing like a weed. He wants to sit up - but, anytime we sit him up, he topples right on over after a few seconds. "They" say that heavier babies have a harder time supporting themselves sitting/rolling/walking since they have more weight? I don't know?

Blake is giggling, sticking out that cute little tongue, sucking on his fingers and lower lip, pushing up really well on his tummy, and standing up with support.

His typical schedule is after he sleeps 10+ hours, he eats around 8, followed by some baby food; take a 45 minute nap sometime in the morning; eat around noon; take a 45 minute nap; eat around 4 or 5, followed by some baby food; take a 45 minute nap; and eat one last time right before bedtime around 8 or 9. When I'm at work and we can see how many ounces he's drinking - it's about 28-32 ounces a day, and 8-10 ounces of that is formula now. We started supplementing around 4 months because my little piglet was soo hungry! I wish he would take longer naps during the day, but I've been told once he's crawling that it will wear him out and make him more tired. I cannot complain though - he sleeps SOO well at night, I can handle the short naps :)

So far, he has tried rice cereal, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, avocado, sweet peas, carrots, and now bananas as of yesterday. He gagged on the sweet peas at first, but he can tolerate them now :) And it appears that the bananas are his favorite food thus far. I am looking forward to making him some apples and pears in the next couple weeks. I have made all of his baby food, mostly for cost purposes - but also, because I know exactly what he is getting in his food (no preservatives, food coloring, etc.).

We just had Blake's 5 month visit to the pediatrician today for a couple more shots (HiB and Prevnar) and he weighs 18 pounds and 14 ounces (over 2 1/2 pounds since last month - geesh)!

I will stop blabbing (sorry I like to use this blog as my little reference for his milestones also - and don't want to miss anything!)

Here are some 5 month pictures :)

(Somebody already has a mole on their right foot. Guess he got that from his mama - you can connect the dots all over me, ha ha!)

Have a blessed week :)

And remember, if it's important to you - MAKE TIME FOR IT! 3 years ago today, I lost a good friend who was supposed to be a bridesmaid in my wedding (she literally "dropped dead" at a Bible study and they still aren't certain what exactly caused her death). Treat each day like it's your last :) Love you all!

Brooke

4 Month Pictures

Sorry it's taken so long to post these! Enjoy :)

Still hating tummy time

Hope each of you have a great week :)

4 Months

Blake had his 4 month check up last week and he weighed in at 16 pounds 7 ounces and was 26 1/4 inches long. He also got his second round of Tdap and Rotovirus vaccinations, and his first Polio vaccination. The pediatrician gave us the go ahead to start rice cereal if we wanted to. Here is one of the first times he ate rice cereal ...

Eating is overrated apparently :)

He still loves to stand up at every chance, and really has a pair of lungs to share with the world when he's hungry, when his tummy hurts, or gums hurt. Sleeping 8-11 hours at night, and two or three 1-2 hour naps during the day. Lots of smiling, cooing, and kicking those legs!

Stay tuned for his 4 month pictures ... I'm in Birmingham (with Blake) for Nurse Practitioner school orientation and forgot my nice camera at home :)

Hope you are having a great week!

New Years Resolutions

Hope everyone had an AMAZING Christmas and New Years :) We will never forget Blake's first Christmas and our first Christmas in our house!

I really don't like making resolutions (since I am usually disappointed), but I do like to make a "to do" list for myself at the beginning of each year.

I was looking back through my blog and had remembered last year how I wrote down a few goals for the year ... See here

Here are the goals I had at the beginning of last year ...
"-Graduating with my BSN in April!
-Renting or buying a house next summer in the Alpharetta or East Cobb area
-Getting accepted into a Nurse Practitioner Program somewhere in Georgia or Alabama
-And a few other unspoken prayer requests!"

Well, I/we accomplished each one of the listed goals! I don't think that has ever happened :) I got my BSN in April, we bought a house 2 miles away from Alpharetta, I got into Samford's FNP program and start next week, and that unspoken prayer request was to get pregnant (I didn't even know I was already pregnant at the time I wrote my list)! Thank you LORD for being so gracious :)

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So now it's time to hold myself accountable and make a public list for 2012!

Here it goes ...
-To become consistent with making time to thank God (daily quiet times and tithing)
-To be debt free by the end of the year - and KEEP it that way (with exception to the mortgage, student loan, and car loan since I'm still in school). David and I really need to become MUCH smarter with our money (and stop going out to eat and buying stuff online)...
-Lose 65 40 pounds (I really should lose more - but, gotta start somewhere)
-To maintain a B average or better in grad school

I really could keep going, but I need to keep it to a minimum to prevent disappointment :)

What are your plans for 2012?