Gobble Gobble and Ho Ho Ho

It was a very fun week around our house. My mom came in for the week to celebrate Thanksgiving and to kick off the Christmas season. She came in last Sunday and was able to keep Emerson until Shawn got off on Wednesday and I was off Thursday and Friday. Let's just say they are going to think Em is totally rotten this next week at day care-they had a blast! When I got off work on Wednesday we got out and got our cars washed and then came home to cook. We went ahead and cooked on Wednesday so that we could relax on Thursday. Shawn played golf while we were cooking and when he got home we headed out to dinner at Buca di Beppo-one of our favorite places that we haven't been to in awhile. Thursday was a very relaxing day and then on Friday we got in the Christmas spirit! We put up the tree and even opened some presents. Since we are staying here for Christmas we went ahead and exchanged gifts with GranSan. Christmas is going to be so much fun this year with Em! Thanks GranSan for all our gifts and for helping so much around the house this week!

Waiting for our cars at the car wash-it was such a pretty day!

All ready to go to dinner at Buca

Hey-where is my garlic bread and pasta?!

She was such a big help getting things ready for Thanksgiving!

Daddy and Em made breakfast burritos for us on Friday morning.

Emerson had a hard time letting go of her fall pumpkins when it was time to kick off Christmas!

We got most of the decorating done while she was napping-this is her reaction when she came in to see the tree for the first time. She seemed a little confused!

I have always loved Christmas but this look on her face gives it a whole new meaning!

Oh my gosh, is this one for me?!

How cute is she?!

Thanks Mom for the new piece for my Christmas village and for the additional place settings of my dishes!

Mom got Shawn a BB/pellet gun complete with a scope-let's hope my next post is not about Shawn's stay in the slammer!

I think GranSan liked her grandmother's bracelet!

I always heard that kids like the boxes best-I guess it is true! This is Em getting in the box from one of her gifts from GranSan!

She has not stopped playing with all of her blocks and stacking cups-thanks GranSan...I REALLY needed some new toys!

9 Months

The last nine months at the Brooks house have been such an amazing adventure that we wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Emerson has changed us in ways we never imagined. We always know that no matter what kind of day we have had, she can always bring a smile to our faces. It is so incredible to watch as she learns new things every day. She waves hi and bye, says Dadda, and after I stack her blocks and she knocks them down, she then tries to stack them herself. When she has had enough to eat, or doesn't like what I have given her, she shakes her head "no". She can stand by herself for a few seconds but when she realizes what she is doing she sits down really fast! We went for her check up today and she weighed 22 pounds(92%) and was 29.5 inches long(97%).

She FINALLY holds her own bottle even at home(she has been doing it at day care for months but had Mommy and Daddy fooled at home!)

If there is anything soft on the floor, she will just fall down and lay her head on it-folded laundry, blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, even one of her books that is fabric.

She takes laps from the living room through the kitchen and back with her push toy but still not walking by herself!

We can just sit and watch her no matter what she is doing!

Round 1

This Saturday was Round 1 of the playoffs for the Bears. They took on the Del Valley Cardinals in Waco on Saturday night. GranSan and Patsy came in town to watch Emerson so that I could head to Waco-she loves to cheer her Daddy to victory but that is a pretty long drive for so late at night! The Bears beat the Cardinals 42-20...it was awesome!! I am still hoarse from yelling so much. All of a sudden all those long hours seemed more worth it!

Patsy hasn't seen Emerson in a few months-she made up for lost time getting plenty of sugar!

Are those pjs cute or what?! Thanks GranSan!

What am I doing in the toy basket?

It's game time!

We were only favored by 6 points...I think we did a little better than that! Way to go Bears!

Time for the school song.

Bi-District Championship trophy

I love my championship coach!!

Lunch with Friends

Emerson and I got to meet Alli, Dade, Luke, and Audrey for lunch on Friday. I am so glad we live close enough to do that pretty often! Alli looks great and we can't meet the newest addition...it could be on Emerson's birthday!

Neither of our girls were to0 thrilled about us holding the other, so we had to get a picture quick before Audrey was ready to be in Mommy's lap!

Dade kept Emerson entertained!

Sweet girls!

Mommy's Big Surprise

Shawn had a big surprise a couple of weeks ago, now it was my turn. Last Friday, Emerson was taking a nap to be ready for the game and I was on the computer getting some work done and talking on the phone to one of my coworkers when the doorbell rang. I ignored it because when Emerson and I are home by ourselves I never answer the door. Well, they kept knocking and ringing. My Mom beeped in while I was talking to my coworker but I did not at all associate that with the doorbell ringing. Finally, after the doorbell kept ringing I went to the door in an effort to keep Em from waking up. It was my Mom and Janet!!! Talk about a big surprise! I was so excited. Janet had called Mom on Thursday and told her that she needed to see Emerson and asked if she would come with her to Houston. Of course GranSan would never turn down a trip to Houston! They stayed with Emerson and let me go to the game by myself-I actually got to watch the game and go to the get together afterwards, what a treat! On Saturday morning, I got out to run a few errands by myself and then we all went to lunch and to the mall for a girly day...so much fun!

Yea!!! GranSan's here!!

Thank you for coming to see me Aunt Janet!!

Wow, I really get spoiled when company comes!

Really? We're trying shoes again? When will you people learn?!

Ok, I'll try them just this once since you both drove all this way to see me.

Shopping hard with the big girls.

Shopping is hard work! Notice that the shoes are still on after a whole day of shopping!

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Emerson was an adorable little spider for Halloween. The funny part of the whole thing was that we didn't even take her anywhere in her costume! It was more for Mommy and Daddy than anything-it was worth it! I thought that she would hate having the hat on or freak out with the legs but true to Em she just sat there laughing when we put it on her!

These first few are from "dress rehearsal" to see how she would react.

They asked that the kids not where costumes during the day to day care but she still looked very festive!

Is this how a spider crawls Mom?

I need to get a better look at these legs now that it is off of me!

BEARS WIN!!!!

Friday night the Bears beat the Willis Wildkats making it official that we will be in the playoffs! It was perfect football weather-nice and cold! Emerson loved every minute of it right up until she fell asleep at the start of the 4th quarter. She even slept through her favorite part of game night-meeting Daddy out on the field after the game. Way to go Bears!

Miss Social Butterfly made the rounds as to who she was going to sit with!

Yea!!! Daddy's team won!