Yay Brooks!!

Brooks asked to use the potty for the first time today!! When we woke up, he immediately asked to go potty and actually tinkled when I sat him on the toilet. Ryan and I haven't really worked with him on this much so we thought it was so cool that he actually asked to go. We figure he must be watching our morning routines pretty closely because he grabbed the deoderant after he went to the potty! Straight to his armpits...at least, he got it in the right spot!!

This picture was from another successful attempt to use the potty...

A Day for Rainey

We dedicated an afternoon to our precious Rainey the other day because we hardly ever take her anywhere anymore. Sad, I know, but life is just so busy right now! She loves to swim so we took her out to the the lake to practice retrieving...it's duck season you know!! I love to watch Ryan work with her. They have a special bond that just melts my heart (there I go again)! The funniest thing is to see Brooks try to get Rainey to "heel" just like his daddy does. He was hilarious!! Then, every time she jumped in the water he would say "Ohhh!" like it hurt her! What a fun afternoon!! It was especially fun running from Rainey when she got to the bank. We were soaked by the time we left because she would get right next to us and shake the water out of her coat!

They spotted ducks...can you tell?!

Rainey was so sweet to "heel" for Brooks!

I'm not sure what we were doing, but I love the sun in this picture!

Isn't she beautiful?!

Brooks got to slide down a hill for the first time!

We took family pictures at this spot during this time last year. Brooks was terrified of the water then, but this time he thought it was the coolest thing. Time has definitely flown by!!

Big Boy Bed

The night before our flood, we decided to make Brooks's crib into a big boy bed. He actually sleeps in a toddler bed at the foot of our bed, but we needed to have a place for company to sleep because we are turning the guest bedroom into a playroom for Brooks. Ryan and I are very proud of ourselves because we got him a bed without spending hardly any money! The bed conversion kit from the baby store was $200, but Ryan (with a little help from his friends) was able to build it for nothing!!! Then, I used the matress from the guest bedroom, the comforter and sheets that I had in storage from my college bed, accent pillows I don't use anymore, and a black throw that was a gift from my friend, Ashley. I literally only spent like $15 on the black pillow shams...not bad if I do say so myself!

Goodbye custom bedding that Brooks barely even slept on...

Several new posts...

I added 5 new posts this morning because I'm not really sure when I will be able to blog again...or have anything to share. We will be consumed with the house for at least a few weeks (at least that's what Ryan tells me...I can't see it being finished that quickly!).

We have had to postpone taking Brooks to Stone Mountain for the Christmas show and a few other things that we had planned (I say postpone because I am determined to not let this affect Christmas for Brooks). I don't even know if we will get to decorate for Christmas this year :(! Anyway...you can definitely count on late Christmas cards from us and anything we take to a Christmas party is going to be bought from Ingles. Just giving a heads up!

I LOVE my parents!!!

My parents are absolutely amazing!! They are always there when I (or my brothers) have ever needed anything...no matter what is going on in their own lives at the time! From them, I have definitely learned to be selfless and how to provide for your children no matter what it takes. When the house flooded, Mama came up immediately to get Brooks since there were nails and funk everywhere. Then, Mama and Daddy both came back this weekend and worked their fannies off to help us start putting things back together. I am so blessed!! They have done this numerous times in my life for all three of us kids! I just wanted to take a minute to express how grateful I am for them and how much I love and respect them for how wonderful they are to their children. Thank you Mama and Daddy!!

The Biggest Mess I've Ever Seen

I'm referring to my house :(! Ryan and I came home Tuesday to a flooded house!! There were literally puddles in the garage and driveway from where the water had run out of the house. There is damage to every room except the master bed and bath. Luckily, our insurance agent came right over and helped us clear out furniture so there wasn't too much damage to it, but it looks like right now that all of the floors, cabinets, and some of the drywall are going to have to be replaced. A cleaning crew came so there were huge, loud, cold, machines all over our house for a few days, but they are gone now so at least we can walk. Now,room by room, we are beginning to put things back together. First, is hopefully the laundry room. I need to wash clothes!!!!

I tell myself a house is just "a thing" and I am so grateful for my family and our health. It could be much worse and there are definitely bright points...I have no kitchen so I don't have to cook! And...Ryan finally has to paint like I've been asking! This, however, definitely puts a damper on the selling process! God is good though and we will make changes in our life as he wills it. That I am sure of!

The culprit!!! A busted pipe under the kitchen sink!!

Brooks knows Santa?

Earlier in the week, I took Brooks to the annual Christmas parade in town. Ryan didn't get to watch the parade with us because he had to drive the mini-firetruck (the same one that spent the night with us a few months back...previous blog) so my friend, Hillary, went with us. I told her before it started that I was so nervous that Brooks would freak out!! He does not do loud noises or things dressed up in costumes (Santa, a pig, and the Chick Fil A cow were all in the parade). I was very surprised though! He got a little scared at first and clung to Hillary's leg, but he really opened up after the first few floats. Towards the middle of the parade, there were lots of old timey cars which Brooks loved!! He gave them all names like the ones in Cars! Where does he come up with this?! Then Daddy came by and you would have thought he was a celebrity. Brooks was telling everybody, "Ook! Ook! That Daddy! Daddy! Daaadddddyyyyy!"

The coolest part for me was when Santa came by...the very last car. I wasn't really paying attention (actually, I was looking through my camera to see if I got a good picture of Ryan) and Brooks started hitting me on the shoulder..."Mommy...Mommy!" I thought something was wrong, but when I looked at him, his eyes just lit up and he simply said, "Santa Claus!" I will ALWAYS remember this moment. I had no idea he knew about Santa yet. We introduced him to the Polar Express (trains is another obsession) over Thanksgiving break so I am just assuming he knows about Santa through that! I love seeing my kids at school get excited about Christmas, but it is different with your own. It made the holiday so much more special to see it through a child's eyes again! I never put much thought into how people always describe children with their eyes lighting up, but Brooks's eyes literally sparkled at that moment! I know I always say it but it is so appropriate here...melt my heart!

Brooks's New Game

Brooks has invented a new game. If you know him at all, you know he is obsessed with the movie, Cars, and he takes his toy Cars everywhere!! At Thanksgiving in Senoia, Brooks took some leaves that Grandma had used to decorate her table and started hiding his cars under them. Then, he'd cover his eyes (which was more covering his mouth than eyes) and say "Cars hide!!" When he opened his eyes, he pretended to look for them..."Where he go?" After making sure everyone was completely fooled, he would uncover the cars and laugh hysterically. He performed this little bit over and over and over! So funny! I live for moments like these!

We are so thankful!

Ryan and I spent Thanksgiving the same way we've done every year since we've known each other...lunch at Grandma and Papa's (Ryan's dad's parents) in Senoia and dinner at Mama and Daddy's in Vienna. It was so good to see family that we don't get to see as often as we'd like!

Our little Doolittle family...

The BIG Doolittle family...

Four generations! Don't you love these kinds of pictures!

Brooks talked about Sophie the whole way from Senoia to Vienna! Brooks is 23 months and Sophie is 18 months!!

My daddy insists that we kids take pictures together EVERY holiday. I don't know why he wants us to take them because he never even looks at them later. He's just funny like that! Stephen, my older brother, HATES taking pictures so Kyle and I always have one of just us because we wait so long on Stephen to cooperate! I think it's hilarious that it is the scenario at every holiday, every year!

Stephen finally decides to join us!

Brooks figured out how to press his face up against the window to make a funny face Thanksgiving night! Unfortunately for Kay Kay, he discovered this trick on her brand new glass door so it was covered with little mouth and handprints!

You have to watch this...

Ryan's cousin, Leslie, emailed us this link! You must watch it! This is one of the most powerful messages I've seen/heard in a long time! What an awesome Father we serve!

http://www.rhchurch.org/pages/cardboard-testimonies/

Who knew Rae Rae was a photographer, too?

About this time last year, we found an amazing babysitter for Brooks through some mutual friends. Ryan and I feel so incredibly blessed to have Rae (or Rae Rae as the kids call her) in our lives!! She loves Brooks so much and I can't even begin to explain how comforting it is to have someone love your child the way you do. She keeps Brooks along with two other little girls and they are always up to something! Earlier this week, Rae took the kids out for some fall pictures and they turned out precious! How she got the three of them to cooperate...I'll never know...but I am so glad she did! These are some of my favorites...