a new adventure

last week Brooks had a fun new adventure at Gymboree - he loved it! 
while the weather is snowy and cold outside, we will be playing at gymboree. 

back on the slopes after nearly 2 years!

finally, some great pics from our fun ski trip in january!  mom and phil took us to breckenridge for five days, and we invited great friends to join us for the trip.  Amy & John flew in from Ohio for the vacation, and we had so much fun seeing them and getting to know John better.  (side note:  amy & john just got engaged in december too!) 

Mom & I at Breckenridge - we had the most beautiful weather all three ski days. 

January skiing isn't always so great.

Richard, me & Amy skiing Loveland on day one. 

Amy & I on Peak 7 at Breckenridge - we were tearing it up!

Phil & Paula at Breckenridge - Day 2.  What a cute skiing couple!

Amy & John at the top of Loveland pass - 11,990 ft!  brrrrrr

While Brooks didn't get to do any skiing, he had a great time at the house with lots of playtime with nana and daddy. 

Thanks nana & grandpa phil for a great vacation!  We already can't wait until next year!

Olympic Fever

I don't know about anyone else, but the Fuquays have Winter Olympic fever and we've got it bad!  (or good, depending on how you look at it!)

In our American/Canadian household, we are having fun cheering for both teams (as least I am, not sure about Richard).  Watching the Canadian mogle skier win the first home gold the other night was spectacular!

Last night, we got together with friends for an Olympic/Fat Tuesday/Valentine's party, and Brooks and I decided we should go as team Canada (richard had to work).

Here is our yummy dessert!

and this morning, Brooks was still wearing his maple leaf shirt so we thought we should get some more pics.

Here is Brooks preparing for his first winter Olympic sport...standing in snow!

Our future Olympian!

(but not in luge, hockey, skeleton, or any dangerous winter olympic sport - we may have ruled them all out!)

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday Brooks!  You are ONE and we can hardly believe it!

while the weekend and the party were not exactly what we had expected, you were such a trooper and loved the little celebration we were able to have.  After getting sick on Wednesday night, you gave your bug to mommy (thursday), daddy (friday), nana and grandpa phil (saturday) and scared away mimi and grandad.  Luckily, uncle neill was able to escape without harm.  what a weekend! 

with such a "memorable" weekend, what we will remember most about Brooks at his first birthday...

- your cheeks!! they are incredible and everyone talks about them.  you are an adorable chubby baby with a big belly and great rolls in your legs!

- you are such a fast crawler and love leaving the room on your own and going exploring around the house

- you love opening and closing doors (until you get your toes or fingers caught!)

- you love playing peek a boo around doors, walls, and especially with your "lovie"

- you love sitting on the big bead and having daddy come and pounce near you - you have the best laugh!
- you just started pulling up on the furniture to your feet and will cruise around if the incentive is good enough, cheerios usually do it!
- while you haven't eaten much this week, you are enjoying mac & cheese, blueberries, banana chunks, and all sorts of gerber 3rd foods.
- you are working on your sippy cup but mostly like to pretend to take a drink and then drop it on the floor.
- you are testing us when you are in your highchair, dropping food to see what we will do (we know your games!)
- you love going to the church nursery on tuesdays for mom's MOPS group and bible study.  the ladies say you are such a ham and are always so good. 
- you are also a great sleeper - 8pm to 8am and still take 2 naps too. 
- at your doctor appointment today you weighed 21lbs and 14oz - just the 36%, but i think you've lost some weight being sick.  you were in the 93% for height and head size.  Tall, Lean & Smart - just like daddy.

Who knew

so, since entering the mommy world, i have discovered my inner crafty side.  i think i have always been creative, but i wouldn't say crafty.   but you should see me now!

with thanks to debby chapin for the inspiration, i recently embarked on a big craft undertaking - a felt playhouse that i thought would be fun for little brooks as he gets older.  with some adaptation to our own interests and love of sailing and the ocean, i decided to make him a playhouse "boat."  at first, i thought i would make it for brooks for his 1st birthday coming up next month.  then it seemed more daunting and i figured it would be done sometime next year. 

but then i got started and had so much fun that i couldn't stop cutting, sewing, and gluing it together!  less than a week later...done!  take a look...

i can't wait for brooks to really play with it and in it.  some of the fish have velcro, can be moved around and are plush like little toys. 

I had so much fun with this project i can't wait to figure out what's next.  i think all my yaers planning and working have found a mesh with being a stay at home mom.  i love feeling productive and having something to show for the cumulative hours that are "nap time."

Merry Christmas to all

Christmas morning opening presents - his first puzzle from Great Aunt Terena nad Uncle Julian in Canada

New Golf clubs!  He just wields them around like weapons right now but just wait!

Brooks's new rocking "horse" from Ray & Anne in Atlanta.  He loves it!

Our Christmas folly (really just mine)...We ran out of room in the fridge for veggies on Christmas Eve, so i put the pots out in the snow to stay cold.  At <10 degrees, this is what we opened up on Christmas morning.  As Richard said, "What exactly did you expect?!?"

Yum Yum - We enjoyed a delicious Christmas dinner with Dave, Sarah & Elliott McDaniel too!

11 months on Christmas Eve

Ringing in 11 months on Christmas Eve was really fun.  Brooks put on his vintage "Peanuts Christmas" shirt and had a blast opening his first present and celebrating with Nana and Grandpa Phil. 

This month may have been the most eventful yet with lots of new endeavors for our little guy.  To top the list is certainly the crawling!  He is unstoppable and i'm not sure why we were in such a hurry to get here!  Brooks certainly is cute though when he plays peek a boo around a corner or door and follows you quickly from room to room. 

Brooks also started pulling up on tables, chairs and toys and seems to like playing more independently with his toys.  He loves any toy with doors or flaps and gets excited when he figures out how to open and close them.  Unfortunately for us, this also translates into enjoying opening and closing every other cabinet and drawer in our house!

the "photo shoot" had one funny low moment when i wouldn't let Brooks out of his chair!  we quickly recovered.

Brooks's favorite game of Christmas - pulling the dishtowels off the stove

Checking out his presents and ornaments - Brooks especially liked the picture ornaments of Richard as a little boy.

Merry Christmas Nana