Brooks's first birthday

Rather than continuing to mourn the loss of our digital camera, I thought I'd post some pictures from the last month that DIDN'T get lost - Brooks' first birthday!

Several of you have asked how we marked his special day. Quite honestly, I was pretty blue for a good portion of the day. My family left to head back to the states early that morning, and I was already missing them. Plus I had some melancholy feelings that I wasn't expecting surrounding the milestone itself - somehow my baby officially becoming a "toddler" felt like a *really* big deal... However, we did do some fun things to mark the big date, and as Eric made the (very wise) decision to work from home that Tuesday, we were all together most of the day.

He wore his Peanut T-shirt from Shel all day... adorable! :)




I thought he looked so cute playing with the birthday candle.
















He's completely cracking up here. I'm not sure why he's laughing... Maybe just happy because it's his birthday. I love his rosy round cheeks.


But he *really* didn't like his birthday hat. When I tried it on him again with Daddy later that evening, he immediately burst into tears.



But, even on their birthday, little guys still need their naps!



Rather than baking a cake in our fan-powered oven (I have *almost* got chocolate chip cookies figured out, but I wasn't ready to risk baking his b'day cake!), we found a cute little Kensington bakery that mainly does cupcakes. Yum Yum!



After his nap, Brooks had fun "unwrapping" his birthday present from my mom and dad.



Can you see his "nap-hair" sticking up in the front?



Unfortunately, dinner that night did *not* go as planned. We took a very long walk in the rain to a new highly recommended restaurant, only to find it and discover that it was closed. Bummer. We ended up in a pub on Portabello Road that looked promising, but after waiting for our appetizer for 35 minutes, well... in the end, we gave up and went home without supper. But hey, at least we got some cute pictures of Brooks and his Dada while we waited for the food that never arrived!!




Wow, this post is getting LONG. Cupcake pictures will be next...

Brooks's first birthday - part deux

The best part of the day by far was watching him learn that a cupcake is a very good thing. So, how can I possibly choose between all these photos?! I can't! Let me know which is your favorite...

Hmmm, what is this blue creamy stuff?



Wow! Am I really allowed to eat this?!







If I stick my whole hand in, I can get more on my fingers!




But now, I can't get it off my hands...



Toppling cupcake... yummy!




You know, it's fine. I'll just cram it in...



Hmm, the sugar rush sets in as he starts to feel a bit loopy...



Thank you so much!!! I really like this thing!!



Hurray! It's my birthday!



So Good!!



I like it so much, I want to share it with Dada!






After all that, there was very little cupcake left! Good job, Little bud!

By the way, he did make it through his (very hyper) bath-time that night, but crashed soon after...

Happy Birthday, little one! I love you!!

An unusual bedtime

Tonight after supper, as we were cleaning up the kitchen, Brooks kept trying to get into the trash can to see what we keep in there. Not that fun, especially when I'm not sure how to "discipline" a young toddler. He was clearly disobeying - a sneaky look to see if we'd catch him and then back he'd go for another attempt at the off-limits rubbish bin. Anyway...

Eric has a bad cold, so Brooks' whole bedtime routine was mine to cover. It's a pretty low-key pattern - bath time, jammies, books, milk, cuddles, and then lights out. We started the bath and he splashed and laughed for a few minutes before fussing and crying as the water got too chilly. Once he had on a clean diaper and a pair of warm jammies, it was time to have a bedtime snack. He was all business and finished quickly, so after he was done, I cuddled him in my arms and was beginning to tell him that I loved him no matter what...

"I love you when you try and get into the trash can...
I love you when you scream because we won't let you in the trash can....
I love you when you stand up in the bathtub...
I love you when you throw food on the floor.... "

All of a sudden, he lifted his head off of my shoulder, gave me a big grin - I assumed, of comprehension? - and then looked at the door. I followed his eyes, was Daddy coming in to say goodnight? No.

Brooks looked back at me, and then looked at the door again, waved his hand and smiled and said loudly "bye-bye". I was being... dismissed ... by my one year old!

He's been saying bye-bye for almost a week now, so the correct pronunciation of the word didn't shock me as much as the meaning... He could not have been clearer. He wanted me to put him in his bed and leave him alone.

No tears. No pitiful looks or whimpers. No separation anxiety. Just "bye-bye," momma.

And so I left. I can hear him in there now, shaking his rattle, talking softly to himself. I don't know what to make of that, but I guess he knows when he needs his alone time.

Trying...

Trying to carve out a life for myself here....

Trying to make some couple friends... We had a great visit with Matt and Susan this weekend. There is hope! And I just voicemailed a gal from the small group inviting her and her husband to meet up with us for brunch after church this weekend. They seem great, and we'd love to get to know them better.

Trying to meet some girl friends... I finally located the old pay-as-you-go sim card for my UK cell phone, so that I can retrieve all the names and phone numbers in my contacts list. I randomly met two nice moms here in London this fall (one on a bus, one in a Baby Gap) who asked if I had friends yet and if I wanted to get coffee sometime. Um, YES! Well, I saved both their numbers in my phone right then, but when I switched cell phone contracts, their numbers disappeared. Ack! Anyway I found the old card, and I'm going to get their numbers off and call them in the next 4 days. (why is this so scary!? They asked for your number first, remember?)

Trying to find a gym... Every single place I've researched (including all the ones recommended by our relocation company) won't provide any childcare facilities for Brooks, unless they are just the creme de la creme... ie, more of a social club with a gym in the back, where you drop your kid off before playing bridge or running on the treadmill. Um, that's NOT us! But I desperately need some routine in my life that is not just about laundry, the grocery, and baby care. I so love the feeling of being in shape, and my thought is that this a perfect time to really get back into yoga or working out. As I walk everywhere for my LIFE now, I really want to do something other than walking for my exercise. Hence, the search for a gym...

Trying to recover from losing our camera... WAHHH! I can't believe it, but it has to be true. Somewhere between our flat and the London Aquarium on Wednesday, our digital camera jumped, fell out, or was snagged from the stroller basket and it is gone, gone, gone. I'm just so upset about it... it was a gift from Bonnie and Warren, it was a way to link with family and friends back home, it was way to capture and share all of Brooks's adorable cuteness. I had a bunch of great shots on there too, that are gone forever. I'm just kicking myself. And wondering what we're going to do for a camera now... DARN!

Trying to chose a book... Eric is completely inhaling the Harry Potter series and I'm eager to find another great read to dive into. I feel like there is a ton of great Brit Lit that at some point in my life I should have already read that I haven't... Any suggestions?

Trying to develop a hobby... Specifically I want to take guitar classes or lessons. I keep thinking that if there was one thing I wanted to personally accomplish while we're overseas, it would be learning to play my guitar. I'm taking tiny steps towards playing. Yesterday I got my guitar out of the hall closet, and today I emailed our church about the guitar classes they advertise. I'm hopeful that when we move home, I can at least accompany myself during my private singing... maybe.

Trying NOT to spend every moment on facebook or skype or this blog... I'm learning that if I choose to use all of Brooks's naps doing chores or keeping up with all of my wonderful friends and family back home, I'll never actually figure out what I'm supposed to be doing *here*. So I'm attempting to limit myself somewhat, so that I'm living not just in our wonderful past, but in my right now. In the present. And start actively looking forward to the (short-term) future of our next almost two years...

I'm trying...

Random Pictures of London Life

Here are just a few shots of our day to day life in London....



Brooks is doing his early morning pull-up exercises. Getting so strong!





Sorting these blocks is HARD WORK. Not sure if you can see it, but his face is really intense as he's learning how to put the blocks back into their container. He shows a lot of satisfaction at getting all of them in there, especially when I cheer for him ... Maybe he just likes the applause, too?



We love going to the park to ride the swings. That's a favorite outing several times a week.



Technically this isn't a great photo (blurry, head cut off, etc), but to me, the subject just could not be any cuter. And he's wearing his "Peanut from Auburn" shirt!! I just want to squeeze him!



After supper, Daddy usually does the dishes while Brooks "helps" by sorting/playing with the Tupperware underfoot.



Reading stories with Dada is so great, but sometimes a Little gets tuckered out.

Thanksgiving pictures

Here are a couple of shots of our late Thanksgiving feast a couple of weekends ago.



full plates... yummy!



Brooks slept until half-way through the meal, so it started with just two of us, but he caught up quickly, at least on the healthier items anyway.



Brooks was a big fan of the turkey and green beans, but he inhaled the sweet potatoes. Anyone surprised? We sure weren't!!

Hello! and other developments

Today after lunch, Brooks and I were playing ball and then he decided to go check out what was new in the tupperware drawer. As usual, I started mirroring back what he was saying. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, he says "hello." And I mean, it really sounded exactly right!! I said hello back, and then he said it, and I said it and he said it.... my turn, his turn, my turn, his turn back and forth almost ten times. Sometimes it sounded more recognizable than others, but ohmygoodness, SO CUTE! My social baby can already say hello?!? Last night he called out "dada" to get Eric's attention, so I think words are starting to take on specific meaning. So fun!

He loves taking all sorts of things in and out, in and out. The tupperware, the wooding stacking boxes, the clean clothes in the laundry basket, the pajamas in his drawer. It's really funny - he's so serious about it. Right now he's pulling blocks out of their container and putting them in various boxes. I think he likes the sound they make when they "plink" against the bottom.

Not only does he love the curtain sheers, but the curtains themselves have become a really interesting item. We play "where's Brooks?!" behind them all day long. Actually he's crawled over there now and is trying to pull up to get a closer look at the plant outside the window.

He's crawling *everywhere* ... full on hands-and-knees crawling, and really fast. It's amazing how quickly he can get across the room to explore something that looks interesting. He's pulling up on everything and cruising between the coffee table and the couch and the ottoman all day long.

It's not always sweetness and light though. He knows the word "no" and sometimes he ignores it completely. Like when I tell him not to drop his food on the floor when he's no longer hungry. Or when I ask him to stop trying to get into the trash can or the large potted plant. Or when he wants to bang on the computer keys while I'm working on something (I just *love* that one weekend Eric put the key lock on his work laptop and let him go to town!! Only that one time and now he's completely ruined! :) )

Actually, since I started typing this post, Brooks has touched almost every single one of his toys in this room, including the baby grand piano... He's a busy kid and not a baby anymore! What a sweet, little man...

Wheeler Family Community Development

For those who have been asking about (or praying for) our community here in London, I thought I'd let you know that Eric and Brooks and I had our most social weekend yet last week. Hurray! Granted all Saturday was spent communicating with folks that we knew from back home. Still, those were such positive conversations that we were excited to get out and meet new folks on Sunday.

Saturday morning, we went to Heathrow where we met some good friends from Park in Chicago, who were on their way back from a church trip to the Holy Land. Beth and Brandon were each in a small group with me and Eric at one point and are two of our favorite people! We zipped over to The White Lion pub in Longford, England and had a leisurely meal and caught up. What an encouragement to get a full report on things back home and to see smiling familiar faces for several hours. Brooks fell asleep in Daddy's arms for a few minutes and was a trooper during the whole visit. We even got to greet Joe Riccardi on his way to meet up with Keith Wilson.

When we got home, we skyped with our good friends, Graham and Laurel, for almost 2 hours! Brooks was napping peacefully through most of the call, so it was a great chance to hear all their news and reconnect.

After supper we skyped with Eric's parents and brother for another hour and a half, planning for their trip over to see us in February. Howie was playing in the office and we enjoyed seeing how much he's grown in the last few months. We also got very excited dreaming about the Wheeler Family Adventure 2008! I'm already looking forward to them coming.

Sunday was the most successful church visit we've had since we've been here. We went back to Holy Trinity Brompton and got there early enough to secure a seat on the back row, one that could accommodate Brooks's stroller (he had a bit of a cold so we didn't want to send him off to the nursery). Worship, communion and the preaching were all great. After the service, Eric saw someone whom we had met at small group on Tuesday night, and he introduced us to his wife. They are a young newly married couple (he's Australian, she's from Pittsburg) and I think they could be a lot of fun to get to know. From there we stepped over to the church house to an area where parents of small children seem to congregate, and I saw a great gal that I had met at the Tots and Toddlers group. Apparently she used to be on staff at HTB and she knows tons of people. She introduced us to the American mom she was talking to, and we had a great chat with Jamie and her son Aidan as we stood under the canopy and waited for the rain to let up. There was lots of encouragement to check out other pastorates (their name for small groups) and helpful tips on getting plugged in and meeting people both inside and out of the church. We both left feeling really good about our decision to go to HTB and I think we have lots of potential friends there.

But the grand finale of the weekend was Sunday afternoon and evening. After a quick bite of brunch, we headed out to Bracknell to visit Tim Youngren's cousin, Matt, and his wife, Susan, and their family. I've been emailing with Susan for several months now, as she was fountain of helpful information and encouragement when we were planning our move. We'd both been really looking forward to getting know them. It was great to spend time in their home and to laugh or shake our heads at some of the crazy British customs and to empathize with the loneliness/frustration and to celebrate the opportunities and privileges of this ex-pat lifestyle. It was also good for me personally to see another young American mom being so successful in raising her kids over here. They have a 4.5 year old and a set of twins 2.5 yrs old, and in the days since our visit, I've found myself thinking "if Susan can do that with 3 kids, surely I can do it with Brooks!" She has a really positive heart and is a lot of fun. I'm optimistic that we'll see each other often, even with the hour-plus commute to get to each other's house.

So all those prayers and encouraging words are starting to pay off... We are beginning to know a handful of people here and with just those few new friends, the city is starting to feel less stranger-ly. I'm excited about continuing to get plugged in here and making this place "home".