Deck the Halls with Lead-Based paint...

'Tis the season to be jolly - I'm told "jolly" is spanish for cranky and bloated, which is what happens to people this time of year. All kidding aside, once school is over Brittiny and I will be better at making the Christmas season a jolly one. We celebrated by having the Idones over for pizza. They're Screaming Henry's parents. He and Brookers are the same age, but Henry is way stronger and crankier. Brooklyn is such a chick - dainty and sweet. Henry is strong like an ox (well, a baby ox).

Ok, now I tell y'all how I 'tarded out. I bought Brittiny a new camera as a Christmas present and e-mailed my mom bragging "I got Brittiny this diggity-dank camera..." So Mom e-mailed me a lenthgy reply touching upon various subjects - this e-mail posed new questions regarding Christmas plans. I wisely forwarded this mail to Brittiny in order to not have to draft a new mail posing my mom's questions for her. I received a phone call from Brittiny 5 minutes later: "You are so retarded and now I know that you got me a camera for Christmas." Yeah, sometimes I'm a tool like that. Sometimes I'm a tool in other ways, too... I pretty much like to spread it around.

Obligatory Brooklyn Pictures.... this is our little Angel in her Blessing Day Dress. These pictures were taken in early November. Brooklyn still fits into this dress alright. Heck, we may even dress her up in it again to take more pictures. She's so freaking cute!

Breast pumps and burp cloths...

It's been a busy couple of weeks for us. Brittiny is finishing her month rotation of hospice care (note to self: exercise and don't eat sugar) in Branford and I am getting ready for another set of final exams/papers (note to self: don't go to law school). Brooklyn is taking all of this in stride. She's enjoying these last three weeks spent with Grandma Sheree and will be sad to see her go.

Brooklyn has begun vocalizing a lot more these past few weeks. She's also become a proficient "spit-bearder". On Sunday mornings we take Brooklyn to the park where the old retirement castle guys play chess -- Brooklyn is by far the finest spit-bearder there.

Okay, so here's a bunch of pictures for all y'alls....

In my mind I'm going to Brooklyn...

So for the past dos semanas le Buff Meister has been out here in Connecticut to nanny (or would that be nonny?) our beautiful Brooklyn. From her first day here she's had Brooklyn smiling, cooing and gurgling with laughter. Something about Gma's that just does the trick. As for the Epperson clan @ home in Utah, we keep hearing the same thing from the Girls: "Mommy, come home." Perhaps they have grown weary of the french toast, salmon and steak exclusive menu. Brittiny and I have now adjusted to plates of hot brownies (half w/nuts, half w/out), carrot loafs, rice pudding, cinnamon rolls, shredded beef in gravy over mashed potatoes, etc. Needless to say, we're sad to see momilage leave. But since we couldn't extend Mom's contract, Sheree will begin her tour of duty the day after Mom returns to Utah. Brooklyn is feeling like a baby V.I.P.

Here are some recent pics of Brooklyn - maybe all y'alls will get off my back now?

Baby Brooklyn sporting the white cap Aunt Holly knitted for her. I think that the onesie makes her look like a piece of fruit-striped gum:

The first day we left Mom alone with our hot baby, she did her hair up like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. I googled Ms. Hepburn, and let me say that she appears a lot older than Brooklyn. Oh, she is also deceased. Thanks, Mom, for comparing our baby to a famous old, dead woman. (I did read a court case in my Fed Tax class about the estate tax problems presented by the intestate succession of Hepburn's mansion in Westport, CT - 423 F.3d 235.)

Brooklyn sleeping after a busy evening of filling her diaper.

Brooklyn striking a boudoir pose. Speaking of boudoir, hey Dad, i found a great site for your Halloween cotume: http://www.theboudoironline.com/whatsnew.htm

Nonny loves her Brookers - they even dress the same.

Weekly Parenting E-mails...

So courtesy of the Yale New Haven Hospital we receive these monthly updates on what we're doing wrong as parents. Here's the most recent edition's Q & A:

Q: “Our baby cries a lot, unless she is being held. She is 10 weeks old. Why does she cry so often, and what can my Husband and I do?”

A: While it can seem as if your baby is crying for no apparent reason, determining the cause of your baby’s distress can help you figure out how to soothe her. At 10 weeks your baby's eyesight has probably sharpened just enough that she can recognize both you and your husband: this is the apparent root of her constant crying. Your baby is crying incessantly because she has probably never seen something so objectionable as the two of you. She may also have figured out that you're her parents. This no doubt added to her infantile despair. Do your kid a favor: find her a good therapist now.

Q: "Our baby has very smelly poopies. Is this a cause for concern?"

A: Are you being freaking serious? Your child just bombed in her pants and you're asking me if it's okay that it doesn't smell good? What the fetch did you expect it to smell like? How 'bout you do an experiment: blast a dukie in some adult diapers, then take a big ol' wiff... surprised that it doesn't smell like White Diamonds?... Okay, well maybe it does smell like White Diamonds, but the point is that baby diapers smell awful.

Okay, that's about all... first Pic is of Brooklyn and me. This is how we spend the first few hours of every Saturday - these are my favorite times.. Eventually she wakes up, realizes that I don't lactate and then cries for Mommy.

This next Pic is Brittiny and Brooklyn using the Baby Bjorn (Brooklyn is the one in the Bjorn). This thing is awesome. Brittiny can haul our cute bug around anywhere from the park to Park Avenue as Brooklyn loves the ride.

Brooklyn's reaction to one of my lame jokes. I think the look on her face aptly expresses her embarrassment:

More pics to come...

Is there life after a Baby?...

Short answer: "Yes, but it now revolves around the baby." But she's so cute and cuddly that I can't even remember what I used to do before we had her. Oh, that's right... those cobweb covered, rusty Mizunos in the corner of our bedroom.. well, at least I wasn't that good to begin with.

This past week the Albright clan was visiting us in our wee shanty. We had a great time with Mark, Sheree, Tiffiny, Gerrett, Jason, Jake, Brooke, Kayle and Jaxen. We didn't have enough couch/air mattress space, so the adults all had to sleep standing up - (thankfully for those involved, being raised in the LDS church sort of pre-conditions you for such odd somnolence). We think everyone had a good time and enjoyed getting to know the East coast.

On Wednesday morning it was so sad for us to have an empty house again (sniff, sniff). It was especially sad to not see the smiling faces of Jaxen, Gerrett and Jake as I entered the kitchen door after work that night. Thanks for the good times, nephews! I'll pour a Mtn Dew out on the curb for y'all...

And now the pics:


Mystic Seaport/Aquarium with Brooklyn (in the Bjorn) and Jake Albright waving to the camera.

Grandma Sheree fussing Brooklyn in her beautiful blessing dress. Seriously, this thing had more lace than a gay tea party.... which would have a lot of lace around because of the excessive doilies:

Grandpa Mark holding Brooklyn and no doubt telling her a joke she's probably too young to be listening to ;o)

Brooklyn, Brittiny and me a couple of minutes before the blessing. Brooklyn was wonderful the whole time @ church, and especially during the blessing. I got more than a little choked up holding this little angel in my arms to tell her all that was in my heart at that moment. There just aren't enough occasions this memorable or this sweet in our short mortal sojourn...

Aunt Brooke holding li'l Brooklyn @ Mystic Pizza in Mystic, CT. This place was made famous by the movie filmed there with Julie Roberts. I think it was Erin Brockovich, or Goodfellas... I really can't remember: