Since my ultimate goal was to start this at the beginning of 2011, I thought I would take the opportunity to catch everyone up on the last 5 months. As always, the Hopkins Family endures a hectic 4 months we like to call "tax season." I'm fortunate to be able to maintain a part time schedule and work three days a week, but the demands are still the same. Nick works some grueling hours, so I just make sure there are plenty of pictures around the house so the kids don't forget what he looks like...okay, that's a bit dramatic. Nick and I work hard to make family time a priority and the kids enjoy trips to Nick's office for visits and to take cookies to everyone, and not to mention make a stop at Papaw's M&M jar. We were driving downtown to have lunch one day and when we passed Nick's office, Ali said "Look Mommy, that's where Daddy lives." Yep, that about sums things up.
Ali has adapted well to having a little brother around. He was a lot cooler when he just sat there looking at her, but once he got mobile and in her toys, she was looking for the return receipt. However, they get a long great. It's a good thing that Brock is tough because Ali typically moves him to whatever location she wants him in. There have been a couple instances of violence...there was biting and the one time where she smacked him over the head with a musical monkey toy. Oh Allison, just wait until he can really fight back. Ali started preschool at Mt. Pleasant Church (which is where we go church) last fall. She was in the Monkey class with Miss Angie and Miss Sherri, and we can't forget her first crush, Carter. She loved it! She went two mornings a week for a few hours. It was a good chance for me to hang out with Brock and I participated in Mom 2 Mom with my sister in law, Kelli. I'm fortunate to get plenty of adult interaction at work, but it's nice to have some mom interaction and compare war stories of motherhood. Ali also does gymnastics one day a week. I'm not sure we have a budding Olympian, but it's good to get her moving. Ali is a riot and constantly entertains us. She's a little OCD and likes things exactly where they are supposed to go, but she gets that honest. Nick and I have that trait...I think it goes along with being accountants. She loves anything Disney Princess and especially fond of Rapunzel and the movie Tangled. She can quote more lines than I care to admit. She is quite the singer, too. Her Aunt Kelli is shocked she can carry a note considering her gene pool, but she can jam with the best of us and is into Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. Some of her other favorites are pizza nights, Disney Channel morning cartoons, and a recent obsession with AngryBirds on the iPad.
Our little Brock Anthony is anything but little. He's a Hopkins trapped in a Sponsel's body. The funny thing about Brock is that he's not fat and chubby...he's a solid rock. Papaw Sponsel calls him Brock the Rock! He started babbling around 6-7 months. Mama and Dada were the firsts, but I'm well aware he had no idea they were our names. They were just the basic sounds. Brock really became mobile in May (around 8 months). He figured the crawling thing out pretty quickly, probably because he was looking to escape his sister. He finally got better at sleeping around 6 months, but he likes an early bottle, usually between 5am and 6am. I'm usually the lucky dog on that one, but I definitely function better in the morning than Nick, so I'm okay with that. Mr. Brock has a charming smile and he can easily brighten my day. He's enjoying life a little better these days because he gets more and more people food . He thinks his sippy cup is the greatest thing, but he hasn't figured out how to tilt it up so water comes out. He just like holding it like a big boy. He just hit the 9 month mark and is starting to pull up on things. Ali has a toddler bed (which is lower to the ground) and he loves it because he can pull up very easy on that. He loves the remote basket and is quickly learning the word "No." He just pops up and looks at me like, "what did I do!?" Typical male! Quite possibly the most notable trait of my baby boy is that he LOVES to suck his fingers. It's usually two at a time and he's not partial to a certain hand or fingers. If you take one hand out of his month, he just sticks the other one in. Ali was a pacifier baby and that was an adventure, so we will see how this method goes. One thing is for sure, it's nice no to have to fish pacifiers out from under the crib at 2am.
I am a very blessed person. I have husband that makes me incredibly proud. He's hard working, loves his family, and most importantly seeks God's will for our life. I recently described Nick and I as a full glass. I am full of optimism and Nick takes a more realistic approach to situations. We are a great team. I really love being a mom...it's an adventure and each day has its highs and lows. I check on my kids every night before I go to bed and I'm often overwhelmed with love when I see what God has entrusted me with. They are my buddies and life is a lot sweeter with them along for the ride.
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