The Hardy Family

Sadie Madeline Beazley

2009-01-24T07:36:00.001-08:00

My brother Brent and sister-in-law Eileen had their second child on Thursday. Sadie Madeline Beazley arrived at 8:10 a.m. on January 22, 2009 by c-section. She weighed 8 pounds 10 ounces and was 22 inches long. She has red hair and is just beautiful! She is such a sweetie and such a good little eater and sleeper. We were so excited to have another sweet little girl in the family! Jack is such a great and proud big brother! Brooks checked her out really well...he didn't know what to think about a little bitty baby! Eileen is doing wonderful!

First Haircut!

2009-01-24T07:12:00.000-08:00

Brian had Monday off, and Brooks had his checkup with Dr. Sneed for his tubes. So, I thought I would take off to play with my boys! We ran lots of errands and decided it was finally time...the mullet had to go! I had put it off long enough. I just loved the fact that his hair would curl up in the back, but he had wings on the side, and it was just out of control. So, we took him for his first haircut. He did GREAT!!! He was so still and sweet! He did check her out a couple of times. It was like he was thinking, "what are you doing to me?" He looks so handsome now and still has some curls!

Christmas 2008

2009-01-17T08:11:00.001-08:00

Christmas was so much fun this year!!! We had sooo much going on between parties and family time. I always get so sad when it is all over. I was able to have a good bit of time off, which was great since Brian was off for 2 weeks. We celebrated Christmas Eve at our house with the Beazleys. Brooks absolutely LOVES being around his cousins. He squealed and ran around the whole time. Joanna, Sam and Jack are so sweet with him. This time next year, Brooks will be showing Sadie (my niece who will arrive next Thursday!) the ropes. We had a wonderful time and ate A LOT! On Christmas day, Brooks opened his presents from Mommy and Daddy and found what Santa brought him. He was so sweet opening his presents. We headed to Philadelphia that afternoon and stayed for a couple of nights. I'm not sure that Brooks stopped the entire time that we were there. Nana and Pop had tons of toys for him, and as always he loved chasing the dogs around. More fun times and lots of GREAT food!!! Brian and I are so very blessed!

Pajama day at school

Christmas Eve
Jack filmed the night...I'm sure that will be interesting to watch!

He loves his drums!

My precious parents

Having a blast with Joanna and Sam

Having so much fun in the City of Lights!

He ran and ran and ran...he didn't even want to stop for a picture with Mommy.

My boys!

Lots of laughing!

The family picture...FYI is was hot this night!

Christmas morning

He was excited about his Fridge DJ...he is the funniest little thing when he dances!

Carefully opening his presents

The 4-wheeler! He got the hang of it right off the bat!

His cars...he immediately pushed them around and said, "Vrrroooom!"

Dancing on his 4-wheeler to Carols by Candlelight

Posing in his pjs at Nana and Pop's
Mowing the grass in the kitchen

Fascinated by Nana and Pop's tree

Reading with Daddy

Thanksgiving 2008

2009-01-17T07:25:00.001-08:00

I know, I know...I'm terrible. I'm just now posting holiday pics. Since baseball has begun, I don't have a lot of blogging time. Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving. The first couple are of Brooks' Thanksgiving party at school. I really enjoyed getting to see him playing with all his little friends at school. They just ran around in circles after they ate all those sweets! Brian's cousin Laura Leslie hosted Thanksgiving again this year. The girls beat Jon and Shane in soccer. That was fun to watch! It was a great time and fabulous food!!!

With Bobby, Pam, Jon, and Brandy

Scott, Laura Leslie, Rachel, Anna Claire and Hannah Kate
Kyra, Shane, Ally Grace and baby Lee Katherine (in Kyra's belly)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T07:52:00.000-08:00

Hats

2008-12-18T23:14:00.000-08:00

One night when Brian was at a football game, Brooks and I were playing in his room. He found the drawer with all his hats, so we had to put them all on.

However, this is the only one that made him cry (MS State)...sorry Pop!

Mommy Turns the Big 3-0!!!

2008-12-18T22:40:00.001-08:00

I turned the big 3-0 a week and 2 days after Brooks' birthday! You would think that I would have had as much fun as I could during the last few days of my twenties. That I did...Brooks' first week of his second year and the last week of my twenties was revolved around changing diapers!!!! And I mean, A LOT of them! Brooks got ROTAVIRUS (yes, he got the vaccine)! It was awful...I felt so sorry for our sweet angel. Thankfully, it ran its course, and he was all go for the weekend. Brian is the best gift giver and so thoughtful! He surprised me with Sugarland tickets (love, love, love them!!!!). The concert was awesome! Brian even enjoyed it, and he is not that much of a country fan! That Jennifer Nettles is one cool chic! And...after church the next day, Brian invited several of my friends over for a little surprise party! I honestly had no idea...it was great!!! Brian and my girls did a great job of planning and cooking some great treats! Thanks honey! It was a great weekend, which was a good thing because Sunday night I spent up all night sick! I caught the ROTA! so, my actual bday and several days afterward were quite miserable!

Jack insisted that we put all 30 candles on...

Monkeying Around for Brooks' Big Day!

2008-12-18T21:50:00.001-08:00

Brooks' first birthday party was a ton of fun! We were so glad to spend his special day with our friends and family! He loved his birthday cake and has been a chocoholic since! He gets that from his Mommy for sure!

Been Too Long!

2008-12-18T21:36:00.001-08:00

Yes, we are still here! Between the rotavirus, having a couple of ear infections, tubes, the computer being down for a couple of weeks and the holidays, I have been terrible at keeping our blog updated! I'm going to spend the next few days trying to catch up. To start from the earliest, our sweet angel turned one! I'm honestly not sure at all about where the time went! As sad as I am that it is going by so quickly, I am loving this fun time with him. The boy is such a hoot! We are so very blessed in life and thank the Lord every day for the amazing family and friends that we have! Brooks is truly the light of our life, and Brian and I look at each other every day and talk about how much we love him! We are so grateful that he is such a smart and healthy little boy! At his one year checkup his statistics were: 23 pounds (55 percentile) and 30 3/4 inches (75 percentile)...such a big boy!

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!

2008-11-08T06:14:00.001-08:00

Our little angel is ONE today!!! I can't believe that this year has gone by so quickly! Our lives have been so blessed by this amazing little guy! I still get butterflies each day on my way to get him at daycare because I can't wait to wrap my arms around him! This time last year, Mommy was beginning to feel some serious pressure...fortunately, it didn't last long! You were just so ready to join us! You haven't slowed down since!

Welcome, sweet angel!

You stole your Mommy's heart immediately...

His first birthday morning...

He has been very busy this morning...always on the go!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

We hope everyone had a fabulous Halloween!

More pictures to come...

The Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

Mimi, Eileen, Jack, Brooks, and I went to the pumpkin patch today, and we had a GREAT time!!!! It was a perfect day to be outside! We rode on a hay ride that took us around the farm stopping to see the deer, Zedonk (mix between a zebra and donkey...really), goats, donkeys, cows, catfish, and ducks. Each time we stopped, the driver fed the animals. Brooks was zoned into everything and took it all in. He stood up in the trailer putting his little hands on the rail watching and then bounced and clapped his hands in excitement. It was too cute! Jack loved seeing the animals, too. When we stopped at the cows, one of them had to go tee-tee. Well, when you gotta go, you gotta go. Jack was wondering if it was tee-tee or milk. When he figured which one it was, his response was, "Yuck!" Then, another little boy around his age yells, "We didn't have to see that!" Kids are so funny! After all the animals, we headed on to pick out our pumpkins. Brooks carefully walked through all the pumpkins patting them, trying to pick them up, and sitting on them. He finally found just the right one! I was disappointed that they didn't have any small enough for him to pick up, but he sure had a great time attempting! There was an area with a rope swing, a hay slide, and a hay maze for the kids to play in next to the patch. Brooks watched everyone playing on the swing and slide so intently, but it was the maze that he wanted to try. Finally, we got back on the trailer and headed back to the parking area. There were several places to take pictures, so we attempted to get a couple of these very active boys! We all had a blast!!!!

They were very interested in what the woman with the megaphone had to say!

Again, they are more interested in what the guide was saying...

Brooks worked up an appetite while we were out and found his crackers...I think he got more on the floor than in his mouth!
But, the sweet boy helped me clean it up!

It's Official

2008-10-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Well, no more fooling around...the boy is officially walking. He mastered taking several steps at a time a couple of weeks ago and hasn't slowed down since. I can't believe my baby boy can walk side by side with me now. It seems like yesterday when I was so excited because he rolled over. He is even trying to go up and down steps...the boy is fearless! Our lives have gotten a little more hectic, but when he walks towards me and throws those sweet little arms around my neck and squeezes tight, I absolutely melt!!! Check him out giving me a high five. His mommy taught him this!

Visitors

2008-10-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

Brooks had a fun day of visitors today! First, his cousins Hannah Kate and Anna Claire came by to play for a little bit while their Dad helped Brian. Brooks had so much fun playing with his toys and riding his "car" with them. He loves to give them kisses and gave them some high fives. Such sweet girls...

Just woke up...

Then, our friends Sam and Rachel and their little girl Kendall came over to watch football and cook out. Kendall is about 11 months older than Brooks, so they had a blast playing together today. They shared goldfish and toys, chased each other around, and even did some smooching!

What's this face?

Can you see the pattern here??? Brooks is a little kissing machine!! Needless to say, he was pooped and turned in early tonight. Thanks for lots of fun today girls!

Being Like Daddy

2008-10-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

He will pick up the remote control and point it towards the tv. He is zoned into Playhouse Disney here.

We went to visit Daddy at the field, and he got to play in the locker room. I have never seen so many dirty, stinky, sweaty things in my life...guess I better get used to it!

Just a few pictures of Brooks playing and snuggling with Daddy...

Daddy had to load his John Deere lawnomover (he's so proud of it!) in the trailer, so he thought that Brooks would enjoy riding with him.

So, he gets on with him...

Do you think that he liked it?

Oh yeah, he thought that he was tough stuff...

Again, he loves to be behind the wheel...

Lots of Birthdays!!!

2008-10-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Kelli Fisher, Logan Mayo, and Cullen McCain!!! Logan and Cullen...we hope that you have a great 1st birthday! Y'all are big boys now! Kelli, we had a GREAT time spending your 32nd birthday with you at the Buddy Walk today! What a great way to celebrate your special day...beautiful children and fabulous friends! There are pictures to come...

He's On the Move!

2008-10-05T21:39:00.004-07:00

Brooks is not one to stay in one place for long, so he's been working on walking for quite some time! He has mastered standing in one place for a pretty long while, so I think that he has finally gotten the confidence to strut his stuff! He really worked hard on it this weekend! Crawling is still his choice of getting around, but it may not be for long since he almost has this thing figured out!

And when he isn't working on it on his own, he is up pushing something around the house...first it was the diaper box, then his musical table, then the dining room chairs! So, I bought him one of those walker/rider combo deals about 3 weeks ago. He has put MANY, MANY miles on that thing.

Driving Machine!

2008-10-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

Look out Tony Stewart (I think that is who won Talladega)...here comes Brooks Hardy! This boy loves to get behind the wheel. Anytime we are close to the car, he tries to jump out of my arms to get to the driver's side. We were waiting for Daddy so he could watch the last couple minutes of the Colts game this afternoon to head to the fair, so I thought I would let him play at the wheel. He had me laughing so hard. Sometimes I think that he is an adult trapped in a baby's body. He is the funniest little thing! He was washing the windshield, turning on the blinkers and lights, and turning that wheel like he knew exactly what he was doing! So, I turned the radio up, and he started dancing. What a hoot!

As for the fair...this was about it. He loves to stroll and was amazed at all of the rides, but it was the people watching that was the best for all of us! Seriously...where do these people come from? I don't see them on a day-to-day basis around town! Brooks had more teeth than several of the fairgoers! So, this is pretty much the look he had on his face the whole time we were there...

Finally...the boy has some teeth!

2008-10-05T20:57:00.001-07:00

Brooks' first tooth popped through on August 22. Since then, he has gotten 3 more. His top 2 came in just in the last week and a half. He thinks he is something else now...biting into everything he puts in this mouth. Guess he takes after his Mommy...those top 2 are big ole choppers (thanks to the Moore side of the family!).

Madison Central Football

2008-10-05T20:28:00.001-07:00

Last week was Madison's first home football game, and they started it off with a bang by beating Clinton 51-14 on their new turf field. Brooks had such a great time at Meet the Jags that I thought we would try it out. He loved it!!!! I thought that he was going to get whiplash from popping that head around from one thing to the next. Football players, cheerleaders, the band, fans cheering...he just couldn't get enough! We headed back this past Friday night for Homecoming and are sure that we'll be catching some more.

What a lucky little guy!

They were watching the band go by. He loves the drums!
Just being sweet...

This is about as close as we got to the Jaguar. He just wasn't really sure about him!
This fence separated our chairback seats from the band. He spent the whole second quarter standing by this fence watching them and dancing. He loves to shake his booty anytime he hears music!
Flirting with some girls above us
Touchdown!

How Bout Them Dodgers!

2008-10-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

Well, the Los Angeles Dodgers have swept the Chicago Cubs in the divisional series. Daddy and Brooks decked out to support their Dodgers this week and are ready for next weeks' series to play for the National League Pennant. Brian has been a Dodger fan since he was very young. He remembers jumping up and down on the couch watching them win the World Series with Pop when he was 10. Now, he is glad that he gets to share his love for the Dodgers with Brooks. It has been 20 years since they have made it this far, so we are keeping our fingers crossed!

Daddy's ECCC Baseball Reunion

2008-10-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we headed to Decatur for the 10th year reunion of Brian's East Central Community College baseball team winning the State Championship. They were honored at Homecoming. Brian had a great time visiting with all his buddies and telling plenty of old stories. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures. Brooks and I enjoyed strolling around campus during the luncheon. We kept looking for that statue that Brian said that they put up of him...maybe we'll find it next time! Next, we headed on to Philadelphia to stay the night with Nana and Pop. As always, they showed us a great time!

He's pointing to Dodger in this picture. He was definitely more interested in the dogs than the picture taking!

Slumber Party with Jack

2008-10-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we headed down to Mimi and Dondaddy's for a slumber party with Jack (I'm still trying to catch up on my blogging...). Well, they had a big time! Jack is so loving, protective, and helpful with Brooks. He is going to be a great big brother! And Brooks watches every move that Jack makes and loves calling out his name even when he's not around!

What? I'm not up to anything? Clowning around
Jack helped wash Brooks' hair
He "worked" on Jack's bike forever
This stuff feels funny!

School Spirit...

2008-09-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

I came home from a Wal-Mart run a couple of Saturdays ago to find Daddy and Brooks showing their support for the Rebs to get ready for the game. Brooks looked too cute in his jersey and diaper! I just had to get in on it...

Baby Girl Beazley!!!

2008-09-23T21:39:00.000-07:00

We were SO excited to find out a couple of weeks ago that Brent and Eileen are going to have a baby girl!!!!! Jack (and Brent!) aren't really sure what they are going to do with a sweet little girl. The funny thing was that Jack wanted me to have a girl, but was determined that his mommy had a boy in her tummy. Once he got over the shock that he was going to have a little girl chasing him around, he decided to go ahead and name her...Stinker Racecar Beazley. I'm not so sure that Brent and Eileen are going for that, but in the meantime Stinker will be her nickname. We just know that she is going to be sweet, calm, and gorgeous like Eileen! We headed down to the Cotton Patch this past weekend to pick out her bedding, and it is going to be gorgeous! Eileen chose a red, brown, and cream color palette. It was so much fun! We can't wait to meet you Stinker!

Friends, Food, and what else...FOOTBALL!

2008-09-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

We cranked up the first NFL Sunday by having the Stan Fisher family over for a cookout. Brian set the TV up out back, and Kelli and I got the pool set up. We were so excited to see the babies splish and splash together. Brooks wasn't really excited about pool time that day...however, little Miss Kaylin had her a good ole time! She fell over a few times in the water but took it like a champ. She LOVED it! We hooked them up with a little mohawk hairdoo when they were in the pool. The funny part about it was that Kaylin's hair dried that way and wouldn't go down. Brooks cracks me up how he loves the ladies...he smooched on Kaylin over and over! And, I do believe that she didn't mind...she even leaned in a couple of times! Oh course, we could never get the cameras in time!

First College Football Weekend

2008-09-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

I worked all day the first college football Saturday but did make it home in time to scoop Daddy and Brooks up and head out to Brian's best friend Sam's house for Sam's birthday. Brian was very proud to walk in with Brooks decked out in his Ole Miss jersey (especially since everyone there was a State fan)! It was a fun night! Brooks had a great time watching Caleb and Jacob Clearman run around playing. He did some swinging, watched some football, and even ended the night playing a little Rockband. He slept like a rock on the way home!

What a Month!

2008-09-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am still a part of the blog world! I cannot believe that I haven't posted in a month!!! We have been extremely busy. September 15th (my biggest deadline of the year) has come and gone, and I am SO happy for that. I went a whole week without seeing him awake except for a few minutes a day...talk about ripping your heart out! It killed me! Then, Brian worked the Viking Classic for 7 days straight, and I crashed when Brooks did! So...I have a lot of catching up to do!

Hardy Look-alike Meter

2008-08-24T19:54:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family photos - Family name origins

Meet the Jags

2008-08-24T19:10:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday night, we went to cheer for Daddy at Meet the Jags. The gym was packed, so he was happy as could be looking at everyone. Although, the highlight of the night was when the band played. He absolutely loves music, and the louder the better! And as usual, he chimed right in talking and yelling away! We can't wait to go to a football game. We got to meet Carter Moody, who is a few months younger than Brooks. He is an absolute doll! They are going to have lots of fun growing up together! We were also excited to see his beautiful cousins Hannah Kate, Anna Claire, and Rachel. He loves to give them lots of wet kisses and then pull their hair. They are such sweethearts and let him do it! It is really funny watching him look at the twins. He looks at one and then the other with this really confusing look on his face.

The picture is a little fuzzy, but so sweet

Proud papas

Our Little Monkey!

2008-08-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

Bathtime is getting more and more interesting every day! Sitting still is extremely rare in our house, and bathtime is no different. When he finds something that he wants, he's going to figure out just how to get to it...it looks like we have a climber on our hands! He also loves playing with the cup we use to rinse him off with. I have to keep him from drinking his bath water. It's amazing the things that they catch onto.

Just a Swinging

2008-08-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

Brooks' sweet Aunt Eileen bought him a swing, so he could swing with Jack. As you can see, they had a great time...lots of giggling as usual!

Bad Hair Day!

2008-08-24T16:20:00.000-07:00

This is what we woke up to one day last week...

Working on a Couple of Teeth

2008-08-14T21:17:00.000-07:00

Food...a very important part of our day! Our little sweetie enjoys his baby food just like every little tot his age. Although, it's the "real food" he yearns for! He just watches us eat and licks his lips because he can't wait to eat "real food"! So, we were glad to see that it looks as if he might be getting some teeth afterall! The poor little guy has 2 on the bottom that are ready to break through any day now. He chews on everything in sight. He is always trying to get his bathcloth during bathtime, so I give him his own that I wet with cold water. He just sucks and sucks on it! Then, he takes turns chewing on each of his little squirties.

His conversations with the frog are the best!

What an arm!

2008-08-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

Brooks is only 9 months old, and he and Daddy are already working on his pitching! He absolutely loves throwing his ball. He will throw it, chase it, throw it again, and on and on forever! What is so funny is when you throw with him, and he gets so excited! We had to get it on video...listen to him squeal! Also, check out how he puts the ball in his left hand to throw it...we might just have a lefty on our hands! Look out Major League Baseball!

Waiting on Daddy

2008-08-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

Brian went to New Orleans this weekend for Cary Graeber's bachelor party (hopefully this will be his last!) Anyway, he called when he passed the Madison exit on the way home, so I told Brooks that Daddy was almost home. Just had to take a picture of his sweet self watching out the window.

Starting to feel better...Mommy's dancing always does make him giggle!

Happy Birthday Will!

2008-08-10T08:11:00.000-07:00

Will Atwood turns 1 year old today!!! We are SO UPSET that we missed your birthday party yesterday! Brooks is still trying to get over this stomach bug. We know it was wonderful! Robin emailed me a few pictures from the party, so I have attached a couple.

What a sweet boy!

Brooks and I are supposed to be right here with my girls!!!!

Where does the time go???

2008-08-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

Even though we didn't have a very eventful week, we did have one special day...Brooks turned 9 months old yesterday on 8/8/08! As much fun as it is to see him do new things each day, it makes me sad that he is growing up so quickly! I was going try and take a cute picture of him on his 9 month "birthday", but he ended his day in not a very pleasant way. He caught a little stomach bug! Poor little thing! He is much better today, but still pretty pathetic! He is taking a really good nap, so I hope that helps him feel better. I have attached a video of our little chatterbox from this week...he always has so much to tell us when he gets home from school everyday! From what we hear, he is quite the little Casanova! He has 2 beautiful little girlfriends...Lucy and Mollie. Their teachers call them the 3Musketeers because they are all over the place together getting into everything! He has even kissed both of them, which apparently he does often. His daddy is so proud! Oh, and Brooks wanted me to make sure and let y'all know that these aren't his only girlfriends. You special ladies know who you are, and he misses you dearly!

Neshoba County Fair '08

2008-08-09T13:15:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that this was my 5th fair! We had a wonderful time as always! Brooks was the best little guy ever...he really enjoyed all the people watching!!! Brian got to show him off to several friends for the first time. He is such a proud daddy! Nana and Pop made Brooks' first fair very special! They had everything a little boy needed, including a swing on the front porch and a little red wagon. The Hardys' dear friends Bro. Charles and Debbie Rodgers stay the week with us each year. Their daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter came for the weekend. On Sunday, we kids surprised Nana and Pop with a 40th wedding anniversary celebration with family and friends. Their anniversary was July 6th, so this was the perfect opportunity to enjoy some cake and ice cream with friends! The rest of the week, we did LOTS of eating and sleeping and plenty of laughing! We walked around the flea market, attended East Central Day and political speaking at the Pavillion, played with the animals at the petting zoo, rode the Carousel, watched the Miss Neshoba County Fair pageant and the Chuck Wicks concert, and did lots of visiting cabins. We can't wait for next year!

On the carousel...as you can see, he enjoyed the first round, then needed his daddy to pick him up for the rest.

Visiting the Allens

2008-07-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Kelli and I loaded up with Brooks and Kaylin and headed off to see Jennifer's new house in Hattiesburg. They built next door to her parents. The house is adorable, and Ethan has done some great landscaping! The babies had a great time together! Brooks and Lily chased each other around, and Kaylin just sat as content as could be and watched. Although, she did do lots of rolling around! We girls loved getting together, too. Funny how the conversations have changed in just a year! It was a great trip, and the babies were wonderful travelers. Looks like we'll have to plan more roadtrips!

Off to the Fair...

2008-07-24T20:16:00.001-07:00

Well, we're off to the Neshoba County Fair tomorrow afternoon. Brian went today to help his parents get settled in the cabin. So, I'm trying to get mine and Brooks things packed. I'm pretty sure that I've managed to get everything but the kitchen sink. I told Pam that they were going to have to add an extra floor just for Brooks' things! We won't have internet access, so I hope that I don't have blog withdrawals!!! We'll have lots of pictures to show next time!

Brooks says, "I'm ready!"...

Brooks Is So Excited...

2008-07-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

Because he has a little cousin on the way!!!! Brent and Eileen are expecting a little one in January, and we are so pumped! Jack is very happy about becoming a big brother, and we know that he is going to be great at it because he is so wonderful with Brooks. All is going well with the pregnancy, and Eileen looks great! 6 months and counting...

Tiny Dancer

2008-07-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

Tonight we were sitting around, and Brooks was having his snack. While I was looking at a webpage, a song came on that gave Brooks the giggles. So, I took him out of his highchair and brought him closer to the computer. He got so tickled and started bouncing up and down! The video isn't all that clear, but it was too cute to pass up. Looks like he got his moves from his Mommy!

Checking the Mail with Daddy

2008-07-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

Brooks always gets happy when Daddy gets home because he knows that it is time to go and check the mail. They do this each day. He is quite the little helper!

Daddy also wanted Brooks to show off his shirt. We are so excited that it finally fits. He wore it to school today to make sure that everyone knew that his daddy was the man! Thank you Uncle Brent and Aunt Eileen for getting this for Brooks. Now he and Jack can wear their matching shirts!

Our Little Talker

2008-07-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

If you have ever been around our little one, you know that he is quite the talker. We're still not sure where he got that from yet??? Ha! So, this is his new thing. He lifts his hands and just lets it all out! Brian calls him our little preacher.

Our 3rd Anniversary!

2008-07-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

Our 3rd wedding anniversary was Wednesday, July 16th. Even though the day itself wasn't that great since Brooks and I were sick and Brian was busy all day long, we still were able to sneak in a dinner out by ourselves the night before. It was great to just be able to sit and enjoy ourselves and laugh!

3 years ago

and today...
Our little family

Bad Week...

2008-07-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't posted in several days and for good reason...we have had a not so great week! Our sweet boy woke up Monday morning with 102 degree fever and feeling just down right miserable! So, we all know how it works at the doctor's office...you call at 8 a.m. and get in at 4:30 that afternoon. The verdict...strep throat! So, we were home with that most of the week. And as my luck goes, Brian had the Mississippi Coaches' Clinic the whole week! In addition to attending all the classes they had to attend 2 all-star games going on. And finally, to top it all off, I got a stomach bug on Wednesday, which happened to be our 3 year anniversary! One of the days we were home, I did get to get some laundry done. Brooks tried to help...

Becoming Such a Big Boy!

2008-07-09T19:39:00.001-07:00

Brooks turned 8 months yesterday, and we cannot believe how fast the time has gone by! We're scared that we'll blink, and he'll be graduating from high school. Each day is a brand new wonderful adventure. He is such a funny child...does something to make us laugh each day. He is quite the little monkey these days. We might just have a climber on our hands! He just can't sit still. He loves being on his feet, so it is so cute watching him boogie over to something and immediately pop up on his feet. Sometimes he lets go like he assumes that he'll just stand there. One of his favorite spots is the back door. He loves to look out the window!

Brian has picked him up from daycare the last couple of days, so it is always interesting to see what they are up to when I walk in from work. Today, he was in his high chair telling all kinds of stories and snacking on some banana puffs. He LOVES his puffs!

Bath Time

2008-07-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

Brooks loves bath time!!! As you can see, he is such a little monkey splashing around. I had to change clothes after his bath tonight because he got me soaking wet.

A Special Day Remembering Ben

2008-07-06T18:08:00.000-07:00

Today, we visited Salem Baptist Church in the Burnside Community of Neshoba County. It was a very special day...remembering the life of Brian's best friend Ben Myers. Ben's family held a Memorial for him. On July 9th, it will be 10 years since Brian and his best friend were involved in a tragic car accident coming back from getting things finalized on their rental house in Oxford. They were hit by a bus on the driver's side, and Ben was killed instantly. As you all can imagine, words cannot describe the pain that Brian has felt all these years. Even though I never met Ben, his amazing character and the influence he had on Brian is very evident. As hard as the day was on Brian, it meant so much to him to be there for himself and Ben's family. After church, we went to Nana and Pop's for a wonderful lunch and a good visit. Nana and Pop were so happy to see all the new things Brooks is doing.

Happy Birthday Dodger!

2008-07-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

Dodger turned 8 this 4th of July! Happy birthday Dodge!

4th of July

2008-07-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

Madison Central hosted its annual 4th of July Wooden Bat Tournament, which meant that Daddy spent every waking minute at the field. This is the biggest event of summer ball for them, but the best part of it is...IT'S OVER!!!! Daddy is finally through with baseball for the year!!!!!! We are so glad that he will be home each night to play with us...plus, he has lots of diaper changing to catch up on. Since Daddy was gone all weekend, we headed down to Crystal Springs for a day at Lake Copiah to play with his cousins. We found the perfect spot for our picnic and did lots of splashing around in the pool. He loves the water! Then, we headed over to Anna and David's for a fish fry. He didn't last too long because he was so tired from the day. What a great first 4th of July!

Happy 1st Birthday Lily!

2008-07-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

Lily Allen turned 1 year old today! Where did the time go, Jen?

So Much To Catch Up On!!!!

2008-06-30T22:58:00.000-07:00

It has been over 2 weeks!! In addition to Brian's baseball and cutting yards and my never-ending "stuff", we have been so busy lately that I haven't been able to keep updated. Here are some of the things that we have been up to...

New Things Each Day!

2008-06-30T22:39:00.000-07:00

It really amazes me how each day brings something new with Brooks! He is so mobile now and not afraid of anything!!! I'm the overprotective mommy following him around to make sure that he doesn't fall down or bump his head. He loves to be on his feet, so he pulls up on everything. He is working on cruising the furniture, too. He loves to talk and talk (poor thing...got that honest from Mommy and Daddy!). He also loves anything that he can bang and make noise. Coming home from daycare each day, we look forward to a small snack of banana puffs and juice. It is the sweetest thing watching him pick up those little snacks with those little fingers and put them in his mouth. My little guy is growing up too fast!!!!

Tomato Festival

2008-06-30T22:14:00.000-07:00

Being from Crystal Springs (once known as Tomatopolis of the World), you just have to experience the Tomato Festival each year! It would most likely be a completely boring event to you if you weren't from there, but it is just a great time to get to see those that you only get to see about once a year. This year was especially nice because I got to show off my little man! Friday night was BBQ and Blue Jeans, a charitable event sponsored by the Junior Auxillary. Anna, who chaired it once again this year, did a great job! Saturday morning started off with the kid's parade. Kelli and I "pimped out" Kaylin and Brooks' strollers with tomato paraphenalia. We brought up the caboose of the parade with the Herringtons...we got several laughs out of the morning! Then, we cruised around the flea market, which never appeals to me all that much!

Brooks' First Vacation

2008-06-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

At 4 a.m. on June 21st, we hit the road for Brooks' first vacation. We headed up to the Ozarks in Missouri to visit my family and do some good ole' rainbow trout fishing. I was surprised that it didn't take much longer than the average 6 hours to make the trip. Brooks was the best little traveler! The two carloads carried Mimi, Dondaddy, Brian, me and Brooks, Brent, Eileen, Jack, and our good family friend Matt. We stopped by Mammoth Springs, AR on the way up to see the ducks and take some pictures. We hit the Eleven Point River early Sunday morning and fished and played in the water and on the sandbar all day. That night, Uncle Randy (the best fishing guide in the world!) fried and baked our catches from the day! It was the best! When we weren't fishing, we were visiting with Grandmama and the rest of the crew. It is such a gorgeous part of the country and is very dear to my family's heart! It was a wonderful trip! Del, Ann, G'ma, Randy, and Wendy...thanks for the great hospitality!

Brooks and Lily's Playdate!

2008-06-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

On Friday, June 20th, we had a great visit from the Allens. Ethan was playing in the state tennis tournament here in Jackson, so Jennifer and Lily spent the afternoon at our house. This was the first time that Brooks and Lily could really play together since they are both mobile now. And boy, did they have fun! They were being sweet with one another one minute and bonking the other on the head the next. Lily was so funny all day...we kept making her make faces. We just laughed and laughed. It was a great visit! We can't wait to see them again.

Brooks Starts at a New School!

2008-06-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 16th was Brooks' first day at his new daycare. We have really been happy with everything and are looking forward to him enjoying many days ahead there. He has already found a little girlfriend there. She is such a cutie! His teachers say that he just chases her around and they play and giggle with one another. It's adorable!

Father's Day

2008-06-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Brian had a great first Father's Day! Brooks decided to wake up at 5 a.m. that morning, so he and I decided to do a little art project for Daddy's present. We got him a book on the L.A. Dodgers, so Brooks "signed" the inside cover with his sweet little handprint. The instructions simply said, "wash hands with a mild soap and water when finished with ink"...yeah, not so much. Poor little thing...I probably scrubbed his hands 5 times that morning. It was well worth it to see Daddy's face, though! Then, we went to church and came home to hang out all day. I had to do some serious cleaning since Brooks is all over the place, so Brooks and Daddy had some great special boy time. Nana, Pop, Uncle Jon, and Brandi came by to visit for a while. The boys took a good nap after that.

Mommy's Day Off

2008-06-13T22:28:00.000-07:00

I have reduced my hours at work and am only working 4 days a week now. Today was my second week with my new schedule. It was wonderful to be able to actually get through my long list of things to do. After all my errands, I picked Brooks up and we went to Wal-Mart. He LOVES Wal-Mart!!! It gives him the chance to people watch, which is one of his favorite things to do. We dropped off the groceries and headed over to Kelli's. Kaylin was going to try rice cereal out for the first time. She did great...made a few funny faces, but ate it all (well, what didn't end up on her face). Brooks is so funny with Kaylin. He wants to get to her every chance he can get. He already has several girlfriends, so I hope all his other sweet baby girls don't get jealous about his date today. He loves you all!

Kayin after cereal...look at those gorgeous blue eyes!

Looks like he is giving her some advice!Oh, how sweet...kissing her hand!

He's moving now!!!

2008-06-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

People have been telling me these past few days...pack up all your nice things! He is crawling all over the place and pulling up on the furniture now. As excited as we are, this overprotective mommy won't be letting him leave her sight anytime soon. Guess it is time to do some serious baby proofing.

Getting To Know the Dogs

2008-06-11T21:48:00.001-07:00

Brooks has really become interested in the dogs the last few times he has been to Nana and Pop's. He just watches and watches them. Sometimes, he looks at them and just laughs. Here are a couple of picture of him with Dodger.

Dodger giving him kisses

He isn't scared of them at all
Such a sweet boy!

He Crawled!

2008-06-11T21:29:00.000-07:00

He crawled for the first time last Friday night! He has been working on it so hard and actually took two "steps". He can already scoot all over the place, so we were really excited to see him move on all fours. He only takes a few "steps", but we are surely proud of his progress. He gets really frustrated and rocks back and forth when he is trying.

Here I Go! You are watching, aren't you?
Whoa! That was hard work!

Jack's 5th Birthday Party

2008-06-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

Jack (my nephew and Godson) turned 5 on June 5th. He had a really cool party with a huge water slide! Since Brooks couldn't exactly go down the slide, we got a "just his size" pool that he just loved. Everyone had a great time! Jack was the sweetest little thing...taking the time to thank everyone as he opened his gifts. It's hard to believe that he is going to school this Fall.

Brooks' First 7 Months

2008-06-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

Since I started this blog 7 months after Brooks was born, I'll catch you up on some of our favorite pictures from these last 7 months. He has been such a good baby! He is the happiest child and such a flirt! I can't believe how quickly time flies...

Robert Brooks Hardy

2008-06-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

Robert Brooks Hardy was born November 8, 2007 at 12:20 p.m. measuring 7 pounds 1 ounce and 20 inches long. He was good to his mommy by making her endure a very short labor. It was an amazing day!!!! We are so blessed!!!!

One day old

Just a couple hours old!

Coming to see Mommy for the 1st time

Here Goes...

2008-06-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've decided to start a blog...it is just such a great way for everyone to keep up with what is going on with us. I hate that I didn't get this started earlier when Brooks was born...better late than never. Here goes!