Titus Christopher

 


Titus Christopher Brooks was born on April 2, 2013. Since I'm starting this blog now that he's almost 4 months old, I'll just share some pictures that we've taken since his arrival. What a blessing! We are so thankful for our happy healthy little guy! 

Titus is here!

Grabbing Daddy's finger

Home from the hospital...I think Chris was begging Titus to go to sleep here! 

Happy Grandparents!

Tummy time

When Titus was about 10 days old, we had some professional pictures done. We were really happy with how they turned out. Just a few are below... if you're in Southern California and have photography needs, check out Bellomo Studios. 

Ok, so let me explain the picture above. Titus was born with lots of really dark hair. I loved it! Long story short, Chris decided that 3 weeks old is an appropriate time for a baby's first haircut. For real. No lie. I literally walked into Titus' room and Chris was cutting his hair. Now most of you know I'm a pretty calm person. I was furious shocked ready to pack my bags speechless. As you can see from the before and after pictures, the change was drastic. I can laugh about it now. Thank goodness hair grows back!! Chris still claims that he doesn't understand the big deal, but has sworn to keep the clippers away from Titus until further notice. Whew. Moving on.....

Same baby, no new hair

When Titus was about 7 weeks old, he took his first trip! We flew from San Diego to St. Louis, then drove the 3 hours to Robinson, IL for Chris' youngest sister's high school graduation. Nick and Katie met us at the airport!! 

Titus with his Aunt Katie and Uncle Nick

While we were in Illinois, we got to see lots of our friends and family. My friend Molly is also a talented photographer. She took the next 3 pictures, along with many more!! We were so happy that Titus got to meet her son Greyson too! 

Mini versions of their dads!

Overall, we had a great time in IL. I was really nervous about the airplane.. not because I have a fear of flying, but because I was afraid Titus would scream the entire flight and we'd be hated by our fellow passengers. Chris is also a stressful difficult intense impatient traveler (he doesn't understand how people don't realize to take off their shoes, have their ID ready, remove ALL of their metal before going through security, etc. etc. etc.) So add the two together and you have one nervous wife/mama. I'm happy to report that I shouldn't have worried at all- Titus was quiet and happy for the majority of the travel time... and Chris was too! Hehe. 

Titus with his mom, grandma, and great-grandma in Marshall, IL.

All of this travel wears a guy out!

Aunt Katie

Uncle Nick made Titus this funny onesie. Any takers? He's tall, dark, handsome, and goes to church every Sunday! 

Jasmine got to come back to California with us after her graduation. Then, the day after she left, my mom came to stay with us for a few weeks. My maternity leave was ending, so she took care of Titus during the day while I was at work. The next pictures are just random shots from our every day life. Enjoy! Feel free to comment or send me a message! I'd love to hear from you.

In the car

Aunt Jasmine and Titus

Titus is getting some hair back (Praise God!)

Barnes & Noble date with mommy

All dressed up 

4th of July

My San Diego baby

Grandma and Titus

Sitting up

"Helping" daddy get ready for work

P.S. Those of you who know us well may have noticed that our crazy beloved dog is not in any of these pictures. I definitely have not forgotten about her... To me, there's nothing cuter than a baby and a dog together... so I've decided to dedicate a separate post to the craziness of the two! Coming soon. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

-Alison

Our Story

 Chris and I met at a basketball game. In high school. Circa 2001. 


Here are some early pics of us. You can laugh. I do! 

I'm pretty positive that this is our very first picture together.

I just can't caption this one. 

We go way back. :)

We have been together since I was 18.

We went to college together at Southern Illinois University. Chris graduated in 2006, me in 2008. Carbondale, IL will always hold a special place in my heart. 

Right out of college, Chris coached basketball at colleges in Illinois and Texas. I was still in school, getting my degree in special education. 

One of Chris' teams

Coaching in TX

Chris proposed to me in 2007 while I was visiting him during my Thanksgiving break from college. The team he was coaching in Texas was playing in Kansas. It was the perfect place for a proposal! I can't think of another time I've ever been to Kansas, but I will always think of it as a fine state! :) 

We're engaged!!!

In 2008, we moved to Chicago and got our first apartment.... Chris worked for a sports scouting agency and I my first teaching job with Chicago Public Schools.

We got married in March of 2009 in my hometown (hey hey Marshall, IL!)

In 2009 we moved from Chicago to Bloomington, IL. Chris took a job with State Farm Insurance and I taught at Bloomington High School. We bought our first house, got a dog, and met some of our favorite people! I fully expected to live in Bloomington for the rest of our lives. But.......

Our first house!!

Lexi as a pup

In 2011, Chris was given a great opportunity with his company to go to San Diego, CA. It was bittersweet leaving our Bloomington home but also an exciting adventure! I started working with a Charter School that serves mostly at-risk youth. It was crazy and scary moving across the country to a city where we didn't know a single face. But the thing is, there are wonderful people everywhere and we always seem to find them. 

On April 2, 2013 we were given our biggest blessing... Titus Christopher Brooks. 

Getting ready to head to the hospital

Happy Family

Tired Dad

Titus is here!

So, there's a (brief) summary of the last several years... it's been a whirlwind to say the least! While I couldn't have predicted the last 5 years, I'm super thankful for all of the experiences Chris and I have shared and for the amazing people that we've been blessed enough to meet. 

While at this point, I don't feel like I've stayed anywhere long enough to consider one place "home", each place we've been in holds a special place in my heart. Home is where the heart is, right? Each of these places are a little bit of "home" to me:

Marshall, IL

Carbondale, IL

Chicago, IL

Bloomington, IL

San Diego, CA

We'll see what the next 5 years brings!! 

About Me

I'm Alison.
Midwestern girl, currently residing in Southern California.

Wife of 4 years & new Mama.

Love my crazy dog.

Teacher by day -- I love my job, and the kiddos I work with.



I'm into food... I believe love is shown in the kitchen. 


Stay awhile, won't you?

-Alison