Alex's Xmas Pictures

From Alex Xmas Shoot

Future Home???

From Future Home

Could this be our future home? Tisha and I are looking at homes in Middletown, Delaware.

Swim Class

Here are a couple of videos from Alex's swim class.
We may have a future Michael Phelps on our hands.

My Senator Biden Story

My Sen. Joe Biden story begins with a field trip to DC in 1994. I was in 8th grade at Talley Junior High at the time. During the question and answer session of Sen. Biden's presentation, I raised my hand and asked a question. I cannot remember what question I asked but I do remember stuttering a little bit. I have struggled with a speech impediment all of my life but something compelled me to ask a question that day. After answering my question and few others, Biden pulled me aside and asked for my name. Sen. Biden then told me that he used to stutter as a kid but never let it interfere with his life goals. In fact, Sen Biden added that he would purposely seek public speaking opportunities (such as acting in plays) to force himself to speak in public. About a week later, I received a letter from Sen. Biden urging me to remember our conversation about stuttering and being respectful to others. I really took Sen. Biden's words to heart the following year when I entered The Tatnall School as a freshman and ran
for class president. I won the election and basically served as class president all through high school and college (Ursinus College), giving countless speeches and a few sermons (M.Div from Harvard Divinity School) along the way. From that day forward, I casted away my worries about stuttering and basically crafted my entire adult life around public speaking. Today, I type this email as a Assistant Attorney General in Delaware.

-As quoted in The News Journal August 29, 2008.

Alex's Photo Shoot

Click above to see more

Alex's Nursery

Click on the picture to see more of Alex's nursery

Law School Graduation Party

Click above to see more

Special thank you to my in-laws for the wonderful graduation party last week.

Studying for the DE Bar Exam

I am totally consumed by the Bar exam. Please excuse me if I fall behind with the blog.

Mother-Daughter Banquet

Click above to see more pictures

Every Mother's Day, First Baptist Church has a dinner for Mother's where the men in their lives dress up in order to serve them a great meal. Since Tisha has either been in college or in Boston, she have not attend a Mother-Daughter Banquet in over 10 years. This year was extra special because her family had 5 generations represented at the banquet. We'll try to add another daughter into the mix in the future.

Moms receive flowers during the church's Mother's Day service.

Alex's First Trip To DE/PA

Click above to see pictures of Alex in Delaware

Click above to see pictures of Alex in Allentown

Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church

Click on the picture to see more of Clarendon Hill

I know that I made the comment last year that Tisha and I were looking for a church but the funny thing is that the church we were looking for was right under our noses.

Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church is a lovely place full of wonderful people. I interned there while I was at Harvard and quickly developed a mentor/mentee relationship with the pastor, Rev. Karl Gustafson.

Moving Day

Last picture in front of our Medford home

The Brooks' are moving to Delaware!

Special thanks to my parents, Uncle Marshall, Nate and Claudia for their help.

We had some issues with the Pod and getting a permit but it finally came around 3:30pm.
The Pod finally came around 3:30pm and and we hit the road for DE at 7pm.

Lessons from Red Sox Nation

Although I said that I wouldn't mix Red Sox stuff with this blog, I had to write about the mother that I met during the Sox game tonight. As we were sitting there between innings, I started talking about my son and how I wanted to bring him to the game tonight. She asked how old he was and I told her that he was a little over 2 months. Then she told me to enjoy this time because they grow so quickly and to always remember that when children are small; they only have small problems. It was very reassuring to hear her words because as new parents, everything seems larger than life to Tisha and I. If Alex doesn't go to sleep then we make a big deal out of it. If Alex spits up on his clothes then its another big deal. However, this mother of two, was telling me and probably all new parents, to realize that in the beginning all of the problems that arise are usually minor. "Just wait until they get older," was what she continually said. Parents of teenagers have tons of issues and problems to deal with (such as underage sex to underage drinking) on a daily basis. Thus, it is in this context that the thought of a dirty diaper leaking onto a new outfit doesn't seem to warrant such a big commotion anymore.

Trial Practice

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to conduct a mock murder trial in Suffolk Superior Courthouse in Boston and it was awesome. My partner, Julie Endy, and I were defense attorneys for a police officer who allegedly shot his girlfriend in the vestibule of a cafe. I was extremely nervous but once I made my first objection, everything just came together. My objection was sustained and from then on, it was no stopping us. I'm especially proud of myself for conducting a good cross of the lead investigator in the case. In class, I had a hard time adding new information to my cross examination that was not already written down in my notes. This means that although I would listen intently to the direct examination of a witness, if that witness said something totally wrong, I would fumble and bumble trying to draw it out in my cross, especially if it wasn't expected or in my notes. However, on Tuesday, I found the right words and the right rhythm to tear the witness apart.

My closing argument was a thing of beauty. The judge loved it.
Click here to read my closing argument.

Overall, I really enjoyed this class. As a future prosecutor, I'm going to live in the courtroom. And although I still have a long way to go, I'm now confident enough in my ligation skills that I know I won't embarrass myself in a courtroom (to a certain extent).

No Mixing

After the realization that I've been posting a lot of baseball info over the last few weeks, I decided to start a new blog that would be dedicated to my favorite team, the Red Sox. I can't promise that I won't mix Red Sox stuff with this blog but I will try my best to keep them separate. Click here to check out the new site.

Plus, in light of graduation and moving closer to family, I've been wondering about the future of this blog. The main purpose of the blog was to keep family and friends updated on my life in Boston but since I'll be closer to them then ever, I wonder if this blog still be of any use.

Well, at least Alexander can look back at the early stages of his life with one click of a button.

Alex Dancing

Alex loves the Curious George Soundtrack!

Red Sox Playdate

From Red Sox Playdate

Thanks Courtney for hosting a Red Sox Playdate on Sunday. Courtney is a fellow law student at BC and we became pretty good friends over the last 3 years. Since Courtney and her husband, Josh, are also Red Sox fans and new parents, we decided to schedule a playdate this weekend to watch the ball game on TV.

P.S,
The Red Sox won with a unbelievable come back in the 8th inning to win 6-5.
I know I always talk about Jacoby Ellsbury but I'm really impressed with Dustin Pedroia's skills.

Mommy and Alex

From Mommy and Alex

Tour of Fenway

From Sox and Son

The Brooks family took a tour of Fenway for my 28th birthday and it was great. Although we didn't get to go on the field, it still was a awesome experience. We got to sit on top of the Green Monster as well as listen to some great stories about Red Sox history. One of the highlights of the tour came during the Q&A session when I asked the tour guide about Pesky's Pole. When the tour guide responded, "Great question. I forgot to mention it," it made me feel like a true Red Sox fan.

p.s.
I was also the only one in the tour group that knew retired number 42 belonged to Jackie Robinson. His number is retired in all of baseball.

Mommy and Me Class

From Mommy and Me ...

This week marked the end of Tisha and Alex's "Mommy and Me" class. The class was held at Isis Maternity, which is a mecca for new mothers in Arlington, MA. The combination of a comfortable environment mixed in with a great deal of parental support made Isis a wonderful resource for us.

Smiles All Around

The heartbeat sound in the background is from our Baby Sound machine.

I Love This Kid

Click above to see more pictures

I love how Tisha and I wake up every morning and talk about how much we love Alex.

Scholarship 'R Us

God is really smiling on the Brooks family! I just found out that I won the Edward T. Bigham Scholarship.

The Edward T. Bigham, III, Scholarship. This $4,500 scholarship was established in memory of Edward T. Bigham, III, (BC ‘75, BC Law ‘78) who served as an Assistant District Attorney in Massachusetts. It is to provide financial support to an outstanding third-year student who intends to pursue a career as a district attorney.

Plus, I finally finished the Delaware Bar Application. All I have to do is put it in the mail tomorrow and I am another step closer to becoming a lawyer.

April Showers

April is an extremely hectic month. I'm trying to wrap up my final year BC Law (which is currently ranked #26 in the country) , prepare to move to Delaware, and finish the DE bar application all in the manner of a few weeks. Luckily, I have Tisha and Alex to keep it all in perspective. By the way, Alex is growing up so fast. He outgrew some of his sleepers this week and is becoming more interactive with his surroundings (My boy is wicked smahhht. Tisha said that he was swinging his arms today like a pitcher but I think Alex is going to be an outfielder, like his father. I just have to sit him down to watch some old clips of Ted Williams and maybe he could become one of the greatest players to swing a bat (A father can dream, right?).

Father and Son Playtime

Video of me playing with Alex

Baby Massage

Video of Tisha giving Alex a baby massage.

Follow the Grammy

Here is a video of Grammy and Alex interacting with each other.

Manny being Manny

Manny Ramirez is in for a monster year in '08 and I have front row seats to all the festivities. Well, actually, I still deciding whether to buy tickets this year (over priced on Stubhub.com because every game is sold out) but in the meantime, I can listen to games online on mlb.com.

More importantly, I decided to take Alex on a Tour of Fenway Park for my birthday. I think you get to walk on the field and see the inside of the Green Monster. I'm so excited!

Tigger Brooks

Click above to see more pictures

Since he loves to bounce to much, I'm officially nicknaming my son Tigger. Bouncing seems to be one of the only things that soothes him.

Happy Easter

Click above to see more pictures
From the Brooks Family

Grandparents Callery

Click above to see more pictures

Tisha's parents came up for Easter Weekend and they were a blessing. Once again it got us thinking about all the wonderful benefits of living closer to family.

So Cute!

Click above to see more of Alex

Gammy and Pop Pop Callery are in town so be on the look out for more pictures.

Tummy Time Part 2

Sox and Son

I can't wait to take my son to a ball game at Fenway Park. I wasn't a big fan of baseball coming out of college but I absolutely fell in love with the Red Sox when I moved to Boston. They lost that year in the playoffs to the Yankees (2003) but I remember feeling complete solidarity with the city as The Curse seemed to loom even heavier over the team. It truly seemed that the Red Sox may never get over that hump. I remember the endless conversations in Harvard's Mailroom about the Sox and how some of them felt that the team may never win the big one in their lifetime. Fortunately, the team won the following year and the city went bananas. The Patriots also won that year but the Red Sox win was much much sweeter.

Since the Red Sox won last year, (click to see victory parade) tickets are almost impossible to get. I waited in a virtual chatroom for 10 hrs in hope of some tickets to see a game on my birthday and by the time it was my turn to buy tickets, the only seats left had obstructed views.

Well, I may not get to see another game before I leave Boston, but I will definitely bring Alex to see a game at Fenway in the future. Since he was born in Boston (Cambridge to be exact), I will definitely teach him about Red Sox history and hopefully he'll develop a appreciation for the Sox just like his good' ol dad.

Swing Swing Swing

Click above to see a video of Alex finally enjoying the swing.

Limited Edition

Here is a picture of a wristband we had specially designed to celebrate Alexander's birth. It has his name on the front and his life verse on the back. His life verse is a biblical passage that we hope will guide him through life and provide him comfort in times of need. We chose Psalm 37:23-24 which reads,

If the Lord delights in a man's way,
he makes his steps firm;
though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

Tummy Time

Click above to see a video of Alex practicing Tummy Time.

Mother and Son

My Family

Grandparents Brooks

Click above to see more pictures

My parents came up to visit this past week and they were a blessing. I now realize how important it is to have family close by when a baby arrives.

Tisha's family is coming up in a few weeks, so we're looking forward to another visit from the newly grandparents.

Ready for My Closeup

Click above to see more pictures.

Fatherhood

I love being a father. Everyday as I learn more and more about Alex, I'm also learning a great deal about myself. For starters, I learning that I can operate on half the amount of sleep than what I'm use to getting. But, more importantly, I learning that although I don't know a lot about babies, I do have what it takes to be a good father. Love, understanding, and patience are some of the key qualities that a father should possess and as of day 4, with the help of God and my wife, I am on my way to becoming a good father.

First Night Without a Call Button

Click above to see more pictures

We survived the first night. I guess sleep is now a thing of the past.

1 Minute and Counting

Here is a video of Alex exactly one minute after birth. I'll post more videos in the future.

Home Sweet Home

Click above to see more pictures

After receiving a clean bill of health from the hospital, Tisha and I took our little bundle of joy home for the first time. Life will never be the same (in a good way)!

Bringing Alex Home

Click above to see more pictures

Today is the day we bring Alex home.

New Beginning

Click above for more pictures

It feels as though somebody pushed the reset button on my life. Everything up to this point was B.C. (before child) but now its all about Alex. All that I've ever done or accomplish up to this point has been moving me towards this moment...

Last night, the dirty diapers just keep on coming but overall it was a pretty quite for Alex. He is such a blessing!

Alexander Grant Brooks

Today at 4:20pm Alexander came into the world and Tisha and I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful baby. He barely cries and is highly attentive to our voices. Thank you so much for your prayers!

Weight: 7.14lbs
Length: 19 3/4 inches

I will post more pictures in the morning but for now you can click on the link below to see a few pics.
http://bc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2118640&l=671fa&id=1619261

40 wks and counting...

Babymoon

Yesterday, Tisha and I decided to go on our babymoon. Babymoon is like a honeymoon, where you celebrate the passing of one phase of your life into another. Since Alexander is clearly on his way, Tisha and I wanted to go out and celebrate one more time before he gets here. After sending some time talking, Tisha and I pulled out our scrapbook (which documents our dating years,) and capped off the day with a nice evening in Harvard square. We eat dinner at John Harvard's and had good time chatting about what the future might bring for the Brooks family.

One of the highlights for the evening was walking past the "Spare Change" newspaper guy in the the square. He always have something nice to say and usually brings a smile to everybody who walks past him, even if you don't buy a paper. Well, last night, as we walked past him, he turned around and said to you us, "Oh, your having a boy? And as I turned to give him a smile, he replied, "I bet your happy!" I'm really going to miss this place.

Here is a nice article about the "Spare Change Guy" in Harvard's newspaper.

Ph.ds and Mommy-to-be

Click above to see more

Special thanks to Amy and the wonderful women of Tufts English Ph.d program for the great baby shower.

Almost Time

Click above to see more

Let the countdown begin...

Paintballin'

Knowing that once Alexander comes into the world, my access to the outside world will be limited, I decided to hang out with my law school friends this weekend. On Friday, I went to
Joshua Tree (Sports Bar) with the black males at BC Law and got a chance to meet some of the 1Ls, chat with the 2Ls, and reconnect with some of the graduates. I really had a good time and I hope we can make this outing a regular event.
Yesterday, my law school buddy, John Condon, had a bachelor's party at Boston Paintball and it was a blast. John and I were in the same section during 1L year and we sat next to each other in Corporations. More importantly, John was the only one who showed up to all of the softball games when I was the captain this past fall. Now that's loyalty.

Tisha's Office

Click above to see more.

Since last semester was Tisha's final year of teaching freshman English at Tufts, I decided to take some pictures of her office.

4 Weeks and Counting

Click above to see more pictures

Tisha and I have been working very hard to get everything for Alexander arrival. All of Alex's first tier clothes are washed and Tisha nicely organized the closet and caddies over the past week.

Snowing Again

After a few minutes of pondering whether I should go to school or not, I decided to stay home. A quick flash back to two years ago, when it took me 3 hours to drive home from BC, tipped the scales to the staying at home side. Besides, I don't want to be three hours away if I am needed by Tisha and Alexander.

Last Semester Ever?

After two and half year of surviving law school, I'm finally starting my last semester at BC law. Since Alexander is arriving in a month (or sooner), I trailered my schedule to maximize my time at home and minimize my time at school. I'm only on campus 3 day of the week this term, which leaves me plenty of time to bond with Alex and give Tisha a rest from all of the duties that comes with a new babies. This semester I'm taking Constitutional Law 2, Employment Discrimination, Marriage: Law and Theory, and Trial Practice. I'm thrilled about all of my classes but I'm really excited about Trial Practice. As a prosecutor in Delaware, I'm going to live in the courtroom. Litigation skills is a must in the kind of law I want to practice so I decided to get a head start by taking the Trial Practice class. It should be interesting.

10 years ago

This is going to be one of those years where everything changes. From the birth of Alexander to the pressure of starting my first real job, 2008 is going to bring many new challenges to the Brooks family. Tisha and I have been steadily getting ready for Alex's arrival and we pray everyday that we have a healthy delivery and a healthy boy. This is also my final year in law school so I'm counting down the days until I walk across the stage with a juris doctorate in my hand. 10 years ago, if you asked me where do I see myself in 2008, I probably would have said practicing medicine somewhere. Around this time in 1998, I was a senior at Tatnall and probably gearing up to go to Elon College in North Carolina. It's funny how one year can completely set you on a different course in life. By the end of 1998, I was attending Ursinus College, dating Tisha, taking a class with Rev. Rice, and dreaming of attending Harvard Divinity School before making my way to law school. I look forward whatever surprises are in store for 2008.