Author: Nick

Nick https://papabrownie.wordpress.com I am first time parent and played the role of SAHD for the first six-months as a parent. From this point forward, I will be known as Papa Brownie.

To Find Out Or Not… That Is The Question

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One of our belly bump shots from the first time around with Sophia

One of our belly bump shots from the first time around with Sophia

One of the first questions expecting parents get asked, aside from the due date, is “are you going to find out the sex??”. It’s an interesting debate, both for the to-be parents, as well as for family members, friends, and those random belly-touching-strangers-you-meet-on-the-street (Sarah doesn’t understand why they keep touching MY belly). When we had Sophia, we found out what we were having. We found out, but only told our immediate family members what we were having. It came out at the baby shower that we were having a girl, but at that point, we were so close to the due date that we didn’t mind our cover being blown. Well we didn’t mind THAT much… Continue reading →

What to Expect When You Have No Idea What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Again

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Only child status ends soon...

Only child status ends soon… (shirt by ChicADeeEmbroidery)

There comes a time in almost every parents’ lives when they decide the time is right to increase the size of their family. Well, that time has come for myself, Sarah, and Sophia! That’s right, we’re expecting, again!

Baby Brownie number two, as he or she will be known for the time being, will be arriving somewhere around the first week of September. We don’t yet know the sex of the baby, but so far things are looking great. Sarah is feeling great so far, and again we’ve been blessed with zero morning sickness. None for her either… Continue reading →

Big Girl Bed or Bust? When’s the Right Time to Switch From a Crib

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Big girl bed or crib for this little cuddle-monkey?

Big girl bed or crib for this little cuddle-monkey?

Two of the best parts of my days are when Sophia goes to sleep and when she wakes up in the morning. Every morning while I’m getting ready for work, she wakes up and I hear through her door “Daddy! Come HERE!!” over and over until I walk in to pick her up and out of her crib. At night, I generally carry her to bed, with her head laying on my shoulder. Followed by a hug and a kiss and down into the crib she goes. It’s those little moments that make life as a parent pretty great. But, we now face ourselves with the decision of whether it’s time for the crib to go and move to the toddler bed. Continue reading →

Terrible Twos, I Think You Arrived A Little Early

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If you’re like me, then when you had, or have, your first kid, you told yourself that the terrible twos would never arrive for your sweet, little baby. And, if you’re like me, you would have been dead wrong. Dead.Wrong. I thought there was more time. I thought it wouldn’t

I don't trust you, snow. Not.One.Bit.

I don’t trust you, snow. Not.One.Bit.

happen, until, ya know, Sophia actually hit two! Nope. They seem to have arrived a little bit early.

It’s not that she behaves badly, it’s just that the reactions, and of course, overreactions have gotten a little over-the-top. She’s also not a fan of listening when we tell her not to do something. Then again, Sarah tells me I don’t listen, but I usually don’t hear her tell me because, well, I’m not listening…
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Do You Wanna Play Repeat? No, Do YOU Wanna Play Repeat…?

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What’ did you just say? Oh, well let me repeat that…

There comes a point in time when you have kids that you realize it’s time for you to really watch what you say. That point is NOW. When they say that kids are like a sponge and they soak up everything you say or do, they are correct (whoever “they” are, anyway). Having to watch what I say probably isn’t going to be an easy thing for me to do. I’m not gonna lie and say I don’t have a potty mouth. I do. Do I like the fact that I do? No, of course not. It’s a habit I’ve been trying to kick for a long time.  Continue reading →

Bring back that Christmas-y feelin’, whoa, that Christmas-y feelin’

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It’s crazy how Christmas can change for you as you get older. As a kid, Christmas is the

Sophia and I watching a special message from Santa

Sophia and I watching a special message from Santa

greatest day of the year, bar none. Even when you forget that you’re supposed to be grateful for the things you do get and not complain about what you don’t get (like an Eagles hat your brother got… only to get the same hat later in the day… I’ll never live that one down). As you get older, into your teens and then into your 20’s, Christmas is basically a chance for you to ask for all the latest technology devices, video games, sports equipment, and clothes. Something seems to be missing from Christmas when you hit those ages. At least for me it did.

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Words, Words, Words

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“Do you understand the words that are coming outta my mouth?!” — Chris Tucker in Rush Hour

Learning to talk is a big deal. Heck, I’m 30 and I barely have a handle on the English

Sophia eating her ‘fren fwiiis’

language when I speak (and write…). So, needless to say, witnessing and helping Sophia learn to talk has been fun, awesome, entertaining, and sometimes, downright hilarious.

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Ex-Shoes Me?

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“Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.”                 — Marilyn Monroe

There’s just something about females and shoes that go hand-in-hand. Women, young or old, love shoes. I don’t know how to state it any more clearly than that. Yes, I’m sure that some women will say they don’t loveshoes, and that may be true, but that is more than likely a smaller percentage of the female population. Ladies, please don’t call me out on this and tell me I’m wrong. I’m not. Anyway, what’s the point of all of this? Ah, yes, the point.

Perhaps it hadn’t quite dawned on me just yet, or I’m in denial, but I didn’t think Sophia would become interested in shoes, just yet. Maybe wait until she’s, oh I don’t know, 10 or older. But, nope! My little lady has developed quite the shoe obsession, already… Continue reading →

The First Obsession… ELMO!

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Having a daughter, I knew it was only a matter of time before the first obsession reared its head. Little did I know how soon that first obsession would appear, nor did I think the first real name Sophia learned wouldn’t be any of her aunts or uncles names, or even the dog’s name. Nope, the first obsession and the first name she learned are one in the same. Sophia’s obsession, thy name be ELMO! Continue reading →

Who’s the Boss? Not Me… (or Tony Danza!)

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Growing up as a kid in the 80s, I was treated to what could be considered a great age in

The Boss

TV sitcoms– The Cosby Show, Who’s The Boss, Family Ties, Growing Pains… and the list goes on… Like many other people my age, I was a huge fan of The Cosby Show, and I honestly couldn’t even begin to count how many lines I quote from the show, but there are a lot. I’m pretty sure you’re sitting there right now, thinking to yourself, “Nick, is there a point to this??” Obviously, the answer is no, I just wanted to tell you what my favorite shows were when I was younger… Of course there’s a point! For whatever reason, and I don’t know remember the season or the episode name, (If I did, I’d have the clip and the full quote on here) one scene and conversation has always stuck out in my head. I mean, aside from the classic “I brought you in this world, and I’ll take you out!” The scene has Cliff and a soon-to-be dad, Mr. Lee, talking in his office. The conversation goes something like this:

Mr. Lee: “I’m an old fashioned guy. I want my wife barefoot and pregnant. My wife and that baby are gonna know.. I’M the boss.”                                                                                        Cliff: “Mr. Lee, I’m sorry, but you are not the boss.”                                                                  Mr. Lee: “Doc, I’m tellin you, I’m the boss!”                                                                               Cliff: “No, that BABY is the boss!” Continue reading →