A Nick @ Night Special

Before I get to the special, here's what blogging looks like @ our place now:

Brookston and I

Okay, and now to the Nick @ Night Special:

Ever since we've been home with the boys Nick has added a new show to his late night line-up. A few nights ago I woke up to Nick sitting up in bed feeling all over in the sheets. I asked him what he was doing, and he replied "I can't find it."
"Find what?" I responded.
"The baby" He says matter of factly.
"What do you mean?" I ask, unaware as of yet that he's asleep.
"I... I can't find the baby in the bed."
"What?" (I'm still getting used to this new sleep talking thing)
"The baby that we're feeding -- I can't find him."
Finally I realize I'm viewing the new Nick @ Night special. "Nick, we're not feeding the babies right now."
"I know. Because I can't find it." He says, still searching about, this time he's feeling my arm and shoulder.
I started to laugh, I couldn't help it. This seemed to frustrate him a little, and he continued feeling around the sheets. "Nick, you're asleep. There's not a baby in the bed." He pauses for a moment...
"There's not?"
"No, you're asleep." It took some more convincing and he finally laid back down.

I knew I was seeing a new Nick @ Night special when the next night I again woke to Nick groping at my shoulder. "Nick?" I ask.
"Yeah?" he responds.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to find the baby, do you have him?"
I start laughing immediately. "No, love, I don't have the baby."
At this point I notice that Nick is tenderly holding his pillow in his arms. As I watch he lays it down on the bed and slowly begins swaddling it in the sheets. I couldn't stop laughing long enough to tell him he was asleep this time. Finally, once I had control of myself, I told him "That's not a baby, Nick. It's your pillow. He stopped for a moment, looking slightly confused. "It's your pillow", I say again, "Just lay your head down on it, Love."
After a moment he did so and asked why I was laughing.

Ahhhh, what an awesome guy.

Nick

So I was talking with an old friend of mine that hasn’t been able to meet Nick and she asked “What is Nick like? Describe Nick.”

I thought I'd make a blog entry for you Katie, and anyone else who cares to get to know Nick Empey a little bit better:

Nick MP

(I'll get the cheesy-ness out of the way here and now and say that this smile was a
huge culprit in my falling in love with this kid. Okay I'm done, no more smooze.)

Well, to start off, today I came out to the front room to join Nick for breakfast where I found him sitting at the table in front of a heaping bowl of cereal and I heard him saying quietly (and rather seriously) to his frosted flakes “frosted stake claimers.”

Nick reads his scriptures at breakfast.

Nick can hear just about any song once and be able to recreate the guitar line in a few moments. He also has mad rhythm and can play the drum line of just about anything too. At a Rock Band party we had here where 40+ year olds were wandering around dressed up as famous rockers, Nick played the drums on expert and scored 100%. Nick didn’t have to dress up. He wore the usual, and looked like a member of an indie rocker band. (Combine that with our friend who sang 100% on “What You Want” by the Beastie Boys and we swept the competition.)

Right now as I’m writing this I’m listening to the Weakerthan’s Night Windows and Nick has stopped reading his “catalytic strategies of self cleaving ribozymes” essay and is currently beating out the drum line on his air drums. His hair is a little crazy right now too, he hasn’t showered yet. Check out his website, here.

Nick rarely ever complains. I mean, I could honestly say that he never complains, but I'll avoid extremes.

Nick crochets.

Nick holds babies in style:

Nick break dances.

(couldn't find a picture, but let me tell you -- he does.)

Nick is an amiable sort of fellow. Completely genuine -- the only kind I could fall in love with. He's non-confrontational, but sure of his beliefs. He doesn't get upset very often. And I joke that when he's stressed out no one knows, sometimes he doesn't even know. Life goes on like normal, but he might stay up until 5 or 6 in the morning finishing something rather than staying up until 2 or 3 (his usual bedtime). That's when you can tell...maybe.

He's clever and makes me laugh often. For a science kid he has an excellent vocabulary. But I taught him defenestrate.

Nick always helps me with dinner.

Nick loves the game Risk. I don't.

I've also noticed uploading these pictures that Nick always wears the same shirt. =) He is thrifty and enjoys an adventure out to the local thrift shop. But he also has no problem making big purchases if the item is necessary and he's researched a lot about it.

Nick loves nature.

He likes to go on walks, insists on going outside on nice days, and gets excited about bugs like a little kid would. I've often had to slow up while he stoops over and prods at a random insect he's seen. It's endearing. He likes to play frisbee.

One time Nick grew out a beard.

Nick is so so so patient. Being a not so patient person myself I have learned a lot from him. He's patient with people, but also with things. He will spend hours looking on-line for fixes to problems that I've given up on hours ago. He will untie the craziest knots for me and never gets frustrated. ( I have this problem of getting my pant drawstrings tied in knots and going a little crazy when I have to go to the bathroom and can't get my pants, um... you know, ...down...ANYWAY...)

Nick is socially capable but does not require a whole lot of attention. He invites people over to dinner. He communicates well and cares how people feel but doesn't obsess over how they feel. Nick likes Swedish Fish.

Well, I'm sure I could say more, but that's a good beginning.

Nick rocks.