FAMILY FRIENDS AND FUN

Co. Springs with our friend Hunter!  One day Benjamin missed Hunter and no one came to the door when he knocked...So he found a key card on the coffee table and went to the door and started pounding against the metal lock...:)

Benjamin wasn't going down for his nap as well as normal, and this is what i found when I went to check on him.  He was having his own Toga party :)

Hanging out with Abby at our friends, Kat and Andy's wedding.

Exploring at the Reception.

Family of four :)

Having a blast with Uncle Warren!

Last minute photo shoot...sport'n the baby bump. :)

More last minute photos!

Trying out our first ever pool...Momma should have spent more than $5.00!

Home Again Home Again Jiggedy Jig!

Benjamin turned 1 yr old.  Then I blinked and now he's 13 months old.  I'm not sure how that happened.  Well, I guess I kind of now...most of that time Joel Benjamin and I were in the car.  

We first made a trip to Co Springs for a training summit with the Navigators.  The trip down was quite a bit different than our last 12 hr trip when Benjamin was 2 months.  Then, he slept, ate and poo-ed.  Not so this time!  He slept 1 1/2 hrs of the 12 hr trip but was surprisingly bearable. If I hadn't tried so hard to get him to sleep, I think would have been even happier, and I would have been far less stressed.  Our only bad break down came the last 1/2 hr of the trip.  But overall it went fast!

The week in the springs went fantastic.  Benjamin slept remarkably well.  We learned that rather than his soft Pottery Barn Blanket to sleep with (which we have traveled with since birth) he wanted his bunny comforter (which he squishes up and uses as a pillow).  It also helps that he still gets a bottle before sleep and it knocks him right out!  It was also great because I seemed to have a much better attitude about my role in the ministry as "Mom".  I was able to have some great time in the Word, good naps, and fun with Benjamin.  We were in the same living "unit" as another couple with a 7 month old, and that made it a lot of fun!  Joel was also super husband/dad and made it back to hang out with us quite a bit.  The trip home was good...no more sleep and not quite as fast, but pretty good anyway!

We were home long enough to unpack, do laundry, and pack up again.  Next we were off to TX for a wedding and to visit family.  The trip down went well.  We arrived at our hotel, slept, and I helped with wedding hair.  Everyone looked beautiful.  I didn't think about humidity and it was an outdoor reception, so I was a little bummed with the longevity of my creations, but overall it went o.k.  At the reception Benjamin started to break down and share with us how sleep deprived and hot he was, so we took off south to my uncle Warren and Aunt Pat's.  It was so great seeing them, and getting to know them better.  They were great hosts, and Monday we headed out!  We broke the trip home into two trips.  Florence TX to Wichita KS, and then Tuesday we went from Wichita to Ames.  The trips home were the most relaxed and Benjamin actually slept the most.  We spent most of our time singing to Benjamin, researching non-fast food restaurants to eat, and listening to "Bringing up Boys" by Dobson.  

And now we're home!  Benjamin is walking like crazy, and so interested in talking.  He babbles constantly and watches most words you say to him and tries to get his lips and tongue to mimic them.  He's a little clingy to Mom, but never laughs harder than when Daddy is wrestling/tickling him.  

And last but not least...baby growing!  I'm 13 weeks now.  Zophran got me through week 7 - 12, and now I think i'm in the clear!.  I know it sounds crazy, but I think I can feel baby "fluttering".  I am not by any means feeling kicks, but I'm pretty sure I kow the difference between gas and baby, and I like thinking its baby.  Baby #2 is quite a bit different than #1.  Primarily because Benjamin is very great at distracting me from anything but him.  I've had a couple scary nights of bleeding, but baby is doing well, and I was just told to take it easy till 20 weeks.  I think I'm getting more energy, and as long as I don't smell any horrific smells, life is good.  

Well, I'll be sure to get pictures up of all the events listed above, once I find the camera.  Until then, happy living!

Ninite!

I'm convinced  Benjamin is at his peak of "preciousness" when he's sleeping.  I'm too chicken to take a picture while he's actually slumbering but these are some pictures of our quieting down sessions.  He LOVES books and has gone down pretty well lately.

Benjamin is still taking two naps a day and when I limit it to just one, he lets me know he's tired the next day.  

Benjamin has seriously been so much fun.  We have our moments when we throw mini tantrums, when I doubt my mom decisions, and when things don't "click" as well as desired, but overall, he's continuing to be a pretty chill little guy.  The Church Nursery often asks me, "Is he always this laid back?  And usually, the answer is "YES!"  Some issues we're going to have to address in the coming months deal with mommy attachment.  He LOVES playing with his daddy, but when it comes to sleeping, rocking, or middle of the night cries, its usually only mom he wants.  I was flattered the first few times, and then not any more.  We mostly need to break the habit so mommy can go away, and also so Joel and I can get away and leave Benjamin with Papa and Nana!  Also I need to start weaning off the the bottle and move to sippy cups.  I love our bottle, pre-sleep, cuddle time, so that is going to be just as hard for me as it is for Benjamin!  

Sometimes in a hotel or at Nana and Papas he wakes up during the night, and when I run out of ways to get him back to sleep, I usually try to just take him to bed with me.  Unfortunately he thinks pillows are the greatest invention known to man, so it doesn't often work.  The other day Benjamin and I went to my parents and he woke up with a fever (teething I think) and after trying EVERYTHING, he actually let me bring him to bed with me.  He wanted to be very cuddly and lay, just so, so Mom's sleep was limited, but it was great none-the-less.  

Hoping you all have sweet dreams also!

Benjamins Birthday!

So my baby is 1 year old.  I know, crazy! We were able to throw a "roar'n good time" birthday party and we  were so excited to have so many family and friends there...Family from MN, Family from IA, and families from our small group here in Ames.  I went a little crazy making cakes (I had no idea how many cakes fed 35ish people!) and none of them turned out as I had wanted, but then again, they weren't miserable failures either.  Benjamin LOVED his cake and really did pretty well unwrapping some of the presents.  We haven't taken them all out of the package yet (I decided to keep the excitement going as long as possible with new gifts every few weeks), but so far the fire truck and cell phone are two HUGE hits...As much as he loves his cell phone though, Mom's is still the desired object.  We have started to show some STRONG emotion when Mom won't let us play with hers.  He loves his new little lap top, but is only good at pushing the power button over and over and over.  Since it says "hello" and "goodbye" every time you do so, I only get it out for emergencies!  It will definitely be a gift that gets more and more exciting with age!  He also got a pretty sweet MN Twins #7 Mauer Shirt that Dad LOVES to put him in. ( Mom thinks its pretty cute too!) 

Benjamin had his 1yr apt the week of his birthday and he continues to be a BIG BOY!  95th percentile to be exact.  He weighs around 26 lbs and his height and head are also around 95% on the charts.  He is a lug to carry around!  We also got some more shots but we're  still "behind schedule".  I just cant bear to do more than 3 at a time.  

Other "skills" of his include:

• SO BIG!
• Clapping to "If you're happy and you know it..."
• sticking out his tongue
• shrugging his shoulders...sometimes with questioning hands (it might be the cutest thing he does)
• "It's Bubbling" hand motions (this is kinda weak, but there is effort)
• Blowing kisses (He uses the back of his hand to kiss)

Last but not least - Walking.  So far, Benjamin only has about 3 - 8 steps down, but he thinks he's pretty cool.  We "boulder" quickly around furniture and love playing "the circuit game" with Daddy, of going from furniture piece to furniture piece to Daddy, and back around.  He's really pretty stable when he's independently walking until he gets near his goal and then usually nose dives, or jolts forward.  I was very o.k. waiting to learn this independent skill until the last two weeks.  He wants to walk/run and get energy out, but wants my hand to help.  I'm ready to stop walking round and round!

Hope everyone is having a great May!  I'm ready for warm sun, garden tomatoes, and summer road trips!  AHHH!