Watching Bennett and Lachlan Grow

Where did January go?

2012-02-12T09:59:00.002-06:00

We had a very reflective and family-filled January. The new year brought some major plumbing issues to our house, so now the boys have been auctioned off to pay for the plumbers. Kidding, of course, but it was an unexpected financial hit. But then life gives you perspective. We lost a very close family friend at the very same time, and it made us realize how lucky we truly are to have our healthy family intact.

January, while it brought us grief, also brought some beautiful weather. The boys have been riding their "bikes" in the backyard (Lachlan's giant scrape on his nose is from a playground accident...apparently rubber turf is not supposed to protect against rubbing your entire face along it during a fall--who knew?!). We went to the zoo, and I added a picture of Lachlan doing what he does best--mischief! I think I've said it before, but I'll say it again--that boy is our little mess. You can see him, as I found him, taking apart my wallet. I was wondering why he was so quiet...

Matching...

2011-12-28T20:21:00.003-06:00

Yes, I make my kids wear matching clothes from time to time. Probably more than most moms of boys, but its my way of compensating for the lack of cute boy clothes out there in the world.

More November and December 2011

2011-12-28T20:14:00.001-06:00

December 2011

2011-12-28T19:35:00.003-06:00

Wow. Where did December go? I'm not sure, but here are the pics to prove that we survived it!

Peeking Behind Doors

2011-11-30T18:59:00.002-06:00

Here is Lachlan at 12 mos, playing peek-a-boo behind the door. I added some of Bennett doing the same thing at 11 mos. No lost fingers yet!

Halloween and Lachlan's 1st Birthday

2011-11-17T20:06:00.002-06:00

We're having a party for Lachlan in Houston Thanksgiving weekend when we can be surrounded by all his family, but we had a small celebration on the special day. We had cupcakes (I wish I could say it was his first, but Lachlan has been allowed to eat sweets WAY earlier than Bennett) and sang Happy Birthday. Lachlan loved being the center of attention and clapped along with the song. A few days before Lachlan's birthday was this other little event called Halloween, Lachlan's first Halloween. Lachlan was Yoda and Bennett picked out his Optimus Prime costume, though he hasn't seen the Transformers yet. Even cuter is that Bennett can't quite pronouce Optimus, so he dressed as Octopus Prime. Whatever. Lachlan was in bed by the time the first trick-or-treaters arrived at our house. Arty took Bennett trick-or-treating and he had a great time. We're still eating candy around here!

Fall into Fall

2011-10-24T20:24:00.002-05:00

Bennett and Lachlan at the State Fair

Lachlan walking!

Bennett and Lachlan grocery shopping at the museum

Bennett and Lachlan at the Dallas Arboretum

Slightly busy...

2011-10-11T19:41:00.004-05:00

Life has been incredibly busy this month, but here are some pictures to hold you over until pumpkin season. Lachlan is so close to walking...mostly he takes steps to Smith, our big dog. He'd rather crawl to Mom or Dad. He is also saying "alldah" which means all done. Bennett started pre-K, so he is learning his letters and numbers at warp speed. Both kids are doing great and keeping us plenty busy, plus work is hectic for both of us. When is our next vacation???

Bennett jumping because Bennett likes to jump...off everything

The boys in their matching Elvis shirts. Bennett: "Mom, Miss Samantha said she likes this guy on my shirt."

Bennett's 4th Birthday Party

2011-09-11T19:19:00.002-05:00

Bennett had a great time at his party, which was held at a gymnastics place for kids called The Little Gym. Some of the pictures are blurry because there was no slowing these kids down! Arty and I are amazed that we have a 4 year old. He's not a baby anymore, but he's a pretty awesome little boy.

Galveston Vacation Pictures

2011-08-14T19:30:00.001-05:00

Summer Update

2011-08-14T19:07:00.003-05:00

Wow! We have been incredibly busy this summer. Bennett is looking forward to his 4th birthday coming up in a few weeks. This summer we've spent time at the water park, where he rode all the slides his height allowed. We also took a beach vacation with the Wheaton side of the family where we only took a few pictures that I'll have to post in another entry. We've gone to the zoo, the museum, the library, Little Gym, took swim lessons, and lots of playground time. Its been REALLY hot this summer, so we tried to spend as much time inside or in the water as we could. Bennett even got an invitation to swim at the neighbors' pool and lucky for us, Arty has become friendly with the man, a handy ex-Marine who built his own deck in 100 degree weather. Hurrah!

Lachlan finally started sleeping mostly through the night after I went out of town for a week (of course). He still gets up some, but his sleep is much improved. He's on the go all the time, crawling throughout the house to find me. He also has started eating table foods with the his 2 little teeth, and he can't get enough (which is good b/c he's a little on the small side and Mom would like to fatten him up).

Lachlan showing off his skills...he'll be walking soon!

The boys playing in a laundry basket

Bennett at the water park

Lachlan after eating a cereal bar

The month of June

2011-06-19T06:30:00.002-05:00

Lachlan is now 7 months old and trying desperately to crawl. This weekend he has finally figured out how to go forward a few "steps". He is also pulling up to standing, which is how we find him in his crib in the middle of the night. Lachlan is so busy, we're wondering if he'll ever sleep fully. You can hear him talking to himself, moving around his crib in the middle of the night. We've spent the month of June attempting to sleep train him, and while he can now go to the sleep easy as pie, he just doesn't stay that way for long.

For Bennett, June has meant Little Gym (and gymnastics class) and swim lessons, which he loved, and water activities. He can't get enough, even if it means getting the hose out. Rachael, my sister, and her daughter are coming up here for a few days, and I've promised Bennett a trip to the big water park. He can't wait to try the rides. Lachlan will be in daycare during that time, working on napping, because that is also something he's just not very adept at. :-) Other than the sleep, Lachlan is a wonderful baby...very happy and he just lights up a room.

Bennett after swim practice

Bennett put this fireman hat on Lachlan and he didn't seem to mind.

Lachlan working on crawling and standing up

Lachlan trying to figure out how the arms go with the legs to crawl

For Posterity

2011-05-25T09:03:00.003-05:00

A funny conversation occurred last night...

Bennett: "Mommy, what are you doing with that magazine?"
Me: "I'm reading it."
Bennett: "But I can't even hear you."

When I explained that grown-ups read inside their head, he was all "WHAT?!" I asked him if I had just blown his mind and he said yes.

Another recent conversation that was too cute to not mention happened this weekend. I had a 24-hr stomach bug and Bennett asked if I was still sick. When I replied yes, he said "You sure have been sick a long time. I hate that time." He is so incredibly sweet and inquisitive at this age. Even though he's all knobby legs and long arms, he loves squeezing me in a full hug and telling me "Mommy, I love you."

Lachlan is 6 months old!

2011-05-10T20:57:00.003-05:00

Lachlan can now sit up on his own, though we keep a pillow behind him because he is still a little wobbly. He is right in the middle in weight and height percentages...not too thin, not too fat, just right! In the 2nd and 3rd pictures, you can see Lachlan taking his first Trinity train ride which he loved. He really enjoys the outdoors, just like his brother. In the last picture, you can see Bennett and Lachlan at Mommy's office for Take-Your-Child-to-Work Day. They came over for the morning and then went to school by lunchtime so Mommy could get some work done. Lachlan is such a happy baby, always grinning, especially when his brother is around. Lachlan LOVES Bennett soooo much and Bennett can make him laugh just by looking at him. It's so sweet.

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-22T16:52:00.003-05:00

Lachlan "talks", but Bennett says it best...

2011-03-29T18:07:00.001-05:00

Lachlan pretty much "talks" like this throughout dinner. Turn down your speakers some. You've been warned.

Playdate at the Park

2011-03-29T09:51:00.001-05:00

These are Bennett's running buddies from the neighborhood. We trade off babysitting with the the little girl, Harper's family.

Easter Pics

2011-03-28T09:21:00.000-05:00

Here is a link where you can see the pictures we took this Sunday: http://www.myonlineportraits.com/ViewSharedAlbum.aspx?ShareID=2047b56c-49c3-49c8-8feb-77274fd59fc9

Soccer boot camp

2011-03-21T18:14:00.001-05:00

Bennett having obstacle course fun.

Cuteness

2011-03-16T20:56:00.003-05:00

Deja Vu

2011-03-16T20:50:00.003-05:00

I didn't save very many onesies from Bennett because I was adamant that I was going to have a girl the second time. LOL! We tried to recreate the pic of Bennett with Lachlan, but unfortunately, per Arty "Lachlan is a lot more wobbly!"

Soccer Practice

2011-03-16T20:41:00.002-05:00

Bennett is loving soccer. He got a huge scrape on his knee this past practice (you can see him inspecting it in one of the pics), so there has been a lot of DRAMA, but then again, he is probably copying mom and dad with their broken foot/hurt back episodes of late. Today he enjoyed showing off the scrape to anyone who would listen.

Compare!

2011-03-09T14:20:00.002-06:00

I've been wanting to do a side-by-side comparison to see how much the boys look alike. These were both taken at around the same age...you can definitely tell they are brothers!

3 1/2 Years & 4 Months

2011-03-07T19:56:00.002-06:00

According to Chuck E. Cheese (who sent me coupons to mark the occasion), Bennett is 3 1/2 this month. He is tall for his age and has quickly outgrown all his 3T pants that I swear just last week were falling off of him. His 4T pants are pretty baggy, but he definitely needs the extra length. His teachers say he is doing exceptionally well in school and loves to learn. He surprises us everyday with the things he tells us, some hilarious, some not so funny (like when he huffs and gives us the attitude of a 13-yr old). Right now he is into all things Star Wars. Recently, my dad asked him, "so Bennett, what do you want to be when you grow up?," and without missing a beat, Bennett replied nonchalantly, "a jedi." He then went on to explain that jedis defend themselves against the dark side. You can thank his father for this obsession.

As for Lachlan, he just turned 4 months old. Today was his well-baby check-up and he weighed 14 lbs, 11.5 oz and was 25 1/4 in. long, which is about 50th percentile (down from 75th). He's smaller than Bennett was at this age (he was in the 95th percentile), but he also doesn't eat all.the.time like Bennett did. The pediatrician kept telling me that he seemed like a very smart baby (because he drooled a lot and is too busy to sleep--yes, our ped is a little odd). Most of the time, he is pretty happy, but he definitely has us tied around his little finger. But in our defense, look at that smile!

1st Soccer Game

2011-03-05T12:22:00.003-06:00

Today was Bennett's first soccer game. He scored two goals and played through an injury (foot to the nose) and the freezing cold. Enjoy:}

Videos!!!!!!

2011-03-05T12:16:00.005-06:00

Okay, some of these are very old. Uploading to YouTube use to take forever, so I would dread it. Well, I just learned how to upload multiple videos at once, so no more excuses for me. Enjoy:)

First, a short clip of Bennett's first soccer game

Second, is Lachlan being cute (4 months old)

Third, is Bennett singing Hit the Road Jack and the ABC song

Then there is this cute video of the brothers

The Boys

2011-02-18T08:45:00.002-06:00

We recently went to IHOP for some delicious goodness and snapped a quick pic. Sorry for the delayed entries. We've been hit with one calamity after another here. Nothing major, just lots of colds, sickness, and now I went and broke a bone in my foot and have to wear a boot, so I'm hobbling around. Lachlan is doing better at school. He's at the end of his second week and first full week. He's doing much better with the bottle, and I'm nursing him at lunch, so I know he's getting at least one good meal a day. Unfortunately, all attempts at getting him to sleep in his crib have gone by the wayside, especially now that I can't get up and down all night (but to be honest, the attempts ended before I broke my foot...more like when I started back at work). He just sleeps 100x better and longer when he's sleeping next to someone. Bennett wasn't like this at all. He slept better in his crib. I guess its true that you slack with the second kid more, but its because you are just so darn tired taking care of the older one too. We're still figuring it out, but as long as everyone is happy, I think we're doing OK. Of course, when Lachlan is still sleeping with us at age 10, then we'll know we totally screwed up. :-)

Hopefully the last of the snow/ice

2011-02-11T09:12:00.003-06:00

It has been cold up here and even when most kids would love to play in the snow, ours would only do it in short bursts. Here is one of those bursts.

More Pics to Warm your Hearts!

2011-01-17T13:17:00.000-06:00

Lachlan is 2 months old!

2011-01-13T16:47:00.002-06:00

Lachlan is growing. At his 2 month check up, he weighed 12 lbs, 7.5 oz, which is in the 75th percentile. He was actually almost a pound smaller than Bennett was at that age, but he does not have colic so he's not being fed around the clock...though he does still have his crying fits, don't get me wrong! He already adores his older brother. I'm amazed with how much he puts up with Bennett's shenanigans. Then again, Bennett puts up with Lachlan's long bouts of crying, which are due to the fact that he does NOT like to go to sleep. Oh well, this too shall pass...at least that is what I keep telling myself. I'm just trying to enjoy the good moments before I head back to work in February. I'm hoping Lachlan miraculously sleeps through the night the week I start work-ha ha.

Merry Christmas Eve!

2010-12-24T13:42:00.002-06:00

Holiday Pictures

2010-12-16T11:27:00.003-06:00

Here are Bennett's school picture and the boys' picture with Santa. I'm wondering how they got Bennett to give such a good smile because we sure can't get one around here.

6 Weeks Old!

2010-12-16T10:19:00.002-06:00

Lachlan is getting big...he's around 10-11 lbs (we got a new scale and I'm not sure its entirely accurate). We're having our challenges. While he doesn't have colic, he is a bear to put to sleep at night. During the day, he usually goes down for naps pretty well, but for the last week, every night is 2 hours of intermittent crying before he finally falls asleep for good. I think he just wants to stay up with the rest of the family. :-)

Thanksgiving

2010-11-28T18:54:00.004-06:00

The Wheaton family came up to visit us in Fort Worth. Bennett had a great time with his cousin, Natalia, and it gave us a much needed break from entertaining him. The kids got to watch the parade from Grammy and Pop Pop's hotel room, and then we went down into the street to see the giant Christmas tree lighting.

Truck World

2010-11-19T20:48:00.005-06:00

Bennett loves trucks and got a chance to climb into a few last weekend in Dallas.

Three Halloweens

2010-11-19T20:39:00.005-06:00

Bennett had fun this Halloween. It is becoming the favorite holiday in our house. Here are a few pics of Bennett in three different costumes.

Buzz Lightyear

PirateSuperman

Swingin'

2010-11-19T12:01:00.002-06:00

Somewhere there is a pic of Bennett in this swing. They sure do look alike.

proof

Lachlan's Birth Story

2010-11-11T16:15:00.003-06:00

I was writing the story to some friends so I decided to copy and paste it here. By the way, Lachlan's bilirubin level is starting to go down, so we are in the clear. All is well.

And now to the delivery story:
Bennett came down with an ear infection about 4 am Thursday morning or at least he was complaining about his ear, so I wanted to get him into the doc immediately b/c I've been having contractions that have been getting stronger and stronger for the last couple of weeks and that morning I woke up and had some blood which signals cervical changes, so I was pretty sure Lachlan was coming in the next few days. I had a 9:15 midwife appt and sure enough, when the midwife checked me, I was 2-3 cm dilated and 60% effaced. My midwife said "I dont' think it will be this weekend, but probably next week sometime." Now, this was my first time being checked b/c the midwives didn't want to stir anything up and have me deliver too early. I talked to the midwife about how to know I was really in labor given my contractions up until this point and she said that she would want to see me having contractions about 5 min. apart for 2 hrs before I came to the hospital. Great. Bennett's birth took 16 hrs and I stayed home for the first 5 hrs waiting until my contractions were steady, so I knew the drill, or at least I thought I did.
Then, I ran back to work for about 45 min and I was starting to feel crampy, but that is pretty normal when you get checked b/c the midwife is feeling all on your cervix, so I didn't think anything. I picked Bennett up and took him to his 11:15 pediatrician appt and sure enough, an ear infection. He also had a fever, so the ped said I should bring him home for the afternoon and not send him back to school. I hadn't expected the fever, so I was expecting to go back into the office. I had some last minute things to tie up that day, like my time and attendance, so I figured I'd just swing by and finish up with Bennett in tow. At the ped's office, I was starting to have contractions that I could tell were actual contractions, but I was still walking around, talking through them, no problem, so I just thought they were like the ones I had been having for the past month.
Bennett and I ran into Jack in the Box, grabbed lunch, took it to my office, where I finished up and closed out. About 12:30, I called Arty and told him that these contractions were getting stronger, so I thought they now for real and that we would probably have a baby that evening or soon and could he come home with me (we carpool) so he could go get B's medicine. He agreed. We all left work at 1 pm. As I was in the car, I was starting to have some steady contractions that were about 6 min or so apart (Arty timed the 2 that I had in the car).
So, he dropped me and B off at home. We put B down for his nap and Arty left to go get the meds. I called my doula and told her that I thought that I was offically in labor and she said to relax and call her in about 2 hrs so we could evaluate where we were at and whether she should come over to the house b/c at this point, we were both still expecting I would labor at home for awhile. I got in the shower for awhile and then laid down on my bed. The contractions were strong, but nothing unmanageable. Then, Arty got home about 2 pm and there were some strange guys out front, so he called the police to report suspicious activity (we've had some break-ins in our neighborhood lately) and I was just laying down in the back. Then I decided I needed to pee (a full bladder can make the contractions hurt worse, so I knew I should empty my bladder). As I went to get off the bed, I had a really powerful contraction and I was like, WHOA--that was strong. Then, as I tried to pee, I had another and I was starting to feel the need to push which I didn't think was supposed to happen yet. Then, the contractions started to really pick up. I started talking to Arty and he decided to start trying to make arrangements to have Bennett picked up. In the meantime, B woke up and we had to have a little pep talk with him and hugs all around b/c he didn't like to see his mommy in pain and moaning (which was all very controlled and all--moaning, not unlike a cow in a low tone, is supposed to help with natural delivery...I had read up. LOL!) I also had Arty call my doula (which it had only been about 1.5 hrs since I had last spoken to her) and he told her about my need to push and she said get back in the shower to relax and she'd be here soon. As Arty is making all these phone calls, I start to realize that I think I'm in transition b/c the contractions are getting unmanageable where a woman starts shaking her head back and forth and thinking, "I can't do this anymore." I was having a harder time fighting the urge to bear down. I got the water in the shower going, stripped to just a cami, and stepped into the shower. As I stepped in, I suddenly had a massive contraction, my water broke (lucky for me, it was inside the shower), and I could NOT control my urge to bear down. I knew we were about to have the baby. I yelled for Arty to call 911 NOW! The 911 operator heard me contracting in the background and started to prepare Arty to deliver the baby (which freaked him out of course). They had me get out of the slippery shower and out into our bedroom. I was on all fours on a towel in our room and the paramedics and fire dept showed up, about 5 guys standing around, trying to talk me into getting on the stretcher, but I was having one contraction after another and pushing and I told them it wasn't happening. Then, the main paramedic started to get pushier with me and told me he couldn't deliver the baby like that, he couldn't see, etc and I HAD to get on my back. Yeah right...I've read enough (and delivered that way before) to know that that is NOT the easiest way to deliver a baby, so I told him no, people had babies like this all the time and he'd be OK. Arty stepped in and started talking to me, and finally my contractions abated for a few minutes so I could catch a breath and get onto the stretcher. The neighbor who Arty finally got ahold of to come get Bennett showed up as the paramedics are wheeling me out of the house and into the ambulance. The plan was for Arty to follow behind the ambulance b/c they wouldn't let him sit in the back anyway. He got into the car, but the ambulance didn't move, so he knew something was up. And he ran over and came into the ambulance just in time to see his son being born.
What happened inside the ambulance was that as soon as they got me in, I told them I was having another contraction. As the paramedic said, "I looked away for something and turned around and the head was coming out!" The next contraction I pushed the rest of Lachlan out (mind you, Bennett took 1 hr and 45 min to push out). They cut the cord and I held Lachlan as we drove to the hospital. We never even got a chance to leave the front drive. :-) Everyone was completely healthy. And THAT is the birth story. It basically took 3 hrs total from the start of me knowing I was having actual labor pains to delivery. Lachlan was born at 3:23 pm.

The brothers

2010-11-07T19:10:00.000-06:00

Mom with her boys

2010-11-07T05:44:00.002-06:00

So far so good. Lachlan is sleeping more each day, but that doesn't keep Bennett from asking "why is he crying now" or "what's he doing". Bennett seems amazed.

Lachlan

2010-11-05T08:50:00.000-05:00

2010-11-05T08:32:00.000-05:00

Bennett's baby brother is here. Crazy story to come, but this is the paramedic that delivered him in the ambulance in front of the house.

A Pirate's Favorite Letter Is...

2010-10-25T09:45:00.004-05:00

AArrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!

Family PIctures

2010-10-09T08:06:00.001-05:00

Fall Fun

2010-10-09T07:24:00.000-05:00

It's Dancey Dance Time

2010-09-01T19:55:00.001-05:00

Bennett doing the Mini Spinney followed by the Yo Gabba Gabba version. Too cute.

Sean Kingston

Circus and Preschool

2010-08-28T08:58:00.002-05:00

This was Bennett's first week of preschool. He loves it. No tears, no asking for his old teachers, just lots of fun. Everyday he tells me "Mom, they have a computer!" I've already talked to the teachers about not letting him be on the computer all day. He likes playing with the older boys and really loves the preschool playground and the scooters. I've also added a picture from the circus from a couple of weeks ago. He had a great time at the "GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH!" I can't believe he's going to be 3 next week. My baby is definitely not a baby anymore.

Trying out his little brother's stuff

2010-07-19T18:38:00.003-05:00

Bennett is in the midst of taking the next big leap into big kid-dom: potty-training. He's doing a great job! However, he's not above trying out all the baby's stuff before he arrives. Its amazing to compare him in the carseat with the pictures from him as a baby, sitting in that same exact carseat. He's really growing up.

More 4th Pics

2010-07-17T20:33:00.003-05:00

Woefully neglectful 4th of July photographer!

2010-07-09T08:35:00.003-05:00

We went to Houston for the long 4th of July weekend and introduced Bennett to the wonders of James Coney Island. He acquired a "hot dog man" mask which turns him into a superhero, which he loves (and put on every time we got into the car during our stay). We had gone to Discovery Green, an awesome park/splash park in downtown Houston for the morning before we stopped into James Coney. These pictures were taken within 10 minutes of one another, so I think Bennett might have worn himself out. Other than these, I think Arty took a picture of Bennett playing tea party with McKenna and Natty and some of Bennett at the splash park, and that is all we have of the 4th weekend. Needless to say, we had a wonderful time visiting with everyone and Bennett LOVES spending time with his cousins and Houston family and friends. And these pictures show Bennett exactly 2 months before his 3rd birthday! He's definitely mama's big boy now!!

Handy Bennett

2010-06-29T20:20:00.002-05:00

So, Bennett adores Handy Manny, which, until recently has been relegated to a love of Handy Manny on TV. However, upon a recent trip to SuperTarget in which Mommy was on a very long phone call, bought herself the new Sarah McLachlan CD and STILL needed to grocery shop on the other side of the store, Bennett was the lucky recipient of a talking Handy Manny doll that came with all Handy Manny's tools! And now Bennett can fix random objects just like Handy Manny!! Now, we find the tools doing all sorts of work around our house...I guess I should just count my blessings that he hasn't started trying to take the dogs apart yet.

No crib for a bed

2010-06-19T21:06:00.000-05:00

we're out at concerts in the garden and our poor child's bed is his wagon. Oh well, jesus did it nd he turned out fine, right?

Let the summer begin!

2010-05-31T18:54:00.002-05:00

Our first watermelon of the year, and Bennett was so excited to cut into it! You can see from the pictures that he LOVES watermelon. We're ready for the summer!

More Pictures

2010-05-13T19:32:00.002-05:00

Until Arty does his fancy slideshow, here is my flickr acct so you can see more pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12523720@N00/

Bennett is in heaven

2010-05-08T09:41:00.000-05:00

Buzz Lightyear to the rescue.

Character meets

2010-05-07T11:51:00.000-05:00

Bennet has loved meeting all his favorite characters.

Just met mickey

2010-05-06T18:25:00.000-05:00

Bennett is having so much fun. We met mickey and he kept wanting to go back. Check out those ears.

teacups

2010-05-06T09:26:00.000-05:00

Having a great time. We are in line to have lunch with tigger now. it's hot, but we are having fun.

we're on our way

2010-05-06T06:05:00.000-05:00

Bennett has been super excited on this trip. We are on our way to magic kingdom, complete with mickey ears.

Transition to Big Boy Bed

2010-04-30T16:28:00.003-05:00

The transition from crib to toddler bed has so far been a success. Except for some early morning waking (he was waking up around 6 and now is waking around 5), he is doing great. We've begun the discussion on how the crib is going to leave his room to make more space for toys, and he seems OK with it, but we are going to wait a bit and not push it. He is also doing great with potty-training. He uses the potty all day at school, and just needs a diaper in the evenings to poop. :-) We'll get there. Next week we leave for Disneyworld. We'll be posting pictures from our phone so you can see pictures in real time! Gotta love technology.

Easter 2010

2010-04-21T20:20:00.002-05:00

First, we had the neighborhood Easter egg hunt. Then came Easter morning where the Easter bunny left Bennett's basket filled with toys and candy, and finally Bennett found the eggs the Easter bunny had left in his backyard. He was on the move the entire time, so this is the closest we got to a picture of his face. This boy can run now!

Testing mobile blogger

2010-04-20T14:59:00.000-05:00

Bennett got his face painted at Main St Fest here in Fort Worth.

My New Sunglasses

2010-04-09T11:53:00.002-05:00

Bennett got some new sunglasses, here's a cute pic snapped yeaterday.

Houston Rodeo

2010-03-30T19:56:00.002-05:00

Bennett's first trip to the Houston Rodeo coincided with a horribly blustery cold Houston day, so we didn't get to do as much as we would have liked, but we still had a great day...and most importantly, our little Texan got his first pearl snap shirt, his first Wranglers, and his first boots!
Hamming it up while eating dinner on the floor. That's country!

Playing farmer

First boots

Cotton candy grin--Thanks, Misty!

Where's Elmo?!

2010-03-11T11:41:00.003-06:00

Sesame Street Live was our first test to see how Bennett is going to do at DisneyWorld in May. He has not been known for his patience during previous sit-down excursions, but he passed the test with flying colors. I guess the key is to find something that interests him. Bennett is not a Sesame Street fan; he rarely watches the show. However, he has a Sesame Street CD that he loves and many, many Elmo books and characters. He started liking Cookie Monster after I got this hoodie in a swap and we started singing 'C' is for Cookie, but his heart is all Elmo. Of course, the battery-powered light-up spinner that we bought definitely helped hold his attention. Everytime Elmo disappeared off stage, I would hear "Where's Elmo?" When I would explain, Bennett would follow it with "Why?". So it went something like this:
B: Where's Elmo?
A: He's behind the curtain.
B: Why?
A: Because he was tired and needed a rest.
B: Why?
A: Because he needed to use the bathroom.
B: Why?
A: We all have to use the bathroom sometimes. Elmo does too.
B: Where's Elmo?
So, you get the picture. Just replay this conversation about 30 times and you can tell it was a fun-filled evening! On top of that, I've included what happens during intermission. You see that guy carrying all those Elmo balloons--yep, it doesn't matter that you just spent $15 on some Elmo spinner...oh no, that's not enough. Now the capitalists break out the Elmo balloons at $10 a pop. Luckily, Bennett took No for an answer when I explained that the kids in line were kids whose parents didn't fork over the cash for a spinner...only non-spinner kids could have a balloon. I'm wondering at what age these rationalizations won't work, but for now, phew! It was a fun night and well worth the money (as long as it didn't include a $10 balloon), and Bennett had a blast.

February in Fort Worth a.k.a. F U Punxsutawney Phil

2010-02-24T20:50:00.004-06:00

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. OK, STOP SNOWING AND TURN OUR POWER BACK ON. At first, the heavy snowfall was interesting to all of us, but it quickly turned into the weekend from hell when we didn't have power (or heat) for 3 days. Our friend Jodi let us crash at her house each night, but we would return during the day to start a fire so the dogs could warm up a bit. By the end of it, the house was down to 51 degrees. Where is spring?!

Snow or no snow, Bennett got the proper attire for Valentine's Day. Due to the power outage and our babysitter's power outage, we had to forego our Valentine's Day plans, but Arty and I were off for President's Day that Monday, so we shipped Bennett off to daycare and celebrated President's Day with a candle-lit lunch and movie.

After Snowpocalypse 2010 (I'm borrowing that phrase from my Washington DC friends who really got it much worse than us, but for Houstonians to experience cold like that--it was probably the same effect), Misty and McKenna came up for a visit while Arty was down in Houston visiting his family. At first Bennett wasn't too fired up about sharing his stroller, but how could he say no to McKenna's smile?!

Saturday, we visited the Fort Worth Museum of History and Science which has recently reopened with an exciting children's museum. We are members and this winter, it seems like we have visited at least twice a month. It keeps Bennett busy, helps us retain our sanity, its heated, and Bennett takes a good nap afterwards (usually--he didn't after this visit).

Better late than never...

2010-02-24T10:30:00.003-06:00

Cousins at Christmas

Bennett got to spend time with most of his counsins this past Christmas. (We saw Jonas at New Years.) Our annual visit from Mike and Ashley was back on and the entire Wheaton crew was in town for Christmas eve and day.

Enjoy...

Dance Dance Revolution

2010-01-25T18:11:00.002-06:00

Watch as Bennett gets down. Good thing his old man wasn't playing, he would have totally showed me up.

Check out that new hairdo.

Austin

2010-01-21T17:38:00.002-06:00

Took a trip to Austin last weekend and visited the Austin zoo. Here is Bennett on the train.

Puppy Love

2010-01-15T20:31:00.003-06:00

These pictures were taken by a friend of a friend over the summer and we just got them. Absolutely beautiful. We wanted to capture Bennett with the dogs and I think the photographer succeeded. Enjoy!

Jingle Bells!!!

2009-12-20T17:20:00.000-06:00

If this doesn't put you in the Christmas mood then nothing will...

Voila! A Santa Picture Sans Tears

2009-12-09T12:29:00.002-06:00

It took a lot of talking up Santa, showing online pictures and videos pre-visit and being 3rd in a very long line, but by golly, Bennett sat on Santa's lap and we were able to get the tiniest of smirks out of him. We were just happy he didn't cry. On the flip side, we might have done a little over-hyping because he keeps asking about Santa and when he gets "pesents" (and he means presents, not peasants...even though he's an only child and a little spoiled, I promise we're not getting him an indentured servant for Christmas this year. He's still too young.) I've tried explaining how the whole countdown calendar and our morning ritual of putting an ornament on the calendar means its not showtime yet, but alas, he continues to request pesents daily. I'm hoping he can hold out until at least Christmas Eve, when he'll get to open a couple.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2009-12-01T20:29:00.002-06:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We sure did. It was beautiful weather down in Houston. We returned on Sunday to a 20 degree temp drop and its been dropping ever since. We might even see some snow this week. I know posts are becoming few and far between, but we're busy here. Not only are we gearing up for the holidays, but we decided now would be the perfect time to put the house up for sale and buy a new one(sarcasm intended). We're going to keep our fingers crossed that we can make a tiny bit of something on the house and get into a new house in a better school district. Regardless, we're super-excited about Christmas this year because this will be the first year that Bennett sort of understands what is going on. We're taking him to see Santa on Saturday and we've been hyping up the big guy, showing Bennett pictures and videos on the computer. Hopefully when it comes time to sit on Santa's lap, we can get a good picture this year. Here are some pictures of Bennett I took today. One in the backseat of the car (isn't that hat adorable?) and the other while he was scaring Daddy with his new monster towel (thank you, Kohl's, for having a kick-a$$ Black Friday sale).

Woof Woof and the Giant Slide

2009-11-15T19:00:00.006-06:00

Bennett talked his mother into getting a "Build A Bear" this past week. His name is Woof Woof and he is now Bennett's best bud. They even dress alike. You can barely see Woof Woof in this pic, but Bennett is driving him around on his fire truck.

Bennett got invited to a bounce house birthday party and although he won't get in a bounce house with us, peer pressure got the best of him and he was off. Here is a video of him on the giant inflatable slide.

Win a Melissa & Doug Play Kitchen!

2009-11-10T12:47:00.003-06:00

I don't usually put offers like these on our blogs, but man, this is too good of a deal to pass up. We've been eyeing one of these for Bennett for Christmas. Here's the link: http://blog.melissaanddoug.com/2009/10/28/melissa-doug-play-kitchen-giveaway/

Halloween-A Tale of Two Costumes

2009-11-01T18:36:00.005-06:00

Bennett's October has been a constant battle to get into costume and learning how his cuteness exponentially increases his amount of clinginess to Mommy. He doesn't like adults telling him how cute he is (egads, don't talk to directly to him!) and he has been incredibly cute as both a cowboy and Elmo. We went to a Halloween costume wedding for Arty's cousin, Amanda, and we had a Sesame Street theme built around Bennett's Elmo character. Mommy was Elmo's goldfish, Dorothy, and Daddy was the Count.

Mommy's Favorite Time of the Year--Fall Festivals

2009-10-18T12:14:00.001-05:00

Weekend Without Daddy

2009-09-27T20:15:00.003-05:00

Daddy was out of town this weekend, so we went wild! We went to the local park and the zoo on Saturday. On Sunday, we went to the grocery store, the Forest Park train, and Trinity Park. Bennett is a complete daredevil on the slides. I helped him up the big kids' stairs the first few times and then told him to do it on his own. With my heart in my mouth, I watched him struggle and make it again and again, and the smile on his face when he came down that big slide is priceless.
At the zoo

Showing off his new train whistle

Climbing up the ladder to the big slide

Washington D.C.

2009-09-23T21:12:00.004-05:00

From this slide show you can see Bennett enjoyed himself in Washington DC. He and dad got to explore the city while mom was stuck in training:(

Ride'em Cowboy!

2009-09-23T20:39:00.002-05:00

Please note that our little city boy enjoyed the 25 cent plastic horse WAY MORE than the $8 pony. However, the pony won Mommy & Daddy's heart because Bennett told him "Bye, Wusty" when we left. This child is talking up a storm. He calls Smith "Bish", Penny is "P.E." and on and on. He can say "far twuck", "up high", "airpane". You just wouldn't believe the sentences he makes. He's growing so fast, but then, I guess that is the point of the blog. :-)

Zoo & Playdoh

2009-09-07T18:36:00.002-05:00

We went to the zoo on a whim this afternoon. Then Bennett found the playdoh and took it over to his table, which I interpreted as him wanting to play. He loves making spaghetti and says "whey, whey, WEEEEEE" as he pumps the levers to make the spaghetti. As I'm typing this, he just got his leg stuck in the child gate and started yelling, "KNEE, KNEE!" He is really talking a lot. At the zoo, he said "rhino, mahkey, and dog-roo (kangaroo)". He also called the clown fish NEMO! Hilarious! I'm glad he doesn't remember that Nemo gave him nightmares.

Learning to Climb

2009-09-07T17:52:00.003-05:00

Here is our little 2 year old showing us what its all about. Mom had to assist the first couple of times so he could get his confidence up, but by the end of it, he was climbing up and sliding down just like the big kids. Wow!

Bennett's B-Day photos

2009-08-30T11:38:00.002-05:00

The farm came to our backyard as did many of Bennett's friends. The weather was great, the kids had fun and mommy and daddy have a year's worth of toys to sort through.

Enjoy the pics.

What, this isn't all for me?

2009-08-20T07:48:00.008-05:00

We were down in Houston this weekend for Jonas' first birthday. Bennett had fun playing with all of Jonas' new toys and creating general chaos.

Flickr! slide show

Natty and Me

Naked Boy!

2009-08-10T20:25:00.003-05:00

Bennett likes to practice swimming in his bath. Look how tall and skinny our boy is getting!

Hey Jonas, follow me

2009-08-02T15:49:00.000-05:00

A few pictures

2009-08-02T15:35:00.004-05:00

There aren't many vacation pics on my camera as we all were enjoying ourselves too much.

Bennett the pirate

An old zoo pic

Where has the time gone?

2009-08-01T22:42:00.004-05:00

My goodness, this month has just zipped past me. We went on vacation, but Arty has all of those pictures, so he'll have to add them here. Here are a few from the last month.

Bennett and Arty at the zoo

At the airport, happy, before we knew our flight was delayed!

Bennett playing with his sunhat this morning

I'm a Gabba Watcher

2009-07-17T21:54:00.002-05:00

This is Bennett pretty much every morning as he watches his Yo Gabba Gabba episode and eats his breakfast. He was especially sprawled out this morning, so I had to get a picture.

Auntie Dana's Wedding

2009-07-12T19:30:00.002-05:00

Pretty much everyone that reads this blog will enjoy the pictures here http://www.flickr.com/photos/39542870@N08/sets/ .

2 Seconds

2009-07-05T10:30:00.002-05:00

Say Cheese

2009-07-02T20:29:00.002-05:00

Bennett has learned the art of saying sssshhhhheeeeese. What a dashing little boy, if I do say so myself!

Lost in Translation

2009-06-23T19:32:00.003-05:00

Before we head down to Houston this weekend, I thought I would give the family there a heads up on some of the Bennettisms they should expect to hear. Ne ("neigh") means "I'm done". "Ming" is the equivalent of "please". "tSiiiide" means "outside". "Wa-er" could mean water or milk and must be clarified because if you try to give water when Bennett really wants milk, a tantrum is sure to ensue. However, "mih" can be specified with your help. Other words are as clear as day, like up, dog, ball, bowl, and the ever present whazat.

Here are some pictures of Bennett drawing this evening.

Daddy's new toy

2009-06-16T21:59:00.008-05:00

I got a new camera for my birthday, early father's day and losing 15 pounds (17 now!!!). I'll try to keep this post going with the flickr slideshow.

Visitors

2009-06-09T20:20:00.003-05:00

Pappo and Miss Natalie are visiting from Houston. Bennett can't wait for his cousin Jonas to visit this weekend. He loves visitors!

Flour Power

2009-06-09T19:38:00.001-05:00

Bennett at daycare, acting wild

Summer is for Outside

2009-06-06T12:54:00.003-05:00

Last night, we went to an outdoor music concert where you sit out on a blanket, let the kids run, have a few beers, and relax. We love summer!

And here is Bennett yet again humiliating Smith, this time using the contents of Mommy's jewelry armoire.

Dallas Children's Museum

2009-06-02T20:19:00.001-05:00

We took Bennett to the Dallas Natural Science Museum Sunday where they had a young kids' area. He was occupied for 2 1/2 hours, and it would have been longer, but the place was closing!

Sick Day

2009-05-28T17:44:00.003-05:00

Bennett has been out of school with an on-again, off-again fever for the last couple of days. We're pretty sure it is his molars coming in, because he has no other symptoms except for the fleeting fever. Whatever it is, we're going along, business as usual. We went to Wal-mart, got shoes for Auntie Dana's wedding at DSW and then visited the zoo after nap.

How 'Bout That?!

2009-05-26T06:53:00.003-05:00

That is Bennett's phrase of the day. We're not sure where he picked it up, but he uses it for every opportunity. He could be saying something else, but that is what we think he is saying. Look at the dog, mom. How 'bout that? What do you want to wear today, Bennett? How 'bout that? Don't shake your sippy upside down! How 'bout that! It is amazing how many different inflections can be given to one phrase. Here are some pictures from our last swim class. Bennett doesn't like going on his back and getting water in his ears, but he really liked getting out of the pool and jumping in.