Ben and I were sitting in the hammock, enjoying a little bonding time. He was a little reticent about the whole thing. Pam took some photos of us and decided to join us on the hammock...which was fine for the hammock, but not fine for the tree it was anchored to....BOOM, we crashed to the ground. It almost knocked the wind out of me and I bit my tongue pretty badly. Fortunately, Ben wasn't hurt as he was mostly sitting on top of me. I'm hurtin' today and will be visiting the chiropractor later on...
After we fell, Ben insightfully said "Ben don't like that phing..."
Monday, October 22, 2007
Auntie Pam
We visited Auntie Pam yesterday at her home. Ben absolutely loves her (as do we). We had a really nice time catching up and eating a couple meals together. Pam is my dearest friend and we don't often get to see one another. It was a real treat for me.
Pumpkin patch
We met my parents in Michigan on Saturday at a Pumpkin Patch. It was a good one, only about 1.5 hours from Chicago. The weather was perfect, 70 and sunny, a beautiful day. Ben enjoyed a pony ride, a brief visit to a bounce house (not really his speed), feeding goats and cows, climbing on the pumpkins, and most of all seeing Nana, Papa, and G.G. We went out to lunch afterwards at our traditional lunch place halfway between our homes. It was such a fun day! There are lots more photos if you click on this one to see the others.
Ben's silly hat
My friends and have started doing "preschool" on our own with our children. We are rotating the responsibilities each month, meeting on Friday mornings with our kids. There are five children in the school and it is mostly structured play time. They make a craft, sing, read a story, and have playtime. Ben has REALLY enjoyed it. Last week, I got 1 hour to myself in the morning while he was at school and Abigail was sleeping. It was heavenly. I sat on the couch, watched Oprah, and knitted. It was the first time in months I have done anything like this...and it felt good. Last week, Ben came home with this adorable silly hat. He was so proud!
Ben's morning routine
Steven gets up with Ben every morning and makes breakfast/entertains him until Abigail and I get up (usually 45 min or 1 hour later). As I am up with Abigail often during the night, this gives me a precious few minutes more of sleep. They have a routine of making oatmeal and eggs. Lately, we have been eating with Ben at his little table to make him feel more special (its also easier to clean up). Thanks, honey, for giving me an extra few minutes of sleep!!!
"Date" with Ben
One morning last week, I asked Ben what he wanted to do that day. He said "Go on a date with Mama." I almost choked up...it hit me how little time we get together alone, and how Ben misses it, too. So last week we went out for ice cream (at Ben's request), just the two of us. It was so special! We both had pumpkin ice cream (my favorite!). Ben especially enjoys going out at night, as we don't do it very often with him. He is fascinated with traffic lights and points out every light as we go by. "Oh, its RED!" He even likes to point out the times that I turn right on red, saying "Mama, you have to wait for it to turn GREEN!" How do you explain???
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Fall is in the air (sortof)
We visited Cosley Zoo today, a petting zoo nearby, with our friend Caden. They had a pumpkin patch and corn husk maze set up in addition to the usual animals. It was a brief trip, they had a great time. For more photos, click on this photo to go to Flickr.
Silly glasses
Ben found both of these glasses in my bag and asked for us to put them on. He then suggested we take a picture. I love his imagination!!!
our little organizer
Ben lined up all of these spoons one morning while making breakfast with Steve. Hmmm.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Abigail 3 months
I'm too sleep deprived after a rough night last night to post anything. We love her to pieces, thats all I can say...
Independence is the name of this stage
Our son picked out his own clothes yesterday. I guess he likes orange :)
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Our growing playgroup
These ladies and our children have been in a playgroup for well over a year together. We used to go to each others homes to catch up on life (as much as you can with a baby or toddler). We've gotten so big as many of us have now had second children...so instead of going to someone's home, we had to find a bigger space. Today we opted for the zoo. It was a beautiful fall-ish day, cooler but not cold, and sunny. We had a great time and most importantly, we got out of the house!!!!
Abigail 13 weeks
Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen!?!?! She's increasingly alert and smiley, sweet as can be. Sleep is going okay, pretty erratic at night. Every few nights, she'll sleep through the night and the following nights she'll wake up 2-3 times. She naps well, which is great. Its hard to remember what life was like without her!
Ben is still adjusting, overall, I think he likes her. The biggest adjustment has been the shift/change in my relationship with him. I miss spending time with him and at times am not as patient as I would like (especially when he climbs all over me while I am nursing). We love our children so much...I think we'll keep them around for awhile longer :)
Ben is still adjusting, overall, I think he likes her. The biggest adjustment has been the shift/change in my relationship with him. I miss spending time with him and at times am not as patient as I would like (especially when he climbs all over me while I am nursing). We love our children so much...I think we'll keep them around for awhile longer :)
Papa and Peanut
My parents were in town this weekend to help out with childcare (and to visit, of course!). We took a walk in the early evening to the park before putting the kids to bed. I love this shot...the rare time that my dad has a beard. I like it, it looks distinguished...although he probably won't keep it for long. I love you, Daddy!
Zoo trip with Jim and Sally
Grandpa Jim and Grandma Sally joined Ben, Abigail, and I for a zoo trip. They had never been and enjoyed seeing many of the exhibits. Ben's favorite thing (as usual) was the wave and the carousel. We had a great time together, thanks for joining us!!!!
Crazy shopping trip
Last week, I visited Costco with Sally, Francis, George, Ben and Abigail. The whole trip seemed pretty daunting to me, Sally talked me into it :) Sally was amazing!!! She had George in a backpack and was entertaining Francis and Ben while pushing the cart. I was pushing Abigail in her stroller. Sally kept getting sympathetic looks for everyone who thought all three were hers :) It turned out to be a fun trip without too many meltdowns!
Night on the town
Jim and Sally (Kim's parents) were in town this past week. We had the privilege of getting together with them several times while they were here. One night, Abigail came with all of us to go out for a nice dinner. It was such a pleasure to enjoy a nice meal together while Abigail slept peacefully in her stroller. Thanks for including us during your visit, we so enjoy spending time with you!
Welcome Back, Jeff and MiYoung
Our friends were temporarily in California for a year, while Jeff had a federal clerkship. They just moved back and have already been an enrichment to our lives. Since their absence, they had an addition to their family, beautiful baby Sophia! Their son, Asher, is just a little younger than Benjamin. We missed you guys, welcome back!
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Back to work
Yesterday was my first day back at work. After much deliberation, I decided to return to my former job as a CNM at Midwest Midwifery. It was so good to be back!!! I missed how organized it all is at Midwest and remembered many favorite patients. The day went pretty smoothly for me, it was great to actually finish a task, have my mind on something other than getting my kids to nap or changing poopy diapers, and have adult interactions. On the flip side, I did miss my children desperately. I will most likely be working 1-2 days per week. We are still figuring out our childcare situation. My parents and my grandmother came over the weekend to help out with the children for my first day. Boy, Ben and Abigail gave them a run for their money...it took all three of them to take care of the two of them :) Abigail is stubborn (like me, I suppose), and refuses to drink from a bottle. She took a few sips from a spoon yesterday and did a lot of crying. Lets just say we were both happy to see each other at 6:30 pm.
I'm thankful that I am able to work part-time and don't have to work full-time. Working has its pros and cons...hopefully with good childcare it will be mostly positive for all of us.
I'm thankful that I am able to work part-time and don't have to work full-time. Working has its pros and cons...hopefully with good childcare it will be mostly positive for all of us.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Sweet smiles
Abigail is 11 weeks today! Wow, how time flies. She's doing pretty well. Since returning from our trip, sleep has been a challenge. She was sleeping through the night pretty consistently shortly after birth. For the past week or so, she has been waking up 2 times, every 2-3 hours. Its been tough on me. Fortunately, learning from last time, I know it can't last forever. I just hope we can figure it out soon. She is now 10#, 23 inches long. She continues to have reflux, which is much-improved on meds. She is smiling often, beginning to study her fingers (I love this!), and is starting to flail her arms as if to touch something. She's so much fun!
Is this an early sign of OCD?
The other day after a long silence (that can never be good with a toddler), I came onto our back porch to discover half a box of wipes on the windowsill. Ben's reasoning was so "the bees don't get in." Hmmmm.
I LOVE these guys so much!!!!
These are the most important people in the world to me. They enlighten my days, bring me joy, give me gray hair :), make me laugh and cry, challenge me, and bless me. I'm so thankful for my precious family.
Sweet, sweet boy
This is a classic Ben smile. It melts my heart. He continues to be a great delight to us all. His verbal abilities continue to amaze us, he can be hilarious! He had so much fun on this trip, especially with both Grandparents. He was mystified by the tides (as are we!), saying "Where'd the water go???" We told him that the moon pulls the water away, which was hard for him to understand. Every morning when he woke up, he'd say "OH! The waters in (or out)!" Oh, to see the world through the eyes of a child...
He had his two year check-up yesterday and got a clean bill of health. He is now 30+# and 37" tall.
He had his two year check-up yesterday and got a clean bill of health. He is now 30+# and 37" tall.
Cousins
At the end of our trip, we attended a wedding of Steven's cousin, Darrien, back in CT. All the cousins got to be together again (Meghan, Ben, Zachary, and Sara). We found out that we have a new cousin on the way due in February to Paul and Martha! YAY!
Family Photo
(i'm frustrated with our computer as I can't upload multiple photos to an entry...I don't know why???)
Our family
The Bassetts came up for the day on the weekend of Labor Day. It was fun for both of our families to spend time together. The Bassetts brought some sweet corn, burgers and hot dogs to grill. We all took a walk after dinner to watch the sunset. It was a beautiful, cool night and a gorgeous sunset. This is the stuff that memories are made of....
Fisherman
We were joined in Cape Cod by my parents and Graham and Kim. It was great to be together, we had a wonderful time! The boys frequently fished on the flats when the tide when out. They had some bites, but didn't bring home any fish for dinner. My brother Graham chartered a guide one day and caught many fish. As a result of his trip, we did have some wonderful fish for dinner!
Can you make it stop???
For the last 30 minutes or so of our 2+ hour trip, Abigail began crying. Benjamin plugged his ears with his fingers to drown out the noise (we didn't prompt him to do this!). All I can say is: what goes around, comes around.
(Benjamin screamed for 17 out of 18 hours of driving on our road trip to Cape Cod when he was 3 months old)
(Benjamin screamed for 17 out of 18 hours of driving on our road trip to Cape Cod when he was 3 months old)
Vacation Part 1
We arrived safely in CT around 1am. Fortunately, the kids traveled well. It took a couple days to get back on track with sleep, but it wasn't too bad. We spent a few days with Steven's parents and Steven's two sisters, Jennifer and Martha and their children. We enjoyed our time together so much, our only complaint is that it goes so quickly!!!! We then drove to Cape Cod on Saturday morning, which also went relatively well.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
goin' on vacation
We're going out East tonight to visit Steven's family. Pray for us as we fly out at 8pm, land at 11pm, and land at Steven's parents by 1am. The kids have the potential to be really out of sorts (us too).
Today Abigail is 2 months old! I'll have to post photos later as its a bit crazy around here...it will be a miracle if we get out the door without forgetting something important (like the kids). I'll post all about our trip when we return. Happy Labor Day!
Today Abigail is 2 months old! I'll have to post photos later as its a bit crazy around here...it will be a miracle if we get out the door without forgetting something important (like the kids). I'll post all about our trip when we return. Happy Labor Day!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Like a good neighbor...
We had our neighbors, Chad, Rachel, and their children over for waffles on Sunday morning before church. It was chaotic and crazy with 4 children carrying on, and we had a great time. As usual, we can only maintain 1-2 sentences of conversation on a given topic...the guys were great by manning the kids for a good half-hour so Rachel and I could talk. The best part was when the guys were tossing Ben and Charlotte in the air...the giggles could be heard down the street. Click on this photo to see one of them airborne. These two are both wonderful dads.
Buckingham Fountain
Ben is fascinated with fountains at this stage in his life. Friday we took him to the mother of all fountains, Buckingham fountain. We were in a bit of a rush as the weather was a bit iffy. Ben was wide-eyed when he saw this beautiful Chicago landmark.
Green Eggs and Ham
Sam-I-am is one of Ben's favorites in Dr. Seuss's classic book, Green Eggs and Ham. Steven is the one who gets up with Ben every day to make breakfast, so last week he dyed eggs and ham green as a special treat. Ben LOVED it! "Say, I do so like green eggs and ham, I do so like them Sam-I-am!"
Our New Car (Van)
We caved. We got a van. I am the slightly more environmentally conscious one of our union, so I'm a bit sheepish about owning such a large vehicle. I am not completely ready to be a mini-van owner. There are so many stereotypes about min-van moms. It feels a bit boring, soccer-mom-ish. Admittedly, I do like the space. Its also nice to have a space between the two car seats so Abigail isn't subjected to her pacifier being forced in her mouth, or worse :) Apparently the gas mileage is just slightly worse than our Honda. (Is this my way of justifying our purchase?)
Big Burger for a Little Boy
Whoppers are BIG burgers. I don't think I ever had one until last week (not that I am against them, I just prefer McDs for my burgers). Ben tackled one that seemed as big as his head!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Rain, Rain Go Away
Benjamin loves when we sing about the rain and the old man snoring. We're going into our second week straight now of rain almost every day. The storms that came through today were severe, including a tornado warning. Two of our neighbors had trees come down onto their homes (with only minimal damage, fortunately). Although its great for the grass, the crops, etc. I'm ready for it to stop. Al Gore would blame this all on global warming...could be. I can't remember it raining like this for a long time.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Abigail 6 weeks
Abigail is now 6 weeks old and seems to be waking up :) She's been a really good baby, only occasionally fussy and pretty easy to read. This has been a gift to us, as Benjamin gave us a run for our money! My neighbor commented that she must be good because she hasn't seen Steven walking up and down the street with her (yet) :) We took her to the doctor today and she got a clean bill of health and weighed in at a whopping 8#12oz. She's gaining weight well, and looks good otherwise. 1 or 2 times per week she "spits up" large amounts, usually when her tummy is especially full. When she does this, usually it requires a new outfit for Mom and baby (she did this tonight). Smiles are more and more prevalent, which is a joy! She has been essentially sleeping through the night, waking only once in the early hours (3-6am). We learned from Benjamin never to count on something too long, because it always changes, but boy are we enjoying it! Benjamin is adjusting more and more, I think he and I are friends again :) We're somewhat finding our groove with our daily routine. I've discovered that getting any housework done is out of the question, we're lucky if I can throw together something for dinner! Thanks to my mom and mother-in-law, we have a few things in the freezer which have been helping us tremendously! Happy 6 weeks, little one!
My Dad's sisters
Here are Aunt Bev and Aunt Diane, 2 of my 3 Aunts on my father's side. We love you, it was great seeing you!
Uncle Graham's Birthday
We all celebrated my brother's birthday on Sunday. Abigail jumped right in to celebrate also :) We had the wonderful treat of my two Aunts driving over from the other side of the state to see us. I haven't seen my Aunts since our wedding over 3 years ago. It was a fun, albeit brief, visit. Thanks for coming Aunt Diane and Aunt Bev!
G.G.'s house
My Grandmother (Ben's great grandmother, aka G.G.) lives in a condo on a nice pond. Benjamin discovered the simple pleasure of throwing rocks in the water. He will definitely enjoy Cape Cod for the same reason. We had a fun evening at G.G.'s house with some great dessert!
Blueberry Picking
We picked blueberries on Saturday at a local farm. Although the season is waning, we picked quite a few for a very low price!!! Steven thinks Benjamin ate about 100. Blueberries are his new favorite fruit!
Carousel ride
One of the malls we went to had an amazing Carousel. Benjamin and I rode it for only $1. He loved it! It was music to my ears to hear him giggling every time we waved at Nana who was watching Abigail.
Michigan Trip
I'm still having trouble uploading multiple photos per posting (something changed with the security settings on our computer), so will have to report on each photo individually.
We had a great time in Michigan, I went up Wednesday afternoon to spend time at home. It was a great help to me and I got some more rest than usual. It was great for Benjamin, too, he loves Nana and Papa! Steven drove up with Graham and Kim on Friday and joined us.
The drive up went pretty well, the meltdowns occurred with 20 miles left in the trip...causing me to I stop 3 times :) It could have been so much worse, both kids slept most of the trip! Phew!
We mostly ran errands and shopped with the amazing help of my mom. Thanks, Mom!
We had a great time in Michigan, I went up Wednesday afternoon to spend time at home. It was a great help to me and I got some more rest than usual. It was great for Benjamin, too, he loves Nana and Papa! Steven drove up with Graham and Kim on Friday and joined us.
The drive up went pretty well, the meltdowns occurred with 20 miles left in the trip...causing me to I stop 3 times :) It could have been so much worse, both kids slept most of the trip! Phew!
We mostly ran errands and shopped with the amazing help of my mom. Thanks, Mom!
Monday, August 13, 2007
Drunk Driving
I'm spitting mad. Last night, we drove home from Michigan after a weekend at my parents. It was dark as we wanted to drive while our children slept (which, thankfully, they did!). We were about 1 hour from home, stopped for a brief pit/nursing stop and got back on the highway. We noticed an SUV in front of us that was swerving all over the road. Not just a little bit of swerving. A lot. We followed them for awhile, not wanting to get near them or pass them. I called 911 and reported that we were behind a drunk driver. The dispatcher responded immediately, which is reassuring to know in case of emergency on our end. They assured me that they would notify state police. We continued to follow them for about 20 minutes, and eventually were behind them in a toll booth. We were then able to record their license plate and the make of their car. I called 911 again to report this info. We were able to pass them shortly thereafter and I have no idea if they were pulled over. My guess is, they were not. This really, really freaked me out. I felt so scared being behind them, my heart was in my throat. I felt especially vulnerable with our two children in the car. This is the second time in a month that Steven and I have witnessed blatant drunk driving. I feel so angry about it. WHY WOULD SOMEONE JEOPARDIZE NOT ONLY THEIR LIFE, BUT THE LIVES OF OTHERS IN THIS WAY???? Drinking is a personal choice, it is no longer personal when someone gets behind the wheel. What can we do about this problem? I really hope the police responded...before this person seriously hurt themselves, or worse, someone else.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Brotherly love
I love this shot! For another cute brother/sister shot, click on this photo and browse our other photos. Theres a few more of them together that are great!
Our little electrician
Benjamin has been spending even more time with Dada lately for obvious reasons. He loves to watch, help, and imitate Steven, especially when he is working on projects. Steven was testing one of our electrical circuits with these electrical tools (don't ask me their names!). Ben got a hold of them and hooked them up to the screen in our front door. He was very proud of himself!
Abigail 4 weeks
Abigail is now both 4 weeks and 1 month old. I'm still not sure when you start going by weeks vs. months, but now she's both. Not too much is new....she is eating well, sleeping pretty well, and smiling more and more. We haven't been back to the doctor, so don't know what she weighs, but we can tell she is getting bigger. She continues to squeak at night with her breathing, now that we know what it is and that it is not dangerous, we are sleeping better. She has been sleeping pretty well, napping much longer than Ben ever did, and wakes up 1-3 times per night (I love the 1 time per night nights best!).
Benjamin is acting as I would expect, especially for a 2-year old. He's a very good kid, he and I tend to have the most conflict right now. I can imagine its hard for him to understand the shift in my attention. He's acting out quite a bit with me, which I would also expect for his age. (I am not often as patient as I could/should be). Here are some examples: Today, I noticed he had marker on his shirt and nicely told him "we don't color on our clothes". He promptly went over to the markers and made another mark on his shirt. At lunch, he accidentally dropped his food on the floor...while picking it up, I noticed even more food raining down on me. At naptime, I left the room after spending a long time putting him down. A few minutes later, Ben says "All done sleeping, mama!" I went back in to remind him that he hadn't ever started sleeping and found his bed completely drenched by the water from his sippy cup. Having a toddler is so fun and so hard!!! He's a delight, too, and continues to amaze us by his language and his memory. He's very bright and loves to laugh! Its fun to see him interact with Abigail, he clearly loves her. We are thankful for both our children, despite the challenges, the joys far outweigh them all (most of the time!).
Benjamin is acting as I would expect, especially for a 2-year old. He's a very good kid, he and I tend to have the most conflict right now. I can imagine its hard for him to understand the shift in my attention. He's acting out quite a bit with me, which I would also expect for his age. (I am not often as patient as I could/should be). Here are some examples: Today, I noticed he had marker on his shirt and nicely told him "we don't color on our clothes". He promptly went over to the markers and made another mark on his shirt. At lunch, he accidentally dropped his food on the floor...while picking it up, I noticed even more food raining down on me. At naptime, I left the room after spending a long time putting him down. A few minutes later, Ben says "All done sleeping, mama!" I went back in to remind him that he hadn't ever started sleeping and found his bed completely drenched by the water from his sippy cup. Having a toddler is so fun and so hard!!! He's a delight, too, and continues to amaze us by his language and his memory. He's very bright and loves to laugh! Its fun to see him interact with Abigail, he clearly loves her. We are thankful for both our children, despite the challenges, the joys far outweigh them all (most of the time!).
Little Drummer Boy
Ben is into a drumming phase...he loves to hit anything on anything to make noise . Pretty adorable and sometimes annoying :)
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