The Bennetts

Sunday Serenade

2012-02-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

Some quick pics from this weekend and a video of Davis singing. Passionately. With his whole heart.

Playing with Trucks!

Davis makes this face ALL. THE. TIME. It's usually when he is saying "no" to something or is just generally displeased with something. It's pretty funny.

Little miss thing- hanging out in her diaper. Just relaxing.

Video here. (Actually click the word "here" and it will load). Turn your volume on.

Things to do at 4:00 a.m.

2012-02-13T02:55:00.001-08:00

1) drink a glass of crystal light
2) think of jokes for Ricky Gervais
3) scan pinterest
4) feed a baby
5) eat three spoonfuls of "happy tracks" ice cream you wish corky and b had not left in your freezer
6) ask yourself if its too weird to do yoga or some sort of workout since you're up anyway, and your eating habits are clearly in the can.
7) read cnn.com
8) tear up watching j hud's tribute to whitney
9 contemplate ordering some jewels from qvc
10) sing kelly clarksons latest hit, and your new 4:00 a.m. anthem, "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger..."
11) eat more happy tracks
12) think of new ice cream names. then nail polish.

Sneak Preview

2012-02-10T19:53:00.000-08:00

Carrie, from Sweet Louise Photography, came to our house today to take pictures of Holden. I think she got so many good ones. I cannot wait to see them- she does such a nice job and of course- these will be my first REAL pictures of Holden. Carrie sent me a little preview and it's making me even more excited.

If you missed the post before this (and care) I covered my parent / teacher conference for Davis, along with some pictures from his classroom.

Parent / Teacher Conference

2012-02-10T19:44:00.000-08:00

Nothing makes you feel more like a parent than going to a parent / teacher conference. Davis' was Wednesday and I was super impressed with his teacher, and all the details she knew about Davis. We had a lot of great discussion- but for recording's sake, I'll break it down like this:

1) Davis is the quiet one in the class. WHAT? HOW? She said he is "the observer", which is funny because that is how everyone has described me when I was little.

2) He is also incredibly independent. They do little activities all day and Davis will come over, see what they're doing, maybe engage for a little bit, and then very often he will head on over to a table nearby and do his own thing.

3) He LOVES boy things- trucks, cars, legos, sandboxes, and so therefore he finds himself hanging out with Max and Leo a lot, as they like those too.

4) He is strong willed. The teachers rated the kids skills and capabilities on so many different categories and activities and his teacher told me that she would take specific things to Davis to see if he could do them so she could accurately fill the page out...9 out of 10 times, he would do the activity, no big deal, and then move on. The way she put it was "He's really only going to do what he's interested in, when it comes to activities." She said this might be because he is bored, it might be a phase, or this might just be his personality.

5) His vocabulary has picked up like CRAZY. Lately, he says stuff like:
- I need to work on it.
- I need you to help me.
- This is a good song.
- I see a lellow (yellow) bulldozer!

6) That Davis is the only Koala that still has a pacifier! AHHH. I had to coax this information out of her- I guess she didn't want me to feel judged. So she recommended not sending it for school- so I've done that the past three days and he is fine. Now at home, that is a different story. He thinks he needs it for bedtime. I'm fine with that for now. I've got bigger nighttime problems. :)

7) He is happy. Though he is independent likes to do his own thing- he is smiling and thriving and happy. And this, I can tell, from the fact that now he runs into the class without EVEN HUGGING ME. WHAT?????

Davis reminds me so much of me when I was little. I wonder what Holden will be like. By the way, things are going better with her acid reflux. Not perfect, but better. I took her to the doctor today for a follow-up today. They showed me all these techniques and suggested some rice cereal in her milk to make it thicker. Also, I didn't know this, but the meds take about a week to kick in, so I'm hopeful there.

Here are a few pictures from Davis' teacher of the last month. The kids have gotten so big- it's unreal. When Davis walks in they say "HIIIII, Davis!" And when I walk in to pick him up at least one or two of them will say "Davis' mommy!" Little friends are so fun.

Playing with "Tato Heads".

Paz, the new girl. Could she be any cuter? We pretend she is Davis' girlfriend. Every day she has on the cutest little leggings, boots, skirts, and always a bow in her hair.

Bicycling.

Legos!

The Chinese New Year Dragon parade.

Dancing in music class.

Bongo day.

Davis' classmates getting messy with shower cream. I am guessing this is one activity he probably avoided. Ha.

Playing trucks with Max and Leo. I pretend they are saying things like:
"Hey- what did your mom pack you for lunch? I'll trade you one oreo for two graham crackers." or "Did you see the car on Paz's shirt? She really gets it."

More trucks.

Hope you are having a good weekend!

This is a Test...

2012-02-07T20:23:00.000-08:00

Davis with Strep.
Holden with Acid Reflux.
Paired with our general lack of sleep.

I get it. This is a test. And I might be failing...
Ugh.

Bucket Head and Super Dad

2012-02-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

So last night took a crazy turn. All of the sudden, at Holden's 9:30 feeding, she couldn't hold anything down. Nothing. And she was in such pain, writhing and arching her back, screaming and crying. It was as if we had switched formula or something. We called the nurse line and they said to take her straight to the ER since she is so small. Ugh. So, Bennett, who shall moving forward be called "Super Dad" took her to the ER around 12:00 a.m. (We waited and tried to feed her again before taking her- but to no avail).

He was there until 7:30 a.m. and after hours in the waiting room, several X-rays, and a few more trial feedings, they confirmed that Holden has acid reflux and gave her medicine. For the next day or so we have to feed her about 1/3 of what she was eating- but almost every hour. YIKES. I'm just glad that we know what's wrong and can fix it. I just fed her- and granted- it's only the 2nd feeding since the medicine- but she wasn't in pain and she didn't spit up...so here's hoping.

As for Davis, I took him to school this morning and his class was on the playground. Lately when I take him and they are on the playground, he opens the gate and RUNS off. I literally have to shout "Hey Davis, I'm leaving, I love you..." Ha. Today I was talking to his teacher when he ran off, so afterwards, I walked over to see what he was doing and he was standing alone in the sandbox with a bucket on his head and the biggest smile on his face. He looked at me and said "Helmet."

I looked at Logan, and he said "He does this every day" and smiled. I know he is pretending it's a fire fighter helmet- but the best thing is that it's about 8 inches wide at bottom and about 12 inches high- so tall and narrow. And it's pink- which makes it even more awesome.

My two boys- Super Dad and Bucket Head.
And I guess Holden could be Pukey Burpy.

The adventures of Sam, Super Dad, Bucket Head and Pukey Burpy. Happy Tuesday.

All in A Day's Work...

2012-02-06T15:12:00.000-08:00

I tell you what- at the end of the day- I've got nothing to show for myself these days. And yet at the same time- I have no time to do anything other than what I'm doing. I know, taking care of Holden is doing a lot. Definitely know that. But it's a funny feeling- sitting, watching Glee most of the day while feeding her, and next thing you know, it's 5:00 p.m.

It really is taking so long to feed her. About an hour for each feeding, lots of stopping and burping and giving her a break because she seems so uncomfortable. Then on top of that, after you feed her, you have to hold her upright and pat her back for almost another hour. See- now you know where my time is going. I called today and talked to the lactation consultant- then made a dr. appt for tomorrow afternoon...they think she might have acid reflux. I was actually relieved to hear that. I would rather know and figure it out than keep up the way it is. It's not horrible...but when you wake up at 2:00 a.m. to feed her and don't finish till nearly 4:00, knowing all the while that you have to get back up at 5:00 to start again, it's pretty exhausting.

I felt a little sad for myself this morning. Really I was just so tired- everything seems dismal. And I'm tired of sitting in the same chair for 75% of the day...with Davis I would take him all over and feed him wherever- but when it takes two hours- that is a long time to sit somewhere. When she gets a little bigger- we're going to get more mobile. For now- I'm just hopeful that the doc has the perfect solution tomorrow.

In the meantime, here are some pictures from today. And while it looks like they were all taken at one time, within a span of about five minutes, they weren't. That should give you an idea of what our day was like. She looks a lot like Davis did as a baby to me.

Sleeping...

I call this her shocked "I can't even believe that!" face.

More of the same...

And I hung the radishes back up. To change my view.

Oranges and radishes in this house.

A Firefighter, That's Me!

2012-02-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

We talked a lot about going to the fire station last night- so it was no surprise when Davis asked about it upon waking up this morning. We got everyone packed up and headed out to the fire station to meet Captain Cosby- who had welcomed us to come any time when we talked over the phone on Friday.

It felt funny to not have an appointment- but I jumped out at the fire station and rang the bell. This hulky firefighter opened the door, looking sort of like he had just rolled out of bed. I told him I had talked to Cosby, mentioned that I had a little boy in the car, and asked if now was a good time. I wish the scene had been on candid camera. It was that awkward. He looked at me like I was from Mars and said "Captain who?" Wrong station. When I asked about getting a tour there- he awkwardly let me know that it wasn't a good time. They were about to have a shift change. Some heroes...

So I got back in the car and since Bennett and I both forgot our phones- we just drove to the next station in the area. On the way- we laughed so hard I cried because in some way- I was expecting the fire station experience to be like the Barney video. They welcome you in- fire station chili is cooking on the stove- the fire station dog is there to greet you- and the friendly captain makes you an honorary fire captain after breaking out in song. In reality- not so much. The second station was even more disappointing- and frankly- I wasn't so impressed with their level of physical fitness. To put it nicely, I'm not sure who they could have saved...

So, we almost went home. It was about to be nap time and Holden was due to eat any minute. But instead we tried one more station. It was a haul and I was sure it wasn't the right one. We pulled up- and it was the most legit station by far- but when I rang the doorbell, no one came. And it was pitch black inside. I turned around to head back to the car and a very disappointed aspiring firefighter. But right before I got in- a young guy popped his head out- and asked if he could help me. I told him the whole schpeel- expecting to get a crazy look- but this was Cosby's station!!! And the guy was more than happy to give us a tour.

We pulled around- and he and three other guys came out in uniform- excited to see the smallest fireman in his little fire helmet. They seriously could not have been nicer. They let us in and as we stood there and looked at Davis, with his jaw dropped to the floor, more guys came out to chat and show us around. They let him climb in the trucks- they turned on all the lights- he got to try on their helmets- and they even went and pulled out a jacket with the name "Davis" on the back so he could take a picture with it. As Baby Bop would say- these were REAL HEROES.

It was priceless- watching Davis look at them in such awe- making sure that he had his helmet on the whole time- just like them. It was everything I had hoped for and honestly- Bennett and I were pretty excited and impressed by the whole thing. Those trucks are HUGE. And they were sparkly clean, with all the pants and helmets lined up around them- ready to go- just like the movie. Such a fun morning.

Happy Boy

2012-02-04T18:45:00.000-08:00

I forgot how sweet and easy Davis is when he feels well. I really did. He's two, sure, and he has his moments...but those days when he was sick really almost put me over the edge. He was so crabby and frankly, not very fun to be around.

He was sick for two weeks- so in my mind- the attitude was more about his age than being sick. How happy am I that he is a completely different little man now that he feels better? He is so sweet. He loves his baby sister...and is always bringing me her things, patting her on the back, trying to sit right up next to (on) her, and says things like "check on baby..." and then he wiggles his little booty into her room.

We've had a really fun day today. This morning I got up with Davis while Bennett fed Holden and we played and then went to the store. He really enjoys the grocery store. Talks about it all the time. Then when we got home, Davis took him to Home Depot for the monthly kids workshop. It sounded like they had a blast. I've been wanting to take him for a while- but just never made it happen.

Today they made and painted something (not sure what, I think it's going to be a Valentine's gift), then Bennett pushed him around on one of those big dolly type things, they stopped by the popcorn lady and picked up a treat, and then Davis sat on all the "mawn mowers". My grandparents gave him a little john deere tractor for christmas- so he always starts with the john deere riding mowers.

Then we took naps- all of us- two+ hours...so amazing.
Then played and played, pretended to be fighter fighters (fire fighters), made hoses out of tinker toys, and finished the day with Bob the Builder. What a day.

Tomorrow we are headed to the fire station for a little tour. Davis might pass out with excitement. I've been wanting to do this for a long time- and finally called this week. Captain Cosby could not have been nicer.

And Holden? She's been busy too- girlfriend gets out and about. Last night we went over to B and Courtney's for a cocktail and then tried out this new burger bar in the Warehouse District. One movie quote came to mind- Reese Witherspoon saying "You have a baby? In a BAR???" Ha. Good times, though, and she slept through the whole thing.

Hope you are having a good weekend too.

What I Love Wednesday

2012-02-01T10:13:00.000-08:00

1) The Sandlot- best movie ever. "You're killin me, Smalls!"

2) That Holden always goes back to sleep after feedings. Davis never did this- and that is why I dreaded the nights and felt so out of sorts all the time.

3) Fresh flowers

4) Bennett's forts

5) That I found about 6 variations of this picture on my camera this morning. Thanks Bennett.

6) This sweet little face, sans spit up. (She spits up a lot.)

7) That Davis' class got a couple firefighter helmets. Logan told me Davis just couldn't even take it off yesterday- and when I dropped him off this morning- he grabbed one the second he walked in and just lit up with joy. It was amazing and ridiculous, all at the same time.

8) My iPad. Bennett really spoiled me this year for my birthday- and I feel so fancy and special as I peruse things on my iPad. I'm especially thankful for it when I'm feeding Holden and watching Glee on netflix on my iPad at 3:00 a.m.

Separately, things I'm praying for:
a) that my maternity leave time with Holden will be just the right amount, before going back to work. that i will feel ready, somehow.

b) that i don't get trapped in the lies the world tells people. that i remember what's important. that i keep top of mind the things i walk away from church feeling so convicted by.

c) that davis gets over the six month's worth of monthly sickness daycare has brought us.

d) that my back-to-work care solution for Holden is perfect and easy. I WANT CARRIE BACK. Carrie, if you're reading this, please consider coming back to Austin for the summer!!!! :) (Holden can't start at Davis' school until August)

Holden's Nursery

2012-01-30T18:47:00.000-08:00

I love Holden's nursery. I kept the wall paint as it was and went with a natural and white wood furniture combo, along with pops of fun colors like pink and orange. It feels very fresh and yet also cozy. This is what you see when you first walk in:

The vintage pull-down maps were a gift when I was little and SO into being a teacher. I spent so many hours playing with those things- loved them- and love them even more now. I think if you tried to purchase these now- you would break the bank- so I'm glad we kept them over the years. The gray rocker is from red- so modern and also comfy- which is hard to find. The stool we've had forever- from citywide garage sale in Austin. And I'm clearly still looking for the perfect lampshade for that cute light...

This is actually just to the right, more immediately when you walk in the door. The little bench is actually a toybox that my grandfather made for Nikki and I when we were little- I'm excited Holden will be using it too. The diaper bag was a gift from the hostesses at my sprinkle- available via Bag Envy on etsy. Love it. And the orange magnet square was a gift from Nikki!

Against the left wall when you walk in- you will see my pride and joy- the giant tropicana orange. This was used years ago, in some context, for the pitch and when I saw the mailroom guys rolling it to the dumpster, I screamed! "NOOOO!!!! I'll take it." And I've used it for many things- though this new placement is certainly the best. Sorry for the glare...

And then the biggest wall houses the bed. And the fabulous bedding from Red and Dwell. It's funny that I don't have anything over the bed, I guess, but there is stuff (big map, orange square, orange fruit stuff) on the other three walls, so I kind of like it plain. The fabric is so pretty- I think that is enough.

A closer look...

And the best angle of the most stuff I could get in one shot:

And that's that! Hope you enjoyed. But before we go, to conclude this post, a few random notes:

We had Holden's two week appointment today and she gained a pound. Yahoo. So now, while we will feed her every three hours during the day, we can let her sleep as long as she wants between feedings at night. Sleep little Holden, sleep.

Also please note that I am so THANKFUL. Meaning, I have so many people and things to be thankful for that I have a virtual mountain of thank you cards to write. Just wanted you people to know that I haven't forgotten and I'm working on it.

Bennett is the best. He has been matching me 1 for 1 on feedings on the weekend and he also takes one each night during the week. PARTNERSHIP. Also he washed and cleaned my car yesterday. What a man, what a man, what a mighty good man. Yes he is.

Oh and one more thing...I was giving Davis a bath yesterday and he was giggling this sly giggle and looked at me and said "Don't you poo poo in tub..." (he did this the other day and mama was NOT HAPPY). I said "That's right Davis- don't you poo poo in the tub. Yuck." And he kept grinning slyly. So I said "Davis, are you peeing in the tub?" This elicited a bigger grin and a giggle so I asked again, and as sure as anything, he peeked his little penis out of the top of the water to show me the arc of pee. HA.

And Finally...Pictures!

2012-01-29T19:56:00.000-08:00

All wrapped up.

Serious smiles. And thanks for the help, Honey. Ha.

With gampa...

Could she look any smaller?

Proud daddy

Too sweet

my FAVORITE picture by far...

Posing

Snoozing, in what Bennett calls her "clown suit"

Snug as a bug

Just relaxing, looking like a little easter egg

First bath- she hated it

And Davis, what has Davis been up to?

Wearing some thigh high boots

And driving around with a laundry basket on his head...just a typical day at the Bennetts. More tomorrow- I have pics of the nursery!

If I had a dime...

2012-01-28T19:47:00.001-08:00

For each time I said the following, today, I would be ready for retirement.

1) Davis, we don't talk that way...
2) Davis, no screaming please...
3) Don't say "no" say "no thank you"
4) Ask again nicely...
5) Just say "can you help me, please"
6) Mommy doesn't like it when you whine like that.
7) Davis, that isn't nice, please be nice.
8) Hey bud, we have to have some patience.
9) Actually that isn't yours. It's mine. All of it is MINE and I am sharing it with you. Isn't that nice?
10) Sounds like someone is tired.

Oh hello twos. Everything everyone has said about you is true. Good thing he is so damn cute.

Say Ya Prayas

2012-01-26T19:38:00.000-08:00

The past two nights, mid-rocking Davis before bed, and even sometimes mid-sentence, Davis has abruptly and directly suggested, that we "Say ya Prayas!" So I say "dear Jesus" and then I thank him for our family and friends and ask him to help us be nice and loving, and I just keep praying until Davis says "Aaaaa-men!" So sweet. Anyway, just wanted to remember. More later.

January 13th: Holden's Birthday

2012-01-25T18:02:00.000-08:00

I better write this down, before I begin to forget the details. I will add pictures to this post soon, to help you visualize it all.

So as mentioned, Holden came early, and in a hurry. I didn't feel ready. It wasn't how it was supposed to go. But on the way to the hospital, I started to feel really excited. Dr. Seeker was there and man, he really is worth the wait, just his calm presence and excitement. Makes you feel like he has all the experience in the world and yet, like your baby is the first baby he's ever delivered.

When Holden was plopped on my chest- she was white and gooey. And I just stared at her. She was quiet and I kept asking if everything was okay, though I could see her breathing and they assured me she was fine. Moments later, right after they cleaned her up, she was the brightest, healthiest, pinkish/red color. Like she had just gotten back from the Bahamas. :) She didn't look like Davis, (it's silly, but I sort of expected her to look just like him, simply because that's all I knew) and while she looked like she was our baby, we didn't think she looked exactly like either one of us, either. But she was perfect. And calm. And we were so calm. It was weird, almost as though we had done that before. Ha.

She was born at 10:03, and by 12:30, we were in our post-partum room. We had joked about how different it would be this time, how we would have visitors, and we wouldn't hunker down in our dimly lit room with the shades pulled. We said we would pull the blinds and let the sun shine in right away- so it was funny when we got to our room and the windows actually faced an interior (and dark) space. Bummer.

I tried breastfeeding. And it didn't go well. But I said I would try again after they took her to the nursery and ran the usual tests. The whole situation brought me down so quickly. I knew it wasn't going to work...and I didn't want to feel depressed about it...but I also felt the pressure that it should work. I should MAKE IT WORK. I did try again. And they suggested I meet with the lactation consultant. I didn't really say "yeah, sounds great" but instead sort of just went with it. But when the same lactation consultant walked in that I had last time and immediately started critiquing everything I was doing- I knew- I was done.

"Eskkiiinnn to esskiiinnn" (skin to skin) she would say with her castillian spanish accent. I wanted to punch her. Anyway- so that was that. Moving on. Decided to actually enjoy the time with Holden and forego breastfeeding.

The rest of the nurses were AMAZING. Seriously. And last time, we were underwhelmed. The whole visit was like a completely different experience. That night, we let her stay in the nursery so we could make up for the lack of sleep the night before, also knowing that those first two nights in the nursery were going to be the only nights we weren't getting up every couple hours, for a very long time. But I would wake up almost every two hours anyway. And I would have to go see her and check to make sure someone was feeding her. Again, my night nurse was amazing, and I had her both nights. It was like she knew exactly what I was thinking and she would say "Sam, feel free to get her if you like, but I just fed her and she is doing great and is already sleeping. You should get some rest." And I did.

I won't forget waking up in the night, feeling so excited to see her again. Walking down the hall, stopping for a cranberry juice (or 2 or 3 or 4- seriously- I cleared the fridge out- they were SO GOOD) and sometimes a rainbow pop, and then going over to peer through the nursery window at her. It was such an exciting feeling.

When we took her to the nursery the first night, there were about 5 babies in there, lined up in one row, right by the viewing window. She was the only little girl- we could tell by the bow on the hospital hat. When I went back in at midnight, it was like Grand Central Station. Seriously. At least 15 babies had come. Holden was still right by the window- but as Bennett said- by this point, she was triple parked. :)

Each night when she was in the nursery- I would wake up just dying to bring her back in- but also knowing that I would need this sleep. So every morning around 5 or 6 I would go get her and start the day. She never cried. She just snuggled until it was time to eat, then she ate, and went back to sleep. And she LOVED to sleep on our chests. Still does.

On Friday, my mom and Nikki were there when she was born. Then later that day, B and Courtney brought Davis up. He walked in- and had somehow grown about 2 years worth in just 24 hours. I'll never forget his face. he peeked around the corner so cautiously, just knowing that something big had happened. And he saw me and I saw him and my heart got so big it felt like it would burst. I had been so busy and so caught up with Holden, but the second I saw him, I realized exactly how much I missed him.

He quickly climbed up on the bed and laid his head against me. And though we kept trying to show him the baby, he was more interested in all the buttons on the bed. After about 20 minutes, he realized that she was there and he just wanted to kiss and hold her. My sweet boy.

Saturday was filled with visitors, which was great, and then Saturday night Davis and I got pizza and wings and channel flipped between some important football game and Miss America. You would have never guessed we had just had a new baby. Everything was so different this time. We were so calm and we were able to enjoy it all. I am so thankful for that.

Sunday morning we had to get a new car seat for Holden because she was so small. And soon after that, we headed home. I couldn't wait to see Davis, and I was so hopeful he would feel happy in his heart and know how much I loved him.

Time moved so fast in all of this. And that's the only thing that has been hard for me. Well, that and the fact that Davis has been sick since she's been home and I've had to send him to school or Fredericksburg to keep him from getting Holden sick. And today- Bennett and Holden are in Fredericksburg- which almost breaks my heart. I want time to slow down. I can't imagine that I'll ever have enough time with her this little- and I am certain that is because I see how fast it has gone with Davis.

It's still early, I know. And she is much easier in general, simply because the feeding stuff is going so well, but I don't dread the nights. I'm tired, but I look forward to holding her and having her fall asleep on my chest, and I don't want to wish it away...because it goes so fast. And you realize that you can't get it back. And I know how fragile life is and how lucky I am to have her. And that is a little sneak peek into her birthday, and the days thereafter. I am one lucky girl.

Today

2012-01-24T15:08:00.000-08:00

Today was spent napping with little Holden from about 10 to noon. Falling asleep to the sound of the rain and her measured breathing, was worth a million bucks. So cozy and sweet. I think most women, when they get pregnant with girls, start dreaming about everything they're going to do with their daughter from the second they find out. I didn't. But man, I am now. It's all I can think about. I have such a special bond with her already. Around noon, we got up for lunch- got a few things done around the house and then snuggled again- my face next to hers- from about 1 to 2:30. Not a bad way to spend the day, not bad at all.

Unfortunately- the end of the day hasn't been so swell. Just got a call from Davis' school saying he has a fever of 102. When he gets fevers, they are always high, so I am not going bonkers just yet...but I do feel so bad for him. He's been feeling badly since Thursday...and today it must have gotten worse. On top of that- he cannot be near Holden- so tonight or tomorrow, Bennett and Holden will go to Fred for a couple days where Bennett can work and maybe get a little help from Honey.

This way, Davis will be able to sleep well in his own bed, get up late, and he'll get to spend time with his mommy. I'm glad to be able to keep him home- it's the worst sending them to school when you know they aren't 100%. But I'm having a hard time thinking about being away from Holden for two days this soon. I hate that it's cutting into my time with her, especially this early, but the point, I am reminding myself, is making sure she doesn't get sick. So I get it...

P.S. Here are two more phone pics. I've taken so many pictures- but have to pick up my camera cord from work to download them. So don't worry, they are coming.

Sleeping with one eye open.

ALSO, I bring you: Funny things Davis has said lately...
" Don't go. Don't go way, mommy..." (at night, when I'm about to walk out of his room. so adorable and heartbreaking)

"We DON'T push people. Make people sad..." (he's heard me say this quite a bit lately)

"Did ya find it?" (five minutes after I told him we needed to find the remote so he could watch Barney)

One Week

2012-01-21T18:07:00.000-08:00

Its hard to believe that just one week ago we were at the hospital with Holden. It's gone so quickly. And it's gone so well. Physically and mentally, it took me about six months after having Davis to feel the way I do now. I know I am still running on adrenaline a bit, and things could change, but I am thankful for how i feel and hopeful things will just keep getting better.

Davis had a rough end of the week, cried at school drop off, cried at night, acted extra crabby and whiny during the day. I felt so sad thinking that he was just having a hard time with his new baby sister...but as he woke up about 5 times last night, I started to realize he was sick. Bennett took him in this morning and the dr. said its just a cold, but really freaked me out by saying how seriously we need to keep him from Holden, and how if she feels warm at all, to go straight to the ER. Seriously???

So today was spent trying to corral an ultra-crabby two year old who says no to EVERYTHING. An adventure, to say the least. But I feel optimistic that tonight and tomorrow will be better. It has to be. Davis is celebrating the Chinese new year at his school Monday with a dragon parade. Can't miss that.

Holden is still so sweet. I can't get enough of her. Please pray she doesn't catch anything from Davis. P.S. thanks to Nikki for picking Davis up Friday, to Honey for watching Holden while I went to a friend's lingerie shower last night, and to Corky and B for meeting us at the park today. God is good. And I am thankful.

I ADORE HER

2012-01-18T18:49:00.000-08:00

Remember how worried I was about having Holden? I didn't know if I would love her like Davis, or even close. I didn't know what it would be like to have a girl. I didn't think I'd have an immediate connection...and I really just worried that I would feel burdened by her. Sounds bad- but it's true. The good thing is- I couldn't have been more off. I ADORE HER. She is so sweet. I can't stop kissing her sweet little face and thinking about all the fun we're going to have together.

And so far, things are going great with my little man, too. He is happy and still thinks it's really fun to "go see baby" or "hug baby". I do my best to give him every minute of my time when he gets home from school- and I think that is helping. They said he was sensitive at school today, but I think that is to be expected with such a change.

For the most part, I hope it stays this way. I'm honestly waiting for the other shoe to drop. And I know it's early- but so far- it's been great. She did better last night- woke up every three hours- but went to sleep shortly after. She prefers to sleep on or by us...which is SO different from Davis. Today I took a nap with her on my chest- for two hours. It was awesome.

My only complaint is how much produce I have stuffed in my bra. Yes, I said it. Cabbage. Galore. To dry up the milk and it's MISERABLE. And the whole thing is PAINFUL. And stupid and gross to have to jam cabbage in my bra. Ugh.

Today we went to Holden's follow-up appointment. She has lost weight and that is unusual for formula babies. I told the doctor how much we're feeding her- and how the nurses at the hospital told us to give her that amount. Turns out we were underfeeding her by about 50%. Now, she hasn't been crying and she hasn't been up all night hungry, so it's okay...but we're upping her volume asap. I felt bad.

Separately, I'm nervous about Bennett going back to work. Doing it all myself. But I need to relax about it. It will be okay. I think he'll still help out at night here and there. I guess I'm really more nervous about when he first travels again. But I can do it. I think of all the single moms out there, a lot, and it makes me realize that I certainly have it easier than that.

Here are a few quick pics from my phone. I need to upload all the shots from my camera...and I still want to do a post of the weekend. Tomorrow. :)

Who are these people?

2012-01-16T18:46:00.000-08:00

Holden is the sweetest little angel you could imagine- and each day her face relaxes- and she just gets cuter and cuter. I love her hair- that there is so much of it, at least compared to Davis. That it's sort of a brownish blonde, that it's so soft. Her lips are so beautiful. Big. I don't know where she got them- but they're gorgeous- and when she has just taken a big gulp of milk, she puckers them up tight. It's adorable.

And Davis? Davis became a man over the weekend. He is so big and so handsome. And just chatters up a storm- about anything and everything. What he says has begun to have personality too- he doesn't just repeat things- he SAYS things. Tonight we went to Target and asked him if he wanted a potty. He looked at Bennett and said "NO..." like "Are you serious? No way." Tonight when I went in to check on him (after hearing him chat for an hour or so) he stood up and gave me a hug and said "Mommy has ouchie..."

He has been so sweet today. Loves Holden. Tries to share cookies with her- giggles when he walks up to her- says "hold her hand" and holds her hand. The only point of contention has been her binky. And I get it- why does she get one when he doesn't? Well, she is a baby and Davis is a BIG BOY. So it's almost time to not have a binky at all.

Anyway- I'll do a whole post on this past weekend- it came and went so quickly and so unexpectedly- it almost feels like it didn't happen. But it did- and it was great. So I'm excited to tell you all about it.

But for now- I'm drinking a glass of wine, watching Moneyball with Bennett, while both Davis and Holden snooze away. :)

GUSH

2012-01-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

Well it happened- my water broke. Gush in the middle of the night, as I lay there sleeping, not knowing my life was about to change. Well honestly, first it was just a little moisture. Then at second check, truly wet. And as I sat up, semi-shouting "Davis-I-think-my-water-just-broke!" GUSH! And then I panicked. I wasn't ready yet. Not mentally, not physically, not logistically. I mean, I had a list with about 15 things on it that we planned to do, this weekend alone. But she was ready. She was coming.

And Bennett began to fly around the house like a crazy man, pulling out two full suitcases, throwing everything he could grab in them. And I couldn't stop shaking while calling Nikki and Courtney to see who could come be with Davis while we headed to the hospital. They both came and so Nikki got to go with us while sweet Courtney got to spend the night over, not before washing the sheets though, of course. And next I called my mom, who jumped in the car to drive over, after just having driven home that night.

We got to the hospital, checked in, and contractions began. I got an epidural a couple hours later and really this time, that was the worst part. I dropped the F bomb. Yep. Don't know where it came from, but it loudly found its way across my tongue with about the fifth needle in my back. Oops. God, forgive a pregnant woman who is in labor almost a month earlier than planned.

And then we waited. Nikki and my mom went home and Bennett and I tried to sleep until Dr. Seeker showed up for duty. He stopped in around 8 and said he would be back in an hour or so to "throw this birthday party..." yes, that's really what he said. Could he be any cuter?

Around 9:45 we did a practice push and he said "okay. Let's wait on Davis," who was in the bathroom doing a last minute shave job so he could rub his little face against hers. Davis joined us, I pushed one time to crown, then twice to get her head out, once more for shoulders and BOOM, we had the most uneventful, delivery of the sweetest little girl. NO PAIN. Some pressure, sure, but no pain. I had to think about pushing harder than I physically could feel pushing. Insane.

And then they plopped her on my chest and she calmly and quietly laid there as they bulbed her mouth until she squawked like a little bird. Holden Eloise Bennett, born at 10:03 a.m., 6 lbs, 15 oz, 20 inches long, on Friday, January the 13th. An amazing detailed event that also seems like such a blur.

She is in the nursery now (we're smarter this time) so I better sleep, but there is more to the story, naturally, so I will share that later. But we love her. Even little D loves her and realizes how soft and sweet she is. And I am just blessed beyond words and thankful for the gift God gave us yesterday. He is so good.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

2012-01-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

Last night, the three of us were playing blocks in Davis' room and Bennett brought in the iPad so we could listen to some tunes while building towers...nothing too unusual. Davis has a little iPod in his room, we listen to songs on the TV and computer through pandora, and we listen to the radio in the car...it doesn't matter where it comes from- he loves music.

Something about the iPad though, or the song, just really caught his attention, and he kept quietly coming to sit in my lap while I sang along. He couldn't take his eyes off the screen- though nothing was happening, or even moving.

He sat, so still and quiet, with the most focused look on his face for the WHOLE song, while I sang and we sort of rocked back and forth to the beat. It may not sound like it, but it was the sweetest moment. A memory moment.

If you haven't heard this version of the song- check it out HERE and maybe you'll see why.

Speaking of memory moments: I am not an incredibly nostalgic person. I never have been. I really believe that the most unhappy people I know spend most of their time looking backward, wishing, hoping for things they cannot change...and because of that I mainly look forward. But I do love when you're in the middle of something and you can just tell that you are making a memory. That your mind and your heart have aligned and some day you will mentally access the vault to get to: the way the room smelled- the music you were listening to- the feeling you had.

Last night Davis and I went around picking up a few last minute things for Holden and afterwards we went to Homeslice and ate salad and pizza at the bar. They were playing oldies- great ones. Davis and I were talking about Holden and Davis and things to come- and I knew I was making a memory. A good memory.

What's Cookin?

2012-01-11T10:50:00.000-08:00

Davis and the Koalas class will begin doing some "cooking activities" starting next week. We got a note from his teacher telling us about some of the new things they'll be doing to further their development...starting with things like making pizza, play doh and trail mix. I think Davis will LOVE this. They are also going to open the door between the Honey Bears and the Koalas twice a week, let 6 kids swap at a time for an hour or so, just so the Koalas are able to learn from the older kids and so both groups have a little change of scenery.

It's weeks like this one that I'm so glad he is in school. He has little friends there! When we pick him up- he's still excited to see us- but it's not like he's been anxiously waiting. His friends all tell him "bye" and he is so happy. It's great.

What else is cooking? Well, Bennett and I went to my 37 week appointment and things are trucking along. I was glad to hear that Dr. Seeker still thinks it will be end of January. I'm more dilated and effaced- but he still feels confident that Bennett should go to Minneapolis next week. I'm starting to get excited. I'm hopeful that this weekend we'll do some of the final things and that will make me feel ready and also make me even more excited about it all.

Adios for now!

Snapshots

2012-01-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

A few pics of Davis in the last week or so...

My little sweetheart- right before his haircut. I love that little face. I feel like you can see what he is going to look like when he grows up.

Mid-haircut. Lots of frowning and concerned looks, but no tears this time. Maybe due to the promise of a treat...maybe he's growing up. P.S. I took him to the gas station after the haircut and let him pick any treat he wanted out of the whole store. I don't know what I was thinking except that I thought it would be fun. He LOVED IT. Scoped out some ritz bits, perused the cornnuts, and landed on snack wells cookies. Not too bad, considering...

Post-haircut. How cute is he? How big is he? How much does he look like his dad here? I seriously can't stop staring at him since the haircut. He looks so big and so handsome. He's a little boy.

Hugs from Porter.

Really leaning in for the nuggle.

Yesterday was a rough day. My mom and Nikki gave me an amazing, modern, upholstered rocker from Red, so we went into Holden's room to put it together. Davis could not handle that some of the things in there were not his or couldn't be played with. He screamed "Mine!" over and over and just really was a pill. I think that it's a combination of his age and that he is fully realizing he has a baby sister coming- and it might not be all about him all the time. It made me frustrated and it made my heart break a little.

I'll be honest- I'm getting pretty nervous about another baby. I'm nervous about the logistical things, labor, lack of sleep, life shift, etc. But I'm also nervous about being emotionally prepared for another baby and for loving Davis, Bennett and Holden incredibly well. Sometimes I can't sleep.

I. AM. RICH.

2012-01-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

My girlfriends, Katie, Kirsten, Courtney, Carrie and Nikki, threw me the sweetest sprinkle for Holden yesterday. I can't wait to post pictures- it was ADORABLE. Trying to describe the treats and the decorations won't do it justice...

It was such a special day. I guess I've not really been feeling like this pregnancy is real. Maybe it's denial or being busy or who knows- but yesterday was so fun, it felt so real, and I felt like one hundred dollars (as Oskar Schell would say). A handful of my girlfriends were there- my closest gal pals (other than Katie who is finishing her stint in Ohio) and my two godmothers drove in from Houston and Fredericksburg- and my mom and grandmother were there. It was perfect.

The weather was unseasonably lovely, the music was sweet and joyful, the treats and decor were perfectly girly, and of course, the conversation was celebratory and fun.

Holden really scored (as did I) on the gifts. It was hardly a sprinkle, but more of a full-on shower. But my godmother was right- sprinkles are better because with a second baby, no one has to get you anything practical. So Holden is all set up with adorable shoes, dresses, onesies, and I am lined up with an adorable baby book, Chew beads, and the cutest gray diaper bag from etsy.

Okay- so to the title of this blog...
Between Carrie and Courtney coming over the night before, the event itself, the people that drove in for it, the sweet gifts, all the work that went into it, and the pure joy and excitement I could feel from all my friends and family...I drove home on Saturday with the BIGGEST smile on my face and maybe a couple tears in my eyes and I thought: "I have the best friends (and that includes family) a girl could ask for. Friends that really truly know me and care for me. Does it get any better than this? I. AM. RICH."

Sprinkle

2012-01-05T19:32:00.000-08:00

Saturday, some of my girlfriends are throwing a sprinkle for me, to celebrate Holden. I'm so excited. It's so sweet and I know it will be so fun. How cute is this invitation? EEK!

Ornamental

2012-01-05T07:21:00.000-08:00

About one month before Christmas, I mentioned to Bennett how much I loved it when he makes gifts instead of buys them. He delivered in the sweetest way. Each year we exchange an ornament. This year, he made two ornaments for me, and one for Davis. Not only was it sweet, but these are some awesome ornaments. My favorites for sure. I've also included some pics of other ornaments we gained this year.

B for Bennett.

The cutest little kangaroo with a roo baby in her pouch. :) Bennett found this on an old trophy.

A little saw for his little man.

A vintage trumpet from my grandmother.

Vintage hoho ornament.

The cutest little pink and sparkly duck for Holden from Honey.

Felty fishy.

Felt D button.

A tired octopus from the Monterey Aquarium- from me to Bennett.

All of these ornaments made for a fun electric blue tinsel tree.

Bennett noticed as we carefully put all of our ornaments away that while I'm not super sentimental about things- or old things especially- I AM sentimental about my ornaments. And it's true...I think vintage ornaments are far more beautiful than MOST new ornaments. Unless they're made by one Davis DG Bennett.

Christmas Break in Pictures: Part II

2012-01-04T07:46:00.000-08:00

This smile is new- have to tip your head SO FAR BACK.

Started a new routine at night- Davis gets to stay up a little later, watch 20-30 minutes of Barney, with a bedtime snack, IF he sits still and relaxes a bit. He loves it. This started b/c every night before bed he would sob and say "SIT. IN. CHAIR."

Hanging out, eating pretzels. It was an amazingly beautiful day.

Same.

Playing with Bennett's bike pump- his favorite.

Pushing his trike. This is his favorite way to play with it right now. Likes to be in control, I guess.

This is the vintage HoHo Honey gave him- it lights up at night. Davis hugs him every day on the way to and from school. Sometimes three times each.

Davis and Bennett about to try out their new bike setup from Nikki and Tony.

Taking off...

Davis in his seat. He didn't know exactly what to think, but liked it after they took off.

Bennett was tying his shoes- Davis had to take a closer peek.

Which turned into the sweetest hug. Have I mentioned how much Davis loves to hug? Probably 10 times a day he will say "Hug, mommy. Big hug." or "Need a hug..." and this is on top of the hugs we already give him. Love it.

Pico- from my view laying in the grass.

P.S. Tonight Davis will embark on night one of the Skittles challenge. If he sleeps through the whole night, no crying, he will get two skittles in the morning. Since he was sick a few weeks ago- he wakes up one to two times a night and will scream or cry until I go in there and rock him. Sometimes I don't mind- but I'm really tired these days and I don't want this to become a habit. I would rather morning candy become a habit. :)

Christmas Break In Pictures: Part I

2012-01-03T10:25:00.000-08:00

Honey with all the stockings days BEFORE Christmas. This is rare. She is usually digging for them (without success) on Christmas eve.

Pretty birthday packages from my mom and Nikki.

A beautiful birthday package from Davis. Inside was an iPad!

Nikki's sweet gift to me.

Davis on Christmas Eve!

A Christmas eve fire.

Davis, first thing on Christmas day. We said "Davis, Santa brought SO many presents." He said "Let's open it!"

Happy Davis on Christmas morning.

Davis opening presents.

Davis and I- still in our jammies.

So happy in his new chair from Honey.

Learning to drill with Owmpa Loompa Tony.

More to come. Also- just got back from my 36 week appointment. Holden is about 5.5 pounds, she is right at the 50th percentile for all measurements, AND I am already dilated a bit and she is in the lowest position. Dr. Seeker is predicting that she will be born the last week of January. Geez it's coming quickly. Also- I had my first Braxton Hicks contraction last night. I felt like an accordion.

Davis and his little sister,

2012-01-02T19:30:00.000-08:00

Holden Eloise Bennett. Yep, we finally decided, and it's made me even more excited about her coming soon. Tomorrow we have our 36 week appointment and I'm so anxious to hear what the doctor has to say. More later...

ThankYouWelcome

2011-12-29T18:03:00.000-08:00

Davis has been saying and doing some funny things this week, including but not limited to:

1) "ThankYouWelcome" (without the slightest pause)

2) Singing "happy birthday" to himself. All the time.

3) "OwmpaLoompa Tony" (long story but he heard Tony say "oompa loompa" and thought it was hysterical, so he now pairs Tony with that funny word.

4) Bringing his blue blanket everywhere with him, "nuggling" it and smiling so big all the while.

5) Saying "penis" and giggling. Yep, this just happened tonight. Someone (Bennett) said it, Davis heard it, and thinks its funny. He even said "daddy say penis". Oops.

6) Diving into my arms when I got home tonight. Literally diving.

7) Thinking every unopened box is a present. Even if it's really swiffers.

8) Sitting in his new armchair from Honey, as much. as possible.

That's all I can think of now...but a few side notes:
A) Bennett turned my blog into a book for me for Christmas. So meaningful.

B) I will do a full post or two on Christmas and this awesome vacation week soon, I promise.

C) I think we decided on a na-ame. (read that in the sing-songy taunting tone implied...)

D) This next comment really requires, and will get, it's own post...but the closer I get to having this little one, the more I feel compelled to adopt the next one. It's crazy how much I think about it.

31.

2011-12-23T18:44:00.000-08:00

My birthday was nothing short of amazing. I will add pictures later, but for now, lets just say I was treated really well. I slept in while Bennett took Davis to school...then enjoyed Bennett's breakfast tacos that were so good, I ate so much, and couldn't even eat lunch...

But my mom picked me up and we met Nikki at Nordstrom cafe for lunch anyway. I love lunching there. We had lunch, chatted and my mom and Nikki gave me two amazing presents. Nikki gave me $ toward a trip to New York in March for the book release party. SO thoughtful...and my mom gave me an Orla Kiely bag I've been wanting.

After lunch we shopped around and then it was time for a massage. So relaxing I fell asleep and woke myself up with a snort. Ha. My mom stayed over to watch Davis so Bennett and I could go to dinner...we had reservations at Fonda San Miguel. However, we decided to go see a movie instead..."my week with marilyn". Boy was she a train wreck. Oh but wait, before we left Bennett let me open my gift. An iPad!! I had no idea. So sweet. I've been playing with it all day. Also, my grandparents gave me a really pretty necklace...thank you G & G.

Such a fun day. A great start to 31.

What I Love Wednesday: Christmas Edition

2011-12-21T07:50:00.000-08:00

1) Reading to Davis by the light of the giant vintage HoHo in his room...
2) Finding gifts that you know the recipient will really love
3) Sparkly wrapping paper
4) Packaging from the Paper Source
5) Thinking about Christmas like a child again- the excitement, the mystery, the joy
6) Doubling up the excitement with my birthday 3 days before
7) Game night with our community group
8) Christmas cookies
9) Sleeping in
10) Hustle and bustle

Okay, one thing I don't love...Davis was up till 3:00 last night, just sad and not feeling well. We're taking him to the doctor today- but he has no fever- so I can't really figure it out. And I'm tired. And I want him to feel better.

But to end on a fun note- a few fun things he has said lately:
- "diaper feel bad"
- "don't you potty in tub!"
- "new song, new song, new song" - okay actually this isn't funny. it's annoying. listening to music in the car has become painful. 9 times out of 10 he doesn't like the song and is looking for something else- and if you can't find that something else, after checking EVERY radio station- he just continues to say "new song" until he gets really agitated and says "PEEEAASSEE!!!! MOMMY!!!!!"
- "mommy get it" if he drops something and doesn't want to reach to get it.
- "nuggle, nuggle mommy..." and he sits in the same chair in our living room and waits for me to come snuggle with him.

Oh and here is the card his class' room mom put together for the teachers. So cute.

House! House!

2011-12-20T07:33:00.000-08:00

I meant to mention that a couple weeks ago when I got home, Davis ran to the door saying "house! house!". I had no idea what he was talking about until he took me and showed me the cute little gingerbread house he and Honey had made that day. He was so proud...until he saw the hole in the roof. He pointed and said "hole..." over and over, very seriously. And it became clear to me that he had punched his little finger right through the roof. Ha.

Anyway- here is the little house and he still likes to sit up on the stool at the counter and look at it. And if I don't pay enough attention, he likes to steal a shingle or doorknob and eat it.

Separately, I picked Davis up yesterday and right when I walked in the door I knew something was wrong. All the kids were sitting right in front of the entrance, hearing a story read by a dog puppet. Not Davis. I could hear crying from the other side of the room- so I walked over and he was sitting with Logan, just crying crying crying. He was crying so hard he didn't even notice me. When he looked up, his little face was red, his eyes were heavy looking, and his hair was sweaty. Poor guy was hot to the touch. Logan said he had been crying for a little while so they walked to the office to take his temperature- but he only had a low grade fever. We gave him some ibuprofen, I carried him to the car, and within minutes, he was asleep.

By the time we got home, he was feeling better, and loved the pallet I set up for him on the couch. He watched Barney. He took a bath. He ate a full meal...and he went to bed. Very uneventful. Didn't wake up all night. No fever, and happy as a clam this morning. So, I took him to school. Wonder what that was all about?

Anyway- I just want him to feel better. Love him so.

Kiss-mas Tee!

2011-12-19T07:53:00.000-08:00

Saturday we talked all afternoon about going to the big kiss-mas tee with Porter...Davis's eyes lit up each time we talked about how big the tree was going to be, and we weren't disappointed. We had dinner with the Ryans and then parked downtown and walked over to Zilker Park to see the big tree. This was our first year- and it certainly won't be our last.

Okay yes, it's kind of tacky...but imagine if you were two.

And spinning underneath it? Awesome.

On the way to the BIG KISS-MAS TEE!

The closest pic to getting both of them smiling.

Davis and Bennett

Bennett and I.

Porter and Davis.

A little smooch under the tree. I look like a giraffe. He looks like a wildabeast.

Carrie and I!

Girls Christmas Exchange

2011-12-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

Last night was the 5th anniversary of our girls christmas exchange in Austin. The first year there were 6 of us and it's grown to 10. It's always so fun to get together, have a great food (this year was at Fino), drink wine and just spend time together.

Every year I'm reminded of how great my friends are and I'm seriously amazed that I get to keep close company with them. Here are a few snapshots of last night. This year Kirsten was able to join- which made it extra fun.

I drew Carrie's name and gave her the earrings you see in the picture- from Noonday. Courtney Greenburg drew my name and gave me the cutest little sparkly studs from Anthro. The funniest gift was an 80s Kama Sutra book, and the best quote that came along with it was "why is everything so hazy?" HA!

Hey Mr. Postman

2011-12-15T09:36:00.000-08:00

When I was little and not feeling well, my mom would take me to the local movie store (Pop N Go, in Sioux Falls) and I would pick out some movies to watch while sitting in my bean bag. Without fail, I would choose one, or an assortment of, the following movies: Gidget, Goonies, Troop Beverly Hills and Rags to Riches. Hence the video clip. Geez, I loved that part of the movie. I still do. If you didn't notice, it's a riff on the "Hey Mr. Postman" song.

Today I received a cute note in the mail with a magazine tear-out from my friend, Katie Brewerton. It made my day. Occasionally, Katie, Kirsten and my grandmother will send me something in the real mail- and I just love it.

Where are you going with this, Sam? Okay, so the point is this: I was excited to receive the note. So excited that I started thinking about how much I appreciate the U.S. Postal Service. Which made me start singing "Hey Mr. Postman" in tribute. Which made me think of "Rags to Riches".

Full circle. There you go.
Anyway- here is the cute tear-out from Katie...and a picture of Davis. Did I tell you all that next month is what I am calling "Breaking Binky"? Well it is. Dreading it.

Let the Games Begin

2011-12-13T20:00:00.000-08:00

Davis isn't feeling so well. He's not sick, but he's not 100%, and I think this is causing him to be sort of miserable. Today I picked him up from school, they said he had a good day, but as we left and I wouldn't let him take his cubby with us, he threw a full-on, on the ground kicking, screaming tantrum. People had to walk over us to get out the door, and it lasted all the way to the car.

We got home and played a bit- everything was okay but I think it was mainly because I made it an easy night. A bath, Barney, toast and fruit for dinner, and some playtime. I put him in bed at 7:30 and waited for the new "cry" he's been trying out lately that I experienced for an hour last night as he fought going to bed. It's sort of a rhythmic moaning, or wailing. It's horrible- more annoying than anything because you can tell he's not in pain or anything- he's just being a stinker. I went in and out about 8 times last night, so tonight I decided I would wait it out and he could tire himself out. I laid in my bed (feeling sorry for myself, thinking about all the work I needed to do, my sore throat, and how much I just wanted to go to bed) for 20 minutes of this new cry.

I heard a little thud, but he occasionally hits his crib or something into the wall so I didn't think much of it. After a few minutes it got quiet...and I congratulated myself on sticking it out. A few minutes later, I had to walk out to my car to get my computer to start work...I heard more crying. I peeked my head in and holy cow- there was Davis- STANDING NEXT TO HIS BED. I was so shocked. He was so scared. I sat down with him, hugged him, helped him calm down and then told him over and over that "we stay in our bed at night..."

He went back to bed, and it's 10:00 now, and he's still asleep...but I can't help but think that this is an early start to my sleepless nights. Ugh. I had been hoping to avoid this until after the baby comes. Let the games begin.

Confessions

2011-12-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

I finish almost every dinner with a pack of Davis' fruit snacks.

Sometimes in the car, on the way home, I pretend I'm being interviewed on a news or talk show about some amazing project I've just completed. Usually it's a best selling book. (Gotta have dreams to achieve them, right?)

I hate having trash in my car. I mean, I hate it to the point where I used to litter. I'm a reformed litterer. Sometimes I relapse.

I am obsessed with efficiency. I will think of four things I need to do at home and figure out the most efficient route and way to do them- even to the point where I make a plan that doesn't allow me to back track from one room to the other. THAT IS CRAZY!!! (I realize this...)

Sometimes I feel like blowing a lot of cash on fun things. I'll fill up many online shopping carts...wait a few days, think about it, and then go back and revise my cart. Sometimes there aren't so many revisions. EEK!

Very often, I think about what my life would be like in a completely different career. Sometimes I am a lawyer. Other times I am a delivery nurse. Often I am a teacher. Sometimes I am a public speaker.

I am about to start a book of my own. I am very excited about it. I think it might be part of my calling. We'll see, I guess. If I finish it, get an agent, get it published, and do a book tour.

As excited as I am about baby #2, I'm also really anxious and nervous. Sometimes I can't sleep thinking about it.

I have started enjoying cheese. Mainly just sharp cheddar. The other day I was eating some cheese with Bennett and I thought to myself "This must be how people feel about cheese...it's sort of amazing." (Usually, not pregnant, I don't really care for cheese. Especially non-yellow types).

I had the realization last night that every single person is just trying to figure things out in life. Some people are just more transparent than others. Then I thought of this formula: The more proactive you are in your endeavor, the more successful you will be. The more transparent you are in your struggles and successes, the more helpful you will be. The more helpful you are, the more joyful you will be.

I am bummed that my panel didn't get into SxSW interactive festival. But I'm also aware that out of 4000 entries they picked 500, AND I would have a 4 week old baby at that time- so that would have been pretty stressful.

I really missed karaoke this holiday season. It's true. I did.

That's all I got for now. I feel so much better. I guess this is sort of like being Catholic.

Room Re-Dos

2011-12-12T09:08:00.000-08:00

We've been working away on some room re-dos in anticipation of the new littlest Bennett. It's so fun to create new spaces- and when you have a designer like Nikki in your family- the outcome is always amazing. Not that we have a final outcome yet- not even close. These pics are of the works in progress.

I am kicking myself for not taking a picture of the guest room BEFORE we started turning it into the baby room. Same for the office BEFORE we modified it to be an office/sleep spot for Honey. I could have really done a nicer job with the before and after that way...but it is what it is.

Bennett's office:

Purchased this twin bed from West Elm and we're trying to create a sitting space during the day- with a sleeping option when we have a guest. Picked up the shams at Red and Urban Outfitters.

To the right of the settee- our bookshelf. Ignore two things in this picture: the wrinkly sheet and the junk hidden in the corner behind the bookshelf.

Bennett's workspace. This is the tidiest you will ever see it. His work approach is nothing short of organized chaos.

Some fun photos to the right of his desk.

Pics taken in Boston and some of Bennett and his buddies.

The littlest Bennett's room:

I have painted this room three different colors. We chose this color a few years ago and I LOVE it. I planned to keep it for boy or girl.

That light sitting on the floor is from Red and it used to be in our kitchen. We are going to see how it looks as the overhead light in her room.

Her bed, pre-Red bedding. I picked up that little sheet at Target months ago and I think it's so great for $12. I mean, seriously? Pillow is from Red- of course- and blanket is from Giggle in L.A.

My maps! One of my favorite items in our house. Love them.

The new dresser, some random storage type things just sitting on top, and an adorable orange from a new business pitch a few years ago. I'll let you guess the company. The mailroom guys laughed when I screamed as I saw them throwing that gem in the dumpster.

Some funny pictures of Davis, pre-weekend haircut. He looks like one of the Three Stooges. Ha.

This was at Magnolia Cafe last week. We had a blast. Bfast tacos and a brownie a la mode for dessert. Boom.

Moore Girls Getaway

2011-12-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

My mom took Nikki and I to San Antonio to stay overnight and shop at La Cantera. It was so much fun- I told Davis that I didn't even realize how much I needed a little break like that until I was there. We stayed at the Westin, which is right next to La Cantera, so it was perfect.

We left Friday morning, shopped at the outlets, then headed to SA for a little more shopping and dinner. The next day we did more shopping. It is so festive there and is such a nice outdoor mall- I highly recommend it. We think we might spend a Christmas there one of these years. Do Fiesta Texas Christmas stuff one night, take Davis skating on the ice rink at the Westin, and of course shop shop shop. :)

When I got home, Bennett had fully completed my wish list, which I didn't expect at all. I knew he was going to get some things done around the house- but seriously- he knocked it out! Made me feel great- I am really thankful. He took Davis to the gym for the first time and said he had a blast but he shoved each of the 6 other kids there. WHAT GIVES? Bennett said it wasn't malicious really- it was more like he was a magnet drawn to each of them. He couldn't help himself. He would shove the kids down and just look at them like "Yeah. That's what happened I guess..." Oh, two years old. Such a fine time.

We went to church this morning but left after about 15 minutes. It was a guest preacher and I unfortunately noticed within 2 minutes that he did this weird thing where he would lick his lips quickly between just about every other word. Like a lizard. I couldn't think of or focus on anything else. And of course I told Bennett. And then he couldn't focus on anything else. We started obsessively counting and nudging each other with each lizard lick. It was too much. So, we played hookie and went and picked out wrapping paper at Target. So fun. Adults playing hookie during church while our son is in church daycare. Ha.

This afternoon Carrie and Porter came over- it was a really fun way to break up the day and also catch up a bit. I've been so busy- Carrie and I usually get together frequently, but it's been a while. I still feel we need to catch up more- it's sort of hard when you're refereeing two two year olds that both want whatever the other has.

Tonight, I got an amazing pedicure. So nice. A weekend of indulgences. I love this time of year. I love picking out gifts for people. I love the festivity, the music and the hustle and bustle.

Speaking of music, tonight as I was rocking Davis to sleep, I was talking about how he will be going to school tomorrow. He said "music cass?" Yes, I said, you DO have music class tomorrow. Then he said "Jinga bells?" I was surprised. I guess that is a song they are working on...so I started to sing and asked him to sing and he sang the first verse. SO CUTE!

Also today we put batteries in all of his toys that had dead ones. He loved that. I gave him a little screwdriver and he "helped" me with all of them. :)

Cramming it In

2011-12-08T18:31:00.000-08:00

There is a new intensity at the Bennett house. It's unsaid and unexplained, though I think it's certainly because we're busy, but also about realizing how little time we have until our lives are turned upside down again with another little one.

This pregnancy has gone so quickly, and so uneventfully, that I almost think we're a little bit in denial. Or a lot. I told myself to sort of pretend I wasn't pregnant at first- because I didn't want it to slow me down and I also didn't want to feel like I was WAITING for 9 months. And now, here we are, and I'm 32 weeks pregnant and I don't know how much we realize what is coming. Ha.

But my point is that both Bennett and I are running at about 100 mph right now. Mainly fun things...trying to cram it all in. Not like life is over after baby #2, but moreso that you do have a brief hiatus. I do think it will be more brief with #2, but again, I might be in denial.

Tomorrow Nikki, my mom and I are getting away for the night to go christmas shopping. Eating at great places, seeing a movie, shopping, and sleeping in, oh my! Next week is my work christmas party and next weekend Bennett is going to a Texans game in Houston. The week after that is my birthday and then Christmas that weekend. The first weekend of January is a guy's weekend for Bennett, and then holy cow, we're in mid-January.

It's coming quickly. I hope we're ready.

Separately, because I want to remember...tonight I was singing "ABC's" to Davis to see if he would sing along. He didn't seem interested, so I stopped at G. Then all of the sudden, Davis just started singing "H-I-J-K-L MNO- P"- perfect annunciation, perfect sound. I was so surprised. So smart.

Here's What's Awesome...

2011-12-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Traveling with the President and CEO of your company, staying at the nicest hotel in L.A., and having your credit card declined at the front desk only to find out later that they held it for an $18 charge at the airport that seemed suspicious. Thanks Citicard. Can you credit my street cred because you seriously just blew it.

Ha. Oh well. Anyway- just got back from L.A. and I am exhausted. So many work projects popping up and all things I want/need to be a part of between now and February. Great timing. So I'm just cranking away- trying to stay on top of things. We'll see how it goes. I know I have way higher expectations of myself than anyone else- so I just need to remember that.

In the meantime- here are some pics from November now that I found my charger. Please note that Bennett's mustache was for Movember. Not for real.

On the docks in Portland. It was SO cold.

Davis wasn't so sure about the fish.

But he LOVED the forklift.

And the LIVE fish at L.L.Bean.

Sweet "baby Yeeya".

"Mo ceweal daddy."

Cruising with Andy at Specs.

Thanksgiving feast at the Greers.

Davis and daddy in Maine. Trying to stay warm.

Wax straws.

Happy Wednesday.

Christmas Card 2011

2011-12-05T08:21:00.000-08:00

Here is the picture from our Christmas card this year. Carrie, of Sweet Louise Photography took it, and did an amazing job, of course. We didn't send a ton of Christmas cards, so if you didn't receive one, please don't feel sad. Enjoy this pic instead!

Happy Holidays!
Also, Davis woke up at 4:30 a.m. this morning a little freaked out by the rain. I walked into his room and he said "mommy, hold you?" So cute.

Sweet Times

2011-12-04T18:20:00.000-08:00

This weekend has been so sweet, and I'm thankful for every minute.

Friday Nikki, Davis and I went to Ikea. It was really fun and Davis has been saying "Mikki, I-KEE-YAH?" all weekend. He is quite a repeater lately. For the most part it's fun, but yikes, sometimes...sometimes it's exhausting.

Saturday afternoon, B and Corky came over to hang out, and we couldn't have been happier. B took Davis outside and about 5 minutes later, Davis came barging back in saying "Corky, keys? keys?" with such urgency. He was ready to drive "B's tuck", of course. They played and played and had such a good time, giggling their heads off tickling each other. It's so special when your friends love your kids.

That night, the four of us had dinner at Asti. I had never been there and it was great. We stopped at a bakery across the street for dessert and I got a little Christmas tree sugar cookie for Davis. He is really into Christmas- we put up our tree the other day and a few decorations in the house. He points at the Christmas tree several times a day and says either "ho ho" which is what he says about everything Christmas...or "wook at it. wook at it." So anyway- today when I gave him his "ho ho cookie" he was very excited! Huge grin and he looked at it for quite a while before biting the top off.

Today we went to church and then came home for lunch. I put Davis down at 11:45 for a nap, and hoped he would take a good, normal nap. Both Friday and Saturday were such short naps, and as I'm so tired lately, I really could use a good stretch of time- to get things done or better yet- take a nap myself. :) Anyway. I had my fingers crossed today, so when I heard him talking still at 12:30, then 12:45, then 1:15, I started to lose hope. BUT he fell asleep at 1:20 and we had to wake him up at 3:30. Ha.

I went in to wake him up and he didn't want to get out of bed. He kept rolling around saying "Co-zy. Co-zy mommy." But we got him up...and went to scope out christmas gifts at the mall. Bennett's suggestion. Shocker! We are all really in the Christmas spirit this year.

Tonight we hung out, watched Caillou, made Cheesy Poblano soup, and then I got to put some things away in the new dresser Davis put together for me. It was so fun! I'm so excited.

Tomorrow starts a busy week- I thought Maine would be my last trip- but I was asked to go to L.A. for work, so this will be my last trip. I'm excited about the reason for the trip, but not really excited to travel, or be away from home right now. BUT, we're staying at Casa Del Mar, and it's two hours behind in LA, so I think I'll be pretending I'm on vacation Tuesday a.m., sleeping in and ordering room service. Or maybe I'll take a walk on the beach. Not so bad, eh? Not so bad at all. Also, I'll be back Tuesday night...quick trip.

Anyway- it's been a very sweet weekend- and I'm cherishing every moment in our lives right now. Geez. That sounds really cheesy. Cheesy like the soup I made for dinner. Ugh, there I go again...but it's true.

Being a Koala

2011-12-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

Davis and his fellow Koalas, in November.

More Pictures from Maine

2011-12-01T07:47:00.000-08:00

Of course he found their vacuum within about 20 minutes of being at their house. He has a 6th sense.

Highlights from Maine

2011-11-30T12:27:00.000-08:00

I say "highlights" very loosely because clearly there aren't any pictures of Portland OR Davis and his cousin, Lela...so a better title would be "Highlights from Maine as captured on Sam's phone because she has yet to find her camera charger..." Nonetheless, please enjoy these pictures!

Having breakfast in a dining car!

Snow in Freeport.

Winter wonderland at L.L.Bean headquarters.

Happy pizza eaters.

A bad shot of more happy pizza eaters.

Vacuums at Target in Maine. Of course.

Cape Elizabeth lighthouse. Like a postcard.

Davis and Davis.

And more Davis and Davis.

Mini Cow, Claire

2011-11-29T12:28:00.000-08:00

Bennett and I picked out this sweet mini cow for our little girl while in Maine. Davis' favorite little animal is his doggie, so I think it will be sweet if she likes her mini cow, Claire.

Also, I love mini horse from Rob & Big...but you're probably asking yourself, who doesn't?

Things I Don't Want To Forget

2011-11-29T11:17:00.000-08:00

That Davis has a little accent when he says words with "o". For example, the other day, someone rudely laid on the horn behind me, for quite a while. I ignored it, the moment passed, and then Davis said "Hoank." Just like that. Ha.

That he can't stand to see people look sad. Any time I have cried in front of him (real or faking- if he did something naughty), he gets the saddest face and says "mommy sad" and "mommy big hoag". Same thing for other people- not just me. He has such a tender heart.

That sometimes when I look at him with his bowl cut- I see myself. I rocked a bowl cut for a long time- entirely too long in fact.

That when I dropped him off at school today- he and all his little friends had on puffer jackets. Seriously the cutest thing ever.

That sometimes he wakes up singing and sometimes fussing and sometimes just saying "hi mommy" over and over (when i'm not in the room).

That the other day at the grocery store I set a square cut of cheddar cheese on the ledge of the cart and five minutes later, I heard him saying "Rub ye belly" while rubbing the center of the cheese.

That sometimes while in the grocery store- he'll ask me to pull him out of his seat- just for a big hug.

30 Week Stats

2011-11-28T09:29:00.000-08:00

Blood drawn, one finger prick and one shot in the butt later, I am done with the 30 week check-up. First let me say that everyone in the waiting room was in a merry mood- and those that weren't- I took it upon myself to try and spread the holiday cheer in their direction. Some more succesfully than others. Being in Maine really got us in the holiday spirit- that is for sure.

Anyway- here are the stats:
- I passed the glucose test with flying colors. Even after breaking all the 48 hour prep rules. Oops. I forgot. Seeker's exact words were "you can really handle your sugar...". I wanted to say "tell me something I don't know, I've been eating skittles like vitamins since I was 16."

- I've gained 15 pounds to date

- Baby girl Bennett weighs 4+ lbs and is in the 70th percentile

- She is measuring a week early

In addition, I asked Seeker some questions & found out that:
- if born at 30 weeks, survival rate is 100%

- best guess at due date is based on previous gestation period- so she is likely to be a week early and she is also likely to be around the same weight as Davis

- if your first labor was 14 hours, your second is likely to be 7 or so

- if you pushed for 2.5 hours the first time- you can still expect just 15-30 minutes on your second baby. pushing is all for the first baby. That information was music to my ears!

So- I made all my final appointments, which made things seem very real...AND we put the crib together Sunday- it's so cute! AND the linens for her bedding came in to Red! AND, because of the holidays I really only have about 6 weeks left of work. Holy cow!

Maine pics to come later...when I find my camera charger.
Happy Monday.

Gift Guides

2011-11-25T20:24:00.000-08:00

I love holiday shopping and this year I've really gotten into gift guides. I've checked Lucky, Instyle, Nordstrom.com, but one of my favorites is from a friend and fellow blogger, Meagan at Bluebonnets & Bluebell. Half the reason I love it is because she has picked things you probably wouldn't buy yourself- at least not on a regular occasion. So, anyway, in the spirit of holiday shopping, giving and fabulous finds...here is my effort at a gift guide. Part One.

I've become a real watch lover. I don't know when this happened- but I have three watches- one cheapie, one everyday coach watch that Davis gave me for my 25th birthday, and an amazing fancy watch Davis also gave me for our 6th anniversary. Anyway- I don't plan to have a ton of watches- but I always admire them. Here is a super cute one from Timex. So nice and a great price: $80 at nordstrom.

Another great gift, which is a splurge, in my opinion, is a nice makeup brush, or better yet, a set. This one is from Mac, and is under $50.

Okay, if I lived in Maine, or anywhere north of Kansas, I would need these cute slippers. Steve Madden, Merryy slippers, less than $40.

I am really into rose gold lately- and I am loving these simple bands. I would want them in matte vs. shiny, I think, but they are amazing either way. Found them on etsy- shop is Silverwoods. They are a bit more pricey- $225- but totally worth it, right? If you are my friend and end up buying/receiving them- don't show me. I'll be so jealous. :)

For your sophisticated techie friends- a smart houndstooth ipad case. $75 from Mari Forssell on etsy.

For your buddy, husband, brother or dad with great style...this alligator billfold from trelabela on etsy.

For your home- a pouf! :) Many sizes, shapes and prices on etsy from aletafae.

This scarf is awesome. Don't even ask how much it is- it's absolutely ridiculous. Thanks for nothing, Anthropologie. :(

OOh! This is too pretty. And for $28? How can you not? Free People.

This cubist cuff is perfect for a holiday party- or could be paired with an everyday watch and outfit for a little sparkle. It's $25 from Noonday Collection- which means it is a gift that gives back! (This reminds me of you, Kirsten. And I want one too. Friendship bracelets?)

And another bracelet- simple but certainly eyecatching. $95 from J.Crew.

Also- don't forget all the cute holiday palettes from Mac. Cute names like "Snowglobe" and "Dazzlesphere" shadows. So pretty and definitely things people don't usually buy themselves.

Okay- that's all I got. For now.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T17:53:00.000-08:00

Today has been a special day- we slept late- then headed over to Polly and Niles' house to have a late Thanksgiving lunch. Davis and I contributed mac n cheese and two pies from a local bakery. Polly handled the bulk of the cooking- and I seriously would have though she had done it before. It was all so great.

Before lunch, I took Davis for a little walk in the neighborhood just to burn some energy. It was cold and gray and I sort of thought it would just be something I had to do...but really, it was such a sweet little time with him. We walked around this cozy little northeastern neighborhood- and stopped to touch the snow, stopped to see kitty cats, pick up walking sticks, wave to the cars that would pass by, and sometimes Davis would just stop to give momma "big hoag". We walked until we saw an old church, a cemetery, and then as luck would have it, a playground! Davis was so pleased.

It was cold and getting darker (seriously- it gets dark around 2 or 3- it's really throwing me off) so I only let him play for a little bit. He could have thrown a fit. He fussed for two seconds and then I said "Davis, we have to say 'bye bye playground...'" He repeated it. Then I said "Thank you playground", again he repeated. "It was fun, playground..." again, he repeated, and then he threw in "see you tomorrow!" If I am thankful for one thing this year- it's Davis' kind spirit. He really is such a sensitive guy, so kind and loving. I prayed for that while I was pregnant with him, and it's amazing to see it come to fruition.

On the way back to the house, I was trying to get him to walk a little faster, so I turned around, sort of running backwards. I could actually SEE a light bulb go off- he was amazed with this...and immediately turned around and started walking backwards. So pleased with himself. So sweet.

Tonight, after stuffing our faces, we drove to Freeport to the LLBean headquarters. They are open 24/7/365 and Freeport is such a cute little town that also happened to be covered in snow. It was really fun- and a great memory with the Bennett 3 and the Cockrills. :)

Now we are watching the UT/A&M game...maybe eating a bunch of snacks from the hotel snack shop since we are without leftovers...and just relaxing. It's weird to think that this will be our last trip as a family of three. I'm excited for her- but if I'm honest- I'm also nervous. It's so nice right now...and my boys have every piece of my heart...I can't imagine what it will be like with one more. And a girl. I know every mom thinks that though, and every mom finds more love to give that they didn't even know existed. So it'll be alright. It will be great.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Maine

2011-11-22T20:17:00.000-08:00

We're here! And it's dark and cold and cozy. Davis was a champ on the plane and LOVED meeting his little cousin Lela. She is a doll- seriously so cute. And it was great to see Niles and Polly and their new house. It's very cozy and has that northeastern charm.

Oh, P.S. Davis just said to me "hey- peek out the window and see if it's snowing yet." WHERE AM I? MAINE! It's supposed to storm and snow tomorrow. I can't wait, though I do want to meander the cute little cobblestone streets and shops in downtown Portland. So cute here!

Also, my grandfather is going home tomorrow. I am so thankful for that. So happy Thanksgiving week! The holidays are here! Countdown is on until 95.5 is all Christmas songs, all the time. DE-LI-LAH!

Busy Bees

2011-11-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

We were very busy bees this past weekend. So busy, the queen bee, never got a nap. Now that is saying something...

On Friday, the Furls came to stay with us, so of course where did Kirsten and I take the boys? Specs liquor store. Yes, Specs is in fact the most kid-friendly store in the neighborhood, with carts complete with little cars with horns to keep the kids occupied while mommy and daddy peruse the booze. I have some really cute pictures of the boys playing in the little car attached to the cart. We were buying some drinks for a thanksgiving dinner some of our friends have each year. So also on Friday I baked brownies and we made a homemade mac and cheese bake, which was a hit. The party was really fun- I love seeing all my friends in one place like that.

Saturday we took Davis and Andy to the gym- which they LOVED...and then the rest of the weekend was spent getting things done. If you know me, you know that I love two things: 1) getting things done and 2) getting rid of things. We did BOTH this weekend. YES! I mean seriously, I get a little thrill every time I'm able to sell, give or drop things by the local Goodwill. If I think too long about the stuff lingering in our attic it just gives me a sideache. Seriously.

Anyway- my sweet mom took a lot of things back to Fred with her so we could make room for our new couch/bed setup in the office, which meant we could move the guest bed out, which means WE CAN FINALLY START GETTING HER ROOM READY! The room is basically empty, so last night I cleaned the floors, laid out her adorable rug, and now when we get back from Maine we can go ahead and set up her crib. I think that will really make it feel real. I can hardly believe that in two months we'll have a little girl. It has FLOWN by.

Some funny things Davis said or did this weekend:
- claimed "Da-ee bwoke it" over and over while pointing at a bowl he most certainly broke last week.

- the hokey pokey! I had no idea he knew how until the song came on his piano. The music classes are paying off.

- started saying "Okaaayy" as a replacement for: stop, no more, and move. One night he woke up so upset because he couldn't stop coughing. Bennett and I walked in to see what was up- I started rocking him and Bennett walked over to rub his back while I rocked him. Davis looked at him and said "Da-ee, okaaayyy..." We couldn't stop giggling. It was like "okay dad. enough. get out of here. we're doing our thing." I keep reminding Bennett that his little girl will feel the same way about him that Davis feels about me. :)

- held hands with little Andy each time we got in the car.

- played with the little kitchen Honey got him for his birthday. it is made of wood, it's red and vintage looking and we finally set it up in his room. he loves it!

So we're off to Maine tomorrow. I hope the flights are easy, the week is fun and RELAXING, and we don't freeze our patoots off. Yes, this is really the weather forecast. I hope one of my jackets fits!

Noooo and Nuggle Nuggle

2011-11-20T18:42:00.000-08:00

The two most recent things Davis has been saying.
NOOO. To everything. Want to go in your room? NO. Should we take your shoes off so you can get comfy? NOOO. Let's go change your diaper. NOOO. It's already exhausting. We're working on giving him choices so it's either/or.

The other thing Davis has been saying is adorable. He loves to hoag (hug) his momma and recently, he asks to "Nuggle nuggle" all the time. This started by me saying "Want to snuggle?" to which he smiles and responds "nuggle nuggle momma". It's amazing. And he gives me the best hugs lately.

We had a great weekend- so I'll have to catch you up on that tomorrow. Back to watching Goonies and working...

Crazy, Stupid, Love

2011-11-17T19:15:00.000-08:00

We finally saw this movie last night- I had been looking forward to seeing it for a while. Anyway- the gist of the movie is that Emily (Julianne Moore) cheats on her husband, Cal (Steve Carrell), of 30+ years, and you see all the drama unfold. It's cute and it's sweet and some parts are cheesy- but I was still crying several times throughout. Now that doesn't mean much because I cry about a lot these days. I'm 29 weeks pregnant.

But, I think the sweetest part was that at one point, when Cal sneaks over to his old house to aerate and take care of his yard for the wife and kids he still loves, Bennett randomly said "You know...I would do that for you..." And I cried. I thought it was so sweet. He was sincere and I could tell. And then we both laughed because the next thing he said was "I was just waiting for you to say 'then why don't you get out there and take care of our sandlot of a backyard now?'" Ha.

Anyway- Cal and Emily met and fell in love when they were 15. And of course it made me think of when Bennett and I met. We were 12. We had both just moved to Texas, we were in 6th grade, both our siblings were in 9th, and they became fast friends too. Thinking back, I realized that I always knew Bennett was different. Even when I was in the 6th grade. He was silly and immature and lankier than you would ever have guessed knowing him now, but I could also tell there was something very serious and very sweet and caring about him. Not to say I could have articulated that then.

But I knew he was different and while I can't say I fully appreciated it- I did recognize the difference between him and the other boys. In the 6th grade, he would carry my trumpet and walk at least a mile with me to my after school choir class, then walk home by himself. I wish I could say I thought then that it was just so sweet- but I was probably more embarassed because it was me, my 3-4 silly girlfriends, and Davis in his hoodie, baggy shorts and shaggy skater hair. He would also call me on the phone. All the time. I've never liked talking on the phone...and I think in the 6th grade, talking on the phone was like the LAST thing on my mind. And he just wanted to chat away...about anything and everything.

And he was always a gentleman. He always jokes about how Nikki and Niles were constantly like "why don't you kiss her? kiss her already..." and how he would be like "SHE WON'T EVEN HOLD MY HAND. HOW AM I GOING TO KISS HER???" And he never tried and it's certainly a good thing for two reasons 1) I probably would have clocked him and 2) it made our first kiss when we were 20 even more exciting. We joke though, about how after I dumped him in the 6th grade, he downgraded by about a thousand to this girl named Kelly, and how he probably did this so they could make out already. Ha. They always come around to the good girls- that's what I'm going to tell our daughter.

Anyway- I love having memories of Bennett when he was younger. I remember after he went to private school in 7th grade, seeing him occasionally, and I told Bennett yesterday that the best way to describe my thoughts back then was that "he hadn't really grown into himself yet..."

Then I remember seeing him around high school occasionally and we would joke and talk even though we ran with completely different crowds. I remember hacky sacking with him in my cheerleading uniform before a basketball game. I wouldn't say I had my eye on him then- but I certainly still thought there was something unique about him.

And then I remember seeing him in about 10th grade after he had gone off to military school. HOLY COW. Lets just say he had certainly grown into himself. And some muscles. And a sharp military haircut. And some clothes that fit a little bit better. It's funny...we hadn't talked in years...but I asked him to go fishing with me. And he did. We went to my grandparents' house to pick up the rods and we drove out to the park and sat on the rocks and fished and talks for a few hours after not really having spent more than 15 minutes together since the 6th grade. We talked about his boarding school and I talked about what was going on with me...and I think we ate sunflower seeds, but we didn't catch anything.

I didn't see him again until the summer before my junior year of college. I had just gotten out of a serious relationship and was flirting with one of Bennett's old friends, thinking it might be a fun summer fling. I randomly went to see this friend at a store on main street I had never been to before...and not more than 5 minutes after I got there, in walked Davis Bennett. And Bennett's friend was instantly forgotten. To say I learned what it meant to be boy crazy that summer is an understatement. I was over the moon for Davis from about the second we started talking...I even remember what he was wearing (and I've kept that shirt till this day). He was with a girl, he introduced as a friend, who clearly had a crush on him as she had come all the way from the northeast to see him that summer.

And I'm sure it ruined her plans that my buddy and I took him up on his offer to go to Enchanted Rock with them that day. I wasn't about to miss that opportunity. I remember that we laughed and talked and rode with the top down on my friend's convertible singing "Tiny Dancer" at the top of our lungs. You would have thought we'd known each other forever. And I guess in some ways, we had.

Watching Crazy, Stupid, Love last night reminded me that soul mates are real and how lucky I am to have gotten to spend so much time with mine. There is never a doubt in my mind that I was made for Bennett and Bennett was made for me.

I couldn't love him more.

Prayer Request

2011-11-16T18:34:00.000-08:00

We went to visit my grandfather today in the hospital, he had some more tests, and as of this afternoon, the doctor decided to try a clotting medicine in hopes that either the problem will stop altogether, or at least it will buy him some days to get a bit rejuvenated until he has surgery again.

Please say a prayer for him.
Thanks.

Also, the sweetest moment of the day was when Davis first walked up to his room, saw him, and immediately said "Hi gampa!" He then went over, high fived him and rubbed noses with him. He also asked for a "hoag" (hug) before we left. So sweet.

Rough Weekend

2011-11-15T10:41:00.000-08:00

This is not meant to be a downer post- but well- this is part of life, right? And to be fair, the weekend did have some high points, for sure. In fact, Saturday we had a blast at My Gym. Davis was so pleased to be there- I want to take him again this weekend with Kirsten and Andy.

Then that night we had dinner at Fado with a group of friends from work as part of our ongoing cultural cuisine outings. It was great- fish and chips, corned beef, smoked salmon, these are the things the Irish eat. AND there was a UT rugby team toga party going on at the time, so that was certainly entertaining.

Sunday we had a sort of special day- just hanging around the house- cleaning out the garage, and playing outside.

And there were some naps.

However, on the flip side, my grandfather had surgery this weekend and is still in the hospital. He's doing okay- but I feel bad that he will be there this whole week and I haven't been able to see him because 1) I got super sick Sunday morning. Throwing up, the works. Stayed home yesterday and didn't get out of bed until 4:00. I'm back at work today, but at about half speed. Then last night Bennett got sick. Also throwing up. On top of that, I have sciatica, which is basically a pinched nerve in your lower back that runs all down your leg and pinches every time you walk or bend. Awesome.

It is very common in pregnancy, and I know I can't complain because I've been feeling great until now, and hopefully it will just sort of taper off...but it's no fun. No fun at all.

AND while I'm feeling just a wee bit sorry for myself, I got hit with a 2x4 in the shoulder. Sounds random, I know, but it was a result of cleaning up the garage, and it HURT!

But to end this post, here is what I am thankful for.
That my grandfather is healthy.
That I am pregnant, even if my sciatic nerve is pinched.
That Bennett isn't traveling this week.
That Davis is such a doll and just wants to "snuggle" when I pick him up after school.
That it is RAINING today!
That Davis loves to rub noses with me- just like my grandpa and I did when I was little. So sweet. I'll have to tell that story later.

Mr. Kebin

2011-11-10T09:43:00.000-08:00

Davis' favorite teacher (of the three in his room) is clearly Mr. Kebin...and I can see why. Kevin is tall, loud, super silly, and very often he and I joke and talk about things when I pick Davis up at school. He's quirky and fun- wears turquoise jeans and great hats- and Davis thinks he is the bees knees.

Yesterday Mr. Kebin let Davis wear his Koala hat in the class pictures and that was the first thing Davis wanted to show me when I picked him up. Before we left- he saw Mr. Kebin and shouted "Mr. Kebin!" and ran and gave him a hug. I suggested he say goodbye to the other teachers and he just said "Bye Mr. Kebin..." ha.

Well, I just got a call from the director of the school saying that Kevin is moving out of Davis' koalas class to become the full-time tumbling teacher and that he is being replaced with a girl who graduated from UT in child development, who is very bubbly, fun and excited about working with toddlers. On one hand, I'm super bummed for Davis. On the other hand, I understand that while Kevin enjoyed the Koalas class, he would really like to be involved in tumbling and with older kids...so I can appreciate that.

I hope the new girl is great. :)
Here are some pictures I just got from his teachers...

Painting pumpkins!

Eating muffins with his friends.

Playing outside, that's Mr. Kebin.

On the playground.

The sensory tub.

Carson- this kid cracks me up. Kevin and I joke about how he's always dressed like it's casual friday. Except on halloween, of course.

Smiley man.

Sharing his koala.

Happy Thursday, People!

2011-11-10T08:09:00.001-08:00

What a Good Day

2011-11-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

So if you haven't read Davis' full birthday post- be sure to scroll to the post below. But on top of that- today has just been great. I got promoted. Woohoo. Been talking about it for a while, but didn't know it would be announced today. And my boss sent me flowers, and a bunch of people sent me really nice congratulatory notes, and it's just been fun.

Also, we got a little note (see below) from Mikki and Honey this morning reminding us that for Davis' birthday, they both put some monies into the Davis Bennett travel fund. How great is that? By the time he is in college, he'll have no problem picking up and traveling the world for a bit. What a nice gift. He is a lucky dude.

AND holy cow- Carrie already edited the pictures from Saturday for our christmas card and they are AWESOME! Here is my favorite. She is so good.

Two Years Old

2011-11-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe, but today marks Davis' 2nd birthday. I feel both full of joy and a little sad about this...it's just going so fast. We celebrated all day yesterday since today is a work/school day. We started by going for pancakes- Davis said "pancakes?" about 100 times between our house and our final stop. I say that because we started at Kerbey Lane (where the wait was an hour) and ended at Jim's on 290. I now know where all the country folk living in Austin have breakfast on Sundays. Our waitress, Tammy, has worked there 30 years and we also found out that Darryl K. Royal is a regular there. He was at the table next to us. Nice.

After that, we had naps and Bennett made a double layer brownie cake complete with homemade double fudge chocolate icing. YUM. Around 4:00 we met our friends and family at Phil's and it was so much fun. My heart was so full of joy as I watched everyone sing Happy Birthday to our little man. And he was having a hey day. I don't know that he completely understood that it was his birthday, but he certainly understood that it was an awesome day, all about him. What a lucky guy.

The first thing he saw when he got to Phil's was his new trike from nanny and grandpa.

Sweet little Andy loved the balloons!

More tricycle riding- though he calls it his bike. :)

Playing on the playground at Phil's.

Yay for slides!

More sliding.

Davis and his buddy, B.

Burgers and fries for dinner!

I loved watching his face as everyone sang to him. So sweet.

And this picture was taken this morning- first thing he had to do was play with his Dyson, from Nikki. That thing is awesome. We might have to borrow it to vacuum for real.

I took him to school this morning in a little button down- we'll see if the shirt makes it until picture time. He was very excited to see a picture of himself with a "happy birthday" message on the door of his class. I packed a bunch of sugar cookies for him and his friends. Yay for Davis. I am so thankful for him.

Oh also- maybe his favorite part of the day was riding in our small car to Phil's with 10 balloons in the backseat. So much balloon wrestling.

And p.s. Yes, he is rocking a bowl cut. Took him to Great Clips friday and he acted as though someone was sawing his arm off- so this was the best we could do- though I do sort of love it.

Davis, Cookie?

2011-11-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

Davis is saying his name a lot more lately. Everything from associating an item with himself, like "Davis, cookie?" to saying "Davis turn" when it's his turn. His sentences are getting longer and lately I've also noticed his appetite is getting bigger. He says "mo" a lot. "Mo pizza Daddy?" It's pretty cute.

He keeps waking up in the night- which is kind of annoying- but hard to ignore. He is really such a sweet kid that I feel like a jerk ignoring it. But I also kind of hope it's a phase because I don't need to be waking up with TWO kids in the night in a couple months- just one.

He is really into Elmo these days. He likes to have Elmo do the things he's doing. It started with me trying to tell him to put Elmo down one night because Elmo (and Davis) had to go to sleep. We tucked Elmo in, kissed him, and then Davis went to sleep. This is now a ritual. Last night, while changing Davis' diaper he said "Change Elmo diaper?" Elmo does, in fact, have a diaper, so I guess it makes sense.

Also, on the way home from work the other day, I picked up some chicken nuggets for him. They came with a little toy cat. The cat is plastic, so not cuddly in any way, but Davis hugged him, kissed him, and then for the first time I heard him say "Rub ye belly?" And sure enough, he took his little finger and rubbed all one and a half inches of that tiny cat's belly. I often offer to rub Davis' belly at night- so he was just sharing the love. Sweet kid, really.

Little lady is kicking and moving like crazy. Last night while lying on the couch I could see my stomach move. It's gotten to that point, which is crazy. I can't wait to meet her- I think it's going to be great to be a family of four and have a little girl around. Only a couple more months.

I'm feeling great too. Still working out- though the workouts themselves have changed a little bit. Less running- more elliptical- but same weights, repetitions, etc. Have a measurement day on Saturday which stinks because I know all my measurements will be up- but oh well. Ha.

Getting excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas and trying to think of something interesting to do or give to instead of doing crazy gifts this year...

Hope you are all doing well. Peace out.

Living Right

2011-11-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

So God is clearly speaking to Bennett and I this week about how we are living and where we are putting our energy and our assets. We had a GREAT sermon on Sunday about giving- and why you give- and even just writing that sounds boring, but seriously, if you have some time, listen to the sermon here. Turn on your volume and listen to "FAQ". It makes you think about how you live and what you invest in, and why, totally differently.

On top of that, I read this blog post this morning and literally found myself crying at my desk at work. Can you even imagine knowing an orphaned 16 year old who has lived his life on a trash dump? Digging for his meals and even his clothes and anything he could find to get by? Better yet, could you imagine BEING an orphaned 16 year old who has lived his life on a trash dump? Digging for your meals, wearing anything you could find that got tossed out, thinking it is normal, not noticing the smell, realizing that where you go to the bathroom is also where you lay your head, and even still finding joy in life? It breaks my heart.

It breaks my heart because I'm sitting here in clean clothes and patent leather shoes. With earrings that match- and I "had to" choose between which pair to wear to accessorize my outfit. And I had an egg mcmuffin this morning. And drank coffee. And I'm wearing glasses that were perfectly fixed for my vision. And I drove my Volvo to work.

And it breaks my heart even more because that is someone's little boy. Someone who loved him as much as I love Davis. And it seriously hurts my heart. And it hurts because there is so much pain like that in the world. But it stings because I have MORE than enough, and I'm not doing my part.

Trick or Treat

2011-11-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

Last night was so fun- James, Scarlett, Porter and Mary Mae came over (with their parents and B and Corky) to trick or treat. We had pizza and got all ready to go. James and Scarlett (Green Lantern and the leopard) are pros at trick or treating so they were super excited to go and also were a big help in showing Davis and Porter what to do.

Davis was, of course, most interested in pushing the doorbell...but he did get the hang of saying "trick or treat". It took a few houses to realize that you actually wait to get something in return, then a few houses more to realize that you could open what you got in return and eat it, and finally by the end of the night, he learned that you don't just walk right in someone's house once they've opened the door.

By the end of the night, Davis and Porter had gone through so much popcorn and candy that Davis had it ALL OVER his face and was so hopped up on candy that he was running down the street, pulling his big red wagon, going 100 miles a minute...shouting joyfully at the top of his lungs.

All of this right after we got confirmation that he does, in fact, have a fractured bone in his foot. You NEVER would have guessed last night. I guess that's what a bag of kettle korn, one licorice, one pack of skittles and about 100 M&Ms will do for you. So that's where I'm headed now- Dell Children's Hospital to see if he has to get a cast. :( More to come.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T07:42:00.000-07:00

Davis' teachers asked the kids to wear black and orange today. Bennett got him dressed, so he ended up with his hoodie and skull and crossbone shorts. Not bad! It was total chaos at school this morning, like the kids could sense the excitement of halloween. So fun.

Today they are having a family style lunch at school and then a little party (with parents) this afternoon. After that, trick or treating!

X Ray Friday

2011-10-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

We had two appointments on Friday- the sonogram- and a visit with Davis' doctor to talk to her about his limp. I have gone back and forth on taking him in since he hasn't shown any pain...but just decided to take him in and figure it out.

Our doctor wrote the book Baby 411 and is sort of a big deal, I guess. Our doctor is also super dry and often comes across as unimpressed by most everything, so I figured I would feel silly after I told her the story of how I don't know what happened, if anything, but that he has been limping. IInstead, she felt every part of his foot and leg and said I needed to take him for X-rays on one of his toes. Out of curiosity, I asked what would happen if he did have a broken toe (I've always heard there is nothing you can really do) and she quickly said "Well, he would need a cast." WHAT?

So I took him to get x-rays and he was NOT happy because I couldn't go in with him since I'm pregnant. He was fine, though, so we've been waiting to hear what is up. We were supposed to go in today, but now I guess we're waiting till Monday. Of course today is the first day he is showing no sign of a limp. Hmmph.

Anyway, today we went and looked for costumes at Target and a few other places, and since he wouldn't even try one on, we decided to either do a makeshift skeleton out of this cute hoodie Nikki gave him and some black pants he has, or borrow Porter's hamburger from last year. He'll be cute no matter what, and I'd rather not purchase a costume he won't wear. Again.

We're getting more excited about our little girl. Davis said today he is sort of set on Holden for her name, but that he is still totally open...and I am still 33/33/33 between Tommy, Holden and Annie Eloise. Seriously, some days I'm like "Oh, totally Annie Eloise. I'm ready to commit..." then the next day I'm like "Actually, I feel 100% about Tommy..." so I guess we're not really ready yet to commit. Ha. We got her rug in last week and it is sooo adorable. Cuter than I had even hoped. I can't wait to set up her room.

Adios for now.

Her Little Face

2011-10-28T08:15:00.001-07:00

The sonogram went well...now waiting to see the doctor. Look at that sweet little face. Excited and thankful.

26 weeks

2011-10-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

And we have the BIG sonogram tomorrow. Praying and hoping everything will look great. In the meantime, here are some facts on the baby at 26 weeks:
- She is about 9 inches, head to rump
- She weighs about 2 lbs and will really begin to gain now
- Her eyes are beginning to open this week- major!
- Finger and toenails are starting to grow
- She is about the size of an eggplant or squash

P.S. My grandma gave Davis the funniest hat with a felt chicken head on it. Usually Davis doesn't like anything on his head, but he thinks this hat is really hysterical. He wore it last night to let Honey in and thought that was just the bees knees. I'll try to get a picture this weekend.

Music Class

2011-10-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

So we signed Davis up for music class, which meets twice a week at school. At first we sort of put it off, and felt a little nickel and dimed since it's extra, but then one day Bennett dropped Davis off at school when the music teacher was in his room, with her guitar. I think it was his first day back after Ohio and being sick and I was nervous about how he would do. Bennett said he lingered around a bit to make sure Davis was okay, and/but that Davis was immediately mesmerized by the woman and her guitar. He joked that he kept looking to make sure Davis was okay and Davis, in return, kept looking at him, then looking at the lady with the guitar, as if to say "Dad. Do you see what's happening here? This is amazing. Don't let the door hit you on the way out..."

So we signed him up. And now I'm thinking it's kind of silly because the class meets on Mondays and Thursdays and he isn't even there on Thursdays. BUT- music is great for kids and humans in general AND- we felt bad making him be the sad kid that has to go play in the other room during music class. Ha. So there you have it. We're softies.

Anyway- one thing I love is listening to him sing, making up words and mimicking sounds from the songs he is learning. Is there anything sweeter than a toddler singing? I think not.

He has his first school pictures- on his birthday- and I am SO excited to get those. I hope they have backgrounds with laser beams and stuff. My mom was always too classy for that so we would have the plain blue background...but I'm going to be like "fireworks? awesome. something exploding in the background? of course that will be a good backdrop." I don't know what that says about me- but he is a little boy. I have a few of Bennett with those tacky laser beams and they just crack me up.

So, in honor of What I Love Wednesday, a few things I am digging these days:
1) Bennett making me an over easy egg in the morning.
2) Davis eating more. YES. He loves sitting at the big table with his new booster seat.
3) How much baby girl is kicking.
4) That Rosie, the cleaning lady is coming today. Is there a better treat?
5) Compliments. A few people have complimented me lately and it's made me feel so good that I am going to try to be more aware of opportunities to compliment people. A little goes a long way.
6) Our Wednesday night community group.
7) That Davis all of the sudden calls one of his teachers "Mr. Kevin" and the other two just "Kathryn" and "Logan".
8) Davis' age. Bennett and I were talking the other day about how much we love this age. He can talk a little, he can understand, he's so fun.
9) Egg casserole. Nanny, I need that recipe, asap. :)
10) That Bennett was the main picture on Atomic Athlete this week:

11) That we're having a little GIRL!

Hug You Momma

2011-10-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to HEB and Davis kept asking to get out of the cart to "hug you momma". This is usually a clever ploy to get down as typically he hugs me for one second and then squirms until I put him down, so he can then run amock. Last night, though, he nuzzled his little head into my neck and just kept saying "hug you momma...hug you momma..." as you can imagine, I was in heaven. It was so sweet and so unexpected and I thought back to when I was so worried he would never know I was his mom or love me any more than anyone else. You are probably reading this thinking that is silly, but seriously, he had a permanent serious face or frown until he was about 8 months and he could have cared less whether I was holding him or some stranger was holding him. So thankful he loves his momma.

This morning, I dropped him off at school and before I left I said "Okay, mommy's going to work, give me a big hug..." and he did. And then he ran off but quickly turned around and said "Hug you momma! Hug you momma!" And I hugged him and said "okay, I gotta go..." and I walked out the gate.

And through the gate, I could see him turn around, look at me and ask for one more hug. "Hug you momma! Hug you momma!" And I kept going. And he cried. Oh did he cry. And the whole walk up- I asked myself what I was doing. On one hand- I went to a special seminar that said to make clean breaks when you leave so they realize bye is goodbye. It helps them move on and have fun and stop thinking if they cry, you will go back. On the other hand, he might have needed just one more hug and I didn't go back. I sort of feel sick about it.

Tonight, he will get smothered in hugs.
P.S. This new background is in honor of fall and Halloween.

Honey Bun

2011-10-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

Getting so excited about this little girl! It's like it just hit me. Three months and counting, and I just ordered her little rug. Its the pink one- called "Honey Bun". Can't wait to get it.

Honey's House

2011-10-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend in Fred at Honey's house- and it was jam packed with activities. Friday night was spent prepping for the garage sale, Saturday morning was spent selling at the garage sale, Saturday evening was spent at Furlfest (YAY! So glad Kirsten, Andy and Chad are back!) and then Sunday we had a lovely breakfast at my grandparents, and then drove home. The fun didn't stop there as Bennett bought me a pre-natal massage package leading up to February. How nice is that? I went and got my first massage- it was awesome- and then took a two hour nap. It was AMAZING. We went to Phil's last night, watched Homeland, and called it a weekend.

Here are some pics. This mouth/pursed lips thing is new- very focused. Also new, is saying things like "Uh happined?" and "Airisit?" (What happened and Where is it?)

P.S. if you didn't know this, you can click on the pictures to see them larger.

Some highlights of the weekend were:
- picking out baby bedding at red (Nikki designed them!)
- seeing Kirsten
- playing with Corky/B on Main street
- watching Davis squeal and run from Bennett and B
- breakfast at my grandparents- egg casserole- yum.

Separately, here is a blast from the past:

Nikki sent me this picture and it's so funny because these pencils represent places from Sioux Falls- I'm sure she found them digging through garage sale stuff...but the funny part is not that I remember all the places, but I remember all the PENCILS.

Well,

2011-10-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

This is a lovely little stack of jewels, isn't it?

Moa Bar?

2011-10-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

Davis really loved everything about Ohio. Including the Fiber One granola bars Katie buys. He had one while there and because it's rare that he likes food- I bought some right away when we got back. One night, after refusing dinner, he woke up around 11:00, just crying, so miserable and upset. I tried rocking, I tried milk, and then I said "Okay. Sorry. It's nigh nigh." As I walked out he said "hungy?" So of course I felt bad and went and got him something to eat- a fiber one granola bar. Oats and Chocolate to be exact.

I told him what it was and handed him a piece and he ate the whole thing in bed, then slept like a little log, full of oats and chocolate, and fiber.

The next night, as he was going to sleep, he kept saying something over and over and was so frustrated with me that I wasn't understanding. I tried everything. I couldn't understand what "Moa Bye? Moa Bye?" meant. Then finally realized, he was trying to say "granola bar". So I got him a little piece and he was happy and went right to bed.

I've created a monster. He is obsessed. Moa bars are what he wants for every meal and every snack and it's so funny to hear/see him when he gets one. You get out the granola bar, he checks immediately to confirm that it's the highly cherished fiber one bar, not a crappy nutri-grain bar, and if/when he sees that it is, he smiles and does a very low and evil laugh. Seriously. And I have NO IDEA where he picked that up.

He has a major diaper rash today- (poor kid can't catch a break)- so I made sure to stop and get some moa bars after my workout this morning for him. We hadn't had them in a few days. He was so excited and ate the whole thing, then asked for more. Who knew a kid would love something from Fiber One so much? They are pretty good though, I will admit.

Separately, he has said and done some funny things lately. Last night, he was just crying so hard about his diaper rash, he could hardly walk and was very distraught. Tears are pouring down his little face so Pico walks up, realizes something is wrong, and starts licking his leg. Bennett said that through his tears, Davis said "Pico. Thank you Pico..." like "you really get it- thanks for being there for me." Ha.

Bennett will kill me for this one, but I think it's funny. Also last night as he was painfully getting his diaper changed, he was just crying so hard when Bennett may or may not have passed a little gas. Bennett said Davis got quiet, paused and then looked at him and said "Poo Poo Daddy..." and it wasn't a question or an observation. It was said like "Oh Daddy, poo poo. Yuck." Ha.

Happy Thursday.

Gettin Punkins

2011-10-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was so beautiful- it actually felt like fall- so after work we went to pick out some pumpkins. Davis was so excited. Actually he was more excited about the big tractors that were parked near the punkins, but after checking out the tractor, I tried to get him excited about the pumpkins by chanting "we're getting pumpkins, we're getting pumpkins!" He loved it and said it himself: "Getting punkins!!" We looked at all of them, some big some small, and Davis loved trying to pick them all up. We decided on two- a medium sized and a big one and as we were looking, he tried to pick the big one up and I said "Oh Davis, it's too big!" "Too big!" he said. :) Such a talker these days.

This morning I took him to school and for the 2nd day in a row, we put on a little sweatshirt over his t. As I put it on he said "Comfy! Comfy!" and yesterday he said "Cozy! Cozy!" Too cute.

Two fun things happened today at drop off- his teacher told me about them carving out a pumpkin yesterday and how Davis didn't want to touch the icky inside with a 10 foot pole. He does not like getting gooey stuff on his hands. Also, as I was hanging around, watching him play in his little blue hoodie, I watched him go from standing to sitting on his butt in about two seconds. His little "friend" Max had walked up, grabbed his hood, and yanked him to the ground. Ha. It sort of cracked me up. There was no malice- it was more like "Yeah, you're wearing a hoodie. What else do you think I'm going to do but pull you to the ground..." Davis, on the other hand, was quite upset about it.

"Momma! Hug! Momma! Hug!" He can't get enough hugs in the morning at drop off. It's so fun. Sometimes after I say "Okay, big hug, mommy's going to work..." he'll toddle off and then turn around so quickly for one last "hug! hug!" and then he is good to go with his friends. I can never get enough of those little snuggly hugs in his comfy, cozy clothes.

Life is Simple

2011-10-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

And then you have kids.

And you realize exactly how simple life before kids was, by comparison. And sometimes, after a few rough weeks of sleepless nights, you ask yourself why you decided to have kids. (If you're being honest with yourselves...come on moms, don't hang me out to dry on this one). And it's not because you regret having kids. Not by any means- not even in the darkest hours. But moreso because you are wondering what exactly prompted you to take the first step on a journey that would be far more consuming and life changing than you ever could have expected. And then if you are like me, and you're sitting there, maybe sniffling, maybe full-on sobbing to yourself, you realize it doesn't really matter why you decided to have kids because you had no idea what having kids meant anyway.

Looking back- you stop sniffling and maybe chuckle a little at how you might as well have been thinking "I think I'd like to start a band. Wouldn't that be great? Yeah, I think I'll be lead singer of a band" because starting a band is literally as far from reality as your naive little nimwit ideas of what having kids would be like. What it would take. And also, in fairness, what it would give.

And you laugh for a moment. And then probably you sob a bit more. You sob because Davis came home miserable and limping that day...after a week of being so sick...following a week that ended with him being bitten at school. And you aren't sure you're doing the right thing. And you feel like you made the best choice- it is supposed to be the best little school in town- but you're starting to wonder. And you can't sleep because your heart hurts. It really hurts. Like physically. And then, because you have a vivid imagination and a very awake brain, you realize that this isn't even the worst. This is like the tip of the iceberg that sunk the Titanic.

Because one day he is going to get picked on at school. Or he is going to find out he didn't make the soccer team. Or worse, some slutty little vixen is going to break his heart and make him feel like he isn't good enough...(even though clearly, he's out of her league by leaps and bounds and she'll probably regret the day she dumped Davis Bennett for years down the road, and deservedly so). And you realize there is nothing you can do to prevent these things and you hurt for him and you also (again, if you're honest) hurt for yourself a little bit, because there are a lot of nights like this ahead.

And you finally sob yourself to sleep.

And when you wake up, he is there and he is smiling and he is chanting for CEWEAL!!! And his face lights up when he sees you bought Golden Grahams...and that face. That lit-up Golden Grahams face makes it all worthwhile. And you realize that God is giggling. And He's saying "This. This is what love is Sam." And you realize that while He's giggling at you, He was also there with you the night before when your heart was in your throat and he was also saying then "This. This that you are feeling for Davis? This is also how I love you." And you know that you are lucky to be part of something so amazing.

Thanks Baby

2011-10-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Davis helped me carry things in from Target and so I said "thanks baby..." to which he responded, without skipping a beat, by saying "thanks baby" right back to me. Ha. Also, this weekend he walked into the living room, saw Bennett on the couch and said "Hi Daddy..." and while that doesn't read funny- he said it in this tone: "Well hello- didn't expect to see you here." It's always funnier when it's your kid. Okay. Moving on.

As I mentioned, Bennett did a huge amount of work in going through all of our junk in a couple closets in the house this weekend. This allowed us to free up what is currently the guest room closet, which will soon be the baby's room, so I could hang some clothes in her closet. OH MY GOSH. SO FUN. I'll take a picture and post tomorrow. Also I got two little plastic boxes to put on the shelf to house some baby things like thermometers, pacifiers, desitin, etc. They have hearts on them (the brighter colors, on the left, below). They are sort of cheesy but also really cute and they remind me of the 80s. I feel like Nikki had a shirt with hearts like these or something when we were little.

I also ordered a new boppy cover for her. Two reasons. 1) Davis' has a hole in it and 2) it's blue on blue polka dota and that just won't do. This one is better, don't you agree?

Next, we have to turn our office into an office/guest room by purchasing a sleeper sofa that will fit for goodness sakes, move the guest room stuff into storage, and begin on her room. And I don't want to wait any longer, really. Yesterday, when talking to my grandparents, my grandma said something about how I still have 3 months. To which I said "Nanny- three months will FLY by!" :) Plus, I just love thinking about putting her room together and I want to take my time.

So I'm hoping to make tons of cash at the garage sale Saturday (fat chance- I'm not selling that much) and get this train in motion. I can't wait. This week is going to be a good one...two workouts with Ahmad, drinks with girlfriends on Thursday, and then celebrating Kirsten's return to Texas on Saturday after the garage sale. OOOH, and it's supposed to get cold tomorrow. Have to get out my cold weather wear.

Have I gotten a little carried away with the picture storytelling? Perhaps. But I'm enjoying myself. Hope you are too.

In the Last Three Days

2011-10-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

1) Davis has started feeling so much better!
2) I have started feeling better, though I did find a tiny blister on my toe today that I am obsessing over.
3) We had our third Santa Barbara Supper club at La Traviata with Courtney and B, followed by dessert at Second Bar.
4) We went to the UT game- oh my Lawd it was hot and we walked up and down and up and down and back and forth and cheered and ate sno cones and maybe some nachos with that gross (but sort of awesome) fake cheese.

5) We cleaned out our office closet, swapped the stuff in our guest room closet into the office closet, started going through everything in our house in preparation for a garage sale. Okay really, Bennett did the majority of the work here and I am so thankful.
6) We ate "Grands" with honey- my first time. AMAZING.
7) Bennett and Davis played with walkie-talkies and also practiced some serious wrestling moves on the couch.
8) We went to the park.

9) Davis found and played with dominoes. For hours.

10) I caught up with my grandparents on the phone!

This was a busy weekend and I am so glad we're finally feeling better. I hope it stays this way. And I hope Davis gets clearance from his doctor tomorrow to go back to school.

Little Mr. Sicky

2011-10-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

Poor guy had another rough night last night. I hope he starts feeling better. I guess this could last 7-10 days. UGH. My mom came today to help so I could go back to work. We have our big 40th anniversary party tonight at work and I'm so excited. I just hope he goes to sleep okay- both for him and so I can actually go and enjoy it. Praying that I don't get it next. Thank God for Honey.

This is how we've been spending a good majority of the last two days.

Okay- one quick thing I don't want to forget. I've noticed lately that when Davis and I rock before bed- he can't get comfortable or settled as quickly. Now I know it's because of my growing stomach- but I can tell he is wondering what the deal is...he lays his head down on my chest, then sits up, sort of pushes my stomach in, looks at me and tries again. He then sits up again and scoots further out on my knees until he's at the right angle. Ha. Poor kid. We're both just going to get less and less comfortable in the next 16 weeks.

Lab you

2011-10-12T09:45:00.001-07:00

Is what it sounds like when Davis says "love you". It is too sweet. As miserable as he feels, he is such a little sweetheart. I couldn't love him more.

So in addition to the ear infections, he has hand foot mouth. I looked it up and he has all the symptoms. Blisters on his feet and in his mouth, rash on his buttocks. Poor guy can't catch a break. He is handling it well though. Eats here and there, drinking lots of liquids.

Today we went and got him a dump truck filled with legos. A new toy always helps.

Make it a double...

2011-10-11T12:59:00.001-07:00

Ugh. Double ear infection that is. Home from work and school with Davis today after a long night of screaming. We're tired. Hoped to send him back tmw until I got a note from his teacher saying there is a case of steep in his class, along with a strong chance of hand foot mouth (whatever that is). Awesome.

Ohio Overload

2011-10-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

You ready for an Ohio picture overload? Here goes...

Their beautiful house.

The view from their backyard. Pretty hard to beat.

Patterson's Farm.

The apple barn at Patterson's farm.

Brayden and Davis picking apples.

So many apples to choose from.

Brayden trying to hug Davis for photo opp.

Still trying...

Eating apples.

Eating two apples.

Taking a break to really enjoy them.

Still eating...

So happy with his Ohio apples.

Katie, Callie and Brayden during our picnic.

This is Hudson- so cute!

The town square in Hudson.

Davis' favorite toy of Brayden's- he wouldn't get out!

Making applesauce.

At the pumpkin patch.

Sporting his UT gear, showing his support.

Checking out the leaf pile.

Not really sure what to do with the leaf pile...

Davis making himself right at home with his friends.

On a John Deere tractor ride.

Cracking heads in the corn pit.

Sweet Callie.

See, I wasn't kidding. We had so much fun, though, I wanted to share all the great things we did. I am missing Katie, and Davis is missing "bayden" already. I heart Ohio.

Tired

2011-10-08T16:37:00.000-07:00

Today was another beautiful day in Hudson, Ohio. We went to a pumpkin patch, we played in a pile of leaves, went on a hayride, played in a pit of corn, and walked through what seemed like a neverending corn maze. We had so much fun...and I am also so tired. Exhausted from chasing Davis and trucking stuff all around, and I feel like while it's only 7:30, I could go to bed.

But I don't want to because it's my last night with Katie and this whole trip has been so fun I don't want it to end!

A couple cute things to remember...Brayden has more toys than any kid I've ever seen. We've played with most of them since we've been here- but today was the first day we went down in their finished basement where there is a toy story quantity of toys. As we walked down, Davis looked at the toys, looked at me, and then just started saying "Happy. Happy. Happy." Ha.

He also loved this little chair in Brayden's playroom and loved sitting in it to watch a show and eat popcorn before bedtime tonight. He felt so big. I love him so.

Hoping for another great flight tomorrow. I could use something easy. :)

Joy Joy Joy

2011-10-07T20:02:00.000-07:00

Oh I hate that Bennett isn't here- not just because I miss him- but because he is missing seeing Davis maybe as joyful as I have ever seen him. The weather is gorgeous here, so we've played outside all day, and Davis could not be feeling more joyful. He adores Brayden and wants to do everything he does. They run and make each other laugh until they fall over. He woke up saying "Bay-den Bay-den!" And went to sleep saying "play? play?"

Today we drove to the best apple orchard and farm. It was huge. I have so many pictures, and I'll upload them when I get home, but seriously- the apples were beautiful and there were so so many. I've never just plucked apples off a tree- but it's so cool to do. And Davis loved it. More than picking them, he loved eating them. He probably ate the equivalent of a whole apple- but really had 3 or 4 going at a time. He just couldn't get enough. They were so juicy and sweet.

We had a picnic lunch, played on the hay bales, climbed on the tractors, and just had so much fun. He napped for 3 hours after, then we went to dinner in Hudson. Hudson is adorable, so picturesque, so quaint. We played on the thick green grass of the town square after dinner, and then went home to roast marshmallows. Ray built this great little fire pit out back in their forest- yes seriously- and Davis got to roast his first mallows! It was so fun and crisp outside. Then we played on the driveway until bedtime.

I wish I could capture that 30 minutes we played on the driveway. Davis was so happy. He ran and chased balls and he laughed and he high fived Brayden maybe 25 times and he got in and out of Brayden's little car and then on and off Brayden's little bicycle, and at one point I had to chase him to get him to stop running (laughing all the way) and when I grabbed his chest, I could feel his heart beating 100 miles a minute. It was so precious. I'm so glad we came. I'm so thankful he's so joyful and so thankful I'm his mom. We do miss daddy though and wish he was here! Tonight, in the car on the way home from dinner, Davis just looked at me at one point and said "Daddy?" I smiled and said "Yeah, do you miss daddy?" He said "miss. daddy." Me too.

Hudson, Ohio

2011-10-06T18:08:00.001-07:00

We are here and it is beautiful. Amazing fall foliage, green plush grass, and cool air. Katie and Rays house is unreal, like out of a Country Home magazine, and Brayden and Callie are so adorable.

Good news of the day: the flights were awesome. We had our own row so he had so much space and could climb around.

Bad news of the day: Davis is doing a lot of shoving here in Ohio. Mainly to Callie, the sweet baby. What gives? I have never seen this before, he's clearly getting so excited and overwhelmed and then he shoves. Where is my sweet boy?

Tomorrow we head out to pick apples. So fun. Here's to a new day, with no shoving in it.

Oh also, a quick cute story. Brayden is newly potty trained so he can't have juice or milk before bed. I made the mistake of having a big glass of juice last night before he was asleep and he was so sad. I put mine away, but not before Katie was telling him that I am an adult and a guest, so "we want her to enjoy her juice..."

About five minutes later, I am walking upstairs and Brayden looks at me and says "Sam, I want you to enjoy your juice..." Ha! Kid is so smart. And sweet.

Once bitten?

2011-10-05T15:26:00.001-07:00

Well, someone bit Davis at school today. Didn't break the skin but left a horrible red mark in the perfect shape of a mouth. What the heck? What do you do? It makes me so sad. They say that is pretty common for this age...in fact, the teacher said "some kids are pushers and shovers and some are biters and we work with them to realize they don't hurt their friends."

Bennett said that apparently it was clean up time and one kid wasn't cleaning up fast enough so Davis took his toys and started putting them away (kid LOVES to clean up) and then the other kid bit him. Davis was not happy. So in an incident like that, they take both kids and the biter has to hold the ice pack on the victim and apologize.

Geez. Rough day. Hope this doesn't happen again.

V for Victory

2011-10-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Two victories last night- they probably sound silly- but they are victories in my book. It's been so nice lately, so we've been playing outside and going on walks after work. This puts us back at the house later, and it means Davis eats dinner later. Last night, he ate at 6:45, and he ate: a whole jar of squash, a whole chicken patty, fruit and for reward: minas and cheerios.

We then played for a while and I introduced him to Bob the Builder- which he seemed to like- (thank God, if i have to watch more Caillou I might lose my mind). Can we fix it? YES WE CAN! And didn't go to bed until about 7:45. I was at my workout, but Bennett said he just fussed a little and then fell asleep. And he slept, like a rock, until I woke him up at 8:00 this morning. That's the Davis I know.

Tomorrow we leave for Ohio- I'm NOT excited about the flight- but I'm SO excited to get there! I have been praying that it's smooth and easy. Three and a half hours doesn't seem that long until you're stuck in a tiny space, with a two year old, and a person on your right or left that hates your guts.

Oh also- a few funny things I want to remember:
1) Davis is learning how fun it is to throw things. Sometimes I think it's funny too. Even when I shouldn't, I guess. But last night, he threw over the barstool and though I was telling him how upset I was, he didn't get it. He still thought it was funny. He then got pulled over to the wall to sit there and think for a while and he quickly realized how NOT funny it was. I looked at him and said "Say you're sorry," not really expecting a response. He looked at me with tears and said "sawwy." I also said, very firmly, "we don't throw furniture. Okay? OKAY?" also not expecting a response. He quietly said "okay..." and Bennett and I looked at each other and just almost died laughing.

2) Also last night, while they were rocking, Bennett played "Where's your XXX?" with Davis which usually starts with "Where's your nose? Where's your hair?" Bennett said that after a few, Davis will start to giggle and tuck his head down because he is anticipating Bennett saying "Where's your neck?" and then he tickles him to pieces. I love picturing that! He also said "Where are your elbows?" not really expecting a response- but Davis crossed his arms, touched his elbows and said "These my elbows". HA!

We totally underestimate that guy.

Dresses and Bows

2011-10-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

A few little items I've picked up in the past week or so...
Starting to realize how quickly 3.5 months will go. Getting excited!

Lately...

2011-10-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Davis has been so fun. He thinks everything is hysterical. He loves to laugh- so he'll giggle at anything from throwing a pumpkin around in his room or me shouting at Pico. Everything is just so funny.

I'm also realizing what a sweet, kind heart he really has. This weekend we played with Courtney's nephew, Hunter. Hunter is older than Davis by more than a year. They played together really well- I wasn't surprised by that. I was surprised by how Davis handled some of the situations, though. Hunter had a special Pooh bear that of course, Davis wanted to hug and carry around. Hunter wasn't so into that idea. I would tell Davis to hug Pooh and then hand him back- and every time he did- without a fuss. I think that's pretty neat.

He's also learning so much at school. He is constantly saying words I haven't taught him- like "triangle" or "race car" to name a couple. He is also really into "booty" lately, which is a puffed rice snack that is actually called "Pirate's Booty". Eating is still a mess, though. We keep trying new foods and he keeps refusing. And I know we can let him go hungry, he'll eat eventually, but it feels bad to send your son to sleep with an empty tummy, knowing he also didn't eat much lunch. Kid is picky.

Separately- he's having some weird sleep issues lately. He wakes up every night at least once, crying, looking for his binky. Bennett and I decided we're going to let him cry it out...but last night was different. He just sobbed for such a long time. Not a throwing a fit cry, but a sad cry. When Bennett went in there- he was just lying on his back, crying. Poor guy. This kept up for an hour or so. Not sure what was wrong- but it took him quite a while (and some Tylenol) to finally relax. I know these phases happen, but I sure hope that 1) he sleeps okay in Ohio this week and 2) he gets back in his groove before his baby sister comes.

Here are a few pictures his teacher shared from school. These pictures make me so happy and remind me of all the fun things he gets to do there. What a lucky guy!

Play-doh!

This picture made me smile- what a fun thing- learning to wash babies at school. Love the diversity...

Reading a little book. I love their classroom because there is so much natural light from the windows.

This is Hudson. I wish I could see them play together- Davis mentions him a lot at home and every time I walk in with Davis, Hudson says "Davis is here!"

Stacking blocks. Such determination.

Monterey and Carmel

2011-09-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

On the way to Monterey.

Green as far as the eye could see...

Bennett on his 32nd birthday.

Pebble Beach- so glad Bennett made us drive out there.

Doesn't he look older and wiser?

It was GORGEOUS.

Not the best pic of Nikki and I- but it was WINDY.

Little man and the sea.

This is just a peek at beautiful Carmel. Spanish and mossy.

Bigger than my hand hydrangeas! Thought of you, nanny.

Jellyfish at the Monterey Aquarium. AMAZING.

Davis at a restaurant that shall forever go unnamed.

Rationalizing with a Two Year Old

2011-09-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

Davis has NOT been sleeping well since we got home. He gets up several times, he screams bloody murder (while nothing seems to be wrong), and he really is wide awake each time he wakes up. Surely this cannot be due to the two hour time change, right? Anyway- last night- I got up with him at 3:00 and he just wanted to rock and then every time I would put him back in his crib he would scramble up to his feet so fast and say "Hog? Hog?" which is how he says hug.

I had tried everything to get him to go back to sleep, so I decided just to tell him how it was. He kept asking for Daddy and Honey and finally I just hugged him, looked at him and said "Davis. Daddy went nigh nigh. Honey is going nigh nigh. Pico went nigh nigh and mommy needs to go nigh nigh. It's TIME for Davis to lie down and go NIGH NIGH." He cocked his head to the side, looked at me, and then to my huge surprise he laid down, tilted his head a little and said "nigh nigh?" YES DAVIS. NIGH NIGH. I don't want to see you again until the morning. :)

Also, we had our 22 week dr. appt. monday and everything looked great. Strong heartbeat, right on track with size and everything, and we are good to go. Our next appointment will be the big sonogram where they look at every little part. So thankful for good news- or no news, really.
That's all for now.

What I Love Wednesday

2011-09-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

1) My new blog background and fall, in general.
2) My closest gal pals in Austin, Carrie and Courtney.
3) That Davis will say "han!" to hold my hand in the car.
4) Bennett surprising me with flowers this week.
5) Working out with Ahmad.
6) Looking at little girl clothes!
7) Planning a little girl room.
8) My new bible study, A Woman After God's Heart.
9) Davis liking his school and carrying his lunchbox.
10) Davis occasionally caressing my hair, telling me I'm nice.
11) Sweet Louise Photography's Holiday Mini Sessions.

Santa Barbara

2011-09-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love Santa Barbara.

The view from Brophy Bros.

The cutest little blue and white boat.

Cute pic of mom and Nikki. Love Nikki's hair color.

Bennett and I. Leaning in. Not sure why.

Urchins.

Boats full of urchins.

Davis, sitting on a tractor.

Davis and I, on the pier.

Nikki and I. Umm, could I be any more round and pale?

Bennett and Davis on the beach in SB.

Ahh, Santa Barbara.

Venice Beach

2011-09-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

This was certainly one of my favorite memories from our trip- chasing the birds at Venice Beach. Such a sweet time for the three of us- and such joy for the little man.

So tired after catching a 6:00 am flight to LA.

Venice Beach.

He couldn't eat enough that morning. This is rare, so we celebrate it.

Being silly.

The Bennett 3 in Venice Beach.

Birds as far as the eye could see.

Happy.

So happy.

Waving at mama across the bodybuilding gym.

Geez I love that double chin smile.

I Call Bullshit, Beyonce.

2011-09-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

First things first- we're back and so thrilled to be home. I will go into details about the trip once I download our photos, but in the meantime, I have a bone to pick.

I was catching up on people.com today and I read how Beyonce feels so empowered being pregnant. I've heard this before- mainly from famous people who you can't take seriously anyway- but this time I really thought: "Seriously? You feel empowered? That is the word you are using to describe being pregnant? Not round? Slow? Frumpy? Emotional? Insecure? Just to name a few...

So I'm curious- does any real woman truly feel that "empowered" is the word you would use to describe your pregnancy? I mean, if so, power to you. No judgement, I'm excited for you. But I find it so hard to believe- just because of how I feel. I forgot how different I feel when pregnant- it's all coming back to me and I don't really like it. I don't mean to be a complainer- I'm thrilled to be pregnant and having a baby and I realize how lucky I am. But I feel all these things I don't normally feel (slow, frumpy, insecure, etc) and I don't really like it...and I don't know how to shake it.

I mean, Bennett is hurting my feelings left and right and I realize that it's more likely that I've changed significantly in the last month, than he has. Not to say that he couldn't be more sensitive- I mean they all could be- right? But for the most part- I think I read more into things than normal and my feelings are always hurt, leaving me feeling emotional and insecure.

Eww, I'm grossing myself out even writing this blog. Blech. But it's true. I consider myself a strong, secure woman, and while I'm thankful to be pregnant, I am calling Beyonce's bluff about pregnancy making people feel empowered. And I need to know- who's with me?

Back

2011-09-24T11:31:00.001-07:00

As in about to board a plane to go back home, and as in I have hurt my back so badly, I can't bend over. Seriously. God give us strength on this flight.

Davis drove 7 hours straight yesterday, with no problems, and yet I am dreading this three hour flight.

San Francisco Treats

2011-09-22T23:07:00.000-07:00

Like I said, I have done nothing but find shoe after shoe today in San Francisco. I purchased three pairs. Yep, three. One I actually wore right out of the store until it broke. So I am down to two. The first is this lovely pair of boots I actually tried on probably 10 times last year. I didn't buy them because I didn't know if I loved them for the long-term. I guess I do (love them for the long haul) because I ended up buying them a year later.

The next pair is my first of this brand, Merrell. I realize these are for really outdoorsy, hiking people, and while that I am not, I do always pretend to be uber-sporty. I think these will really come in handy this fall and winter, and they are comfortable, which means more to me right now than most of the time.

The third thing is a little blanket for baby Bennett that I actually bought at Giggle in Santa Monica. The color is off a bit in this pic- it's a really cute orange and pink. Looks a little red here.

Also got Davis a little sweatshirt in Carmel- but can't find a picture. Not sure how we're going to get everything back to Texas without paying for going over the weight limit. Oy vey.

Tomorrow we're going to an all rubber park- poor Davis deserves something just for him after all the driving and shopping and walking/strolling.

The Castro

2011-09-22T16:55:00.001-07:00

Is the area we're staying in, in San Fran. I booked a two bed apartment through Home Away and it is perfect. Great design (but what else can you expect staying in the gay district), good restaurants, and a quick ride to all the good spots.

Today we walked from our flat to the golden gate bridge and oh my Lord my legs are tired. Probably 3-4 miles, all hills, of course. Davis fed the ducks at the Presidio and then we had breakfast at the Squat and Gobble on Chestnut. Now we're shopping and I cant stop finding good footwear. I guess that's what happens when you aren't looking for clothes.

Last night my mom, Nikki and I went for Thai food- Tony recommended this cute place called Osha. It was amazing. Tuesday evening and Wednesday were pretty rough with Davis being sick, and is being in the car a lot, but I think we're back on the upswing. Driving the coast has been gorgeous and its been fun to see so many places, just wish we had a little more time in each spot.

Wouldn't you know that after we walked our tails off getting to golden gate bridge, the fog perfectly covered it? Maybe tmw a.m.

Poor little sicky

2011-09-20T22:22:00.001-07:00

Has a fever and probably an earache. Have to find a doctor in the a.m. before heading to San Francisco. :(