Monkey Man.

I can't believe it. Ben is just about 7 months old already. My little monkey man is all over the place now. He isn't crawling just yet, but he is sitting unassisted and moving himself all over the room any way that he can.

As you can see, he does NOT want to be on his knees. He would rather do the downward dog yoga position and try to move that way!






Today, he was supposed to be napping and this is what I found when I went in to check on my "oh-too-quiet" baby.



He is just such a joy and so much fun. It keeps getting better!

Slacker with a capital S.

Okay, so I admit I have slacked on my blogging. It's just that so much has been going on. We had Ben baptised (which I'll post the pictures soon), we hosted Thanksgiving, and we have CJ and Kim's wedding this weekend, which both Brad and I are in! Here are the professional pictures we had taken awhile ago. They came out beautifully. I can't wait to get them all framed and hung up!

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Ben is already 6 months old (+ 1 week to be exact). I can't believe how time is flying. He now sits on his own for a few minutes, but topples over when he gets too excited trying to grab a toy. As you can see, he is also finally starting to grow some hair! YAY!

He is also getting up on his hands and knees and rocking back and forth. I just know he is going to be crawling soon and wreaking havoc in our lives!


His favorite thing to do is bounce in the jumperoo. He would stay in there for HOURS if I let him!


Hopefully later today I'll get to add all of Benjamin's baptism pictures. We'll see!

Being a Mom

We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family." "We're taking a survey," she says half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.

"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations."

But that is not what I meant at all.

I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her.

I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes.

I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her.

That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moments hesitation.

I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.

I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom. However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself.

That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.

I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.

My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.

I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike .

I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time.

I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.

My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say. Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.

Wiggleworm.

Ben is getting so frustrated lately because he wants to crawl. It is pretty funny to watch, I must admit! It's a bit dark, but I think you can get the picture.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from our little monkey!!

Blessings.

Brad, Ben, and I went to Pennsylvania this weekend for my parents' annual Halloween party. While home I found out that two girls around my age were killed in separate car crashes, both leaving little children behind. I did not even know the girls, but I can't seem to stop thinking about it. One day these women were mothers, wives, out living their lives. The next...poof. Gone. Their tragedies have caused me to reflect. I began to worry. The worry began to overwhelm me and I couldn't sleep last night. Somehow I drifted off and I woke up with an epiphany of sorts. Worrying is no way to live your life. I have a good life and I should count my blessings. It really put things into perspective. I have a wonderful husband and a son who is the light of my life. Love just bursts from my heart when I think about them. My family is the most supportive, loving group of people you will ever meet. Brad and I have the best circle of friends and we know that know matter what life may bring, we can always turn to them for guidance and support.

And in the end, it can all be gone in a second. While incredibly sad, this revelation has given me a new outlook on life. A sense of appreciation for things often overlooked--the sound of my husband's footsteps as he comes up the stairs from work. Ben giggling and cooing in his crib at 6am. Nibbles eagerly and excitedly greeting me when I come home. The fact that I am here. I am healthy and I am alive.

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Memories

Firsts.

Today, one day before Ben turns 5 months old, he had his first rice cereal!! As you can see, it started off a bit rough...But then he started to get the hang of it...kind of. He would open his mouth each time the spoon came at it and would try to swallow. Most ended up on the bib (that Aunt Mary made!), but we had a great time anyway!

Sneak Peek.

Here's a preview of our first family photos we had taken in the park with Tina Ryan of Life is a Highway Photography. She's absolutely amazing and I can't wait for all of our pictures to be available. We should have them next week.

She has a little post about us on her blog. http://lifeisahighwayphotography.blogspot.com.

"Must Have"

Here is one of my baby "must haves": It's the Homedics Sound Spa Lullaby Relaxation Machine

It is completely awesome. In fact, moms on the message board I frequent call it the "baby crack machine" because babies seem to be infatuated with it! It plays music and nature sounds, has a timer, and also has a projector with different disks that light up the ceiling. Ben watches the cow jump over the moon with stars OVER and OVER and OVER until he drifts off to sleep. I got mine as a gift, but I believe it ranges in price depending on where you buy it from $19.95 to $29.95. Either way, it is money WELL SPENT. You will thank me at 3am! It even gets Ben's seal of approval!

Too cute for words.

Family.

Brad, Benjamin, and I went home this past weekend for a family get together before my Gran's surgery. We had a blast...there's never a dull moment when we hang out in Pennsylvania.

Ben met his cousin, Chelsea, for the first time this past weekend. They had a great time hanging out with Gran and Aunt Debbie!

Here's a group shot of my siblings with Gran. From L to R, Jason, Gran, Sarah, Myself, and Joshua.

Gran with cousins Jeremy and Elizabeth (Needless to say, she was none to happy with all of the pictures.)

Here's Josh with little Chelsea. She sleeps a lot...I'm so jealous! They said the other night she slept for 5 hours straight and she's only 6 weeks old! Lucky ducks.

Here's a shot of my parents' cat, T-Rex. (The name comes courtesy of my nephew, Dustin, because she bites a lot!)

My grandmother had her surgery yesterday. She made it through alright, but was just transferred to the intensive care unit for more intense monitoring. Please keep her in your prayers.

Four Months Old

I just cannot believe that it has been four months since Ben has come into our lives. On one hand, it feels like he has always been here, but on the other, I can't believe how fast he is growing! Time is just flying by. While having a baby is a lot of work, it never ceases to amaze me how my love grows for him each day. Motherhood is truly a joy.

Okay, enough of my gushing and more about Benjamin. He now weighs 15.8pounds which is the 70th percentile for his age and is 25 3/4 inches long, 50th percentile. He is constantly rolling over and has more head control now. Each day I do a little circuit with him to keep him entertained.

First to the activity mat...we try to do tummy time, but it usually ends up with Ben being a little roly-poly.

Then on to the BeBe Pod...

And of course we can't leave out the swing...

But Benjamin's favorite toy of all.....HIS FEET!!!!

Each night Brad and I take turns reading Ben. He is just now starting to be interested in it...or I keep telling myself that. (Even if he does look like he is in PAIN in this picture...)

One of these days I'm going to do a post on my favorite or "must have" baby items. This is my favorite at the moment--the BabyBjorn! As you can see, it is Ben-approved, too!

Brad and I miss you all. I'd appreciate it if you could keep my Gran in your thoughts and prayers. She goes in for surgery on October 6 to remove cancer that has reappeared. She is the cornerstone of my family and we wish her a speedy recovery.

Love,