White Christmas!

Well, Santa came and he brought some snow with him! It's not only Benjamin's first Christmas, but our first White Christmas! Here are some highlights....

Owen checking out Santa's snack plate - looks like he liked it all, even the soy milk!

Owen's stocking got stuffed! I love that the first thing he grabbed was Mr. Bubble :)

To Owen's relief, Santa remembered that we have a new baby! He brought Ben some sippy cups, teether toys, a ball toy, and some cars. Looks like Santa knew just was Ben was hoping for!

Jeremy and Tiffany came over to spend Christmas evening with us. They helped Owen build a wooden house that Gran and Pop got him. Note the safety glasses and carpentry apron!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Love,

Anna, Richie, Owen, and Ben

Twas the night before Christmas...

Somebody forgot to restock the flour at the grocery store, so no homemade cookies for Santa this year. Instead, he's getting mini Oreos, some cheese balls, a glass of soy milk, and some carrot sticks for the reindeer. Hope he likes it!

Mississippi Christmas

Despite all the traveling we did during my maternity leave, the one place we didn't make it to was McComb. Somehow, I wound up going almost an entire year without going home. Talk about a major case of homesickness! Richie had to fly back to California to finish out the Sing 0ff, and I figured the time was perfect for the boys and me to head south to the farm. Ben, meet Mississippi!

No trip home is complete without a ride on the mule, even if it is freezing outside!

Uncle Minor getting a little workout doing some heavy lifting...

Ben's first time to check the cows - Owen loved everything except the smell :)

We had such a wonderful time with my parents and my brother. I got to see some of my oldest and dearest friends, Paula and Audrey. We ate some delicious meals and went to Pop's store Christmas lunch. We even opened our stockings and got some early Christmas happies! Although I had been nervous to travel so far by myself with the boys (and our dog Barrett!), the trip went better than I had hoped - we made it there and back just fine and in very good time each way. Thank you, Gran, Pop, and Uncle Minor, for a very special visit to my favorite place on earth!

Our Big News...

Well, not that kind of big news! I had mentioned several months ago about an opportunity Richie had that he just couldn't pass up, which led to Ben and me taking a trip to L.A. This opportunity - as if anyone who might possibly read this wouldn't already know - is a singing competition on NBC called "The Sing-0ff." Basically, over the summer, Richie, Jeremy and several friends auditioned to be on the second season of The Sing-0ff and, to our great surprise, they made it onto the show! Richie left for L.A. when Ben was barely over a month old. The show started with 10 amazing a capella groups competing for a record contract and a cash prize.

The first 4 episodes were filmed over the summer and the final episode will be live. The first episode aired on Monday, December 6, and it was just an incredible experience. Jeremy and his girlfriend Tiffany had lined up a viewing party at The Holland House, here in East Nashville. About 100 of our friends piled in to watch the guys make their national television debut on a big screen projector. Every time they had air time, the whole restaurant would yell and cheer for them. We couldn't stop smiling the entire night. It was truly an unforgettable experience! Now we just have to wait to see how far the guys will get in the competition. No matter how the show turns out, it has been quite an unbelievable ride!

Month 5

Yesterday, Ben turned 5 months old. I'm trying not to think about how close that is to being half a year old. But I do think about that a lot. Wah! Ben has continued to amaze us with his sweet nature, his quick and ready smile, and his awesome sleeping skills. We are back in our groove of sleeping 10 hours a night. Yes. Oh thank you Lord, yes! Granted, we still have nights here and there when Ben will wake up and want to nurse. I've been chalking this up to growth spurts. He is definitely a growing boy! He seems to always be hungry sometimes, and I am not always able to keep up with his appetite. We've started supplementing formula once a day when he's at daycare so that I can hopefully build up a good stash of milk before we wean. I would love to make it a year nursing him, so that's what I'm pumping myself up for. Nyuk nyuk!

Despite his voracious appetite, Ben just hates rice cereal. I've tried mixing it with formula. Hates it. Breastmilk. Hates it. Hates big bites. Hates tiny bites. Hates it, hates it, hates it. So I think we may just skip the cereal and move right on to veggies. I have a friend who teaches a homemade baby food class and she has offered to show me the ropes of baby food making. It might seem like a no-brainer - like, just mush up some carrots and call it a day! I tried making baby food for Owen and apparently it was horrid. Bless his heart, he gagged until he threw up. So I'm getting some professional help this time around!

We often get remarks, both from friends and from perfect strangers, about how easy-going and sweet-natured Benjamin is. He truly is just the sweetest little thing. He is very curious and loves to look around at what's going on around him. He is quick to smile and giggles often - especially for Owen. Ben continues to be fascinated by anything Owen says or does. It is just so precious to watch them together! Yesterday morning, we heard Owen go into Benjamin's room as soon as he woke up and the two of them just hung out together - Owen on the floor and Ben in his crib - for a while until I went to get Ben up for the day. Oh, I love my boys!

Other things Benjamin can do now that he is 5 months old:

• Push waaaay up and arch his back while on his tummy
• Crane his neck and turn his head to look at whatever has got his interest - sometimes he looks like a little owl rotating his head around to look at whoever is holding him
• He still loves to jibber jabber and has now added high pitched squealing to his repertoire. He only does this when he's very excited or if he is getting frustrated. It gets your attention quickly, let me tell you.
• His activity chair/exersaucer is a new favorite toy. He doesn't like to sit in it for long, but he is learning to spin around to all the different 'stations' and can manipulate all the different toys to rattle, spin, play music, etc.
• Sadly, he doesn't like being held like a baby much anymore. He would much rather be sitting up and looking around. He is quite a social little guy, but he also loves sweet moments of one-on-one conversations and interaction with his mommy and daddy.

It's hard to believe another month has already passed. November saw many happy celebrations - Owen's birthday, my birthday, Thanksgiving, and visits from both sides of our family. December has lots of fun in store with the premier of The Sing Off, hopefully a trip to McComb, meeting Santa for the first time, Benjamin's first Christmas, and more time with our families. There is certainly a lot to look forward to, but I am happy just enjoying each moment along the way and savoring these times with my children while they are still so young.

The Colts aren't doing so swell...

...but I know one little fan who doesn't seem to mind!

Party Time!

I'm a planner. An obsessive, worry about every detail, starting planning way too far in advance kind of person. I started thinking about Owen's 5th birthday party, oh, about three minutes after we finished cleaning up from his 4th birthday party. Of course, we had lots of other things to plan in the meantime, not to mention a few curve balls here and there that we didn't anticipate. So unfortunately, this year I found myself at the last minute sweating the details of our big boy's big day.

For all the last-minute printing, shopping, emailing, cleaning, and generally stressing - the afternoon went as close to perfect as I could have ever hoped. Once I knew that the weather forecast was nice, we decided to rent an inflatable jumper and kept it as a surprise from Owen. When the company arrived on Saturday morning to set it up, he was thrilled! Mission Accomplished! Kids and grown ups alike enjoying the jumper and thankfully - other than a couple of head bonks - we made it through the entire 8 hour rental with NO INJURIES!

We set up chairs and picnic blankets in the front yard and just enjoyed watching Owen and his friends playing all afternoon. Owen was very uninterested in blowing out the candles on his cupcakes (Toy Story AND Spiderman!) but was extremely excited about opening his gifts. He was ecstatic each time he opened a gift and just wanted to start playing with his new toys right then and there. We are lucky to have such sweet friends and family who are so generous and giving to our special boy!

Uncle Ricky, Benjamin, and Pop enjoying a break from the chaos inside!

One of the funniest gifts Owen got was this pogo stick! Leave it to Uncle Tom and Uncle Ricky to find the most unique and popular gift of the party - at least with the grown ups. Owen was too busy jumping and stuffing his face with sugar to try the pogo stick, but several brave adults gave it a whirl. Minor's girlfriend Courtney and Uncle Ricky were clearly the best; Miriam and I were VERY clearly not so good. I love this shot of Miriam...ha!

All in all, we just couldn't have asked for a better day. A warm afternoon spent in the company of wonderful people celebrating the birthday of our sweet firstborn son...perfection!

5 Years Old

Dear Owen,

Tonight, I read you a story ('Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day') and rocked you in my lap. We talked about your pajama sleeves being wet. I ran my fingers through your thick brown hair. Can you believe it is already time for another hair cut?! Then you laid your head on your pillow and I kissed your sweet, cool cheek. You giggled as my hair tickled your nose and then you said "Do it again!" and laughed some more. You picked out a CD to listen to (Steve Lee). I got up from your bed and paused at the bedroom door to look at you all snuggly in your big boy bed.

-

When you wake up tomorrow morning (well, technically at 9:19 a.m.) you will be five years old. FIVE. I absolutely cannot believe my little baby is now five. I wish that I could tell you all the ways you have made the last five years the best of my life. I wish I could explain to you how much I love you and how precious you are to me. Instead of telling you, I hope that I am showing you - every day. I know I am not always the most patient, or the smartest, or the cleverest mommy. But I love and adore you with every single cell in my body. I can't even begin to imagine what life would have been like without you in it.

-

I am so proud of you, Owen! I love your sweet smile, your thirst for knowledge, your sense of adventure, your affectionate snuggles and hugs. You amaze me each and every day, and I am so grateful to be your mama. Happy Birthday, my precious son.

Love,

Mom

"Thank you for five wonderful years!"

Eating my Words

I caved. After balking at our pediatrician's suggestion to go ahead and introduce rice cereal into Ben's diet, today I caved.......

-

The past severals days, Ben has been a little fussier than usual. I didn't know if it was due to the shots he was given at his appointment Thursday or if he really might not be getting full enough on milk alone. So today, we fixed up a little bowl of cereal and gave it a whirl. Ben spit out at least 90% of what I fed him. Mikey, he doesn't like it! Or not yet, at least, which is actually fine with me. I know it takes a little getting used to, so we'll keep offering it to him once a day. Guess my baby is going to just grow on up whether I'm ready or not!

4 Month Stats

Owen at birth: 7 lbs. 12 oz., 20"
Ben at birth: 8 lbs. 9 oz., 21"

Owen at 1 month: 9 lbs 5 oz, 22"
Ben at 1 month: 10 lbs 5.5 oz, 22"

Owen at 2 months: 12 lbs 14 oz, 24.5"
Ben at 2 months: 13 lbs 1.5 oz, 24"

Owen at 4 months: 15 lbs 11 oz, 26.75"
Ben at 4 months: 15 lbs 4 oz, 26"

Benjamin's four month check up was today and he got glowing reviews! Our pediatrician said I was doing an awesome job with breastfeeding (and getting props from a medical professional always feels very rewarding!). He was very pleased with Ben's growth and development - he's hitting all the milestones right on time. He also said we could start him on rice cereal and begin to think about baby food.

Um, exuse me. You can keep that professional opinion to yourself, Mr. Doctor. I am not trying to usher my little Benners out of babyhood any faster than I absolutely have to. Unless he starts having trouble gaining weight (doubtful) or is acting like milk alone doesn't satisfy his appetite, we will just put that on the backburner for now. After all, we've got an almost-5-year-old around here to remind us of how fast these little baby months go!

Month 4

Well, apparently I'm going to be doing good to get 1 post written per month! In my defense, this was a pretty draining month, mainly because I went back to work and then both Ben and I got really bad colds. Our usually rock-solid sleeper has been waking up coughing at least once a night for the last 2+ weeks! I was really used to sleeping all the way through the night uninterrupted, so even 1 wake-up has been a rough adjustment. Fortunately we are both feeling better now. I'll just be very happy when Ben kicks this cough and we can get some good sleep again! Ben's 4 month check-up is actually next week, so I'll update his stats then. When we took him to the doctor 2 weeks ago for his cold/ear infection, he weighed 14 lbs 13.5 oz. I'm interested to see how much weight he's gained since then. He is wearing some 3-6 month clothing and some 6-9 month stuff! Like Owen, he is quite a little chunk and has long feet, which makes it difficult for him to wear cute little footsie outfits. My big babies...gee whiz!

Tomorrow is Benjamin's 4 month birthday...here are some of his new tricks:

• He is rolling from his back to his tummy and pushing up regularly now.
• He has found his left foot and loves to hold it, especially while swinging.
• At dinnertime, he likes to watch the fun from the comfort of his high chair!
• He enjoys standing and sitting up - with support, of course.

The very sweetest development is the unique brotherly bond between Owen and Benjamin. Owen absolutely adores Ben and is so attentive to Ben's needs. Ben watches every little thing Owen does and just smiles and laughs at him all the time. There is nothing more precious to me in the world than seeing this relationship blossom. These are truly blessed days for our family.

No post would be complete without a few pictures...ah, who am I kidding...the pictures are the best part of this whole blog! So here's a glimpse into Benjamin's 4th month!

-------------------------------------------------------

Ben and I got to visit with my sweet friend Genny and her husband and daughter as they passed through Nashville at the end of September. Genny is expecting twins! We have been friends since we were 5 years old. It was such a treat to spend some time with her family! They have moved out of the country for 2 years and I am so glad we got to see each other before they left!

Check out this big boy in his high chair!

Ben's been spending a lot of time on his activity mat practicing his rolling over skills. See how much he's filling out! Still ginger-haired and blue-eyed. I could just squish him!

A couple of Owen funnies:

He asked if we could rent "Diarrhea Wimpy Kid" that he saw advertised on TV. Yeah, that would be "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." We get enough poopy action around here with Ben's diapers...no need to rent any poop-related movies. :)

Owen asked Richie, "Hey daddy, when I'm a teenager, can I borrow your guitar so I can rock out?" Never hurts to plan ahead!

Month 3

It's hard to believe another month has passed and now our sweet Ben is 3 months old! He is truly the most delightful baby imaginable. It is not out of the ordinary for him to sleep almost 12 hours a night! In the last month, he has started laughing, sitting and standing with some assistance, sucking his thumb (sometimes both at the same time), and "talking" nonstop (which is absolutely precious!). He is turning out to be quite the drooler, just like his big brother was. His hair has started thinning out, especially on top, but it is still auburn and he still has beautiful blue eyes. He is starting to look more like Owen did as a baby, I think...especially the big cheeks and the cute little ears. Here are a few highlights of the last month:

• Ben and I flew to L.A. to visit Richie! This marked Ben's first flight, his 3rd trip to the beach, and my first time in L.A. He did so well on the planes there and back. He nursed on take-off and landing, and mostly napped while we were in the air. For any parent who has ever flown with a small child before, you know how stressful it can be...no one wants to be the jerk with the hysterical child. Luckily, Ben saved me from that anxiety by being very laid-back and cooperative. Our trip would not have been possible without my generous mother coming to stay with Owen - and my generous daddy for loaning her to us! They also gifted me with the plane ticket as an early birthday present. It is a gift I will always remember and cherish. What an incredible experience!

• A week after Ben and I arrived back in Nashville, Richie came home! Owen made a "DAD" sign for us to hold at the airport. It was a very sweet reunion. I know Richie missed Owen so much - there were many nights during the 5 weeks he was gone that he would express how difficult it was to be away from our big boy for so long. Owen really missed Richie too and he would not quit talking as soon as he spotted his dad. Check out the awesome presents Richie brought back for the boys!

• Ben attended his first show! Equipped with our awesome stretchy wrap and Owen's Peltor ear muff, we all went to the 41A Music and Art Festival in Tullahoma, TN, which is about an hour away. I hadn't seen Jeremy play in a ridiculously long time, and it is rare that they have a show somewhere that is kid-friendly. Owen really enjoyed the music and the festival food - he had a funnel cake AND some cotton candy! Ben looked so cute in the wrap with the ear muffs on. We got lots of smiles! Unfortunately, a blow out diaper ended our use of the wrap for the night, but a good time was had by all.

Today is my last day of maternity leave. I will return to my wonderful job bright and early in the morning. I spent all day today holding Ben and just soaking in these precious moments of one-on-one time with him. He has brought so much joy and love into my heart and into our family. We are all just smitten with him. I cannot express how priceless the last 3 months have been for me. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my supportive husband, my sweet big boy Owen (who is just the best big brother in the world), my incredible friends, and especially our families, who have provided an unbelievable amount of love and support. I am sad that my leave is over, but I am looking forward to helping provide for our family and to our new normal. We have so much to be thankful for and to look forward to. Thank you for encouraging us and loving us during this amazing journey!

Month 2

Our sweet Ben is two months old today...it is just unbelievable how fast time passes! I thought it would be fun to start a running comparison of Ben's stats compared to Owen's. Here goes:

Owen at Birth: 7 lbs 12 oz, 20"

Ben at Birth: 8 lbs 9 oz, 21"

Owen at 1 Month: 9 lbs 5 oz, 22"

Ben at 1 Month: 10 lbs 5.5 oz, 22"

Owen at 2 Months: 12 lbs 14 oz, 24.5"

Ben at 2 Months: 13 lbs 1.5 oz, 24"

He is sleeping soundly through the night for an average of 7-8 hours, with the occasional 10 hour night thrown in here and there. He is breastfeeding like a champ but has decided he doesn't like taking formula. I'm not too concerned about it at this point, as we already have a small stash of pumped milk in the freezer. He loves to look at and hold his hands and he sucks on his fingers sometimes when he's hungry. He also gives big crooked Elvis smiles when he's happy and coos when he gets excited. I love that he recognizes my face and voice now-he will turn his head to find me and smile when he sees me. What a heartwarming sight that is! We've been trying tummy time, but he usually falls asleep. Guess he's just not in any hurry to roll over. If I had the option to take a nap or work out, I'd choose the nap too, I think! He still has fuzzy auburn hair, dark blue eyes, and huge chubby cheeks. In other words, he's GORGEOUS! :) Ben's second month has been full of travel and time with family. He has been such a beautiful addition to our lives, and he makes every day sweeter than the day before.

We came, we saw, we ATE!

Well, tonight we are back in Nashville after a wonderful week in South Carolina. I can't even express how nice it was to stay busy visiting with family and friends, watching movies in Granddaddy's theater room, and eating Gi Gi's yummy FUDGE SAUCE! :) Here's a recap of our week:

First things first, Ben met his Granddaddy! Mr. Richard is a guy's guy--a hunter, hiker, boater, etc. I know the boys will have so many fun adventures with their Granddaddy!

We spent Tuesday night celebrating Gi Gi and Uncle Steve's birthdays. Ben got to meet Uncle Steve (who cooked us all a yummy dinner), Aunt Carolyn, Aunt Lori, Lori's fiance Tim, and our cousins Ana, Natalie, and Ryan. Wednesday and Thursday we spent time around Anderson and just relaxing at the house. Owen really loved watching movies upstairs on the big screen. He especially loved the Chronicles of Narnia.

On Friday, Owen stayed in Anderson while Ben and I drove over to Charleston for a weekend with my sister and her husband, Will. Friday night we were both pretty exhausted, so we decided to stay home and just catch up. She and Will bought a house last fall and it is just so cute. I loved looking around at all her neat stuff. She inspired me to get to work displaying more photos...since we have moved so many times, ours have stayed boxed up. I feel a little redecoration coming soon! Saturday and Sunday we spent all day going to the Farmer's Market and all sorts of cute vintage and thrift stores.

The highlight of the weekend for me was Saturday night. We went to Folly Beach for a laid back pizza dinner with Miriam's sweet and funny friend Jordan. Then we walked down to the pier to look at the moon reflected off the ocean waves. It was so beautiful; I thought it was neat/sad that at that moment, Richie and I were literally across the continent from each other. My spirits were lifted, though, when Miriam presented Ben and me with a special award for being the first Griffins to visit the newlyweds in their new house! The trophy is currently displayed in Ben's room. It just love it!

On Monday, we headed back to Anderson for a big "Meet Ben" dinner with lots of extended family and friends. We got to see so many sweet people, and I was overwhelmed once again by how much love the Shaws express, both in their actions and their words. I am so lucky to have married a man with such an amazing family! Owen got to play again with Cousin Emma. These two are double trouble and just so cute together. He really didn't want her to go home that night and I don't think she wanted to leave either. I'm glad he's got a cousin close in age to grow up with, even if we do live far away.

And now it is Tuesday, and we are home in Nashville again. Things are going very well for the guys in L.A., which is so exciting and yet very difficult, as we all miss Richie so much. He will be home soon, though, so I am making the most of my maternity leave and so far, so GREAT!

The Shaws come to Nashville!

Gi Gi has arrived, and she brought some very special folks with her! Nana, Papa, and Uncle Bob came to town for Papa and Bob to rehearse and perform with a new gospel quartet they are involved with. Nana got some big, sweet smiles from Ben, and Owen was very excited to see his great-grandparents again!

During the day, we journeyed up to Hendersonville to swim at the hotel pool. It was a salt water pool, which I've always heard about but never experienced for myself. Well now I see what the fuss is all about. It was so nice to spend hours in the water and not feel dried out and smell like bleach at the end of the day! Then on Saturday we ventured out to the East Nashville Tomato Art Festival. It was hot as blazes and we only lasted a little while, but it is always nice to get out and about in the neighborhood. And, if I do say so myself, these two guys were the cutest little boys around!

Yesterday was the big day! Papa and Bob's quartet performed in Franklin, so we loaded up and headed south for the afternoon. I was impressed that Owen and Ben lasted through half of the performance before a dirty diaper (Ben) and a big burst of energy and a need to urinate in the bushes (Owen-he just loves using the bathroom outside!) called us away. We were able to listen to the rest of the performance from a back room. Both Papa and Bob have beautiful voices, and at the end of each song, Owen would clap wildly with a huge grin on his face. It's wonderful and slightly depressing to be related to so many incredibly talented people!

Tomorrow, we will all load up and head to Anderson to celebrate Gi Gi's birthday and introduce Ben to Granddaddy and the whole Shaw clan. It's a 6 hour trip, which has me a little nervous, but I'm up for the challenge and looking forward to seeing everyone. Wish us luck!

Just the three of us...

Last Sunday, Richie flew to L.A. to work with his new music project, Street Corner Symphony. I've had mixed emotions about this for a while now. On one hand, the opportunity he has with SCS is truly once in a lifetime. It's something that we are excited to share publicly later on when the time is right. But suffice it to say, it would have been impossible for me to ask him not to pursue this. On the other hand, the thought of being in Nashville, away from family, alone with a 4.5 year old and a 6 week old for over a month was extremely daunting. How would I deal with the demands of running a household for so long by myself, on top of the physical and emotional strain of missing my husband?

Well, we're only a few days in, and I am feeling really optimistic! So what have we been up to?

Soaking up some rays...

Enjoying Ben as he learns and grows...

Hanging out with our best pals...

Tomorrow, Gi Gi will be arriving, and I think we will all appreciate having another adult in the house! We have a fun couple of weeks planned, including a trip to South Carolina. I think it's safe to say that, despite things not being exactly as I had envisioned them 9 months ago, this is shaping up to be one heck of a maternity leave!

Life's a beach!

We just returned from our annual Griffin beach trip, and I think we all agree that this was the best one yet! I was extremely anxious about traveling so far (8 hours, including stops) with a 4 year old AND a 4 week old, but my fears were quickly put to rest thanks to 3 things: our awesomely spacious van WITH a DVD player, Owen's Nintendo Gameboy, and my breast pump. Owen sat on the back seat and stayed occupied for hours with episodes of Looney Tunes and Word World, mixed occasionally with Zelda or Rad and Bad on his Gameboy. Ben slept really well in his car seat and took bottles of freshly pumped milk at nursing time. We only had to stop a couple of times for meals, diaper changes, and bathroom breaks. What a relief! I don't know how my parents survived lugging the 3 of us around without the "modern conveniences" of DVD players and portable game systems. :)

Owen hands-down had the best time of anyone...he swam from the time he woke up until it was dark outside. He made several buddies at the pool and had a blast playing with his uncles and aunt too. Richie and I took shifts staying inside with Ben--in the afternoon it was cool enough in the shade to bring him outside, but the mornings were just too hot. One of our best days was the 28th, which was Ben's 1 month birthday. We started the day with a visit to the zoo, where Owen got to hold a baby kangaroo like he did last year. He was very inquisitive and much more at ease this time around. He really wanted to see the kangaroo's pouch. :) Afterwards we had a delicious lunch at Lulu's, which is on the bay and is basically one huge covered deck with lots of fans. We came back to the condo and spent some time at the beach. After all the news coverage of the oil spill in the Gulf, it was a relief to see that the beach was still beautiful and clean. We saw some small tar balls, but nothing like what I had imagined. Following dinner, we went to the Wharf to ride the humongous ferris wheel, which is another annual tradition that Owen just loves. Then we ended our day with some Dippin Dots. Days don't get much better than that!

One Owen funny from our trip:
- One night the "big kids" went to a movie while my parents watched Owen and Ben. I got a text from my mother saying that Owen asked her if she was going to feed Ben with her boob. :)

Here are a few pictures of our week:

Brotherhood of the Tiny Pants

11/30/05

13 days old

Owen's first time to wear pants!

7/22/10

24 days old

Ben's first time to wear pants!

He ain't heavy...

Owen has proven to be the sweetest big brother imaginable. If he hears Ben crying, he tells me that his brother is hungry and needs to eat. Or he will run get a pacifier and try to soothe him himself. He wants to be a part of diaper changes and baths, and he gets very upset if we get a diaper or wipe out--that is his job! I'm so looking forward to seeing this sweet relationship develop over the years...

Swim school graduate!

Since Owen has always really loved swimming and has not exhibited any reservations about jumping into water by himself, we decided it was definitely time to get this little fish enrolled in some swimming lessons. I took lessons when I was very young and was always a strong swimmer. I even took those crazy looking survival swimming classes where a fellow classmate kind of tries to drown you so that you can practice suck-tuck-duck! After tons of research (obsessing!) I picked the Vanderbilt Swim School. Owen had 9 classes and they seem to have really paid off! Although he could already swim without any assistance from an adult or a flotation device, I really wanted him to learn the fundamentals of kicking, breathing, and arm strokes properly. This was a good first step, and we'll surely be continuing next summer. He loved his lessons so much! Plus, with the new baby here now, this was a fun activity just for Owen and gave him something new and different to look forward to every day rather than feeling like his whole world now had to make room for the new kid. :) We are so proud of our
little swimmer!

After his first class...a bit chilly but excited nonetheless

Proud VSS Graduate!

Special visit!

Last week, we were excited to introduce little Ben to 2 very important people: his Gi Gi and his Nana! Mrs. Susan and Nana came for a few days from South Carolina and boy was it a treat. Owen spent lots of time with them at the guest suite at Grande View while Benjamin and I worked on nursing and napping. We're hoping to make it to South Carolina soon to show Ben off to the whole family, but in the meantime, here are a couple of pictures from Gi Gi and Nana's visit:

Gi Gi holding Ben for the first time

Nana meets her second great-grandson!

Four generations!

The name game

Soon after finding out we were pregnant, Richie and I started casually tossing around baby names, as most expectant parents do. I felt very certain that we would be having a boy, but we batted around girl names too just in case. I was surprised that we quickly agreed on a girl name. A boy name, however, did not come as easily. Over the course of my pregnancy, we tested out a few names but never decided 100% on anything. Then the baby was born and we were faced with a 5 day deadline to pick something for his birth certificate...pressure! The night before we were discharged from the hospital, we took some time to really think about our new baby and what his name should be.

We decided on Benjamin Branum, which honors special people on both sides of our family. Benjamin comes from my dad's father (my Granddaddy Griffin) and from my Uncle Bennie (my mother's brother), with whom I share a birthday. Branum is Jeremy's middle name and it is Richie's grandmother Lila Mae's maiden name (Mr. Richard's mother). We also found out after we named him that Mr. Richard has recently found 4 Benjamin Branums in the family tree dating back to the 1700's. Benjamin has been such a blessing, and we both agree that his name just fits him perfectly, although the name he hears most often around our house is "my baby brudder" from his very proud big brother...

A family of four!

Monday, June 28, 2010 at 6:17 p.m., we welcomed Benjamin Branum Lister into the world! Here's how it happened:

My mother got to Nashville on Saturday, the 26th. Sunday evening I debated whether or not I should go to work on Monday. I was feeling pretty exhausted, and the idea of going to work just didn't get me terribly excited. So I decided to stay home on Monday and see if anything interesting would happen. My mom and I spent the day doing a little running around town. We enjoyed a nice leisurely lunch before heading home to rest for the afternoon. I wrote some Thank You notes and then got on the bed to check my email and browse around online. All of a sudden at 2:45, I felt the tell-tale gush of my water breaking. I excitedly informed my mom and then texted Richie, who was at work. He called almost immediately and said he would be coming straight home so that we could go to the hospital. I thought that was a little premature, as I wasn't even having contractions at that point. But he felt very strongly that he needed to come home, and it is a good thing he did!

By the time Richie got home, I was definitely feeling things moving along. I had a couple of contractions 8 minutes apart. Then suddenly they were 5 minutes apart. We finished up packing our hospital bag and headed out the door. We got to the hospital and were shown to a room (a big, beautiful labor tub birthing suite!). The nurses started the external monitor, which measures contractions and the baby's heartrate. They were required to monitor me for 20 minutes before I could get out of the bed. The nurses also put in a hep lock because I tested positive for Group B Strep and had to have IV antibiotics. A quick cervical exam revealed that just an hour after my water broke, I was at 6 cm dilated! After the hep lock was in and the 20 minutes of monitoring were up, I got into the shower. The hot water on my back definitely helped me relax, but the contractions were coming hard and fast. I moved to the labor tub, which felt wonderful. I stayed on my knees for a couple of contractions, but during the first few minutes in the tub I told Richie that I already felt like I needed to push. Luckily my amazing midwife Linda came in to check me and discovered that I was 10 cm dilated and ready for delivery!

Richie and Linda helped me out of the tub and we moved back to the hospital bed. Linda helped me get into the position that would help me deliver with the least chance of tearing and then the pushing began. Linda encouraged me to listen to my body and push when I felt the need. I was timid about pushing at first, and Linda coached me until I was effectively moving the baby down, down, down. At one point the baby's heart rate dropped down and she instructed me to stop pushing to let him recover. She then directed me when to push hard and when to push gently. After about 17 minutes of pushing, our beautiful son was born! He had the cord wrapped once around his neck, so he was a bit blue at first, but he cried right away and quickly turned pink. I am proud and humbled to say that, thanks to the support and guidance of my husband and my midwife, I was able to have the natural birth that I was dreaming of. It was painful and almost overwhelming at times, but it was one of the most powerful, beautiful experiences of my life. It has given me new confidence as a woman and as a mother. I could not be any prouder of my sweet son and the amazing entrance he made into this world.

Below are just a few pictures of Benjamin's arrival...

Taken by Gi Gi on 6/26...two days before Benjamin was born

Soon after arriving at the hospital...trying to breathe through a contraction

My blue baby and my bikini top (from the labor tub). What a surreal moment!

Very happy mommy and daddy at the end of a long and emotional day

Benjamin Branum Lister

6/28/2010

6:17 p.m.

8 lbs 9 oz

21.25" tall