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!

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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: