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.

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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.......

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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!

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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!