Fourth of July

No big Fourth of July pictures . . . Ben ran a fever, so in we stayed. We did have yummy tenderloin for dinner (thanks Mimi and Papa), and enjoyed a quiet Friday together.

Sleeping Beauty

Guess who slept 8-1/2 fabulous hours last night?

Flashback Friday

I still think they look a lot alike . . . What do you think? The first picture is of Cameron at ten weeks. The second is of Ben at about four months.

This Little Girl

She has stolen my heart. Not that I have forgotten Ben doing the exact same thing. Somehow, it just suprised me to have it stolen all over again. It's amazing how deeply a mother loves her babies.

Father's Day

To Greg, whom I have loved from the moment we met . . . You are the husband/dad of my dreams. I couldn't have survived the last years of pregnancy and sleep-deprivation without you! Thanks for going on this wild ride with me, and for loving our children like only you can.

And of course I took some new pictures of Benjamin and Cameron, to 'gift' the fathers in my life. Enjoy.

Seriously?

So this morning I attempted a shower. Not a long, luxurious shower. No shaving, no deep conditioner, just a quickie. I had finally gotten Cameron to sleep, she had been up since six a.m., and it was close to ten. Benjamin had about a hundred cars to play with in the bathroom, and so begins my shower:

Ben opens the closet in the bathroom. Bad sign.

Ben: Open this?

Me: No, Ben those are Mommy's breast pads. Put those back, please (yes, I said please).

Ben: Open this? Open this?

Me: Ben, no, please. Put those back. Ben. Ben. BEN!!

Ben: (Opens breast pads, brings them to the shower door). Open this (an anouncement, not a question, and Ben is now headed for the bathtub)!

Me: Ben, what are you doing?

Ben: Ooooooh, water (Ben turns on the hot water at the bath tub).

Me: Ben, that water is hot, leave it alone. Ben, turn it off. NOW.

Ben: Water, hot?

Me: BEN TURN THAT WATER OFF RIGHT NOW (I start banging on the door of the shower like a mad woman)!

Ben: (Smiling). Ooooooh (as he drops breast pads into the bathtub). WATER!!!

Me: Seriously, Ben, leave the tub alone. NOW!

Ben: (Heads for the toilet, breast pads in hand). Water!!

Me: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (as I jump out of the shower).

Ben: (Seeing that I mean business) Hi Mama.

Me: Hi Ben, stay out of the toilet. I mean it. You put about twenty maxi pads down there this weekend. Can you say "No no"?

Ben: No no, Mama. Baby sad?

Me: I give up (Ben is armed and dangerous, and the baby is now screaming on the intercom).

Could this be why I'm so tired at the end of the day? I'm sure it is, but it's also why I laugh about a million times a day. And it is worth it. So worth it. Oh, and in case you were wondering, breast pads swell up and look like breast implants after soaking in the bath tub several days.

Dirty Little Secrets

Okay, Amy, you inspired this post! I was talking to my friend the other day, and told her that Benjamin eats his dinner (or what he refuses to eat at the table) in the bathtub almost every night. Works like a charm, he eats every bite, and I'm glad for the sweet potato that goes into him, instead of down the drain. Here's my new dirty little secret. That's right, she sleeps on her tummy. Thankfully, my sister sent me her monitor that goes underneath the crib mattress and monitors her breathing and her heartbeat. So, what's your dirty little secret? I can't wait to hear!

My kiddos

Benjamin had his first Oreo experience the other day. I made sure we both had huge glasses of milk (his was rice milk). Sure was fun. Cameron snoozed, allowing us our little luxury . . . Little angel. She is full of drama these days, and we're loving her personality. We're still working on night-time sleeping, but I suppose it just takes time.

Reality Check

So today, on Mother's Day, Greg surprised me a (MUCH-NEEDED) Starbucks card. The caffeine is a must these days. Another cherished gift, Cameron gave me her first beautiful smile. Lastly, Benjamin treated me with something I'll never forget. He wiped his booger on the chair I was sitting in, and then ate it right in front of me. Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day, tomorrow! And every day, as we need it, don't we fellow mothers out there? These days my role as a mom has been stepped up a bit. I'm shocked sometimes at the amount of elbow grease I need just to get through the daily grind. And then I look at my sleeping baby girl or my sweet two-year old boy playing with his matchbox cars, and I know this is exactly the job I want.

Sweet Baby

Small moments

This household is filled with sweet, small moments. Ben checking on Cameron, whom he calls "Baby", Cameron's sweet sleepy sounds, Greg tucking in our children. I love the changes. A couple of new pictures of Ben and Cameron. . . Benjamin now has a pose, and says "Cheese" for the camera!!

Look-a-like Babies

My sweet babies, in their carseat. I think they look so much alike, and yet Benjamin is classic-boy, while Cameron has this delicate side. So sweet, these little ones!

Sweet Girl

The Big Brother

Well, it's official, she's here, and Benjamin is nuts about his little sister. Big sigh of relief! He looks for her everywhere, kisses her constantly, and gets all kinds of upset when she's fussing. Can't say that we blame him. More pictures to come, as these two monkeys take over more of our hearts.

Meet Miss Cameron!

She is here! Cameron Elizabeth joined us April 15th at 8:43 in the evening. The little diva weighed in at six pounds seven ounces, and measures 19 inches in length. We are already head over heals! "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father . . . " James 1:17

The Big Boy Room

Can't believe I haven't posted pictures of Ben's all-important big boy room. I love it, he loves it, and yes, Ellie loves it, too. She spends many hours sleeping in his bed every day. Ben made the transition to his bed like a champ, no questions asked. He still sleeps with his favorite friends, Rein (lamb), Goat (Billy Goat) and Doddie (doggie). And three blankets. It's a full house in that little twin bed.

Cameron's Room

Went for a check-up yesterday, and Miss Cameron is already SEVEN POUNDS! Little one likes Girl Scout cookies and double-stuffed oreos. And salads, FYI.

Here are some pictures of her room. It's a sweet little room, with so many cherished things. My Mom sent the darling little tole lamp, and provided all of the bunny pictures. Big Daddy sent the blue chest of drawers. The little green blanket chest was a Christmas present from my parents, and the framed pillow cases were actually made by my Great-Grandmother. Greg's mom completely re-did my lace curtains, and they are perfection! Courtney sent me Paige's nursery bedding. Benjamin donated his crib and mobile to the project, and her room is thus complete!

TWO!!

Benjamin is two years old today. At times we laugh, and say he makes us feel like we're old, trying to keep up with his limitless amount of energy. He's the most amazing blessing in our lives, and we thank God for him over and over again . . .

Current favorites include the movie "Cars", and all the little matchbox cars he can get his sticky fingers on. He also loves to play outside. Loves Hungry, Hungry Hippo. Mr. Noodle (or Noo-noo, as Ben calls him) is another great friend in this house. He would eat cheese for every meal if I would let him, and he's still allergic to milk, so it's one little string cheese per day, no more.

He's tough, and he's strong-willed. He's independent, but very loving. He gives the best hugs. He says "slease" instead of "please". He teaches us something new every single day. Love this kid!

P.S. The cake was red when Greg bought it, but turned pink when we took it out of the fridge!! But Ben's Mimi saved the day, she got him a blue birthday cookie cake, so all's well that ends well!

Bubbles!

My sweet friend Sarah sent Benjamin a bubble machine. Oh my!! Ben is mesmerized with it, and cries (more like throws fits) when the bublbles run out. He LOVES it! Thank you Sarah.

Just playing

We played at the park today. I don't know what Ben liked more, running up and down the hills or the actual playground. I can't believe he's nearly two.

Bye-bye Baby

I think I have to (officially) admit that Benjamin is no longer a baby. I did catch him recently sleeping in the fetal position, so I'm still hanging on to a tiny shred of hope that he's tiny and needs me desperately. Yesterday after his nap, Ben and I moved all his blankets and animals from the crib to the big boy bed. Then when bed time rolled around, Greg read him his books, prayed with him, and tucked him in. We didn't hear back from Ben until 6:20 this morning. What a champ! What a big boy. Sniff, sniff . . . I need to get my Kleenex!

OUTSIDE!

Ben's Big Daddy sent him a swing set for Christmas. Now all the child wants to do is go outside (ow-eye, if you ask Ben). I love it. I love watching him play. I love, even more, watching Greg and Ben play together. Thank you, Big Daddy. You made Ben's year!!!

My Monkey

Big Boy

Ben is turning into a big boy before our very eyes . . . He's eating at the table, using his fork and spoon (some times, anyway), he is even brushing his own teeth. Benjamin likes things 'just so'. He fixes the shutters if they're not at the right (90 degree) angle, complains if Greg's shirt is un-tucked, and loves to toss out trash. I do, on occasion, catch him dumpster-diving. Next on the list to tackle, the transition from crib to big boy bed. Wish us luck!