All about Ben...

I need to catch up on my baby boy Ben....he's growing TOO fast for this momma's liking! In less than a month,  he will be ONE. Yes...in less than a month. I can not believe it.
Here are some milestones:
climbed all the way up the steps -- 12/3/11 -- 8.5 months
full on crawling with belly off the floor -- 12/23/11 -- to celebrate his 9 month birthday!
ear tubes put in place -- 1/9/12
separation anxiety, in full effect -- 1/23/12 -- 10 months.
his top two teeth (the first ones to appear!) make their descent -- 2/5/12 -- 10 1/2 months
his first word: uh-oh -- 2/9/12  -- definitely said with intent after dropping cheerios from the high chair.
pushing his first walk behind toy -- 2/21/12 -- almost 11 months

So, those are his "facts"...but, Ben is so much more than those amazing tasks that he's accomplished. He is sweet and cuddly. He's gentle and loving. He's strong and determined. He has an easy laugh and a ready smile. He hates the car seat. He loves, loves, loves his sister....most of the time. He loves anything with wheels...he loves belly tickles and being swung in the air. He likes most any table food that we've served....his favorites: mac-n-cheese, bananas, chicken, pancakes, yogurt, green beans, string cheese, pizza, ravioli. He is a delight to be around...and makes my heart melt at every turn.

Some pictures to catch us up:

(new camera -- can you tell???????)

Rachael is TWO!

Before we celebrate turning 25 months old, tomorrow, I'd better get to talking about a certain TWO year old in the family!
As should be expected with a birthday in the peak of flu season, Rachael's actual birthday brought her a virus -- with a high fever and extreme fatigue. What a present, huh? So, instead of a party, we had a quiet weekend, but, one the brought a visit from Pops & Eileen and cousins Mary & Allyson. So, mommy got a girls' visit, nonetheless!
Rachael also made the transition to the Waddler room (read: 2 year old room) at school. She did really well from the start -- making friends and immediately recognizing her friends from her most recent Toddler room. Her new teachers Ms. Michelle and Ms. Kesha do a really great job of keeping the kids busy with art projects and other fun lessons. She receives 30 minutes of Spanish each day, as evidenced by the fact that she counts to 10 en Espanol every day.
We were fortunate that almost everyone we had invited to the 1st attempt at an Elmo party could make it for the re-scheduled date. It was a fun morning; but, it should be noted that Rachael is NOT a fan of the guests singing Happy Birthday, nor does she want to blow out a candle. This situation makes her anxious and it's hard for me to be patient with her and just accept it as a part of her personality. I want so much for her to enjoy this milestone situation and I feel like she's not "normal" - but I know full well this is a response that's on the normal continuum for someone her age. We'll see how she is when she's 16! :)
Here are the pictures of the party....I had a lot of fun putting it together and am thankful that Mike tolerates all of my late nights making banners and listening to me fuss over the details. Happy birthday, Rachael! I hope she looks back on her birthdays and feels celebrated and special and loved...because she is.

Catching up in pictures...Christmas 2011.

So, in the last several blog posts, I've done a lot of "talking"...and have skimped on the pictures, enough of that!