Rain, rain, go away

It has been a rainy few days. It started Thursday evening, and is just now letting up. Sadly this meant that Claire's school fieldtrip to Pumpkinville had to be rescheduled for October 23rd. And if any of you know a 2 year old who is ok with "we can't go today, but we'll go in only 17 more days!" I'd love to meet that droid child. Needless to say we have had a lot of requests for the "punkin patch!" and Brian and I told her we would go together when things dry out.

It made me think back on our Halloweens since Claire had been born.

Her first Halloween I had visions of taking her to pick out a pumpkin. I was going to take adorable pictures of her surrounded by giant orange jack-o-lanterns. She would be enthusiastic, and curious. The reality? The day we had set aside for getting a pumpkin? It rained. We went to one of the many places around here that setup in the corner of a grocery store parking lot - I dashed out of the car in the rain, found the first one that looked reasonable, quickly paid, and jumped back in the car. Claire did get to enjoy feeling the mushy insides when we scooped out the pumpkin. But then Brian carved it with his college's emblem - no wide-eyed gap-toothed grin for us. However, Claire was of course, adorable.


The next year? We were in our current house, in a big neighborhood where we were virtually guaranteed lots of trick-or-treaters. Hooray! We again waited a long time to buy our pumpkin, and had to go to two nurseries before finding one with a reasonable selection. It took all of my coaxing to get Claire to go down the fun slide at the nursery. She did, however, enjoy the free hot cider. I had purchased Claire an adorable frog costume, and planned to let her walk to the nearby neighbor's homes early in the evening to visit the families we knew, and then we would man our door - handing out mini-Snickers to all of the neighborhood kids. The plan was great until I contracted a horrendous stomach virus the night before Halloween. I spent all of that day in bed, and when I wasn't in bed I suffered for it. Who knew that the smell of Snickers on your daughter's breath would make you have to run for the bathroom - or make your husband laugh far too long. Since Brian was also starting to feel sick, there was no costume, no trick-or-treating, and he simply put all of the candy in a big bowl with a sign on it asking them to only take two, and set it on the porch. Whee!

Here's to hoping things go more smoothly this year.

The Indomitable Twos

Yes, that's today's word of the day. And, I think, a better fit than "terrible". At least from where I'm sitting.

In typical toddler fashion, Claire is a joy to be around provided she is not hungry or tired. So imagine the fun car ride home from pre-school everyday when she is:
a) starving
b) ready for a nap

On a typical day I try to remember a snack and a drink for her. Well, now I know well enough to keep a stash of snacks in the car - peanut butter crackers, graham crackers, and Dora snacks. As long as I remember her cup all is well. Except, of course, that she is then not hungry for lunch when we get home. And she frequently decides that she doesn't want to go home. ("no Claire's house, mommy. go this-a-way!")

Today was interesting. One of her classmates had a birthday, and so his mom brought in a star shaped balloon for each child, and attached to the end of the string was a small bag with two cans of play-doh. The whole ride home I heard "pay-doh, Mommy. Open pay-doh. Wanna pay-doh, Mommy." She was surprisingly unphased by being told she needed to wait until we were home. Then we pull into the garage, and I open her car door. "no inside, Mommy. Stay here." So I told her she could stay in the car, but as soon as I started to close the door, the tears began. "No stay, Mommy! Inside, INSIDE!" Well alright then. I get her out, and she can't decide whether I should carry the ballon, or she should. We finally settle on me carrying the play-doh bag while she held onto the string. We walked past the snack bins (mental note: don't buy clear plastic bins unless you want a request for "Dora Boots snacks" every time you're in the garage). "Mommy, want Dora snacks. Dora Boots snacks." To which I replied that I would get her some, but she had to eat lunch first. "No munch, Mommy. Dora Boots snacks. Pay-doh, Mommy." After about five minutes of tears, reasoning, and one threat that it was naptime I managed to convince her to tell me she would be willing to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. So I free the play-doh, open the tubs, "help" her take the play-doh out of the containers ("help, Mommy. NO Mommy, I do it!! Mommy - heeeeeeeeeelp!", and work on her peanut butter and jelly. Soon the play-doh is forgotten as she eats her sandwich ("Tank oo, Mommy. Tank oo, Mommy, good sammich"). Then she eats her Dora snacks while staring hypnotically at Little Bear and friends on the television. After her diaper change she heads up to bed telling me "wanna say May-men, Mommy. Star light, Mommy." - her way of telling me it is time to say her prayers, recite Star Light, Star Bright, and then climb into bed.

And now? Both children are sleeping. Ahhh, bliss.

Mmmm, good!

This is my first time trying to share video. Let me know if it works!



This is from April of this year. Claire grabbed a nearly empty bottle that I'd left on the endtable when I walked into the kitchen. I heard her, and saw what she was doing, and grabbed the camera. Enjoy!

Six months

Long overdue, I know.

Ben,

I can't believe that you've already been with us for half a year. It seems like such a short time, and yet our family would not be complete without you.


At the start of this month I had to spend an entire week away from you every day. It was hard for me to leave you each morning, but you seemed to flourish, and it allowed me to see that when I wasn't dragging you all over town to run errands everyday that you had a schedule for eating and napping that suited you just fine. Unfortunately it means that you want to nap everytime Claire is awake, and be awake when she naps. Not so helpful for me getting anything done that requires leaving the house.

We celebrated the fourth of July surrounded by family. Papa, Grandma Laurel, Uncle Dave, Uncle Calvin, and Uncle Nigel all came up to visit, and we had a really fun weekend spending time with them. You were very popular, as usual. We spent one day down at the lake relaxing and swimming, and on the fourth enjoyed a cookout at Kathy and Karl's and all of the illegal fireworks that Papa had brought north with him. Claire loved the fireworks, wasn't scared a bit, and the whole ride home kept asking for "more stars!"


We had a big party the next weekend to celebrate all of the July birthdays - Cousin Ryan, Aunt Cindy, Grandpa, and Uncle Adam. We went to the Reston Petting Zoo first, and then had everyone back to the house for yummy food and a really cool Bob the Builder cake.


Mommy and Daddy celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary, and managed to go out to dinner at the Melting Pot, as usual. Grandma came up to babysit which is always fun for you and Claire.

We had another visit from family at the end of this month. Papa Jim and Grandma Norma flew all the way from Texas to come and see us. They loved holding you and talking to Claire. It was a nice few days for us, and I know it was a special time for them.

While they were here you tried your very first solid food - baby oatmeal. It was quite an event because Claire decided she needed to help and grabbed a spoon that she would stick in your mouth whenever she had the chance. Despite that you seemed to enjoy the oatmeal, and you managed to swallow quite a bit of it.

This month you discovered your tongue, and you love to stick it out of your mouth and smile at us. It makes us smile everytime you do that. We're having so much fun with you, Ben, and we love you very very much.
love,
Mommy

Our daughter, the thief

So last month we were doing some grocery shopping one weekend. The whole family went, and we got one of the cool shopping carts with the truck part up front for Claire to ride in while Ben rode in the seat up by the handle. This trip actually didn't require any bribery on our parts to get Claire to stay in the truck, she seemed to be pretty happy. We made it all the way to checkout without any problems, paid for our groceries, and headed out to the parking lot. As Brian pushed the cart across the lot I peeked in at Claire to ensure she still had both of her shoes on. And then I saw it. The thief had struck. While we were busy putting the groceries on the belt and paying for them, she had grabbed a package of Rolos and was happily eating them. No wonder she'd been so cooperative.

The evidence? If you look closely you can even see the sugar-induced glazed look in her eyes.


The verdict? GUILTY!

The accomplice? I blame Brian for introducing her to Rolos and their yummy caramelly goodness.

PS - For any of you wondering about the mouse? He may be gone, but his spirit stench lives on.

Yuck

We had a mouse. Apparently. In the garage. Perhaps a distant cousin of Ralph S. Mouse, since he seemed to like cars. He crawled up inside the MDX at some point.

Thursday morning Ben and I took Claire to school. Dropped her off, and got back in the car to go to Trader Joe's. Did my shopping while Ben dropped socks in the aisles leading to the staff tracking me all over the store handing back little grey socks. We got in the car and headed home. Not far into the drive aI suddenly heard a ticking noise in the car. It quickly got louder. It seemed to be coming from the dash in front of the passenger seat. I pulled into a parking lot, and called Brian who was less than helpful. I don't know why he couldn't diagnose the car problem from miles away. Yeesh. The noise stopped when I turned the car off, and then immediately started again when the car was turned on. So I headed home. On the way I called the Acura dealer, and set up a service appointment. Then I had a brilliant idea. I turned off the climate control, and the noise stopped. OK, I could survive without A/C. It wasn't that hot and humid. We changed the appointment to Tuesday (today) when we could get a loaner car.

Friday on the way to pick Claire up from school I thought maybe I'd turn the A/C on for just a few minutes to cool off the car. And I noticed the smell. It was bad. Disgusting. Turns out the mouse crawled up into the car, and then got sucked into the blower motor. Died a gruesome death. And then proceeded to stink the place up.

I feel bad for whomever was the one to look in there and find bits of mouse. It will hopefully be fixed tomorrow sometime - they need to order a new blower motor. In the meantime - I think maybe I should look into purchasing a car air-freshener. Just in case.

where were you?

I was teaching class when a guidance counselor came in and handed me a small slip of paper. I don't remember exactly what it said. Something about not saying anything to the students about what was happening until there was more information. I had no idea what it was referring to. During the break between classes there was a buzz in the hallways. Some people were saying the WTC had blown up. I told my next class that we wouldn't talk about it until we really knew what had happened. I periodically tried to check cnn.com and other websites for information, but it wasn't until lunchtime when I got to the teacher's lounge and saw a TV that I knew what had taken place.

Immediately I started to worry. The planes that had crashed had flown out of Logan airport, and this was a time when my father still traveled frequently for work. I had no idea what his travel plans were - whether he was home, or away, or on his way somewhere. Brian worked very close to the Pentagon. I found out afterwards that his whole building shook when the plane hit, and everyone grabbed their stuff and ran. Fortunately one of the guidance counselors gave me a code to call long-distance, and I was eventually able to get ahold of my mom and ensure that Dad was not on a plane. She said that Sarah had heard from Brian on IM and he was home.

Being so close to DC we had a number of students whose parents worked at the Pentagon which was one of the reasons that teachers were asked not to share information with students. They didn't want any students to start to panic. Parents started driving up and checking their kids out of school - all afternoon the classes shrank. Everyone was quieter than usual.

The worst part for me, I think was the next day. Lying on the couch at home, watching CNN show the same footage over and over and over again. But it wasn't that as much as watching the names of passengers on the airplanes scrolling across the screen. I would see three or four people all with the same last name, and just be devastated at the thought of a whole family traveling together - and now gone. The loss of life was staggering.

Sometimes I wish the memories would fade. That I could dull some of the sheer helplessness that I felt. But it's still fresh. Friday night at dinner the topic came up, and we all shared some of what had happened to each of us that day. All weekend, and much of today it has been mentioned over and over on TV. Even the halftime show for Monday Night Football brought tears to my eyes. Tonight I watched Claire and Ben splashing happily in the bathtub. How I wish for their innocence to last - for them not to ever have to feel the way I felt five years ago.

I have read a number of the memorials to victims of 9/11 written by bloggers for the 2,996 project. (It appears that the website is unable to handle today's traffic - I was able to view it earlier, hopefully it will come back so you can get an idea of what it was about.) I wish I had known about that when it was started so I could have also contributed. What a beautiful way to remember those who died.

We will never forget.

First Day of School

Tuesday was Claire's first day of preschool. She is going to one of the Boyd School campuses, five days a week for just under three hours a day. So far she is doing well. In the morning when we tell her it is time for school she usually responds, "School - YAY, school!" She usually gets a little upset when she hugs me goodbye, but has been able to be distracted easily at the prospect of washing her hands or playing with ducks. Here are some pictures from her first day.

Standing in front of her "cubbie"

Posing with Ben after we got home

And a self-portrait with Mommy

*I know that I am woefully behind in my updates on here. I have been extremely busy with work, but have a little hiatus right now, and I hope to try to catch up and stay caught up for a while. Stay tuned!

The great diaper debate

You know, there was a time, not so long ago, when I could not wait for Claire to be able to talk. And now? Now she talks, and with talking comes having an opinion. Well, she had opinions before, but I could feign stupidity and pretend to not understand what her screaming and crying and pointing and grunting was trying to tell me. It's a lot harder when she's actually using real words. Which brings us to diapers.

A common question from soon-to-be moms is which diapers are better. I used to think that there was no correct answer, and that it would vary from child to child which would fit them best, and be most comfortable, etc. I was wrong. The answer is Huggies. Why? Because Pampers has decorated their size 4 diapers with Sesame Street characters. Each diaper has one character. The problem? For many of our diaper changing sessions I hear "want ER-nie, ER-nie" so I dig around for an Ernie diaper. Then she says "NO Er-nie, NO, want Melmo". This continues. ER-nie, Melmo, Bert, Coo-ee Mah-ster. She. can't. make. up. her. mind. In the end, whatever I put on her is usually wrong. Most distressing for a two year old. The beauty of Huggies? We have one lion, or two lions. That's all. We have no other choices. If there's no choices, she can't have an opinion, right? Right? God, I hope so.

Five Months

Ben,

In five months you have made quite an impact on this family. Your sister loves you -

Sometimes very fiercely! (That's her giving Ben a hug, for those who are puzzled.)

We spent a very hot Memorial Day at Viva! Vienna! where Claire had a great time going on all kinds of rides, and Mommy and Daddy ate lots of junk, and you - well, you put up with it all.

We had a rough first three months or so with you, but now we see lots of great big smiles, and it melts our hearts every time.

You love people. As long as other people are around for you to watch and listen to you tend to be happy, but woe to the one who leaves you alone!

We took a trip to the beach, and you seemed to like it. Well, you slept through most of the actual "beach" portion of your vacation, but you loved being around all of your aunts and uncles and grandparents. Cousin Ryan thinks you're great (probably only partly because you can't take his toys yet), and liked being near you, and touching your little feet. Aunt Cindy loves to hold babies, and she couldn't get enough of you. Grandma pushed you around and around the great room in a stroller when you got fussy, and Mommy and Daddy actually had a little bit of time to relax. Imagine!

This month you learned to roll from your back to your tummy (thanks to some excellent coaching from Nonni - of course you waited to do it until the day after she was there).

You've spent more and more time in the exersaucer, and you seem to enjoy it. Lots of fun things to look at and explore.

You are five months old, little boy, and you're not so little anymore. The last time you were weighed you were 18.6 pounds! I love your smile, and your giggle, and holding you in my arms is just such an amazing feeling. This month two people that Mommy knows lost their little boys, and it probably made me hug you a little tighter, and hold you a little longer every day. But that is never a bad thing. I know that it made me very grateful for every smile, every cry, and yes, even every poopy diaper. I love you, sweet boy.

love,
Mommy

Mom lesson #273

No matter how badly the infant needs a diaper change, do NOT leave the toddler alone with spaghetti.

(Picture taken Feb. 21 - my first week alone with both kids)

A week at the beach...

So we left our house Saturday morning around 10 AM. Had to stop at CVS and get gas and then we were on our way. We encountered very little traffic on the ride down. We had lunch in Williamsburg at Pierce's Pitt BBQ - a must eat for anyone traveling that stretch of 64. Yum. I sent Brian to get Claire a cookie for dessert while I fed Ben - he came back with 3 so she could try some of each. Lucky girl. Back on the road again, and Ben went back to sleep. Brian, Claire, and I had fun making animal noises and listening to Laurie Berkner. We drove through some pretty heavy rain, but were out of it before we hit the Outer Banks. We arrived about an hour before check-in time, and the house was still being cleaned, so we hung around in front of the office where they had lemonade and pretzels with Adam and Heather, who had been the first to arrive. One of the nice women who worked in the office brought Claire a little tub of play-doh and one of those things where you put the small shape in hot water, and watch it expand to become a towel. After a bit the house was ready, so we listened to all the rules, took the keys, and headed out. When we arrived we unpacked, chose bedrooms, and then Heather, Ben, and I headed for the grocery store and ABC store to stock the kitchen and bar, while the boys played with Claire and ordered pizza for dinner. Not much eventful. I managed to stay awake until Janet and Gary arrived around 11ish, but then headed for bed soon after as I'd been awake since the wee hours of the morning. At about 2 AM Brandon arrived - SURPRISE!!! - Brian and Janet were the only two still awake, but went to wake up Gary so he could see him, too. Not long afterwards Brian came to bed.

Sunday we were up pretty early (thanks Ben!). Adam and Heather didn't know that Brandon had managed to get plane tickets and come, but Adam saw an extra car in the driveway and asked about it, so they told him whose it was. Brian cooked up some eggs for breakfast, and Janet kept the coffee brewing. After everyone had eaten, and we'd all talked a bit, we got ready to go try out the pool. Claire was adorable in her bathing suit and hat. She seemed to have fun and was not too afraid of the water. She loved running around the pool deck and throwing balls in the water for her uncles to toss back out of the pool. Some games just never get old. She also liked to jump/step off the side to a waiting pair of arms. She practiced kicking, but didn't like being held on her belly to try to "swim". The whole time we were out there Ben slept in the beach cabana that our generous neighbor had given us as we were packing the car.

After pool time Claire needed a nap, and it was time for lunch for the rest of us. Then in the afternoon we got ready and headed to the beach. Again, Claire had a blast. She liked picking up shells, but then ignored them or threw them away. She seemed to like to play in the waves, but every once in a while a bigger one would come in and scare her, so she would need to be held for a while. She had no interest in building a sandcastle much to Brian's chagrin. That night we had marinated and grilled pork tenderloin cut up on sandwiches with cole slaw. It was quite yummy. Talked a lot after dinner, and once all the kiddos were in bed headed to the hot tub with Adam, Heather, and Brandon to chat and relax.



Monday morning was another early start. Ben was up at 6, and that's when Cindy, Don, and Ryan arrived (Cindy had had to work an overnight shift at the hospital, and they got in the car as soon as she got home). That roused most of the family, so we headed upstairs to talk and eat. Ryan was a real trouper considering the cast that he was sporting. The morning was pretty relaxed including some more pool time with Claire, and then that afternoon everyone except Ben and I headed to the beach. We napped instead. The brothers all had a good time building a great wall of sand around their parents, and apparently Claire had a good time knocking things down. Unfortunately some combination of sunscreens, after sun lotion, pool chemicals, and being outside so much gave Claire hives so she started to get bumps all over and a bit itchy. For dinner we had bbq chicken, cole slaw, corn on the cob, and potato salad, and then a birthday cake for Claire. After dinner more chatting and relaxing in the hot tub. In between the boys played lots of pool.

Tuesday's breakfast was a special request from Brandon - his mom's sausage and biscuits and gravy. Good stuff! The morning was pretty low-key as we were trying to keep Claire out of the sun. Cindy had brought a bubble machine as a birthday present for Claire, and that was a big hit with her and Ryan. When Claire went down for her nap Brian and I left with Ben to run some errands. We didn't stay out too long, though, as Brandon had to leave that afternoon and we wanted to be back in time to say goodbye. He headed out around 3 pm. Adam and Heather had decided to buy a bushel of crabs for everyone for dinner, so Brian and Adam went to pick them up along with some Caladryl clear for Claire's hives. They had covered her neck and ears, and she had a big one under one eye, so we put in a call to her doctor's office. They said to keep her out of the sun, and no more lotions, and use the Benadryl to help with the itching. The crabs made a very yummy dinner along with some frenchfries and shrimp, and we managed to keep the mess to a minimum. Even Claire joined in the fun.

Wednesday morning we planned to take the kids to the aquarium to help with keeping Claire out of the sun. We had pancakes in the morning, and then Don, Cindy, Ryan, Brian, Claire, Ben, and I piled into their minivan and headed south. The aquarium was not huge, but the kids enjoyed seeing the different kinds of fishes, eels, and sharks. We had an ice cream snack there, and then back into the car to head back to the house. Unfortunately when we got back to the house there was too much exciting stuff going on so neither of the kids would sleep. I wound up taking them on a four mile walk so they could nap in the stroller, and nap they did. Unfortunately I did not plan my footwear wisely, and wound up with some blisters. That night we had steak fajitas with all of the fixings including Brian's homemade guacamole and delicious margaritas for dinner. It was very tasty, and seemed to be a big hit with everyone. After we put the kids to bed Don, Cindy, Brian, and I headed to a nearby restaurant to sit outside on the sound and enjoy being away for a little while. After one drink, however, we decided we'd rather be back in the hot tub, so we headed back to the house where Brian mixed up more margaritas.

Thursday morning Adam had to leave at 6 am, to head to Ft. Benning for jump school. Fortunately I was up to say goodbye (thanks Ben!). After he left things were pretty quiet. Brian made everyone omelettes for breakfast, and we hung around the house. At about noon Gary, Janet, and Heather were packed up and ready to head back to Virginia. Once the kids got up from their naps we decided to go up to Corolla to check out the lighthouse. We found that right near that was historic Corolla village which had some nice shops to poke around in. We stopped at the grocery store on the way back to pick up steaks for dinner. After dinner we played Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture, and surprisingly enough Brian and I won.

Friday was a really nice day. Earlier in the week Brian and Don told Cindy and I that they would watch the kids while we went to get pedicures, so after breakfast we headed out. We did a little shopping afterwards, figuring that the boys wouldn't really know how long a pedicure should last anyway. Then home for lunch and naps. While Claire napped we gave Ben a dip in the pool. Couldn't leave the beach without him having been in the water! He seemed ok if only his feet were in the water, but didn't much like being held out away from my body, or having more of his body in the water. Afterwards we got dressed, got Claire up, and headed back up to Corolla for lunch and to do some more shopping.

We found some nice things including a little playground that was ideal for the kids to play in, and had some hammock swings that Ryan could comfortably swing in. Then home where we started packing up, and the boys took Claire in the pool one more time. We ordered Chinese for dinner (unimpressive), finished as much packing as possible, and then headed back to the hot tub again. It was a nice quiet way to enjoy our last night of vacation.

Saturday morning we were up early, ate a little, finished packing, and we were gone by 8 AM. A quick end to what was overall a nice week away.

kisses

kisses
Originally uploaded by egpyatt.

My sweet kiddos giving each other kisses at the beach.

Four Months

The official four month photo. The plan was to have dinner, and then take a nice smily four month photo. But apparently we took too long to eat, and Ben gave up. (PS - notice the new wainscoting in the background - the dining room is finally finished!)

Ben,

Your daddy and mommy are so happy that those first three months are over with. We are starting to get a nice look at your cheery personality. It used to seem like your three modes were generally sleeping, eating, and fussing, but now you smile at us all the time. (And you drool a lot, too.)

You make the sweetest little "goooo" noise when you are happy and someone is talking to you - it just melts my heart.

You pay much more attention now to the world around you. When you are awake you like to be sitting up and looking around at everything. You seem to enjoy spending time on the playmat, and batting at the duck. Fortunately your big sister is happy to help you out with that.



You met lots of new people when Mommy and Daddy had a BBQ, and you and your big sister were very well behaved. That was the first time that you got to meet Uncle Brandon, and Mommy scared him a little by handing you to him, and then walking away. It didn't take him long to find someone else to hold you!

Claire still loves to watch Dora the Explorer, and sometimes you seem pretty interested, too. Lots of the time she runs around and plays while she watches, but every once in a while (usually only if she's tired) she really pays attention to what's going on.


We were really lucky and got to spend a few days with your Grandpa. He and Claire and Daddy worked outside, and you helped Mommy supervise. The day that he left we went to Daniel's birthday party. Mommy and Claire participated in the dancing and singing, while you and Daddy mostly stayed in the back. I think that Claire liked the cupcakes!

After the party we headed up to Annapolis to see our friends up there which was a lot of fun.

We went to the petting zoo with playgroup, and there'll be a whole separate post about that. Claire had a lot of fun running around, and you were visited by several of the animals. This goat thought the stroller looked like a pretty cool ride! You seemed to like the visit a lot, until we got on the wagon ride, and then you decided that you were hungry. Good timing, Ben.

We spent a few days down at the lake with Nonno, Nonni, and Uncle David. They took good care of you and your sister so that Mommy could get a lot of work done on a big project. They took you to a picnic in the park in Fredericksburg where there was music and a lot of people. We celebrated Uncle David's birthday, but we didn't sing to him - lucky Uncle David!

Unfortunately on your four month birthday we had to make a sick visit to the pediatrician because you and Claire were both sporting a pretty bad cold. We found out that you had what the doctor described as an "angry" ear infection. Happy four month birthday, baby!

And of course, your Daddy, being quite the comedian, couldn't resist adding a prop to your four month photo.

Ben, you are so loved - right before our eyes you are changing from a baby to a little boy, and it is great and terrifying all at the same time. Sometimes I want you to stay little forever, but as we get to know what you're like, we can't wait to find out more about you.

love,

mommy
Weight: 16 pounds, 14 ounces

A Visit with Grandpa

Several weeks ago Brian's dad was able to come up and spend a few days with us. We celebrated by having eight cubic yards of dirt delivered, so he got to spend a fun day helping Brian to till, and spread all of that dirt in our various garden areas.

Don't worry, I'll help, too!

Claire can't quite manage to say Grandpa yet, instead she says "Baaaapa". She enjoyed helping (playing) with the dirt, getting rides in the wheelbarrow, and in general running around outside.

Look at how cute I am!You cannot make me smile for the camera!

Grandpa was very patient with Ben, and spent some quality time bonding with him while we waited for our table to be ready when we went out to dinner. He was even willing to hold him during his fun, nightime fussy period.

My favorite moment? Seeing Claire reach up to hold his hand when we were walking at the mall before dinner.

We are eagerly looking forward to several more visits this summer.

Three Months

Here is the official three-month photo:

Dear Ben,

The day after you turned two months old Nonno came to spend the night and celebrate his birthday since Nonni had deserted him to go on a quilting retreat. Daddy smoked three kinds of meat, including ribs which are one of Nonno's favorites, and Uncle Jon and Aunt Jen came for dinner, too. It was so exciting, that you and Nonno decided a nap was in order.



Our month was busy as usual. We saw lots of people, went to playgroup every week, attended music classes with Claire, and had an all around good time. Mommy is getting more and more used to running errands with two kids in tow, and so you've been to lots of different kinds of stores. You cried through most of two meetings that Mommy had for work - one we had to go out for, and one where they came to our house. You're still learning about being a baby, and getting used to things. You've been practicing your smile a lot lately, though.



We spent another fun weekend at Nonno and Nonni's lake house with Mommy's friend Carol and her husband Dave. You got to spend some quality time bonding (aka screaming) with Nonni while everyone else went out for a boat ride. In general, though, you are crying less than you used to, which makes everyone a little happier. Especially your big sister.

Chilling with Daddy

On Easter we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house, and had Easter dinner with them, Uncle Don and Ryan, Aunt Jane, Jennifer, Aunt Joni, Michelle, and Great Grandma. Everyone commented on how big you are now. Uncle Don said the reason you cried so much is because everyone was telling you you were fat, and that he would cry, too. He's a funny guy!

Claire, Mommy, and Ben on Easter

the sweetest little baby feet

I can't believe that three months have already gone by, but I also can't imagine life without you. Every baby smile and "goooooo" melts my heart. I love you so much, little boy - don't grow up too quickly!

love,
mommy

Stats: 16 pounds, 24 1/2 inches

A quick pic...

I know I owe a 3 month update on Ben, but in the meantime...

Last night Claire thought that Ben needed company on his playmat. Enjoy the cuteness.