Family Fun

Anthony's work had a Family Fun Day a couple weekends ago.  It was a lot of fun!  They had bounce houses, yummy food, a photo booth, free flu shoots :), a fire engine and truck, and a little pumpkin patch.  It was also fun to meet some of the people he works with, to put faces to names. Thanks Celanese for a fun day!

 Benson loved pushing the horn

 Lucy just hung out in the stroller

 The photo both had some fun props: Benson and Dad

 Mom and Lucy

And now we know where Benson got his hair from

Birthday Festivities

We had such a fun time celebrating Benson's birthday all week long!  From the birthday sign on Monday to the family go-carting on Friday, I think it was his best birthday ever!

His BIG Cookie for a cake

 Picking out "Winnie" the Penguin at Build a Bear

 He LOVES to jump!

 Birthday Cookie

 Opening presents

 Go-Carting with Dad

 Go-Carting with Mom

 He requested Pizza for his birthday dinner

Happy Birthday Benson!

Benson is 2!!!

How did this

Turn into this??!?!

I can't believe he's 2! Two years ago today we were headed up to Houston to see a little boy who would soon become ours!  It was such an exciting and crazy day!  Adoption is incredible!  We can't say "thank you" enough to Benson's amazing birth mom.  We love her dearly!  We know Benson is supposed to be apart of our family and we couldn't live without him!  He is so much fun!  Really such a riot!  He's at such a fun age where he mimics everything we say and wants to be apart of everything!
Somethings I want to remember...
-He loves to mow the lawn, which means he loves to ride on Dad's shoulders while he's mowing.  He also loves trimmers and blowers.
-He loves kitchen utensils!  He's tall enough to open the utensil drawer and grab everything out.  Some of his favorites are the tongs, funnel, rolling pin and can openers.
-He loves music.  Both to listen to and to sing.  His current favorites are "I am a Child of God" and "This Little Light of Mine." He knows all the words to quite a few songs and if we start singing one, he'll finish it; I love it!! 
-He loves the kitchen sink.  Every night while I'm making dinner Benson will push a chair over to the sink, turn on the water, grab the scrub brush and ask me to hand him some dish soap (lotion).  He will usually play with whatever is in the sink for a long time and usually ends up drenched. 
-He loves to grab the mustard bottle. We have a lock on our fridge because once he learned to open it he would pull everything out.  So now if I leave it unlocked he will open it and grab the mustard.  He actually hates the taste of it but will ask to hold it while waiting for dinner.
-Always want to watch football or tackle Dad.  This really started when I was out of town one weekend and Anthony watched a couple games with him.  Now whenever he sees the computer open he rushes over and begs to watch football.
-Love his nursery leader, Brother Arnold.  He will ask for him about 10 times a week. When I ask him who he wants to play with he'll yell "Brother Arnold"!
-Still loves to jump.  When he was a baby I'd have to bounce him on an exercise ball to get him to go to sleep or just for fun.  He got a little trampoline for his birthday and he won't get off it, he loves to jump!
-Loves cookies.  Every time I ask him what he wants for lunch or dinner he always says cookies.  And we don't have cookies all that often so it's pretty funny.  Plus he knows he'll get a laugh out of me :)
We can't get enough of this little boy and are excited for him to be 2!!!

3 Months

We are loving this little girl and can't believe she's 3 months old already!
Here's the latest and greatest info on our little miss: 
Not sure how much she weighs but I think it's around 10-11 lbs. 
Still loves to sleep, at night we're getting 4-5 hrs at a time and anytime I let her during the day
Hates tummy time
Loves to lay on her back and kick her hands and feet
Loves watching the ceiling fan
Loves watching Benson and will follow him around the room with her eyes
Loves eating her hands
Still doesn't really like to eat
Loves to be held, by mom the most
Loves baths and getting her diaper changed
Talks (coos and goos) a lot
Has beautiful blue eyes
Has curly blond hair

Here's some recent pictures:

Leaving the hospital

2 Months

2 Months

I can't believe she's been here for two full months!  We love having this little girl in our family.  Here's the stats:
Weight: 9 lb 5oz (Yay!! I was so shocked! I had them weigh her twice. She's a chunk)
Length: 21 in
She's in about the 10-15% in all but she's growing!
She's eating pretty well (obviously better than I thought) 
Sleeping 5ish hrs a night
Still sleeps a lot during the day but is alert more
Smiles and coo's
Will follow with eyes
Loves to be held
Puts up with crazy older brother who likes to sit on, poke, and try to carry her around

Our camera broke a couple weeks ago so I only have pictures from my phone. I'm not sure how well they'll turn out. 

When she was born they found the extra hole in her heart wasn't closed (not sure what it's called but all babies have it but it usually closes close to birth).  Anyway they wanted to check it at 2 months and it's still not closed but the dr isn't concerned (in some babies it can take a full year).  She'll go back to see him at a year to make sure it's closed.  This is the EKG and then she had an ultrasound.  i don't like seeing her like this.

 At her two month appt.  Bens loves to sit in the car seat and then tells me to put her in, that he'll hold her. 

 What a chunk! Look at those cheeks :)

A Blessed Day

Anthony got to bless our little Lucy yesterday.  It was a beautiful blessing and a very sweet experience.  My parents were able to be here and it was nice to have family and friends celebrate our little girl.  She really is such an answer to so many prayers.  She looked beautiful in an outfit provided by both grandmas.

6 Weeks

Yes it's been six weeks since I've posted.  Yes this little girl is now six weeks old; where does time go?!  We are loving every moment with little Lucy Jo.  I still look at her and can't believe she's real and really ours.  That she came out of me healthy is such a miracle!  She is still such a newborn. She sleeps all the time, like it's the hardest thing ever to wake her up to eat every 3 hrs.  Oh and if we can get her awake then within 2 minutes of eating she's in a deep sleep, never wanting to awaken again.  I'm not complaining, really I'm so grateful she's not a screamer or always awake needing me, but I am concerned she's not eating enough.  I think she's getting bigger but can't really tell.  She's still in newborn clothes and diapers.  We go back to the Dr on Sept. 11 so I'll update then with hopefully higher weight stats.  (I never worried with Benson, he left the hospital drinking 4 oz every 3 hrs and had gained over 3 lbs the first month.)
Benson is loving his little sister, most of the time.  He loves kissing her, holding her and bringing stuff to us for her.  He also loves launching her out of her bouncer, poking her eyes so she'll open them, pulling her ears asking if she can hear him, and helping mom burp her, i.e. hitting her.  But every night he says "night, night Lucy" and every morning "morning Luc." I love it!
I'm recovering well, I think.  I have to remind myself that not only did I have a c-section but my body has been on full bedrest, doing nothing for 5 months.  We have ventured out a few times.  I was amazed at how hard it was to push a shopping cart with Benson, Lucy in a carseat and 2 gallons of milk.  We went to the aquarium and swimming with fairly successful results.  I'm sure it'll get easier with time. 

All ready for her baby shower

 Isn't she beautiful?!?

 Ready for church catching some rays

 Benson at the Aquarium

 Before hair cut

 After hair cut - what a stud

 Doing what he loves best, helping mom in the kitchen

 The two of them (at a rare time when Lucy was awake)