Krewe of Barkus

This weekend we took Benjamin to his first parade of the Mardi Gras season, Krewe of Barkus. My mom watched Mary Elizabeth so that Seth and I both could enjoy the afternoon with Ben. He had a great time!! He caught (and was mostly handed) tons of beads and stuffed animals. enjoying a cookie outside of a bakery in Lakeview...
me and Ben

there were lots of really clever costumes, but this one was the funniest...

with Seth by the firetruck

Visitors from LC

Me, Tanya and Mary Elizabeth
Benjamin and Matthew playing outside



One morning, we loaded the kids up in the car, drove uptown and parked, then rode the trolley car to Audubon Park for a picnic.
Ben sliding at Audubon Park



This past week, one of my best friends and her son came to visit. Tanya and Matthew have been such a big part of our lives for the past two years, and Benjamin and I both were having serious withdrawals. We had a wonderful visit...all of us picked up right where we left off (Ben and Matthew running around with endless energy and me and Tanya watching them with envy).

Weekend in Nola

We spent last Saturday enjoying New Orleans. Seth and I took Ben and Mary Elizabeth to the Insectarium. Benjamin was in heaven!! He had so much fun looking at all the bugs (his Fav is the beetle)! Ben and Seth even enjoyed eating the bugs (I could not even attempt it)! After the "Bug Museum", we walked into the French Quarter and had lunch at Johnny's Po-Boys. The line was out the door, but it was well worth the wait!


Me and Ben enjoying Johnny's

Seth with a mouth full of roast beef!
Outside the insectarium, in our new Joovy Caboose stroller (Ben loves it!)
driving the "bug"

Getting his "I ate a Bug!" stamp

enjoying chocolate covered crickets!!

Chocolate chip and cricket cookies...mmmm

Butterfly room

Feelin' Good Today

As I write this, Benjamin is sleeping in his bed and Mary Elizabeth is sleeping in her swing and Reyna (our new housekeeper!!) is upstairs. We went for a walk this morning(I managed to get both kids dressed and in the car, then get them out and put them in the stroller...walk a bit, then load back up and head home), and my mom watched the kids last night so Em and I could catch a movie. I have had a terrific 24 hours!!! Now that ME is a little older, we are going to begin to slowly get out the house and do things (I am a firm believer in keeping my baby away from germs for the first month), and I have a feeling Ben and I both will benefit. On a different note, Benjamin is so funny...I need to keep a Jelly Book like Maria, b/c he says and does the funniest or cleverest things all the time now that he never stops talking or moving. I let Ben play outside at the "park" while I made lunch today...and I looked up and saw this...Poor Gracie - she hasn't had a ton of attention lately, so I guess she figured she would just take it! Ben has been picking "leaves" (grass) alot this week and putting them into his bucket and carrying it around. Today, he was dumping the leaves on Grace...and she would just brush it off with her paws...and then he would dump more...etc. This had been going on for some time before I caught it, b/c when I went outside to rescue Gracie, there was a massive pile of leaves under and around her.

4 Week Stats - ME

We had our 4 week visit with Dr. Hale yesterday, and Mary Elizabeth has grown so much! I had a feeling she had, because her face is getting so round and there is a beginning of a THIRD chin (just like her big brother)! She weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long (gained a pound and an inch and a half in two weeks!). She is a good eater (also very good at spitting up on me); and she has her good nights and bad nights. She is starting to get more alert in between feedings and naps, and she has started to smile at me. Benjamin is beginning to like having her around, because when we leave to go somewhere (I put him in the car first)...he always says, "Mommy, don't forget to get Mary Elizabeth" (thanks Ben for the help!).
Last night we went to Dollar Scoop Night at Baskin Robbins (oh how I have missed BR!), and I had to post this pic of Ben...he was covered in chocolate ice cream (before ME, I would have brought a bib, but these days...) and loving it!

Here are a few pics of Ben's big boy bed...I realized my video didn't upload correctly for whatever reason (and I don't have the time or energy to re-attempt).

Big Boy Bed!!!

Benjamin's big boy bed came this weekend!! The delivery guys put it together while he was napping (next door in Mary Elizabeth's room...in her crib), and when he woke up...he was sooo excited! Our first night in his big boy bed was a success - he stayed asleep (didn't fall out) all night...and we woke up this morning, and he was still in his room (trying to climb the ladder to the top bunk, but I still call it a success). Nap time today was a little harder - he got up once, and I told him that he could not put the sprinkles on the Valentine's Day cupcakes if he got up again...Of course, that worked (he LOVES sprinkles!). Here is Ben's big boy bed...

A Week With Duby

My Aunt Duby came this week to help me with Ben and Mary Elizabeth...when she arrived, she had an ice chest FULL of frozen meals for me, Seth and the kids (hooray!). We had a great week - I got to have special time with Ben one morning, and Benjamin and I met Em and the kids at The Monkey Room another morning. Thanks Aunt Duby for all your help - we really enjoyed this week!

One afternoon, Benjamin was "racing" his shopping cart around the house and slipped. He hit his head on the floor (hard), and he now has a black eye (our very first serious injury ever!).

Pic of Ben with his black eye, enjoying a cupcake from Nola Beans (a great little coffeehouse in Lakeview)
Aunt Duby and Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth

Bath time!!




Next week we have Mary Elizabeth's one month visit with our doctor. I will post her stats after the check-up.

Things are warming up a bit here in Nola...

Benjamin finally held his little sister this morning!!! And I only had to convince (some may call it bribe) him just a tiny bit...Of course, as soon as I put her on his lap, Mary Elizabeth started screaming! Ben, understanding her love for her paci, tried to put it back in for her....unsuccessfully. It was a cute moment.

Life in Nola

So far, Benjamin has been adjusting to life in a new city, new house and with a new little sister. He has done pretty good so far...except, that he is ATTACHED to his paci, Allie and Lemonade (stuffed animals). I figure I can try to wean him from the paci again soon...just it is a little tougher now that his baby sister has one too!
We had a wonderful weekend with Seth - it was nice to have him home. We managed to begin to build Ben's playset in the backyard...Ben was sooo happy! He climbed the ladder and slid down the slide for more than an hour. Can't wait to see how happy he is when it is finished!
Helping Daddy...handing him screws for the slide
Climbing the rock wall
Mommy, Daddy and Ben by the playset (ME was inside b/c it was very chilly). I am looking forward to a new week at home with two kids; my Aunt Duby is coming to help and Ben and I are visiting prospective Mother's Day Out (they call it Nursery School here in NO)Programs. Wish us luck!