Benjamin

Just some sweet pics of my growing boy...we start swim lessons tomorrow!! Tonight when we said our prayers, Ben started naming his friends. After a few names he was clearly stumped. He said, "I have lots more friends, Mommy. What are their names?". Too cute. So we went through the long list of old and new. He sure is one lucky kid!




Benjamin has officially hit the Terrible AND Terrific Two's...he is sooo sweet and smart and funny - then in an instant he is whiny and pushy and not so sweet. I keep telling him, "You are lucky you are sooo cute!"
I can't blame him too much, though. His whole world is different now. New city. New house. New sister. New big boy bed. New friends. Etc.
He is GREAT one on one...problem is, I can hardly ever give him that time (ME requires constant attention). So he acts up to get attention, or he acts sweet to get attention, or he says something funny. Poor guy - he has to keep trying until something works. Now before you start feeling too bad for Ben, keep in mind that he has made new friends, gone on great new adventures and has a beautiful new baby sister! We started a new playgroup here in Nola and have been to each other's houses, to the Zoo, The Children's Museum, Longvue Gardens and the park. Ben also enjoys spending time with our neighbors - 2 year old twins!! Finally I have been going to our church's Mom's Group, where Ben and I both have met new friends. AND...I almost forgot - Ben starts swim lessons next week. Now that I write it all down, we sound really busy! I can't wait until I can spend some qualilty time with my favorite big boy - I miss those sweet moments, snuggle moments, etc...

Laying Low and an Update on ME

Last week was a tough one for me....heck, this week has been tough too. ME has some serious reflux that is causing her major pain (and me too and Ben too as a result of her crying for long periods of time after every bottle). I started the week off with a firm intention of being more patient with Benjamin and working hard on getting ME to sleep somewhere besides my arms (she is NEVER put down). I failed miserably on both accounts. I cried...lots...so did Ben:( Then I tried again the next day. and again...you catch the pattern. After yet another call to the doctor about ME's crying (at first he thought we had colic, then a milk protein sensitivity, now reflux), we were put on Zantac. So far, I only see a minor improvement. She is still crying hysterically after EVERY bottle and arching her little back pretty much all the time. Ben is frustrated...I am frustrated. The weekend came and went....it was great, by the way. We had Mary Elizabeth baptized at our church (post on that later) and saw friends and family. Seth was in town, so I got a little break and reassurance that I was not over-reacting to ME's pain. Monday afternoon we brought her to the doctor (she now weighs 9 lbs, 7 ounces - which is a relief, b/c she has stopped eating as much because she is in pain; she takes only 1-2 ounces per bottle, and I was concerned about her weight, etc...) the doctor said to give the Zantac a week (which will be this THursday), and we left with no help. SIGH. So I sit here waiting for tomorrow when I can call the doctor back and say, "HELP!". There has got to be something that can help my beautiful baby girl feel better.

Here are a few pics of this week...
ME sleeping sorry no action shots, b/c when she is not sleeping, she is usually crying...but she is still very cute!I let Ben play with his play doh stuff he got for Christmas - he had a blast!

Global Wildlife

This weekend we met our friends at the Global Wildlife Center (www.globalwildlife.com) in Folsom, LA. If you have not taken your kids here yet, GO!! We (grown ups)had a great time, the kids had a great time, and it was an educational way to spend an afternoon. I would suggest going early, beacuse I can only imagine how hot it would be in the summer. A very big tractor (which Ben wanted to drive) pulls a train of covered wagons through the grounds on a safari. There are large buckets of food for the kids to feed the animals, and they come right up to the wagons! My favorite animal at GW was the zebra - their stripes were so vivid! They had all sorts of animals - deer, zebra, bison, longhorn cattle, giraffes, kangaroos, llamas and even two camels, Sally and Alladin.

And so she is not left out, thhis is what ME was doing during our excursion....

beautiful!

Mary Elizabeth - 2 month stats

Mary Elizabeth had her two month appointment this week with the doctor. She did great!!! She now weighs 8 pounds, 13 ounces and is 21 1/2 inches long - Way to go ME!! She is starting to smile now, and is very alert for longer periods of time. She is always scanning the room, looking at her Mommy and Daddy, big brother or at the curtains. She is still eating every 3 hours during the day and every 3-4 hours at night - I am hoping we start to go longer at night now that we have put on some lbs! She loves her activity mat and her pacifier (just like Benjamin!) and enjoys being outside. I am so blessed to have such a beautiful, healthy baby girl to add to our family. Benjamin is beginning to interact (without being prompted) with ME - he will lie on the floor with her and kiss her head...he wants to sit in the same chair with us while I am feeding her, and he LOVES to give her the paci when it falls out of her mouth. Also, whenever we leave the house, Ben always reminds me to "get Mary Elizabeth, Mommy" (as if I would leave her:).

Sweet Pics

Finally got Ben to sit by Mary Elizabeth and take some pictures again...too bad he didn't want to at first, but when I started taking pics of ME...he hopped onto the chair! My two babies

Mary Elizabeth at 6 weeks

Daddy with his naked babies...look how much bigger Ben is compared to ME!!

Mardi Gras 2011

This past weekend and week has been a blur. We have a wonderful first Mardi Gras as New Orleans residents! Seth had a training in Gulf Shores last week, so on his way home, he stopped by to spend Thursday night with us. We dressed up and went to the Muses parade uptown, and afterwards I went to the Muses Ball with Emily and some friends. Ben waiting on Daddy to come, purple hair!
Family shot before we headed to Muses
Me and Em at the ball - we had sooo much fun!
Seth had to work Mardi Gras weekend, so I was on my own...My Uncle Mark was invited to ride in Endymion, so he and my Aunt Duby stayed at our house Mardi Gras weekend. On Sunday I loaded up the kids with my mom (and Aunt Duby) and met Emily uptown for more parades.
Me and my two babies
Me, Ben and Virginia ready for the floats
On Sunday night, Leigh Erin and Ella arrived...Ben was so happy! We went to the IMAX Theatre and rode the trolley on Monday while Mom watched Mary Elizabeth. On Tuesday morning we headed uptown again for more parades! It was Ella's first time, and she was in heaven!
Ella and Ben on the trolley
Driving the trolley with Mr. Bryan
Virginia and Ben on Mardi Gras
Ella and Ben ready to go

Ben and Ella dancing under the umbrella...too cute!
All in all, we had a great Mardi Gras week! Thanks to all our visitors - we enjoyed your company and a BIG thanks to Nana for watching my baby girl so I could spend some quality time with Ben.

Poo Poo Extravaganza

I thought I would follow up Maria's Poo post with a little something of my own. So I took the kids to the library this morning to celebrate Dr. Suess's birthday. As soon as we got there, sat down and I stopped sweating (really gross, I know, but I cannot seem to get cool these days); Mary Elizabeth started grunting. Oh no...I knew exactly what that meant...and I waited patiently for the noise to end. I silently prayed that it was an easy one (the past week or so have all been total blow-outs)-unfortunately I was not so lucky. After locking Ben, ME and I in the TINY bathroon with no changing table (we were on the floor...and if any of you know my germ phobia, that alone was enough to send me into a tailspin!), I took ME out of her carseat and....POO EVERYWHERE!!! All over the beautiful white dress with tiny pink smocked roses (she looked soo sweet), all over her tiny pink socks, all over her legs, thighs, back, neck...you get the picture. sigh. Ben decides that he wants to flush the toilet over and over again (cause he knows I can't get up to stop him)...so the toilet is rushing, ME is screaming, Ben is being naughty and I am up to my elbows (literally) in POO! By the time I get ME cleaned up, new outfit on, give Ben a stern lecture about behaving at the library, the first story is over and the second has begun. I am, of course, sweating again, as I sit down on the little rug with all the other kids and mommies. I take a few deep breaths...the mom next to me smiles and introduces herself...then Ben walks up to me and says, "Mommy, I poo poo'ed in my diaper" (cause I have been asking him to tell me immediately, b/c he has also had some major blow-outs this past week too). I sigh again, turn him around and immediately wish I hadn't...POO EVERYWHERE (again)!! The mom next to me smmiles again and says, "You should go home...start over, pretend this didn't even happen". I smile politely and get both my kids and run out the door.