You Know You're A Mom WHEN....

1) Your car rattles/jingles when you go over a speed-bump. =0)

2) You would rather be changing poopey diapers than be at work!

3) You know you need sleep but can't help peeking in on your little one when you wake up in the middle of the night.

4) You have "Momnesia"- check out the link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-03-03-momnesia_N.htm

Now for the best one- The other night, I gave Ben a bath in our bathroom. It has the double sink with a big open space that is perfect for the baby's tub in the middle. Not to mention, there is a BIG mirror that connects the sinks....so it is perfect for Ben to look and "play" while he is taking his bath!

After a bath, I like to put on a little Desitin to help any sore spots he may have....I think it makes him feel better when he sleeps.

Fast Forward to the next morning....So, I went to brush my teeth =0)

I put the toothpaste on my toothbrush and the ONLY reason I didn't stick the toothbrush in my mouth was because I was thinking, "Where are all the pretty toothpastey colors?"

That's when I realized what I had done!

I almost brushed my teeth with Desitin!!!!! Yuck! I had to throw out the toothbrush....because that stuff is water-resistant! hehehehe

Easter Pictures!

Happy Easter!The Easter Bunny Stopped at our house!
Ben-sporting his super cool Easter outfit from Grammy The Happy Face
The Return of "The Worried Look"
Just Me and Mom
A Close Up

Almost Forgot!

Ben rolled over on Friday, March 20. It was from his tummy to his back, but still a major accomplishment as far as I'm concerned! Now, we are working from the back to tummy!

First Full Week

Last week, everyone was surprised how well I handled myself on Thursday when Ben was at "playschool" and I was at work. I was even surprised that it was only for a little bit on Wednesday, that I had that "I'm going to lose it" moment.

Well, this morning was very different. I lost it. I took him into the classroom and almost took him right back out. I am getting all teary-eyed now just thinking about leaving him in that little swing. When I put him down, he just started looking up at me and smiling and cooing.....it was like he was saying, "What are we going to play next, Mom?" Unaware that I was leaving him.

Here come the tears AGAIN. Blah!

How Does Your Bracket Look Compared to Ben's FIRST March Madness Bracket??

"So....Mommy, what can you tell me about this thing called March Madness? What is the big deal with these things called 'brackets'?"

"Well, Son, this is the biggest tournament of the year for college basketball teams. Certain teams get picked based on their season and standing in their individual conference. Then, they all play each other to come up with only one winner. Everyone tries to guess which team will win each step of the way. It's one big game for the viewers!"

"I like games, Mom....can I play?"

"Sure, Son!"

"This seems like it will be easy. I pick Campbell University to win it all!"

"They weren't good enough this year....so you can't pick them.....but maybe next year!" "Awww, man!"

Then what about Seton Hall or UNCW?" "No? What kind of stupid tournament is this, then?

Well, if those teams didn't make it, then I know Coach Grandad John's Team Royal HAD to have made it....I know they won their division!""Ho, ho, ho, hehe.....I'm just playing with you. That was a joke! Coach Grandad just had a lucky season with a bunch of middle schoolers!"

"Well, I picked my teams.....here's my bracket" " If you need me, you'll know where to find me!"
"Looks like one of my teams lost already....now...if....I....could....only get this silly cap off the pen, then I could cross it off!"
"The remote is mine! I sucked on it last!"

"Time to call Uncle Scott and rub it in that I'm beating him already! hehehe....No need to talk to Uncle Philip, his number one team is already out of the competition....hehehe!"

"This is kind of fun! I see why all you silly grown-ups like to watch these games. They're intense! Too bad Mommy and Daddy's TV has shadows....next week-end I need to go to Grandad's house instead! He's got real cable!"
"YES! My team scored the winning basket with less than 5 secconds remaining!"
"If you guys don't mind, I think I'll sleep right here in the leather recliner tonight....and I think I'll sleep with my bracket. I'm afraid you might cheat and try to pull a fast one over on the rookie!"

Quick Update!

For the second night in a row, Ben has slept through the night! Two nights ago, he slept 6 hours and then another 4. Last night, he slept 6 hours and then another 5!! Also, yesterday I thought that I had pumped 10 ounces, when in fact I had pumped 12! Loving life.....loving my little boy right now.

Happy 12 weeks little man.....we are so proud of you!

The Easter Card Ben "Made" For us!

I had to scan everything, so the pictures look a little funny.....but it was just too cute not to post. I love all the little eggs around Ben and the bunny!!

Ben's second day at his daycare (which we call "playschool") was great. Not only did he come home with this Easter card and picture, the teachers even made him a mini-Easter basket.

I survived my first day of work and managed to pump 10 ounces today! This is very good for me.....so be impressed. I thought I would be coming home with 6....tops.....if I was lucky! I pumped a whole extra bottle for him.

Oh....here are some cute pictures I took the other day. Ben needs a coat for playschool because they go outside once or twice a day for playtime and buggie rides. Here are a few pictures of when I tried on Ben's coat. It's a little big, but my favorite sister-in-law lent it to us and he'll only need it a few more weeks. I figured that if I was trying on the coat, why not try the hat and mittens, too!!

(Commentary from Caleb: "Why did you post that picture? He looks like a teletubby")

Resisting the Urge to Call the Daycare!

I'm at work. It's my first day back. Ben did beautifully yesterday at daycare. He's there now.

I'm actually doing better than EVERYONE expected! However, the more people ask, "Have you called the daycare, yet?" the more I actually want to call them!

Must....hold....out.....must .....be.....strong =0)

Counting down to 5pm!

Oh! Pumping is fabulous as well. Life is just really great right now!

A Visit to Ben's Daycare

I got the phone call Friday from Ben's daycare. It went something like this:

"We are so excited that Ben is starting with us next week. We all cannot wait to meet him. Everyone keeps asking about him. Please call if you have any questions. If not, see you MONDAY!"

My heart skipped a beat......Ben's not supposed to start until Wednesday.

I called them right away to tell them that they couldn't have him!! hehehe

Because of the mix up, I thought it would be a good idea to take him on Monday to visit (knowing darn well that his little cuteness would be leaving with me)! He had his little St. Patrick's Day outfit on which needed to be shown off anyway!

When we walked in, they were as friendly as always! They "oo-ed" and "ah-ed" over him for a solid 10-15 minutes right away and then more throughout the visit. They were in the middle of feeding some of the kids, so it was a little chaotic, but well under control.

Some things I learned that I loved even more about this place:
- Ben is the youngest (so he'll get the most love....j/k)
- Since Ben is the youngest, he gets the cradle
-Ben is going to make a St. Patrick's Day handprint craft even though he's not starting until Wednesday (they are really into art work)....I can hear it now, "Son, don't you want to be a soccer player?"...."No, Dad, I want to be an artist!" hehehe
- They take the little ones out at least twice a day if the weather is nice to lay on blankets or go on buggey rides.
- The walls are COVERED with pictures of faces and people on one side, animals and pets on another, and many other developmentally appropriate pictures.....and when I say covered, I mean COVERED.....LOVE it!
- One wall is covered with collages that the teachers made. Each collage has pictures of the child, their parents, grandparents, pets, whatever you want it to have. (I already picked out my pictures for the collage)

Let's see....what else?I know there is more, but that is all that I can remember. All in all, it was another great visit to the daycare. (I've been there half a dozen times already since he's been born.) We'll see if I'll be able to leave him tomorrow, though =0(

Carnation Good Start

...is the formula winner! The comfort soothing proteins must make all the difference for my gassy little boy! We're going to use it if Ben's still hungry at daycare after eating all the breast milk I supply! If Ben starts taking a lot of formula a day, we're going to try and switch him to Enfamil (since it would be free at the daycare) or Walmart's brand (since it would be much less if we have to pay for it)!

Speaking of daycare....Ben starts tomorrow! I start work on Thursday!!

So sad, but a fact of life!

Happy St. Patty's Day!! Don't you just want to kiss him? (even though he's not Irish!!)

Grammy (Benke) hooked us up with ANOTHER sweet outfit for St. Patirck's Day! We had a lot of fun with this one! This time, Ben was all smiles! Don't you just love the little feet, again?? Thanks, Grammy!!

The outfit reads "My First St. Patrick's Day"

"Kiss me" and "I'm Irish"

Doesn't Ben look funny? I promise, I had him supported...it just doesn't look like it!

He's a Keeper!

In other news, here is a picture of Ben in his high chair. I think I mentioned before how wonderful this is! I wasn't going to buy it until he was able to sit up. But, since this one is inclined, he's able to hang out in it while I cook dinner or we eat together at the table. I LOVE it! I can just roll him around with me in the kitchen. (MeeMom wanted me to take a picture of him in it!)

Hi, MeeMom!

Also, Ben is now actively pulling toys to his mouth. Isn't this just so cute??

It Happened Overnight!

Last Monday, I put Ben on his Tummy for Tummy Time.....and this is what happened! Look at him propped up on those little arms!

Little Baby Girls (have cuter clothes than boys!)

Our college friend Danielle gave birth to her little girl on March 11! Welcome Anna Stuart....I know that your parents are VERY happy to see you! Love the "smile"!

And the winner is.....

A while back, I was comparing diapers. We've chosen Target brand for now. We had our first "mess" today using these diapers, though. They have worked wonders up until now. I will keep you posted (I know your life would not be complete if you didn't know exactly what diaper Ben's little butt is in at each stage of his life!)

Now on to a new comparison. Which formula to use??? Before I go any further....

YES...I am still breastfeeding and YES I am going to be pumping at work.

But, a growing boy has got to eat...this little guy LOVES to eat, actually. I am hopeful that I will pump enough milk for him to eat the next day, but I am not going to worry myself over every little ounce. (Again, life is too short for this silliness!) So, we need a formula that Ben can handle in case I don't send enough breastmilk.

Enter solution: We just found out that our daycare will provide the formula. They supply Enfamil Lipil.

Enter dilema: Ben HATES this brand. Ben is such a happy little baby....until you feed him this formula. He sucks it all down (because this child will suck down ANYTHING).....but he gets really fussy at night when he's on it.

So...any suggestions?? recommendations??

I already talked to his doctor and was told that he doesn't have a milk allergy because the amount of lactose in formula is much less than that of breast milk. Ben is fine on breastmilk. They seem to think it is just a brand issue....and that I don't need to give him soy or "gas-free" types.

Right now he is on Similac. We won't know until tonight if it has an adverse affect on him. Oh...and let me note that Ben acted really badly to only 2 ounces of the Enfamil. He's had about only 3 ounces of Similac today....fingers crossed. We're trying to start slow.

I bought Nestle GoodStart. The doctor's office recomended that one. It seems to have Comfort Proteins that help break down the protein in formula.

Don't you feel smarter already after reading this post? See....you learn something new everytime you read my blog!

Quick fix: I know.....I could just stay home! Too bad that is not an option! =0(

"But, Mom.....pleeeeeeease. Please stay home with me. How can you resist these little eyes and these pouty lips."

Breaks my heart....sniff sniff.

Watching Ben Sleep

One of my favorite things to do is watch my son sleep. He looks so calm and so at peace. He didn't ask to be born, yet there he sleeps in all of his cuteness....without a care in the world because he's been fed, has a clean diaper and knows that we will protect him. At night, I swaddle him up, read him a story or two, receive a good-night smile or three, watch the little yawn, put him down, then watch those little eyelids get extremely heavy. It's better than Prime time (who needs cable??)

Knowing that I am going back to work in less than 10 days, I am trying not to take one moment for granted.....

Thanks, Mom!

Ben's MeeMom captured some classic Ben Smiling Pictures! Ben's been smiling like this since he was 6 weeks old! These pictures were taken when he was 8 weeks.

Also, new pictures were added to Ben's Trip North (Part 1- Baltimore)

Ben's Trip North- Part 3 (North Beach, MD)

The last part of our North trip was spent with our friends Joe and Christina who live in North Beach, MD. They bought a bed for their guest room just for us...hehehe...j/k. They took us to the Amish Market which had the best food known to man. I think I gained more in one day there than I gained a whole week during my pregnancy! We had fried chicken (where the meat just melted in your mouth), pretzel pepperoni rolls (think hot pocket wrapped in an Auntie Ann pretzel), homemade bread and pretzels (better than Auntie Ann's, though).

Christina is due in late August, so we let them "borrow" Ben to practice. Joe got to carry him around in the baby carrier and change his diaper. At one point he asked, "Are these lights too bright for him?" To which I responded, "Yes, Joe, please change the bulbs to a lower wattage." It was really fun to take advantage of all he has yet to learn! What are friends for, right?

Also, while we were there, we asked them to be Ben's Godfather and Godmother. They are amazing friends that are like family to us. We admire their heart for the Lord and have always appreciated their friendship. We really wanted to choose Godparents that would hold Caleb and I accountable and encourage us to raise Ben in a way that honors God.

Here are the pictures of Ben's Goddaddy Joe and Godmama Christina:

Ben's Trip North- Part 2 (New Jersey)

After PA, we headed to Old Bridge, NJ to visit my Aunt Juju and Uncle Frank, my cousin Kevin, Cousin Brian and his family (Suzanne and Baby Jackson), the universal Uncle Ron and Ben's GREAT GRAMMY and GREAT GRANDAD! It was such a great trip. The last time we saw this side of the family was in August. Also, Ben got to meet his cousin Jackson(I think they are 2nd or 3rd cousins)! The two hit it off instantly. Jackson was awesome and let Ben "play" (read: stare) at all his toys.

By the way, Suzanne is an amazing artist. I linked her website to my blog on the right. It's http://www.suzannerader.com/home.html. If you go to the "For Baby" section, you can see the beautiful nursery she designed and painted for her son!

Jackson is just SO cute. Don't you just want to squeeze those cheeks? Now I know why older relatives do that to kids!

Ben's a little young for Jackson's exersaucer......but it was fun to try!

I love Ben's little eyes!

Great Grammy had a great grandson for EACH ARM! (By the way, Jackson is almost 5 months)

Ben was "talking" to Great Grammy here (and smiling a bunch, too!)

Who would have thought that Ben would love the High Chair so much. I was waiting to buy one of these until he was older. But, he LOVED it this trip. (In this picture he looks a little sleepy, though)

Don't Ask! =0) Irish Car Bomb, anyone??

Check out the shoes he kicked off!

I love him!

I always leave Caleb out.....this is why....silly pictures =0)