Outside Fun!

We have been enjoying this warm weather this winter.  Bennett and I go on a walk every afternoon if it is warm enough and this weekend we were able to all get outside and play.  Bennett loves all the extra outdoor time and I am enjoying it because I am getting in some exercise which I am trying to keep up with this pregnancy!

I am also very excited because we got a lot done this weekend for Bennett's new big boy room.  We found a bed we love for him and we have narrowed down the bedding we are going to get him.  Once I decide we are going to get everything ordered for him.  We picked up some paint samples yesterday and I like one of them but I am not sure what exactly I want yet.  I am so excited about his room and cannot wait to get everything together.  Bennett's nursery is green so the new baby will just take that room and I won't get to repaint and if Baby #2 is a boy he will just get an exact repeat of Bennett's nursery.  If the baby is a girl I will make the room more girly and get new crib bedding, so Bennett's new room is my only chance to decorate an entire room so I am really looking forward to it.  We keep asking Bennett if he wants a big boy room and a big boy bed and he says no.  I told him the baby needs his crib and if he will let the baby have his crib and he of course says no.  Hopefully he will be more interested in his big boy room when it is all set up!  

The Baby did it!

Bennett had a scratch on his nose so I asked him how he scratched it.  First he tells me Patty did it, so then I asked him again to see if I would get the same answer and he then told me the baby did it.  Sneaky baby!  Later in the week he was talking so whiny so I asked him why he was whining and he told me it was because of the baby!  Poor baby is being blamed for things by his big brother and I am sure this will go on for a long time!  Bennett is being so cute though he pats my stomach and says "Hi baby" and will point to it at random times throughout the day.  Should be funny to see his reaction to it once I actually have a big belly.

I am definitely starting to feel a lot better and this is one demanding baby as far as food cravings.  I am obsessed with anything citrus right now!  I go through a carton of those Cuties oranges a week and drink lots of orange, grapefruit, and other citrus juice.  I literally cannot get enough.  This is my biggest craving so far and I definitely have more but I can't go a day with out having some type of citrus.  I guess it could be worse and I could be craving a bag of potato chips so at least baby wants one healthy thing.

Bennett is so excited...

Because he is going to be a BIG BROTHER!!  We are due with Baby #2 in July and couldn't be more excited to welcome a new addition into our family!

Excited to be a big brother! 

I decided to take a pregnancy test on a random Tuesday so I was home alone and to be honest expecting it to be negative. I was shocked to see a positive come back immediately.  I wanted to call Jeremy at work and tell him but thought it would be much more fun to wait until he got home.  When Bennett got up from his nap I put him in a Big Brother shirt that my sister handed down to us from Ryan, so I was lucky to have something to put him in.  When Jeremy walked in the door he didn't notice Bennett's shirt so I told him to take a look at what Bennett had on and he was shocked and thrilled!  It was so fun to see his reaction!

This pregnancy has been different then my pregnancy with Bennett but unfortunately the one common thread is morning sickness or in my case 24/7 sickness.  I was much more sick with Bennett then this one, but I have still been pretty sick this time.  Zofran is my best friend these days.  I have been feeling much better the past couple of weeks but every morning is still a little touch and go.  I really can't wait to stop feeling nauseous and get some energy back.  I have to say the main reason I have gotten through my first trimester is because of Jeremy.  He has literally done anything I have needed him to do.  He has picked up any food craving I have no matter how random or how far away the restaurant might be!  He has also done laundry, cleaned, grocery shopped, entertained our rambunctious 2 year old, you name it he has done it.  For weeks I just felt too sick to do much of anything and he really took over and made my life much easier so I could just be miserable on the couch.  I know it can't be fun for him to be around a sick person 24/7 but I think he knows how terrible I felt so luckily he didn't mind.  I am slowly returning to the land of the living and feeling like a normal person again and just hope it continues to get better.  

We find out in March if we are having a boy or a girl and we can't wait to find out.  I really don't have a preference just want to make sure everything is healthy with the baby and to me it is a win win.  Either we have another sweet boy and Bennett gets a brother or we have a little girl and get to have one of each!  So far most everyone is guessing this little one is a girl so we will see in March who is right!

My 2 year old!

I have been meaning to write this since Bennett turned 2 last month.  Shows how on the ball I am!  Anyway I just want to document some things about him and what he is up to these days.  We went to the pediatrician for his well check and he weighed in at 29.8 lbs 80% and is 34 1/2 inches tall 50%.  I knew he was getting a lot heavier  and he is getting way to heavy for me to carry anymore.  Bennett is talking a lot more lately and repeating a lot more of what we say.  The other day at school his teachers told me he talked up a storm to them all day which made me happy.  He talks a lot to Jeremy and I but when he is around other people he is a lot more quiet and reserved.  He can count to 3 and is recognizing some numbers and he is learning his shapes too.  We are working on our colors and ABCs now too.  His favorite mode of transportation is running!  I rarely see him walk he literally runs all day long and his favorite game to play is chase.  He will come get me or Jeremy and tell us to come on so we will chase him around then he falls down so we will tickle him.  He LOVES our dogs unfortunately the love is not reciprocated back to him.  He is becoming a bit too rough for them and we are teaching him to be gentle but he isn't quite getting it.  He also likes to tell the dogs no if they are doing something wrong and he will yell at Alice when she barks and say "Alice Hush!!!" it is really funny!

Laying on Patty, doesn't Patty look thrilled!

He loves Patty so much!

He is stubborn (I have no idea where he got that from) and can cop quite an attitude but most of the time he is so sweet.  I have to say this age is fun most of the time and I am enjoying Bennett so much.  He is still a very picky eater and some days will only eat one good meal, but my pediatrician assured me that is ok and he will eat when he is hungry.  I am hoping he outgrows this soon and will start eating a better variety of food.  We just love our little 2 year old so much and it is fun seeing him learning so much and turning into a big boy!

Christmas

We had a great Christmas this year!  Christmas Eve we always spend with Jeremy's family and we usually go to his parents house but this year we had it at our house.  It was a lot of fun to have everyone here.  We had a nice lunch and after we ate we opened gifts with everyone.  Bennett got spoiled and received so many great gifts!  His big gift was from Gigi and Papa Daddy and it was his train table.  He loves his gift and has had a lot of fun playing with it everyday since he got it.  A huge thank you to Papa Daddy and Uncle Josh.  They helped Jeremy put the table together and that thing was a pain to set up!!  After everyone left we got ready for Santa's arrival!

Carder enjoying her new chair

Bennett climbing on his train table box

Playing with his new table!

Milk and cookies set out for Santa

Christmas morning Bennett slept in so we waited for him to wake up.  I am sure in years to come we will wish that was the case.  Once he woke up we ate breakfast then opened gifts.  Bennett didn't quite get it at first but once he opened his first gift he got the hang of it very quickly!!

Checking out his stack of gifts

Tearing into his gift

He loves his new football

Admiring all of his new trains!

Putting his new trains on his train table

Playing with his new Hot Wheels ramp that launches his Hot Wheels.  I don't know who loves it more Bennett or Jeremy!!

After we had Christmas at home and Bennett got a nap we headed over to my dad's house to have Christmas with them.  It was a lot of fun seeing Ryan, Ella, and Bennett get so excited over all of their gifts.  All 3 kiddos got so many great new toys!  They are all spoiled rotten by grandparents!

Happy about his new Rock n Roll Elmo

Ryan and his new Lightening McQueen

Bennett and Ryan playing with Bennett's new truck

Checking out his workbench from Pop Pop!

Ella pushing her baby doll in her shopping cart

Spoiled little boy was very happy!!

Being thrown by Uncle Dallon.  He always goes to Uncle Dallon to get thrown around!

Standing on Pop Pop!

We are so blessed to live close to both of our families and be able to spend time with everyone over the Holidays.  Christmas was great this year and it is so much more fun to see everything through a child's eyes.  We finally have our house back in order and all of the Christmas decorations put away.  Now we are ready to celebrate New Years!  We are excited about 2012 and all that it has in store for us!

Christmas Party

Today at Bennett's school his class had their Christmas Party.  All the parents brought different food and the kids ate and played.  Since the weather was so nice today they moved the party outside on the playground so it worked out really well.  When Bennett came outside he was looking around for me and as soon as he saw me he ran over and hugged my legs screaming "Mama"! So sweet!  Bennett had little interest in eating lunch and he made sure I stayed by his side.  I think he was afraid I was going to leave him.

Sitting at the table with his friends

Not interested in eating his lunch

He was way more interested in playing!

Having fun!

Towards the end of the party Bennett's teacher passed out presents from the teachers to the kids and presents the kids made for the parents.  The teachers got a really cute book for all of the kids and the parents got the sweetest plate with our child's handprints on them.

Our gift!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

Bennett's last day of school is on Tuesday then he is off for the rest of the year.  I can't believe we only have 10 more days until Christmas but what I really can't believe is I have every gift wrapped and ready to go!  

Santa and his poor ears!

We took Bennett to see Santa today and poor Santa may be deaf after he had Bennett screaming in his ear. The Santa we take Bennett to is called The Real Santa and you make an appointment to see him.   You write out a wish list and Santa reads it while they video tape it and take pictures.  Our tape will be mostly screams.  Bennett did the same thing last year and I was pretty sure it was going to be the same reaction this year.  Maybe next year he will have a better reaction to Santa if not maybe I will bring Santa some ear plugs!

Waiting to see Santa

Jeremy and this poor lady trying to get Bennett to stay on Santa's lap

Bennett trying to escape

Doesn't Santa look thrilled!?

Santa reading Bennett's wish list and Bennett screaming "DADA"!

After we left Santa we headed over to Lenox to ride the Pink Pig but the lines were so long to not just ride the Pink Pig but to also buy tickets.  I was in no mood to stand in line for an hour or more with a 2 year old so we just went to eat lunch instead. All in all it was a fun day even if Bennett didn't seem to enjoy everything.  I can't wait to get our video and picture of Bennett in the mail.  The picture I picked out is pretty funny!