October in review

I guess I didn't do a single post in October.  I have no excuse, just busy living and enjoying life!!!  Looking back on the last post (Ben's 18 month update) I never did do a 3.5 year post for Jim...and it's also hard to believe Ben was in shorts & a tank top - now we're all bundled up.  It's definitely starting to feel more and more like fall here! 

Since I didn't post at all in October, how about a little month in review through pictures -

We enjoyed a great visit with Grandma & Papa!!!  Jim had lots of fun decorating Grandma's Happy Birthday cake, and celebrating her special day with her!!!

A picture of me & my 2 boys -

Jim showing off his magic skills, magic cape & all!

Like how both boys are doing the same thing; blowing on their waffles -

We had fun at a pumpkin patch with our friends!!!

We shared stories together -

We carved pumpkins (Ben lost interest and played trucks) -

We were construction workers during the day for Halloween - having friends over for a Halloween party!

And then we went Trick or Treating with our neighbors!!!  Ben started off as a monkey, but he wasn't much of a fan, so I took that off.  Both boys had lots of fun!!!

I like Jim's tools in his pocket -

As you can tell we had a great month of October!!!!  Hopefully I'll be better updating in November - no promises though.

Ben's 18 Month Update

I used to be so good at doing updates on the boys, but I just haven't been lately.  Ben just had his 18 month check-up on the 10th, and I figured I haven't done an update in awhile, why not do one now!  Hopefully next month I will remember to do one for Jim and his 3.5 year update!  How are my boys getting so big?!

Let's start off with his stats:

Head - 19.5" - 94th percentile

Height - 33" - 72nd percentile

Weight - 24lbs. 13.3oz. - 60th percentile

He was great at the doctors, and got a clean bill of health.  Only one shot this time, which he didn't like, but as soon as I picked him up, he stopped crying and was fine!

You love your big brother, and have to do everything that he's doing.  So glad we have a school bus because as soon as Jim gets on his fire truck to ride his, you are right behind him on his bus. 

You seem to have the same obsession on rain boots as your brother does!  I just found a pair to fit you and that's all you want to wear - boots & socks!  You get so mad at me if I don't bring a pair of socks down when I am getting you dressed.

Wearing size 5 diapers...a range of clothes, 18 months, 24 months, and 2T, you fit into a bit of everything...shoes are hard, I think you're in size 6, but some are too small to fit on your foot.

Your vocabulary keeps on growing.  And have started to 'talk' on the phone. 

Love seeing any type of animal when we're walking, whether it's a dog, cat, squirrel, etc. you get so excited and 'talk' to them! 

A great sleeper - go to bed just before 9:00 and then you're up anywhere between 7:30-8:00.  Just one nap a day, after lunch, for 1.5-2 hours! 

Your eating is all over the place, some days you love to eat, other days you won't touch your dinner.  You are great using a fork & spoon!  And are drinking 2% milk. 

You love playing outside.  A big fan of any type of ball, and love playing basketball!  And have started to play 'soccer' with us.  If we try to play catch, you just want to hold onto the ball, but if we kick the ball you're kicking it right back to us!

You have no fear - and love jumping, trying to climb things, etc.

Those are just a couple of your highlights!!!  I could keep going on and on, you're one happy little boy!!!  And we love you!!

Picture update.

It's weird to look at the picture that is on top of this blog, and think that this was Jim & Ben a year and a half ago!!!  How much they have changed.  They have been having a great summer - it's so much fun to watch them interact and play together a lot more these days!!!  Ben is such a copy cat - he always wants to be doing whatever it is Jim is doing.  He's adding more and more words to his vocabulary.  It won't be long and I'll have 2 boys asking me questions all day long!!

Trying on their adorable outfits for Allison & Chris's wedding.  

For Jim's birthday he got this butterfly garden.  We sent away for our caterpillars, and they shipped us 5 to be able to watch them transform into painted butterflies.  It was a pretty neat process, and was fun to watch Jim get all excited to see them grow, turn into chrysalis, and then into butterflies!  They both were very excited to be able to watch the butterflies flying around!

We took them outside one day to show Parker, and then Jim was ready to let them go then.  Here they are getting ready to release them!

The rest of the Baptism pictures

Well it's been 2 months since the boys were baptized, and I'm just now getting to uploading the rest of the pictures.  As I think I say a lot on this, better late than never!!!  I guess I was just busy with wedding stuff, baking cookies, scrapbooking, writing a speech, etc.  But that was an amazing weekend, and will have to update about that once I get everything else up to date!!!  But enjoy these family pictures!  As well as pictures from the party we had to celebrate such a special day!

Visit from our Uncle, Aunt, and Cousin!!!

I really haven't been all that great about keeping this updated.  Guess life is just busy like that.  I still want to get up some pictures from the Baptism weekend, but that hasn't happened yet.

This past weekend, Rob, Jenna, and Blake came down - they were headed down to Outer Banks and decided to stop by for the day to visit and break up their drive.  It was very nice having them here, and nice that we had no plans.  We just stayed in all day (we were able to go outside for a bit in the AM, but it was pretty hot out to stay out too long!) and I know I loved being able to play with Blake, and I think the boys enjoyed their company.  It was fun watching both Ben & Blake interact a little more with everyone too!  I'll leave you all with a bunch of pictures -

All 3 boys hanging out on Aunt Jenna -

Kisses!!!!

Blake really wanted Ben's milk, and Ben wasn't too sure how he felt about sharing that!

Jim & Ben entertaining Blake in the bouncer.  See Ben showing Blake his truck -

Blake & Ben were laying on the floor together, and Jim decided to join them -

Very hard to get them all to look at the camera at the same time!

 Love Blake in this one - why couldn't Jim be smiling?!

Love them talking to Blake!

Helping to frost my birthday cake -

Love that Jim is feeding Blake some puffs!

Happy Birthday to me!!!!

 My little family :)

Jim was teaching Blake how to crawl -

It was so cute, Jim was sitting with Blake Sunday AM before they hit the road, and Blake was babbling.  Jim gets all excited, and turns to me, and goes "did you hear that, Blake just said JIM!"  He was so excited.

The Boys Baptism

The other weekend (June 22) we had the whole family down here to have Jim & Ben baptized.  Such a special day, and was made even more special having everyone down here.  Figured I'd post a couple of pictures from that day -

First, here are all the kids together, waiting for it to start!

Ben gets baptized, he wasn't to sure what to think of it, but I don't think there were many tears shed, so that's good!

Now Jim's turn.  I think he was afraid we were going to dunk him, but he too ended up being just fine.

During the Baptism -

The Godparents, Parents, and kids -

 Mark &I with Ben's Godparents -

 And Jim with his parents & Godparents -

We truly are blessed to have such an amazing family!!!  So glad we were all together for the weekend.  (So I don't have a million pictures in each post - coming up will be some of the family pictures, along with some pictures from that weekend).

Ben's 15 Month

We just went to the doctor's today for Ben's 15 month check-up, and thought it'd be good to update that before too much time went by. Everything was fine at the doctor's - we have a healthy, happy boy on our hands!

Head - 19.5" - 97th percentile

Height - 31.5" - 54th percentile

Weight - 24lbs 1.1 ozs - 66th percentile

Just a couple of things that he's up to now at 15 months -

- He has 12 teeth - 4 on top, 4 on bottom, and then all 4 of his 1-year molars.  He got those super early, they started coming in shortly after his first birthday.  I didn't even realize he was teething - I looked in his mouth one day and realized he had new teeth in there!

 

- He loves, loves, loves his trucks!!!  That's one of the main words he says these days - 'trucks' and 'big trucks'. 

- Speaking of words - he also says bye-bye, uh-oh, touch, papa, ball, milk - I think those are his main words now.  He understands you very well, if I ask him if he wants to go outside, he'll shake his head, and then make his way over to the kitchen gate.

- He's trying to jump - it's pretty funny to watch him, he's got the movement down, but his feet don't quite leave the floor just yet.

- He's wearing either size 4 or 5 diapers.  Somedays I feel like the 4's are too small, and 5's are too big.  

- Wears 18 month, 24 month, and 2T clothes - really a mix.

- He's a little copy cat, and loves doing whatever his big brother is doing.

- Loves animals - it's so funny to hear him when we're out on a walk and we pass a squirrel or a dog - he starts 'talking' to them.  The same when we're reading a book that has animals in it, he gets super excited!

- We can't keep the bathroom door open.  Otherwise, he knows everytime it's left open and makes his way in there...shuts the door...and then when we find him he's standing there with a huge grin on his face.

I'm a slacker

Man, I guess I've been a bit of a slacker.  Here we are just 5 days left in June, and I haven't done an update all month!  And I only did one in May!  Guess my 2 boys have been keeping me busy.  We just got back home from an awesome time in Buffalo!! We had Allison's shower in Erie, and her Bachelorette party the weekend we were in town.  And just had a great time visiting with the family.  We ended the week with the whole family coming down here for Jim & Ben's baptism.  We had an amazing time with everyone!  And it was great to all be together.  It's hard to believe that in less than 2 months we'll be together again for Allison's big day!!!  It's just around the corner!

I will try my hardest to be a little better with this.  And will update later with pictures, because I know that's what everyone looks forward to!