5 days

In 5 days Chris and I along with two other couples will be here...

Exuma, Bahamas

My sweet mom is coming up to stay with the kids for the week while we relax at the beach (I can't not mention that Brooke is staying with the kids until she gets here on Saturday).  I'm so lucky to have great friends to invite us on a fun vacation, a wonderful husband that will take me on such a nice vacation and a fantastic mom that will come up and stay with my kids for a week.  Thank you all!!  I am so excited I can't stand it!!!!

Big boy

Bennett received another present in the mail this week.  The birthday that keeps giving, right?  He's going to think it's never ending!  He was so cute opening it.  Ella sat back on the edge of her toes waiting to jump right in and tear it open, and let him open it mostly by himself.

How cute is he?  So excited about another Thomas toy!

I thought it was kind of funny that he got a toy called "Cranky Crane" considering he's the happiest kid ever.

Today he had his two year check up.

• Healthy - check
• Growing - check
• Big - check
• Active - check
• Friendly - check
• Communication - needs improvement

Little man is 36 inches (85%) tall and 32 pounds (90%)!  Dr. Brown said he's in the average range for a 2 1/2 year old and still on the charts for a 3 year old.  Bennett is doing great.  We just need to try and work on his vocabulary.  Hopefully he'll start saying more than "Yep, No, Basketball, I want some, dog" and a few other words soon.

After shots this afternoon we came home and made strawberry banana milkshakes.  More info on those here.  The kids loved them.  Hello, who wouldn't love a milkshake....ice cream and fruit?  It doesn't get much better than that.  I almost suggested we go outside to drink them but then remembered my car said 102 on the way home.  Yikes, it's going to be a long gross summer.

 Who's gonna win?

Love that sweet little face

Cheeks!

My pretty girl who could not leave the doctor's office without stickers!

Crib tent

Have you ever wondered what a crib tent looks like?  Well, we have one.  Back in April after we returned from our cross country trek I mentioned that Bennett learned how to climb out of the crib.  Since he is not ready for a big boy bed we opted for the crib tent.  Today I had to go in and wake him from his nap so he could go to his doctor appointment for shots.  How awesome, right?  Who doesn't want to be woken up to get shots?  I went in to find him asleep in the cutest little position that it actually was heart breaking to wake the little guy up.  I ran back down and grabbed my camera and got back upstairs before Ella even noticed.  I thought I'd be able to snap a shot of him asleep in the cute position but all I got was the white tent.  Figures.

If you look closely you can see he's asleep with his hands in prayer position.

This is a crib tent with a boy not happy about being woken up.

I won!!

I can't believe I typed those two words.  I never win anything.  Seriously.  I entered a give-away over on Wendy's blog and I won!  If you've never been to her blog, Edible Nutrition, you should.  Now.  She is a nutritionist and posts all kinds of wonderful and healthy recipes.  Like me, she's from San Antonio.  We met back in high school and caught up over lunch a few months ago on my last trip back west.   She lives in beautiful San Diego!  If you know me you know my love for San Diego.  The only other place I'd want to live.  Thanks for hosting a give-away.  I can't wait to get my new yoga video and mat in the mail and all the fun stuff!

For the curious that don't check my other blog, here's my winning post Turkey Bacon Muffins.

Baby is no more

Today my baby turned two!  I can't believe it's already been two years.  I remember like yesterday preparing Ella as best as we could for what changes were in store.  But, how can you prepare someone so little for something you're not quite sure yourself what it's going to really be like?  Will it be easy and natural to bring home a new creature?  Or, will it be chaotic, tense and sleepless?  On June 9th, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. I was so calm in the pre-op room waiting patiently while the nurses came in and out wondering what was taking so long.  Apparently there was an emergency c-section or something just as I was checking in for my scheduled c-section.  Things were different the second time around.  I was still nervous but probably more nervous about having a boy than having another baby or c-section.  I had the whole girl thing down and was pretty comfortable with pink.  How was I going to go from a independent girly girl to a boy?  Well, let me just tell you that my heart sure did melt the minute I laid eyes on my sweet little boy.  All my insecurities I felt before having him melted away.  He brings me pure joy each and every day.  While his sister is 100% girl, he is 100% boy.  I wouldn't have it any other way!

I love watching him place the small golf ball on the t-ball stand and use the golf club as a bat (yes, he has a bat and ball as well).  Watching him play sports is so much fun!  He can run around and kick a soccer ball, swing a golf club & baseball bat, shoot basketballs, throw balls and whatever else you put in front of him he'll give it a try and most likely succeed.  His athletic ability by this age is pretty amazing!  Being outside makes him most happy but we can't be outside all the time.  While inside he's happy playing with his new Thomas the Train set.  Hearing him say "Choo Choo" is darling.  Trains might be his second love along with Legos.  Like his sister, he enjoys reading books.  He'll pull them all off the shelf and sit on the floor and look at book after book all by him self.  He loves one book in particular that's a Little People book, I think it's called Around Town.  He points to everything and expects me to say the words.  When will he start to increase his vocabulary???  He sure thinks he's carrying on a conversation but it's not much of anything.

He really is one of the sweetest little boys.  He's so friendly and loves people.  He goes up to everyone and "talks" to them, holds their hand, wants them to pick him up, etc.  Just yesterday while in line for Ella's dress rehearsal the mom behind me said, "You're little boy is so sweet.  He just came up to me and held my hand."  Thankfully her daughter was in Ella's class so it wasn't a complete stranger but at the same time I was thinking he's going to go off with some stranger!  UGHHHH!  Sweetness isn't always a good thing.  It doesn't help that he's pretty cute too!!

I really am so very thankful for being blessed with our precious baby boy two years ago today.  Now that he's officially a toddler I can't use the excuse "he's a baby" anymore.  Thank you for bringing me constant joy, smiles, hugs, kisses, laughter, entertainment and love.  Happy Birthday, Bennett!

Brand spanking new and BIG!  

ONE and still chunky!

TWO! 

We've had quite the week of celebrations around here.  On Monday we celebrated his birthday with Ella and Chris because Chris had to fly out early this morning.

Riding his new Plasma car from his aunts!

New favorite toy - TRAINS!

He's saying, "Choo Choo"

Monster cake

Trying to blow out the candles

Whoa, smoke

Where'd the smoke go?!?!

Hmmm...red cake.  I'll try that!

I like it.

Yep!

Definitely liked it!!

Today was the official birthday.  When we got home from VBS I decided to use the red "You are Special" plate.  We received one as a wedding gift  and I'm not sure where the second one came from??  I've never used them because, well, I forgot about them.  I found them not long ago and thought today would be a great day to start using it.

Always silly

Silly, silly, silly

Say cheese, Bennett!

I love those brown eyes!

Well, I thought the "You are Special" plate was a good idea until sister sulked about it the WHOLE time during lunch.  I guess I didn't think that through.  Since she is older and fully understands it I should have given it to her yesterday on recital day.  Oops.  Mommy can't always think of everything.

We have a ballerina!

Tonight was the BIG night we've been waiting for all year, Ella's first ballet recital!  I've watched her week after week practice in class.  Sometimes she dances and sometimes she stands there.  Tonight I'm proud to say that she did AWESOME!!!  She danced the whole number!  I'm so proud of our precious girl.  Her dance studio broke the performances into four recitals which makes them only an hour and 15 minutes.  Her's was the first recital but her class was the last to preform tonight.  Brooke and I loved it and I'm sure Chris enjoyed it too. ;)  Ella is back to ballet/tap next fall rather than back to gymnastics (and soccer).  She thought wearing mascara was the coolest ever and she even got her own tube of lipstick today!  She might turn into Aunt Nise!  I thought if she got stage fright then it would be gymnastics for sure but she was up there telling the girls what was next.  Too cute!!

Brooke, Kiera, Taylor & Ella before dress rehearsal this morning

Next pictures are from dress rehearsal.  We were not allowed to take any photos tonight.

She was so excited to put on more make-up again.  She kept looking in the mirror.  That makes it extra hard for mommy to apply the make-up!

Sassy!

This was taken just before Jade got to the house tonight to babysit Bennett.

After the show with very proud parents!!

And a very proud BB!!

Way to go Ella Bella!!  So proud of my beautiful ballerina!  Love you with all my heart!

One final playdate...

until next summer.  The twins came over yesterday while Ivy got her hair done one last time in America before the head off to Singapore.  We gladly had the girls over to play.  They played dress-up and entertained themselves for a few hours.  We sure are going to miss them all!  I get in one last hug shortly when they stop off to drop off a couple things on their way out of town.  I've been in denial but it'll surely hit me when they pull away.  I've already offered up our house for their Dallas visit next summer.

Best Friends Forever!