Nicole and Tim's Blog

Curious George?

2012-01-30T15:59:00.000-05:00

Okay, maybe he's not Curious George, but Ben sure is into exploring these days. He gets into everything... from nooks between the furniture in our family room to climbing on the base of the coffee table to peering in the washer while it's running. There are so many exciting things to see and do!


Me: "Ben? Where are you?" Ben: "giggle giggle"

"I'm right here, Mommy!!"

LOL, watching our comforter on the spin cycle.

Ten and a Half Months Old

2012-01-29T16:49:00.000-05:00

Can you believe Ben is already ten and a half months old? I can't. It feels like weeks ago that I was thinking, "Wait, did my water just break?!" And now it's about time to start planning his first birthday party. Time flies when you're having fun, and we have definitely been having fun. :)

"Sit still for a photo? What?"

"Okay, if I get to hold the lens cap."
Thank you for the cute outfit, Grammy and Grampy!

"Can I have the lens cap back, Mommy?" It's so hard to resist this face!

Ben loves to play with his fur-brother.

Just look at the excitement on his face!

T-Bone is a good sport. We don't let Ben take toys and bully sticks away from T-Bone, but Ben found this one on the floor, unattended.

Crawling after T-Bone.

Watching T-Bone circle back around for another shot at the bully stick.

"Hi, Brother! You're back!"

T-Bone ran off again, so Ben decided to chase after him.

"Okay, this time I'll give it to you. Maybe!!"

Ben eventually gave T-Bone the bully stick.

But he still tried to crawl after his fur-brother, mouth open, to kiss him. LOL. Ben keeps doing this lately, and it cracks us up. He crawls after the dogs at full speed in hopes of planting a kiss (bite?) on their backs. The other day Tim came up to me and said, "I think something is wrong with T-Bone.. His fur is all matted and crunchy." I was alarmed until I realized that it was dried up avocado. Clearly Ben had been successful in planting a kiss!!

Action shot of Ben singing. This boy loves to sing! It's the sweetest thing. :)

Watermelon

2012-01-28T16:24:00.000-05:00

I picked up a small watermelon at the market this past week. Ben has really enjoyed eating it. I was cutting it into long strips for him to pick up, but finally I decided to him a huge wedge and let him go to town. I am crazy about watermelon, so I'm glad Ben likes it as well.

YUM!!

Ben wanted to hold the watermelon himself, of course.


"You're mine, watermelon!"

"Wait, where did it go?"

"Bummer. I dropped it." LOL

Ben ♥'s Daddy

2012-01-27T16:13:00.001-05:00

Ben is always so happy to see his daddy at the end of the day. I couldn't resist snapping a few photos of them when Tim got home from work yesterday. They are so cute together!!!

They like to watch little videos like Baby Beluga or Daddy flying an A-10 on the computer.

I love these two so much!!!

Look at that sweet little face!

"Check out my tooth, Dad!"

Ben loves to sing!

And he loves sitting up high on Daddy's shoulders.

Ben is crazy about his dad!!

Someday we'll look at this photo and marvel at how tiny Ben was.

Oooooh, ready for some fun?

Whoops! Mama wasn't ready. I missed the shot.

Round #2. Ben loves when Daddy swings him around!

That's all for now, folks! Ben and I are going to go kill some more time waiting for a special someone to come home from work. :)

Catnap, or Ben Gets into Trouble

2012-01-15T21:52:00.000-05:00

Okay, it wasn't actually a catnap (more of a dognap?) and Ben didn't actually get into trouble. But you get the point.

Ben is obsessed with the dogs' water bowls. He always goes straight for them. He likes to splash in the water, pick up pieces of kibble and drop them (one at a time) into the water, and of course, try to eat the kibble.

Mmmmm, Lobster!

2012-01-15T20:43:00.000-05:00

Ben's new favorite thing to do is SHAKE things! He shakes everything from his toys to his clothes to his ginormous stuffed lobster.

"This lobsta' is bigger than me, Mama!"

Mid-shake! (Check out those new chompers!!)

Mid-shake again. You can see the excitement on his face!

He loves touching those lobster eyes.

A Couple More Photos

2012-01-14T22:49:00.000-05:00

Here's a couple more photos of our little cutie. :)

I love it when Ben crawls away from me, but then stops and looks back to make sure I'm still there.

I also love it when he makes a beeline for me though! :)

Four Teeth!

2012-01-14T20:48:00.000-05:00

Look at those new chompers!!! Ben is now the proud owner of four teeth: two on the bottom and two on the top. His first and second were spaced out by two weeks, but then his top two both broke through the same morning. They still aren't through all the way, but the pediatrician says teeth that come in slowly have harder enamel.

Sometimes Ben yells "Aaaaaaahhhhhh!" when he's excited. And bath time is very exciting!

Tubby Time

2012-01-14T20:24:00.000-05:00

Ben loves bathtime. I think he's part fish.

Happy face, and....

... Crazy happy face!

Ben loves splashing!


He doesn't mind getting water in his eyes.

He loves his tubby toys.

See you later!

Ben Tries Salmon

2012-01-14T10:53:00.000-05:00

Ben and I picked up a beautiful filet of sockeye salmon at a farmer's market in town, and it was so fresh, you could still smell the salt water on the packaging. It was wild-caught up in Alaska, and let me tell you, it was delicious. I asked Tim how often he would like to eat salmon from now on, and we compromised on 1x/week. I could easily go for twice a week! Although it's sushi-grade, so maybe I can make it into sushi one night and baked the next. ;) [Mental note: add "learn to roll sushi" to To-Do list.]

"What's for dinner, Mom?"

Taking a first bite and deciding if he likes it.

"Maybe just one more bite!"

He likes it!

Talking to Daddy, who I think he looks exactly like here.

Ben is a pro at self-feeding!

"Wow! What amazing flavor!" (LOL)

Ben loves peas, just like his mama!

My boys slept in until 8:45 this morning! They have very similar wake-up habits: roll, stretch, back to sleep, roll to a new position, stretch, back to sleep, repeat. I love my boys!!!!!!

SuperBaby!

2012-01-13T21:48:00.000-05:00

Here's a few photos of our little superhero exploring the living room.


How's that for a crazy outfit?

Seriously, crazy outfit. :)

Picking up Sophie off the flatbed truck...

...and chewing, chewing, chewing!

Mama's Favorite PJs

2012-01-13T21:00:00.000-05:00

Ben has just about grown out of his favorite pajamas. I'm not going to lie - I'm bummed! They are white and have little Yorkie-looking dogs embroidered all over and have dog faces on the footies. I think it's are one of his cutest outfits.

Just look at that face! How precious is this child!? Seriously, people!!!! He's the sweetest thing ever!

Ben is all about shaking things these days.

My boys having a "bark off". Kid you not, T-Bone will bark and Ben will yell right back. Hilarious!!

Shaking two toys. How talented!

Ben, Meg, and T-Bone all tried to grab the same toy. Can you guess who won? (No fingers were nipped - and amazingly, no hair pulled! - in the taking of this photo.)

So sweet!!

Farmer's Market

2012-01-13T20:38:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I can't believe how fast Ben is growing. He loves to play with his toys and crawl around the house, and he really absorbs his surrounding when we are out and about. There is so much to see and do in Arizona, and one day at a time, we are seeing it all.

"Mom, look at this green ball! What should I do with it?"

"Taste it, of course!"

Meg yawning.

Ben and I went to a new farmer's market last week. Ben slept through the shopping...

...But he woke up in time to hit the park!

Ben is such a daredevil, and loves to swing high!

Three Generations of Mannings

2012-01-12T22:07:00.002-05:00

Ben loved having Grammy and Grampy here for Christmas! (Tim and I loved it, too, of course, but this post is all about our little man.) It was great to have three generations of Mannings in the house. Ben certainly enjoyed the extra love and attention.

You know Ben is happy when that crazy smile comes out! :)

Awwww!!! So sweet!

I think Ben was singing. :)

"Oh, hello, Grampy!"

Love this one!!! :)

"I love my grandparents!!"

What a great photo!!!! This one needs a frame, I think.

Avocados are Fun!

2012-01-12T21:24:00.002-05:00

Who needs fancy toys when you have avocados? :)

Ben has places to crawl to and toys to play with. Move it!!

Ben loves to bounce, bat, and roll these balls around the house, then crawl after them at full speed.

I spend the majority of my day chasing after this cute little fluffy bum. :)

One of my girlfriends from Korea came to Tucson to visit us and meet Ben. She is expecting a little one of her own, and Ben is excited to have a playmate. He loved her and felt very comfortable with her right off the bat. She has the magic touch!

Cuddle Bugs

2012-01-12T20:33:00.003-05:00

Meg and T-Bone love to cuddle... when they aren't stealing toys from each other or wrestling!

First Blood Draw

2012-01-12T20:32:00.000-05:00

Ben had to get his blood drawn to check his iron and lead levels. It was his first non-heel prick blood draw, and it just about broke my heart. I held him and nursed him while the med tech took his blood. They told me I was not allowed to nurse him (what if he bites you? what if he chokes?) but I told them in no uncertain terms that if we were going to draw his blood, he would be allowed the most perfect form of comfort. It took some arguing, but I stood firm and they were able to get a sample without Ben getting too upset.

Ben showed Daddy his bandage when we got home.

Greetings!

2012-01-03T23:58:00.001-05:00

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Here are some highlights from our holiday.

Ben showed us his crazy new smile and crawling moves on Christmas Eve.

Our boys in their matching jammies, made by Momma.

Who needs presents when you have these super cool booties on your feet? lol

"I think I hear Santa on the roof, Mama!"

(These last two photos were taken at 4am when Ben decided he was way too excited for Christmas to sleep any longer.)

Christmas morning in our matching pj's.

Ben gets SO excited when he sees the tree all lit up!

We skyped with my family back home. :)

And Ben started opening his many, many presents. He immediately gave this stuffed animal a kiss.

When I was growing up, I always thought the claw was the tastiest part of the lobster. I'm glad to see Ben thinks the same!! (LOL)

"The stocking were hung o'er the ~~mantle~~ entertainment center with care."

Grammy and Grampy Manning came to visit, so I made them some special stockings as well. I never got around to getting names embroidered, but I do like how they came out. If you're wondering about the crazy flamingo stocking on the right, it was a special request from Tim to "make it look crazy and different and special". (It's a long story...)

This photo was taken about a week before Christmas. I was about to wrap Meg and T-Bone's new dog beds when I looked over and saw this. Stinker!
"Oh look, Mama! Santa came early this year!!"

Ben was fascinated by our decorations.

Grampy really hams it up for the camera.

As does Grammy!

Look at those heirloom-quality Shaker boxes Rick made by hand!! They are gorgeous. This picture doesn't do them justice. He formed each one around a special mold, and then fitted each lid specifically to fit that base. What a special gift!!

Ben enjoying Christmas dinner.

"Mommy says this is the way to use a spoon..."

"...but I think this side tastes just as good!"

So happy to be sitting at the table with his family and friends.

There was no shortage of Christmas smiles from Ben. :)

It's not a party without friends!

After dinner, Ben checked out some of his Christmas loot.

T-Bone got in some snuggling time with Grammy.

Someone slept well that night!

"Thanks for my presents, everyone!"

Christmas Card 2011

2011-12-25T22:27:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas, One and All!!

Ben Meets Santa

2011-12-14T16:02:00.003-05:00

Tim and I took Ben to his first Christmas party last week.

Ben and Daddy hanging out by the bouncy house. Too bad Ben's not quite old enough for it yet!

"I feel like I'm missing something, Mama." (Note the A-10 taxiing by in the background.)

Love Ben's funny faces!

"Seriously, Ma. Am I missing something?"

"Oh, there it is. I didn't know Santa flies a jet."

Back inside the hangar for the party.

Ben sat on Santa's lap and looked at the crowd of people in front of him.

"Woah, Daddy, have you seen this guy's beard?!"

"I did it, Mama! And Santa gave me a present."

"He brought me a book of BABY FACES! How did Santa know that my favorite thing to do is look at baby faces?"

Then we left the party and headed to "Luminaria" at the botanical gardens here in Tucson with some friends. It was freezing cold out, but Ben stayed cozy wrapped up in his warmest clothes and zipped inside my sweater and jacket. We saw lots of twinkling lights and lanterns, heard some beautiful music, had some dinner, and snapped a picture in front of a tree. It was a fun evening!

FYI, I'm not a hunchback. Those are the baby carrier straps. :)

Ben Helps Wrap

2011-12-14T15:37:00.001-05:00

I wrapped some presents today during Ben's nap, but he really, really wanted to help out, too.

"Look at ME, Mama!"

Action shot of Ben shaking the paper.

Where's Ben?

Peekaboo!!

(Ben is sitting on my lap right now, and is letting out a big "AH-he-he!" at each picture. LOL)

Ben started crawling forward this week! He had been crawling backward and scooching forward on his belly, but he has finally figured out how to move forward on all fours. Of course, he can't carry toys with him when he crawls, so he did this yesterday:

No, he doesn't use a paci. But he loves to gnaw on this rubber one. It must feel good on his gums. He bit down on the handle and "carried" it around with him as he crawled.

Silly face!!

He crawled right up to me and tried to grab the camera.

We also went to the Fourth Ave Street Fair last week with some friends. Fourth Ave in Tucson is the "hippie district". There were lots of gorgeous handmade items for sale and it was a lot of fun to walk around.

I wish I had my video camera so I could record Ben singing. But at least I got a photo of his first TOOTH!!!!

"Look, Daddy! Mama bought me a little wood plane!"

Not the greatest photo, but it was the only one we got of the adults! And those choc covered strawberries and bananas were delish!

My New Website

2011-12-12T02:06:00.001-05:00

I finally got around to starting up a little website to promote the teething necklaces, bracelets, and rings I've been making. I've sold quite a few at baby groups in Tucson and online already, so I figured it was time to finally get the website going. :) It's very simple and basic, but it does the trick.

http://sugarconeshoppe.blogspot.com/

Where's the Beef?

2011-12-05T22:04:00.001-05:00

Ben tried beef for the first time this week. It was a very tender, melt-in-your-mouth chuck roast I slowcooked. Yum! All grassfed and from our local farmer's market, which makes for a delicious dinner.

Yum!

"What is this stuff?"

He likes it!

Love those big eyes!

In case you haven't picked up on it, Ben is a wicked happy baby. :)

New Camera

2011-12-02T13:37:00.001-05:00

Tim and I got an early Christmas gift from my dad in the mail last week. Suffice it to say it's been used every day since we opened the package. Oh, and we will still wrap the box and put it under the tree. ;) Ha!

It's a Canon Rebel Xsi and it's awesome. We've taken lots of great photos already. I still have a lot to learn about lighting and framing and all that good stuff, but that will come with time. :)

We've even gotten some photos of Tim and the dogs.

...And we've taken one or two photos that didn't come out so well. LOL!!

Four Year Anniversary Celebration

2011-11-28T16:50:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving was a special day this year; not only did we share it with a great group of friends, but we also celebrated our four year anniversary! That's right. Four years, three moves, two sweet dogs, and one precious baby and very happy family. Life is good. :)

Tim surprised me with an overnight stay at Starr Pass, a beautiful resort in the mountains just west of Tucson. Ben spent the first couple hours of our time there napping, then we had delicious food at one of the resort restaurants. I had ribeye steak tacos, and mmmmm-MMMMMM were they good! Then we went for a midnight swim (okay, more like a 10pm swim) in one of the outdoor pools. "But Nicole, you're always saying how cold it is in Tucson these days. Weren't you freezing?" Well, my friend, I'm glad you asked. The pools were all heated! Ben loved splashing around in what he must have imagined was a giant bathtub. Tim and I enjoyed looking at the stars and the holiday lights. It was wonderful!

The next morning, we enjoyed our breakfast while looking out at the view of the valley and Tucson, and then went on a hike. Tim carried Ben in the Beco, which was awesome for the mama! They looked so sweet together that I couldn't help snapping a ton of photos.

Here are some of the highlights of our "stay-cation". Apparently that's what it's called when Tucsoners stay at the resort. :)

All bundled up and ready for our walk to the restaurant.

"Mom, this bed is so soft!!"

I love the excitement in Ben's eyes as he tries to grab the camera.

Ben can push himself from tummy to crawling to a sitting position, all while holding a book!

This is his "I'm so proud of myself" face. Or at least, one of them.

In his swimsuit (Thanks, Dianna!) and ready to hit the pool. Cutest face ever, btw? :)

But Tim and I still had to suit up, so Ben read his book and waited patiently.

"Mom and Dad, I'll just sit here and grab my toes."

Okay, maybe this one is the cutest faces ever. lol.

Hanging out in the hot tub with my hot date. ;) (Don't worry, this hot tub was more like bath water.)

Ben and Daddy enjoying the night air and scenery.

Tim and I woke up to see this smiling face and crazy bed head.

Relaxing in a sun room and taking in the view.

This is Ben's staring face. He was watching the hotel staff put garland on the banisters. Fascinating stuff! :)

Sweetest father and son picture ever? I think so!

The first photo of our anniversary celebration that actually had both Tim and me in it. Ha! My, how things change.

Ben loved being so close to his daddy's chest.

Gorgeous view of Tucson and the valley!

A nice flat area on the hike for a photo op.

"Hey, we need some more pictures of me!" (Self portrait)

"On yo' right, you have the Palo Verde. Pah-lo Vehr-deh." There's a retired Bostonian who gives tours of Sabino Canyon, and he has a fantastic Boston accent, so anytime we see cactus (which is a lot!), we talk like him.

Did I mention how much Ben loved being snuggled up with Daddy? So sweet!

Staring up at Daddy. Love!!!

Our first real family photo of our staycation! A friendly hiker snapped it for us.


Ben (and Tim) staring at the light fixture in the elevator one last time as we prepared to head home. Like father, like son!

Thanks for an awesome weekend away, Tim!! Can't wait to see what the next four years brings! (Tim likes to double things and says, "Two kids and four dogs!") :)

2011-11-24T16:52:00.001-05:00

Happy thanksgiving from "Hummus Boy"!

On the Move!

2011-11-22T16:34:00.001-05:00

Phew. Who has time to blog when they could be playing with the sweetest eight and a half month old baby? Here are a few photos from our recent adventures.

Tagging along on a dinner out with Mom and Dad and enjoying some sweet potato.

"Mmmm, peaches and prunes aren't half bad, Mom!"

Love this highchair!

Ben is getting closer to crawling. He's scooching all over the place.

And very proud of himself!

"Look at me, Mama!"

He started rocking on his hands and knees...

And it seems like he always is sticking his tongue out these days!

He gets himself into funny predicaments...

... like getting stuck under his crib.

"Mama, look what came in our Bountiful Basket this week: apples and a T-Bone!"

Did I mention that he sits like a pro these days? He can actually push himself up to a sitting position from all fours. This boy is talented! And did you notice we have a new living room area rug? Finally!!

He helped me wrap book collection boxes for a Holiday party, aka slid around on the floor in the box. LOL

And he loves to look at books with baby faces. His favorite is the baby who is sticking out his tongue. It's pretty funny to watch his reaction. I need to get it on video!

2011-11-18T01:09:00.001-05:00

Rug shopping with mommy and daddy

Booties!

2011-11-09T23:15:00.000-05:00

Ben has officially outgrown his first pair of baby shoes. And now that the temps are dropping, he needed a new pair to help keep his socks on! Enter the cutest baby booties I've ever seen.


Those chubby legs are also the cutest I've ever seen! ;) I made the baby leg warmers from a pair of men's socks.

Ben was very focused on the dogs wrestling and chasing each other around the yard.

Thank you for the cozy sweater, Aunt Suzy!

Still watching the dogs.

And.... watching the dogs again. Ben loves his puppies!

Getting Cold

2011-11-08T19:26:00.001-05:00

It really is getting cold here in Tucson! I am loving it, although I'm not loving the fact that we will have to turn the heat on soon. Good thing we have some other "stay warm" measures to implement in the meantime.

What measures, you ask?

For starters, a warm new winter hat!

I made it for Ben today during nap time.

Monkey print for mama's little monkey!

This face makes my heart melt.

Loving his new hat and mittens.

Love my little monkey!!

Other "stay warm" measures include using the dogs as earmuffs...

... and lots of snuggling. Notice T-Bone's leg draped over Meg. HAHA!

Hope you're staying warm where you are!!

Playdate!

2011-11-08T17:02:00.000-05:00

Ben had one of his little baby friends over for a playdate while her momma ran some errands. They were so cute together that I couldn't resist snapping a few photos.

Here's how the playdate started.

"Mama, Emma is here to play with me!!"

Meg and T-Bone were very interested in having two babies on the play mat.

T-Bone snuck in a few kisses.

Playing is serious business.

Notice Ben's face? That's the remainder of an unfortunate run-in with a photo prop last weekend while taking our Holiday photos. Thankfully, it's healing very fast.

And here's how the playdate ended --- with both babies conked out! Not going to lie, I was pretty proud of myself for getting them both to nap without any meltdowns. Good thing they are such sweet, good-natured babies!

Fresh Powder

2011-11-06T01:12:00.001-04:00

"There were three inches of fresh powder!" proclaimed the woman in a short sleeve, half-buttoned blouse being interviewed on top of Mt Lemmon for Tucson local news. Three inches is not quite what comes to mind when I think of "fresh powder" but I will take the cooler temps we've been having. This morning was 40 degrees at our house!

Happy Fall!

2011-11-04T12:17:00.000-04:00

The temperature is finally starting to dip here in Tucson. In fact, it's supposed to snow on the mountains this weekend! That means those of us in the valley will be able to wear long pants and sweaters. You have no idea how happy it makes me to think about putting on a sweater!!

It's technically been Fall for a few weeks now, but now that it's actually starting to feel like it, Ben wanted to wish you all a very Happy Fall!! We took his photos in a pumpkin patch last week. And when I say pumpkin "patch", I mean a big tent in a parking lot with a bunch of pumpkins on the asphalt and a few bales of hay scattered sporadically about the tent. The closest pumpkin patch is right next to the closet apple orchard --- about an hour and a half away. Rather depressing for the person who grew up five minutes away from all the apples, pumpkins, corn, and fresh produce she could possibly enjoy, but eh, what can you do? It's Tucson.

Ben was very curious about all these pumpkins. I think he liked them because they are his favorite color.

"Can I have this one, Mama?"

There were so many textures to feel. Ben tried grabbing and scratching at the straw.

Ben spent most of the photo shoot being very serious and taking in everything around him.

I had to build this "display" for us to take pictures at. I didn't want all of the photos to have a white tent backdrop! Those hay bales are freaking heavy to lug around, but I think it was worth it.

We gave Ben's gal pal a turn taking some photos, and when it was Ben's turn again, he still just wanted to touch the pumpkins.

Lots of very serious expressions coming from my boy!

This is the pumpkin hat I made for Ben. In retrospect, I should have used a brighter orange felt. Ah well!

Now, before you all think I'm some neglectful mother making her child freeze in just a diaper for a cute photo, remember that it's Tucson! Ben and I were sweating in our long pants and shirts. He was much happier when he got to strip down and cool off.

"Ooooh, leaves!"

Ben cooled off enough and had spent enough time getting used to the pumpkin patch that , he actually started to smile! Quick! Take the photo! lol

But thankfully, more smiles were yet to come.

I love my little pumpkin!!

2011-11-03T17:15:00.001-04:00

Thumbs Up!

2011-10-28T19:11:00.005-04:00

We just got Ben's six month photos back from the photographer. Ben gives the photos a big thumbs up!

2011-10-28T17:00:00.001-04:00

Crazy hair!

On the Move!!

2011-10-12T20:28:00.001-04:00

Ben is on the move!!! He boxed himself into the corner by scooching backward. I am not ready for a mobile baby. =]

Errands with Mama

2011-10-08T00:49:00.001-04:00

Out running errands with mama!
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Ready for Fall

2011-10-05T01:34:00.002-04:00

I am way behind on blogging. I still have a thousand photos from NH to post (okay, more like a hundred). And Tim's parents came out to visit last week, and as you can imagine, more photos were taken! Ben is one very popular boy. :)

But I snapped these photos tonight and put them on my computer (woah!), and they are too cute not to share.

Ben is ready for Fall!

Good thing Ben's shirt is organic. He loves to chew on the fabric!

Ben is still a very happy baby boy! Can you believe he's 6.5 months old already? I can't.

"Ooooh, Mama, 'Dancing with the Stars' is on next!" (looking at the tv)

Ben loves to grab his toes these days ...

... and put them straight in his mouth! Tim and I crack up every time he sucks on his big toe.

Sleepy Baby

2011-09-20T02:03:00.001-04:00

Ben can sleep anywhere!

Got Milk?

2011-09-17T21:17:00.001-04:00

"Okay, Mom, quit messing around. How do I get the milk out of this pump?!"

A New Toy!

2011-09-17T20:41:00.001-04:00

Ben loves his new toy! Thank you, Grandma!

Ben Goes Bananas

2011-09-12T19:54:00.001-04:00

Ben just grabbed the bananas off the counter behind him. This boy is getting so coordinated!

Mr. Babyman Visits New Hampshire

2011-09-11T17:26:00.001-04:00

We're back from our whirlwind trip to NH! (Or perhaps I should say "our hurricane trip" since we arrived just days before New England was hit by the largest storm it seen in ten years.) We had a fantastic time visiting family and friends, and I'm so glad Ben was able to meet everyone. This is the first of many trip-related blog posts, so hang tight! I will blog the photos as fast as my little man will let me. :)

Here's Ben enjoying his complimentary in-flight beverage. Ha!

"Daddy, look at me! I'm a plane!!!"

"Are we there yet, Momma?" Ben and the dogs did very well on the plane, and several people told us afterward that he was a great (aka quiet!) baby. They were also surprised to see we also had a dog, no, wait! make that two! with us.

We made it! And as you can see, we clearly are unable to travel light anymore. Between dress clothes for my cousin's wedding, diapers and essentials for Ben, the carseat, stroller, basics for mom and dad, and the dogs and carrier, we were fully loaded! The diaper bag I made worked perfectly as a plane carry on though, which reminds me that I should post pictures of it!

My boys all took a nap when we got to my mom's. Like father, like son, like dog!

Ben got to meet his Uncle Derek for the first time. They both rocked faux hawks for the occasion.

And he got to meet his Aunt Danny, too! They became fast friends and were inseparable for most of our trip.

"Grandma, look how big I've grown since you saw me last!!" Clearly Ben and Grandma are both happy to be in each other's arms once again.

Ben took another snooze, this time with his Uncle Derek, Meg and T-Bone.

More photos coming soon!!

2011-09-02T17:26:00.001-04:00

"Take me to my daddy, please!"

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Ben's Rhode Island Adventure

2011-09-01T12:51:00.000-04:00

Ben's first airplane ride. He loved it...naturally.

Like father, like son.

Nice panoramic of the beach.

Ben's first time in the ocean.

Having a good time.

Ben had a Johny Cash thing going on with his hair. Here he is, disappointed that the beach visit is going to be cut short by the hurricane.

Here's Momma and baby going for a stroll on the beach.

All tuckered out after a long day.

2011-08-30T13:05:00.001-04:00

We love Cape Cod!

2011-08-30T11:58:00.001-04:00

Time to wake up, Ben! We're almost at the beach!

2011-08-27T17:55:00.001-04:00

Getting in some beach time before Hurricane Irene hits New England.

2011-08-27T17:50:00.001-04:00

Taking a snooze with Uncle Derek and the puppies.

2011-08-26T11:29:00.001-04:00

Ben loves his Aunt Danny already!

2011-08-24T18:28:00.001-04:00

In Portsmouth. Life is good!

2011-08-22T13:16:00.001-04:00

Mama's little sweatshop

Lobster on My Mind

2011-08-18T12:04:00.000-04:00

Clearly I've had lobster on my mind lately. I whipped up a lobster bib for Ben last night. It's much softer and nicer than those plastic ones provided by restaurants, and I'm wondering if I could modify the pattern to make adult-size bib. HA!

"Get in ma belly, lobsta!!"

"Seriously, Mom, could this be my first solid food?"

(Sorry, Ben... Not going to happen.)

Ben found his feet this week, by the way! He did it for the first time while sitting in Tim's lap, and now he grabs for his feet whenever he can. He's starting to be a real wiggle worm during diaper changes.

One of his favorite toys is his Mortimer Moose. Ben's a New England boy at heart.

Holding his toes and his moose. How talented!

2011-08-11T19:28:00.001-04:00

5 months old today!

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Totally Owl-some!!

2011-08-11T19:17:00.000-04:00

I have been lusting after these Robert Kaufman prints for ages now. I absolutely adore the colors and prints, so you can imagine my elation when I checked out a local fabric remnants store in Tucson and stumbled upon these hunks of fabric. Woohoo! I was nursing Ben in the sling at the time and the fabric was buried in a cardboard bin (classy store, huh?), and digging with one hand while not knocking the silky fabric on the floor proved to be a challenge, so this is all I left with. I can only imagine what was in the bottom of that bin!

Anyway, I already have plans for most of it, and they really are small pieces of fabric. Maybe some of it will wind up on YOUR doorstep. Okay, that will probably only happen if you have kids. Unless you really want an owl throw pillow to go on that nice new sofa in your living room. (HA!)

Isn't it owl-some!?

It sure will make a splash in my fabric stash!

(Clearly this mama should have taken a nap with Benji today.)

Doggie Slipcovers

2011-08-11T19:05:00.000-04:00

Tim is a good sport about my sewing. Since I don't have a dedicated sewing room, the kitchen table becomes my workspace. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way; as Ben becomes more mobile, I doubt I would be able to keep him contained and happy in a sewing room. Right now I'm able to pull his jumperoo up to the table and he can bounce and watch me sew. Perfect! Anyway, Tim is a good sport because when I'm on a sewing kick, we aren't able to eat at the kitchen table. Unless we want to set our plates atop piles of fabric and ribbon and bobbins and thread and snap-setters and the like. Ha!

Onto this morning's project!

A couple weeks ago, I was able to pick up two very gently used Sherpa deluxe pet carriers on Craigslist. They retail for $60 on Amazon, and I bought them for $10 each. Amaaaaaazing! They are large enough that both dogs can share one carrier, which is a big plus on Southwest because you pay per carrier, not per dog. Anyway, they are in great condition, except for the sherpa pads on the bottom. I could buy two new pads for $26, which would still make the carriers a huge bargain, but instead, I decided to use some of my fabric stash and make plush slipcovers for the sturdy bottom insert. They close with velcro so they will stay in place and can easily be removed for washing.

So instead of buying two new carriers ($120 total) or new sherpa pads ($46 total), I spent a grand total of $24 ($20 for the carriers, plus ~$4 in fabric). Score!

I think the dogs will like it. White may not be the best choice of fabric, but hey, it's what I had on hand. Plus it's minkee, so it's nice and soft and cuddly! Now if only I can get a photo of the dogs IN the carriers.

2011-08-10T03:17:00.001-04:00

Hanging with Papa and rocking his new plane applique t-shirt (a Mama special).
~Nicole

2011-08-10T03:03:00.001-04:00

Meg and T-Bone love to wrestle each other through the sheets (or blankets... Or t-shirts... Or Tim's flight suit...). T always goes under the covers and Meg always attacks from the top.. It's their favorite game to play!

2011-08-10T02:57:00.001-04:00

Youngest to oldest.

Ben at a Baby Shower

2011-08-09T01:42:00.000-04:00

Ben is a very happy and social little dude! Here he is jumping for joy in his jumperoo. He LOVES the jumperoo, and really gets momentum built up.

Sorry for the super low quality photos; my cell phone camera isn't the greatest. This is Ben with his little buddy, Colin, at a baby shower this past weekend. (Tucson is "baby central", as you'll recall.) Ben and Colin were born a couple months apart, and I like to joke that they are little brothers or twins, since they both have so much hair and are both so adorable. Colin's mom is a wonderful person and great friend, and our families get along really well. So you can imagine how bummed we are that they are moving in a couple weeks. :-(

"Hello, little buddy!"

They are both becoming more aware of each other, and I love when they stretch their little fingers out to hold each other's hands. Or grab a handful of hair. ;)

Clearly Ben is more excited about eating his banana (it's organic!) than playing with Colin.

Ben is really getting coordinated. Everything he holds goes straight to his mouth.

Watching the big kids play.

"Oh, Hi Mom! Have you been here the whole time?"

Want to play with toys like those big kids, Colin?"

Ben's little gal pal is Coley! She is a few months older than Ben and very cute and cuddly. We really love her family as well, and are equally sad that they will also be moving in a couple months. :-(

"Why are all my friends leaving, Mama? Can't they stay and play?"

Thanks for reading this photo-saturated blog post! I'm trying to be good about posting more often.

Couch Potatoes

2011-08-06T13:42:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it's nice to be a couch potato (at least for a couple hours) on the weekend. :)

Here's a shot of Ben watching Harry Potter.

"Watch out, Harry! Snape is right behind you!!"

I love my boys!!!

Brown Eyes

2011-08-04T21:19:00.002-04:00

This is my view of Ben when he hangs out in a carrier. I love when he looks up at me and smiles! :)

P.S. Those eyes are definitely a gorgeous brown!!

Fluffy Photo

2011-08-03T21:22:00.003-04:00

I love taking "fluffy photos" of Ben! ("Fluff" is a nickname for cloth diapers because they are all cute and fluffy on baby's tush.)

"Mama, guess what!!! I'm a little nudie under here!!!"

"Am I gonna pee on all these clean dipes? You just wait and find out, Mama!"

(He did not, thankfully.) :)

What We've Been Up To

2011-08-03T20:34:00.000-04:00

Here's what the Mannings have been up to in the last couple of weeks.

Ben's getting strong! He is starting to enjoy tummy time more now that he can lift himself up. He loves to reach for the toys and books I put in front of him. What a talented boy!

Note the two fur-butts in the background, dreaming of a day when it isn't 112F outside.

How cute is this boy?

LOVE!!!!

Meg and T-Bone have really started interacting more with Ben. Or perhaps I should say that Ben is interacting with them! Ben will hold his hands out and touch them as they walk past, and T-Bone loves to give him kisses. T-Bone, if you're reading this, remember we only give kisses on Ben's hands, not his mouth!!

Taking a break after Ben's second haircut. (He's since had a third haircut... pictures coming soon!)

Sandra, Boots, Ben, T-Bone, Meg, and the Mama, all watching the Bachelorette. :)

"Mama, do you realize it's only 10am?"

(It's okay.... it's just a smoothie in a fun glass, I promise.)

Tim and I have been playing each other in heated games of Battleship after Ben goes to bed. Tim usually wins because he says I put my boats too close to each other.

Tim found this in the pool one morning. Ick! Thankfully, this is the only one of whatever it is we've seen in our yard. (Ignore the chipped polish; I desperately need a pedi!)

And last but not least, my favorite picture of the week! How cute are our babies???

2011-07-28T13:10:00.000-04:00

Best buds' paws & feet! (T-Bone & Ben)

Ben Giggling (Video)

2011-07-22T20:35:00.000-04:00

I keep saying how Ben has this adorable little giggle, and today I finally caught it on video! Sorry for the sub-par recording skills. I was trying to hold Ben and tape him at the same time.

(Those of you who read our blog via email, click on the link above to see the video.)

2011-07-20T13:42:00.001-04:00

Benji's rocking the "hot and humid in Tucson" look

2011-07-07T18:40:00.001-04:00

Ben and his lovey

2011-07-06T19:06:00.001-04:00

This has been my view for the last two hours. But at least Ben is sleeping. And who am I kidding.. I took a catnap, too!

T-Bone vs. the Yarn

2011-07-05T01:11:00.000-04:00

Remember this post about Meg and the yarn? Well, yesterday it was T-Bone's turn. I've been attempting to crochet Ben some little toys (currently working on an octopus!) and T-Bone got all tangled up in the yarn.

He really enjoyed playing with it!

Ben is checking out Meg.

All my babies are actually looking at the camera. Amaaaazing!

It's officially too hot for the dogs to go on walks. T-Bone has been refusing to walk for weeks now, and Meg finally had to throw in the towel, too. Last week I tried to walk the dogs to the mailbox. I was carrying Ben in the sling, and T-Bone wouldn't walk, so I had to carry him, too. All was fine until I got to the mailbox, realized I had a package delivered, and Meg wouldn't walk back. So.... I carried a baby, two dogs, AND a box back to the house. Oy!

Fluffy Photo

2011-07-05T00:59:00.000-04:00

Apparently "diaper laundry day" makes for good photo shoots. Tim and I couldn't resist standing Ben up next to a tower of brightly colored diaps. :)

He was laughing as he and the diapers went down. What a silly little boy!

Cool Dude

2011-07-05T00:53:00.000-04:00

Cool Dude.

Snuggling with all my babies. LOVE!

Ben Goes Swimming

2011-07-05T00:49:00.000-04:00

Ben LOVES going in our pool now that it's warmed up a bit. Seriously, it's pretty much bath water temperature. :-D

I adore his smiles!!!

"Oh, hello, Mama!"

Meg and T-Bone do not like swimming, so they keep a safe distance from the pool.

Laundry Day!

2011-06-22T01:18:00.000-04:00

It's laundry day! Well, diaper laundry at least. Ben loves to help me get his diaps nice and clean.

Thumbs up for clean diapers!

"I wonder how long these will stay clean? Bahahahaha!"

"Doing laundry with mum is so much fun!!!"

I love this baby!!!

"Ahhhh, Mom, no more diapers! I'm getting buried here!"

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-20T17:22:00.001-04:00

Tim got to celebrate Father's Day for the first time this year! Well, that's not technically true: he celebrated Doggie Father's Day for the last two years. ;-)

Ben made (all by himself, haha) a handprint tree for his daddy. In other words, one very crazy momma put paint all over his hands while he was sleeping in his carseat and stamped his handprints all over the card. It was a bit more difficult than I had anticipated it being, but thankfully he didn't wake up, didn't get paint on his carseat, in his mouth, or on his face. Phew!

Happy Father's Day, Tim!! We opened gifts in the morning (clothes and a leafblower, ooooooh!), then Ben and I made Tim his favorite breakfast: chocolate chip pancakes. We went to lunch at Maynard's Market with some of our friends here in Tucson. There were five brand new daddies and five brand new babies!

The dogs made a personalized card for their dad, too. Meg and T-Bone are very skilled in Photoshop. Haha.

The inside of the card, and one very cute baby boy! :)

Ben is rocking some bed head!

(P.S. Betty, the outfit you sent is still a little big on him, but it's so cute and comfy that Ben begged to wear it, lol.)

Ben, Meg and T-Bone are so incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful daddy in their lives. Tim is so sweet and loving and such a good provider for our little family. Our favorite part of the day is when he walks in the door after work. (Seriously, you should see the smiles and hear the barking, lol.) The first thing he does when he gets home is take his shoes off and cuddle with all his babies on the couch. We couldn't ask for more! We love you, Tim!!!!!!!!!!

Here are some pics from the Father's Day lunch.

Ben's New Aussie Diap!

2011-06-20T16:53:00.000-04:00

'Ello, Mate! Ben just got a new diap in the mail, straight from Australia! Well, technically it shipped from Maine, but the diaper was made in Australia. Let me tell you, I am already in love with this diap. It's the Itti Bitti Tutto, and it's a one-size diaper so it should fit him until he potty trains. And it's covered in super-soft minky velour, so I think he likes it, too!

What a handsome baby boy!

(Note that he is hanging out in his crib. It's a fun place to take pictures and do tummy time!)

Tummy time in his crib

He's on the move... well, almost!

Ben loves looking at his hot air balloon!

Thumb-sucking!

This is a bit blurry, but Ben is having the time of his life hanging out with his momma. He loves looking at that cute baby in the mirror, too! :)

A Pool Play Date

2011-06-20T16:31:00.000-04:00

Ben is lucky to have a huge group of babies to play with. (AKA this momma is lucky to have other new moms to chat with!) Each week we get together for a lunch date, a pool play date, and an indoors play date. And this past week, we also visited the library for the first time. It took us less than 3 minutes to drive there and they have a nice children's section, so I have a feeling we will be there a lot as Ben grows. He loved smiling at the librarians, and I think he's happy about the CDs we borrowed. Now he can listen to me sing more than the same five songs over-and-over-and-over. What a little social butterfly Ben is!

Ben LOVES swimming in the pool! We were actually in the pool twice last Wednesday, once in the morning and then again after Tim got home.

Two of the five babies at this past week's pool play date.

And one of the only baby girls in Ben's social circle, sweet little Emma Lynn and her momma.

A week in photos

2011-06-20T16:20:00.000-04:00

Here's some pictures from the last week!

Ben helped me pick some tomatoes and basil from our garden to put in my omelette. Yum!

Ben smiles and giggles all the time now. I love it!

I've said it before, but he's such an expressive baby. Look at this face! lol

He loves chewing on his fingers. And this past week he seriously started sucking his thumb!

Tim and I added a neck travel pillow to Ben's boppy for the ultimate in baby comfort, haha. And notice that he is sucking on his Under the Nile "string bean" stuftie and holding onto his Sophie toy. He loves those things!

He could suck on the string bean's hat all day long.

Meg really, really, really wants to play with Sophie!

Ben got his first haircut last week. Daddy said it was time. Here's the before picture.

And the after. I have to admit, he does look better now.

Green Toys in Tucson

2011-06-12T01:22:00.002-04:00

I'm busting! Today Tim watched Ben so I could run a few errands without a baby in tow, and I was so productive. I had forgotten how easy it was to run into a store without lugging along a carseat. Anyway, I went into this shop whose website I happened to stumble upon this past week. Normally I would have just driven past without stopping for fear that Ben might wake up from his nap prematurely, but today I parked my car and went in. It's called Nurturing Nature and it's a boutique featuring organic, free-trade, and/or locally-made items. It started as a baby boutique in the owner's garage, and then expanded out to a storefront featuring everything from jewelry to homegoods to clothes to baby gear, you name it.

I wanted to buy most of the baby section for Ben, but in the interest of our savings account, I just looked. BUT --- I got some great ideas for gifts for Ben's first birthday. This is what I'm busting about.

A dump truck

A race car and flatbed truck

And "sandwich stackers"

Think I'm crazy to be excited about some silly little toys? Well, get this. They are all made from recycled plastic milk jugs, and they have no BPA, phthalates, or PVC! Plus they don't have any paint on them, so there is no worry about lead. And --- this part has Tim all excited --- they aren't made in China. They are made in the good old US of A (California, to be exact). I know it's going to be a while before Ben is ready to play with toys like this, but it's great to know that there are cute, fun, safe, made-in-the-USA toys out there. Seriously, the minute I walked in the door (after washing my hands and kissing Ben, of course), I told Tim all about the toys, lol.

At the risk of sounding like an info-mercial, check this out!

I like to think that Ben playing with these toys will help make Planet Earth a little greener.

Now Ben, as much as I want to see you pushing a race car around the living room or building your dad a play food sandwich, you just stay little! Don't grow too fast! (Although I suppose my three-month-old little lovebug could cuddle up to a super soft and squishy stuftie made completely from recycled plastic bottles, eh?) ;-)

"Fuzz that Wuzz" Frog --- SO CUTE and the softest stuffed animal ever

Oh, AND the icing on the cake is that they sell the cloth diaper detergent I use, Rockin Green. I searched high and low (although apparently not?!) for it in Tucson and ended up ordering it online. They even carry the sample packets for when we are traveling. Amaaaaaaaazing!

Rockin Green Cloth Diaper Detergent --- love this stuff!

For my blog readers who live in Tucson, go check out Nurturing Nature. It's on the corner of Craycroft and Broadway behind Olive Garden). You'll be glad you did!

Ben at Play Group

2011-06-11T01:11:00.000-04:00

Some of the new mamas here get together each week for play group. We get the babies on the floor, and at some point they really will actually play!

Ben is saying 'hello' to his little buddy, Xavi.

Xavi is a few weeks older than Ben, and he reached out to hold Ben's hand and say 'hello' back.

Gotta love that face!

There's an old adage that one crying baby sets off another. I'm not sure who started this one, but it appears to be true. ;)

More Photos!

2011-06-11T00:58:00.001-04:00

I went so long without posting photos (sorry!!) that now I'm posting a few extras to make up for my hiatus from the blogosphere.

Mama's handsome little man

Ben loves snuggling up next to his papa!

He also loves snoozing in his Beco.

He loves playing with his toys!

And he loves to shake his Haba rattle!

I snapped Ben's 2 month old photos late (seems like we have a reoccurring theme here...). Ah well, he just wanted to eat his bear anyway.

"Ick. Mama, this bear does not taste good!"

(He is licking the bear in this photo.)

And to close off this post, some pictures of the fur-babies. I thought this photo was hilarious. Meg does not look particularly comfortable, but she must have been since when she saw the camera out, all she did was turn her face away from the flash. The rest of her body didn't move an inch.

And of course, T-Bone still gets LOTS of snuggles from Tim. Neither of them would have it any other way. :)

All the Babies

2011-06-11T00:52:00.001-04:00

Meg, T-Bone and Baby Ben have all been getting along marvelously. Although I think the dogs will be excited when Ben is able to actually play with them.

Case in point, in this photo you can see that Meg "gave" her squeaky toy to Ben in the hopes that he'd throw it for her. (See the toy on his back?)

Not a single one looking at the camera, and no, I didn't pose them like this!

My boys. :)

All my babies! I love them all!

Lil 'Auntie' Laura

2011-06-10T00:48:00.001-04:00

One of my best friends came out to visit and meet Baby Ben a couple weeks ago. It was great to catch up with her for longer than a dinner out, which is how long we usually see each other every year or so.

Laura's visit was pretty relaxed, and I think we spent a day or two in which we barely left the house. But we did make it to Sabino Canyon (for those of you who are counting, that is fifth (sixth?) time there since Ben was born) and we enjoyed gelato at Frost twice. I think I could probably talk Laura into coming back out just for the gelato. ;)

Together we (and Tim!) drove to the top of Mount Lemmon and watched the sunset. We drove around somewhat frantically trying to find the best location to watch, and we ended up on a restricted helicopter pad. We weren't quite the daring and adventurous souls that we were in college, but it was still fun to break the rules a little.

Ben is totally smiling at the camera in this photo.

They got along great! :)

Ben modeled his "Dig It" Sedona shirt and a very fashionable Gdiaper.

This lizard was on our screen door one night. Thankfully the dogs didn't see him, or else there would have been a lot of barking and trying to eat the lizard.

I'm so glad you were able to visit, Laura!! See you soon, I hope!!

"Look, Ma! I'm Standing!"

2011-06-08T01:36:00.002-04:00

Can you believe that he's just 11 weeks old? Granted, he's leaning up against the couch, but he is totally standing on this own!

He was so excited to be standing, he did a little happy dance.

Then he caught sight of a potted tree we have by the couch.

Needless to say, he was intrigued.

Ben was very happy when I set his favorite bear next to him.

Only very coordinated boys can stick their tongues out and practice standing at the same time.

11 weeks old, people!!! And I'm sad to say that we had to retire his outfit after the photo shoot. It's a 0-3 month and snug!

Baby Crafts

2011-06-08T01:08:00.000-04:00

I don't have much time for crafts these days, but I have been able to get a few small projects completed. I saw an idea for a teether necklace on Etsy and thought, "Why, I could make that!" And so I did. What do you think? It has unfinished wood beads inside, so it's safe for Baby Ben to gnaw on when he start teething. I used this tutorial but made a few modifications.

And then today I thought, "I really need to try using more cloth wipes." We are cloth diapering (and loving it!) but still using disposable wipes, and I think we need to make the switch. I originally thought that using cloth wipes was going to be way too hardcore, but I'd like to reduce our carbon footprint and the amount of waste (no pun intended) we send to the landfill. Plus it would be nice to not have to purchase wipes each month. I used some flannel from my Happy Quilt stash and whipped up some 8x8" cloth wipes. They were super easy and I finally had an excuse to try out the decorative stitches on my sewing machine.

I was able to get five double-sided wipes out of maybe a quarter yard of flannel. I tried them out tonight and they are super soft and work great. If anything, I might make the next ones out of a single layer of flannel. Time will tell. I'm not ready to give up the disposable wipes completely just yet, but for now I'm happy to be able to use fewer of them.

Good Morning!

2011-06-08T00:46:00.000-04:00

I love seeing Ben's smiling little face when we wake up. There is nothing as great as a well-rested, happy baby!

I always joke that Ben looks like a little Julius Caesar when he wakes up. His bedhead always looks like a laurel crown.

And yesterday morning, Ben managed to get one of his arms out the top of his swaddle and the other out the bottom..... and I thought it looked like he was wearing a toga sash! LOL

HA!

Latest Pictures of Ben

2011-06-04T23:16:00.001-04:00

Here's Ben next to his favorite Bear.

Ready for a car ride to the grocery store!

Fast asleep in his carrier

Chilling out on the couch

Whoops...still working on our balancing skills

The Manning family at the students' graduation


OBL is dead....Ben's not impressed

One of Ben's swimsuits

Mr. Cool

Swimming with Dad

Come to Tucson.....they issue you a newborn and a Margarita upon arrival.

Speaking of Margaritas, here's my new blender. This thing is awesome.


So long from sunny Tucson!

11 Weeks Old

2011-06-02T18:34:00.001-04:00

Guess who learned to stick his tongue out! :)

*Email subscribers, you'll have to go to our blog to see the video.*

Little Dreamer

2011-05-24T01:19:00.000-04:00

I wonder what he's dreaming?

2011-05-23T19:37:00.001-04:00

"But Momma, Ben was taking a nap and all his toys were lonely!"
~Nicole

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Ben: 9 Weeks Old

2011-05-21T17:23:00.001-04:00

Here's Ben at nine weeks!

Happy 30th Birthday, Tim!

2011-05-21T15:31:00.001-04:00

Tim turned the big 3-0 today. I was so excited to give him his presents (and he was so excited to open them) that we did it first thing this morning, even before we had eaten breakfast or showered. It was like Christmas, I tell you!

Ben put together a little birthday video for his daddy.

What was the gift, you ask? A new Flip video camera. I had to open it the day prior to make the video. It was a little pricey for Ben to afford on his infant-sized salary, so it's a good thing his Grandma helped out! ;) lol

Jane, Pete, Elena and Allison sent an awesome golf club. Tim was very happy to open that package! It came a couple days ago and I think he had to use all of his willpower to not open it early.

His parents sent a whole box full of presents, including a gag gift. Gotta love his reaction when he unwrapped one of his old Halloween masks!

And right about then, the video camera died. Whoops!! I was bummed that I wasn't able to tape him opening the rest of his gifts, including the ones from my dad and his girlfriend, and especially the one from ME and my siblings (aka the pièce de résistance) , but here's a photo of a very happy Mr. Man with his new Margaritaville Explorer blender.

Tim got some great 30th bday loot! Happy Birthday, Tim!!!

(Now let's go make some margaritas!) :)

More Visitors!

2011-05-16T01:22:00.000-04:00

My dad and his girlfriend are out visiting us in Arizona. They hiked through the Grand Canyon, then made their way down to see us Baby Ben.

Cutest baby ever? I think so!

"Hello, Grandpa. You're fun to look at!"

Dipping our feet in the pool.

I love this little man so much!

We caught a sunset at Saguaro National Park.

Ben took a nap with his new Grand Canyon bear.

Ben always stretches when he starts to wake up.

"Oh. Hello, Mr. Bear."

And thirty seconds later, he was asleep again.

We visited a local airplane museum today. Ben decided that seeing the fuselage of Daddy's plane was not a good reason enough to wake up. He is one sleepy baby! :)

P.S. How cute is his outfit!?

It's Official: Brown Eyes!

2011-05-16T00:56:00.000-04:00

I can't believe Ben is already 2 months old. Where has the time gone? I looked through some of his birth photos the other day and was practically in tears. He is growing so fast.

I love those eyes! They are definitely turning brown like mine.

Sleeping so peacefully in his bouncy chair.

T-Bone and Meg got groomed today!

Ben is still mesmerized by his play gym. He really tries to reach for the hanging toys.

New Pool Boy

2011-05-15T11:57:00.000-04:00

There's a new pool boy in town.

"I'm ready for the pool, mama! Let's do this!!"

These floaties are the "it thing" to have, it seems.

"I sure like play group, mama!"

"I also like sucking on my arm!"

Mark my words. This little face is going to develop into a heart-wrenching pout someday.

"Well, this is pretty nice!"

Chilling, relaxing, acting all cool... Hanging in my floatie in the nice warm pool!

I finally got Ben some hats that fit. Before he just had a 0-6 month size hat and it was way too big on him. Hats are very important out here in AZ!

Ben's been rocking some crazy bed head the last few mornings.

Funny Face!

2011-05-10T11:58:00.000-04:00

Ben's sweet little funny faces never fail to make me smile!

Suz and I ate some amazing sushi while she was here. This was a seared salmon roll, and it was seared right at our table.

It takes special skill to do what I do. Haha!

(P.S. I swear I'm not actually that pasty white.)