Can't Keep Up

I can't keep up with this guy in my posts! He is changing so fast that by the time I get around to editing and uploading the pictures of him they are dated! These were taken at three months, he is now four!! Oh well, I think the blog needs a little Benjamin...

We have two blankets like this one in the picture. This one and a the blue one with stars that was seen in the hospital announcement pictures. I think they will be his favorite. We use them for naps and bed time. He knows when these blankets go around him that its sleep time. Seriously, as soon as he feels these blankets he smiles as if saying "oh yeah, I'm ready now!"

The kids love to give Benjamin kisses. He is becoming very aware of his sister and brother. I know he is so anxious to join them in all the fun.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

With princess gloves...

Lots of loves...

And a garden table that's not at all low!

Tim and I were sick of having a garden that gets neglected and doesn't produce much. Not to mention that got dug up by dogs and little kids. So Tim built us a nice garden table to plant in this year. Abbey loved helping plant the tomatoes, putting her princess gloves on to help. And Mike loves to help water the garden in the morning. We can't wait to get some fresh produce; tomatoes, bell peppers, peppers, cucumber, and squash. So far we've gotten a few yellow squash and basil! Yes, the basil. We love the basil. Look at that!

And it smells sooo good! Nothing like having spaghetti with fresh basil and tomato sauce!

Mothers

On Mother's Day we took a picture of all the mothers present. Carrie was included although she laughed that she wasn't a mother. I joked, "you never know, you might have a little one in there!" She called a few days later from her doctor's appointment telling me... "You were right, I'm pregnant!"
(Me, Christine, Carrie and Mickey)

So, in honor of our baby sister becoming a mother, Christine and I (without kids, well... just Ben joined us) took her to lunch. Something we haven't done for at least three years! It was really fun to talk to her about being pregnant, childbirth, and everything else you could think of.
(here we are at our, oh... four hour lunch!, don't mind the shoddy picture, it was the classic hold the camera out and squeeze in to get us all in the frame!)

We are so excited for you Carrie and Dan!

(On Mother's day with Ben before they knew that they were expecting their own little baby!)

Straight Talk

So after a few weeks of numbness in my arms and tingling in my fingers when waking up, nursing Benji, and mostly whenever my arms are held in a position in front of my body... I decided it was finally time to see the chiropractor. I knew my nerves were being pinched and figured it was due to being "out." I didn't figure it was because my neck was looking like this...

When it should be looking like this...

Although it didn't surprise me. I have had this problem before. So for the next four to six months this is what will be helping me...

With adjustments in there as well of course. I don't think Tim will mind keeping me in supply of my new therapy tool. Basically I will be using this as a pillow for ten minutes a day on the edge of my bed. It really is refreshingly cool to a achy neck!

On a side note, they weighed me... its time to go back to the gym for real! As of yesterday my baby is officially a four month old. No excuses like I just had a baby!

Tempurpedic

Someone is really spoiled. He gets to sleep in every morning with his Dad after getting his "first breakfast" in bed.

I love seeing this face... so peaceful. He has been sleeping in his own crib in the "boys" room for over a week now. Yet he still seems to make it into our bed early in the morning.

How can I resist spoiling him? I can't blame him, he loves the tempurpedic as much as Tim and I do! Look at that smile!!

Last week Ben got sick. High fever and really cranky. Spit ups more than normal and waking up in the middle of the night. Ending with a little rash on the back and stomach. I finally caved in and took him to urgent care last Saturday. He was scream crying like he was in pain for over a hour. Tim came home from work so he could be with the kids while I took Ben in that night. I thought he must have an ear infection.

Nope

I spent a higher co-pay at urgent care to hear that it was probably viral (which medicine wouldn't do anything for) or possibly, get this... TEETHING! What?!? My three month old? Teething!?! No way! I guess he has been chewing on his fingers and drooling like mad lately. Why is it that after three babies I can't remember when my kids get teeth. Three months seem really early to me.

Then to cap off the night the nice Dr. asked upon hearing I go to Gilbert Pediatrics "isn't the twilight open?" Turns out they were! How dumb am I? Oh well, peace of mind is priceless. And a bonus night with Tim is too!

Story Time

Words can't express the feelings I get from this captured moment.

Childhood

Love

Imagination

Peace

Father

Magic

Random

These last few days I've been feeling off. I don't know what it is... am I depressed, I don't have any reason to be. Am I tired... yes... but why so tired? Could it be because Ben has been sick and isn't sleeping as well. Maybe its because I have been staying up too late. Why do I do that to myself? Seriously!! I think its because we had really fun filled days off with Tim on Monday and Tuesday. Anyway, I'm thankful that my kids love me unconditionally, even when cranky mommy doesn't deserve it. And I'm really thankful for a wonderful husband who let me take two naps today before he went to work AND mopped the gross tile floors (Something I've been wanting to do for two weeks but haven't done!). I hope I can get out of this funk. And go to bed early tonight!
In the mean time... some pictures that Abbey took all by herself!
(I think I had the laptop on my lap in this picture, probably looking at blogs)

(Tim reading)

(being cheesy for Abbey)

(my personal favorite, a picture of the tv, but not just any picture, I think her true desires are being shown... sugary cereal... mom doesn't buy them anymore, just boring old shredded wheat!)

What Am I?

This tree is a mystery.

When we first moved in the house it was a bush. Its the bush that we took pictures in front of over on the sidebar as a family. It started growing like crazy. Tim kept trimming it down.

Then one day it was clear to him... this bush wants to be a tree! So he let it grow up. It shot up quickly. Last year it bloomed a little and all the little fruit things turned black and fell off.

This year it is blooming a lot and we have some kind of fruit growing. I can't figure out what it is. Not even Cameron and Jenny know, and they are pretty good at things like that! My best guess by looking on line is a lime?

Does anyone know what it is?

Fish Tale II

So it turns out that our Molly fish was pregnant. And to my surprise we woke up one morning to three baby fish, or as Mike says "baby gold fish!" It has brought new excitement to the previously forgotten fish tank. The kids love to be held up to try to find the little babies. They are hard to find too. Heck, I like to stare at the tank and find them too. (I found myself staring at them for almost a hour late one night with Abbey sleeping in her bed!) It has also made it fun to help feed them with crushed food and a toothpick. The only problem... I've read that Molly fish can have more babies after their first batch, weeks in between. And they can have more than 30 babies at one time! Oh, and the mother fish are known to eat the babies when they are really small. Talk about anxiety! I'm okay with 3... 30?!... not so much! On a side note, the mother gives birth to live fish, not eggs. Thats kind of cool, maybe I will get to see it since she seems to be getting fat again which means she probably will be having more soon... anyone want some baby fish?

Fish Tale Part I

Abbey has been getting change to put in a piggy bank when she does her chores and obeys. Her plan was to buy a little Barbie with a seahorse forever (I think its like $10, $15) Then one day it changed to fish. It just so happened that she was talking with Tim when she changed her mind. I wasn't there when the conversation took place, so I really don't know how he got her to change her mind. Maybe it was the fact that she was learning about the ocean in preschool that week. So okay, fish it is. I know they die pretty easily and the water gets nasty, but it won't be a big deal to have a gold fish in a little bowl right? Plus it should be a little cheaper.

Not so. You see, I forgot that Tim had a big hand in this decision. We went to Wal-Mart and proceed to get two neon tetra fish. A pink one for Abbey and a yellow one for Mike. Well, you have to get a black light tank for the neon fish right?! Plus the rocks and plants. And of course the little seahorse statue. Then add on the food and water conditioner. I kept looking at Tim and saying, you sure were not going a little crazy? Tim was trying to play it cool, like he didn't care about little fish. But then we ended up getting a Molly fish for him. Then He admits to me that fish were kind of his thing as a kid and he has a soft spot for a kid getting their first fish. Here he is trying to play it cool and keep a big goofy grin off his face.

Here is the cute kid with the goofy grin and the fish.

She was so cute watching me get the tank put together. Such anticipation!

It was such a big deal to her that I worked on it at Christine's while babysitting Levi. When Wy and Luke got back, Abbey was so excited to show them her new fish tank.

And finally, $50 later, here is the tank with the fish. (How many Barbie seahorse dolls could we have gotten with $50?)

But it was worth it. Look at these kids. They love their fish.

I thought Mike's stool was pretty cute.

Turns out that you can't keep a fish tank on a four years old dresser. It requires a custom made shelve in the corner. And Mike's fish lasted about a week but no one noticed for awhile because the fish lost their appeal. Oh and we found out that you never know if you will get a pregnant Molly fish.

Stay tune for Fish Tale Part II (I still need to download pictures from my camera)

Makes Me Laugh Every Time

Don't know why, but trampoline pictures never get old. In fact, they just get funnier the more you examine them. Kind of like those 3D pictures. The more you stare at them the more you see. These were taken at Christine and Jared's on Mother's day. We all met for desserts that evening (which is why the kids are in pj's with Mike in a diaper). The cousins didn't waste time and made the most of the fading light outside on the tramp. The funniest thing in these pictures is the progression of Mike. The kid doesn't have much grace or balance... maybe its the size of his big noggin?

Nice air Abbey!

As you can see, Mike spends a lot of time on his knees trying to keep up with the bigger kids.

Look at Wyatt's air, he is a trampoline pro.

Here is where it starts to get really funny... Mike finally gets some air...

To only fall back on the landing... instant tuck and roll...

Everyone notices Mike huddled in the fetal position... waiting to see if he will cry (he does that a lot when on the tramp)

Nope...false alarm... he's okay, back to playing...

Don't you love trampolines... pure joy and pure terror all in one, and it always makes the funniest pictures.

Why Bother?

Unfortunately, with Tim and I on completely different schedules, our bed doesn't get made most days. But when it does get made the kids love it. What is it about big fluffy pillows all crisply lined up on a bed that is so irresistible?

Obviously it makes the best cave to hide in. Not to mention a great place to play with Lightning McQueen and your fighter jets. (don't you love that little face peeking over at the camera)

I wish you all could hear this little boy when he plays in my pillows. Its really hard to be mad about some messed up pillows, when you call out his name and hear a little squeal and giggle somewhere within them. Even when it is the fifth time you've made the dang bed.

Our Favorite

Lately our favorite around the house is

(I'm actually posting about this while eating a cookie!) The kids have been on a "helping" me cook kick. They love to do pancakes, pizza, spinning the salad, and cookies.

This particular time Tim helped the kids. He had the great idea of putting all the measured ingredients in bowls so the kids could just dump them in. They loved it!

Look how excited Abbey is to be making cookies! (of course she was cheesing it up a little more for the picture)

Everyone gets a turn to put their ingredient in...

(notice the bruise on Mike's forehead, no idea where it came from, poor kid is accident prone)

There is a story with this picture. Look at Tim's face. He had just moved the kitchen aid back and in the process it pinched Mike's finger (accident prone remember?!?). The face says it all. So glad I captured it by accident!

Here is Mike showing me his hurt finger after he calmed down.

Tim is a very good baker and cook. He loves to be in the kitchen. His mom said that he always did like to be in the kitchen. One time he made a video of himself making eggs (did I get that right?!?). That totally makes sense, he loves eggs. At home he makes the bread for us and once he even made cinnamon rolls.

I love to bake more than cook. Its always dangerous when I watch too many food network programs that have desserts in them. I get in a baking mood. I remember helping my mom make cookies growing up. What was the best part?...

Tasting the dough of course!

Thats mostly why I make cookies... for the dough. I think the kids like to make cookies so they can eat the dough too. Its so weird to me that Tim doesn't ever eat the cookie dough. He says its because his mom scared him, always telling him you will get sick from the raw eggs. I know that can be true, but it never has happened to me thankfully.

Oh Tim, another reason I love you so much! He smiled and then looked off to the side like that on purpose. I love this man.

Yummy! Look at those babies all ready to go. They are the best all fresh out of the oven and warm! Thats why I don't have a picture of them cooked... I was busy enjoying them with a glass of milk.