Saturday, February 4, 2012

10 months old

Dear Benny,

You are 10 months old!  What a big boy you are!  It's been another amazing month.

Benny, you just may be the sweetest boy we know.  You love everyone around you and you always give the biggest smiles. 

You are a patient, happy, easy-going, observant, smart, fun, and handsome little boy.

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10 months old, January 14, 2012

You are wearing 9 month clothes, size 4 diapers, and size 4 shoes. 

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You have a total of 8 teeth!  Four on the top and four on the bottom.

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You are still crawling all over the place.  Mostly in a bear crawl sort of way...I think you bear crawl because you can move so much faster!  You try so hard to keep up with your sister.  Sometimes making yourself so frustrated that just want to be picked up. 

You still aren't walking full time yet.  You've taken isolated steps here and there.  The most you've taken was 3 steps from the end table to me.  I was soooo excited!  I thought for sure that you'd start walking more and more on your own, but you're just not there yet.  You'll walk all over the place holding one of our hands, but as soon as we try to get you to walk on your own you sit down.  You're on to us!

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You love to play with McKenna and you're really good about taking advantage of it when she lets you!  She can get posessive of her (and your) toys and sometimes that makes you sad, but usually you just crawl off to find something else to play with.  You sure are one easy-going, patient brother! 

I think you're happiest when you're playing with McKenna.  You love to be around her...always smiling and laughing with her. 


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Your favorite toys include your Little People farm animal set and tractor that makes sounds, your cars and trucks, the big pink ball, McKenna's shopping cart and kitchen, and all of the play food...but your most favorite "toy" has to be the remote to the TV.  OMG...you can't handle the fact that you're not allowed to play with it.  We have to hide it because if you see it, then you go nuts trying to get it.  We often joke that it's just because you don't like what we're watching! 

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You've started talking a lot more this month.  You're babbling all the time!  babababa, dadadadada, nananana, huh?, uh oh, yayayaya, lalalala...pretty much every sound except mamamama!  I try to get you to say it all the time, but you just look at me and say something else.  You're really good at mimicing conversation.  You'll "talk" back when people talk to you.  Although we don't know what you're saying yet, I pretty sure you know what you're saying!


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You're quite the hungry boy.  You love to eat and you can't wait until it's meal time.  You definitely let us know if it's getting close!  Your favorite things to eat are yogurt, applesauce, cheerios, kix, grilled cheese sandwiches, and scrambled eggs...but you'll pretty much eat anything we put in front of you!  You still get 2-3 bottles of formula a day. 

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cheese!

One of your most favorite things to do is climb the stairs and this month you learned to go down the stairs too!  What a smart boy!  You know to turn around and head down feet first.  Sometimes you get mixed up and start heading back up, but that also may be your way to joke around with me :)

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You love to go to McKenna's soccer on Saturday mornings.  She's a bit hesistant out there, but you sure aren't!  You can't wait until it's your turn to get out there and play.  We have to keep chasing you back to the sideline reminding you that it's Kenna's soccer practice not yours!  You love to throw the balls and chase after them and you love to bang on the field dividers and crawl after all of the kids.  You so wish you could chase the bubbles and climb on the parachute.  You'll be out there in no time brother!


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Just know you are the most perfect little boy in the whole world.

I love you my sweet boo boo booski!


Love, Mommy

Thursday, January 12, 2012

NYE 2012

New Years Eve.  What to do. What to do. 

We didn't really want to do the downtown Chicago thing.  We've done it and we're kind of over it.  Lines to get a drink.  Lines to go to the bathroom.  It feels like you're standing in line all night long.  Not that we didn't have a great time.  We did.  We always did.

My parents offered to spend their New Years with McKenna & Ben, so we decided to have a small party over at our house.  Just 13 people over to ring in 2012. 

We had a delicious appetizers, drinks, laughs, and even a couple of games.  It turned out to be a very late night and lots of fun. 

It really couldn't have been possible without my parents though...starting 2012 by sleeping in was sooooooo nice. 

Here's our night in pictures...

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Megan & I

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the girls

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a nice picture of Jordan

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Brian, Kevin, Meredith

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thank goodness there wasn't a vote for cutest couple

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because we would have won

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nice try

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Laura & Cale Lucas

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Eric & Sabrina

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Sabrina & Kristen

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these didn't work so good...or maybe they worked too good...hmmm

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I <3 party favors

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BFF

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not quite sure what they're doing...but it's definitely hilarious

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gotta love these boys

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status update

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laughy & pretty

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Thanks to everyone who came to help us celebrate the New Year.  We had an awesome time. 

Here's to 2012! 

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Zoo Lights

Brian took off the week between Christmas and New Years, so as always when Dad is home, we took advantage! 

One of our Christmas presents from my parents was a membership to the Brookfield Zoo and it didn't take us long to begin using it!  Along with my parents, Brad, Megan & Brayden, and Laura, Cale, Ella & Delilah Lucas, we headed out to the zoo to check out their Zoo Lights. 

After being advised from a friend at school, we decided to go a bit early, that way we could see the animals and then check out the lights too.  It turned out to be a perfect decision.  As we were leaving the zoo, there were crowds of people entering.  Our kids didn't really care about the lights, but they were beautiful!

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Kenna & Brayden riding in style

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Ben's all set to see the lions!  Rrrrooooaaaarrrr!

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just a little chilly

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checking out the giraffes

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Benny & Daddy

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she loves the giraffes...doesn't take her eyes off of them

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Benny's turn to ride with Brayden!

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Miss Independent wanted to walk

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Santa's sleigh was being pulled by polar bears!  photo op!

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she loves this sweet boy

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so do I

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check out the only two kids who won't ride...yep...they're mine...Benny being held, McKenna walking

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checking out the lights


I just realized I didn't get a single picture of the lights.  Oh well.  What would I do with those anyway???