happy friday!

hope your weekend is fabulous! we are gonna spend our saturday just spending lots and lots of time together. filled with tons of snuggles because pete leaves sunday and we won't see him for 2 weeks. :(((
but he is def gonna have an exciting 2 weeks. he is going to the Bahamas on a cruise then out to LA for the Grammys! then playing a few more shows in oregon.
bennet and i are doing some pretty exciting things too to help pass the time quickly. we are flying out to visit my fam in st louis. this will be b first plane ride! eek! i am a little nervous but honestly the flight only is 45 mins long so it won't be too much for either of us.

anyways here are some photos to sum up our week here. enjoy!

a TMI post

*warning if you are of the male persuasion you probably shouldn't read*

since i have experienced the whole pregnancy thing and have a tiny experience with having a baby, here are some things i've learned so far (that NO one filled me in on)

~you can go through 8 months of growing a baby with no stretch marks on your big belly and then in the last month (or so depending on when your little one decides to grace you with their presence) you all of a sudden get purple little *clearsthroatBIG* ugly things on your s t r e t c h e d out belly.

~you can start your . within 5 weeks of delivering your precious bundle. even if your breast feeding. every 2 hours. and you have to go to your 6 week check up while your monthly visit is still around (traumatic for you AND your lady doc, i'm sure) because it decides to last for 10 days. and then not even 2 weeks later it comes around again (2 in 1 month no no NOOOOO) you realize you must be really fertile because you have 6 monthly visits before your babe is 6 months old. awessssome. (fyi-most women who nurse usually don't have their period {yes that is what i mean by "monthly visit" !shock!} for a while *maybe not even till they are done nursing* most people i've talked to it has been around 10 months are so before they realize their almost 2 year break is over....i am a little nah SUPER jealous of you.

~the beast that is HUNGER can overtake you at times. if your nursing you are always hungry...thus making it hard to lose the baby weight.

~your baby grows too too fast! oh wait, everyone says this...but seriously you never understand till it happens in your life.

~your once perking body...well not so perky anymore. seriously everything hangs like elephant ears.

~you are certain you will go bald soon. hair is falling out by the bucket loads!

~never in your life have you ever got excited to see poop (but when your little one hasn't gone in a few days and finally gets a dirty you literally do a happy dance). never have you had to inspect it. your baby's poop tells you a lot thus you must at least glance at the gross pile before disposing.

~speaking of poo, no one every tells you about blow outs. which are both funny and can bring you to tears. since b was about a month old, every time we take her ANYWHERE in her car seat...BLOW OUT!!! the worse time...i was by myself and on my way home from taking her to her 4 month check up (where she had a good size diaper mind you) i decide to run into target. i get the stroller out and pop in the car seat and go inside to browse. 10 min later (a record for me i am sure) i am leaving. i precede to get car seat out and as i am putting it in the base i notice a pile of runny poop. how could this happen?!?! as i drive home (with a completely happy baby because for some reason EVERY time your babe has a gross dirty diaper, she is just as happy as can be. she doesn't freak out like other babies, she just sits in her poop all over her as happy as can be...so weird) i am filled with terror at what awaits me. get home clean up the puddle of poo in the base *its cold and will freeze soon* then go inside, carefully pick baby up and undress her...it went out her diaper around the thigh and leaked out through the seat belt sliver and thus into the base. barely any poo in the diaper. it's pretty much like she took off her diaper and sat in the base to poo. many tears where shed bc obviously it was just one of those days. cleaning the car seat was the hardest thing due to all the little crevasses.


so there you have it. some of the fun things that i've experienced. but like everyone says, it's sooo worth it. and seriously it is. :)



(whooo me??? blow out my diaper?? nahhh)

letter to bennet

oh my dear! i am late writing to you about your 5 month but better late then never! what a month you have had...this year is proving to be busy and awesome. daddy was around a lot more due to the holidays :) unfortunately your first christmas kinda blew. aunt amanda and cousins aidan and owen were super sick the whole time we were visiting in st louis. we didn't get to see them at all. it didn't feel like christmas bc half the family was not there. but we loved seeing your face light up at some of your christmas toys. mimi held you a lot and got some great snuggles in :) you were such a trooper in the car and barely got fussy. it makes that 6 hour drive seem a lot shorter.




{on christmas morning at mimi's}

so far this jan we have traveled with some friends to the mountains where you loved watching the big snowflakes fall from the comfort of our warm cabin. i randomly decided to move you to your crib in your room one night. you love it! you love it so much that after we get done reading books and our nightly routine you just want to be put in there and you drift to sleep quickly. i am sad that you are over being rocked to sleep. although you do allow me to get in some little snuggles and a song before you are over it. this is how you have been since birth. you have set your own schedule for night time and it really has been super easy. you sleep 7pm till 7am. this is awesome. daddy and i fight over who gets to go in to get you up for the day because you are so smiley and excited to see us.
we took you to get a shot at the doctor and you didn't even shed a tear or let out a wail. you just looked at me and smiled. oh how i wish it could always be like this for you! we had you weighted even though it wasn't a normal check up and you are at 15.4 lbs!
your favorite things are bath time (we have a great video of you cracking up at yourself kicking the water) you love sitting up and are doing great! you love reading your books and playing in your jumper. you def prefer to be held and still get angry at floor time and tummy time. this month you only rolled over once...silly girl.
other big things:
*tried rice cereal (ehhh)
*got dedicated
*played with friends and love other babies
*mommy let you watch Super Why and you love it.

i find myself not being able to stop kissing you (whats new there?) and can't believe how you are changing right before my eyes. i barely remember the little baby days. and i am trying to soak up every moment with you! you continue to bring the greatest joy to your daddy and i.

xoxo,
mommy

5 months!

yesterday bennet turned 5 months! here are some pics from her monthly photo shoot. she is such a little model for the camera ;)









{adorable hat by my crafty friend jill}

here is one from her dedication:



as for me, i just set up her room for her to sleep in her crib for the first time tonight not sure how i will do. she will probably do great...me...ehhh. i will probably end up in the rocking chair tonight.

so far...

this year has been great! we traveled to the mountains this past week and stayed in a cabin with some great friends. beautiful view, cozy place, snow, baby cuddles, and good food...what more do you need! such a great time.


{bennet at cabin}

yesterday was a big day in little b's life. she got dedicated at church! it was such a beautiful moment for us.
Deuteronomy 6:4-7
Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commandments that i give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Bennet,
we know God has a unique path for you. we pray that we can help you and guide you to follow God and seek Him. we pray that you walk in the abundant life that Christ offers you and that you will grow up to become the unique individual God has planned for you to be. we as your parents vow to provide you a Christian home, filled with God's grace, love and peace, to raise you in the truth of our Lord's instruction and discipline and to encourage you to one day trust Jesus as your Savior.
this was such a beautiful and powerful day. we do not take it lightly. we love you little girl and promise to stay true to the prayers we said yesterday. God loves you and choose you for a purpose. He has big things in store for you and I can't wait to watch you grow in His love.
love,
your mommy and daddy

out with the old in with the new (year)

looking back on 2010, it was a pretty eventful year for us. i mean you know with the baby and all.
i am too lazy to post links {plus half of what i mention i probably didn't blog about...oops}

January-announced we were expecting!

February and March-my new niece eiley sophia was born. traveled with pete the last time and found out it was a girl in there!

April and May-started decorating and nesting (which went on throughout august) pete went to australia...i stayed home {whomp whomp}

June and July-pete is gone a ton! i stay home and veg out...not very interesting few months...it was super HOT and all i did with my pregnant self was sleep, swim, read, and decorate. BUT we did get to spend our 1st 4th of july together so that was nice. welcome another new niece grace elizabeth.

August-BABY!!!!

September-family in and out of town. pete home a lot :) grow together as a new family.

October-bennet's 1st road trip. pete turns 28. Halloween.

November-pete gone for my bday. bennet 2nd road trip to oklahoma gets to meet great-great gma

December-so much fun preparing for the holidays with little b. our christmas kinda blew but thankful we were together and healthy.



so yea. i know it was a lot more exciting then this list but these are the few things that stick out in my mind. as 2011 approaches, i am sad to see 2010 go, but i know this year will bring so many new things for us. with bennet doing new things pretty much every week...i can only imagine how exciting it will be to see her grow into a little girl.

and because its New Years Eve and all...

Goals 2011

1. get back to pre-baby weight
2. save money for
a.house
b.bennet's college fund
3. pay off debt
4. be a better housewife (as in cooking and cleaning)
5. get organized
6. travel more
7. get a better camera and curtains for living room (i know this one is odd but i am super picky with curtains and haven't found any i like)

there it is. hopefully most of this will happen. i started working on the 1st one today...i am doing jillian michael's 30 day shred. so to keep me in check i am going to start checking in weekly and blogging about it.

starting weight: 150.5 lbs

goal weight: 115-120 lbs

i like this workout a lot and after the first 30 days are up i am gonna keep it going but will probably just work out 5 days a week. hopefully by summer i will be more comfortable wearing shorts and tanks cus right now i do everything i can to cover every inch of my body with as many layers that look good. wish me luck!

Happy New Year Everyone!

did i mention i get to kiss this face tonight...



pete is gone playing a new years eve show so it will be just me and the little munchkin although she goes to bed by 8...sooooo....

lame.

xoxo,
m

merry christmas!

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"