Lions and Tigers and Bears....Oh My!

Okay, so there weren't lions and bears at the circus; however, there were tigers, zebras, elephants, horses and dogs. Last night Steve and I escorted Miss Bennett to her first circus! Ringling Bros was in town for the weekend, and we didn't want to miss the opportunity to see the circus through her eyes (since neither of us had been in over 25 years). We started talking about it a few days before and everytime she saw the ad on TV she would growl when the tigers appeared. It was so funny, so we were excited to see how she would react.



We arrived a little early for the "pre-show" which wasn't really much of a show, so we got comfortable in our seats. Of course she was much more interested in people watching, especially at the beginning. However, when the animals started to appear, it finally captivated her. Unfortunately, some of the animals performed at the beginning, but not again until the end was near. So with the show beginning at 7:30, poor Bennett was exhausted by intermission. Since the tigers hadn't performed yet, we stuck around.



Though I think she mildly enjoyed seeing them, we regretted it because it was 2 hours past her bedtime by the time we got home. And as all you parents of little ones know, it doesn't matter what time you put them to bed, they always wake up at the same time. So though she was in an okay mood this morning, but late afternoon, she was a bear...whining and crying at the drop of a hat. I guess we learned our lesson....

The Introduction of Rice Cereal

Preston's appetite continues to grow, so we introduced him to rice cereal last night. I think these photos let you know what he thought of it. We'll keep trying, but for now, we are mixing it into his bottles to help fill his belly a little more.

Happy Friday!

4 Months, but Who's Counting

Friday Preston turned 4 months old....shockingly. It is hard to believe that my baby is already so big, yet I can barely remember what my life was like before he arrived. He is so sweet and easy-going. Though Bennett is overall a good child, she is at the age where she is full of energy and demands our time and attention. So having this laid back little boy is a welcomed blessing.

He has made some strides this past month that I would like to share. First and foremost, he is FINALLY sleeping through the night (thank goodness)! He is also on a pretty regular feeding schedule now (every 4-5 hours) and is getting better with his sleep schedule. He typically is awake from 8am to 1pm, with only one short catnap in the morning, usually around 10-10:30. Then he takes a long nap (3-4 hours) in the afternoon when Bennett is asleep (which is my saving grace). He is then up through dinner time, but starts to wind down again around 7-8, where he will usually fall asleep again for 1-2 hours before taking his final big bottle at 10-11pm.

He is so smiley right now. He awakes smiling and happy and just loves attention from anyone who will give it to him. He has very good neck strength and just sits in my lap and watches Bennett run all over the place. He is rolling over from stomach to back more regularly, and is a definite thumb sucker! Overall things are going wonderfully! He went to the doctor yesterday for a vaccination and I quickly weighed him. I was shocked to see that he had only gained 9 ounces, weighing 15 lbs 11 oz. I guess his growing has slowed down some.

Stay tuned for more updates...

Freezing in Birmingham!

Today was a chilly 30 degrees here in Birmingham. Since staying inside ALL DAY long with the kids is extremely difficult, we decided to bundle up and head to the McWane Science Center. It is a great interactive museum for children. They have a section that is specifically geared to toddlers with a huge indoor playground that the kids can walk and climb around in. In addition, there is a large water basin that they can play in with various bowls and colanders. Bennett loves water and loves kitchen items, so as soon as she discovered it, I had a difficult time prying her away from it.



When I did, she ventured into another room where there were plastic foods and a cash register. So she played "grocery store" for a bit. We went there with several of our church friends who are all about the same age. They all had a great time! Thankfully Preston did great too. He was as content as he could be since I held him. He just looked around and took it all in, until the very end when he finally tuckered out.


It was a great way to spend the cold morning!

Happy Belated Birthday Mimi!!

Mimi celebrated her birthday last week, and we celebrated last weekend with the family. Louis and Michelle hosted everyone over to their home for a Mexican feast.

We all overate and conversed over a couple of Mexican beers (my favorite way to spend an evening)! After dinner we had cake and ice cream.

After dinner we all played "rock band" on their wii. Steve and I first played "guitar hero" at his work Christmas party last month. It was quite

addictive and we have been talking about it since, so when the kids got this new game for Christmas...we were anxious to play. "Rock band" allows for a group of people to play together: a singer (or two), a guitar player, a bass player and a drummer. We started off playing guitar and bass, and slowly moved around into the other band members. Not that I am good at any of the roles, but playing the drums was by far the most difficult. I guess I am not very musically inclined.

What was cute though, was when we finished playing. Bennett went missing, and when I walked into the other room I saw here sitting there playing the drums. She had better posture and moves than me....perhaps she has a future in music?

Who's Laughing Now?

Our sweet little boy is so ticklish. He laughs all of the time, and we just had to share his giggles.

A Step in the Right Direction for 2009

Twice in the past week Bennett has been successful going potty in the toilet. She has asked to go "tee-tee" or "poopy" a few other times, but was unsuccessful. I know it is too early to get excited and think our child is close to being potty trained, but at least she is taking an interest! To be honest, I think she enjoys the process of washing her hands the most, which is her enticement now.

We talk about potty time all of the time, and she understands the process, so I am hoping that we may be successful early and be potty trained sometime this year. It certainly doesn't hurt that she is the youngest in her class and some of the older kids are training right now too. She is seeing and hearing about it at home and school, so it has to sink in a little. We'll keep you posted, but we wanted to share the exciting news.