Gooooo Mustangs!

Look who is proud to be wearing the pony! Thanks to our good friends, Will & Betsy, Bennett gets to sport a new collegiate outfit (that isn't crimson and white). Will was a fellow Mustang years ago, and was just transferred to Dallas for work. So, we are looking forward to our first visit to the big D! Betsy has been bribing me with greasy cheese fries and ranch dressing from Snuffer's (which is exactly what I need now that I am pregnant), but I think she has forgotten that we love them and will be there without the good food!

This past week Bennett has really been making some advances: sitting up on her own from a prone position, feeding herself and standing whenever she can. I think she is really enjoying the sense of independence. She is such a sweet baby, so I wanted to capture just a few of my favorites from our fun tonight.

Swimming...take 2

For the past 5 weeks, Bennett has been going to her "swimming lessons." I say it loosely because she isn't really learning to swim, but rather just feel comfortable in the water. So far, there hasn't been any problems in that area. She loves every minute of her time in the pool, and has fun splashing and kicking her arms and legs. If you recall from last week's blog, she went under for her first time. However, this week they put a twist on it for those babies a little older. Rather than blow in their face and dunk them, we sat them on the edge of the pool and let them jump (fall in Bennett's case) forward and into the water. Their own body weight carries them under while you hold their hands and help bring them back up a few seconds later. Since we aren't blowing in their face this time, they just have to instinctively hold their breath.

I was too scared to do it with Bennett the first time, so I had our instructor do it while I watched and Steve recorded it. She did wonderfully, no choking or crying.

Though we like to think she is doing well and these "lessons" are helping her, I was shocked to see some babies and toddlers who actually can save themselves from drowning if they fell in a pool. The Infant Swimming Resource is the most comprehensive drowning prevention program I have ever seen, and quite amazing. For an amazing, and very scary video of their technique, check out this video: http://www.childdrowningprevention.com/index.html

Bathtime Fun

Every night Bennett gets a bath, and every night she has fun. She has recently been getting stronger and is becoming better at standing. So, as we wait to fill her tub, I stand her by the tub so she can watch her bath toys floating in it as it fills. She gets so excited and just wants in, as you can see here.

Pitter Patter

We are excited to announce that we will be hearing the pitter patter of more feet in our home! Later this year Bennett will have a new brother or sister! We are about 9 weeks along, but I am already feeling the side effects of pregnancy...an insatiable appetite (but of only certain foods, primarily unhealthy things), tiredness, a weird complexion and occasional naseau. That is okay though, since those things assure me that everything is okay in there.

I am sure some of you are already thinking "she's going to be pregnant all summer long in the heat" and yes, you are right. I am not looking forward to it, but again, we are just happy to be pregnant! Our due date has been set for Sept 25th, so Bennett will only be about 16 months old when the new one comes along. I may be crazy, but I am hoping that I will not know any different.

Please pray for us!

Hold Your Breath....

Today at Bennett's swim lesson we practiced more of the same...floating on our back, floating on our tummy, blowing bubbles, kicking, reaching and jumping from the side of the pool. However, we did one new thing today...going under! The teacher got in the pool and gave us all the rules and steps at properly dunking our childs. Everyone was a little timid, but excited at the same time. She sternly told us that we can only do it 3 times in one day because most children swallow a little water, and they don't want to get too much water in their lungs. So, she showed us what to do with one of the kids in the class, and then had us go around the pool and watch each other do it to our innocent, and unsuspecting, children. Coincidentally I was standing next to her, so she asked me to go first with Bennett. I was a little nervous, since it was my first swim lesson with her anyway (that is another story), but I took the challenge and did it. I took a deep breath and like an asthma commercial blew as hard as I could into her face and then dunked her. She did surprisingly well. There were no tears, coughs nor choking!

Look at Her Go!

Last week Bennett starting crawling! She has been on the verge for sometime, and then started the rocking on her knees over the weekend. Then, before we knew it...she was moving a couple paces by crawling. Thursday I went to work, and shortly thereafter I got the call from my in-laws that she had made the move. So, of course I started crying (since I missed it) and immediately called Steve and then my mother.


Steve and I went to his parent's for lunch so we could witness it ourselves. I must admit that I thought she may have mastered the skill already, but she hadn't so I didn't feel like I had missed out on such a big milestone in her life. She keeps practicing, but knows that she can get somewhere quicker by just rolling (so there is usually some mix of the two). The one thing that I find funny though is that she is enticed to crawl for food? Hmmmmm......