Big Ben and Baby Juliet

Two Months

2012-02-04T17:47:00.000-06:00

Looking back at Ben's monthly photo posts, I wish I had written more about what Ben was doing each month. I started doing that as he got older, but I'm going to try to start now with Juliet! Here is her second month, in bullet form.

- She is a very happy baby, she smiles very easily and in the past week or so has developed a huge grin. We've been playing a little game with her bunny rattle that I swear has made her giggle.
- She is so strong, when you hold her on your shoulder she holds her head very steady and is basically standing up. She loves it when you hold her hands and let her stand on your lap.
- She loves to lay on the floor, kicking her legs and waving her arms.
- She is getting very vocal, and makes the cutest little hooting noise. I've been trying to catch it on video but whenever I get out the camera, she clams up.
- After eating she is happy for a while, and then fusses for her pacifier, and then fusses for a nap. She is quite predictable right now! She will fall asleep "on her own" in her crib or boppy, but stays asleep best in the swing.
- She still looks like she is opening her eyes as wide as she can. I think this is why we get lots of comments about how alert she is!

- Since I keep wondering how Ben's routine changed as he grew: Her current bedtime routine is a feeding between 6:30-7:00, then a bath (on bath night) and jammies, then we rock in Ben's room while he gets his bath with Daddy. Then I do Ben's bedtime and Peter swaddles Juliet and puts her in the swing. She dozes in the swing until I want to go to bed. Then I change her diaper, swaddle her, feed her, and put her in bed. She is usually sound asleep at the end of her feeding and doesn't eat again until 3am, then sleeps until 6:30am or so. Sometimes she wakes up around 12-1am, and either goes back to sleep on her own or needs a quick rocking. Now if Ben would stop calling for me at 1am and then waking up at 6am, I'd be getting a decent amount of sleep! She falls asleep really easily for naps but often only sleeps for 45 minutes or so and then needs to finish her nap in the swing or we run errands during naptime.

Sleepy Girl

2012-01-30T14:46:00.000-06:00

Ben always had a hard time falling asleep as a baby, or at least as a new mom I didn't ever let him just conk out on the floor. Juliet, on the other hand, often gets tired of playing and doesn't even fuss or anything, just falls asleep. What a sweetie!

Floor Time

2012-01-28T14:40:00.000-06:00

I used to think Juliet loved getting her diaper changed, but it didn't take me long to figure out that she just loves the freedom to kick her legs and wave her arms. She loves getting to stretch out on a blankie on the floor! It's hard to believe it won't be long before she's grabbing toys and rolling over!

Sewing Buddy

2012-01-27T14:35:00.000-06:00

Juliet is a good little sewing buddy! She likes to keep me company during her naps. I love that she stays asleep even as she works her hands out of her swaddle!

First Bottle

2012-01-23T14:31:00.001-06:00

Juliet finally got her first bottle! She drank it like a champ. It will be nice for Daddy (or a grandparent!) to take on a feeding or two!

Busy Boy

2012-01-15T20:17:00.002-06:00

This is where Ben's train tracks are stored:

Ben spent about 15 minutes transferring his tracks here instead:

He was pretty thorough, but still left some hazards in the walking path...

Here are a few gratuitous iPhone photos, just so this isn't a post without kid pictures! (Quality is low since they're from the front camera on my phone, but I thought they were still sweet!)

Juliet - Weeks 5 & 6

2012-01-14T20:25:00.000-06:00

I can't get enough of how cute she is when she's sleeping!

She ends up like this a lot because she stretches and moves her head around inside her hats, it cracks me up!

This is the face she makes when she's hungry and I try to give her a pacifier...

One Month

2012-01-04T03:05:00.001-06:00

We finished up Ben's monthly photos just in time to start Juliet's! Miss Juliet is one month old already. It is amazing how much babies change in just one month. She is already so much less of a floppy, dazed newborn. When you hold her on your shoulder she looks all around, and watches everything. She is so alert, and is happiest when she can see what's going on. She only cries when she is hungry or over-tired, and then she's pretty easy to please. She has *almost* smiled at us several times, we can't wait for the real thing!

Playing Trains

2012-01-02T20:09:00.000-06:00

I love watching Ben play with his train set that Nana got him for Christmas. He lays down on his tummy and pushes his trains around, it is so cute. He is getting really good at putting the tracks together, and only needs help with the bridges.

Ben is still really anxious for Juliet to play with him. You can see why he wouldn't find her exciting now! We'll see if he still feels the same way when she can get around on her own and he really has to share his toys!

New Year's Family Photo

2012-01-01T13:37:00.000-06:00

Every year when my sister visits at New Year's we try to take a family photo. I think this might be the best one yet!

Ben's Party

2011-12-31T13:33:00.000-06:00

As you can tell from the total lack of pictures taken, we had a ton of fun at Ben's 2nd birthday party! Ben had 11 friends over (and Mom and Dad had 21!! friends over) to celebrate turning two. The adults visited and the kids played with Ben's toys. I covered the kitchen table with brown paper and put out crayons and stickers and play-doh, and we all sang happy birthday and opened presents. It was chaos but we had a blast!

Ben loves having people sing happy birthday to him!

Blowing out the candles.

Good job!

24 Months

2011-12-30T13:21:00.000-06:00

This is our last monthly photo for Ben! He is 24 months - two years! - old. It is hard to believe that two short years ago he was as tiny and helpless as his baby sister. Having her for contrast definitely makes him seem even more grown up.

Ben has really started to show his independent streak in the last couple months. We hear a lot of "Me do it!" and he gets more upset when we don't do things the way he wanted. But he is also so curious about the world around him! He is always asking "What that called?" and pointing at things.

Ben is such a good big brother. He loves to hold Juliet's hand, touch her head, and give her hugs and kisses. He brings her toys and tells me he wants to play with her. Hopefully that is still true when she's big enough to take his toys on her own!

Ben still loves all things boy - cars, trucks, trains, planes... Though he has a very tender side and loves to cuddle, and currently sleeps with 10+ stuffed animals. We accidentally sent him to stay over at Grandma and Grandpa's without his two primary "babies" and that did not go well! He still sleeps with a pacifier ("sucker") but knows it is only allowed in his room. He still takes a ~2 hour nap everyday, and we're going to hang onto that as long as we can!

He can count to ten (though when he's "counting" he always goes all the way to ten, even if there are only five of something). He can start the ABC song and will point out that something is a letter. He knows all the main colors, though sometimes says orange is yellow and brown is black. Grandma made him an awesome stuffed whale whose mouth unzips, and inside are little fish in all the colors, so I'm guessing it won't be long before he gets all his colors right!

I think what impresses me most is the abstract concepts he gets. He brought out his hat to put on and Peter pretended to put it on his own head, and Ben said "no Daddy!" They both laughed, and then Ben said "Daddy just kidding!" We love our big boy!!

2nd Birthday

2011-12-30T13:09:00.000-06:00

We had a little dinner on Ben's actual birthday to celebrate with family, and he got to blow out candles on his cake! He needed a little help, but was still very proud of himself. We can't believe he's two!

Very happy to blow out the candles.

So cool to have Aunt Katy and her family here for Ben's birthday!

Ben is very serious about his trains.

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T12:54:00.000-06:00

Ben had so much fun this Christmas! We had a few moments of confusion between his birthday and Baby Jesus' birthday, but he definitely understood it was a special day, and was excited about Santa coming with presents!

Trying to climb out of bed to see his presents.

Blurry but too cute not to share!

Thomas!

The coolest truck book ever. Thanks Aunt Martha and Uncle Bob!

Ben and Juliet in their reindeer Christmas jammies from Grandma and Grandpa.

Juliet - Week 3

2011-12-24T01:34:00.000-06:00

I am getting less compulsive with my iPhone, so there will probably not be anymore weekly posts like this, but I will still try to share the good ones!

Juliet was sick and crying most of the day, and finally fell asleep in the swing! Poor baby.

Licking beaters at Nana's house.

Juliet's First Bath

2011-12-23T12:52:00.000-06:00

Now that Juliet has a belly button instead of an umbilical cord stump, she got her first bath! She was not a fan, but Ben definitely loved helping!

Juliet - Week 2

2011-12-17T01:29:00.000-06:00

Another week of Juliet's life in iPhone photos...

Love getting to see her legs when I put her in something other than a sleeper...

Ben was "sharing" his book with Juliet.

Love those big eyes!

Juliet - Week 1

2011-12-11T15:03:00.001-06:00

Just a few photos from Juliet's first week at home...

Relaxing on the couch - Daddy, Juliet, DJ, and Hitch (on the half wall).

Heading Home

2011-12-08T15:14:00.001-06:00

After two and a half days in the hospital, we were definitely ready to head home!

Juliet loves to have her hands and arms by her face...

New Big Brother

2011-12-07T14:59:00.000-06:00

Nana brought Ben to the hospital Sunday afternoon to meet his new little sister. He wasn't so sure about her, and mostly wanted to play with his big brother gift - a new airplane. But he is warming up to her, and now often asks "where Juliet go?" and asks to give her a hug or kiss. He is going to be a good big brother!

Visitors

2011-12-06T14:39:00.000-06:00

Juliet was blessed with visitors before she was even a whole day old! It was so fun to be able to introduce her to family and friends.

Baby Juliet

2011-12-05T10:19:00.002-06:00

It's a girl!!

Juliet Jeanne Mikkelsen
12/4/11 12:14am
6lb 12oz, 18.5"

School Photo

2011-11-28T11:09:00.002-06:00

Ben's cutie patootie school photo for the fall.

PlayDoh

2011-11-26T14:29:00.000-06:00

Ben loves to play with PlayDoh! It is a frequently requested activity in our house. "Play PlayDoh!" he says. It surprised us the first time he asked, but after he came home one day with some PlayDoh stuck to the bottom of his shoe, we realized they play with it at daycare. Luckily we had some little containers from friends' birthday parties so we could comply with his request!

Holiday Fatigue

2011-11-25T14:27:00.000-06:00

Ben has never fallen asleep in any place other than his bed, after a specific "time to sleep" routine. He has never been the kid who fell asleep at his high chair, or on the couch. So imagine our surprise when we checked on him after thinking he'd been awfully quiet in his room for too long. I guess the excitement of Thanksgiving had worn him out!

Painting the Baby's Room

2011-11-24T14:25:00.000-06:00

Ben was really excited to help Daddy paint the baby's room! He did a great job, and didn't even get into any of the paint.

Locks of Love

2011-11-22T16:10:00.002-06:00

I've been letting my hair grow out pretty much since Ben was born, and it was time for a change! I had just enough length to donate 10" to Locks of Love and still have some hair on my head, so I chopped it all off. It feels great!!

New Bicycle

2011-11-13T19:30:00.003-06:00

I picked up a little bicycle with training wheels at a garage sale recently (for $4!) and we finally got Ben out to practice. He loves the idea of riding a bicycle, but as you can see, Daddy still does most of the work!

Texas City Dike Redux

2011-11-06T20:07:00.000-06:00

We went back to the Texas City Dike while Katy and family were in town, and I just had to share some pictures of the cousins playing on the beach! The highlight of the day was definitely the big hole Uncle Peter dug for the kids!

22 Months

2011-10-31T20:47:00.000-05:00

Ben is 22 months old! Two short months and there will be a two-year-old in the house. I can't believe it! Ben routinely speaks in sentences, and amazes us with his communication. He says things like "Please, Charlie, can I have that car." (When his cousin was visiting.) And "Lights flashing on that police car!" "DJ chasing the kitties!" He also likes to let us know when something bad has happened by playing the blame game: "DJ did it" is a frequently heard phrase! Silly kid! He loves DJ so much, and often asks "Play with DJ, mommy?"

Ben got a new tooth this month... his first canine. He still is missing his other three canines, and we aren't holding our breath for the two-year molars. He is drooling like a fiend these days, so maybe those other canines are on their way!

We also went to Virginia this month, and had so much fun. Ben traveled so well - his love of Thomas and Mickey Mouse, which we played on the iPad, and his developing ability to communicate made the flight very pleasant. We definitely understand why kids over two need their own ticket, though! Ben was a handful as a lap-traveler.

Ben is very affectionate, telling us he loves us, asking for hugs, and giving great hugs and kisses. He often asks me to "sit here, mommy!" when he is watching a show, patting the couch next to him so he can lean on me. I love it!

Some of my favorite Ben-isms:
motor-bicycle (motorcycle)
amboolance (ambulance)
so-saur (dinosaur)
another one ___ (instead of just "another")
hold you! (instead of "hold me" when he wants me to pick him up)
I'm sure I'll think of more when I'm not working on this post!

Ben's First* Halloween

2011-10-31T06:45:00.002-05:00

Ben was Bob the Builder for Halloween, and really got into it this year! We talked all about knocking on the door, saying "trick or treat," and getting candy. Then at the first few houses we went to, the residents were sitting in their driveways with their candy... This was no good! We had to find some houses where we could knock on the door before Ben was satisfied. He would hold the candy in his hands (not in his bag) until it was time to go to the next house. Then he would say "bag, Mommy!" and then "next house light on!" since we had to clarify dark houses didn't count. He loved it.

* Technically this is Ben's second Halloween, of course, but 10-month-olds don't appreciate the holiday like an almost two year old!

Ben as a skeleton last year for comparison...

Our little builder!

He is "fixing" the tree.

The trick-or-treating crew.

With Daddy in his "costume."

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-30T06:38:00.004-05:00

We almost didn't make it to the pumpkin patch this year, but some nice weather motivated us to swing by at the last minute. Ben had so much fun, though definitely is less interested in sitting still for photos these days!

Ben at the pumpkin patch last year.

Here, Ben, help me pick up this pumpkin!

Daddy was doing this, too. Ben is quite a copycat these days!

Hugging the pumpkin.

At the Library

2011-10-29T10:24:00.001-05:00

Peter is in College Station for the Aggie game today so Ben and I are killing some time at the library.

New Play

2011-10-28T06:34:00.001-05:00

Ben has shown a lot more interest recently in actually playing with his cars. He drives them around, pretends furniture is a hill or bridge, runs them around his little train track. I often find groups of cars collected in various places. It's adorable!

34 Weeks

2011-10-27T20:09:00.002-05:00

Getting close to the home stretch! Here is 33 weeks with Ben, the closest belly shot for comparison.

Virginia Trip - Cox Farm Festival

2011-10-11T17:01:00.001-05:00

Tuesday in Virginia we were on our own, since everyone was back in school and work. We decided to take Ben to the Cox Farm Fall Festival, and it was so much fun! There were animals, hay climbs, huge slides, and a very interactive hayride that I didn't get on camera but that Ben still is talking about. It was a fun day!

Climbing the hay with Daddy.

Ignoring all the slides, Ben just wanted to walk back and forth over the bridge.

These slides are amazing!

Ben decided he could do this one on his own.

Ben loved petting the goats.

Having lunch in the train.

Checking out the bunnies.

Driving the lawnmower.

This slide was huge! I think Daddy and I enjoyed it as much as Ben, though climbing the hill to the top was quite tiring.

Ben would hop up at the end and yell "Do it again!!"

Ben finally fell asleep on the plane home that night and slept through getting off the plane, getting our luggage, getting on the parking shuttle, and into his carseat. He was worn out!

Virginia Trip - The Kids

2011-10-10T21:37:00.000-05:00

We had a great chance for some family pictures in Virginia! These are for you, Grandma and Grandpa. I especially love the ones of the boys!

Virginia Trip - Oxon Hill Farm

2011-10-10T06:30:00.000-05:00

On Monday, we went with Katy, Charlie, and Maggie to Oxon Hill Farm. Oxon Hill is an 1800's farm preserved by the National Park Service. Ben got to feed chickens, pet cows and horses, and watch a cow being milked! It was so fun to watch him run around with his cousins. Warning, lots of pictures ahead!

Ben and Charlie watching the chickens.

He was great at feeding the chickens!

Of course the tractor was a big hit with everybody.

The cows were close enough to the fence to touch.

I was quite good at milking the cow!

Saying hi to the donkey.

It's always fun to just run!

Virginia Trip - Playground

2011-10-09T21:25:00.001-05:00

We spent an awesome four days visiting family in Virginia! We got to see two of Kendall's soccer games and two of Grant's baseball games, go to Maegan's volleyball practice and Charlie's 4th birthday party, and squeezed in a couple touristy activities. It was an awesome trip!

I'll split the pictures into a few posts, starting with a visit to a terrific park near the Virginia Mikkelsen's new house.

Texas City Dike

2011-10-01T14:44:00.001-05:00

We took advantage of the fantastic weather and went to the newly revamped Texas City Dike with Ben. The dike was badly damaged during Hurricane Ike and was closed for years, but it's been open about a year now and looks great. It is as nice as the beach in Galveston and not crowded. Ben had a great time, we played in the water, dug in the sand, flew a kite, and chased the birds. I couldn't narrow down my pictures to just a few, so I put them all on Flickr. Here is the slideshow!

21 Months

2011-09-30T06:44:00.000-05:00

Ben is 21 months old! Just three more months to the big two, at which point he will be a Big Brother. Time is flying. Ben has been so much fun this month. He constantly asks "Who dat, Mommy?" for anything he wants identified, and if I can't tell what he's asking about, I just say "What do you think?" He "ummmmmm"s (the sound he makes when he's thinking) and comes up with something, sometimes pretty off the wall.

We were sitting at dinner the other night and DJ was looking out the window. "What DJ doing?" Ben asked. "Looking for something." I said. Ben thought for a second, and then said "Grasshopper! DJ step grasshopper. Grasshopper in the grass." He told the whole story of a patio grasshopper adventure from several weeks earlier. I had no idea he could remember things that well!

His favorite foods are still all fruits, but he loves yogurt, and will eat tender meat especially with something to dip it in. He does okay with his veggies but is constantly changing what he'll eat enthusiastically. Today might be green beans but tomorrow he might refuse them!

Ben is still a good sleeper, getting in about 11 hours a night and napping for close to two hours on the weekend. He is definitely like his daddy - not a morning person. We go in to get him in the morning and even if he's been awake for a little bit, he does not want to get up. He is still usually in a great mood, though!

His favorite toys right now are definitely his cars and trains, but he loves to color and build block towers and run around in the backyard. Now that the weather is finally a little cooler, we're spending a lot more time at the park. Everytime we pass a park, Ben says "Park! Slides! Schwings!" It's adorable. What a great kid!

28 Weeks

2011-09-16T20:17:00.001-05:00

12 weeks to go! Starting to feel big. Compare to 28 weeks with Ben.

Gig 'em, Aggies!

2011-09-13T20:23:00.001-05:00

Ben still doesn't get the concept of "thumbs up" but loves yelling "Gig 'em, Aggies!"

"Diving" into the Pool

2011-09-11T20:23:00.001-05:00

"Diving" into the Pool from Sarah Mikkelsen on Vimeo.

Pool Fun

2011-09-11T20:13:00.000-05:00

I wish I had some pictures from the neighborhood pool last weekend - Ben did amazing! But these baby pool pictures from our backyard are still pretty cute. Stay tuned for a video of one of Ben's favorite tricks, "diving" into the baby pool!

Pete calls this "riding the dinosaur" and roars as he crawls around, Ben loves it!

Going through the tunnel.

Ben Cuteness

2011-09-11T14:43:00.003-05:00

Just some cute Ben photos from the past week or so!

Hanging out with Grandpa.

Favorite new activity - pushing trucks around the backyard.

The excitement of yard day. There are lawnmowers out there!

The Park

2011-09-05T14:45:00.000-05:00

The heat wave finally broke and Ben has been thrilled to get to go to the park again! Things have sure changed since we first started letting him explore on his own. He has no fear! It is so much fun to watch him try new things.

These stairs are easy!

Getting to the big slide.

Ready to go on his own.

Slide!

Stopping for a snack.

He still LOVES the swings and on this particular trip we spent as much or more time in the swings, but my goodness it's hard to get a picture of the kiddo in the swing. I do wish you could see the grin on his face! He could swing all day.

Our Couch Potato

2011-09-04T14:45:00.003-05:00

No pants... check! Snack and drink... check! Slack expression... check! Our little couch potato!

20 Months

2011-08-30T12:48:00.002-05:00

Ben is twenty months old! I know I say this a lot, but he is so much fun. He talks all the time, and usually will repeat something until you acknowledge what he said. He makes three-word sentences all the time, like "open the door" or "come on, DJ" and many more. He still loves fruits and veggies more than meat but will eat almost anything if you give him something to dip it in. He loves to watch Thomas the Train and sometimes Bob the Builder or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. But "watch Thomas!" is the most often heard around here. We try to moderate, but I'll admit it's nice to have a couple minutes to get dinner ready (or write a blog post!). Luckily for this bookworm, something else we hear a lot is "read books!"

If you ask him where the baby is, he says Mommy's tummy, and when you ask if he's going to be a big brother, he gets a goofy big grin on his face. We've gotten a couple presents for the baby already, and so we're getting to practice learning that some things are for the baby, not Ben. He actually has done pretty well with that.

He still sleeps in his crib, but now always on his pillow under his blankie. He has about 15 stuffed animals in his bed, and will shove three or four of them under his chest before settling in to sleep. He can count to five, and we're working on colors though right now to him everything is red. We can't wait to see what the next month brings!

Laughing at DJ

2011-08-22T22:11:00.000-05:00

Giggles at DJ from Sarah Mikkelsen on Vimeo.

Quick video of Ben laughing. He is laughing at DJ scratching, so he says "itch" and shows how DJ is scratching his neck. Then Ben displays his fine motor skills with a good applesauce scoop - only exciting to his parents, I know.

23 Week Bump

2011-08-14T13:53:00.002-05:00

I think I'm actually doing better this time about taking bump pictures than I did when I was pregnant with Ben! Everything else I'm doing worse - forgetting to take my vitamin, not writing anything down, staying up too late... I'd better get my act together!

Ben Singing

2011-08-07T13:46:00.002-05:00

Ben Singing from Sarah Mikkelsen on Vimeo.

Ben loves to sing! Thanks to my narration, hopefully you can tell he's singing Happy Birthday (he just started singing this on his own one day, we figure a child in his daycare class must have had a birthday), Pop goes the Weasel, and the digger song from Bob the Builder.

First Barber Shop Haircut

2011-08-07T12:45:00.000-05:00

For his first 18 months of life, I kept Ben's hair under control with little scissor trims at home. Then I got ambitious and tried the clippers, so we were forced to take him to the barber shop to get it cleaned up. He did great!

I don't have a photo of the finished product, but it looked great, if a little short - he looked ready to enlist! You'll see in a bit in his monthly photo, after it's had a chance to grow in a little.

19 Months

2011-07-30T06:37:00.001-05:00

Ben is nineteen months old! He is so much fun. He repeats everything we say, and figures things out that surprise us all the time. And he remembers things from weeks ago! He is such a creature of habit - if we do things a certain way once or twice, he wants to do them that way every time. He says "stop... go!" at all the stop signs on the way to and from daycare, he throws his hands up in the air and says "we're here!" when we get to daycare, he shouts "all done!" when he's full and then "wash hands!" because one time we took him to the sink to wash his hands when he was really messy.

He puts his hand on the backdoor and says "outside, hot." I think that's Mommy's influence! In my defense, it is consistently around 100F these days! Our big development this month is that he sleeps on his pillow. We put a pillow in his crib around the time we found out I was pregnant because we wanted to start adjusting him to things for a big boy bed, but he ignored it. Grandma put him to bed on Friday and talked a lot about the little boy in Ben's "Chugga Chugga Choo Choo" book who was in bed on his pillow. When she went to put Ben in his crib she asked if he'd like to use his pillow and he nodded. He's done it ever since! It is so cute and looks so grown up.

I know there was more that happened this month but this is long enough! I want to try to get a video of him just being his cute self but he is obsessed with the camera and it just turns into him walking up to me and trying to take the camera. We'll work on it!

3rd Six Months

2011-07-25T14:45:00.000-05:00

As we approach the time to take Ben's 19-month photo, meaning I only have six more months of taking these if I stop at two years as planned, I thought it would be fun to show a collage of Ben's 13th to 18th months.

I feel like he has changed so much this year!

Brownies!

2011-07-24T13:48:00.002-05:00

The new baby really wanted some brownies, so Ben generously "helped" me make some this morning! I'd be worried about a sugar high, except I don't think much of the batter actually made it in his mouth...

20 Week Bump

2011-07-20T19:10:00.003-05:00

After very little change from 14 weeks to 18 weeks, I definitely had a little growth spurt between 18 and 20 weeks!

Water Table

2011-07-17T19:08:00.000-05:00

Peter built Ben an awesome water table! There's a fountain pump in a big bin, and you can connect pipe in so many ways. Different joints, pipe with holes, caps - Ben loves it! And he definitely still gets wet, which is usually his goal.

Lounging!

2011-07-07T19:05:00.000-05:00

Ben and Daddy lounging with a little Thomas the Train.

18 Week Bump

2011-07-07T18:35:00.004-05:00

18 Week Ultrasound

2011-07-05T16:33:00.001-05:00

We had our 18 week ultrasound and everything looks fantastic! The doctor confirmed it is either a boy or girl (everything is developing as it should) but we held strong and didn't find out the sex. As long as everything continues to go well, this will be our last ultrasound for a while!

Summer Haircut!

2011-07-04T18:34:00.000-05:00

I did it myself, so you're only allowed to tell me how cute it looks!

18 Months

2011-06-30T13:50:00.000-05:00

Ben is now 18 months old, officially a year and a half! It was such a fun month with Ben, as always. He does more and more on his own, and is getting really good at following directions. For example, for this month's photo, we didn't have Daddy's help. Ben came into his room when I asked, got his bear off the shelf, got in his chair, sat still and smiled for me, and put his bear back when we were done. Amazing! He loves playing in the water - our neighborhood pool, the sprinkler, the baby pool, doesn't matter. We went on a little road trip this month and he did great, though with his high energy level he definitely got tired of being in the car. He discovered TV this month, and loves to ask for "Thomas" (Thomas and Friends), "SoSaur" (Dinosaur Train), or "Mee Mouse" (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse). His weekend morning routine is now to ask for cheerios, milk, and usually Thomas, and often "Mama, lap!" TV is of course better in Mama's lap! We're trying to keep his habit under control but it is too funny to watch him kick back on the couch like a true couch potato. He interacts with his toys with so much imagination now, setting up little scenes with his nativity or pretending his jumbo legos are a boat. He eats a ton, and we haven't weighed him lately but he is BIG! Lots of people think he's closer to two when they see him. I'm looking forward to getting his official stats at his 18 month appointment next week!

Kemah Fun

2011-06-25T14:24:00.000-05:00

We headed over to Kemah to ride the train and play in the fountain, for a little change of pace. It's hard to find fun things to do in this heat!

Ready for the train ride.

A little scared of the nearby rides.

Hill Country Trip - Enchanted Rock

2011-06-18T14:13:00.000-05:00

Saturday of our Hill Country Trip we spent the morning at Enchanted Rock. We had a great hiking backpack some friends gave us after their kids grew out of it, and Ben seemed to really enjoy his ride! I carried him up Enchanted Rock and back down to save Pete's knee, and then Pete took over for a little trail walking before the heat drove us back to the car's A/C.

Ready for the summit.

Ben and Mama.

Happy for some freedom!

Good spot for a snack.

Riding around all day is tiring!

Hill Country Trip - Jersey Barnyard

2011-06-17T13:24:00.002-05:00

Our second stop on our Hill Country tour was the Jersey Barnyard. It's a working dairy farm, but also has a lot of rescued farm animals including goats, chickens, sheep, bunnies, etc. You can feed the goats, pet all the animals, and even feed the calves a bottle. It was a very hot afternoon (as evidenced by all the flushed cheeks) but Ben still had a fantastic time!

Hill Country Trip - Blue Bell Factory

2011-06-17T13:04:00.001-05:00

We took a little drive through the Hill Country on our way to visit Ben's godparents Lauren and Vito, and one of our first stop was the Blue Bell Factory in Brenham. Ben loved his Blue Bell hat, and was an even bigger fan of the ice cream sample at the end of the factory tour. A boy after his mama's heart!

Silly Grandma

2011-06-11T10:42:00.001-05:00

Ben got such a kick out of Grandma being silly with his new "punch balloon" - it's a short video but you get to see his great "yes" nod and hear his adorable laugh!

Ben's Nod & Laugh from Sarah Mikkelsen on Vimeo.

14 Week Bump

2011-06-09T13:22:00.000-05:00

Zoo with the Weids

2011-06-06T13:08:00.000-05:00

We made another trip to the zoo, this time with my sister and her family. Ben had a great time again! He really loves animals. He could spend his whole time in the petting zoo, those goats really don't mind his rough touch. He got pretty good with the brush this visit!

Sweet Miss Maggie!

Charlie feeding the giraffe.

Ben could have done this all day!

This goat came and laid down on my feet - and apparently got a little too comfortable judging by the wet spot!

Water Baby

2011-06-05T14:02:00.002-05:00

Testing the waters.

This feels good, Mama!

Still got the ball...

Corn!

2011-06-04T08:15:00.002-05:00

Ben got his first taste of corn on the cob on Memorial Day, and I think it's safe to say he's a fan!

Spoon Feeding

2011-06-03T17:17:00.000-05:00

But not the kind of spoon-feeding you do with an infant! As you can see, Ben had a lot of fun practicing with his spoon. More of the yogurt made it in his mouth than you might think from the pictures!

#2!

2011-05-31T16:25:00.003-05:00

Baby Mikke #2, coming sometime in early December (due date is 12/7/11)!!

17 Months

2011-05-30T16:14:00.001-05:00

Ben is 17 months old! He got a ton of teeth this month - three molars and finally two more front teeth just this past weekend. He is just in the last month really starting to enunciate his words, and has put two words together fairly often. "Hi, Daddy" "Where's Addie" and other phrases like that. It is so fun to see him learning language! He is obsessed with trains (he is distracted in these photos by his awesome Freight Trains book) and will say "choo choo" to anything that remotely looks like a train. He knows two of the kitties names (Hitch and Addie). He picks up on everything - I'll be talking to Peter about one of the cats being upstairs and all of a sudden he's at the baby gate shaking it and saying "upstairs!" He nods "yes" now in addition to shaking his head "no" which is very helpful, especially when he's cranky about something, which is still usually because he's hungry. I could go on and on! He is just so much fun.

What do you want me to do, Daddy?

Book Worm

2011-05-17T16:13:00.000-05:00

I came out from doing some things on the computer and found my boys reading on the couch. Ben LOVES books and will often disappear in his room to pull them off his shelf and flip through them. We like it when we get to participate!

Children's Museum

2011-05-07T16:05:00.000-05:00

Ben really enjoyed his first trip to the Children's Museum! We only took pictures in the toddler area but he also loved wandering around the grocery store, driving the police car, and playing outside in the water works area.

New Trick

2011-05-02T16:02:00.000-05:00

There's got to be a way to get to that kitty...

Whoa, incoming!

We need to do something about this traffic congestion!

16 Months

2011-05-01T21:07:00.006-05:00

Ben is 16 months old! I can sum up the changes this month with one word - talking! He repeats pretty much anything you say, and a lot of it is understandable now. He's learning his body parts (head, hair, eye, ear, mouth, teeth, tummy, belly button, feet...) and animal sounds (he knows monkey, duck, sheep, kitty, puppy, and sometimes frog). He can climb everywhere, onto kitchen chairs and onto our bed (which is quite a feat). I wish I could get to this monthly post and remember all the fun things he did during the month - maybe I need to take better notes!

Houston Zoo

2011-04-17T20:55:00.000-05:00

We took Ben to the zoo for the first time and he had so much fun! He got to feed a giraffe, and pet some animals that put up with his "gentleness" a lot better than DJ does. He also loved watching all the other kids there, and the squirrels and birds were just as good as the "real" animals.

Sprinkler Fun

2011-04-17T13:03:00.000-05:00

April weather in Texas is definitely warm enough for some time in the sprinklers! This was also part of our "get Ben used to water in his face" effort to help with bath time. He had a blast!

Strawberry Picking

2011-04-09T20:47:00.000-05:00

We took Ben to a local farm to pick strawberries with some friends. He had a great time, though he had trouble picking the strawberries without squishing them. He was demoted to just putting the strawberries in the bucket but luckily still enjoyed himself!

Backyard Bath

2011-04-08T20:35:00.003-05:00

Lately Ben has not been enjoying his bath. You just tell him it's time for a bath and he starts to cry, it's quite pitiful. We honestly just aren't giving him baths that often these days. He really needed a bath tonight, though, and we just didn't want it to be a big deal - so we went country and gave him a bath in the backyard! He had so much fun!

(He was distracted by an airplane!)

Proof he did actually get clean during all the fun!

15 Months

2011-04-04T19:54:00.004-05:00

Despite the lack of blogging (and actual lack of almost any March pictures), this has been a great month. Well, I did have to spend some time away from my boys. And Peter did have knee surgery. Hmm. I still think of it as a great month - it is hard to be down around Ben! He is hilarious. He is getting so vocal, and I don't even think I can list all his new words... bird, airplane, tow truck, mail, tree... I could go on! He's also starting to say things more spontaneously - bye bye when he sees a car driving away, and identifying things he sees. He prefers to sit in his booster seat at the kitchen table instead of in his high chair. He gets very whiny when he is hungry. He goes to bed like a champ but hates taking a bath. I feel like he looks so huge in his teddy bear picture this month... I can't wait to see his stats at his doctor appointment this week!

14 Months

2011-02-28T17:41:00.004-06:00

Today Ben is 14 months old! Our bathroom scale says he is closing in on 29 pounds, and he can definitely reach things he couldn't before. His favorite words are still "ball" and "throw" but he has added many more, including Grandma, Grandpa, Nana, all done, and down. He pats his hand over his food and says "hot!" We are practicing with a spoon and fork at mealtime (still very preliminary!) and we are told at school he sits at a little table at lunch time and gets his food on a plate. I'm trying to figure out a way to get by to see that, it just sounds so grown up. Ben is starting to really understand us; yesterday in the front yard I asked him if he could bring me a leaf and he did, or I can ask him to put his ball in the basket and he will. He knows what it means to "watch your step" and he can go over the threshold of the house without holding on or falling (some of the time). He runs everywhere with his arms back and his tummy out, and is very curious about anything new. He is just seeming like such a big boy these days!

Ready for Mardi Gras!

2011-02-18T22:26:00.003-06:00

Grandma put a bunch of beads in one of her kitchen drawers for Ben, and boy does he love to play in it! This week suddenly he could put the necklaces around his neck himself. He was having so much fun!!

Monthly Photo Challenge

2011-02-08T15:02:00.000-06:00

I love having Ben's monthly bear photo, but it's getting to be a challenge to take a good one! He is just so active, and it has definitely become a team effort to get him, the bear, and a smile, all in the same shot.

He would much rather climb on the ottoman and rock back and forth:

Or stand up in his chair:

And it is so much fun to push the bear overboard:

Ball!

2011-02-07T14:50:00.001-06:00

I took these pictures for two reasons - to document one of Ben's favorite things and also because this outfit just kills me. What is it about a plaid flannel shirt with jeans that is so adorable?? Most of the time now, if he isn't asking to go outside, Ben is running around with a ball, usually saying "ball ball ball ball" and sometimes "throw!" It is hilarious.

Contemplating - yes, these are both dog toys, try telling that to Ben.

"Ball!"

Why only hold one ball...

...when there's a whole basket of more!

"Ball!"

13 Months

2011-02-06T14:40:00.003-06:00

Ben is thirteen months old! Well, he has been for a week. What a big boy he is becoming! He has two new teeth, and now has four total; he loves to use them to tear off bites of tortilla, cheese, graham cracker, just about anything. He moves so fast now, he can almost run, and he can get up and down the stairs safely though definitely still requires supervision. His language is exploding - a few new words include ball, milk, cheese, jammies, down... and many more. Granted, not all are understandable outside the family, but we know what he's trying to say! He loves going outside, especially to play with Daddy's remote-controlled truck and go for rides in his wagon. Ben is 100% on table food and cow's milk now, which has sure simplified meal time. He prefers his food unmixed - plain noodles and plain tomatoes are good, but lasagna usually gets thrown on the floor. The transition from bottles to cups was too easy, and dropping the bedtime bottle pretty much went without a hitch, too. Just say "okay, it's time for jammies!" and he heads into his room to start the bedtime routine. I could just go on and on - Ben's personality has really blossomed this month!

Winter Hammocking

2011-01-27T13:13:00.000-06:00

Since Ben really (really) loves going outside, we have to come up with new things to do. Often we drive around Pete's remote-controlled truck in the front yard, or walk around the block with Ben's wagon. But for some backyard fun, there's always the hammock!

Loving the Park

2011-01-26T09:05:00.002-06:00

Ben loves going to the park in his new wagon!

He can go down the slide by himself!

This (with some cute babbling) means he's not done swinging yet:

Webb Visit

2011-01-25T14:56:00.002-06:00

Last week we got a quick visit from our good friend Jeanine and her sweet boys, Thomas and Nathanael. The boys all had so much fun playing together!

It's hard to get three little boys to sit still for a picture!

We even recreated our belly picture from last October when we were both still pregnant. Here we are in October:

And here we are now!

Typical Night

2011-01-24T17:49:00.000-06:00

Ben has so much fun playing in the evenings! It is so much fun to just sit and watch him, or play with him when he lets us join in.

Ben actually doesn't usually watch TV even when we put on a kid show for him, but he LOVES Wheel of Fortune!

Ben got a cute nativity playset for Christmas and he asks us to open it all the time so he can play with the animals and people.

Finally, he finds a book. This is his Vehicles book so he pretty much constantly makes is "pbbbbb" noise, his version of vroom vroom.

Game Day!

2011-01-23T20:45:00.002-06:00

While I haven't posted anything in the New Year... well, actually, I haven't been taking a lot of pictures, either. I'll be doing a little catch up over the next couple days. Here is Pete and Ben on Aggie Bowl Game day! Too bad it wasn't a win for the Aggies.

Christmas Morning

2010-12-31T11:19:00.000-06:00

Ben still doesn't really understand that something fun will be inside fancy wrapped packages, but he had fun tearing at wrapping paper and playing with his new toys!

Admiring the "pretty lights."

Playing with his new race track.

He loves books!

Thanks, Virginia Mikkelsens!

Open it faster, Mommy!

Loving his new train. Thanks Don and Pat!

12 Months

2010-12-30T11:14:00.003-06:00

Happy birthday, Benjamin! I can't believe how fast the past year has gone by. Benjamin is more little boy than baby now. He talks almost constantly - his latest new word is "throw." He follows directions amazingly well. I can say "go find Daddy, he's in your bedroom" and he'll just toddle off straight to his room and say "hi, Daddy!" He never ceases to amaze us. We can show him something once and he's got it figured out, like the button to turn on the Christmas tree lights, or he'll figure it out on his own, like the latch to release his new monkey-in-the-box. I could just go on and on. Everyday Peter and I look at each other and ask "did you see that?" Our baby is growing up!

1-Year Portraits

2010-12-29T20:07:00.000-06:00

For those of you not on Facebook I thought you'd like to see a few of Ben's 1-year portraits. I thought they came out so well. He looks so grown up!

If the cat can do it...

2010-12-28T21:24:00.001-06:00

... so can I!

New Shoes

2010-12-26T08:42:00.000-06:00

Ben has his first pair of real shoes! This is long overdue - after his poor little suede-bottomed robeez were so wet walking around at Thanksgiving dinner, I knew he needed real shoes. I think they make him look so grown up!

Freezer Pop

2010-12-24T08:39:00.000-06:00

We were pretty sure Ben would do great with his birthday cake because he has definitely demonstrated quite a sweet tooth. Here he is "sharing" Daddy's freezer pop.