saints game

Well, we didn't win (Booo!!) but I was able to take both kiddos to the Saints game yesterday (by myself!! yikes!!)

Since I was by myself--this is the ONLY picture I got--it is the new Champions Square--I took it before the game:

It looked really nice and they have GREAT food from GREAT New Orleans Restaurants out there, but that will have to be something I experience with some HELP! 

Let me just say I DO NOT go anywhere with both of the kids by myself--I learned my lesson: A few weeks ago at Target (which was our last of many errands) Bennett had a meltdown! She was over being in her car seat and was hungry since we had stayed out a little too long!  Porter starts yelling (over her screams)--"MOM--BABY BENNETT IS CRYYYYIIIINNNNGGG!! MAKE HER STOP! GIVE HER HER PASSY!!" all while holding his ears! 

Like me and every one else in Target didn't know she was screaming :)

With ALL that said I still braved it and took both of them!  It was fun and they both did great!  I did not have the parking pass (won't make that mistake again!) & I didn't realize with the new Champions Square the garage I would normally park in (without a pass) was blocked!!  Sooo we had to park a little further that I was thinking! 

Porter was super excited!  He loves going to the games, and seeing all the crazy people dressed up outside of the dome :)  

The whole way walking in he kept saying "hey, I'm Porter. I'm three!" to everyone we passed--then looking up at me and saying, "see mama, I'm not shy!"  Nope, definitely not shy that one :)

They both stayed at "game day camp" which is just a daycare inside the dome for the game...originally I was going to let Porter sit in the seats for a half--but he was having too much fun!  I knew as soon as we walked in and he saw all the toys/kids he wasn't going to go with me! 

Bennett was good and was happy to see me after the game :)  It was exciting to see her recognize me and smile and kick when I came to pick her up!

Porter was another story--he thought when I picked him up that we were going to the game...and needless to say he was quite upset when we left the dome!  He was so confused why he didn't go "to the saints football"

BUT he was happy with a happy meal on the way home, and got to go through his "goody bag" he got at "camp" and had a little fun with the tattoo's and stickers:

Please excuse he has no clothes--He thinks as soon as you walk in the door you need to undress!

And Bennett was quite the party girl at camp and didn't nap!  So she was exhausted and crashed:

Some things from Porter during the day:
**when I was checking him out to leave, his "teacher" came up to me and said she just had to tell me how cute and good Porter was and that he had so much personality!  Apparently he told all of them he was having so much fun, but "my mama is really missing me right now" :)  He was very concerned that I was out there missing him! 

**when we were walking back to our car, I had Bennett in the sling and Porter was holding my hand--as we were coming up on a cross walk and a large group of people waiting to cross, I leaned down and quietly told Porter to make sure he held on tight--to which he replied very LOUDLY, "I need to hold on tight to you because these people might grab me and take me away??"  I was MORTIFIED!  But I didn't know what to say--I definitely wasn't going to tell him he was wrong!??!  When we were clear of people I affirmed what Porter had said-- and that he was right to hold on tight :)

In Bennett news she is soooo good now :)  NOT that she wasn't good before, but I was used to Porter as a baby and he never cried!  She's so happy and sleeps through the night (hallelujah!) from about 10-5:30 or 6, eats and then goes back to sleep until about 9:30-10am!  She started doing this a couple of weeks ago, but in the last week, we've had 6 nights in a row so here's hoping it sticks!! It could not have come at a better time with Ryan being gone for almost 2 weeks!!

Cannot believe she's almost 2 months old!!

what gets me through...

I'm not gonna lie--it's HARD having two little ones at home while trying to work/sew, keep house clean, laundry, etc., etc., etc., ALL while Ryan is gone for weeks at a time!  Luckily these 2 faces make it all worth it & get me through those rough days where we go to bed with a dirty house and work undone ;)!

I will also say Bennett sleeping through the night sure does help out a lot too :)

happy fall y'all

Today is the first day of fall...too bad that really doesn't mean fall weather in south Louisiana! 

Regardless, I finally appliqued Bennett a shirt!  She is also 7 weeks today--I can't believe it's taken me this long to applique something for her!  Well, actually I can! ha!

I did have a couple of monogrammed gowns, but sadly she's already outgrown them!

Hopefully this shirt will last us all fall :) and here's also hoping it cools off so she can wear it!

my little pumpkin in her pumpkin shirt!

I swear she was smiling a split second before I took this pic!  

***isn't bennett's headband cute?!  It was a gift from Ryan's best friend and his wife {thanks steve & molly!}--luckily it came with the name brand on the package!  It's by  ZUZII and they have an etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ZUZII !  I have already ordered Bennett a couple more and she'll be wearing her black one to the game on Sunday {her very FIRST Saints game to attend--more on that later!} :)

game day

The Saints have a Monday Night Football game tonight against the 49ers!!  The Hollern kids are READY!! 

Who Dat??!!  Go Saints!

**when I was getting Porter his jersey and "saints" crocs on for school today he said, "wait, I gotta go get my saints cowbell too!"  ha!  He was a little confused about his teams :) 

look alikes...

When Bennett was born and the first couple of weeks we were home with her, I thought she looked just like Porter!  No one else thought this!  I snapped this pic of her this morning, and when I saw it, I immediately thought of a picture of Porter I have when he was exactly 2 months old...I definitely see a resemblance even if no one else does!

                                Bennett (6.5 weeks)                                                Porter (2 months)

she might be a little chunkier than Porter :)

fairy tales

Porter likes to read before bed, usually I'll read him a book or two, and then he gets a few minutes to "read" to himself...he came out last night with this big book, and said "this is the book I want to read before I go to bed". 

Meaning, "I don't plan on going to bed anytime soon" :)

After he started "reading": "...and then the dragon ate the princess" I realized we might need to work on our fairy tales a little better!  And let me him know that they have happier endings than that!

6 weeks

Bennett is 6 weeks old today!  

She is definitely showing us her personality more & more every day...She loves the bouncy seat now and will spend more than 2 minutes in it at a time!  She also LOVES her crib mobile--I just wish I could turn it on and it NOT go off--she'll be so happy at night in her crib, until it turns off :)

She could have sat like this in her crib and watched her mobile for hours today:

She started smiling REAL BIG smiles 2 days ago--she had been doing smiles for a couple of weeks, but a couple of days ago we got a HUGE gummy smile!  She's always happy and ready to smile after she eats.

I went back and added her one month stats to that post {since I yet to have her a baby book--but I hope one day I find one I like, and I can go back and fill it all in :)} but they were:

10lbs 2oz--80%

22.5 in--75%

Best I could get of a smile--she smiles so big until you get the camera out and then just looks confused--you think she'd be used to a lens in her face by now??!

She has outgrown her newborn clothes {luckily she can still wear the nice nb ones like the daygowns, smocked bishops--but all the onesies, footed pj's, etc. are goners :( } and is filling up the 0-3m ones

These pictures were taken in a 6m outfit!  Even though she's only 10lbs, she seems soooo much bigger!!

Definitely a "Ryan" look:

a split second before she fell over--this was probably mid fall (hence the surprised expression!)

She is also sleeping soooo good at night {knock on wood} and is sleeping through the night (7 hours) a few days a week!!  Whooo hooo!!! She still sleeps a total of about 12 hours--with one long stretch of 6-7 hours, and then 2 short 2hour stretches in the mornings.  We still have some nights where she goes about 4-5 hours and then every 2-3 BUT we're ALL getting much more sleep even then!

Porter still loves his baby sister--I was wondering how he would do when everyone was here last weekend and Bennett getting attention, but he did so good!  He wasn't jealous and was glad to share his baby sister :)

A funny Porter story from today:  There was a show on ESPN today about the Saints and an in-depth look at the onside kick in the superbowl.  During it, they showed clips of the team at the white house and there was a semi-closeup shot of Ryan behind the President...I paused it and rewinded to show Porter and he FREAKED OUT!  He was so excited and we had to watch it at least 10 times!  He was waving and yelling at Daddy, and it took him a few times to figure out that Daddy couldn't wave back! ha!

cousins

Porter & Bennett's cousins came to visit last weekend!  We had a great time with Kensi & Erin (and Uncle Matt & Aunt Liz too!)...I'm too tired to type anymore so I'll let the pictures do the talking!  (besides there are so many pics, I'm sure no one wants to ready anything anyway ;))

Erin- 4 1/2 years old

Porter- 3 1/3 years old

Kensi- 7 years old

bennett's newborn pictures

Bennett's newborn photo's are on the photographer's blog/website and also on her facebook page
{add her as a friend and see all of her wonderful pictures plus some more of little Benentt!} now!  These were taken when she was six days old!  It's amazing that she's already changed so much (and lost MOST of her hair now too!)

Photos by Mandie Newsom {Captured by Mandie Newsom Photography}

Oh, and leave a comment on Bennett's blog post and we'll win a free print :)

park: revisited

Last week, I took Porter (along with Bennett) to the park since the weather is a little cooler now!  Needless to say it was stressful!!  I took my camera, but didn't get any pictures since Porter only wanted to run away from me (and my camera) and Bennett only wanted to be held!

We went back for a more successful trip today and I took some backup along!

Porter was excited to say the least:

He still tries to run away or act "sad" when he sees the camera, but he had a great time running off some energy!

he insisted on pushing the "big kids" on the astro instead of riding in it himself...

which inevitably wore him out!

which of course leads to a near meltdown--it was at this point that he said it was time to go HOME and NO more pictures:

Somehow though the 5 minute car ride re-energized him plenty!

Oh, and Bennett enjoyed her time at the park much better this time too: