one month

Bennett is one month old today! And you know what that means...photoshoot! ha!  

Both of my kids are going to hate having their picture made!  Porter is actually getting a little better, because he wants to be in the pics with Bennett--but when she figures out she hates the camera, I'm in trouble!

Case in point: she really wasn't into having a camera lens in her face today--she did NOT want to give up the paci!

It's hard to believe it's already been one whole month since she was born!!  It's gone by soooo fast, and is very bitter sweet! While I'm ready for her to get a little older and sleep a little longer at night, it's sad to know that she's already growing up so fast before our eyes! 

Things Bennett loves at one month:

being held

her paci

eating--she's even had a couple of bottles and she likes them a little more

porter (especially when he's being silly--she'll stare at him forever!)

sleeping in our bed in the mornings with daddy (I think they both like that!)

the swing, bouncy seat, playmat

her hands (they are always in her face!)

bathtime

her crib mobile (even though it totally clashes with her bedding ;))

see:

Things she doesn't like:

NOT being held :)

losing her paci when she's trying to sleep

Porter's singing (it's a little loud & high pitched)

wet/dirty diapers

being naked--she likes her clothes!  good thing since we have so many!
the swing, bouncy seat, playmat (it's a love/hate thing)

Some days I think we have a "schedule" and then the next day I realize we have NONE!  She sleeps from about 10pm-10am getting up about 2-3 times to eat.  She nurses about every 3 hours--sometimes more during the day and less at night (which I'll take!! I need all the extra sleep I can get!)
But we're thankful for every exhausting day with her!!

She was sooo over having her picture made today...I really wanted to have her professional newborn pictures done here at home, so I could get some in her crib...since that didn't work out I decided to take some today. (looking back I should have done them a few weeks ago when you could move her, etc and she would just sleep right through it!)
The lighting in her room is terrible, and she was not giving up her paci without screaming so this is the best I got!

her "stats" at one month:
10 pounds 2 ounces--80%
22.5 inches in length--75%

sneak peek

Here's a sneak peek from Bennett's newborn photo's by Mandie Newsome Photography! Can''t wait to see the rest! 

And here's some pics I got last night when Porter & Bennett were watching football :)

smile

Porter will do anything for Bennett to smile at him...

She thinks he's crazy for the most part...

But eventually she'll smile for him...

They definitely love each other

and Porter is still obsessed with her "little cute feet" as he calls them

Porter & Bennett's cute matching shirts are from Little Button Designs on etsy (also on facebook)
We also have matching "Saints" shirts for the first game :)
Love these shirts, and they're all $12 so that's even better!  The crab shirts above were actually on $10 since they were the "shirt of the month"!

brother & sister

They love each other sooo much!  Porter things Bennett is the best thing ever, and she just stares at him whenever he's around!  He definitely gets her full attention (which how could you not, since he's into everything and constantly talking/going/running/etc!)

I was taking pictures of Bennett and Porter just came up and sat with her...I didn't even tell him to kiss her (I'm usually telling him to STOP kissing/touching her!)

Since I'm usually saying, "don't touch her face...don't kiss her anymore...that's enough love, Porter--etc., etc.!" he was asking, "can I kiss her here??"

after mommy's approval:

I still can't believe how well Porter has adjusted to having a baby sister...he is so funny these days and just told me today that he wanted me to be his guinea pig and he'd be the big bad wolf (I think we're getting "wonder pets" mixed up with the 3 little pigs)!

He is in his 3rd week of "school" and LOVES going!  But 2:30 sure does come fast on Monday, Wednesday, & Friday!!

I swear he's grown by several inches & pounds since we brought Bennett home!!  He seems SOOOOO big now :(

He has a great imagination, and loves playing "superheroes" and "bad guys"--and will now only wear "superhero" underwear!

love my sweet boy! 

I also can't believe that Bennett is just a couple of days shy of 4 weeks!!  These past 4 weeks have FLOWN by (I sure hope this week flies by also since I'm a single parent this week now that Ryan's back on the road!)

She is getting bigger--somewhere around 10-11 pounds and loves to eat! 

She's already outgrowing her newborn clothes :(  

Ryan got a real (half) smile last night--she kind of did it for me today but she'd rather smile for Daddy :)

She still likes to sleep A LOT which is fine by me because when she's awake she wants to be HELD! 

She hates for her diaper to be dirty/wet and lets you know it!

 She is staring to like her "toys" a little more each day!

Just today she had a little fun on the playmat:

it was a little short lived however...

...but just flip her over and she's happy again!  She LOVES tummy time!

breakfast of champions

Last week, one morning before I started getting ready I asked Porter if he wanted me to fix him breakfast.  He kept insisting that he wasn't hungry and didn't want anything!  So I left him watching tv in the living room while I went to get ready...a few minutes later I hear him coming in our bedroom, and telling me through the bathroom door that he had fixed his own breakfast, but his top wouldn't fit on his "bowl".  This is what I found when I opened the door:

When I told a very upset Porter that his top wouldn't fit because he had too many m&m's in his bowl, and that in order for it to fit, he had to take some out, he says, "that's ok, I don't need a top anymore"!  

After going to the kitchen, I found a chair next to the cabinet with his bowls, and his bathroom stool in the pantry!  I still don't know how he reached the m&m's, since they were hidden on the top shelf!? 

Needless to say, we're not letting Porter fix breakfast just yet!

chunky monkey

I have a new nickname for Bennett (don't tell Porter though, he ONLY wants her to be called by her name!): Chunky Monkey!!  She is 3 weeks today and growing like a weed--I think it probably has to do with the fact that she likes to eat every 2 hours!  She had her first bottle this week, and I had put 3 ounces in it, thinking she'd probably only take about 2--boy was I wrong--she was still hungry and easily took another 2 ounces!!

I weighed her (by weighing myself, then myself with her--so it's not totally accurate) and she weighs about 10-11 pounds!  Or about the size Porter was when he was 2 months old!  She's already outgrowing clothes (so sad!!) and doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon!

This was "pre dinner" tonight:

Porter still LOVES Bennett so much, and is so sweet with her!  He asks every night to give her a bath--I think it's his favorite time of day since he gets to help :)

She loves bath time too--quite the opposite of Porter (but I'm finding that she's pretty much opposite of Porter in every way!)

We're still doing good, and I'm hanging in there!!  Going from 1 to 2 wasn't that bad, but I will say that the timing of Ryan going back to work (which if you didn't know means he's GONE and on the road A LOT until November!) has been a little hard!  Tuesdays and Thursdays (when they're both home) are KILLER!  I've also been battling some type of infection/virus for the past week or so and running fever so that doesn't help, but Daddy comes home tomorrow and we're ALL excited!! 

Bennett is a good baby, but not nearly as good/easy as Porter was!  But that's not really saying anything because he was an exceptionally good baby (I actually was worried that something was wrong with him because he didn't cry and asked his Dr. about it when he was 2 months old!)  But overall she's pretty good, and is on a good schedule as far as sleeping (I thought for awhile she was starting to get her days/nights mixed up--eeek!) and is getting more and more alert during the day every day.

She is also getting to where she doesn't mind NOT being held all of the time, and is staring to like the swing/bouncy seat more and more--which makes my day a lot easier :)

And Porter has been soooo good (besides making a few messes) and patient that she requires so much attention...I think he actually likes it since he gets away with much more than normal ;)

As tired as I am, and as dirty as my house it, I definitely wouldn't change a thing!

our (attempted) family picture

I had my high school reunion this weekend, so before we left, I wanted to get a "family" picture of the 4 of us...let's just say it's a little hard to get a picture of ALL of us...

The first few pics Porter refused to look at the camera, and then when we finally got him to look, I realized that there wasn't a card in the camera...so we had to do it all over again...

The best we got:

{and I thought about making him put on some pants, but that would have been an even BIGGER fight!}

Porter thinks taking pictures is TORTURE--he sees me get the camera and he RUNS:

And here are some pics of Bennett (she doesn't know yet that she doesn't like to have her picture made!)--I tried to get Porter to take some with her, but we were outside taking them and he told me it was too hot and refused! 

a visit from nana

Nana came to see us yesterday!  Porter was at school, but she took Bennett & I out to eat for my birthday!  We had so much fun, and can't wait to see you again, Nana!

Bennett loved the fact that Nana was here and she got to be held the entire time!

tiny hands & tiny feet

I LOVE tiny baby hands & feet...especially my own sweet baby's :)

she likes to "hold hands"

And unfortunately she has my big BIG toe...

"enough with the pics already"

Bennett is now two weeks...she is a good baby {though she's a LITTLE more demanding than Porter was!--guess that's a girl for you!}

Bennett at 2 weeks--still smiling!

like father, like daughter :)

She sleeps well, and gets up about every 3-4 hours at night but goes right back down after eating 

she LOVES her hands, and there usually always in her face

she LOVES being held {hence the more demanding part}

she likes to sleep on her tummy--and of course she's supposed to sleep on her back {Porter also loved sleeping tummy down, and as soon as he could roll over, he would immediately roll over when you put him to bed}

she is so fun, and Porter still LOVES her to death!  

She had brought so much joy to our lives, and we can't even imagine life without Bennett in it and she's only been here 2 weeks....in fact I almost forgot my birthday this year (today)...and seeing as I used to celebrate all week {or month!}, you can definitely tell that little Bennett (as well as Porter) have changed the priorities around here :)

Ok, back to the fun task of folding clothes while Porter's still at day care (which he begged to go to!) and Bennett is not demanding to be held! So yeah, birthday's have definitely changed around here!!