SO...what can I tell you about our lives since my last post?? Tons, I'm sure. I might have to break it up into a few posts (at least the pictures!).
Bennett has been a fun addition to our family. He is a very low-key and content baby. When I had Brenton I really thought he was an "easy" baby, and he was, but Bennett is a whole new (different) experience of an "easy" baby! Brenton's personality and Bennett's personality are almost exactly opposite in every way. Where they are not exactly opposite, they are exactly the same! Lol...if that makes any sense at all! After Bennett was born it took me about 2 weeks to realize that the things that "worked" for Brenton were not going to work for Bennett and with everything that I tried-- I needed to do the opposite. Haha...what a learning experience! Motherhood is never dull...
I had a great labor experience this time and am very happy that I switched doctors for my pregnancy with Bennett. We had some especially new/different experiences ("firsts") with Bennett. He experienced some jaundice for the first week and we had to use a light therapy blanket at home. He also got an eye infection very early, but it went away quickly. Bennett did great with nursing and I was thankful for a much better experience with that. He hated the bath for the first few months...yes, months. He seems to be much more of an introvert than Brenton and I quickly realized he did not like to go, go, go constantly like his brother or be the center of attention for too long. He has always seemed to enjoy being at home, having "down time", and especially sleeping in his own bed. Bennett is a very mellow baby. He likes to just. chill. :)
We started cereal around 4 months just as we had with Brenton and baby food shortly after...and Bennett was not thrilled. He made some of the funniest faces I've ever seen when I would put new textures in his mouth! It did start to grow on him after a few weeks, but he continues to surprise me with his preferences. There have been so many things I have tried with Bennett and have gotten the reaction-- 'you've got to be kidding me, mom!' in the way he looks at me!!! These boys may look alike, but boy are they different! It has been really fun for us to learn and grow and change- oh, life!
Right around the 6 month mark Bennett began to sit up on his own, roll over and finally quit waking up at 4am to eat! Since that time he has been developing and changing much more rapidly. He started saying "da-da" the last weekend in August (after my week long attempt at getting him to say "ma-ma" while I was home with the boys- stinker!). He loves to hold your fingers and walk everywhere. He will also walk on his own if holding on to the couch, etc. He chatters all the time and when he is frustrated he holds his fists out in front of himself and tenses up into a shake and yells and scowls- it's hilarious! I keep telling him he needs to learn some words because this momma does not communicate well that way!! He looks like he wants to crawl, but has not figured out how to actually use the crawling position to move. This week he figured out a new method of transportation that seems to be working for him, though-- he scoots anywhere he wants on his booty! I'll try to post a video on here, but you may have to track that on facebook.
Brenton has been a wonderful big brother-- very helpful and OVERLY involved most of the time...as he is in everything in life! haha! Brenton continually amazes us with his ability to process and understand. Travis and I have tried to spell things that we don't want him to hear since he first started paying so much attention to our conversations and that no longer works- he usually figures out what we're talking about very quickly. He LOVES school (he started pre-k this fall) and comes home daily with something new he's learned, made a connection with or associated with something else. He has a way better memory than I do and you can just see it in his eyes that he is cataloging new knowledge every second of every day. He is SO smart! Today at lunch, for example, he was discussing the need to aerate your yard with my older sister! ha! I just cannot imagine what he's going to be like as a teenager!
Toward the end of the summer my dad lost his job and my parents made the difficult decision to sell their house and move back to Wichita. We are thrilled to have them close again and actually my parents are watching the kiddos now so they have a blast every day! We continue to pray that God will show them the direction He has for their lives. My little sister, Moriah (not so little as she is a junior in HS), is living with us and is attending NW (where I went!). Travis and I joke that we adopted a teenager and that was never in our immediate plans-- parents are supposed to have 13 years to prepare for teenagers and we just jumped right into it! Haha...we are having fun with her here. My other little sister, Maranda (also not so little as she will be 20 tomorrow!), is studying Missions at Southern Nazarene University and is currently abroad for the semester in Ecuador! The amazing thing is that they are on the same time zone in Ecuador-- so with Skype and texting and all of the other wonderful technology we have now it isn't much different than when she is in Oklahoma (except that we won't see her until December). We are especially thankful for Skype, etc. and are trying to get better at using them because Maranda thinks she might be gone again next semester...and because my older sister and her husband, Michelle and Jason, will be moving to Miami at the end of this week. Michelle and Jason are SO close to us and our boys- we will be missing them like crazy, but we know this is an awesome opportunity for them. Plus, who can argue with a vacation in Miami?!?!?!
Ok...here are some pictures!
They are always SO tiny at first! :)
Bennett's dedication.
Surprise shower the day after Christmas!
Big brother-- in action!
Brenton LOVES to play in the snow!
Tulsa Zoo
Branson
The Hollywood Wax Museum in Branson-- hilarious to see Brenton looking at these!
4th of July
Big boy's 4th birthday!
Super-awesome birthday swing-set thanks to many family members!
Shower for new nephew, Maysen Joe, born Friday 9/23! :)
Washing dishes...mostly getting wet!
Ok...I know this is like the longest post ever...I'll quit! There is so much more that I could write and SO many more pictures I could post, but for now that will have to do! I am in the process of transferring pictures from my phone to the computer- it's amazing how little we use the "real" camera now! Hope to hear from you all soon!
Meagan
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