Merry Montage Christmas
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Thursday, December 15, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Moving along
The past few days, when I go to get Ben out of his crib in the morning, I've found him on all fours rocking back and forth. Really? He just turned 6 months! I shouldn't really be too surprised since Jack started crawling around 7 months but I just figured his 'roundness' would hinder him a bit, haha! It's really cute though..you can tell he wants to get going and chase Jack around so bad but he's just not there yet. I'm thinking things will REALLY get interesting then. :) I took this video this morning (it's so dark due to the crappy weather we've been having lately). It was intended to be just of Ben but Jack put on a little show too..so stinking cute!
Ben Rockin' and Jack Singin'
Ben Rockin' and Jack Singin'
My favorite time of year :)
I love, love, love fall. Really, if it could be 65 with changing leaves and crisp air all year round, I'd be a happy girl. :) I'm still working on my fall decoration "stash" but I love what we have so far.
I swear that I dust and had JUST dusted this like 2 days before I put these up..darn black furniture!
Happy Fall! :)
I swear that I dust and had JUST dusted this like 2 days before I put these up..darn black furniture!
Happy Fall! :)
Monday, September 26, 2011
Yup, asking for votes :)
Vote for Ben! I entered him into a Cute Kid contest to try and win a photo session and would love to have a chance to win.
Cute Kid Contest
If you'd like to help us out, just 'like' Gail Anne Photography and then 'like' Ben's photo. You have to like both for the vote to count. Thank you! :)
Cute Kid Contest
If you'd like to help us out, just 'like' Gail Anne Photography and then 'like' Ben's photo. You have to like both for the vote to count. Thank you! :)
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
6 Months!
Guess who's 6 months??!!
I can't, can't believe Ben is 6 months already. Seriously, where is the time going? It's really so bittersweet. While I'm SO happy he's more independent everyday, I do miss the cuddly newborn. He's so much fun now though (as I hear him starting to fuss in his room, haha!).
6 months stats..he's 21 lb and 27.5 inches. He's in the 95% for weight and 80% for height. He's still catching up height-wise, haha! He's definitely my solid little man but I love it. (For comparison, Jack was only 17lb and 26in at 6 months. There is only 6lb between them now..Jack is a 27lb 2 1/2 year old, haha!) Things he's doing now are sitting up like pro. He can go 20+ minutes before getting bored or tipping over. I don't have to put pillows around him anymore but I do put him in the middle of the floor just in case he does tip. I don't want him hitting his head on furniture! He's rolling all over and seems like he's trying to crawl (must be hard to pick that big, 21 lb butt off the floor, haha!). He can scoot himself backward but is still trying to work on moving forward. He'll spin himself around in circles on his belly though. He's grabbing everything and babbling up a storm. He also 'purrs' which is really cute. :) I need to get it on video..he does seem to do it when he's happy. He's LOVING Jack right now and gets a kick out of his big brother! It's awesome to see them sort of interact with each other. He does laugh but not nearly as hard as he does when Jack does something he thinks is funny. Jack gets a kick out of that too. I can tell there will be some battles in the months to come with toys though..we're working on the sharing thing with Jack but I know he won't like it once Ben can really get a hold of his toys! We've also started giving him more food. I've made some sweet potatoes, squash, apples and pears so we'll see how that goes. He's doing great and is such a happy baby most of the time. I THINK he's teething but it's always so hard to tell since all babies chew and drool. If he takes after Jack he won't be getting any until at least 9 1/2 months. Looking forward to updating with some pumpkin patch pics! :)
6 months stats..he's 21 lb and 27.5 inches. He's in the 95% for weight and 80% for height. He's still catching up height-wise, haha! He's definitely my solid little man but I love it. (For comparison, Jack was only 17lb and 26in at 6 months. There is only 6lb between them now..Jack is a 27lb 2 1/2 year old, haha!) Things he's doing now are sitting up like pro. He can go 20+ minutes before getting bored or tipping over. I don't have to put pillows around him anymore but I do put him in the middle of the floor just in case he does tip. I don't want him hitting his head on furniture! He's rolling all over and seems like he's trying to crawl (must be hard to pick that big, 21 lb butt off the floor, haha!). He can scoot himself backward but is still trying to work on moving forward. He'll spin himself around in circles on his belly though. He's grabbing everything and babbling up a storm. He also 'purrs' which is really cute. :) I need to get it on video..he does seem to do it when he's happy. He's LOVING Jack right now and gets a kick out of his big brother! It's awesome to see them sort of interact with each other. He does laugh but not nearly as hard as he does when Jack does something he thinks is funny. Jack gets a kick out of that too. I can tell there will be some battles in the months to come with toys though..we're working on the sharing thing with Jack but I know he won't like it once Ben can really get a hold of his toys! We've also started giving him more food. I've made some sweet potatoes, squash, apples and pears so we'll see how that goes. He's doing great and is such a happy baby most of the time. I THINK he's teething but it's always so hard to tell since all babies chew and drool. If he takes after Jack he won't be getting any until at least 9 1/2 months. Looking forward to updating with some pumpkin patch pics! :)
Cape May 2011
Our much awaited vacation has come and gone. Dan and I spent a weekend in Cape May last year for our anniversary and decided that we wanted to come back with our family for vacation. We had a great time! Being that it was the beginning of September, the weather can be a hit or miss, but we lucked out (for the most part) and ended up being able to enjoy some beach days. I love it there, it's so laid back and pretty. It's nice to walk around and look at the pretty houses. :)
The townhouse we stayed in..I really hope we stay here again next year.
From the first time we brought Jack to the beach (when he was 5 months old), he's been terrified of it. When we walked over the sand and started walking up to the ocean, he started screaming and didn't calm down until we were nearly off the beach. He was a little better last year..he wouldn't go near the ocean but at least played in the sand and in a pool full of ocean water. This year I was shocked that he walked right up to the water the first day..but then a wave came and off he went screaming back to the entrance. Ugh. I took this with my phone..see the little person in green? That's Jack and that's where he played for nearly an hour and a half before getting hungry and coming to eat some Teddy Grahams.
Dan sat back there with him for a bit then we switched. We did get him to stay with us when he came for the grahams. Once he started building sandcastles with Daddy, he got more comfortable. He kept an eye on the waves though to make sure the "water not come up". :)
The next day was super cloudy and cool so we went to the Cape May Zoo. It was really cute! Definitely not a big place by any means but it's perfect for little kids and it's free..bonus! They appreciate donations though we did give them money. Jack had a blast and talked about seeing the animals for the rest of the week.
Sitting on Daddy's shoulders, watching the Eagles..
Ben's smile cracks me up here! He seems to be perfecting his "cheese" smile like Jack, haha!
The rest of the week was really just so relaxing. We walked around a lot and enjoyed beach time when we could. Mom-mom and Pop-pop live close so they even came down for a night to visit. Such a great time!
Our brief walk on the beach. Jack was excited and was pointing out the lighthouse. He wasn't a fan once we stepped onto the beach though (despite not going to the water) so the walk was short-lived. It's so pretty here!
Silly boys! I love Jack's smile in the one picture. It's SO hard to get 'natural' smile pictures of him since he's always saying "CHEESE" when I point the camera at him. This is his real smile and I love it! Also, Ben started really sitting up on his own, for long periods of time, that week.
Our last day on the beach and Jack did really well! He still wouldn't go near the water but that's ok. It IS a bit scary to a toddler, I'm sure. He loves playing in the sand and had a great time. :)
Our last night we went to Sunset Beach. It was awesome to see the sun set over the water and not land. I haven't seen that since our cruise a few years ago so it was nice to see it again. So pretty!
We went the whole week without getting a picture of all 4 of us and I really wanted one before we left. Thankfully someone helped us out! We had a great week and I look forward to going again next year! Hmm..now onto thinking about another vacation...Haha!
From the first time we brought Jack to the beach (when he was 5 months old), he's been terrified of it. When we walked over the sand and started walking up to the ocean, he started screaming and didn't calm down until we were nearly off the beach. He was a little better last year..he wouldn't go near the ocean but at least played in the sand and in a pool full of ocean water. This year I was shocked that he walked right up to the water the first day..but then a wave came and off he went screaming back to the entrance. Ugh. I took this with my phone..see the little person in green? That's Jack and that's where he played for nearly an hour and a half before getting hungry and coming to eat some Teddy Grahams.
Dan sat back there with him for a bit then we switched. We did get him to stay with us when he came for the grahams. Once he started building sandcastles with Daddy, he got more comfortable. He kept an eye on the waves though to make sure the "water not come up". :)
The next day was super cloudy and cool so we went to the Cape May Zoo. It was really cute! Definitely not a big place by any means but it's perfect for little kids and it's free..bonus! They appreciate donations though we did give them money. Jack had a blast and talked about seeing the animals for the rest of the week.
Sitting on Daddy's shoulders, watching the Eagles..
Ben's smile cracks me up here! He seems to be perfecting his "cheese" smile like Jack, haha!
The rest of the week was really just so relaxing. We walked around a lot and enjoyed beach time when we could. Mom-mom and Pop-pop live close so they even came down for a night to visit. Such a great time!
Our brief walk on the beach. Jack was excited and was pointing out the lighthouse. He wasn't a fan once we stepped onto the beach though (despite not going to the water) so the walk was short-lived. It's so pretty here!
Silly boys! I love Jack's smile in the one picture. It's SO hard to get 'natural' smile pictures of him since he's always saying "CHEESE" when I point the camera at him. This is his real smile and I love it! Also, Ben started really sitting up on his own, for long periods of time, that week.
Our last day on the beach and Jack did really well! He still wouldn't go near the water but that's ok. It IS a bit scary to a toddler, I'm sure. He loves playing in the sand and had a great time. :)
Our last night we went to Sunset Beach. It was awesome to see the sun set over the water and not land. I haven't seen that since our cruise a few years ago so it was nice to see it again. So pretty!
We went the whole week without getting a picture of all 4 of us and I really wanted one before we left. Thankfully someone helped us out! We had a great week and I look forward to going again next year! Hmm..now onto thinking about another vacation...Haha!
Labor Day Weekend 2011
Before we headed to the beach, we made a stop at Dan's moms for Labor Day weekend. Jack LOVES seeing his grandparents/aunts/uncles/cousins so we really had a great time. He gets spoiled when everyone is around!
One thing that most people close to us know is how cautious Jack is about pretty much everything. I'm a high anxiety person and he seems to have gotten that trait from me..poor kid. It took him about a year before he stopped screaming in the bath tub (I dreaded bath night for the longest time, ugh) and he's carried that fear over to pools and oceans. It took him a bit to get used to the baby pool in our neighborhood this summer but he grew to love it. Bigger pools are more of a challenge. It took some prodding and patience but Mom-mom and Aunt Donna were finally able to get him in!
First onto the step..
Then onto the float..
Then into the actual water (in a float, of coarse), yay!!
Ben with Uncle Mike..
Me and the boy :)
I had meant to cut his hair before we left but there was just so much to do that I didn't have time. I brought along my stuff and cut it before we headed to the beach. He always looks so much older after a haircut!
Jack wanted to take Pop-pop's work truck for a test drive!
Jack and Mom-mom and Pop-pop
What a great weekend! Next stop..Cape May!
One thing that most people close to us know is how cautious Jack is about pretty much everything. I'm a high anxiety person and he seems to have gotten that trait from me..poor kid. It took him about a year before he stopped screaming in the bath tub (I dreaded bath night for the longest time, ugh) and he's carried that fear over to pools and oceans. It took him a bit to get used to the baby pool in our neighborhood this summer but he grew to love it. Bigger pools are more of a challenge. It took some prodding and patience but Mom-mom and Aunt Donna were finally able to get him in!
First onto the step..
Then onto the float..
Then into the actual water (in a float, of coarse), yay!!
Ben with Uncle Mike..
Me and the boy :)
I had meant to cut his hair before we left but there was just so much to do that I didn't have time. I brought along my stuff and cut it before we headed to the beach. He always looks so much older after a haircut!
Jack wanted to take Pop-pop's work truck for a test drive!
Jack and Mom-mom and Pop-pop
What a great weekend! Next stop..Cape May!
Friday, September 2, 2011
A look back..
I can't believe 4 years ago Dan and I were in Brugge, Belgium celebrating our 1 year anniversary. It seems so long ago but not so long ago at the same time..if that even makes sense, haha! That weekend was seriously one of the best weekends I ever had. After dealing with a summer full of cool temperatures and rain (literally everyday for nearly 3 months..guess you can't be too surprised about that in London) and homesickness, it was what I needed. I was already in love with Europe and Brugge sort of cemented that for me. Yes, I need to reminisce! We hopped on the Eurostar and headed over to mainland Europe!
The Belfort in Brugge Market
Brugge Market
Bike rides through town.. (Our butts hurt so bad after this day, haha!)
Relaxing with a super yummy dinner.
Pretty view..
More great pictures of Brugge..
And us on our 1 year anniversary. :)
There is just something about Europe as a whole..it's just so much slower and more relaxed. People take time to actually enjoy their day and live life. I really miss that aspect of living there. Looking that these pictures just makes me want to go back so badly one day. (If I could do 1 thing over about living and traveling over there it would be to have bought a better camera, haha! Oh well..guess that means we need to go back to get better pictures.)
Now we're celebrating our 5 year anniversary..5 YEARS!! I can not believe it's been that long already and I can't believe how much our lives have changed in such a short time. We've gone from newlyweds traveling whenever we can to a family of 4, settled in our home. :) I wouldn't change a thing and am so happy with where we are right now. I'm also happy we had the chance to see new places before we settled down. Here's to more life adventures together! :)
The Belfort in Brugge Market
Brugge Market
Bike rides through town.. (Our butts hurt so bad after this day, haha!)
Relaxing with a super yummy dinner.
Pretty view..
More great pictures of Brugge..
And us on our 1 year anniversary. :)
There is just something about Europe as a whole..it's just so much slower and more relaxed. People take time to actually enjoy their day and live life. I really miss that aspect of living there. Looking that these pictures just makes me want to go back so badly one day. (If I could do 1 thing over about living and traveling over there it would be to have bought a better camera, haha! Oh well..guess that means we need to go back to get better pictures.)
Now we're celebrating our 5 year anniversary..5 YEARS!! I can not believe it's been that long already and I can't believe how much our lives have changed in such a short time. We've gone from newlyweds traveling whenever we can to a family of 4, settled in our home. :) I wouldn't change a thing and am so happy with where we are right now. I'm also happy we had the chance to see new places before we settled down. Here's to more life adventures together! :)
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