dancing

We had such a busy day filled with family, swimming, pizza, tired babies, tired mommy, and a messy house.

I danced in the kitchen while I got dinner ready tonight.

Then,

We made cookies.

Somehow crazy, exhausting days are always made better with dancing in the kitchen and chocolate.

Benson

Now that I have finally caught up (for the most part). I am in desperate need of swooning over my sweet Benson. He is getting much too big and I feel in desperate need of slowing it down. I feel like he has grown so much faster than Kala did and it's tearing me apart. 

I never posted his 6 month stats so here they are for recording sake

Weight: 16 lbs 15 oz - 40%

Height 29.25 inches Above the 95% (i think they measured wrong, i think he was about 28.25)

Head Circumference: 43.2 cm - 30%

At six months he rolled. Everywhere. That was his means of transportation. It was hilarious.

First word was mama. More like mamamamama.

He wakes up occasionally saying it too. Oh be still my heart.

Then it was Ba. and bababa.

And don't forget. loud. belts of AAAAH. 

He thinks it's hilarious too.

He got his first three teeth at 6 months. All on the bottom. He has/has the funnest smile.

At about 8 months he started this army crawl thing. It's pretty funny looking. he mainly uses his right arm and his left leg.

At nine months he can move around with ease.

Sitting, scooting, army crawling.

If he knows he is going a long distance he will army crawl.

If he knows it's only a few paces he will do a funny side crawl and an occasional crawl.

The kid knows how to crawl but finds it quicker and easier to army crawl.

The kid is stubborn is what it comes down to.

at  nine and a half months. he pulls himself up on everything.

he sticks his bum up in the air quite regularly trying just to stand up. but instead just puts his head to the ground and looks between his legs. (he actually demonstrated it to his pediatrician at his 9 month appt. and the doc says OH WOW he just wants to walk. yup. he does. please make him stop.)

he is into everything. and I mean everything.

example: yesterday I had the pantry open. I didn't just up because there didn't happen to be anything down low that he could get into. wrong mom. he figured out how to pull himself up on the shelves and pull things off. 

He eats so much. I container and a half of baby food for breakfast and lunch. Two for dinner. With rice cereal for all three. Not to mention puff's, kix, and lil' crunchies along with all his meals.

he is very intense. very. 

But also the sweetest love boy. oh man is he a momma's boy.

And oh do I love love love it.

His 9 month stats are:

weight: 18 pounds 9 ounces - 20 percentile (he is all over the place i'm not surprised in his slowed weight gain)

height: 30.25 inches - 95%

head circumference: 45 cm - 40%

he was all over the place at his 9 month appt. This boy is not going to give me a break. He is to die for though. Oh my goodness he is just my little buddy. 9 months is just way too close to a year. I just wish he would stop!

Grandma Wood got him a new outfit for our trip to Logan. and oh with that bow tie. he is so cute. 12 month outfit at 8 and a half months.

I got his big boy car seat a few months ago. I still haven't switched him. I need to. He's too big for his infant carseat. but oh it's so final. it means he's big.

so tired he fell asleep in the high chair. didn't even get to feed him his lunch!

He idolizes Kala. Even though Kala is soooo rough with him. He just laughs. Until he decides it's too much then he cries. One day I hear "hurry mommy i need help!!" Kala thought it would be a good idea to climb in with Benson... Lesson Learned. Maybe. haha Benson has loved this little jeep. He chases us down and is quick to change directions. he keeps us on our toes in the thing.

I have been watching a friends little boy. and oh how he keeps Benson on his toes.  

Before he consistently started rolling I had him on top of his bed and Kala was in the bathroom and needed help so I ran in real quick to help him. I heard a thud but no cry. and honestly wasn't that loud of a thud. sure enough i come back into benson's room and this is how he's laying. The blanket must have padded his fall. I know I'm a terrible mother. Lesson learned.

like i said, into EVERYTHING. he pulled chips out of the pantry the other day and even pulled chips out of the bag and layed down to try to veg out on them. Not a good idea. he started choking. baby proofing has been taken to a whole new level in our house. it's called BENSON PROOFING.

first time eating waffles (9 months) he was in heaven.

He gets very excited to play with Daddy

He does this hilarious face when he doesn't want to eat. and occasionally, just because? haha. sometimes I hear him in the back seat while i'm driving making the sniffing noise he makes along with this face. hilarious. He's doing to smiling version here. He knows he's being a stink and he thinks it's hilarious.

he gets his eye brows working a lot. this kid can scowl.

but oh he can smile and laugh too.

yes he made this mess ALL BY HIMSELF. 

he is convinced that he needs to spend the majority of his time standing now. usually at the couch. which doesn't have anything fun so he either just hits the couch or then he gets annoyed and whines. this is new. he has usually been very content. here's to hoping it's just a phase!

Logan

We had a ton of fun in Logan. Oh it is Beautiful!! We got to go on a fun picnic up in the canyon and oh it was nice. The weather was PERFECT! And the company was even better. Getting to spend time with my Mom and step dad, my brother and his sweet family and my dad and step-mom. Oh it was a fun time. After our picnic we headed back to our hotel and got showered up and headed to Brigham City for dinner and Maddox. Oh it was delicious. They grow all their own food. I couldn't eat it but my sister-in-law raved about their raspberry butter. Then we drove by the newly dedicated Brigham city temple. Beautiful.

The next day this sweet baby was blessed. Vander Clay Shumway. Oh he is a cutie. They call him a sensitive sarsaparilla but oh many he is to die for. If only they could live closer! 

my brother and sweet Vander

The momma and MUST HAVE crying blessing picture.

After the blessing we had a wonderful lunch and just had fun enjoying each other for the little time we have together then we headed home. Made only one stop and drove through the night to Flagstaff. It was so nice to get home so quickly. Kala was very sad to leave Flagstaff so quickly. All he wanted to do the whole trip was play and Grandma and Papa's house. It's all about the little things. We had such a wonderful trip and are so lucky to call this sweet trio family.

This is the only real time I really held sweet baby boy. There were so many people there so anxious to hold that sweet boy. He is just beautiful. He looks so different from my kids it's insane. 

The beautiful Logan Temple. Kaulana and I want to make it a point of going back to Logan just to go inside this beautiful temple.

Salt Lake Temple

On our way up to Logan one of our stops was visiting the beautiful Salt Lake Temple Square. Oh goodness. The spring flowers are to die for. The temple is breathtaking. No matter how many times I go. It never ceases to amaze me just how beautiful it is. I am so grateful to have had to opportunity to stop.

it seems to be getting harder and harder to get a normal face out of this goofball

two boys. melt. my. heart.

Those three boys are my life.

When we walked up to the Christus Kala got really nervous. He was so taken back by his presence. He then proceeded to tell me about the owies on his hands and feet. I am so grateful for the gospel and the light it brings our home.

The Drive

We took a bit of a drive a few weekends ago up to Logan, Utah to visit my Brother and his wife as they blessed their sweet baby. It was quite a drive. We traveled with my mom and step dad, so I got to sit next to this sweet baby the whole drive up.

His first road trip...

He was so tired he fell asleep in the middle of eating a puff. baha. I love that face.

I rotated through about a million toys with Benson. But his favorites were definitely Mickey Mouse, and this snake I have. He thought they were both so funny. I swear the things I think he'll really like. He never does. It was like Mickey was his long lost friend and he was full of jokes! Kill me. It was hilarious.

Kala got to sit next to my niece and they had such a fun time playing games and watching movies the whole drive.

I can't believe how well they did! The last two hours were pretty miserable though to be honest. Kala just cried and cried. For one because he was exhausted. And for two his poor bum hurt so bad being stuck in that car seat. Poor babies traveling is so hard. But oh we had so much fun and ate so much junk.

cinderella man

Last night the hubs and I had a little snuggle time after a very long week.

We watched Cinderella Man.

For those of you who haven't seen it. It's a must.

I can't imagine having lived in the Great Depression.

I can't imagine having to send my kids away.

What I do know is that money is hard.

Even when you are trying your very hardest. Sometimes it's just not enough.

I am just so very thankful for my man.

He is the very hardest worker. Even when hard times seemed to never end.

He never stopped working.

Now, he's in school. And there's a glimmer of hope.

And even when I think he cannot stretch any thinner. He does.

Next week are his finals.

This past week, I have been sick.

First the flu, then a terrible sore throat and cough that I had to get steroids for, then I wake up this morning with pink eye. Beautiful.

it's improving. thank heavens!

He has been incredible on top of all the stress he has with finals week just about here.

I am the first to admit I have taken for granted many times just how wonderful he is.

At the same time sometimes I wish he wasn't so amazing just so I could feel somewhat to deserve his kindness. 

This man of mine, has a heart of gold.

And somehow, he always seems to rise above hard times.

I have been so blessed with my very own Cinderella Man.

Hilarious

Kala is seriously hilarious. He is always coming up with something new. Jr decided to sweep with his Axe one day. What!?! So helpful! 

He is very independent in his clothing choices as I have spoke of in past posts.  (if he is clothed at all) Last night I asked him to get his pajamas  on and he decided to start break dancing. Even when I am so utterly frustrated I just can't help but laugh. He is such a light.

Bath Time, with TWO boys

About a month ago the boys took a bath together for the first time. It was a hit to say the least. They just think the world of each other. I'm in love.