Many faces of Ben...

Hello actor! Ben has been quite expressive the past 2 days or maybe its that I've just captured his normal attitude :) Took him outside in the snow yesterday, picture below lets you know how he felt about that....We stayed for about 5 minutes after he FREAKED out when he his hands got in the snow. We'll try again next year (better not be anymore snow this year). My favorite expression of all is Ben's sweet grin with his one dimple on the right cheek (not visible in this picture but he really does have only one dimple). Layering his blankies on his head produced a crazy Ben "do", definitely got his daddy's "brillo pad" hair!! Sorry buddy, you were destined to have some wirey curly hair!

The Talented Grammie Phillips

My mother is the most crafty and talented woman I know. She can make anything, literally. Now that me and all my friends are having babies, she creates each one of us an unique diaper all our own, no one else in the world has one like it :) Below is the latest one for Mrs. Casey McKenzie... I picked out all the fabric, so of course I LOVE it!! William "Bear" McKenzie will be here Feb 17th!

And below is my attempt of being crafty like my mother.... I made this diaper cake for my boss's baby shower. I did it all by myself without any help from my mom... just spent 10 minutes on the phone with her trying to figure out the bow :)

Kitchen Updates

FINALLY! John and I are done in our kitchen... after ALOT of painting, thank you mother, and updating most of the appliances, new countertops, sink, and backsplash our kitchen is just how we like it. Before it was a dark orange mess, I saw potential in this little kitchen of ours though! When John and I walked into this house when looking 2 years ago, I knew exactly from the start what I wanted to do... with a few gallons of paint and alot of sanding, me and mom got it fresh and bright. Within a few months after moving in, most of this updating was complete. However, getting our countertops and backsplash complete was another story. We just couldn't ever find the time or energy to get out there and look for products once Ben arrived.

Yes there are shingles in my kitchen, do not ask me what these people were thinking in 1961 - must have been REAL cool to have shingles in the kitchen?!?

I love my itty bitty kitchen... for the moment that is :)

Here is the eating area in our kitchen... the people before us weren't that much older than us, but man they did NOT have the same good taste that John and I have :)

15 months

What is Stinker up too you ask.... well his stats at 15 months are:

23 lbs

32 inches

with a head in the 80th percentile

• Ben continues to be right on track. He is getting pretty buff and the doc was quite impressed with his physique - he seriously looks like he is working out, he has these defined "pecks" and little muscle arms.
  
• Ben is not the one to sit still EVER (unless he is watching Word World). He is such the explorer and to be honest, wears you out. Shopping with him is near impossible. He won't, for the life of me, sit in the shopping car, I even bribe him with graham crackers which are a gift from heaven to him.
  
• We have seen a few more tantrums... many more to come... I usually just laugh because he is hilarious, throwing his arms up and down and screaming. I have discovered if I sing the ABC's or say "ready...1111...222...3333" it distracts him and he quits freaking out (this is usually the trick for getting him in the car seat)
  
• Ben has this new found love for his books. One in particular we have to read over and over, not so fun for mom and dad, but we love that he is finally into all these books he has gotten.
  
• No distinct words from Ben yet, but he definitely understands what I ask him and he brings me what I ask him too.
  
• Ben is in a new full time daycare, Grammie gets a break and can be a Grammie now instead of a nanny. Ben LOVES his new daycare and it makes life so much easier on us. Happy safe baby = less stressed happy parents
  
• Climbing (on furniture) and hiding (hide and seek) is quite frequent in household, Ben will stand up right against a wall and act like we can't see him... so we pretend and ask "where's is Ben".
  

Ben is SO much fun right now and John says I kiss him and tell him I love him too much, but I just can't help myself!! He is my baby and always will be... until he towers over me :)
John started a new position at work and will be busy at Chesapeake properties, maintaining the grounds. He only has to work 1 Saturday per month, so he is super pumped about that. I will continue to work my alternative work schedule this year and excited to think that on my Fridays off, Ben can go to daycare in the mornings (or longer) and I can get my errands run baby free :) This past year has been quite the ride.... a big time roller coaster in fact. I think the roller coaster has stopped for awhile and we are ready to ride some slow rides!! We are so lucky to have all that we have in our lives and can't wait to see what this year brings!

Ben and his swiffer.... LOVES to push it around

Ben on Xmas morning with his new monkey from Grammie

Checking out his new barnyard, monkey style!