Washington, D.C.

This weekend we visited a friend just outside of D.C. Saturday we went to the Air and Space Museum Annex and Sunday J.R., Ben and I walked around D.C. We had a lot of fun. The coolest part of the trip for Ben, was that we switched his car seat around, so now he faces front like a big boy! Here are some pictures of the weekend.

Ben in his big boy seat...

Ben driving a cessna...

Ben and J.R. at the Lincoln Memorial...

Picnics!

Yesterday we went to an Alumni picnic and had a nice time. I really wanted to get a picture of Ben sitting or standing in the grass. It's something I always kinda envisioned, like something from a magazine. Goofy, I know, but just something I hoped I could capture. Here's what I took.

I love these pictures! I can't wait to scrapbook them!

After the picnic we went to our friend Abbey's birthday party. Ben went in the water for the first time (well, besides baths). He really had fun. He loved splashing around.

New Daycare

Ben started a new daycare today - hooray! I just found out that the daycare where I work will now take 12 month old babies. I'm so excited. It's cheaper, and he'll be so close to me. And...they feed him! It's great. If there is something going on at work, I can pick him up and bring him. If I miss him and want to stop by, I can, although I wouldn't want to interrupt his routine, so I probably won't. I was able to visit a few weeks ago to check it out and everyone was so nice. All the teachers are certified and have been there for years. We went for 1/2 a day today, so that Ben could meet the other kids and teachers, and they could see what he's like. He had a great day. They said he played well with the other kids and he didn't fuss. He had french toast and an apple slice for breakfast and pizza and spinach for lunch. However, he wasn't digging the spinach. I picked him up as they were finishing, and he was throwing it on the ground. I took him back to the office for the rest of the day. He got to visit with a bunch of students and my co-workers. He had a ball. He was walking all over the place, laughing and playing games. Such a cutie. Since I picked him up before his nap, I was able to get him to sleep for about 20 minutes in the office. I found something for Julie to use her leftover Spring Fling t-shirts for.

Ben's first official day at the new daycare is Monday. For the next five weeks, I'll be putting him in for 3 days (saving me more money). I'm going to work from home two days next week, and one day the week after. After that, I have a bunch of vacation time I'm taking, which allows me to be able to do this. I'm so thankful that my bosses are letting me do this!

The Most Amazing Year

I don't even know where to begin. This year has been amazing. I bore a life. A tiny human being. Something I created. God granted me the power, the gift, to create life and bring it into this world. What an amazing gift. Thank you, Lord. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank God for everything he has blessed me with. I'm telling you, if you don't believe there is a God, give birth.

A year ago I was sitting in a hospital room, staring at this new life before me. I'd dreamed about that day for years! I couldn't stop looking at him. I kept kissing him and touching him and holding him. I'm still kissing him and touching him and holding him! J.R. and I are still to this day commenting on how awesome he is and how blessed we are. I just love him SO much. I can't imagine my life without him.

Each night at bedtime, we listen to a lullaby CD. Most recently our favorite is Jim Brickman's Disney CD. My favorite song is one Wayne Brady sings. Tonight I listened to it, as Ben lay asleep in my lap. I cried and cried.

From the moment I saw you From the moment I looked into your eyes

There was something about you I knew, I knew

That you were once in a lifetime A treasure near impossible to find

And I know how lucky I am to have you

Cause I've seen rainbows that could take your breath away

The beauty of the setting sun, that ends a perfect day

And when it comes to shooting stars I have seen a few

But I've never seen anything as beautiful as you

I love you, Ben. No matter what happens, I will always, always love you.

A Birthday and a Bike Race

We had Ben's first birthday party yesterday. It was great. J.R's whole family came up and my mom and Ron came down. We also had some of our closest friends there as well. We really had a good time. Ben didn't make too much of a mess with his cake. He did take the frosting and squish it between his fingers though. He received some great gifts too...some cool toys like drums and a popper, great books and a ton of clothes. He really made out well. I made a scrapbook of his first year. I think it came out pretty good, although I don't think its entirely representative of his first year. I'll keep working on it. Everyone at the party really enjoyed it though.

Everyone was impressed with his new walking skills...boy is he getting good! The last few days he's spent more time on his feet than on his knees. If he's walking and falls, he gets right back up and walks again. He crawled for a bit today, then realized he'd rather walk, so he got up and walked! So cute.


Today was the Philadelphia Pro Cycling Tour Race. We live so close to the race route, that we braved the 92 degree temperature and hung out for a while. To keep with the "year ago today" thing, we never made it to the race last year. Instead I spent the day on the couch having contractions, tired of them being so far apart, and wondering when I could go to the hospital. As I sat on the couch, I could hear the helicopters over head (They follow the bikers. One films it for live TV.) Today, we watched the bikers climb the 17 degree hill, saw them come around a bend, and even saw a small crash. It was really fun to shout and cheer on the racers. Such a cool thing to be apart of. The streets around here are crazy...lots of people out, lots of people drinking. The three of us just wondered for about 1 1/2 hours, then Ben decided he wanted to nap, so he fell asleep right in his stroller. We spent the rest of the day in the air conditioned house.

A Year Ago Today...

Ben's first birthday party is tomorrow! I can't believe a year has gone by. I'm totally in "what happened a year ago today" mode. Yesterday was the Thursday of the first week of Day One at school. The surealness of one year hit me hard. Last year on the Thursday of the first week of Day One, I left my office a little early because I had a doctor's appointment. So I waddled downstairs with the brand new yearbook camera so I could take some pictures of the new freshmen, and grab an ice cream. I figured I'd take the yearbook camera home then bring it back the next day. I never did take any pictures, just talked to a bunch of coworkers then said "see you tomorrow" as I left. Yeah, right. Let's just say the brand new yearbook camera was broken in over the summer by taking lots of pictures of Ben! Like this one...

It was a year ago today that I called my boss and told him I'd come in a little late because I wasn't feeling well. I had started having what I thought to be indigestion discomfort the night before and had slept in a chair. I wanted to take my time and thought I'd feel better after a shower. My boss told me "I don't know if you realize this or not, but you're having a baby in a couple of days." So, I stayed home. Later, the director of a daycare I was checking out told me I was having labor pains, as I was rubbing my hips. I was in denial for a while, but the second time she said it, I really started to think she could be right. I sent J.R. a text on my way home telling him I was in labor. I still have have his response saved on my phone, "Do you want me to come home?" I spent the rest of the weekend uncomfortable on the couch.

I hope Ben is feeling well for his party. I picked him up from daycare this afternoon because he threw up 4 times. The doctor said his throat is a little swollen; there is mucus in it that is keeping all his food from going down, and when he coughs, he throws up. Poor little guy. The 19 pound 15.8 ounce critter is walking like crazy though. The past three nights he's been on his feet more than on his knees. I just watched the video from my last post, and I can't believe how much better he is already. The video just looks so... I don't know, just old I guess. I'm almost wondering how I thought that was so great, because he's doing SO great now!