Second First Hair Cut

While we did a decent job trimming Ben's tail and mullet, the rest of his hair was just getting too long. It was on the verge of getting in his eyes it was so long in front. So today, since I was off work to unpack from the camping trip, I figured I'd pop in to Kidsnips and see if they could give Chubs a trim.

I don't have any pictures of the actual hair cut because I sat in the chair with him on my lap while the stylist cut his hair. But he LOVED it. He was a total charmer, smiling, craning his neck to get a look at the stylist, and checking himself out in the mirror constantly. It was adorable.

I got a few pictures of his hair after we got home. It is the same general style, just shorter. He looks even more "boyish" now.

Not sure what the deal is with this face. I think the flash surprised him, so he squinted...

Here is the certificate they made for him at Kidsnips, complete with a few locks of hair and his picture. So cute!!!

Happy Camper

Thursday night after we got Ben to bed, Mike and I began packing up the car for our camping trip to Lake Shelbyville. When I saw the amount of crap we had to fit in, my first thoughts were that it is a good thing Mom and Bill were kind enough to give us the Pathfinder, because this NEVER would have fit into either of our cars. And it is a good thing we decided not to bring Dee this year. I missed the little girl, but there was no room and I figured it would be too much trying to keep an eye on Ben and Dee. (I was right.)


Mike put his Tetris-playing skills to good use and got everything in the car. Friday morning when Ben was ready for his nap, we headed out.

You can't read it in the picture, but Ben's shirt says "Happy Camper." A gift from Aunt Jaimee. I'm happy to report that the sentiment of that shirt was accurate! Ben loved camping.

After a 4 hour drive, in which Ben slept about 3 hours and was super good, with only one small crying fit because he was hungry and had to wait 15 minutes for us to find a place to stop, we made it to the camp site. Ben and I looked on while Mike and Uncle Ken put up our roomy new tent (a Christmas grab bag gift).

Ben was very impressed with their efforts and took good notes so he can help out next year, you know, when he's able to stand.

Grandpa kept an eye on him for us while we unloaded the car.

And Brenda helped out while we got dinner together. Ben was a fan of anyone and everyone who wanted to hold him and give him attention.

Even Carson. (Cheryl's 4 year-old son.)


Ben slept pretty well the first night, waking just once at about 3 a.m. to eat. He went back to sleep snuggled in Mom's sleeping bag to keep warm. So while he slept another 3 hours, Mom did not. :-(

After breakfast, we hit the water in a rented pontoon boat. Ben was a big fan of the boat and water; he was not a big fan of his baby life jacket. We compromised by keeping it on but not zipped up. Probably not the safest option, but I lost this fight.

Ben even tried his hand at driving. But after a few minutes he figured he'd mastered it and was pretty bored by it. Here he gives a big yawn to let us know how "babyish" this driving stuff is.

After a little boating, we found a cozy beach area and Ben got some swimming in. He was pretty content to float around with the guys. Though he looks more intersested in his guy (that's what we call his pacifier) in this picture.

After swimming, he hung out on the boat with his aunt Brenda and cousin Riley.

It was a long, busy day. Ben was exhausted, what with boating, swimming, and sunning himself for so many hours.

That night he slept well, but woke at 5 a.m. ready to go. So Mom and Dad were up with him in the dark, waiting for the sun to come up and keeping him entertained so he wouldn't wake up any of the sleeping campers. His favorite activity was running his hands through the rocks. 100 toys and this kid wants to play with the rocks.

Once everyone else was up, Ben was ready to party! Here he is hanging with Dad, Mike, and Riley while breakfast was being made.

Eventually the partying was too much, and he crashed. Mom transitioned him to his "bed" - a pack n play in our tent - for a nap.

And that was the end of this adventure. A little later we packed up and headed home. Ben was so pooped from all that fresh air that he slept the entire 4 hour drive home and then slept another 12 hours (usually it is about 10.5 or 11) that night.

We're already looking forward to next year!

First Haircut

Brad offered to take some 6 month photos of Ben for us (he is an aspiring photographer), so we settled on some outdoor photos in downtown Naperville. Before we met up with Brad for the photo shoot, I suggested to Mike that perhaps it was time to trim Ben's tail and mullet. He reluctantly agreed. However, he was unwilling to let me take him to Kidsnips and spend $20 to trim his neck. :-(

So in the name of compromise, we cut his hair, but we did it ourselves.

First we tried using scissors. I was able to cut off the tail and some of the mullet. But then Mike suggested using his clippers to straighten the area. Since he has more experience, he took over.

You can tell by Ben's expression that he wasn't at all sure what to make of the noise of the clippers.

He kept jerking around to get a better look, which makes cutting hair tricky. But eventually he settled down and Mike continued.



I think we did a pretty good job, considering neither of us have ever cut hair before. We left the top alone. We just straightened up that neck line and trimmed some of the long pieces around his ears and cowlick. I think it looks a lot better, but I'm sure I'll be hearing it from a lot of people for touching his hair.

I think he looks just a little bit older and boyish with his hair trimmed, but he is still my baby! After our photo session, we went to dinner at Quigley's, an Irish pub in downtown Naperville that Gammy knows well! Ben did great in a big-boy high chair now that he is sitting so well!

And yes, we do occassionally take that pacifier out of his mouth! It just so happens that it seemed to settle him down for the hair cut, and he was fussy at dinner because he was exhausted from his runway work.

Brad is going to finalize the pictures and send them, so I'll be sure to forward them on. My hopes are high that he got some really adorable shots!

Too big for the swing?

Ever since Ben learned to roll over, he prefers to sleep on his stomach. When I put him in his crib for bed, he immediately flips onto his left side to sleep.

Yesterday Ben fell asleep in my arms, so after a few minutes I decided to transition him to his swing for a nap. But unfortunately that instict to roll to his left side held firm. As soon as I put him down, he flipped over, never even waking up.





I think the days of the swing might be numbered...

And if you're wondering why he's in just a diaper, it is because he tried prunes this morning -- He liked the prunes, but Mom didn't like the purple drool that got all over his clothes and the carpet!

Sittin' Pretty

My baby is growing up so fast. In a few days he will be 6 months old. And now he has mastered the art of sitting. Something about a baby sitting just makes them seem so much older and more grown up.

About two weeks ago, he was a wobbly, 10 second sitter.



In the bathtub, he was sitting great, thanks to the help of the tub's design.

But then last week, he finally got it. And now he's sittin' pretty all the time!

And before I know it, he'll be crawling!

A Shout Out to Gammy

Ben's Gammy has been there for Ben (and his Mom and Dad) since before he was born. So we wanted to take a moment to send a shout out to Gammy!!!!

Gammy was kind enough to come to Chicagoland to wait it out with us while we counted the days until Ben arrived. Wisely, she chose to fly in the day after my due date, knowing that in this family kids are stubborn even in utero.

We waited, and waited, and waited...

Here she is "hiding" behind my ample pregnant stomach. (Hey, there is not much else to do in February in Chicago when 9 1/2 months pregnant...)

Finally, after 2 weeks of waiting, I went into labor. Mom stayed by my side the entire time, cheering me on and giving moral support (and physical support as she held my head and neck during contractions).



She even danced a little for us to keep the mood light when we thought labor would never end!


And when Ben did decide to greet the world, Gammy was among the first to hold him and love him.

When it was time to bring Ben home from the hospital, she stayed with us until we got the hang of it. We were clueless first time parents, and I truly do not know what we would have done without her help and advice. I know for sure we would have starved and ripped our hair out.

She grocery shopped, she cooked, she helped with midnight feedings, she cuddled and loved Ben (when Dee gave her a chance); and most helpful of all, she talked me down when I freaked out about all sorts of things that a first time mom worries about because she just doesn't know any better.

Sadly, she eventually had to head home. (Thanks Bill for lending us to her for a month!) Fast forward 5 months, and Gammy was back to see her baby Ben. This time she did more than cuddle and love him. This time Ben was ready to party!

The two of them enjoyed many wrestling matches. It was a close call, but I think Ben took her a few times!



They had tummy time together. One of them fell asleep during tummy time. I'll give you one guess who. (Hint: It wasn't the 5 month old.)


Gammy and Gampy helped with feedings. Ben's not much of a cuddler, so they had to take their snuggles where they could get them.


Gammy introduced Ben to new and exciting games, which of course he loved.

Ben is now quite smitten with his Gammy. It might have something to do with all the love and attention he got from her. When I picked him up from his first day back to daycare, his teacher asked me if Grandma had been visiting. When I said yes, she told me she knew it because Ben just wanted to be held all day, so she just knew Grandma must have been spoiling him!


You are welcome to come spoil him any time. We miss you and love you both!

Modern Man

Mike is a modern, multi-tasking man!!! He managed to vacuum the entire house and take care of Ben at the same time.

We did not hear a peep out of Ben the entire time Mike vacuumed. He was enthralled with the vacuum, as you can see here, where he is staring at it and trying to grab it. Let's hope he learns from Dad that real men do housework!