Future Baylor Bear???

We stopped in Waco on our way to Austin and walked around Baylor for a few hours on Tuesday to show Ben the bears. It was an absolutely beautiful day. It was only my second time to go back since I graduated and Bill's first time back to see it. It has changed so much (a sushi bar on campus???), but also stayed the same in so many ways. Walking around brought back so many memories. The squirrels, swings, worn paths through the grass and the bells chiming-some of my favorite things. I looked at the Freshman leaving their dorms and realized they were only about 8 when I lived in those dorms. Ben-your parents are getting old!

Ben loved being outside and seemed to enjoy himself. He even took a sock off during our walk.

Poor little guy was so sleepy at the end. He did not want to take this picture.

I know I'm biased, but Baylor is just a beautiful campus.

This picture made us laugh. Sadly, the bears were sleeping in their 'caves' and you could only see them through the windows so Ben missed out.

Ben tried really hard to do the Bear Claw.

This picture cracks us up. We stopped in the gift shop to find a bathroom to change Ben (note to Baylor-you need baby changing areas in your bathrooms). Bill found these little chairs in the kids area and put Ben down. Then we found the wig. Love it!

Bill even made a comment that it would be great if Ben could go there one day. I know-surprised me too that he would say that. This coming from someone who loves to put down Baylor.

A great start to our Thanksgiving!

Pre-Thanksgiving Fun

Dr. G wasn't kidding when he said Ben will get worse before he gets better. The earlier part of this week was rough and Monkey did NOT feel well. Our hearts just broke listening to him moan and cough. Luckily he's improving a TON and is back to his happy self. Yay Ben! He is still waking in the middle of the night to cough and it's enough where he wakes himself up and cries for us. Last night Daddy had me wait it out and voila-the kid went back to sleep after a few minutes of crying.

Ben is about 95% on sitting up like a big boy and loves to do it. He has a new toy that has kept him occupied. Yesterday our friends, the Masons, invited us to the park to go on a walk. Bill and Jonathan played football and Ashlee and I took the boys for a stroll around the lake. Ben was so tired after that he fell asleep in the car so we stopped for Mexican and we actually got a whole meal in! Unheard of these days.

New toys are so much fun
Ben is really beginning to enjoy the swings. He sat back and just enjoyed being pushed. It was Wyatt's first time and he kicks his legs-so cute!

Hmm, notice who's missing a sock. Does this surprise anyone?

Wyatt is exactly 2 months older than Ben. He is also the tallest baby. EVER! I love how he's looking down at Ben like "uh huh, that's right, I'm taller than you, whatcha going to do about it?" (remember-Ben is fairly long, Wyatt's going to be a very young recruit for the Mavs.)

The boys chilling with their Dads.

**A sad note**-our freezer didn't close all the way one night and all the milk I had frozen thawed a little bit. It was so sad watching all those ounces go down the drain, but we weren't going to risk it. Daddy had to do it for me. Mr. Freezer, do you know how hard I work for that???

anyways...

'Aunt' Lucy is coming over tonight so Mommy and Daddy can go to the Stars game and then we leave for Austin tomorrow for the week. Looking forward to Ben's first Thanksgiving and his first taste of baby food!

Playground fun

Oh sweet Ben, how we love spending our days with you! Ben has had a pretty fun week for a sick kid. Daddy stayed home on Monday and Thursday with him. We went to see Dr. G on Wednesday because he still sounded awful and had a low grade fever at school. Good news-he doesn't have bronchitis. Bad news-maybe has bronchiolitis, but that doesn't need medicine. Worse news-could have this crud for 2 weeks and may feel worse before he feels better. We thought a day of rest on Thursday would do him some good. For the most part you'd never know Ben was sick unless you listened to him attempt to cough up a lung or the slight wheeze he has. He's pretty good until the evening and then he's just so tired and feels crummy and it's not a fun place in the Mahrer house. LOTS of tears by Ben and a few by Mommy who just doesn't know how to make her baby feel better (thank God for Daddy and his calmness -if that's a word). Daddy also emailed me pictures and videos of Ben on Thursday while they were home. My students loved listening to the 'fart' sounds he made with his mouth to get Ben to smile. We're all very happy to have just one more week of work and then a week off!

Sweet Bailey dog has dug a hole and eaten part of the fence not once, but three times since Ben was born and gotten out. Replacing the fence doesn't deter her so Daddy filled the hole with concrete so she can't dig at it anymore. We'll see how well that goes. It was very pretty out so Ben and I went to check out Daddy working.

Playing on the couch is lots of fun.

Daddy's been wanting to take him to the park to swing and we finally got a chance this weekend. On our first walk through there were lots of kids in the swings, but we were good to go on the way back. Ben seemed to really enjoy it!

This morning we went back to the swings, but they were taken so we walked on to the playground of my school where we were by ourselves and had lots of fun. We love having Ben as our 'excuse' to play like little kids.

I guess the slide was a little too much for me

Daddy taught Ben how to kick a football. He's been kicking up his leg lately so Daddy put a football out for him to hit. I guess he was actually doing pretty well until it bounced on his head. When I walked out I saw him posing with it. Note to my family-we need a Bears football before this kid learns to love the Cowboys!!! ASAP!

One week, one week, one week!

B is for bronchitis

Poor Baby Ben has experienced his first 'illness'. He had a cough the latter part of last week, but never a fever and always was his happy self. There's a lot going around his school and Mommy's had a cold so we've kept an eye on him. The only time he's been grumpy has been when his teeth are bothering him. So Friday night we took him to the FISD's Chili Challenge. I think there was a little too much going on. His eyes were like saucers taking it all in. That- on top of not taking an afternoon nap-the kid was exhausted. Saturday we took him to a park in Plano. My thinking was that fresh air would be good for him and he loves to be outside. The weather was perfect this weekend. Ben slept for half of our hike, but enjoyed the rest. Daddy took us to lunch at Noodles where we actually got a dirty look when Ben got a tiny bit fussy for his lunch. Barely anything at all. Part of Mommy wanted to let him start screaming instead of feeding him and then see their faces. After we got home I was playing with Ben and noticed he felt a lot warmer and his dry cough wasn't so dry any more. I could feel it in his chest and back. So off we were to Acute Kids. Poor baby has bronchitis. They said we caught it very early- yay for crazy mommy instincts! He's on an antibiotic. Thank goodness he doesn't know he's sick. He's still the happy, funny baby we love more than anything! It's harder on us than him. oh ya- they weighed Ben at the doctor's. Monkey is just shy of 19 lbs!
Today we chilled at home. He played and practiced sitting up. He gets stronger each day.

Picture time:

At the lookout at the park.
Notice his foot. He's props it up on his stroller just like he does in his highchair!

Waiting for the doc. I realize he totally doesn't match. He had spit up all over his outfit before this and we were downstairs and this was all I could find. Daddy HATES this outfit. The hoodie was in the car. It got cold as night fell.

How Mommy found her boys this morning when she woke up. Daddy let me sleep in. I rolled out of bed at 11!!! (I woke up at 6:30 to feed him, but then Daddy took him).

sometimes it's easier to eat cereal with no clothes on

helping Mommy with laundry this afternoon

Ben doesn't really like his medicine. We tried to get a picture of the funny face he makes. Mommy LOVES the taste of that medicine, but Daddy never has. I'd still get it in liquid form if it weren't such a pain.


We're going to try and send him to school tomorrow unless he wakes up miserable. We trust his teachers will let us know if something is wrong (and according to everyone we know who goes to his school-they will). Now if only Mommy could calm down...

***Update***-Daddy stayed home with Ben today. I'm sure he would have been fine, but we wanted him to get more rest. I know his teachers will miss their favorite baby today. I wish I were the one at home with him, but thank the Lord for SCA and Daddy's unlimited sick days.

Five Months

Sweet Ben is 5 months old today! I'm in shock at how fast the past five months have gone. If I could throw him a party to celebrate each month, I would! We love him more and more each day. He is more fun than we could ever imagine and makes us laugh all the time.

our monkeys
Best Buds

No doctor's appt until next month so here are some recent highlights:

*rolled over from his back to his tummy...FINALLY

*sat straight up by himself for 10 seconds tonight

*is happiest in the mornings after he eats and right after his bath before bedtime

*loves to kick and splash in the tub

*laughs a lot more-a real laugh now, not a quick giggle or squeal

*had his first 'sick' visit at the doctor (they thought he had a busted ear drum-turns out to just be wax...such a guy)

*reaches for anything and everything

*turns up to 180 degrees just about each night in his crib

*loves his exersaucer (or as Daddy calls it, the big blue chair)-spends forever in it playing

*poor teeth are causing pain, but haven't popped through yet

*would rather stand than sit or lay

*still won't cuddle with mommy and watch tv, only daddy

*lots and lots of new hair is growing very quickly. Sometimes it looks brown, other times blonde

*likes Target, but LOVES Walmart (what's that about?)

He's the most amazing thing in the world to us. Happy 5 month birthday Monkey! We love you!

Trick or Treat

Today was Monkey's 1st Halloween. We love Halloween and are excited to share our love of it with Ben as he grows up. It was also on Halloween last year that we saw/heard his heartbeat for the first time. Halloween is a little more exciting for me now that kids from my school come to our house. When I open the door I love to hear their squeals of excitement (or shock/terror) that they found a teacher's house. My rock star moment.

We took Ben trick or treating next door. Of course we did this all for the pictures.

He had no idea what we were doing.

On our way home we saw my friend Michelle from work and her daughter Addie-the cutest cat I've ever seen. Michelle and I took the babies to another teacher's house down the street to trick or treat.

Ben and Daddy. This mask didn't last long. Daddy scared the daylights out of the little 2 year old across the street from us. Pretty sure we ruined his Halloween and we were the first house he went to. After that the mask was put away.

This is how Ben sat tonight while Daddy fed him dinner. Daddy doesn't like the tray you put on top and apparently Ben doesn't mind. I have a feeling we're going to have to work on table manners when he's older.

We've had Ben dressed in warm clothes so much lately that it's weird to see his bare legs. Daddy was playing with him and we noticed just how BIG his thighs are. Oh my!

Just 365 days until Halloween 2010. The costume ideas are already beginning!

First Love

Ben has his first girlfriend. Okay-so maybe he doesn't even acknowledge her presence, but trust me-it's love. He finally got to meet Miss Mayson last week. Mayson and her mommy and daddy were having pictures taken at our neighbor's so we stopped by to say hi. He planted one right on her cheek. Then she came over to play yesterday. Ben looks like a giant compared to her. He's teething and wasn't much fun. It will be fun to see them grow up together.

Last week Mommy's friend Molly came in from Pittsburgh. We met her at dinner to say hi.

Ben grabbed my water glass so I let him have to see what he would do. Look at his lips. He was not a happy baby when I took it away from him. He would have LOVED what Sharon had to drink-heeheehee :)
Ben meets Molly. He loves Molly and had lots of fun with her. She better come back soon and visit!!!

First Kiss

Ben and Mayson

-doesn't he look like he's dancing?