Hello, My Name Is

We've done it again. We love family names. Or at least a name with a meaning. If this child was a girl, I think we would have had to just pick a first name that we simply just liked...we used two of our favorites already. I've had my sons name chosen since the day I saw Mac's birth certificate, which was a couple years before we were even engaged. His moms middle name, Benham. Instantly, that name touched my heart and I just knew I'd have a little Ben. Plus, I was always told that if I were a boy my name would have been Benjamin. Benham is actually Mac's great grandmothers maiden name and his grandfather's brother's name, who died in a car accident when he was only about 23 years old. And I was told, probably five months into our relationship, that our first born son's middle name had to be Austin. Austin is Mac's grandfathers name who passed away last January. His brother was Benham. All of Mac's first born male cousins on his mother's side of the family have Austin as their middle name, including Mac. So there you have it...meet our son...

Benham Austin Cummings

'Big Ben'

We had a 3D ultrasound this week and got a glimpse into his world.

Kissing baby Ben

Oh so proud!

Our handsome hunk has his momma's mouth, much wider than the lips of his daddy and sister

Has daddy's nose and ears

Peek a boo, trying so hard to open his eyes

His cheeks don't appear to be as big as Maryn's

And daddy's long chicken legs

And Poppop Loepers BIG feet!!! Size 13!!! Mac wears a size 9 and I wear a size 7 and Mimi still fits into 12-18 month size shoes. His big toe is so big he wouldn't stop playing with it.

The little bugger is frank breech which means that his head is still up, butt down and he's got his legs pulled up right in front of his face. This boy better flip!! He probably can't because his dang monster feet keep getting in the way!

Say a quick little prayer that this lazy boy will dive down towards the light...head first child!

Mimi and Friends

This child of mine has chosen the name Mimi for herself and the rest of us have followed suit. It's hard not to call her that when she refers to herself in the third person ALL day long. "Mimi pee peed in potty" "Mimi wants more milk" etc etc. It's absolutely darling. Funny thing is, is that when we chose her name when I was pregnant, my nickname for her WAS Mimi...Maryn Amelia condensed:)

I just love this little cherub!

I found these pictures from our Christmas tree hunt on my other camera and I just had to post for my own archives.

The Children's Museum rocks! I think we'll be frequent visitors this summer when it's 105 degrees outside and momma's got cabin fever.

We shared the morning with Ella and Paxton

Nanny rocks too!

And Poppop's pretty fun:)

Lunch date with Naomi and Baxton

Maryn is 3 months older than Naomi...they are so cute together...

...REALLY BIG HUGS!!!

...and gentler hugs for the younger man. Bax just turned one this month.

And Maryn got this sweet as pie flower hat for her first birthday almost a year ago...and it just now fits her tiny noggin....thank you Bairds!!

More fun at the Aquarium

She was a little scared of the 'aldergators'

This cage would come in hand during those crabby post nap hours before dinner when my child is abducted and replaced with a raging bull.

25.5 weeks

Took these on Saturday...baby boy will be 26 weeks tomorrow! Don't be fooled into thinking that life's a beach around here...I'm getting bigger every day and Maryn is getting very good at picking things up off the floor for me:)

She thinks she's walking him...this dog would take her down in a split second!

She asks every day..."beeaaach, beeaaach?"

Hope he's prepared to be tag teamed

And I'm not even going to tell you about last week when M pooped in her potty and Bode decided to eat it for an afternoon treat...I won't even go there. See, life is not a beach around here!

Christmas 2010

One big compilation of our Christmas 2010: documented as my form of scrap booking, my form of recording each sacred moment of my child's life. This blog is personal and although it seems like I post every picture that I take, I assure you that I don't. Hard to believe. You are welcome to read along, a sneak peak into our lives but by no means am I holding you down to look through all of our family albums...pointing out each cute little face my babies make: eyes open, eyes closed, cute smile, perfect little curl. These 268 holiday pictures are posted not for the purpose of a cohesive BLOG but for the purpose of searing them forever in my brain. This holiday season was all about Maryn. Our families united for the sake of sweet baby M and we are so grateful for that. She was able to spend Christmas morning with all of her grandparents, and that's pretty special.

Topping the Christmas tree....let the festivities begin!

Tis the season to be whiney...we see this face often

Always sneaking a treat for Bode behind my back

"Sit Bo Bo Sit, good dog"

Showing Grandma all the ornaments she hung. She'd point out the Ho Ho, Frosty, Bode, baby Maryn...

She has a slight obsession with trains...slight!

Goofing around with her grandmas...who spoil her far too much

Our morning routine...giving Frosty a kiss

Off to church on Christmas Eve

In deep conversation with Poppop

Buuurrrrr, it was cold

She is everything I ever dreamed my daughter would be. I always knew that I'd have a daughter and I always knew that she would be as sweet as sweet can be. Loving, compassionate, mothering, gentle hearted, even tempered...even down to her blonde hair and blue eyes and her crooked little pinky finger like her Poppop and I have. She is my dream baby.

The first present:)

Opening Uncle Phil and soon to be Aunt Laramie's gifts

It always amazes me when New Years rolls around...

...and I realize that someone is growing inside of me.

This is my second Christmas being 22.5 weeks pregnant

Maryn hung on Grandma's hip for the entire week she was here

And Nanny goofed around like she always does

Showing off her pretty black velvet dress. We need a reason to wear this again!

What child gets excited opening up clothes???? Mine! She gets all excited, holds them up and says "Cool"!

Christmas morning...."hmmm, where should I begin?"

She wasted no time

Her train table from Grandma and Poppop...did I mention her slight obsession?

And her kitchen from Nanny and Poppop

Christmas brunch...notice Nanny has the champagne bottle in her hands:) Mac and I are so lucky that our families get along. Holidays are meant to be shared!

The American Girl doll that she picked out on our Chicago trip

Practicing her swing and nailing Bode everytime

Poppop and Grandma recently bought a second home (future permanent residence:) ) here in Mount Pleasant and we decided that to be a converted Southerner, they needed rocking chairs for their wrap around front porch!

And my parents, who are recent Southern converts, decided they needed our state flag so that their house wasn't egged by Yankee haters:)

Nanny was surprised by her BIG flower urn.

And Poppop was already in the back yard trying out his new fishing rod

Our sweet little petunia

A gift from Maryn's fairy godmother

Fairy godmothers have good taste!

Uncle Tim playing with one of M's five fire trucks that she got...obsessed with fire trucks too! You'd think I had a little boy on my hands.

This fire truck is remote controlled and we didn't think she'd really be able to control it...we were mistaken! She grabbed that controller and had the truck spinning and backing up!

Applying her lipstick amongst the chaos

"BIG Fire Truck!!!"

Buffalo Sabres onesies for baby boy

And Grandma and Poppop got her this adorable shopping cart so she can fill up her kitchen shelves

And to put the icing on a most perfect holiday season, it SNOWED on the 26th!!

It didn't really stick on the ground where we live close to the beach but further inland they got a couple inches!

These flurries and freezing temps were good enough for us and it's days like this that I'm particularly thankful that we live where we do and that 3 days later it was 75 degrees!

We hope you all enjoyed your holiday season, whatever holiday you celebrate, we hope you spent it with family and friends and tucked away the memories...because that is what life is all about!

Happy New Year!! 2011 promises to be another special year for us Cummings, providing me with some more great blog material...or shall I say, online scrapbook material!