A Few Firsts

My bestest friend from high school and college had her first baby, Charlie, just 4 days after Benham was born. The boys were due a week apart from each other and ironically, both were born around 3 weeks early. They have no other option than to be pen pals. Charlie lives in Chicago and was on his first trip to Hilton Head Island. We spent an afternoon kissing, rocking and forcing the boys to pose for pictures.

Long awaited introduction

Benham Austin and Charles Gordon

Tickle toes...Charlie didn't even flinch, he's got his mothers 'straight face'. Mimi is really gentle with babies but at one point, she just about fell on top of poor Chuck. Since Benham's birth, I have grown a set of eyes on the back of my head and fine tuned my peripheral vision. With Benham in my right arm, the left arm intercepted Mimi from making ground Chuck.

It was fun to see both boys in the same developmental stages...starting to laugh out loud and grab at their toys. These are the things that excite new moms. Watching someone do something for the very first time in their lives is monumental, no matter how minuscule.

Princess Maryn and her Fairy Godmother...Auntie Kristen:)

I lasted a month and a half after Ben's birth before I signed her up for a Mother's Morning Out program. She constantly has to be challenged and I needed one morning out of seven to just sit and stare into my newborns eyes. The sitting and staring never happened. I've been cramming a weeks worth of errands into one 3 hour time frame. Ben is usually strapped to my chest in the Bjorn and we run here and there and by the time I pick Maryn up from school, I'm whipped.

My swollen puffy morning eyes gave away the fact that I had a 6 week old.

We love Miss Martha and her sweet southern manner

I had no intentions of starting preschool at 2 years but her time at school seems to be such a positive experience. She's a smart little cookie and exposing her little sponge of a brain to experiences outside of our home will hopefully benefit her. She is potty trained during the day, can sing the alphabet and count to twenty with only minor slip ups. I'm hoping that by November, she'll know Mandarin and Arabic as well as all 50 states and their capitals. What?

Maryn was born with a full head of black hair and by 5 months, it had fallen out and her blond fuzz was sprouting. During those 5 months of transition, she rocked a mullet and male pattern balding. I REFUSED to trim her hair! I wanted her first hair cut to actually be her first. Finally, after 24 months and about 4 months of Mac begging to cut her hair...I gave in. My baaaabbbbyyyy!!!!

We heard about this pink airplane and the princess movie that she watched during the cut for about a month afterwards.

I think it's actually time for another trim.

Showing off the little baggie of blonde hair that is now taped into her baby book. I may or may not have a baggie of Bayley's baby teeth hidden in a drawer some where.