A Little Ray of Mimi

Have you heard the buzz over the new breastfeeding doll that has recently hit the United States market? Of course, Europe has already been selling the doll for months. It comes with a little halter top with two flower petals that represent breasts and the doll actually makes sucking noises when placed to the flower to eat. I think it's great. But that's coming from a mom who has since been desensitized by the whole idea of breastfeeding. Why did I even have to be desensitized in the first place? That's the issue. Breastfeeding is not easy, and unfortunately here in the United States, I have to hide in my car or a fitting room to feed my baby when I'm out running those necessary errands that all moms need to run during the only two hour time frame during the week that we get to run them. It takes a lot to change culture. This was Mimi shortly after Benham was born. We're not going to buy the doll because she's content feeding Daisy Duck, Minnie Mouse and her own baby doll right from the breast. Let me just tell you that I lost my *you know what* when I first saw her do this, totally unprovoked.

Mommy's little helper

She is just so sweet and innocent. Nonjudgmental, non racist, nonsexist. The innocence of a two year old is just so refreshing.

Her own baby Bjorn. I love her gentle support of the baby's head.

First day of Preschool!!!!

She didn't need a single day to adjust. The boys in her class, on the other hand, are still crying when their moms drop them off. I asked Mimi what she did the other day in school and she told me that she "just watched the boys cry, wahh wahh wahh".

Our trip to San Diego was a whirlwind and I might have taken maybe five pictures. Here is princess flower girl Maryn...in all her 'terrible two' glory. We were having our pictures taken and Maryn had to use the bathroom. No time to find a potty so she got to pee behind a tree like Bode. The other evening at work, I get a call from Mac. "I turned my back for 5 seconds while we were playing in the back yard and Maryn had her pants at her ankles, squatting behind the tree". A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do, daddy!

At least one of us finds the time to exercise

We finally got to meet Katelyn! The daughter of a nursing school friend whom I haven't seen in 8 years! I remember when 8 years used to be a long time. Now it just seems like yesterday.

The last time the three of us were in Hilton Head, we were wearing *naughty nurses* shirts, 'nuff said.

We cuddle,

we dress up,

we bake,

we laugh,

and we wear crowns on plain ol' ordinary days.

Benham even likes to wear a crown from time to time.

Benham is 5 months old!

This lapse in blogging is totally not acceptable but if running from hurricanes, ER visits and hospital stays aren't a big enough excuse, I apologize. August was rough. Too much travelling. Too many colds. We were evacuated from our yearly trip to Point O' Woods since Irene had her eye on Long Island. My flight with the children was cancelled and we were forced to drive 16 hours through the hurricane dodging flying debris and fallen trees on the highway. Don't mess with Mother Nature. Lesson learned. And to finish off our summer with a bang, Benham was rushed to the ER Labor Day weekend for acute abdominal pain. It was 8am and he was enjoying his exersaucer when he suddenly started screaming a scream that every mother knows IS NOT normal. His legs were pulled to his chest and he was inconsolable. Within a few minutes, he was feverish and lethargic. We suspected intussusception which could have been triggered by his viral cold, and spent the night without ever getting a definite diagnosis. By the time the abdominal ultrasound was done, the pain had resolved. Our little man is completely 100% back to normal and he's charging through this whole infanthood entirely way too quickly. He is ALL boy! He drools, he farts, he kicks, he punches and he's stolen his momma's heart.

He lights up when Maryn walks in the room.

Did I mention he's ALL boy? My sweet daughter sitting like a proper girl, knees closed reading a book, while my son eats paper.

But I am utterly, unabashedly in love with this beautiful child of mine, paper eating and all.

As cute as these faces are...I feel like I'm constantly cleaning and bathing little body parts. When Maryn was 5 months old, I typically bathed her every 2 to 3 days. She didn't spit up, she didn't drool and she was a neat eater. Bah...this boy requires daily baths. I mean, they're like totally two completely different creatures.

He's got a thing for mirrors.

He yells at you in between bites of baby food because what he really wants is a continuous straw infusion of pureed sweet potatoes. He can't eat fast enough. And at the end of his meal when I pull out his sippy cup, his eyes widen, his fists pump, his legs kick and he snatches it out of my hand. Quite frankly, I wouldn't mind a continuous straw infusion of a little Benham Austin.

Oh, and he found his feet this month.

And oh, he can sit up. Assisted.

Be back soon with a little more Mimi:) She's got her first school pictures tomorrow.