I have a BIG surprise!

Yes, you are looking at Ben holding a very sweet brand new baby boy! And the surprise is that this adorable baby boy is Ben's new BROTHER! I know-you're shocked! We've been keeping it pretty quiet while we waited for the baby's birthmom to make her final decision because we wanted to respect her right to parent if that is what she decided. But, as of today we are officially adopting this little angel! So, without further ado, I'd like for you to meet the newest member of our family:

Nicolas Sebastian

Born January 29, 2010

9 lbs, 1 oz

20.5 inches

Ben has done remarkably well with him so far. He likes to "help" feed him, diaper him, and read him stories. I know that the honeymoon will shortly be over and Ben may have a hard time adjusting once he realizes Nico is here to stay, but for now we are enjoying our first days together.

FFF-Favorite Animals

This week's FFF theme is Favorite Animals. Ben LOVES animals, so this theme works well for him. His favorite real animal, though, has to be our dog, Spencer. Ben loves to chase him around, lay on him, pull his tail, and generally harrass him despite the hundreds of times I've told him not to and made him stop. The funny thing is that Spencer doesn't seem to mind it even one little bit. In fact, he encourages it by being as close to Ben as possible most of the time. Neither of these pictures are great quality pictures, but they do capture just how much these 2 love each other!

December 2009

December 2008

For more FFF's, don't forget to click on the button above and go visit Hannah's blog!

All Dressed Up

I just LOVE dressing my little man up for church! I'm just glad that, for now, he hasn't protested and actually likes to go around showing off his cool clothes. This picture is him this morning getting ready to head to church. He looks like a little prep school student! I especially love how he has started putting his hands in his pockets when he poses for pictures. Soooo sweet! I love this boy so very much and he is such a blessing.

FFF-Close up

Ben playing in the snow and loving the cold weather

Ben at the Austin, Texas zoo in September. He was so hot and it was almost nap time, so he looks pretty miserable but still adorable to me!

Click on the Fave Foto Friday button above to see more close ups!

Jolly Days at the Children's Museum

On Friday my sister took a half day off work so that we could take the kids to Jolly Days. We all had soooo much fun! The kids loved playing in the special igloo, sock skating on the pretend ice pond, baking in the kitchen, grooming the reindeer, and, of course, sliding down the giant Yule Slide. They also had fun showing my sister the new Egypt exhibit that she hadn't seen yet. Ben especially enjoyed the trains and dinosaurs as well, even though we've seen them a hundred times! We took a lot of pictures, and since my sister was there, there are even a few with me in them (unfortunately!). Enjoy!

Ben in Egypt!

Ben in Dinosphere

I know, it's a lovely picture of me:-) But I'm trying hard not to leave myself out of Ben's life in photos even though I HATE having my picture taken! In this picture we were digging up dinosaur bones!

And another lovely shot of me, this time crawling out of a cave.

Ben tending to the reindeer

Who knew sock skating on a fake pond (while wearing socks with grippers!) could be so much fun?

Ben and his cousin, Belle, sliding on the little igloo slide. She is such a great cousin to him and always helps him-even when he doesn't want it!

"Baking" cookies together in the holiday kitchen.

Getting a kiss from a stuffed penguin-he did this all on his own. It wasn't a pose!

Playing in the igloo

Playing in the Snow

We got about a half inch of snow over night last night and Ben was soooo excited to see it. When I opened the blinds on the back door to show him, his first reaction was, "Oh,no! Mess!" which totally cracked me up. But, once we were outside he loved playing in that mess!

Last winter he was too small to enjoy it, so this was his first chance to get out in it. We put on his new snowboots, mittens, coat, and hat and had a blast playing with my niece out in the backyard. Sooo much fun and soooo much joy in just a simple snowfall!

This is what happens when it gets quiet around here...

Today I was washing dishes in the kitchen while Ben ran back and forth between the living room and kitchen. (We have an open concept home, so I can keep a pretty good eye on him except if he sits right beside the couch on the opposite end from the kitchen.) I realized that it had been a few minutes since I heard or saw Ben run past, so I dried my hands and went to investigage since I KNOW that quiet isn't a good sign when it comes to little boys:-) Apparently somewhere in the totes full of Christmas decorations, Ben found a blue marker. When I found him (at the end of the couch where he knew I couldn't see him), he was happily drawing himself a mustache and had already decorated his hands. Of course, like any good mom, instead of taking the marker from him I ran to get my camera to capture the moment! Luckily he hadn't gotten to decorating the carpets or walls yet!