October 2012 - January 2013

FYI, I have been working on this post for 2 weeks.  I'm awesome.

I know, I know.  It's been forever.  And it's been even longer since I have posted any pictures.  If you don't see my boys in person, you probably wouldn't recognize them because they've grown so much since the last pictures I posted.  Here's a quick update on us and LOTS of pictures from the past few months.

Bentley - 8 months!!

I can't believe how fast his first year is flying by!  It just isn't fair.  He is growing and changing so much and I am just trying to soak it all up.  In the last couple weeks Bentley has cut his first 2 teeth.  This was not a fun time at all.  They stayed under the surface of the skin for SO long, I was about to do surgery on him.  We went through 2 bottles of tylenol - and I rarely give my kids medicine, unless they really need it.  The 2 days that the teeth actually broke the skin were the worst and now he is finally getting some relief.  Amazing how different he has been from Ryder (who didn't get his first teeth until almost his first birthday and he never seemed to notice he was teething).  Bentley still loves to snuggle and most of the time just wants mama.  He is a happy camper if he's sitting on my lap.  Makes it hard for me to do anything else - but I know he'll be running from me before long.  He is mobile, but doesn't do the traditional crawl - it's a combination of crawling, rolling and booty scooting.  Either way, he gets where he wants to go.  We are in big trouble when he really gets going - Ryder has so many tiny toys and everywhere I look in this house I see some type of baby hazard.

When Bentley reached 6 months he got to start eating solid food!  We started with sweet potatoes and then moved to avocados.  Tried rice cereal after that, but he has had terrible eczema ever since we gave him that, so I stopped it.  He has had a bunch of different fruits & veggies now - I think his favorites are peas and avocados.  He didn't like apples or pears at first, but has gotten used to them.  Everything else is just so-so.  I have made all of his food so far and I hope to never buy any jars.  I really enjoy making it and I like knowing what's in it.  The ridiculously long shelf life of the store bought stuff really bothers me - plus it's never quite the color that it should be.  I am excited to come up with more combos and flavors for him and really hope he won't be a terribly picky eater like his brother!

Bentley just adores his big brother.  His favorite things are watching Ryder play, playing with Ryder's toys, being in Ryder's room, taking baths (EDIT - since starting this post, Bentley has had a traumatic experience in the bath and now HATES them and freaks when I try to give him one), going outside and of course, snuggling with mama. :)  He hates having his diaper & clothes changed.  He has a little bit of separation anxiety right now and if he even thinks I am going to walk away from him will start to throw a fit.

Ryder

Oh boy, this guy is a busy bee.  From the time he wakes up in the morning he has so.much.energy.  He is super smart and people always comment on how good his vocabulary is and how well he speaks.  He always has something funny to say.  And about 90% of the day he talks about garbage.  Maybe more.

His favorite things are still anything garbage related and cars.  Not gonna lie, the garbage obsession makes me a tad bit crazy.  If I never hear another word about the garbage can or the garbage truck, I'd be more than happy.  I hope he'll outgrow this obsession sooner, rather than later.  

At his 3 year appointment, Ryder was in the 8th % for height and 12th% for weight.  A little peanut.  His eating habits haven't really gotten any better - he's still extremely picky.  We've gotten to where sometimes he can either eat what we're eating or not eat at all.  I feel horrible letting him go hungry, but I usually only do that if we're eating something I know he'd like if he would just try it.  But if we give him one of the few things he loves, he will just eat and eat and keep asking for more.  I'm scared for the teenage years with 2 boys to feed.

He is such a wonderful big brother to Bentley.  They already have such a great bond and I can't wait to watch them interact more and grow together.  I'm sure I'll be breaking up fights all the time, but that's what siblings do.  

As for Rudy and I - we're just trucking along, trying to be the best parents we can and cherishing every day with these precious boys.  We're trying to figure out when we can take a vacation this year - need to get back to the farm to see the fam and introduce Bentley, but we also want to go to San Diego at some point so we can take the boys to the beach and Sea World.  Hopefully we can find a way to make it all work.

Ok, here's a TON of pictures (sorry) - it's like the cliff notes of the past 4 months .....

Bentley at 4 months

Our trip to the White Mountains in October:

The "old" cabin in Nurtioso, which burned to the ground in the Wallow Fire of 2011.  All that is left is the fire place.  SO sad. :(  Amazingly, the "new" cabin (our friends' cabin, where we stayed and a place that is a big part of my childhood) was untouched - and it's right across the meadow - the trees were literally burned right up to the back porch

Bentley started sitting on his own at the cabin (4.5 months!)

I love both of their expressions (and am totally obsessed with dressing them in matching outfits)

Bentley wasn't too happy for the portion of the drive home that he was awake.  We left at his bedtime on the way up and then a little earlier on the way home.  It was hilarious though, when he was crying in the backseat, Rudy stuck the camera back there and blindly took pictures of him - this is what the first one looked like....

and then he realized he was having his picture taken and started posing for the camera :)  hilarious!

Bentley turned 5 months on Halloween ....

And we stuck him in a pumpkin, for the cutest photos ever...

The best picture we could get of the two of them...

Ryder a firefighter & Bentley a giraffe

Ryder turned 3 in November!!!

This boy loves cake!

We had a Jake & the Neverland Pirates party - of course it was randomly freezing that day, since we planned an outdoor party!  We put together a cute little scavenger hunt for the kids and had our nephews read them the clues in pirate voices.

A day at the zoo - cutest little elephant!

Brotherly love!

Thanksgiving 2012

Peanut butter sandwich on Thanksgiving.....of course

First real food - sweet potatoes!

6 months!  He's the cutest thing ever...

   

Notice the fingers!!  I can't believe he sucks the same exact fingers I did!  I love it and it is the best soothing tool ever.

Trying on his glasses for the first time.  He is so precious.  He has adjusted to them really well and I think they really make a big difference for him.  The video of him putting them on for the first time is the best!

Zoo lights!

They both did really great with Santa!

Ryder's favorite part of zoo lights was riding the train - I just love to watch him light up when he is excited about something!

We finally moved Ryder from his crib to a toddler bed and then decided he'd be much more comfortable in the twin bed we had been storing for him.  At first he fell out of it, a lot.  We'd hear him yell out, but he'd just continue sleeping on the floor.  He got used to it and doesn't fall out anymore.

Heading to Winterhaven Festival of Lights, after a pizza picnic in the back on the car ....

The gingerbread house that Rudy and I made (Ryder got fired after he kept eating the candy)

He loves those fingers!  I can totally relate. :)

Playing in gma & gpa's backyard

Christmas 2012!  Not gonna lie, I was very impressed with my gift wrapping this year.  FYI, all of the bows are homemade - BY RUDY!!!  We discovered a hidden talent of his.

Christmas morning at home!

It was so much fun watching him open presents - it was the first year he has really been into it.

And B had a good time too!

Christmas evening at my parent's house - cutest elf EVER!!

Ryder's favorite presents - mini garbage & recycling bins, of course

Little musician

Bentley and his friend Liam, who is 2.5 months younger than him but about twice his size - he's a BIG boy!  They were so cute here, grabbing at each other.

7 months!!

This picture cracks me up!!

And that pretty much brings us up to date .... for the second year in a row, I didn't get Christmas cards out.  Maybe next year!!!  Hope everyone is doing well (assuming anyone is still reading this).  I'm hoping I can get it together and start blogging more.