Getting excited for baby number 2!

We are starting to get really excited for baby number 2. My belly has grown A LOT in the past month....now strangers are even asking me when I am due! Ben will often pull up my shirt and hug/kiss the baby. I'm sure he has no idea how much this baby is going to rock his world....but that's ok. He'll be a good big brother. :)

Visit to Charlottesville

We went to Charlottesville for a long weekend to celebrate Christmas with Erik and Carissa.

Carissa and I compared belly sizes.... I'm still quite a bit bigger!

Erik loved to play with Ben and carry him on his shoulders.

Carissa cooked a really nice meal for us on Saturday night and we exchanged gifts for Christmas.

Thanksgiving 2009

Steve, Ben and I went to two lovely thanksgiving dinners this year. We are so blessed! Uncle Donald and Aunt Juli cooked the first meal. We all ate way too much and enjoyed it. Ben especially loved Grandma's sugar cookies. :) Then we went over to Steve's parent's house for meal #2...which was also great! We had all just sat down to eat and Ben was chattering away in his high chair one minute and the next minute--sound asleep!! It was pretty funny.

Random Ben shots

Just some random pictures of Ben being a goofball. He is getting more fun by the day! So much personality!

Iszkula baby #2

We got to see Baby #2 at our ultrasound this week. Everything looks good so far!
So cute, right? :)

The baby is drinking some amniotic fluid in this picture! :)

Pumpkin Farm

We went to Riley's Farm. We picked out a pumpkin, went down a big slide, went on a hay ride and petted animals in a petting zoo. Ben had a great time.

Ben's 1st Haircut

Ben got his first haircut today. We went to Little Snips, which specializes in cutting kid's hair. It was very cute. He sat in the Taxi car seat and was very good through the whole thing. He just looks so old now! Like a little boy....not a baby anymore.

new trick

Ben's new trick....ha.

Zoo trip

This was Ben's second trip to the zoo and he really appreciated it more than last time. He kept pointing and laughing at the animals. He would also clap his hands when they moved! It was much more fun this time.

Yikes! A fork?

This is a very dangerous skill to learn.....

Give that boy a drink!

You would think that we never give this boy anything to drink! We found this hysterical--watching him try to drink the bathwater. :)

Baby #2!

We are very excited to announce that Ben will become a big brother in March! He still seems so little to be a big brother, but he assures us that he will be able to handle the responsibility by then. We are thrilled though that our family is growing! I'm sure 2 kids under 2 will be tough at times, but hopefully we are up for the challenge! :)

1 year old

Look how big Ben is now! 1 year old already!

"DaDa?"

Ben loves to tease his Daddy! He can say "Dada," but the more we ask him to say it, the more he says "Mama" with a big smile on his face!

1st Birthday Party

We had a birthday party for Ben's first birthday while we were home in Erie for the weekend. My mom and Dean were gracious hosts. We ordered all the food from Teresa's Deli, Giant Eagle, and Grammy's. The funniest part of the day was when we lit Ben's one candle and placed it in front of him--he instantly touched it and put the flame out to which all of us yelled "NO!" and he started to cry. Our yelling at him was much scarier than the flame! haha. Unfortunately, I was not quick enough to get it on video--and he wasn't very interested in the cake after that! Ben was spoiled and has been enjoying the new toys and clothes he received as presents. Thank you to everyone who came to the party! We had a great time.

1 year check up

Ben went to the doctor's office today for his one year check up. They said that he is a healthy little guy! :) His latest stats are: 22 lbs 12 oz (50%) and is 30 3/4 inches long (80%). He has been walking/running for several months now and says a few words like "uh oh," "ball" and "mama". Overall, he is doing great!

weird shrieking/laughing....

What a goofball! Ben was doing this weird laughing/shrieking thing. It was cracking us up.

Hanks and Eddies

Ben's First Trip to Hanks and Eddies--a right of passage! :)

Ed, Jill, Steve at Eddie's Footlong Hotdogs

Ben eating some hotdog bun with sauce at Eddie's.

Maureen, Eileen, Ben and Susie enjoying Hank's Frozen Custard

smoochie smoochie

Ben giving the stuffed Giraffe a big ol' kiss! heehee.

Swinging

Ben loves to go for runs with Dad in the jogging stroller on the weekends. They get up early and run 5 miles then play on the playground for awhile. Mom loves it too because she gets to sleep in!

Cheese?

Cheese? No thanks.

I was trying to give Ben cheese for the first time. I guess it had a strange texture to it at first. He was being a real stinker about it--throwing it, dodging my attempts to feed him, until he actually tasted it! Then it was ok. :)

Vacation

We had a great week in the Outer Banks with Steve's parents, Erik, Carissa, Dave, Lorrie and Cameron. It was very nice and relaxing. Ben was unsure of the sand at first, but by the end of the week, he was a pro. He liked the pool much better than the cold ocean. It was a great trip! :)

Playing catch

Ben trying to play catch. It's tricky for him but he's coming along! He thinks it's hilarious. Steve can't wait until he has someone who actually wants to play catch with him! :)

Ben is such a momma's boy

Here is another video of Ben dissing his dad for his mom and then doing a little bit of walking.

if at first you don't succeed...

Ben showing off his "mad walking skillz"

Giggle giggle

Oh man, Dad is so funny!
(Sorry, we can't figure out how to turn the video right side up.)

Easily entertained...

Ben can keep himself entertained quite awhile this way! It cracks us up to watch him scoot around like this. :)

"Bunny See--Bunny Do"

Ben mimicking the bunny he got for Easter. Too funny! :)

sneak peek

Here's a sneak peek of Ben's 7 month pictures.....

"walking"

Ben enjoyed "walking" in this walker at Nana and Papa's house. Their hard wood floors are great for cruising along. He seems to have no patience for learning to crawl yet, but he can't wait to walk!!! Ben loves to be held upright the best.

Ben splashing in Nana & Papa's sink

We had to give Ben a bath while we were home for the weekend. He loved splashing around in Nana and Papa's kitchen sink. It was the perfect size for him. He thought it was a hot tub just for him! :)

St. Patrick's Day

Ben's First St. Patrick's Day!

The Big Tub

Ben outgrew the baby tub! He is just too long for it....so into the big tub he went this week. He enjoyed splashing around and playing with the toys. (We tried to only take "tasteful pictures" that he won't kill us for later when he gets older...ha)

Veggies!

Ben started eating some vegetables this week. So far he has liked carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, and green beans. He's not so crazy about peas, but still ate them. I can't believe that our baby is big enough to sit in his high chair and eat food from a spoon! Amazing how fast they grow!