Tristan's Half Birthday

TWO-AND-A-HALF?? How is that even possible? My Tristan man is already two and a half! Never mind that he's as big as a four year old, he's still my baby!! He's definitely growing up, much to his momma's dismay. He was SO excited about his half birthday. He's been asking about it since September when Maura had her half birthday! It's a crazy tradition, but I LOVE IT! I couldn't wait to make my big boy's favorite dinner and his half birthday cake!
The cake wasn't my best ever--don't look too close. And, don't ever buy the tubes of decorator icing. Not only were they ridiculously hard to squeeze icing out of, it tasted awful! Tristan didn't care, though. He LOVED his tractor cake!

Did I mention that he was SO excited. He sang "Happy Half Birthday" to himself at least three times while the candles burned and probably every day since! Bennett was excited too--he just wasn't sure why!

This is one VERY happy little man. I broke my own rule and actually bought him a half birthday present, but he just NEEDED "Mater's Tall Tales." He loved it, just like I thought he would!

At two-and-a-half, Tristan is all boy. He is full steam ahead at all times with little thought to the consequences. He tends to fall, bump his head and run into things a LOT, but he is so tough that it rarely slows him down. He amazes me when he bumps his head HARD and says "ow" and just keeps on going! He loves his brother and sister so much and loves playing with both. He and Maura play great together about eighty percent of the time and the rest of the time they fight like cats and dogs. I generally have to send someone to time out every single day because they were hurting the other. Yuck! The rest of the time, they're playing imaginative games together and having a great time. Tristan LOVES, LOVES, LOVES Bennett. He cannot give him enough hugs and kisses. He's always asking about him while Bennett is napping and he loves bringing his toys and throwing away diapers for me. Tristan loves his Daddy, but I'm pretty sure that his favorite person in the whole world is Poppa. He asks almost daily when we're going back to Nan and Poppa's house. Tristan loves his momma too and still wants to cuddle with me sometimes. Usually at least once a day he crawls up into my lap and snuggles with me for awhile until he gets silly again and tries to scrunch my face up. He loves tractors , cars,and trains and all kinds of moving vehicles. He can spot a John Deere tractor a mile away and wants me to point them out to him, but then gets mad that he didn't see them first! He is such a funny kid and is always looking for a laugh. He does silly things all the time and just waits for that laugh. He's the child I'll get calls home from school about because he's clowning around. Recently, he's started talking in the "Dictator Voice." When he wants something, he deepens his voice and demands it. It sounds like this, "HEY! SOMEBODY DIDN'T GIVE ME ANY MILK! HEY, SOMEBODY DIDN'T PUT SALT ON MY MEAT!" By somebody, he means me! It's all I can do to not laugh at him and ask him to ask politely. He knows it's funny now and does it all the time. Tristan is still in love with his blankets(Nee Nees) and hates when they have to be washed. He cried yesterday when I put that nasty pee smelling blanket in the wash. He's also adopted one of Maura's stuffed kitties named Marshmallow and will hardly go anywhere without him. It's a real problem, because Marshmallow isn't very big and he's easy to lose. I'm going to have to look for another Marshmallow to keep for emergencies! Tristan is also VERY into Cars, the movie. He LOVES Matar, despite Matars terrible English! He still loves to eat, but I think his favorite thing is drinking--milk that is! He would drink a gallon a day if I would allow it! He loves fruit of any kind, hot dogs and macaroni and cheese. He's still chart topping in his weight and height and currently weighs well over forty pounds. I had to get a new car seat for him because he'd exceeded the weight limit of his Roundabout. I NEVER thought I would have a child who would exceed the weight limit before they were ready to be moved out of the seat. Speaking of restraints, Tristan is still in his crib and highchair and will remain there for the foreseeable future. It's all about containment with this man! I love my rough and tumble, turbo charged little man and wouldn't trade him for the world. He would object to me calling him my little man. He says, "I a BIG boy!" My Bigga, T-Man, Tristan-man, Stinker, Captain Destructo, Mr. T is so precious to me! Happy Half Birthday little man!

Coolest Christmas Gift Ever!

It isn't even Christmas yet and I've already received the coolest present I'll probably get this year. My mother and father-in-law purchased a private cooking lesson with a chef for Amy and I. So. cool. Such a perfect gift for the two of us. When we were in Tennessee together last time the chef actually came to the house and taught us to cook an Indian meal. The guys kept the kids downstairs so we could actually concentrate and we had tons of fun!
Our chef's name was Gabriel and he came with all the ingredients ready to go. All we had to do was chop and measure and we had an Indian feast!

Who gave these two bruisers crystal glasses??? They loved it!

We have lots to love at this house! We just had to get the kids together for a before bedtime photo with all the cousins. We love you Ava and Myla and can't wait to see you at Christmas!!

Grandmother Chambers stopped by early the next morning and we loved having a short visit with her before she flitted away again! What a great trip to Tennessee!

Just Because Two People Fell in Love

WAY back at the beginning of November, we travelled to Tennessee. We had something really important to celebrate. So important, in fact, that the majority of the Allen clan drove or flew in for the celebration. It was Grandmother's 79th birthday, but more importantly, it was Grandmother and Grandpoppa's 60th wedding anniversary. Sixty years. That's an amazing number to me. Brent and I have been married for 9 1/2 years--one sixth of the time they've been married. I hope that when we look back 51 years from now, we'll have the same loving family and wonderful memories. Below are some of the highlights of the night.
Bennett and Jackson are cousins who are only a little over two weeks apart in age. It was so fun to give the two cousins a chance to get to know each other. They're going to be all sorts of trouble someday!

Nan couldn't wait to get her hands on this little sleeping charmer! He is so cuddly and kissable while sleeping. She loved getting some cuddle time with her youngest grandson.

Below: Much to Grandpoppa's dismay, we got everyone together for photos. It's amazing to see the product of a couple's life. Because Carol Doris and Bill Allen met and married sixty years ago, there are twenty six people who are here to live on and carry our their legacy. Pretty amazing stuff! We gathered the children together first. Claudia, Grandpoppa, John, GG, Chuck and Tracey.

This was the most amazing photo to me. The whole Allen family minus just a few. The girls had to get in the annual Coke photo. We take a traditional Coca-Cola photo every year around Christmas time. It's fun to look back at the photos from years past.

The grandkids, minus Matt. These guys had a great time growing up together.
Below: Bennett with his GG. I pray that he has a chance to grow up and know his GG for the wonderful woman that she is.

GG and Great Grandpoppa with our crew! They ALL look so excited to be in a photo!f We're so happy that we were here to spend this very special day with you Grandmother and Grandpoppa!

Grandmother and her sister Dot.
Below: Poppa knows his way to his grandson's heart. Poppa found this John Deere hat and made Tristan's week! He was so proud of this hat. He kept readjusting it and when I held him up to look in the mirror, he just giggled and pulled his hat lower over his eyes. Poppa then proceeded to take Tristan to a big farm where he got to crawl all over the tractors and even start one. Big times for this big boy!

One highlight of our trip to Tennessee was the chance to see Amy, Ava and Myla. Amy flew in for the party and we're so glad she did. I love my little nieces and I hate that we don't see them very often. Ava is only six months older than Tristan and Myla is seven months older than Bennett so I want them to really get to know each other and enjoy getting to be cousins together. Amy loved getting some time to hold Bennett, even if she did have to pull double duty.

Below: One of the highlights of every Tennessee trip for my kids is getting to watch movies and eat Poppa's popcorn. Ava and Maura had a big time together down in the TV room. Poppa was a good man and he suffered through Barbie Fashion Fairytale for his little granddaughters. Now, that's devotion!!

We were lucky enough to get to witness some of Myla's first steps. She had started walking the week before and she was really moving by the time we saw her!
Below: Poppa and his littlest man.

DOUBLE TROUBLE! These two had some pretty serious games of chase and some small difficulties sharing, but on the whole got along great.

Below: Maura and Ava in a jam session. Ava on the tin guitar, Maura on the swinging beads. I think this band is going to be a success!!

Love this photo! It shows their personalities pretty well: Sweet, Sassy, and Hungry. So glad we got to spend the time with our family, especially Nan, Poppa and the cousins.

Five Months Old

I could just about cry writing that title. Five months. Where did the time go? I'm trying to soak in all the special moments that come from having an infant, but they're flying by much, much too quickly. Just five months ago I was being handed a wet wriggly little body and meeting my sweet son for the very first time. I looked into those gorgeous eyes and I was in love. I smelled that newborn smell and nuzzled his dark little head and reveled in the fact that he was here, and he was ours, and he was healthy. Just five months ago he was a sleepy, helpless newborn. Now, suddenly, he's a smiley, adorable, personality filled baby. Sigh. I love him so much and this is my favorite age, but I'm ready to press the pause button and just keep him a baby forever. Sweet Bennett Boo, we love you so much and we LOVE having you as the sweet, adorable BABY that you are. Stay that was as long as possible!
I know I've already said the word "sweet" a dozen or so times in this post, but it's really the best descriptor for this baby. He is just the sweetest, most easy going baby I've ever met. He is just happy all the time, rarely cries and smiles at the least provocation. My happy boy brings so much joy and laughter to our family. The kids love talking to him and getting him to smile and laugh at him. He has the BEST giggles and he especially loves being ticked with my hair, or having raspberries blown on his belly. He's getting so big and strong and can roll from back to front--he just doesn't choose to do so very often. He's loving the Bumbo seat and Exersaucer these days and I love watching him play in the Exersaucer. He is really starting to play with toys and the exersaucer keeps him busy for at least 20-30 minutes--long enough for me to get ready in the morning.

He is still a great napper, napping at least once in a three hour cycle. Sometimes he surprises me with 2-3 hour naps. LOVE that! He's still not a great nighttime sleeper, waking at least twice to nurse and generally staying in bed with me all night. He LOVES his mommy and is happiest right there beside me, using me as a pacifier. He still seems very content with just nursing and he seems to have an overactive gag reflex, so we'll leave the cereal feeding for another month or so.

I have no idea how much Bennett weighs now. I know he seems to have gained some weight since his 4 month visit, so I'd estimate that he's around sixteen pounds. He's certainly not the chart topper that his brother was, but my back is grateful for that! As far as activity, he doesn't mind being on his belly, and he'll sit up when I prop him in the Boppy. I wouldn't be surprised if he's my earliest mobile baby. Watch out world!

Bennett loves his daddy too, and he's so excited to see him when he comes home. He loves playing with daddy and giving big slobbery kisses. He LOVES giving kisses. If you get anywhere near his face, he opens that mouth WIDE and wants to taste you! So cute, so sloppy!

Finally...here's how much fun a baby can have with a bag of chips!

He played with this bag for at least ten minutes, loved every minute of it and I think wanted to try some of those chips. I mean, check out that shirt--his mouth was watering!!