products the Ben & Jen Show love- #11

August 5th, 2009

Ben is 4 months old! To celebrate this occasion, I was thinking about the happenings around here and thought it would be fun to sum them up with a little list of things that both Ben and I love that make things a little easier, fun, and definitely more entertaining during the everyday happenings over the last 4 months.

So, for the next 11 days, look forward to the Top 11 (because it’s one louder than 10!) products the Ben & Jen Show have really loved for the first 4 months of his life. Also to note, this list is in no particular order; true to the blog title, it’s very meandering! :)

In the entertainment category… (a.k.a. things that keep baby entertained while mommy can: eat breakfast, eat lunch, use the restroom, brush her teeth, talk on the phone, update her blog…etc.)

#11. Activity Mat– Ben loves this thing! Definitely one of his favorite toys right now. He could probably play on this it all day long if I let him! Loves to stare at himself in the mirror; I’m convinced he thinks he is laughing, talking, and giggling with another baby. Loves to swat & tug at the stuffed animals hanging from it. Loves to put his feet up in the air and grab his toes (so cute!!!) And loves tummy time. Oh, and breaking news… today he rolled over from tummy to back on it!!! Proud mama alert!

It’s really funny because he’s started doing this very slow break-dance turn move thing when he’s on his tummy. I think it looks like he’s doing the inch worm and a very slow 360. He’ll stick his little booty up in the air and begins to turn very slowly. Very slowly. The only bummer (I guess) is that the music pad doesn’t work anymore. I think of this as more of a blessing in disguise. I much rather put on some of my own tunes and let Ben rock out to them rather than some so-called, baby stimulating, brainy nursery rhymes. Ugh. A few times to listening to that is a few times too many! I’m glad it broke!!! No offense, but I much rather have Ben listen to music like Ray Charles, The Beatles, Johnny Cash, U2, Coldplay, Dave, Stevie, The Who, (the list goes on and on and on)… wayyyy more entertaining! :)

For more about the mat and more Ben pics… Check out Raise the Barn’s post about it.

Tune in tomorrow for product #10!

A word about this list… no, I’m not getting any compensation from any of the companies that make these wonderful products. (Although, that would be nice!) I’m just a new mommy that wants to spread the word about what has worked for my baby and me during these early months. If you are preggers and reading this, think of this list as what I think are essentials you need in your house.

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birthday wishes for grandpa!!!

July 26th, 2009

Happy Birthday dad!!! Here’s a little video that team meandering mind put together for you. Ben is soooo excited it’s YOUR DAY TODAY!!! We love you!

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Baby Genius Burp Cloth. Finally. Done.

July 17th, 2009

2 weeks old–helping mommy knit!

I know it’s hard to believe, but this crafty creation took just about 3 months to make! I know, all it is is a fancy rectangle; I’m a tad embarrassed about how long it took me to get to the finish line. I’m pretty sure the girls’ at knit night were probably really tired of seeing me bring this project in the last 4 weeks. I really believe I could read their minds thinking… isn’t she done with that already??!!

And you wanna know what’s really funny? This was going to be my knitty project I was going to work on in the hospital after delivering Ben. I thought I was going to make like 10 of these things while recovering. I also thought I was going to have all of this ‘down time’ to just sit and knit. Ha! Boy, was I wrong!!! The idea of that just cracks me up now!!! The only thing I did in the hospital was take care of Ben, sleep, and eat when I could. Not a stitch was knit.

I CO shortly after coming home from the hospital, obviously got side-tracked in a major way, and finally finished up last night. Now that it’s finally done, isn’t it the most rockin’ Baby Genius Burp Cloth ever? :) (You’ll need a ravelry account for the link to work.)

If I were to make another one, I’d probably make it even bigger than this one. Maybe more like 11” x 16”. I don’t know about your kid-o, but mine needs a big space to hit during feedings. Although, most of the spit-up usually ends up on me anyway; no matter how big of a cloth I use. :)

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time for a Ben update!

July 12th, 2009

Time for a Ben update! He’s 3 months old and as you can see, he’s hardly the tiny little baby we brought home from the hospital. Ben is growing like a champ in both length & weight. Without an official weigh-in or height check, I’d say he’s probably about 14 lbs., and 26 inches in length. The super big news at our house is… We’re getting a lot more sleep now!!! On good nights, Ben can sleep from 9PM to about 5 or 6AM. We’ve cut out those 1 AM & 4 AM feedings. This is huge!!! You might have heard me doing the happy dance about it :) Other things that have happened: Ben has visited Cheekwood, Target, my allergy doctor’s office, our local Fourth of July street fair, and Tim & Tracy’s house! He’s quite the traveler! :)

So what kinds of things does our 3-month old love?

Ben loves to play on his activity mat– especially with Tim the giraffe!
Ben loves to look at books and listen to mommy and daddy read stories to him
Ben loves his boppy
Ben loves his swing & his bouncer
Ben loves stroller rides around his neighborhood
Ben loves to giggle & laugh
Ben loves tummy time
Ben loves to flirt with all of our light fixtures and ceiling fans. It’s hilarious to watch!

Now… I know you still want to see more of our little guy… Sit back and enjoy the Ben Show-months 2 & 3 of his sweet little life :)

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I’ve joined the dark side…

June 27th, 2009

That’s right, I’m the latest member of Facebook. I can’t believe I waited sooooo long to get on the bandwagon! Could have been all those snarky comments I made about it that was holding me back. What I really think is funny is that I can’t believe how much I like it. Maybe a little too much right now. Is it sad that after hubby and I put Ben to bed last night we both sat on the couch and cruised FB for the evening? :)

So… I’ve joined the dark side of major time suck. And, I’m loving it!

Well, it looks like someone has just posted something on my ‘wall’ and I need to figure out how to respond. Hee. Hee. Hee.

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Father’s Day wishes & Ben’s 2nd video post

June 21st, 2009

Ben wanted me to blog about his Happy Father’s Day wishes to his dad today!!! :) He thought daddy would enjoy a few pics as well as his favorite Ben & daddy moments caught on video last week. We love you!

I also want to say… a BIG Happy Father’s Day to my dad! And, my dad-in-law! You guys have a great day today! Hugs & lots of love to you both!

Now… sit back and enjoy Ben’s cutest & funniest moments filmed last week…

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Ben’s first video!

June 9th, 2009

Here is our little Ben starring in his very first video!!! I’ve done a little editing and put together our favorite moments of hubby & I trying to get him to laugh & do his cute little baby talk thing. This is guaranteed to put a smile on your face! Enjoy!

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some bragging is in order!

June 5th, 2009

And, no, it’s not about our little Ben:) Although, y’all know I can talk for days about him!

This is actually about my little sis! Wanted to give her a BIG MEANDERING SHOUT OUT of praise to her for completing Nursing School last month! I know, I’m a tiny bit late with the announcement. But, better late than never, right?

Congratulations Janet!!! Team meandering mind is very proud of you! Can you feel the love? That’s the happy dance we’re doing for you! And baby Ben gives his Auntie a million baby high fives! And, to top it all off, we’re very happy that you already have gainful employment all lined up. Awesome!

A HUGE Congrats again, to our favorite grad! The three of us are giving you a big devil horn wave from 2500 miles away! Wish we could be there to drink some pretty pink champagne with you! Big hugs and lots of love!!!

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First shots- ouch!

June 2nd, 2009

Yesterday, hubby and I took Ben to his 2-month check up appointment. This was his 3rd visit to his doc, and on this visit he was going to receive his first shots. Of course, he received shots while in the hospital, but these were the first shots I was going to be present at. I have to admit, I was a tiny bit nervous about this whole ordeal. I’m really not sure why I was nervous, as I know what it’s like to receive shots; I get them on a weekly basis due to my battle with mother nature and allergies. I guess I was feeling what many mommies feel when faced with things they know that are going to be painful for their children.

Below is my mommy version of this story (mine is a tiny more dramatic )… If you’d like to read the daddy version, pop over to my hubby’s blog! :)

So the first part of the check up went just fine. Doc asked us a bunch of questions about: feeding, pooping, sleeping, & development stuff; we had a very nice chat, he said Ben is doing just great and we’ll see you in 2 months for the 4-month check up. Then, on his way out, he said the nurse will be back to give the shots. All of a sudden, I started to feel sweaty. I kept thinking… you’re the mom, put on a brave face! I bet baby’s can smell fear the same way bees do! It wasn’t long before the nurse came in with the shots. I sat in the corner of the room while hubby held Ben’s hands. Now, it was shot time. The good thing was the nurse moved fast in administering the shots. Awesome. The bad thing was that it didn’t take Ben long to figure out something felt very painful in his legs. I’ve never heard him cry like that; it was sooooo high pitched & loud. Before I knew it, I shed a few tears with Ben. I don’t think any mommy wants to hear their baby cry like that! Ugh. After the shots, hubby calmed Ben down (man, I was so glad he could come with me to this appointment!) and we were on our way home.

Overall, Ben really did great during his first shot appointment. He was only really upset for a minute or two. I think I definitely spent more time nervous about it than he did. And, he really only cried that crazy cry for about a minute. But it felt like so much longer!!! So… in 2 months, we get to do this all over again. I better start practicing my ‘mommy brave face’.

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oh the cuteness

May 29th, 2009

I can’t believe Ben is 8 weeks old this week. Amazing! So much has happened and he’s changed so much in such a short amount of time. It’s been quite an awesome ride the last 8 weeks getting to know him. I’m not sure if it’s possible, but every day my heart fills even more fuller with love for him. Yes, he already has me wrapped around his cute little fingers ;)

I know it’s been awhile since my last post… thought I’d share some pics of the cuteness since I last wrote. Enjoy! Stay tuned for more pics, stories, and even more cuteness of our little wonder.

Week 7- Tummy Time!