Time with Daddy

With residency has come several changes for our family - the obvious one being less time with Daddy.  He is so busy - working 80 hours per week and sleeping very few.  This has been a big change for Marie and I to get used to.  I guess you can say we were spoiled before.  Who knew medical school was actually easier??? Not these girls.  We love our Daddy so whenever we get a chance to be with him we take it. 

 

 Marie wakes up the in morning and always asks, "where is Daddy?"  I promptly reply, "At work."  And she says, "My daddy is a doctor who helps people who are sick." This is something that I believe gives her some comfort when she is missing him. Whenever someone she loves is hurting, she always offers up her Daddy's services.

Lucky for us, this Daddy of ours loves spending time with us just as much.  So, when he is done at the hospitals and clinics, he comes home and immediately swoops his kids up and offers me some rest. 

 

 

When people ask me how residency is going, I am honest -  it is hard!  But I always say it is a testament to what a good dad and husband Andy is because if it were easy, it would mean that he wasn't involved at home.  Lucky for me it is the total opposite...he is always trying to make my life a bit easier at home whether it is helping with the kids, meals, laundry, ironing, or cleaning.

 

So, here we are 2 months in and we are making it! 

Thanks Daddy for all your hard work for our family.  

More fun summer days

We have been so lucky to spend time with some great friends this summer! We never get to spend enough time with them so when we get together we love it! Marie loves it when we get visitors and is so sad when they leave. It's so fun to be with great friends and then see our kids play together.

Molly & Bryant visited us with their daughter Piper.  It was a hot day outside so we played with blocks, watched a little Mickey Mouse, and of course ate some delicious fruit snacks.  It is amazing how much more difficult it is to get a good photo with 3 kiddos instead of 2.

Hudson has also spent some time with us this summer. Jess has been so nice to drive up to Sioux City and hang out during her time off. Marie and Hudson play so hard all day and then fall down from exhaustion.  One day we made edible play-doh with peanut butter, powdered sugar, and honey. There tummies were full of it by the time they were finished playing!

2 months for Bennett Boy

Our little boy is growing like a weed!  I can't believe he is 2 months old and his stats are:



15 lb. 12 oz and 25 inches long....yeah I know - BIG! No wonder my back and arms are hurting.

He is a good little guy with his only fussy times resulting from a gassy tummy. Sleeping at night is going well with 0-1 times getting up per night. Napping is on and off - sometimes he is a cat-napper sometimes he sleeps for hours.

 He is smiling more and more and even trying to giggle a bit. 

 I love the way he watches us when we walk past him or follows a toy we are dangling above his head.  He continues to be a noisy baby with tons of grunting and groaning while sleeping, eating, and playing. 

 He is starting to chew on his hands a bit and the drooling is increasing as well. Bennett continues to love his sister, dog, mommy, daddy, the outdoors, cuddle time with anyone who wants to hold him, bathtime, and stroller rides.

Tons of Fun with Cousins

 On the last day of summer vacation for my mom and the Sheldon cousins, we headed up for some fun. Marie is always so excited when she gets to play with these girls.

Little Miss Anneke is such a smiley one...she is definitely in love with her Grandma Nel.

 Anneke and Bennett are 3 months apart...notice the similarity in size!!!  Bennett is 2 months in this photo and Anneke is 5 months.

The 2 of them finally noticed eachother during their visit and were smiling and cooing.

 I can only imagaine the craziness that will be happening this Christmas will all 11 grandkids!

Lazy yet Exhausting Days

 Life is continuing on here and I am always amazed at how tired we get after just a regular day.  These 3 seem to wear us out yet they continue on...I think that will be the way it goes for quite awhile.  Andy is on a busy rotation this month so we are finding family time whenever we can get it. 

When we found out we would be moving into a bigger space we were so excited for all the extra room.  But, somehow I knew this is how it would end up - all of us on the same couch.  This was taken on a lazy Sunday morning. At one point I was sitting right where that blanket is  but I was slowly pushed off as the 3 kiddos took over...just the way it should be in my opinion.

Uncle Nathan's Visit

This past weekend Uncle Nathan flew in to visit us and meet Bennett.  Marie was thrilled and we decided to head to the lakes to celebrate. 

 More swimming, boating fast, ice cream, and tubing for all.  Bennett once again slept through most of the beautiful afternoon but did wake up for a trip around Arnold's Park. 

Uncle Nathan wanted to know why Bennett loved being swaddled so much so I swaddled him too...it did make him less fussy and easier for Marie to tickle!

It's always good to have quality time with family and we are so thankful for the time we get together!

meant to be

 That is what I am thinking about these two.

 I walk into the room and this is what I see...

 are they sharing secrets?  plotting something?  or just hanging out?

 Marie informs me they are "just talking, Mom.  Don't worry about it."

Marie has been spending some time at her new school getting to know the teachers and new friends.  This has been great for her to get out and play. But, as soon as she gets home she is ready for her Bennett Boy and he is ready for her, too.

6 Weeks old and growing

Bennett is 6 weeks old and getting to be so much fun!

He is smiling, cooing, watching anything and anyone that moves with serious intent.  He loves listening to stories and staring at the pictures, would follow Marie to the ends of the earth if his little legs could take him there, eats & eats, and would sit in the bathtub forever if he was allowed to do so. It's amazing how he is developing his own little BIG personality. 

Remember I once said how laid back he was?  Well he continues to be a very content little guy but when he gets mad, everyone within a block radius can hear it...let's just say he found his cry/scream. 

I also believe he is a mommy's boy...I love meeting his eyes and making him smile and I think he likes it too.

I have no idea how much he weighs right now but he is fitting into his 6 month clothes very well...not much excess room in there which makes me think he is about 12 pounds or so.

He is sleeping very well with some random nights of all the way through (yeah!) or only 3 hours (not as much fun).

Happy 6 weeks buddy boy!