Happy Thanksgiving!

Sorry to have left y'all with that other post through the holiday- but we're back from Florida! Ben was such a champ, he was the sweetest baby especially through the wonderful meals at Trulucks and Chops and at home! Will post pics soon- but we're off to see the Little Man Chase!

Happiness

So I checked the Ocean House blog today and I'm just thrilled with how much progress they're making! We used to live about 10 minutes from the Ocean House and I would just moon over it's Victorian splendor. I'd have all sorts of fantastic Great Gatsby-ish dreams about it. Walking past on the beach you almost felt like people in bathing costumes should be there. It was closed in 2003, but I'd imagine buying it and living out some sort of Miss Havisham/ Grey Gardens lifestyle in it. After we moved someone bought it with the intent to re-open it. WELL it had all kinds of major issues and it would never meet the fire codes so they tore the whole thing down. And they're rebuilding it. It will reopen in 2010 and we are already planning a vacation, including 2-3 nights at the National Hotel on Block Island. I can't wait to show Ben the carousel just down the street- real horse hair manes and leather saddles! (I think it's the oldest working carousel in the country) I am so excited you have no idea. Check out the progess!

Pace Yourself. The cuteness can be overwhelming.

Somebody loves his ears.

He eats!

Ben started eating rice cereal this week! We'll see how this goes, things could get messy.

Ben Bursts

Ben is a little camera shy, so I absolutely love the burst feature on our camera that will take a whole slew of pictures in rapid succession. It makes capturing his silly moments so much easier!

Church is not a fashion show.

Except when it's a baby fashion show- Ben's fancy outfits are so cute and he can only wear them for such a short period of time I'm going to chronicle them here for us all to enjoy even after he grows out of them.

Ben loves his feet

I recovered my dining room chairs!

Gorgeous, no?

Anybody got some Kaopectate for the brain?

I will post lots of Ben stuff in a minute- but by the time you read down to this you should have your fill so keep your pants on.
So I realized that crappiest thing about having a baby is.... not being able to go to the grocery store with Kris. Grocery shopping breaks down in one of three ways these days:
1. Steph and Ben go to store, Steph peers around big honking carseat sitting on her cart, wanders around, forgets half of everything, hits checkout line as Ben begins to melt down. Time: 94 minues, 65% success rate.
2. Kris, Steph and Ben go, repeat all steps above, include Stephanie acting like Kate Gosselin because Kris still doesn't know what kind of breadcrumbs she prefers. Both parents shop in terror of the ticking time bomb of rage in the carseat. Time 108 minutes, 86% success rate.
3. Stephanie goes solo. Tearing through the aisles, forgetting nothing, coming in under budget and done in 54 minutes. 99% success rate- I forgot the Crystal Light.
So what's the problem? I went alone today and sincerely missed option four.
4. Kris and Stephanie go grocery shopping pre-baby. Splitting the list, going like it's Supermarket Sweep. We would win. Seriously. We could kick anyone's ass- bring it. Leaving plenty of time for the Harris Teeter/Kroger Karaoke Throw Down. We are... those people. Yes you know, the ones lip synching to Luther Vandross' "If ever your in my arms again.. THIS TIME..I love you much better" using celery for a microphone. Or singing along to Fleetwood Mac: "Don't stop, thinking about.. tomatoes. Don't stop, we need some, here." A few times I've been tempted to go to customer service and asking for a copy of the surveillance video, but how do you even start that conversation? "Umm, hi, you may have noticed us, my husband was the man who dropped to his knees during "I Swear" a few minutes ago in Aisle 7. and shortly thereafter I may or may not have done a tour jete during "We Belong" while holding Rice a Roni, you may have missed it, but umm, we were wondering, if we could maybe get a copy of the security camera tape cause maybe that would be funny to put on our blog or umm in a video montage at an anniversary party somewhere down the road. Do you think that's at all possible? Oh, no? Ok, can I have a lottery ticket?"
Hmmm. Rethinking all of this now. I think what we really need is a wedding. We don't have a wedding on the horizon in the next 6 months- a year out and we're ok, but I need a wedding stat. We had to miss 2 because of baby Ben's impending arrival through my abdominal wall, so we are hard up. Between the years of 2003-2006 we attended 23 weddings, I think that's like one every other month. Not a math major. Our last wedding was over a year ago. I am desperate to hear five words in two sentences: Open bar. Wedding weekend cigarettes.
So here's a proposition: If you're getting married anytime soon, INVITE US. I don't care if you know us, just do it. You're reading my diary for crying out loud. (I know this blog has made the rounds and I've got no idea who the actual readership is anymore so yeah, I'm inviting myself)
We are really good wedding guests. Here's a list of our qualifications:
We will sing the hymns during church
We know when to sit and stand.
I will more than likely wear an awesome hat to the ceremony.
I will cry.
I will laugh during the toasts/ or cry, whichever's appropriate.
I'll cry during your first dance
I'll cry when you dance with your dad/ mom.
We will dance all night long. Seriously, we won't stop. Kris has only stopped once for an extended period of time, he thought he was having a heart attack and looking back it definetely was a cardiac episode of sorts. He had soaked through his shirt and realized his heart wouldn't stop pounding. So he went up to our room took off all of his clothes and lay on the bed trying to get his heart rate down, when that wouldn't work he laid in the tub with the shower on freezing cold. Finally giving up, he changed shirts and came back down. This took less than 20 minutes. Still in the throes of cardiac arrest.
While Kris twirls flower girls or gets shots for underaged groomsmen, I'll compliment your new mother in law on her hair, and tell your wicked step mother how warmly you speak of her and how you've appreciated her support through all these years.
Guests from out of the country? No sweat! Kris and I speak enough pidgin continental to get by and make them feel warmly welcomed. Plus with an ass like mine and the tendency for facial hair I can pass for Greek, Italian (I am), Ukranian whatever, I can make your relatives feel closer to home. And we're familiar with all varieties of ethnic wedding tributes, we're the second (being the first is so Wedding Crashers) to start handing out plates or grabbing chairs. Have Nagilia!
We actually pay attention to you cutting the cake.
We don't take our shoes off- I have learned from the Italian side of the family to tuck a pair of black isotoner ballet slippers into my purse- or Kris' suit- to use in case I absolutely blow out my feet- this has only happened once or twice, the shoes generally stay on.
I have a sari, Kris has a yarmulke (It may say something about Bryan and Courtney's wedding on the inside but no one needs to know)we're very versatile.
Somebody forget to decorate the getaway car? no worries, we have the remedy. First we'll get the case of beer out of our trunk, pass them out, everyone start drinking, beer in hand, I'll start pulling ribbons off of our present and use them to tie the cans to the undercarraige of the limo, it's been done.
But really, invite us because we can dance. Kris will perform lifts. (Of other people) We'll put on a show. Like that couple at Shelby's wedding in Steel Magnolias, you remember. I've been working on the choreography for 7 years, but I assure you we'll get it done in time for yours.
Our mailbox is always open.

Ben posts will have to wait until tomorrow- I'm exhausted just thinking about all the weddings we'll be invited to now.

Is this you?

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

Confession by proxy.

Ever since his surgery, Kris changes into pajama pants 10 minutes after he gets home from work. That's the reason for the heavy flannel/plaid presence in these photos. It's obviously some post op side effect. Cut him some slack. Slack, not slacks because he won't wear them in the house.

Seriously how much trouble could he be?

Flashback January 1, 2008. "He's smaller than the cat! Look she's towering over him! And you know he won't get very big at all look at how small his paws are!" Lies. All lies. Although I do think these pictures make Brody appear larger than he his, but he's a land monster anyway.

Brody is clearly over the shenanigans in the kitchen

I don't think he'll tolerate this any better in another room.

The Littlest Gipper

Ben gears up for election day by first modeling my favorite outfit- it's from Nordstrom Baby-it's very well made and it has ellyphants. He moves on to active wear by hanging in the crib with his right minded posse of pachyderms. And then I throw in a random picture from Saturday morning. Notice his early concern. Seriously, he's worried. You should see what happens when you put anything that even says Obama on him. Don't make me post it- I will.

Bye mom! Have fun on your 72 hour deployment! Just kidding...you have to stay and change my diapers. Umm seriously change my diaper. Now.