#199 - Christmas Tree

Lots to catch up on.....but it's been a rough week or so, and we just haven't had the opportunity to post on here.  We loved seeing the Michigan familia.  It was a bittersweet visit though because the boys got sick, sick (especially Benjamin), so we spent more time consoling our crying baby than visiting with the primos.  But, at least we were there, and thank goodness for their help and support.

More on the Michigan trip and Thanksgiving in the next post.  But, for now, here's a picture of our Christmas tree that we decorated today.  I just realized that I cut off the top of the angel's head.  Oops.  It's been one of those days.  

Owen is so excited about Christmas.  The past two mornings, he's woken up and asked if today is Christmas.  Not yet, buddy.  And, all day today, he kept asking when we were going to put the "instruments" on the Christmas tree.  He only broke two of them when putting them up, at which time he promptly whispered "it was an accident".  

#198 - My God is So Great!

The Saez boys - it doesn't get much better than this.  Owen is getting so excited about Thanksgiving and seeing all of his family in Michigan and Florida!  

And a little video of Owen singing "My God is So Great", his new favorite song from school.

#197 - File under: Brotherly Love

These were taken yesterday morning before Owen went to preschool.  They love to play together and Benjamin's face just lights up when Owen is in the room.  

Brotherly Love

A sweet big brother

And, one more of the little cutie pie in his new jumperoo.  Think he likes it?

#196 - What a Scary Ghost

Now that Owen is 3, he's really into Halloween.  When asked what he wanted to dress up as, he would always reply, "a scary ghost"!  Casper?  No, a SCARY ghost.  Okay.....  We couldn't believe how lucky we were to only have to put together a simple ghost costume, so we didn't argue with him.  So, for Halloween, he'd be a scary ghost.  The week before Halloween, though, we went on a Halloween Hike at Oatland Island.  For that special night, since we had not yet made the ghost costume, he wore an old bumble bee costume, and was looking pretty darn adorable.  We met our friends there, and Owen had a blast with Peyton and Reese.

Reese, Owen and Peyton

Benjamin will ride around in the Baby Bjorn for hours and hours.  He loves it!

Rebecca and me

Owen got these funny Halloween goggles at school, and they've created many laughs around here.

Tebowing

Lou and Owen carving pumpkins

Benjamin hanging out and watching the pumpkin carving

And....... time to introduce you to the SCARY GHOST!  Now, if any of you are thinking that he doesn't look too scary, let me just tell you that this costume was totally designed by Owen, down to the eyes and mouth shapes and placements.  This costume cost us 25 cents.  We used an old pillowcase, and spent a quarter on one sheet of black felt.

A scary, yet totally cute ghost

Ready for Trick-or-Treat!

#195 - Randomness that Never Made the Blog

Some pictures that I haven't blogged:

We've started Benjamin on solids, which up until now consists of pureed bananas and rice cereal.  He doesn't much care for the rice cereal, but the bananas are a hit.  As you'd expect, more of the bananas end up on his face versus inside his mouth!  The toughest part is that Owen insists on helping feed his little brother which just makes the entire process a mess.  But, it's pretty cute!

Banana Moustache

Benjamin has severe eczema.  It just breaks our heart to see his perfect little skin break out in ugly, itchy rashes.  It started when he was two months old with a small rash on his elbow, and it's now concentrated on both elbows, the right side of his face, and the back of his head and neck.  Eczema is basically a skin condition that affects babies and children.  Benjamin has it bad, and he's pretty sensitive to a bunch of irritants - laundry detergent, fragrances, rough surfaces, etc.  He will likely have this for years, and we'll manage the flare ups with a cocktail of creams and moisturizers.

A typical flare up

Getting better after a few days on a steroid cream

Lou and I went to the Florida/Alabama game a few weeks ago.  We had fun!

Lou, Katie, Tommy, Maria and Joe

Reading is a favorite hobby in our house.  Owen especially loves reading to Benjamin.

Mommy and Baby

Owen LOVES his Detroit Lions football jersey.  He wears it every single Sunday!

Benjamin is obsessed with his feet.  Whenever he is in his car seat, the swing, or hanging out on the floor, his toes are in his mouth!

best buddies

#194 - Fishing & Crabbing

After weeks of promises, the weather was finally good enough for Lou to take Owen fishing and crabbing.  And, I'm not sure who enjoyed it more - Owen getting to fish with his daddy, or Lou getting to share his favorite pasttime with his son.  

Owen fishing in one of the ponds in our neighborhood.  No luck with the fish that day, but it didn't matter.

The first crab that Owen caught

Lou let him hold one of the small crabs that did not have pinchers.  Owen loved it!

Waiting for the crabs

Showing off his loot

They even caught two eels.  Yuck!

Benjamin enjoying tummy time

Our sweetness

#193 - Pumpkin Patch

"Show the picture of me making pee-pee out of the cow."  That's what Owen said when I told him it was time to update the blog.  You'll see the picture below....

Yesterday, we kicked off the holiday season.  You know, the one that begins with the arrival of fall weather, pumpkins and scarecrows, and ends when we ring in the new year with a glass of champagne (or in our case, the night where we are awoken by our neighbors shooting off fireworks and we turn to each other in bed and grunt out a Happy New Year before turning back over to get a few more minutes of sleep before the baby wakes up).  Sorry, I'm digressing....

Yes, so fall is here.  In Savannah, that means that the high is about 80 each day and we enjoy beautiful, cloudless skies.  It's perfect.  And, to kick off this holiday season, we took the boys to a pumpkin patch.    All week long we promised Owen a trip here, so long as he stayed in bed each night.  That meant that once we tucked him in, he had to stay in bed, without getting up for milk, a snack, etc.  And, to our astonishment, he did it!  It was heaven.  Multiple times this week, Lou and I plopped ourselves down on our couch at 9pm with both boys asleep and looked at each other and smiled.  The house was eerily quiet.  Even Cocoa was in bed.  It was heaven.  We have struggled this entire year to get Owen down at night.  Bedtime has been just a nightmare.  But now, we find ourselves with a few minutes of alone time, and it's fabulous!  Keep your fingers crossed that this bedtime routine becomes permanent.

So, onto the pictures.... (and I figured out how to make these bigger, finally)

Holiday Farms, Ridgeland, South Carolina

A family picture!  Finally - it's not too often that we can get one of the four of us

Owen got a pumpkin painted onto his face

3 years old and just over 3 ft tall

The Saez Boys

Playing with the pigs

Mommy and her two sweet boys
Owen, 3 and Benjamin, 4 months

Owen wanted a tiny pumpkin.  He was worried it would be too heavy for him to carry.

Our pumpkin loot

Owen making pee-pee out of the cow.  He didn't believe us that it was supposed to be milk.

Riding the stick horse