Uncle Tyler's Wedding...

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We took a quick trip out to Utah for my brother's wedding the first week of June. Carter loved seeing his cousins and spending a lot of time with his Dad. Plus he got to go swimming, to the dinosaur museum and he played in the fountain at BYU and ate lots of yummy treats from the BYU bookstore. Thanks Tyler and Mara for getting married so we could take a trip to Utah, even if it was too short.

It's Official...

June 1st 2008 Joe blessed Elise in sacrament meeting, our baby girl is officially Elise Marie Benson. It was a beautiful and long blessing throughout which Ellie screamed at the top of her lungs. Joe kept his cool through the whole thing and at the end blessed our baby with patience that she has not yet received:). She was blessed in the dress that I was blessed in 28 years ago and what makes it even more special is that my Mom made it. It was a wonderful day and we are so grateful to have shared it with our ward family here in Alpharetta Georgia. When we moved here I was in the middle of a miscarriage, it was miserably humid and I was pretty sure I would hate living in Georgia. Now, a year later we have our sweet baby girl, we have so many wonderful friends and though it is still miserably humid, now I know I can be happy here, so very happy.

The Test...

The reality that this life is a test was never truer than today. I have had some very special experiences this last few weeks that have taken some of the burden of parenting at this stressful and trying time and I have felt joy in the small moments with each of my kids. Elise is never happier than at 5 am when she will coo and smile at me and I eat it up because they aren't small for long and I am going to miss this- four hours of sleep and all. And Carter hates to go to bed at night so he puts his charm on and will giggle and tickle and hold me (like he's the parent and I'm the 3 year old- pricless to see him act as he thinks adults act, I even get rocked and hushed:). Well, today they collaborated to put my newfound patience to the test- screaming and yelling in the car, at Costco and as we were leaving the pool (why did I do so much in one day?!). I can't say I was perfection but I must have passed because I didn't leave them at Costco or the pool, I stil love them so much my heart aches it's so full and they are both sleeping. Thank you Carter and Elise for allowing me to show that I have learned something, I am stronger than I was before. And it goes without saying that tomorrow, we are not going anywhere...


I tried really hard to find a picture of Carter crying as a baby to no avail. Ellie...

Practically twins...

So we have been wondering who Ellie looks like. I think that as a baby she looks SO much like her big brother did! Do you agree?

My Bo Barter is THREE!!

So on monday, April 28th 2008:), my Carter turned 3!! When you ask him he still says that he is going to be three, he doesn't know that he is already three. I was so grateful that his Grandma's were there because Joe and I didn't get around to getting the kiddo presents (thankfully he'll never remember this year...) and his Grandma's got him great stuff as well as helping to make a great bowling cake (Carter is totally into bowling right now). Carter LOVED the backpack and sunglasses that my Mom's friend got him and Joe does NOT love the baby my Mom got him- but he is taking good care of it. Carter loved blowing his candles out and then he just wanted to play with the miniature bowling set on top of the cake. Highlights of the day included lunch at McDonalds playplace, dinner at CiCi's pizza, staying up late to help Dad put together his new playground and playing with Grandma Benson. I can't believe that 3 years ago I became a Mom for the first time. I remember never wanting to put him down, he was such a perfect little boy with the most adorable round baseball head and big eyes and I didn't think I could ever love more than I loved him. Now three years later I still love his adorable head, big eyes, long eyelashes and seeing him as a loving big brother just melts my heart even more. One of my friends has a quote on her blog that I love and it says something like- having children is to decide forever to have your heart walking around outside your body- and that's how I feel. While being a Mom doesn't alone define who I am, my favorite thing to be is "mommy". I love you Carter- Happy 3rd Birthday!

Elise Marie Benson

In this brief window when our internet is working I'll jump in and post pictures of our sweet baby girl. She was born on April 15th at 11:48 pm. I was induced because I was terribly uncomfortable and they thought she'd be a big girl but the sweet little papoose turned out to be 7 lb 12 oz and 20 inches long. It was a long day but not an incredibly hard one. Joe and I played Canasta up until the time came to push (Sorry, maybe too much information) and my friend from church was our fabulous nurse (she even stayed over 2 hours afer her shift ended so she could be there when our little one was born- thanks again Emily! We hope you have since recuped some lost sleep!!) and my midwife could not have been better- and the end product is adorable. We named her about an hour before we left the hospital and we still call her baby sister out of habit. Carter loves her and loves to hold her- it's hard to get her back from him! We went to the hospital today, after we picked up Grandma Linda from the airport, to drop off some papers and things and when we got back to the car Carter said, "we're not going to return baby sister?". I said no and he was so happy!! Sweet boy, I'm glad he wants her home for keeps. Sorry for those of you we haven't called but should have, we love you but life is a little crazy right now...

Do Not Call List...

We have reached the point in this pregnancy where we just can't call anyone. You know- as soon as you say hello everyone gets so excited thinking you have had the baby and then you get depressed that you haven't and that drives you to eating. Which packs on more pregnancy weight and leads to more depression (viscious cycle...). So I'll just post on my blog instead. The good news is that I am being induced tomorrow, so there is an end in sight- soon we will be at liberty to call people again! Joe's Mom got here Saturday so Carter won't even be aware that we're gone at the hospital the next few days (which makes me both happy and sad. I don't want him to be distraught at my absence but it wouldn't hurt my feelings if he at least NOTICED I wasn't here:). Please keep us in your prayers, I was SO excited to have this baby out of my abdomen but this morning I started to get nervous- I forgot how scary having a baby is...