Pure Joy

Ah, to be two. Music making ball poppers and overnight campouts with dad are enough to get you dancing and shrieking with delight. This last weekend Kelly took Benjamin on a church-sponsored campout. I stayed home and had a girls' night with Isabella, while the two boys went out into the woods and did manly things - lit fires, got dirty, and ate junk food. Benjamin had a terrific time with the others kids there, and besides getting so many mosquito bites that he looks like he's got chicken pox, it went well. He came home filthy and exhausted, which is just what I expected. He took a shower and a long nap and then told me all about it. Well, since he can't talk yet - it was a lot of hand gestures and sound effects, but it clearly made an impression on him. :)



He woke up from his long nap to find that Maya had come over to play and he was more than willing. The two of them are the cutest couple. If they get married, I'm showing this movie at their wedding. They pulled out the ball popper machine and danced the afternoon away. Check this out. This is pure joy.

2 Year Photos

Thank goodness we only do this once a year. You'd never know it by looking at the photos, but Benjamin was dragged into the photo area kicking, thrashing, and screaming, and was still crying hysterically up until moments before these pictures were taken. I was seconds from giving up and walking out when the photographer discovered that Benjamin liked the colorful feather duster she had. Suddenly all was well in toddler world - for about 5 minutes. Thank goodness that she was quick to get all the shots we needed. Here's the result. I'm quite happy with them. It's somewhat hard to see them here since the copies they email you are such low quality, but you get the idea.

Goodbye Camera

This is the last picture on our camera - the picture Benjamin took just before it crashed to the ground - directly onto the lens. I know - why did I let my two year old play with the camera?! He was doing so well! He was actually taking some good pictures and being careful and it was a perfect distraction while I changed Bella's diaper. But all good things must come to an end and thus end his days as a photographer. Goodbye dear camera. We have loved the last 6 weeks with you. I have seriously bad luck with cameras lately! Our previous camera went swimming in the fountain at the zoo the day before Isabella was born. Our next one is on its way here now. Please pray for its survival.

Things are still going along well here. I just got pooped on by Isabella as I wrote that, alas, but truly, they are. That's life with a newborn, I guess. It happens more often than I'd like. But she's a sweety and very patient. Here's a few pics to enjoy while I go clean us up. Benjamin has started getting pots out, putting on his apron, and pretending to cook. It's so cute. Everytime I ask him what he's cooking, the answer is always eggs. Also, he's decided he wants to be David Attenborough when he grows up. Every day he wants to watch Planet Earth or Life of Birds or some such documentary all narrated by the marvelous David A. I let him watch while he has his snack and I cook dinner. It's so fun to see how into these shows he gets. I can't complain - it's educational!

Birthday and BBQ Fun

This past week has been a lot of fun. We celebrated Benjamin's birthday on the 2nd and then we had a BBQ with friends on the 4th. For Benjamin's birthday we went to a nearby beach with some of his little buddies and their moms and then out to lunch at Red Robin, as we'd done for his 1st birthday. We went there because they sing and clap for you on your birthday and he LOVED it last year. However, he has become somewhat shy these past couple months and rather than smile and clap along as he did last year, this year he hid his face in the bench and ignored them entirely. That is, of course, until the moment they left, at which point he popped back up and frantically signed, "more!!!" That stinker!


This year the big hit was the onion rings. It was his first time trying them and he really got into the whole dunking thing. He just couldn't get enough sauce on them to suit him.


Our BBQ on the 4th was great, and Benjamin especially loved it because his friend Maya could come over. They played in the pool together and ate their weight in watermelon. Benjamin also loved the sparklers Kelly bought for him. We've been lighting them every afternoon since.




Isabella continues to be our sweet little girl. Sleeping soundly each night and smiling often during the day. She's a real pleasure to have around. I think it really makes such a difference to have done all this before. I notice such a difference in how I react to issues with her compared to Benjamin. I'm far less stressed this time around about everything. It's really nice.


However, I have to mention, today we had our first sibling rivalry issue. Bella was propped up against one of Benjamin's stuffed animals and he adamantly declared, "mine!" and tried to pull it out from under her. It was an all out temper tantrum when I insisted he share it with her. After a time out, though, he acquiesced and she was allowed to keep the dog. I'm sure this won't be the last time something like this happens. I guess that's life with siblings - something I never had to deal with. Consequently our family home evening lesson tonight was on sharing and how Jesus shared his loaves and fishes with everyone and we should share with others too and be like Jesus (or Joo-joo, as Benjamin calls him). He seemed to get what we were talking about. I assume it will be a while before he actually applies it. :)

Happy Birthday Benjamin!

Today is Benjamin's 2nd birthday! We are so blessed to have this amazing little boy in our family. I was inspired by a friend of mine to create a little montage to celebrate the past two years with Benjamin. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. :)



As a birthday present to Benjamin (and to me, especially), Isabella slept through the night last night! 10 hours straight! As with Benjamin's first full night, I awoke at 6am in total panic and rushed to check on her. Of course, waking her in the process. A wonderful milestone has been attained. Yipee!

A Rare Update

I feel like it's been forever since I've posted anything. I'd say the highlight of the recent weeks was my camel ride. :) We visited a local library that was hosting a traveling petting zoo and it included a camel ride. I couldn't pass that up. I've never even ridden a horse, much less a camel! I assumed Benjamin would chicken out once he got up to it, but I was determined to ride with or without him. To his credit, he got up on it without hesitation and rode like he'd done it a thousand times before. It was a lot of fun. And check out the guy leading it! He looks like he should be leading a tiger, not a camel! Total teddy-bear of a guy, though. My favorite quote of his was in response to a little boy's question of how he got this job - "This is what happens when you don't finish school. Go to college!"



Isabella turns 7 weeks old today. She's now sleeping anywhere from 6-8 hours at a time at night. It varies from night to night. It's been nice to get some longer stretches of sleep. She's just like Benjamin, though, in that she hates to nap. If I can get 20-30 minutes of sleep at a time during the day, I'm happy. It's the price I have to pay, I guess. It's worth it. Here's a picture of Benjamin's latest offering to the goddess Isabella. I'm just glad to see it's not sharp like the tongs.


It's been raining every day here and the downpours have been fantastic. I love Michigan storms. The rain falls so hard and fast. It makes the most amazing noise on the roof and looks so beautiful. Benjamin wanted to be the first to try out our new umbrella. I'm sick of my usual itty-bitty umbrellas that fold up and fit in your purse. Those are convenient and fine if you live in a desert, but out here (and with kids that need to fit under it), I needed an industrial size umbrella. So far this one has proven worthy as long as the wind isn't too strong. It got blown inside out yesterday. Less effective.

Where does the time go?

Isabella is already 5 weeks old. The days are packed and yet often as I fall exhausted into bed at night, I wonder, "what did I do today?" Often the only answer is "survive." I can't say I'm a fan of the infant stage - the round-the-clock feedings, idiopathic crying, and diaper blow-outs get tedious, but I must admit, she is getting really cute! To her credit, so far, she's had 3 nights where she has slept for six hours at a stretch. She's also started to smile in response to my smile. There is nothing more endearing than a little baby's toothless grin.

To speak candidly for a moment, this last month, the biggest challenge for me has come as I've tried my best to be a good mom to both my kids and play the balancing act as best I can between kids, home, and church responsibilities. There have been days (yesterday for example) when I've felt like I haven't fulfilled any of them very well. I was trying to prepare sharing time for primary and I had Bella in one arm as she screamed for some unknown reason, Benjamin on my other side urging me to read to him, and my computer in front of me, idle, because I didn't have a hand free to type on it. I didn't know where to begin. I finally pushed the computer aside and left sharing time for later, read one book to Benjamin while Bella cried, and then spent some time trying to get her to stop. Quite often, I've felt that I've neglected my kids, yet have nothing else to show for it either. That frustrates me terribly. I have tried to incorporate Benjamin as much as possible in the every day tasks regarding Bella and the household, but he also just needs time to play toddler games with me and she really needs time to just be with mommy being cuddled. They are at such very different places in life right now. I look forward to when their age-gap will no longer be so dramatic. Right now, no matter who I'm with, I'm feeling guilty that I'm not with the other. I don't want to wallow in misery and defeat. I know I'm not alone in this dilemma. Does anyone have tips how they balanced their attention between a toddler and a newborn and everything else life requires?

Anyway, we're honestly doing better than I had expected. I had braced myself for all out pandemonium here, yet so far, things look quite controlled, at least on the surface. :) Here are a few pictures of our recent weeks.

Help me! I'm the victim of a home hair cut by a sleep-deprived mother!



I'm constantly finding the oddest things in Bella's crib. Benjamin will hear her stirring and decide to share his "toys" with her. At this moment he'd been carrying his stuffed animal around by its tail with the salad tongs, so surely, she must want to play too.


Just hanging out on the couch.





Some cute Isabella photos:

Best of Times, Worst of Times

Having two little kids is great and having two little kids is horribly difficult. Great - watching them interact, having two little ones on your lap, having a little baby to cuddle and a toddler to rough-house with. Difficult - getting out of the house on-time, finding time to shower, being up all night with one and all day with the other, handling jealousy issues, dividing oneself into two. We're surviving, though, and actually better than I thought we would. Isabella gets cuter every day and besides having an absolutely insatiable appetite, has been quite easy-going. Here's a few pics. Sorry I don't have time to write/post more. I'm going to bed during this brief moment when both are asleep simultaneously.

Benjamin helped Kelly fix the dishwasher the other day. He was so fascinated by the process. Why? Because of the water, of course! :) His water fascination has yet to diminish.


I bought new sunglasses the other day and of course, Benjamin had to try them on too.


Isabella is now 3 weeks old! She's working on learning to hold her head up. Other than that, she likes being held and likes watching Benjamin goof around. She has smiled several times seemingly in response to being smiled at, but one never knows at this age. Her smiles sure are cute, though. Also, she woke up two days ago without her umbilical cord stump, so we celebrated with a bath. The first picture is her in the tub. She wasn't very pleased by the experience, but she didn't cry. I call that a success. The second is Benjamin's attempt to share his favorite toy - the bubbles. I managed to get a picture before he decided that she obviously didn't know how to use the bubbles and took them back.

One Week Old

It's been a week already! How did that happen? God has apparently taken pity on me and is making up for sending me Benjamin The Whirlwind. Little Isabella is quite possibly the calmest baby I've ever seen. She just sleeps! All the time! I think she has slept more this past week than Benjamin has in the past 22 months. Even the night Benjamin was born he was up for hours. Isabella wakes when she's hungry and sleeps when she's not. That's basically it. I've been trying to get some pictures of her, but how many "this is Isabella sleeping" pictures do I really need? I am counting my blessings and enjoying this time immensely.


I also can't get over how good Benjamin is being with her. People tell me this will stop, so I'm making the most of it now. But I just have such a hard time believing things will change drastically when I see how incredible he's being with her. When people come over to look at her, no matter what he's doing, he'll run over to my side and stand next to me, glaring at them warily, as if guarding her against them. "Just try and mess with my sister! I dare ya!" He seems to say. We took him swimming yesterday and it took forever trying to get him ready because he was always rushing back to her side when someone I knew from work would come over to see her.


Today he brought her blankets, shared his toys, held her, held her bottle, and even held her hand and rested his head on her lap while she was crying for food on the way back from the playground, all without any request or direction from me. It was so cute watching him try to get her to play with him. He'd put the toys on her chest or face or head and stare at her, waiting for her to take them and play. He was also constantly shouting "Bella" and dashing into her room. Occasionally he'd close the door behind him and have little secret moments with his sister. I have to watch those carefully, though because there have been times when I've come in to find him handing her tools he snuck out of Kelly's tool bag or "tucking her in" by putting a blanket over her head. Most of the time, though, he'd just be standing at her crib-side, shaking it a bit, trying to wake her. He's also run to her for consolation after he's been scolded for something. "Bella!" he'll shout, sobbing, seeking someone to commiserate with over the cruel burden parents can be. He also loves to hold her hand, examining her fingers. Sometimes he'll just kneel beside her and stare at her, stroking her. It's adorable. They are going to fight, as all siblings do, but from what I'm seeing, I expect he's going to be a very good big brother and very close to little Bella. To all of you out there with multiple children, please refrain from telling me I'm delusional and all this will change dramatically very soon. I'm enjoying the honeymoon phase. :)

Benjamin the Giant!


Goofing off with my kids. :) I love how Bella's over there flashing gang signs.


My sweet little girl as she begins to doze off.

Our Little Girl

It's been so wonderful having Isabella in our home. I had forgotten how small newborns are! She makes Benjamin seem like a teenager. I honestly think he grew while I was away in the hospital. She doesn't even fit in her newborn clothes - they just kind of float around her. She also has such a quiet cry compared to what I'm used to. She sounds more like a cat than a human. She was squeeking last night and Kelly said to me, "Did you forget to let the cat out?" When you've had nothing but toddler tantrums, a newborn's "feed me!" cry is a delight.

It's hard to put my current feelings into words. Her presence here has had effects that I wasn't expecting. She has actually helped me appreciate Benjamin more, whereas I worried that he would become more difficult. I am more thankful for his ability to communicate and participate in things and I love his eagerness and curiosity. He's been surprisingly well behaved, all things considered. (Except for when I placed her in his bouncer seat and he threw a massive fit complete with throwing himself on the floor and kicking at her.) However, honestly, when I watch him in contrast to a newborn's behavior, it shows me again how far he's come and I'm struck again with how amazingly intelligent and physically adept he is. I love him more since I've had Isabella, which is something I didn't expect to feel. My love for Isabella, on the other hand, is something that's developing day by day. I expected to fall madly in love with her at first sight as I did with Benjamin, but it has been somewhat slower for me. I loved her instantly because she was mine, of course, but a true feeling of bonding has only come as I've spent the last three days with her. I didn't have that "Oh my gosh - she's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen!!" reaction to her that I had with Benjamin. However, each time I look at her, she becomes cuter, each time I hold her, I want to hold her longer. It has taken me more time with her overall. Tonight, though, as we did tummy time together, I felt really close to her and was so happy to have this wonderful little girl. I think maybe because Benjamin was such my all and everything that I am learning how to divide that attention a bit and it's taking time. However, I love being a mom to two kids. This afternoon I held Benjamin on my lap and cradled Isabella in my arms and we both looked at her and commented on her features and her size. I stepped outside of myself at that moment and marveled that his was really my life - two kids and me - together and doing well. I was filled with joy and wonder at my good fortune. I'm excited for our time ahead together.

Welcome Isabella!

After a long night of labor, we welcomed Isabella Katherine Dalton into the world at 7:01am on May 9th. She has been a sweet, quiet, sleepy girl so far - just what we need in contrast to Benjamin! We are all doing well. I'll be sure to write more later, but now I just want to get some rest. :)

Here's a few pics of our little newborn.