Be Prepared to Be Surprised

Yesterday I got my haircut, just as planned.

Went out to eat with hubby's mom and brother, just as planned.

Went shopping, just as planned.

This sudden head cold? Definitely not planned. And definitely not invited. I went to bed Friday night and suddenly did not feel very well. Saturday. . . did not feel very well. Today? I feel worse. I've been trying to get my rest around here but Ben made it a little hard as we both stayed home from services today and he thinks he is too big for naps. As soon as I am able to take my nighttime medicine, I am going to bed.



New big boy (convertible) car seat for Ben thanks to his Grandmommy. He outgrew his infant one way too fast! This one will hopefully last him a good while. Doesn't he look like a big boy? Makes his mama sad! We also found he has another tooth coming in on the bottom!

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We went out to eat at Cheddars yesterday. What I ordered: Chicken tenders. What I received? . . .



Shricken? Chrimp? Chickenshrimp? Shrickenchimp? Whatever you want to call it - that is a shrimp fried in with my chicken tender, aka NOT what I ordered. And I was wondering why it was so fat! Good thing I didn't bite into it - I can't stand seafood. I guess the worst part about it is how the waiters dismissed it so nonchalantly. If they aren't careful, someone with shrimp allergies could get something like that and then they'd have a lawsuit on their hands. Just sayin'. . .

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The rest of the week? I'll hopefully be recovering from this nasty head cold. Tomorrow we plan on visiting Davey's new home for his Birthday - we are going to bring him an apple. My good friend Maddie is coming to spend Wednesday with us here.

That's all I think I have planned for this week, but I could be forgetting something. That's not totally unlike me, you know.

As usual, though. . . with Bringing Up Benjamin. . . I'm going to



Be Prepared to Be Surprised.

Because we all know SOMETHING is going to sneak up on me. . .

Surprise, Surprise!

First of all: Wow! I got on tonight to check out what was going on the the Blogosphere, and I found that I had a handful of new followers, and an influx of hits and comments! I was like, "What in the WORLD?!" - and then I realized - I was chosen on Lynette's Blog for Getting to Know you! What a pleasant surprise! I just want to thank everyone for stopping by! I am going to visit everyone's blog as soon as I am able - right now - Ben is awake! I must take a break from blogging to tend to him . . .

And we're back.

So, besides that pleasant (and humbling!) surprise, my day was not uneventful. That isn't to say that I had a hugely exciting day. However, today we unfortunately found out that Benjamin is allergic to Gerber's Zesty Tomato Crunchies. I gave him a few as a snack, and not too long after that I brought him back to his room for a diaper change and noticed he was scratching like crazy on his chest (well, he always scratches his chest - but this was worse - I saw hives.) and before my eyes his chest, neck, chin, and face turned beet red with little hives. Thankfully, our last visit to the doctor (besides a Well-Baby Checkup) gave us a scrip for allergy medicine (when we found out he is possibly allergic to purple grapes), so we gave that to him and rubbed on some Cortizone cream. Poor Ben kept rubbing his eyes and making them red, so we put socks on his hands.

To give you an idea of the hives. . .





Isn't that just pitiful? If the hives hadn't gone down in two hours, I'd have taken him to the E.R.



He definitely wasn't acting himself. Normally he would just roll around on the bed, trying to escape, but this time, all he wanted to do was scratch.



Daddy got him to smile, though. You can see his third tooth, too! How 'bout that? Anyway, we got rid of the hives and Benjamin is his usual self now. And that was the excitement of our day.

And it's the weekend! What does ours have in store for us? Well, tomorrow I am getting my hair cut (finally - much over due!), and my Mother-in-Law and Brother-in-Law are meeting us in Warner Robins for Lunch. Then we're all coming back here to hang out for a while, and then Preston has to go back to college. Sunday is the usual: hubby preaches, I do Ben's Bible Class.

So, what's in store for your weekend?

sometimes. . .

Sometimes weeks just start out a bit on the downside. Ours started out with giving the rabbit away. Sometimes things just go downhill from there. It makes us choose whether we want to give into having a bad week or go with the downward flow. Sometimes you just gotta slap some bluejeans on your baby and take him outside, just to have an excuse to try a new program. Sometimes that little baby in bluejeans makes everything seem a lot better, even if he wakes you up more than desired in the middle of the night (and early morning, and morning. . . etc). Even if he fusses for no good reason (or any reason at all). That babe in bluejeans, the one eating your grass and then making faces, can make it all better.

You're nobody till some Bunny loves you. . .

When I was 16 I received Davey as a birthday gift. He was so tiny and cute. I loved him (Well, I thought he was a girl at the time) so much. Since then, we have moved to Memphis, back to Winder, and then to Fort Valley. We had been through a lot. When I was younger, and upset, I used to bury my face in his fur. He was always so warm and cuddly. . . always a constant friend.



Well, since we've moved here, and with Benjamin now, we haven't been able to give Davey the attention he needs. I've been feeling guilty about it for a long while. I contemplated setting him free, setting him up on Craigslist. . . everything. I just couldn't bear to not see him again though if he went to a stranger. What if they didn't treat him right? What if they didn't give him his favorite snacks?



We have good friends here in Fort Valley. A family from church said they would take him in. They live on a farm with a lot of animals and said Davey would have his own pen. They wouldn't eat him, but they'd use him for breeding (and consequently eat his offspring).



We took him over to their neighbor's house yesterday, another couple we know, who agreed to keep him while the people who are taking him get a pen set up for him (they can't put him in with other male rabbits or they will castrate him). It was so difficult. It's like saying goodbye to an arm or a leg. . . I've just had him so long. . .



When we came home I passed the empty cage on the porch. . . I feel so depressed. I wonder how he did, if he had enough food or water, last night. Was he scared by the other animal noises? Did he wonder where his friends were? Did he wonder where his bed was?

Yesterday we took his farewell pictures.





















Good-bye, old friend. . . we'll visit you. Monday, your birthday, we will bring you a special treat.

I love you, Davey Frisky-Nibbles Havoc Jenkins. You were the best rabbit a girl could ever hope for. I hope you enjoy your new home and have a lot of fun with new friends.

Benjamin, You Are 7 Months Old!

What are you up to?



> You are getting to be SO big! You last weighed in at 19.55lbs!
> You have two teeth on the bottom and your third tooth just broke through up top! Way to go!
> The rash that has been on your tummy and back for I don't know how long is finally getting better!
> Everyone still comments on your clear blue eyes! They think you'll be a heartthrob when you get older! I know that's true!



> You are a champ at sitting up! I no longer worry about you falling over because you always catch yourself if you do!
> You've gone from rolling and pivoting everywhere to crawling everywhere! Nothing is safe around you!
> You have been eating things such as graham crackers and wagon wheels and things from mommy and daddy's plate - you love to eat!
> You've also graduated to the grain blends in baby food! Our boy is a big eater!



> We no longer have to take your carseat into stores because you can sit in the cart like a big boy now!
> You also sit in high chairs at restaurants now!
> You are able to feed yourself things such as yogurt chips and pieces of crackers. . . and trash from the floor, but that gets taken away pronto!
> You love to play with spoons!



> You have the cutest grin, where you scrunch your nose up and open your mouth wide.
> You go to anyone, although you sometimes don't stay very long. Sometimes you hold your arms up to other people - like your Great Great Granddaddy.
> Everyone loves to see your smile at church!
> Your favorite bible song is "My God is so GREAT!"



> This month you finally met your Great Great Granddaddy in Valdosta, Ga.
> You also went to your friend Landon's first birthday party! (Which you napped/cried through).
> You love your Nana and Papaw and recognize them!

Wordless Wednesday: Mariah's Basket

For more Wordless Wednesdays, go here.

Cotton!

Today was my Two-Year Anniversary! I love my husband now even more than ever, and I am so thankful we said "I do" two years ago!

I love you, Carl!


And, if you didn't know, the Two-Year Anniversary is the Cotton Anniversary.

A Whole Lotta Fussing

I guess I'm just having one of those days.

It is a Monday, so I guess that could explain it. At any rate, it's one of those days, and I don't like it. Today Ben has been so fussy and clingy. Right now he is with his daddy, although every now and then he will look over and start fussing (wow, right on cue) for me. It's the teeth, I'm sure. And impending bedtime.

I just took a break to help Daddy put little Benjamin to bed.

Anyway. As I was saying. He's been fussy. All day long. I have been trying to get the house presentable as tomorrow Carl's dad is planning on dropping by. I get embarrassed when everything is in order, and every time I have it spic and span, I say I'll keep it that way and I never do. I just get so caught up in stuff. And being a mommy. Getting sleep, precious sleep.

You know the drill.

So that has been my day. We just had a walk not too long ago, to entertain Benjamin and to help unwind a bit. It was relaxing, and of course, the fussing began once we got home so. . .

How about some pictures instead of whining!







Kristen

So long, it has been!

This week was a long week. Every now and then my lack of sleep catches up with me and I just feel like I'm dragging along. This week was that week. Perhaps it is the fact that Ben is now teething on the top, and waking nearly every hour after 1AM. That could be it. Whatever the cause, I know the fix is to go to bed earlier, and as you can see, that isn't being done. Shame on me! So I guess technically I have no right to complain.

This coming Saturday is my cousin's wedding. I'm excited to go down to Valdosta to see family that hasn't seen Ben yet. He will meet his Great-Great Granddaddy and we will take a 5-Generation photo. Five! Wow. Granddaddy is 93 years old and has congestive heart failure. So we are glad he gets to meet Ben before . . . well I don't want to talk about that.

My best NOT friend (we are so much more than just 'friends' - more like sistas!) found out last Friday that she is pregnant again! Her baby girl turns 1 this month. I am so excited for her! I admit I get a little baby fever with my . . . whatever she is pregnant! But I keep telling myself that right now, we just can't afford it. We know God will provide, but he also expects us to be responsible in our decisions and actions.

Lately we have been talking about giving Davey (our rabbit) away because we just don't spend enough time with him and I am constantly feeling guilty about that. I don't want to put him up on Craigslist and have some stranger take him away, so we are going to ask around and see if anyone has a place for a sweet rabbit to stay.

I feel depressed just thinking about it. I got him for my 16th birthday.

Benjamin's 6 month check up was this past Monday. He weighed in at 19.55lbs and he is now 26 and 3/4 inches tall! That puts him in the 80th percentile for weight and 70th for height. He's leveling out pretty good, I'd say! A bit above average, but not off the charts!

Here are some recent pictures:


Eating a cracker!


Showing off some bottom teeth.


A serious baby - but look at those beautiful blue eyes!


Wearing a Captain America shirt for his Uncle Steve!


And that's it! Hopefully I will be better at giving y'all updates to read - I know you are just dying to know what's going on in my life!

Kristen