The Peelle Family

Cancun 2012

2012-02-14T14:19:00.003-05:00

Last week Graham and I were able to enjoy the beautiful ocean and gorgeous weather in Cancun. Enjoy some pictures of the beach and sunny skies.

Our view at breakfast each morning.

The beach at our resort

The view from our room.

Graham's Graduation

2012-01-05T13:38:00.004-05:00

After three years of hard work, dedication and a huge time commitment Graham graduated with his Masters in Business Administration.

Stoney Creek Farms

2011-10-16T09:20:00.005-04:00

What a great fall weekend! The air was crisp and cool and the sun was bright. We spent Saturday morning at Stoney Creek Farms. We did our annual pumpkin picking and this year Bennett was old enough to participate in some of their fun games and activities. Below are some of the pictures from our trip to Stoney Creek Farms.

This year we started out with a hay maze. This was a very kid-friendly hay maze and Bennett loved it.

What a happy kid!

Bennett was a bit reluctant at first to get down and walk the maze but he quickly warmed up and we followed his lead through the maze. We found a couple of dead ends but made it out with the help of our navigator.

Bennett and I stopped to pose for a quick photo.

After the hay maze, Bennett took a ride on the pumpkin train. He really enjoyed being pulled by the tractor. This kid is still crazy for trains, even pumpkin trains.

After Bennett's ride on the pumpkin train we made our way to the giant jumping pillow. This was the first year Bennett was old enough to jump on the pillow. He had a great time bouncing, falling, and sliding down the giant pillow.

Bennett had a hard time climbing up the side of the pillow without sliding back down. He finally ripped off his socks and crawled up the side.

Once he figured out how to climb up the side he had a great time bouncing. I was a bit nervous with the older kids but the attendants did a great job monitoring and allowing time for the little kids.

As you can tell Bennett had a great time and eventually we had to drag him off.

These two pictures are from Bennett's pony ride. He loved seeing the horses and at one point he told me he wanted to be a horse for Halloween. I paused and apparently gave him a look and he said "Nope I want to be an owl. Trick or Treat, hooty hoo!" Thank goodness because I have already started making an owl.

After the pony ride we boarded the tractor for our hay ride to find out perfect pumpkins.

Bennett and half of daddy's face posing for a picture on the hay ride. I promise there is a better picture of Bennett and Graham. (See below).

Bennett and Graham at the pumpkin patch.

Bennett and Mommy enjoying picking pumpkins.

Graham and I have one rule when picking pumpkins. You have to be able to carry it yourself. And while we have never really enforced this rule in years passed, this year it was in full effect. Bennett knows and understands this rule because as Graham and I were looking for our pumpkins he kept asking "Can you carry it, Mommy?" He tried picking this pumpkin up and finally said "it's too big!"

We had a fantastic day at the pumpkin patch. This is truly one of my favorite family traditions. Stay tuned for our pumpkin decorating/carving.

Apples

2011-09-25T19:13:00.005-04:00

This past weekend we took advantage of the fall weather and spent Saturday morning at the apple orchard. Here are some pictures from our day.

Bennett riding on the trailing.

Bennett was impressed with all of the apples. He would say "oh, that's a good one!"

Posing for a picture with mommy!

Daddy and Bennett found the perfect apple.

Graham is bracing himself for the flying branch.

Proud of his apple!

Pretending to take a bite. No, we didn't let him eat it until we washed it.

Showing off his apple.

Bennett wanted the goose gourd.

The three B's!

Summer Fun!

2011-07-04T17:39:00.003-04:00

This summer has flown by, I can't believe it is already July! Bennett's surgery/recovery occupied the first two weeks in June. We had a special visitor from Colorado and took a mini vacation to Michigan. (pictures to follow soon)

However, between the here are there of our busy summer, we have been able to enjoy some summer favorites.

Enjoying some time with Scott's. Bennett really enjoys Chloe (and all of her cool toys).

Playing outside and making time for impromptu playground stops, usually per Bennett's request.

This summer we have made some time for swimming pool and water parks. Bennett loves the water.

Enjoying some delicious ice cream!

A Little Lighter

2011-06-07T20:48:00.006-04:00

This past week Bennett had his tonsil and adenoids removed, a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. About a year ago we started discussing this procedure with his Ears, Nose and Throat doctor. It was originally scheduled for early May but had to be rescheduled due to Bennett coming down with a really high fever.

Well, this past week Bennett finally had the surgery and he is a little lighter now. Thursday morning we packed our bags and made our way to the hospital. He went into surgery around 8:00 and was sent to the recovery room about an hour and half later.

The surgery went well and the report from the surgeon was that it was a good thing we did this procedure now. His adenoids were huge and tonsils were not in the best shape. We spent 24- hours in the hospital. Bennett had an amazing nurse who made him homemade milkshakes.

Friday afternoon we came home. We couldn't believe how well our little guy was doing. He was eating anything and everything you could think of. After nap time he was bouncing off the walls, and requesting to go to the mall and the zoo. We were pretty pleased with how well his recovery was going.

Sunday, Bennett's energy finally plateaued and his attitude and pain seemed to peak. These last couple days he has acted much more post-surgery-like. We have passed the time watching a ton of movies, coloring, reading books, playing with cars, and taking early morning wagon rides to avoid the heat.

Aunt Julie has been absolutely amazing. Just when we think he won't drink anymore or take his medicine, she has invented a funky new way and down it goes. She has a natural talent for taking care of people. Bennett has enjoyed her company and Graham and I both have appreciated her help.

Below are some pictures of Bennett's surgery day!

Bennett and Mommy passing the time before the surgery.

Bennett looking good in those hospital pjs.

Recovery!

Finally at home and in bed resting.

We are so thankful that everything went so well and that Bennett is recovering. Even though the last few days we have had sleepless nights and a cranky two year old we are glad we were able to get this done and have a healthy boy again.

I will say Bennett's potty training has taken the back seat this last week. It had been going so well and it was nice not having to change dirty diapers. I am hoping that when he is back to normal he will resume with the potty training. Cross your fingers!

The Graduate

2011-05-16T20:41:00.004-04:00

It's official -I've graduated, and I must mention with a 4.0 grade point average. I have since felt a huge relief and sense of accomplishment. This past year has been a challegne to battle the demands of parenthood, teacher and student. However, with the help of family and friends, we did it, and yes I mean WE. Because without all of the help, support and encouragement I couldn't have done it.

Here are a few pictures from commencement and graduation day.

Cap, gown, hood and cords... Ready to get this show on the road.

The Patterson Family had a front row view. Thanks to Julie who arrived at commencement two hours early to save seats.

There's the proof. Master of Arts in Teaching Class of 2011!!

Dr. Beesley's class was one of the best classes I had.

Elizabeth, Maribeth and Kelly! Three amazing girls who went through the program with me. You definetly learn each others quirks when you spend endless hours with each other. These girls made the crazy hours and work load fun. I couldn't have done it without them.

The two best sisters in the world. I am so lucky to call these two my sisters and best friends. Between the late night phone calls saying I just couldn't do it anymore to picking up the slack and watching Bennett so I could study, these two really helped out in so many ways.

My support system!!! Without each one of you this wouldn't have been possible. A special thank you to my dad and Audrey for watching Bennett for a short timeweek so we could travel to Cancun during this crazy time. Marilyn and Doug for all the weekend babysitting so Graham and I could have study dates. Again, each one of you played such an important role this last year. I am grateful for everyone's support and help. Thank you for celebrating this special day with me.

Last but not least, Graham. He has been so supportive and encouraging. It is hard to put into words how much his support has meant to me. All I can say is that I have a wonderful husband.

Happy Saturday

2011-04-30T12:44:00.002-04:00

Best Friends

2011-02-26T21:28:00.004-05:00

This post is dedicated to my two wonderful sisters and my best friends!

Amy is such a wonderful Mom! I am always amazed at how much she juggles with raising such a sweet and smart little girl, work, book club and life in general!

Julie is one of the most caring and compassionate people I know. She is one of the people who have inspired me to become a teacher. She works so hard for her students and touches so many lives each day.

Birthday Party

2011-02-26T20:56:00.004-05:00

We celebrated Bennett's 2nd Birthday with family and friends. We had a Mickey-themed party at our house and enjoyed Qdoba, cake and friendship! Below are a few pictures from that evening

Bennett's cake and cupcakes!

This year I had everyone sign a photo book that I had made to remember all that celebrated Bennett's 2nd Birthday. I am hoping that it will be a great keepsake to look back on in the years to come.

All the birthday wishes!

All of Bennett's buddies settling down after an evening of fun! Sydney, Chloe, Bennett, TJ, Parker and Maddie.

Bennett blowing out his birthday cupcake!

Two Year Old Pics

2011-02-25T14:52:00.002-05:00

Here are a couple more pictures that we had taken of Bennett.

Don't let that picture fool you. He is not as innocent as he looks.

I can't believe how much he has changed over the last couple years.

A Family Picture

2011-02-22T19:36:00.003-05:00

A couple weekends ago we had Bennett's two-year old pictures taken. We managed to sneak away with some family pictures. This one ended up being my favorite.

The Big Number 2!!!

2011-02-13T08:48:00.003-05:00

A special thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate Bennett's 2nd birthday. Bennett had a great day filled with friends, family, presents and of course, CAKE!

Stay tuned from more pictures from Bennett's big day!

A picture of our little ham!

Cancun

2011-02-01T15:40:00.010-05:00

Well, we finally did it. Graham and I left Bennett overnight for the first time and headed to Cancun, Mexico. After we dropped Bennett off at school and with minimal tears, we departed for Cancun. Below are some pictures from our trip.

The view from our hotel room at the Casa Magna Marriott

Another view on the balcony outside of our hotel room. Graham turned out to be our main photographer.

As you can tell, the first couple days were overcast and cool. Not complaining because it was still beautiful laying out on the beach and much warmer than Indiana.

We enjoyed watching the pelicans snag fish out of the ocean. Graham kept referring to these birds as storks before realizing they were pelicans.

By Thursday we started to see the sun again. The weather was much nicer and the clear blue sky was amazing.

The white sand beaches and turquoise blue water. We both enjoyed walking along the beach catching seashells and letting the warm water hit our toes.

The hotel lobby at the Casa Magna Marriott. Aerotek took over for the week and in the lobby you were able to book your excursions, make dinner reservations and arrange your chauffeur for the evening.

The food was delicious... Every morning we enjoyed an amazing breakfast buffet with fresh pineapple, guava, mango, papaya and homemade omelets. I do have to admit that I had fresh squeezed orange juice every morning and chips and salsa with my omelets. Our lunches were enjoyed poolside or beach side and dinners were either arranged with the group or we enjoyed dinner on our own. The first dinner we ate at LaCapilla which was an Argentinian steakhouse. Unsure of what I was ordering, I ended up with raw beef, needless to say I didn't eat it. Another night we ate at Puerto Madero which was seafood and steakhouse. Everyone raved about this place. People who had been on this trip before said this was by far the best place they had every eaten. We didn't have the best experience and our food wasn't nearly as good as people remembered it, but the restuarant was so overbooked with Aerotek dinners. The last night there Graham and I made reservations at Limoncello, which was an Italian resturant. We had had our fill of beef and seafood. The food was fresh and some of the best Italian I have ever had. We enjoyed homemade caprese salad which was made fresh at our table using boiling water, salt, cream and mozzerella. In addition to the delicious food, we enjoyed fresh pico, gucamole and chips in salsa on a regular basis.

Graham and I in front of LaCapilla

The sunrise Friday morning. This was the first morning that we were up early enough to see the sunrise. Graham and I had planned to get up early on Friday morning because we had a day of pampering ahead of us at the Spa. We both received a massage and I enjoyed a manicure and pedicure. Graham is hooked on the massage. We enjoyed sleeping in, naps on the beach and a little bit of pampering.

An evening picture of our hotel and pool. Notice the red lights on top the hotel? That is a helipad...

The backside of the Casa Magna Marriott. This picture does not do the hotel and pool justice. The pool backs up to the white sand beach and is just feet from the ocean. In the pool there is a bar which you could order drinks and even food while never leaving the pool.

The last couple pictures are of the beach. We had an amazing time together and enjoyed the sun and warm weather. When we left on Saturday sitting in the Dalls/Ft. Worth airport waiting for our connecting flight, Graham said to me "back to work, I have another contest to hit." This was Graham's third contest win and our first trip that we were able to go. It was a much deserved trip for Graham and his hard work.

Bennett did great at home with Grandpa and Audrey and his wonderful Aunts. A special thanks to Julie for helping out so much with Bennett and the dogs. We were able to enjoy and relax knowing that our little boy was in such good hands.

Christmas

2011-01-02T09:02:00.005-05:00

Graham and I both had about a week and a half off from work/school. We all enjoyed the time at home relaxing and spending time together. Here are some pictures from the past couple weeks. Daddy and Bennett putting together Bennett's new lego set.

Bennett test driving his new car. A gift from Grandpa and Grandma Peelle

Bennett and Sydney playing in Bennett's new tent

Grandpa Patterson reading to his Grandchildren

Bennett and Daddy opening presents on Christmas!!

Bennett curled up watching a Christmas cartoon.

Bennett and Sydney

Ornery Little Boy

2010-12-20T07:19:00.001-05:00

This is one little boy who has proven himself to be ornery, mischievous and just a little bit of a stinker! Wishing you all a wonderful day!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas...

2010-11-27T20:28:00.004-05:00

Well, the Peelle house is starting to get ready for the holidays. There is something so magical about seeing Bennett excited for Christmas. His excitement and joy are so innocent and contagious.

Bennett admiring the Christmas Tree (or pulling off ornaments)

Bennett looking at his stocking

Life is Good!!

2010-11-26T19:10:00.006-05:00

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we have so much to be thankful for. So many wonderful people and opportunities in our life right now, which as most of you know, have kept us incredibly busy.

Since I have taken a 3-month hiatus from blogging. Here are some pictures from the fall. As always we spent a Saturday morning at Stoney Creek, picking out a pumpkin for Bennett. We had family pictures taken during the peak of leaves changing at Ft. Ben and of course we enjoyed Halloween.

Bennett was Tigger for Halloween. His latest obsession with My Friends Tigger and Pooh, keeps Graham and I singing the Super Slueth Oath most of the day!

Bennett picking out his pumpkin.

Hayride back from the pumpkin patch.

Bennett's "angry" face.

Bennett's "surprised" face

This Thanksgiving Holiday was a much needed break. It gave us an opportunity to spend time with family that we haven't seen since late summer (sorry Dad). It also gave us an opportunity to rest and relax.

We enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast at our house on Thursday, lounged in our PJ's on Friday and will enjoy sometime with Grandma and Grandpa Peelle on Saturday.

Our Christmas Tree is up and the house is decorated for Christmas. December is shaping up to be another busy month but we are looking forward to the holidays.

Happy Birthday & Chicago

2010-08-16T19:53:00.012-04:00

Happy 30th Birthday, Graham!!! We have a lot to share and this post is long so bear with me.

We decided to celebrate Graham's 30th birthday in Chicago. We left on Friday and headed up to Chicago for some baseball, shopping, food and fun!

We stayed downtown on Michigan Ave. which was convenient to all the shops and excitement. After we arrived Friday night, we decided to grab some dinner. We figured it wouldn't be a problem to find something to eat. After two hours of walking the city trying to find something to eat, we were actually hunting for ESPN Zone, we finally went back to the hotel to ask the concierge for a suggestion. We had a hard time finding a place that was kid-friendly and unique to Chicago. We didn't want to drive all that way to eat at a Weber Grill or TGIFridays. With some help from our concierge we decided to eat at a small Mexican restaurant called Su Casa. The food and Margaritas were delicious. Bennett fell asleep just as we were finishing up dinner. We walked around Michigan Ave and did a little bit of shopping before calling it a night.

On Saturday, Bennett had us up at 5:30am (6:30 Indy time) so we headed out to breakfast. We ate breakfast at a local greasy spoon. The women in the restaurant couldn't get enough of Bennett and he loved all of the attention. He was putting on a show. Bennett tried fresh squeezed orange juice for the first time and loved it (it was some of the best I have ever had).

After the rest of the city woke up, we did some shopping on Michigan Ave and hit two of three malls. One of our favorite stores was the Lego store. We bought Bennett his first Duplo Lego set. I had no idea Legos were so involved.

Mid afternoon we headed to the White Sox game. This was an experience!!! We took the subway with Bennett and were stuffed on the subway with so many people and smells. It was so hot, I even told Graham I don't think I had ever seen him sweat that much. Once we arrived at the ballpark we had great seats and even better seats when the moved us to handicap seating so Bennett could stay in his stroller. Bennett really enjoyed the game. He kept clapping and saying "Ball." The little guy tuckered out around the bottom of the fourth inning. We were able to watch the game and not chase a toddler around.

The top of the 9th inning, the sox lost the lead to a home run. Bennett was in a deep sleep and as soon as the batter hit that home run Bennett sat up (in his sleep) and started clapping. It couldn't have been more perfect timing.

After the game ended, we were hot and exhausted but we made our way back on to the hotel. I am a huge fan of public transportation but I had my share after this weekend.

If there is anything consistent about Bennett it's that he is an early riser. Sunday morning at 6am we were up and enjoying breakfast at The Corner Bakery. We finished up our shopping with a 40 minute wait to get into Garretts and a milkshake from Ghiradelhi at 9:30am.

We headed down to Navy Pier to walk around and take in the sights from the Air and Water show. Sunday afternoon, we were exhausted and ready to come home.

Bennett making his dinosaur roaring noise at the Lego Store

Graham and Lego Man

Bennett asleep after the Lego Store! All the excitement wore him out

Lunch at Rainforest Cafe! A highlight of the trip. The food wasn't great but the atmosphere was awesome and Bennett saw a lot of MONKEYS!!!!

Bennett and Daddy getting attacked by a snake!

My boys!!! Don't you love their plaid

Save the rainforest

Bennett clapping and cheering at the Sox game.

Sox game

At Navy Pier! Bennett sportin the shades. This kid loved his sun glasses!

Lake Michigan

Daddy and Bennett

Chicago Skyline

Mommy and Bennett

Helicopters at the Air show.

Cutie!!!

Bennett loved the air show. He would squat down and point to the airplanes.

Those are the planes Bennett was trying to get a better look at in the picture above.

We had a great time in Chicago. It was an exhausting weekend but we enjoyed spending time together and it's great to watch Bennett experience these things. We know he won't remember it but his joy and excitement leave memories and warmth in our heart.

What a nut!!!

2010-08-06T04:03:00.007-04:00

So the last few days I have had so much trouble sleeping and ironically, Bennett has been sleeping so well. Well this is about night four of being restless, so I decided to clean up the pictures on my phone.

Here are a few pictures from July and early August. Bennett is such and nut and has so much personality.

You just know he just did something he wasn't supposed to. That smile says it all

"Geesh Mom"

Notice the kitchen utensil in his hand. Yep, that's about right. I find pots, pans, cutting boards, utensils you name it all over the house, especially in the loft and his bedroom.

I promise, I don't put my kid in a cage. He thinks it hilarious to crawl into the dogs crate and sit in there. We now have the dogs' crates and bedding area secluded to prevent any accidents... but really kid???

Lastly, I just thought I'd share my latest obsession. I was looking through the Pottery Barn Kids fall catalog and I fell in love with a bedroom set for Bennett's big boy bed (coming in the future). I dog-eared the page and when I went back I noticed it was called the Bennett Collection. I knew it was meant to be. I haven't purchased any of the items (I wait for the sales) but this will be what we decorate Bennett's big boy room in. He hasn't outgrown the crib yet but he will soon. I am just planning as usual.

Oldies but Goodies

2010-08-06T03:58:00.003-04:00

I was cleaning up some of the pictures on my phone last night and noticed these two pictures of Bennett. It brought a tear to my eye and warmth to my heart. My little boy is growing up so quickly. These were taken about 9-11 months ago.

Enjoy these oldies but goodies!!!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

2010-07-17T10:40:00.002-04:00

A video of Bennett acting like a monkey. It isn't great because I took it with my phone, but it was too funny not to share. Hopefully, we can get a good video this weekend.

Enjoy

He's Growing Up So Fast

2010-07-17T08:52:00.008-04:00

Bennett is growing up so fast. He is talking all the time and has started climbing on everything. I feel like I just got done baby proofing and now I have started toddler proofing. I look over and he is climbing the gates or jumping off the couch. My heart drops to the bottom of my stomach every time I catch him climbing or jumping.

Bennett is staring at a spider. Notice the red marks on his face? It's the last of the red bumps from the Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease.

Bennett enjoying breakfast!!!

One afternoon I couldn't find Bennett. I went into his room and he was pulling all of his clothes off the hangers and rehanging them up. I think he is going to be my little organizer.

Our Trip to Colorado

2010-07-04T20:50:00.010-04:00

It has been a great ten days. We made our first trip to Colorado this past week. We arrived in Colorado and stayed the weekend with Theresa and Dick Schreiber. On Monday, we made our way down to Colorado Springs. It was a blast traveling with Bennett. I am sure this is only the first of our trips to Colorado. On Monday, we headed down to Canon City to the Royal Gorge. From a distance we viewed the world's largest suspension bridge. We hiked around and let Bennett explore before we headed back to our hotel in Colorado Springs.

Graham and Bennett with the Royal Gorge Bridge in the background.

As you will see in most of the pictures, I am sitting with Bennett. I still have my fear of heights but did better than I thought. Bennett and I at Royal Gorge.

On Tuesday, we decided to head up to Pikes Peak. Graham made the trip up Pikes Peak with his family when he was about 12 years old. Needless to say, it had been a long time since we were both up there. The drive was amazing. We stopped at several spots along the way to get out and walk around. We were able to see some wildlife.

Pikes Peak in the background. This was a few pictures on the drive up to Pikes Peak. We reached the summit which was an elevation of 14,110 feet. This was better than our drive up to Mt. Evans but driving a suburban made the roads feel tiny.

I am still in awe of those beautiful mountains.

After leaving Pikes Peak, we headed down to Cave of the Winds. Not really knowing what it was all about, we hiked through a dark cave with a group of people. It was a mile an half hike and Bennett was carried the entire time. It wasn't too bad carrying him except when it got pretty steep. We were so worried about dropping Bennett that we don't have too many pictures from that day but here are a couple of the stalagmites and stalactites.

Wednesday, we decided to head to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Garden of the Gods, and Seven Falls. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was on the highlights of our trip. The zoo is embedded in the mountain and the drive through the neighborhood to get there makes Zionsville/Carmel look like the slums.

A Mountain Lion-Up Close and Personal

Bennett and Daddy looking at the Grizzly Bears. Bennett had a great time imitating the animal sounds he heard.

Bennett feeding the giraffes

We could have spent many more hours at the zoo admiring the animals but we decided to head to Garden of the Gods for a picnic lunch.

Graham and Daddy at Garden of the Gods

Mommy and Bennett sitting at Garden of the Gods

The view from Garden of the Gods

After leaving Garden of the Gods we headed down to Seven Falls. The water falls and scenery were amazing.

The three of us at Seven Falls. It was a 225 staircase to the top. The stairs were incredibly steep. I made it up about 30 or so steps before my fear of heights set in.

Thursday we said farewell to Colorado Springs and headed into Denver. We spent the morning at the Denver Aquarium.

Graham and Bennett

A Sea Turtle

Bennett found a buddy

Bennett found a little cave that he could hide in and look up and see the fish. We eventually had to crawl inside and get him. See the next picture...

He wasn't happy when we pulled him out.

After the morning at the aquarium we made our was to Casa Bonita for lunch. We met up with some of my childhood friends. The Prybella girls (well two of the three). I haven't seen them in years, so it was wonderful to get to spend time with them. I am crossing my fingers that they make it out to Indiana this year.

Friday we made our way up to Estes Park. This is our favorite place in Colorado. Graham had never made it up to Trail Ridge Road. We made the drive with Schreibers. Here are the amazing mountains.

We spent all day in Rocky Mountain National Forest. We saw 30 plus Elk in a heard and then several other Elk just walking through the forest.

We spent the weekend at Theresa and Dick's visiting and resting. We were able to spend time with both Rod, Maren and Kristina and Rich. We had a great visit. We were very sad to leave but are glad to be home. It was a long but needed vacation. We return to work and school on Tuesday. We are already planning our next trip out there. I think we will give the 1,000 mile drive a try next time.

Lions and Tigers and Bears oh my!

2010-06-06T20:24:00.004-04:00

And a trip to the zoo to see the Cheetahs.

Over Memorial Day weekend the three of us went to see the Cheetahs at the zoo. Here are some pictures from our adventures at the zoo!

Giraffes! A Cheetah!

Bennett watching the water!

We capture a lot more of Bennett's backside these days! He is always running away from us.

Look a sea lion.

Mommy and Bennett in front of the zebra area

Daddy and Bennett by the elephants

Update:

We have been extremely busy this past week and I imagine it will continue to be this way for the next year. Classes have started and the one word to describe it is INTENSE! I am really enjoying my cohort group as well as the professors. However, I am counting the weeks until graduation.

Bennett is doing great at his "school." Friday we were asked to bring Bennett in his swimwear because every Friday in the month of June are splash days. He was exhausted Friday night but his letter home that day said he had a great time.

Graham is doing well, but busy as ever!

We are looking forward to our vacation to Colorado here in a couple weeks! Woohoo!

Too Cool for School!!!

2010-05-17T19:40:00.003-04:00

A lot of "school" updates have happened at the Peelle household in the last couple months. First and foremost Bennett has recently started daycare. He is doing so well and thriving. He comes home with "art work" and "homework" on a daily basis. Although I do miss him, I think he was ready to play, learn and be with other kids. His vocabulary has nearly tripled in the short time he was there. Graham and I have decided that by the time he starts first grade he will likely be smarter than us.

Secondly, I will be starting a full time Masters program here in a couple weeks. The coursework has already begun but classes begin June 2nd. I know this next year will be extremely busy between Graham's crazy schedule and my school work. I am in the initial steps of beginning my thesis. I meet with my advisor next week to discuss some options. I am very anxious as well as excited.

Bennett "acting" cool.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-10T11:40:00.003-04:00

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day. Graham and Bennett sure made the entire weekend extra special. I woke up with flowers and cards before we headed to brunch. After brunch we did some much needed shopping and ran a couple errands. I also received a very special Mother's day gift from my two favorite boys. The evening ended with an impromptu dinner with Audrey and her sister.

Mother's Day is always a bittersweet day for me. I have such wonderful memories of my mom and I am reminded of those even more on Mother's day. I am so grateful and thankful for all the times we shared together and I take pleasure in knowing we have an angel watching over us. I am sure would have been a wonderful grandmother and loved to see her daughters as mothers. I try to keep the memories as fresh as possible and as we grow as a family to pass down the traditions and passions that my mom gave us.

I am also so thankful for Marilyn, my mother-in-law. She is a wonderful women who loves our family. Her support and excitement are absolutely wonderful. It is a great reminder to me that even though my mom isn't with us, I have a wonderful mother-in-law and that is a lot to be grateful for. I am also thankful for Audrey. She is a great friend and a wonderful person. It is so great knowing that your father has someone to look out for him.

I love being a mother to Bennett. Each day is something new and often times challenging, but I get so much pleasure out of watching this little boy. I know that without the memories that I have from my mom and without the guidance and support from Marilyn and Audrey I wouldn't be the mom that I am. So just wanted to say Happy Mother's Day!

Here are a few pictures from this past week. I also thought I would throw in a couple pictures of Bailey and Bauer. We haven't forgotten about the dogs. The get a lot less attention these days but Bennett is making up for it in dog biscuits.

Oh Boy!!!

2010-05-07T16:35:00.002-04:00

I am guessing Bennett doesn't like how I have the house organized. We have been home for about two hours. In the meantime I have found my shoes (flip flops) in the dishwasher, spices in the laundry basket, Tupperware under the kitchen table, colander in the dogs' crate and my coat in the pantry.

I am guessing he thinks his organization makes more sense...

So cute I just had to share....

2010-04-30T16:37:00.001-04:00

I haven't been able to figure out why sometimes Bennett insists on crawling head first out the door instead of stepping down. After watching him do it I realized he is mimicing the dogs.

Bauer is finally coming around...

2010-04-29T10:33:00.003-04:00

Most of you know our dogs mean the world to us. When I was pregnant, my biggest fear was the dogs not getting along with Bennett. I even joked that if they didn't get along Graham and Bennett would have to move out.

We actually thought Bailey would have the hardest time adjusting to Bennett but over the last year Bailey and Bennett are buddies. Bauer on the other hand is intimidated by him.

However, Bennett has found away to win over Bauer's heart...through his belly.

Bennett took advantage of the pantry door being left opened. The first thing he goes for is the dog bones.

The dogs here the dog bone box and come running.

Bauer was so quick I didn't get a chance to take a picture but he is off enjoying his dog bone. Bailey is sitting pretty eagerly awaiting her dog bone.

Let the tantrum begin... After I told Bennett that was enough and the dogs had had enough dog bones he went into meltdown mode. I try not to laugh but that face is just too cute.

We take the dogs to the vet here in a couple weeks for their annual check-up. I am eager to see how much weight they have gained. Between Bennett sneaking into the pantry and feeding them dog bones and Bennett sneaking them little bites of his dinner I am sure they have put on a few pounds this year.

Stay tuned for some videos and pictures of Bennett and the dogs playing tug-of-war.

What a ham...

2010-04-26T15:24:00.004-04:00

I have recently started going through the several hundreds of pictures I have taken since I got my new camera. It's an awesome camera but a little out of my league. I am still figuring out how to take pictures as well as work all the settings. As I was downloading and sorting through the pictures, I noticed we had several (50 or more) of Bennett eating.

Over the last few weeks Bennett has started mastering the skill of eating with utensils. He has been working on this for quite some time but I finally gave in and started letting him eat the really messy foods by himself.

My floors and walls have never been this dirty and the dogs have never been this fat. But Bennett enjoys it and dinnertime sure makes a great photo op.

Enjoy the pictures of our little ham making a mess.

That is a face of a STINKER!!!

Our Little Slugger

2010-04-12T14:27:00.003-04:00

Some pictures from our most recent photo session with Serena!

Up Close....

2010-04-08T17:08:00.003-04:00

A couple up close and personal pictures of Bennett! Now that I have figured out how to download the pictures from my camera to my computer I will get Easter pictures up this weekend.

It won't be too much longer...

2010-04-07T07:41:00.001-04:00

Sorry it has been so long! I am trying to figure out my new camera and how to get the pics off the camera and onto my computer. I will get it figured out this weekend!

Hope everyone is doing well.

Where to begin...

2010-03-04T11:06:00.004-05:00

Our big success this week is Bennett is eating. He has been trying new foods and although he is reluctant he seems to be enjoying them. I hope this is a trend that will continue. We are continuing to see the pediatrician every couple weeks and he remains on this medicine but I am so thrilled to announce he is eating!!!!

Bennett enjoying some mac and cheese

Bennett using his "big boy fork" and doing fairly well with it.

A close up of my little boy, who's not so little anymore!

Mommy's little Monster!!!!

We are extremely diligent about closing lids on the toilets for the fear that Bennett or one of the dogs may try to get in or fall in. However, this past week I was folding laundry as Bennett was running from room to room. It got really quite and then I heard a big SPLAT!!!! I ran in the bathroom and he lifted the lid on the toilet and threw a toy into the toilet bowl. This is Bennett's new favorite game. He loves opening the lids of toilets and putting stuff in the toilet. Closing all bathroom doors is a must!

The same day Benentt moved on to throwing his blocks down the stairs through the gate. The video below is the little rugrat in action. Sorry for the poor quality.

Needless to say Bennett is keeping us on our toes.

Bennett & Bauer

2010-03-01T20:33:00.003-05:00

If only I knew what they were thinking...

Fort Bennett

2010-02-25T22:31:00.003-05:00

Bennett has this great caterpillar tunnel that he loves to crawl through. And well, today it got me thinking that it would be fun to build a fort for him to play under. Here are some pictures from our day of fun!

Bennett crawling through his caterpillar.

Bennett trying to figure out how to get into the fort.

He found a way in. We pulled some toys and books into the fort and enjoyed some time reading and playing with toys.

And shortly after we played in the fort Bennett of course destroyed it, which I admit was just as much fun.

Peek-A-Boo

2010-02-22T10:19:00.002-05:00

Bennett loves playing with the curtians and playing Peek-A-Boo

Bennett's First Birthday

2010-02-22T08:50:00.004-05:00

My apologies in the delay in getting Bennett's 1st birthday pictures posted.

Well to start off we can't believe Bennett is already a year old. This first year has flew by and in my opinion has gone way to fast. We celebrated Bennett's actually birthday just the three of us. On the morning of Bennett's birthday I made him his favorite breakfast. Cheerios... which I spelled out Happy Birthday for Bennett. Bennett and I spent the day hanging out with Aunt Julie, since her school was cancelled due to a snow day. Once Graham got home from work the three of us went to Puerto Vallarta for dinner. This is our favorite local Mexican Restaurant. It's our Cheers if you will. The adore Bennett and were thrilled to see him. After dinner we went home and ate (well mommy and daddy ate a birthday cupcake) a birthday cupcake from the Flying Cupcake in Broad Ripple. These are some of the best cupcakes ever!!!!

The rest of the week Bennett and I spent getting ready for Bennett's birthday party with all of his family and friends.

Unfortunately I don't have that many pictures from Bennett's party because I was so excited to just enjoy this special day. However, I am still waiting on some friends and family to send me what they took so as soon as I receive them I will get those posted.

Bennett's Birthday Breakfast

Bennett enjoying his birthday breakfast

Tired of wearing the sombrero at dinner.

Not really sure about his birthday cupcake

Bennett's favorite thing from his party... BALLOONS!!!! And I might add he is still enjoying them a week later.

A huge birthday smile!

The birthday boy walking!!!

To Hold You Over

2010-02-14T20:59:00.003-05:00

A few random pictures from this past week to hold you over until I can post about Bennett's 1st Birthday!!!!

A smile that brightens the gloomiest of days!

Always finding a way to get into things he shouldn't be in. He managed to climb into this drawer and eventually get stuck. It was cute but I imagine this is just the beginning of the "getting into" and "climbing on" phase.

Exhausted from running birthday errands with mommy! We spent this week running errands and getting everything ready for Bennett's BIG Birthday Bash! It turned out great and I can't wait to share pictures and details of his first birthday party.

Happy Birthday, Bennett! Part I

2010-02-10T16:46:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday, Bennett!!

Lots more pictures to come! Stay Tuned...

Determination

2010-02-07T20:21:00.003-05:00

"What's in there Mommy?"

"I see something I want."

"Got it!"

Already moved onto something else...

SuperBowl Madness!

2010-02-07T14:42:00.003-05:00

In light of all the SuperBowl Madness here in Indianapolis, I decided to post a few pictures of Bennett wearing his Colts jersey! Either way with a Colts win or Saints win the Peelle household will be happy. We are looking forward to a great game with two outstanding quarterbacks and two great teams.

We hope everyone has a fun and safe Superbowl!

Oh Boy!!!

2010-02-05T22:28:00.003-05:00

I am so exited to share with everyone that Bennett is walking!

Today we were walking around the house. He was holding my finger as we were walking from room to room. As we entered the living room, he stopped looked up at me and smiled with his ornery grin and let go. I thought he was going to sit down and crawl over to his toys. Nope, he took off walking. Walked about 15 steps to his toys and sat down and started playing. I feel very fortunate that I was able to watch him take those steps. He has been walking taking small steps here and there but not actually walking as a mode of getting around. After Bennett took his first series of steps, there has been no turning back. He is walking all over the place.

I haven't been able to capture him in the moment but here is a cute video of Bennett pushing around a Pampers box.

Due to inclement weather we postponed Bennett's 1st Birthday party. We are now planning to share this exciting day with family and friends on Valentine's day. So stay tuned we will have a lot of new pictures.

I will leave you with this picture! Bennett is always finding "trouble." Once we baby-proofed the cabinets he found his way into the fridge. How did he open the fridge door? Really?

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year

2010-01-01T17:28:00.004-05:00

Welcome 2010! Even though 2009 had it's challenges, it was a year to remember. I can't believe how quickly it has come and gone. And I can't believe how wonderful being a Mom is to this little guy.

Before I jump ahead of myself, here are some of the pictures from Christmas.

We spent Christmas Eve day at my sister, Amy and her family's house. As always, she did a wonderful job hosting everyone. We had a delicious spread of food, great company and we enjoyed watching Bennett and Sydney open gifts and play together. Bennett and Sydney are best buds. We are thrilled that they enjoy each other so much. Sydney is quick to remind you that Bennett is HER cousin. When we tell her that Bennett is OUR son, she disputes the fact that he is HER cousin first.

Christmas morning we spent at our house. Enjoying a french toast breakfast and opening gifts from Santa. Here is a picture of Bennett admiring all the gifts that Santa left the night before.

Bennett tearing into one of his gifts. Everyone told us Bennett wouldn't open his own gifts, but he did surprisingly well. He also enjoyed the tissue, paper and boxes more than his toys.

He looks pretty pleased with all the goodies Santa left. Later Christmas Day, we made our way up to Grandma and Grandpa Peelle's house. They hosted a get together with the entire Peelle side. It was great to see all the Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. The holiday rush was beginning to take a toll on Bennett. He just wasn't himself so we didn't stay too long and made our way home. He was fast asleep before we pulled out of the drive way.

Although Christmas has come and gone, all the preparation that led up to this exciting first Christmas was well worth it. Graham and I love experiencing the holidays with Bennett. It seems so much better.

Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve morning we sliced up some oranges for breakfast and Bennett went nuts. So we decided to give him a slice to see what he'd do. He absolutely loved them. Although, when we cut the pieces up really small and removed the rind he threw the bite sized pieces on the floor in protest. Independent and stubborn, not sure where he gets that from.

Such goof-balls

A big smile on New Year's Day.

Since Bennett has been on the move... Crawling, cruising, standing and pulling up on everything, baby-proofing the house has been a priority.

There were no New Year's resolutions made at the Peelle household this year, just a vow to slow down, take one day at a time and to enjoy this special time with Bennett.

Hope everyone has a great start to the new year.

Scrub A Dub Dub, There's A Bennett In The Tub

2009-12-27T20:18:00.003-05:00

As we finish up 2009, I hope everyone had a great Christmas and is excited to welcome 2010. I am still working on organizing the Christmas pictures (there are so many great ones). Hopefully, I will get a post up later this week sharing Bennett's First Christmas. But until then, here are a couple pictures to hold you over until then. Enjoy!

Brrr... he looks so cold.

Go Go Go....

2009-12-11T07:19:00.005-05:00

Bennett is on the move and getting into EVERYTHING these days. With that being said, when he sleeps my time is precious. So just a few quick photos to share of our little boy.

I don't have pictures to show but in the last couple days I have found Bennett trying to climb one of the baby gates we have up. I have found him drinking out of the dogs water dish and last but not least we have a play cabinet in the kitchen for Bennett to store all Bennett-friendly items. So while I am in the kitchen he has something fun to do. Earlier this week I found him standing in the cabinet with all of the plastic spoons, measuring cups and toys outside the cabinet.

Santa Baby

2009-12-05T21:36:00.006-05:00

Friday afternoon, we took Bennett to visit Santa! We had no expectations since we understand that seeing an old man in a red suit may be scary to a little guy. Needless to say, I am sure someday we will have cute and happy Santa pictures. But for now these are perfect!!!

Who is this guy? Starting to look a bit nervous!

"I want books, a Tonka truck and blocks..."

And the tears begin...

"Where's my mommy and Daddy?"

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T15:18:00.006-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Bennett's First Thanksgiving. Although Bennett slept through the Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, we luckily had a thanksgiving leftover get together on Saturday with the Peelle family. He enjoyed some turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing and pumpkin pie. Grandma Peelle even spoiled Bennett with a few bites of ice cream.

Bennett enjoying some vanilla ice cream with Grandma

Some of the Peelle family and all of the food! We don't get to see the Peelle side very often so it was great that we were able to get together and enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers with them. Seeing everyone interact with Bennett, reminded us how thankful we are to have such wonderful family and friends.

Bennett is enjoying his dinner (playing with it). Typically if the food is messy Graham or I fed him. He does really well with finger food, so we thought it would be fun to see if he could spoon-fed himself. I don't think much ended up in his belly but rather on his face, belly and tray!

Thanksgiving weekend was busy with family and friends. On Sunday we lounged around the house in our pjs. Every now and then you need those lazy days. Above is a picture of Bennett and Bailey. These two are best buddies. Now that Bennett is crawling (forward) he is constantly trying to pet Bailey.

We also took advantage of the extra time together and the three of us had family pictures taken. Here are a couple pics, the rest you will receive in the mail as our Christmas Card.

Picture of Bennett with his two bottom teeth.

Bennett is changing every day! I can't believe he will be 10-months old in a few days. He keeps us busy, but every moment with him is amazing. He is crawling forward and pulling up to stand. He is also "talking." His first word was "Hi." Occasionally, he will say "Mama" and "Dada," but they aren't always used in proper context. We are looking forward to the holidays and celebrating Bennett's First Christmas. Time goes way too fast and we are trying to savor each day and enjoy every moment to it's fullest. Even the screams and cries!

We Love Our Mummy!!!

2009-11-01T20:23:00.003-05:00

Hope everyone had a great Halloween! Below are a few pictures from Bennett's first Halloween!

Our little Mummy!

How can I get this in my mouth!Mommy and Mummy

Mummy's mommy and daddy!

Bennett's Baptism

2009-10-16T06:04:00.004-04:00

Pictures from Bennett's Baptism

Clayton (Godfather), Mommy, Bennett, Daddy, Uncle Brian (Godfather)

*As you can tell by Bennett's yawn, he was so tired.

Family enjoying brunch

Nicole, Jason and Chloe

Bennett's Cake... it was soooo good!

Bennett and Great-Grandma Victoria

Pickin' Pumpkins

2009-10-14T10:32:00.006-04:00

Pickin' Pumpkins For Our Little Pumpkin

Family picture outside Stoney Creek Farms.

The hayride to the pumpkin patch. Bennett was thinking how can I get this hay in my mouth.

I want this one... It's almost as big as me!!!!

Bennett enjoyed playing with the pumpkins.

Bennett really enjoyed the large and heavy pumpkins. He could stand behind them and giggle.

Bennett and Daddy off to find the perfect pumpkin. I love their smiles in this picture.

Bennett picked out a smaller pumpkin for himself and then selected two other tiny pumpkins for Bailey and Bauer.

Bennett helping Mommy pick out a pumpkin.

Laundry Basket Fun

2009-09-25T21:02:00.003-04:00

Pictures of Bennett helping Mommy with the laundry...

Pushing the laundry basket across the floor.

Hiding under the laundry basket

Stacking his rings in the laundry basket

Bennett thought sitting in the basket was the greatest.

A morning full of fun, laughter and giggles... Priceless :-)

Peek-A-Boo

2009-09-23T14:13:00.002-04:00

I see you!!!!

What a stinker... He was supposed to be sleeping!?!?!

Melts my heart every time!

Naked Baby!!!!

2009-09-20T12:40:00.004-04:00

Some pictures of Bennett we took last weekend after his bath.

Happy Baby!

Giggles and Laughter

Look what I can do?!?!?!?

These two have become buddies. Bailey brings the ball to Bennett for him to throw. Once Bennett starts crawling, look out Bailey!

Bennett and Bauer

Bennett 7 months

2009-09-14T10:37:00.003-04:00

We LOVE this little boy so much!!!

Good Bye Summer, Welcome Fall

2009-09-14T10:22:00.004-04:00

As summer is quickly coming to an end, Graham and I are thrilled that fall is just around the corner. Fall means cooler weather, changing leaves and football. Although we will be sad to see summer go we are welcoming fall with open arms. The last several weeks we have been spending our free time outdoors, watching sailboats on eagle creek, walking the trails of eagle creek, spending quite mornings at the Indy Zoo and enjoying our porch and backyard. Below are some pictures from the past few weekends.

The last weekend in August, the three of us went to the Indy Zoo. Although we have been several times before this trip was extra special.

A Rhino!!!

See the polar bear in the background. We actually think Bauer, our dog, looks a lot like a polar bear

Graham and Bennett in front of the penguins

Bennett looking at the fish. These are his favorite!

A family picnic on eagle creek reservoir watching sailboats. Bennett looks less than pleased.

Where Does The Time Go?

2009-08-29T04:26:00.005-04:00

Not sure where the time goes but the month of August went too fast! I am excited to welcome fall at the same time sad to see summer go. Graham's constant update on college football is just one more reminder that fall is around the corner.

Here are some pictures of Bennett!!!

Playing on his tummy.

I had to get a couple pictures of Bennett in these pjs. Bennett is growing like a weed and needless to say I am tired of buying clothes that he outgrows within a week (no joke!) Most of Bennett's 12-month clothes don't fit and we are already moving up to the 18-month clothes. Make a long story short, a good family friend was having a garage sale and we stopped by and cleaned out her little boy clothes. This was one of the great finds that we escaped with. I had to laugh because these pjs are so cute on Bennett, except for he looks like such a little boy in them. They are two pieces and are not footed. Sigh... he is growing up so fast.

Bennett's new toy (on loan from cousin Sydney). I will say this is the greatest toy ever! He will just sit in front of it and play and play. Even when I try to join him, I feel like he gives me this look of leave me alone!

Still playing...

Still playing... Maybe the entire thing will fit into my mouth

Mommy and Daddy's Sweet Baby Boy!

Sydney and Bennett

2009-08-13T20:09:00.002-04:00

A few pictures of the world's cutest 2.5 half year old and 5-month old.

These pictures were taken July 10th. Sydney, please don't let me go!!!

What a great big cousin.

I am sure they are thinking if we put our heads together we can create all sorts of trouble!!! Those smiles are a bit mischievous...

This was one of our favorite pictures. Once Sydney decided she was done having her picture taken she just stood up. We will definitely have to do a photo shoot with both of them again. They both did such a wonderful job.

Peelle Family Summer Party!

2009-08-12T17:52:00.002-04:00

Rocket Ship Park

2009-08-08T04:16:00.004-04:00

Growing up in Colorado I remember visiting a park called Rocket ship Park. At the time, it seemed as though the slide that was shaped like a rocket was one of the largest slides known to mankind. I even remember the first time I went down that slide. Anyway, Graham and I recently discovered Brownsburg has its own Rocket ship Park. It is actually called Blast Off Park. It has two great playgrounds and a hiking trail and a one mile walking path.

Here are a few pictures from a Sunday morning trip to the park. We didn't make our way to the playground but I am sure there will be plenty of visits in our future.

Reaching for the camera

There is kind of a smile. Maybe a half grin.

Bennett is really enjoying sitting-up. Every now and then he gets really excited and looses his balance and tips over.

We always have toys with us even when we spend a beautiful morning at the park.

Toy in the mouth. It never fails.

Graham and Daddy! Wow, they look so much alike.

Saturday Night Dinners

2009-08-03T19:03:00.006-04:00

This past Saturday night the three of us spent an enjoyable evening at Grandma and Grandpa Peelle's house. Marilyn made a wonderful grilled chicken and veggie dinner and then was called into work. She went to all that hard work and trouble to make us a wonderful dinner and then didn't get to enjoy it. Luckly, she wasn't gone too long and was able to join us later in the evening. We decided to make the first Saturday evening of every month a date with Grandma and Grandpa Peelle. Here are a few pictures from our first Saturday Night Dinner.

Bennett and Grandpa Peelle

Bennett and Grandma Peelle

Here are a couple cute pictures of Bennett and Unlce Chad playing. Chad really had Bennett giggling at one point.

Bennett Giggling

2009-08-01T09:32:00.003-04:00

Friday night my dad was in the Indianapolis area and stopped by. The visit was quick, too quick in fact, but he brought out the giggles and laughs in Bennett.

Here is a short video of Bennett laughing at my dad. My dad was pretending to sneeze and Bennett thought it was great. He thought it was so funny that he would even stop breathing.

Enjoy! (You will want to make sure the volume is turned up)

Our Little Boilermaker

2009-07-28T08:59:00.004-04:00

Graham keeps reminding me that the football season is around the corner. So I thought I would post these pictures of Bennett. We think he looks good in Black and Gold.

Boiler Up!

What a smile

So full of energy and smiles

Touchdown!!

Doesn't he look like an offensive lineman???

You Are Our "Son"Shine!

2009-07-21T10:11:00.004-04:00

He makes us smile a million times a day!

Bennett After Bath Time

2009-07-12T21:19:00.002-04:00

Some pictures of Bennett after one of his baths this past week. Enjoy!

I love those baby blues.

Bennett was air drying after one of his baths. The TV remote that was on our bed caught his attention. He was determined to grab it.

After reaching and scooting he finally got his hands on the TV remote. He enjoyed pushing the buttons and as with most items he gets his hands on, the remote went straight to the mouth.

Belated Father's Day Post-Two Of A Kind

2009-07-08T07:26:00.009-04:00

Two Of A Kind!

Many months ago when Graham and I were anxiously awaiting Bennett's arrival I blogged wondering who Bennett would resemble. Mom or Dad??? Well anyone who has met Bennett or even seen his pictures, knows he is most definitely his daddy's boy. Bennett is developing a few characteristics from Mommy but he is definitely a little Graham.

I guess you could say this is a belated Father's Day post. I had every intention of posting some pictures of Bennett and Graham for Father's day and didn't get around to it. As Bennett quickly approaches his 5-month birthday, I am still in awe of Graham and Bennett together. Some of my greatest moments as a Mom have been watching Bennett and Graham together.

Graham's Baby Picture

Bennett's Baby Picture

They are two of a kind. Not only in looks, but Bennett's emerging personality is much like his daddy's.

Below are some pictures of Graham and Bennett together!

Best Buddies!

Before Bennett was sleeping through the night, Graham would get up on the weekends and take Bennett downstairs so I could get some sleep. I often times found the two of them snuggled together on the couch. Although we are thrilled Bennett sleeps through the night, I think Graham misses that time together.

Daddy and Bennett at their first Indianapolis Indians game.

Some More Cute Bennett Pics

2009-07-08T06:49:00.004-04:00

Here are some cute pictures of Bennett from this past weekend. I tend to be bias, but I think all pictures of Bennett are cute!

Bennett looking at Daddy!

I love those cheeks

Bennett working on tummy time. Tummy time turns into Bennett rolling over.

The face of determination! And of course Bailey is supervising.

Giggles and laughter! Bennett and daddy rough housing.

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-07T08:50:00.003-04:00

Hope everyone had a great July 4th. The three of us had a jam-packed weekend filled with good food, good friends and fireworks. Even though the weather was crummy and rainy, (which by the way our yard and flowers needed a good rain) we had a busy weekend and I think Bennett enjoyed his first July 4th (he slept through all the fireworks).

Boiler Up!!! Bennett sporting his new Boilermaker hat!

Bennett resting in Mommy and Daddy's bed.

Bennett asleep in his carseat. Too cute!

We have a fish!!

2009-06-30T09:04:00.005-04:00

Bennett is turning into a fish... well, not literally. On Father's day weekend we took Bennett swimming for the first time at our neighborhood pool. He seemed to really enjoy the water. We started off in the baby pool to get him used to the cold water. Since then we have made it back to the pool several times and he has even had his first visit at a water park last week. Sorry no pictures from the water park, but we did enjoy the lazy river and the water fountains.

Bennett in his swim outfit. How cute!!!!

Bennett and Daddy getting ready to go for a swim.

Bennett enjoying the baby pool.

Bennett enjoying the big pool in his new toy.

After a long day of fun and sun, he's ready to go home.

Graham and I are both thrilled that Bennett is a water baby.

Father's Day Pictures

2009-06-30T08:47:00.005-04:00

Here are some pictures that I had made for Graham for Father's Day.

Bennett is wearing his daddy's work shirt and tie.

This one is our favorites. This picture really shows Bennett's personality.

He is such a happy baby. Smiles and giggles.

Everything these days are going directly into Bennett's mouth... including daddy's shirt.

The above four pictures were made into a collage for Graham. The collage is sitting on Graham's dresser so he can see Bennett's adorable face each morning before work! I couldn't think of a better way to start each day.

Bennett and Mommy!

Enough pictures already!!!

The photographer got this picture at the very end. Bennett obviously had enough pictures. He looked so sad sitting in his car seat with his teddy bear and a tear under his eye. This kid really knows how to pull at your heartstrings.

Bennett 4 Months

2009-06-14T21:19:00.004-04:00

Friday afternoon Bennett had his 4 month check-up. Bennett showed off his newest skills for his pediatrician. Doc was impressed with his growth and development. Everything went very well except for his 4 month immunizations. Poor baby, he definitely does not like needles. Maybe once he's a little older he can ask for "soft needles." He weighed in at 15lbs and 25 inches long.

Over the last month or so Bennett's personality has really developed. He has always been a happy and easy going baby, but now he is showing all sorts of emotions. From smiles and giggles that melt your heart to frowns and tears that break your heart.

Here are some pictures from the last week.

oh the smiles and giggles

Bennett and Daddy

This week Bennett tried rice cereal for the first time. It was a success. This kid likes to eat, what can I say.

His first bite of cereal

He was reaching for more

He really liked it and opened his mouth for more, but he was bit unsure what to do with it...

... therefore, some of it came back out. Graham and I were impressed with how much he ate and how much stayed down.

Bennett's alone time. "Reading" or snuggling with his book.

Graham and Bennett both enjoy reading their bedtime stories. I enjoy listening :-) This book Snoozers was gift from Bennett's cousin Sydney.

So sleepy. What a day!!!!

Nap time. As you can see Bennett is napping on his Aunt and Uncle's floor. Bennett naps anywhere and everywhere.

Where Have We Been????

2009-06-10T08:14:00.008-04:00

Well it has been a while since our last entry and I thought everyone could use a quick update. My sister gently reminded me that I haven't posted any pictures in about a month or so. I apologize for the delay. Bennett is a full time job and we are loving every moment. We are just trying to take it all in because he is growing up so fast. He is four months old and we have his well baby check-up on Friday. Graham and I are very excited to see how much he has grown. He has also started teething. No tooth yet but our pediatrician said he is symptomatic of teething and he should be getting his first tooth soon. Bennett is chewing on anything and everything especially my hands, arm or shoulder. Bennett's newest milestone is he is trying to sit up unassisted. He can sit up for a several seconds before starting to fall forward. When he does fall forward he usually giggles and then tries to push himself back up.

Bennett 4 months old

Bennett in his new jumper. He loves this new toy.

Graham and I went to the Indy 500 and had a blast. This was the first time we left Bennett with a sitter. I use the term sitter lightly since he was with his Aunts, Uncle and Cousin. Amy sent me several text messages throughout the day with updates on Bennett. One of my favorite updates was that Sydney (Bennett's cousin) is giving Bennett a foot massage. By the way, those of you who don't know Sydney, she is two and half and frequently requests back rubs or foot massages. The other cute message was that Sydney likes to hold Bennett's hand when riding next to him in his car seat.

Bennett relaxing with his new shades and hat.

We have been taking advantage of the great city that we live in. We took Bennett to his first minor league baseball game. Baseball games are one of our favorite summer pastimes. We went to four Cincinnati Reds games last summer and anytime we are in a different state we always try to get tickets for a game. Graham and I would like to visit all the major league baseball parks at some point. But in the meantime, Indy has an amazing minor league baseball field. We packed a picnic dinner and watched the game from the outfield lawn. The weather was perfect and we couldn't have asked for a better evening.

The three of us at Victory Field enjoying the weather, friends and baseball

Last weekend we took Bennett to the Indy Zoo. This was his second trip, but this was our first trip as a family. Graham was so excited to take Bennett that we ended up buying a membership so we can be frequent visitors. Bennett loved the fish exhibit. The fish were brightly colored and swam so fast that they really got Bennett's attention.

Not a picture of Bennett at the Zoo (my camera ran out of batteries) but a picture from later that afternoon. Let's just say we were waking him up because he smelled like the zoo.

Oliver the Elephant

2009-05-19T12:19:00.006-04:00

This past weekend we packed up the car and headed to Oliver Winery for a lazy Sunday afternoon. We met my sister, brother-in-law and a couple of their friends in Bloomington. We found a nice sunny spot with a big shade tree, spread out our stadium blankets and enjoyed an afternoon picnic.

Here are few pictures for the past weekend.

Our Family!

Mommy and Bennett snuggling to keep warm. Even though the sun was out it was still a bit chilly.

Daddy and Bennett lounging on the blanket.

So sleepy after a long day

Amy and Sydney stayed the night with us on Friday night. They are always fun houseguests. Sydney runs around playing with the puppies and the dogs are always worn out when she leaves.

On a side note, Sydney has creatively named all of her stuff animals. While Graham and I are not that creative, we are working on naming Bennett's stuffed animals. He has a blue Eric Carle stuffed elephnat that we named Oliver, inspired by our trip to Oliver Winery. Any names that you would like to suggest? We still have a dozen or so animals that are nameless.

Sydney in Bennett's bed playing with his toys. "Sydney kept saying I'm in Bennett's bed." It was too cute.

She was counting to ten for me.

What a cutie... Just a random picture before we left on Sunday.

The Royal Treatment

2009-05-10T20:58:00.010-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day. Graham and Bennett planned a wonderful Mother's Day for me it was actually an entire weekend of spoiling and pampering me. They truly made it an unforgettable first Mother's Day.

Below are some pictures from the wonderful weekend.

Why does Bennett have a blue foot?

Graham and Bennett surprised me with a trip to Pottery By You. A paint your own pottery shop where we made a family platter using our hand and footprints.

Graham washing off Bennett's blue foot. Both of their facial expressions are priceless.

The finished product before it's fired. We will get the piece back next weekend. I need to exercise my patience while I wait.

Look at those tiny footprints. When I was in college my sisters and friends painted pottery at a studio in West Lafayette. We always had a great time and I still have the pieces that I completed. The pieces are dishwasher/oven/microwave safe, which makes them great to use in the kitchen. I am sure this platter will be used at many family dinners.

Graham also coordinated with my sisters to have brunch at Woody's Library in Carmel. The food was delicious and we had great service.

The three of us outside of Woody's Library!

As most of you know Graham and I have diligently been working on our backyard landscaping for the last couple years. I will have to say it truly has been a family effort. My Dad, Amy and Brian helped us get our grass growing and Julie shoveled truck loads of rock and mulch. We are starting to work on the south side of our house and part of my mother's day gift was two cascading rose bushes and a blue spruce. A yellow rose bush for me and a pink rose bush to be planted in memory of my mom. We haven't planted them yet but once we do I am sure there will be pictures. We are also planning to start the patio in the next couple weeks. I really enjoy our backyard - it's filled with memories. Almost every plant, tree or shrub has a story or was planted for a reason. We have put so much effort and sweat into that yard and we have had a lot of help.

Graham and Bennett behind Bennett's tree. We planted this tree shortly after we found out we were expecting. So this is Bennett's tree and we will continue to take pictures with Bennett by it to see how much they are both growing.

Me and Bennett next to Bennett's tree

Me with my puppies. These were my first "kids." They got me a wonderful card and as always plenty of hugs and kisses.

Graham and Bennett finished out Mother's day with Godiva Chocolate, a homemade steak and veggie dinner, a walk through our neighborhood and a relaxing evening on the screened in porch.

Graham also took off work next Friday for me to spend the afternoon getting a haircut. I am sure he can work in a game of golf in the morning.

Mother's day always makes me miss my mom, but it also reminds me of how lucky I am to have a wonderful husband, family and now a son.

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Bald Is Beautiful...

2009-05-02T21:16:00.005-04:00

Before monsoon season hit we had a couple of really warm days and Bennett had the opportunity to wear a couple of his new outfits. Bald is beautiful… this is one of my favorites. I actually purchased this as a gift to Graham, long before Bennett even existed.

The last couple weeks have been a whirlwind. We have been very busy but everyone is doing well. Bennett is growing like a weed and he is changing every day. He is constantly "talking" to us and we have even heard some giggles. He is quickly approaching his 3-month birthday. I can’t believe three months have already gone by. Time sure seems to fly by when you are having fun.

Enjoy some new pictures. We have a lot of great outings, trips and play dates planned for the month of May so check back!!!

Counting Sheep

He always sleeps with his mouth open

That smile melts my heart and those cheeks are so kissable

(that's probably why they are always red and chapped)

Lots of Pics and Random Updates

2009-04-20T10:03:00.009-04:00

This past weekend we headed up to Purdue for the annual spring football game. We spent more time catching up with friends then actually watching the game, but it was good to be outside enjoying the nice weather. We also walked the campus, had our picture taken with Neil Armstrong and with the world's largest drum (see below). Graham and I are always amazed how much campus changes each year.

Also below are some of Bennett's two month old pictures as well as some random pictures from the last couple weeks. Enjoy!

Sleeping so peacefully. Look at those chubby little arms

The newest family picture

I wonder what he's thinking.

I love those little feet

Sweet baby boy!!!

Bennett 2 months old

Look at that face!

Graham holding Sydney and Bennett

Bennett sleeping at his first football game!

Plum tuckered

Sydney trying on Grandpa's hat

Sydney hiding under Grandpa's hat

Boiler Up!

He looks so grown up!

Grandpa hanging with his grandchildren

The Peelle family and Neil Armstrong

Brrr...It's Cold Outside

2009-04-06T13:49:00.005-04:00

It's April 6th and it is cold, snowy and wet outside! I am all for April showers bring May flowers, but what does the snow bring???? Even though I love winter, I've had spring fever for a couple months and I am ready for flip-flop weather!

Anyway, instead of cleaning up the garden and trimming bushes I can blog and share some cute pictures of my little boy! He is growing up so fast. He will be two months old tomorrow!

This boy has been all smiles the last couple weeks. Those sweet little grins make it all worth while!

Everyone keeps asking how the puppies are doing... Well, they are a little less spoiled but they have accepted their new role and are spending more time together and learning to play with each other. Don't get me wrong, they are still spoiled and get plenty of Graham's and my attention. Bennett has actually started showing an interest in them. We can't wait until Bennett is old enough to chase them.

Graham and Bennett doing tummy time! Poor Graham has had a kink in his neck the last few weeks. I think its from sleeping on the rocker in Bennett's room.

Another smile from Mr. Bennett!

"Ooooooooo!" This is one of our favorite facial expressions from Bennett.

My little bright-eyed boy!

My Little Sweet Pea

2009-03-28T22:01:00.005-04:00

Here are some new pictures of Bennett. We recently had is one month as well as our first family portrait taken. It is amazing to see how much he has changed in one month.What a cutie!!! Kisses from Daddy

I love those little feet!

He is growing up so quickly!

Bathtime Pictures

2009-03-22T20:53:00.007-04:00

Here are some pictures from Bennett's bath Sunday night!

Before bathtime

He's sleeping during his bath. He loves the water.

After his bath and by the way he smells soooo good! (one of my favorite pictures)

Big Boy Bennett!!!

2009-03-19T15:28:00.006-04:00

Monday was Bennett's one month doctor's appointment. He is tipping the scales at 11lbs and 21.5 inches long. The pediatrician was impressed with his growth progress and has assured Graham and me that Bennett does not have any trouble eating, but we already knew he had a hearty appetite. It seems overnight he outgrew his 3 month outfits and has quickly moved into 6 month clothing. Each day Bennett does something that just amazes us. He is very much a cuddle bug and enjoys being held. He is beginning to smile when he sees or hears Daddy or Mommy. He has also shown an interest in our ceiling fans. He is changing and growing each day, it's hard to keep up but we are making a lot memories. Graham said to me this evening. "It's just so hard to believe he is ours. I keep thinking we have to give him back."

St. Patrick's Day was absolutely beautiful. Bennett and I spent the afternoon enjoying the outdoors and walking the trails at Arbuckle Acres in Brownsburg. We found a nice bench and enjoyed a picnic lunch. The trees are starting to bud and it was wonderful to be outside enjoying the spring weather. Hopefully we will get a warm weekend and we can take Graham on a picnic.

Bennett and I ended our week with lunch at Cheesecake factory and shopping with the Aunts. Julie, Amy, Sydney and Grandma Marilyn all met for a leisurely lunch. After enjoying good food and good company we finished the day shopping at the Fashion Mall. This was Bennett's first big outing and I must say he did very well. Of course he wanted to be held but the sling we recently purchased worked out great. Thanks girls, we should do it again soon!

Below are a few pictures most of which I took with my phone. Random pictures but cute facial expressions!

Milk Coma

Snug as a Bug in his car seat

Not sure who is checking who out! But I do know who has more hair.

Bennett sleeps with his mouth open. As his Uncle Brian says he is catching spiders.

This kid is all cheeks.

Top Ten Surprises of Mommyhood

2009-03-11T20:26:00.006-04:00

So this past weekend I started thinking about all the surprises of motherhood. So I thought I would share my reflections and surprises of motherhood as well as a couple new cute pictures.

1. The amount of dirty diapers
Despite the number of people who told me I would be changing diapers I never would have guessed that there would be so many. I'm also surprised how quick I have become at the one handed diaper change.

2. The obscene amounts of laundry
This one baffles my mind. I am always washing something. I absolutely hate dirty clothes and having this little boy around just increased my laundry exponential. There is something always in the wash, there is something always in the dryer and something always ready to be folded or ironed. One friend told me that it just gets worse as they get older.

3. Little boys do pee when cold air hits
Graham and I learned this the hard way. When that dirty diaper comes off, look out! You had better be quick with the wipes and the clean diaper or you'll get sprayed.

4. If you place the infant carrier in the shopping cart you can't see over it
I place the infant seat in the top portion of the shopping cart (or buggy) and I notice I maneuver the aisles looking to the sides of the cart. I can't see over the infant seat.

5. The lack of sleep you actually get the first few weeks
Enough said...

6. The wonderful baby smell
Despite the number of diapers, babies smell better than that new car, new house and puppy smell. I love it!!! This kid probably wonders why his mom keeps sniffing him.

7. The joy in watching Graham interact with his son
From the first days in the hospital, I have truly enjoyed watching Graham be a dad. I love watching him interact with him. The other night I found myself eavesdropping on there conversation. Graham was explaining to Bennett the proper way to button up his outfit.

8. Bennett's bath time is my favorite part of the day
Again, maybe it's the baby smell but I love his facial expressions and watching him explore the water. When Graham and I gave him his first bath I accidentally dunked his face. He looked a bit startled and there were a couple tears. A couple days later during his second bath Graham accidentally dunked him as well. What can I say we are rookie parents.

9. Time Flies
I look at the clock and it is already noon. Sometimes when it's a perfect moment I would love to freeze time. And as I finish writing this blog, my little boy is already a month old.

10. How much I love being a mother to this little baby boy

As Graham says he is my partner in crime, I call him my sidekick. However you look at it each day is amazing and it keeps getting better.

Look at those cheeks and chins

I love watching him sleep

Enough pictures already

Bennett's Newborn Picture

2009-02-25T13:34:00.004-05:00

I love those chubby checks

Bennett Update

2009-02-24T12:12:00.005-05:00

Well it has been two weeks since the arrival of our little boy! Graham and I are adjusting to parenthood and the crazy amounts of laundry. Who would have guessed something so small and innocent could produce so much extra laundry.

It has been so much fun to watch this little person grow each day. He is really a great baby, of course he has his fussy times and he doesn't hesitate to let us know when he is ready to eat, but he is sweet as can be.

He is much more alert and he has been showing off his baby blue eyes. Every now and then he flashes us a smile (I am sure it's gas, but it is super cute).

Enjoy the pictures!

Look how big he has gotten!!

Look at that face... I think he looks just like daddy.

I love when he is sleeping. He looks so peacful.

Announcing Baby Peelle

2009-02-15T22:54:00.004-05:00

Our little boy has arrived!!! And yes he was little!!!

Bennett Thomas arrived on Tuesday, February 10th, at 6:51 am. Weighing in at 7lbs 2oz and 20.5 inches long.

Mommy and Bennett

Daddy and Bennett

Coming home from the hospital

All tuckered out!

Nursery Pictures

2009-02-03T03:36:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures of the nursery! We added the final details about a month ago and this quickly became one of our favorite rooms in the house.

Baby Peelle's bedding set and crib.

An up close view of the baby quilt

Dresser and changing table that was a gift from Grandpa Patterson and Audrey!

Baby Peelle's books and the membership letter from the Rocky Mountian Drill Bit Association!

All of his clothes washed and ready to go!

36 Week Pregnancy Update!

2009-01-26T12:53:00.004-05:00

Well the countdown is on!! Only a few weeks left until we meet Baby Peelle. Graham and I are very excited to say the the least. Our bag is packed and sitting by the door. I just finished my last week of work and am excited to use this time to get the house ready and rest before the baby gets here.

Since my belly has been measuring on the larger side the doctor decided to do an ultrasound to see how big Baby Peelle is. We have been told that ultrasounds can be off by a pound in either direction, but the doc seems pretty confident that he is on the larger side. At the ultrasound he was weighing in around 8lbs and still growing.

Below is one of the pictures from the ultra sound. The tech was having a difficult time getting a good view of his face. He was very active and was blocking his face with this hands. But most importantly he his healthy and growing strong.

We are in our last week of baby classes and we have really enjoyed meeting other first time parents who have babies due around the same time. The classes have been very helpful and have definitely helped to ease our nerves.

Nursery pictures and our pregnancy photos are coming soon! Stay tuned :-)

Sports of all sorts

2009-01-13T19:21:00.006-05:00

Some call it nesting, I call it organization! I love to organize. It sounds crazy but I enjoy walking the aisles at hardware stores looking at all of the great ways to organize closets, shelves and pantries. During this pregnancy, anytime I am sorting or organizing someone always makes a comment that I am nesting. I guess pregnant or not I always nest.

Anyway to my point... I decided to organize the pictures on my computer and get files ready for when the little guy gets here. You know, like a file for all the one month pictures, two month pictures, baby's first bath, St. Patrick's day pictures and so on... you get my point. It got me looking through all of the pictures Graham and I have taken over the last year or so. Almost all of our pictures are at sporting events. I thought I would post some pictures over the last year at different sporting events that we have been too! I guess when the little guy gets here he will just tag along and enjoy the fun. Graham has already mentioned the golf tournament that will be here this summer!

Graham and I at the Colts-Patriots game this past fall. (About 6 months pregnant)

Graham and I at the Cincinnati Reds game. (About 4.5 months pregnant)

This was back in early August. We watched a couple local high school football games at Lucas Oil with my sister, brother-in-law and niece Sydney. As we were walking into the new Stadium Sydney lifted her arms and exclaimed "so big." Graham and I think she is the most adorable two year old. But what can I say, were a bit biased. (About 3 months pregnant)

Graham and I at the Indy 500. I knew I felt a bit nauseated. I guess it wasn't just the warm weather.

Welcome 2009

2009-01-05T17:16:00.004-05:00

Well the holidays have come and gone, and I do believe 2008 was a good year.

Although the Christmas tree is still up and the majority of the decorations are still hung I am excited to get the house back to "normal" and to kick off the new year. I did make a New Year's resolution, which I typically don't do. I am going to finish the master bedroom and bathroom, well at least get started. We have great furniture in the room, but I am still using my duvet cover from early college that is two sizes to small. It seems like such a big project and commitment and I have been avoiding picking colors and patterns etc... So I have decided that I would at least like to have that room started by the year 2010 rolls around.

Graham was able to take a few weeks off from work at the end of the year, which was great to have him home. We cleaned and organized the house, finished up a couple projects, attended Sydney's 2nd birthday bash, watched football/basketball, spent time with friends and family, played/spoiled the puppies and finished up some shopping for baby Peelle. However, I think our biggest accomplishment was finishing the nursery. It is all complete, well almost just waiting on the arrival of the little guy!!

The last doctors appointment went well. He is growing and so is my belly. I am still measuring about three weeks ahead of schedule but blood pressure, weight and heart beat are all great. Although I will say, I do think I am on the eve of another growth spurt, just when I thought my belly couldn't get any bigger. We are hopping to get our pregnancy photos taken in the next couple weeks so I will post those as soon as we get them.

With all that being said, all is well at the Peelle household. Graham is back to work and I am finishing up my work project and we are both anxiously awaiting on the arrival of the new addition to our family.

Sorry no pictures. Maybe my New Year's resolution should have been to remember my camera and take more pictures.

Update-32 Weeks

2008-12-15T19:20:00.003-05:00

Below is a picture of Graham and Me at Graham's holdiay work party this past weekend!

Update On Baby Peelle

Today was our 32 week appointment. So far everything looks great with baby Peelle. His heartbeat is strong and he is weighing in at approximately 4lbs and 17 inches long. Our doctor did say I was measuring big and he's not going to be a 5lb baby. I guess that means I have done a great job eating!!!!

Two weeks ago my sisters, Amy and Julie, hosted an amazing Baby Shower for me at the Morris-Butler House. Graham and I received so much great baby stuff. I am still washing baby clothes and organizing all the goodies. Graham's Uncle Dave and Aunt Julie, who are IU fans, gave their great nephew-to-be his first Purdue bib! Boiler Up! Although the bib is something he will spit-up and drool on, hmm I wonder if they had that in mind!

Ultrasound-20 Weeks

2008-12-14T19:38:00.003-05:00

Below are two ultrasound pictures from our 20 week appointment. I can't believe this is what he looked like 12 weeks ago. Tomorrow is our 32 week appointment! Make sure to check back for the update on baby Peelle and his baking progress.

Side profile-You can see the head, ribs and tiny arms, hands and fingers.

This is baby Peelle looking up. You can get a pretty good view of his face including his eyes, nose and mouth. The tiny blob like circle and the bottom is his hand making a fist. Those punches are becoming much stronger.

Florida Vacation

2008-12-14T19:05:00.005-05:00

Maybe it has been the cold weather, but I decided to post some pictures of our trip to Florida this past May. If anyone is planning a vacation I would highly recommend Discovery Cove in Florida. Graham and I spent the day swimming with dolphins, sting rays, snorkeling and laying on the white sandy beaches. Not to mention it is all inclusive and the hospitality was amazing.

Not sure who won this game, but I did give Graham and run for his money.

A visit to see Shamu at Sea World.

We made two separate trips to Universal Studios. We went to dinner one night at Jimmy Buffett's Margartiaville on City Walk and the second trip to the actual theme park. We had a great time riding the rides and acting like kids!

Puppies, Oh Puppies

2008-12-14T18:36:00.007-05:00

Here are some recent pictures of Bailey and Bauer. They are great dogs, hyper but great.

Graham was not expecting kisses from Bauer, or as our niece calls them "puppy kisses"

Bauer responding to Graham's reaction of being kissed on the nose.

Me and my buddy

This is the hyper one. If a ball isn't in her mouth then there is sure to be a squeaky ball nearby in case someone decides to play fetch...

Does anyone want to play ball???

Baby Picture Reflection

2008-12-01T16:21:00.008-05:00

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful turkey dinner at Amy and Brian's house. She is a great cook and always does a wonderful job hosting holiday parties.

Graham and I had some time off from work and sure enough we both ended up with a cold. It wasn't a big deal, but it did keep us at home resting. By the weekend, I started to get a bit stir crazy and decided to reorganize my old photo albums. While looking through old pictures I found some baby pictures of Graham and some baby pictures of myself. It got me thinking, I wonder what this new little baby boy will look like? Will he have blueish green eyes like his daddy or will he have brown eyes like his mommy? Will he have a full head of hair or be bald? Below are a couple pictures. They are a bit fuzzy but still fun to look at.

Graham has a huge smile!!!

And I am making faces...

As for the update on Baby Peelle-29 Weeks

Everything with Baby Peelle is going well. Today we had a doctor's appointment and he is exactly where he should be in terms of size and weight (approximately 2.5 lbs and 15 inches long). He is growing and moving like crazy. Despite the belly, sometimes I forget I'm pregnant and then I usually get a punch or kick in bladder, ribs or side and I quickly remember. Every nurse who records his heartbeat makes a comment about how active and stubborn he his. Stubborn???? Who would have guessed? Graham and I have enjoyed guessing what he is doing by the movements we feel on my belly. It has definitely turned into one of our main sources of entertainment. We start baby classes this week and now our doctor's appointments are every two weeks. We are in the final stretch, literally.

Baby Preparations

2008-11-25T16:50:00.012-05:00

Here are some pictures of Graham and I preparing for Baby Peelle. I wanted to document all of the baby preparations that we were doing around the house before Baby Peelle arrived.

This was a picture of Graham getting ready to hang the medicine cabinet in Baby Peelle's bathroom. Yes, that is the power drill that went through my foot and landed us a trip to the Clarian West Emergency Room. What a freak accident.

Graham putting together the crib.

He looks so happy putting together the bookcase for the nursery. I am sure he will be putting together many toys and gadgets over the next several years.

Graham continuing to work hard on the bookcase. If you notice there is a white furry butt and a pink ball in the bottom center of the picture. I wonder who that is?

The finished bookcase.

The Inaugural Post

2008-11-25T16:01:00.007-05:00

We decide to start a blog to keep family and friends updated on the latest happenings at the Peelle household. Although the blog was created months ago, I have finally decided to make a post.
Pregnancy Update
I have just entered the third and final trimester of my pregnancy and we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Baby Peelle. I am just a bit over 28 weeks pregnant and I am feeling great. Everything is normal and baby and belly are growing like crazy. No complaints now that the six months of nausea and vomiting are over with. I am sure it will all be worth it in the end. We have selected a name for the baby but have decided to keep the name a secret until he arrives. Feel free to start guessing. If you do get it right, we will let you know.
Baby Peelle’s Nursery Update
Graham and I have been working very hard on Baby Peelle’s Nursery. The walls have been painted a smoke blue. I always think I enjoy painting but once I get started I just want to finish. I tend to be impatient when it comes to decorating, arts and crafts, as Graham calls it my “Get it done mode.” Although Bailey and Bauer tried to help, they were more of a hindrance. They did end up with couple blue spots on their white fur and nose prints along the baseboards, but that made painting that much more memorable. We should also thank the Boilermakers for playing their football game in South Bend and the Colt’s for taking that Sunday off so we were able to paint. We took advantage of the unseasonably warm fall weather and we were able to get all of the painting done in one weekend. The crib and bookcase have been put together and the assembly required no power tools. With much help from my dad, we added shelves and another closet rod in the baby’s walk-in closet to make the room more organized and functional. Now that Graham knows what he is doing with the shelving I think he is planning to update our closet. The curtains have been hung, the bedding is in the crib and we are slowly adding the finishing touches.
Graham and Jackie Update
Graham has been very busy with work and when we aren’t engaged in baby preparations he is enjoying one of his favorite pastimes… FOOTBALL. Graham and I have made it to almost every Purdue home game this year. I have been finishing up the project I am currently working on for work and taking advantage of having a flexible schedule to get the house ready for the baby. It seems like we have been on the go since early summer, which I can’t complain since we have been indulging in hobbies, traveling and spending time doing things that I am sure will become much more difficult once Baby Peelle arrives. Now that the holidays are quickly approaching and I have Christmas shopping done we can sit back and enjoy this time together as a couple before baby makes three.
Now that they initial blog has been started I will update as needed to keep you all posted.