It's always fun for everyone!!!

Nancie came to visit this past weekend and we loved having her here!! Even though all we did was sit around - I'm a little lacking on the entertainment skills right now - it was nice to have family here. The boys loved having her to play games with so I'm sure she got her fair share of Bingo, Clue, and Chutes and Ladders but hey who doesn't enjoy a good game of Chutes and Ladders.

Our favorite Aunt Nancie!!
I know many people have been asking me to post more pictures with Ben with his eyes open. Babies change so much day to day and to be honest I think he looks different in pictures then he does in real life but he's still adorable!

I'm thinking he is at about 11 lbs by now - we have his month check up on Monday but I weighed myself with and without him today and thats what I came up with. He should be putting on the pounds with as much as I feed him. Don't you love the double chin? I wish it was as cute for me to have a double chin. I guess that's why you won't see any pictures of me for a while.

Jack really wanted me to put this outfit on him yesterday but its a 3 month outfit and I told him it probably wouldn't fit. Well I tried it out today and it fits pretty well.

As always I will try to do better about posting more pictures. It's just hard not to want to sleep every chance I get. Some nights he's only up twice and goes right back to sleep other nights he's up for a couple hours. Even though I seem to be exhausted I try to keep things into perspective. I love this little boy! I love Ryan for giving me this little boy! And I would much rather be sleep deprived and up all night with him than to not have him in my life. I am so grateful for a Father in Heaven who allows us to experience having these miracles!

Guess who's 2 weeks old!

You just can't tell that Jack absolutely loves his little brother. It is not uncommon to hear " Hey there little buddy" and to hear Jacks sweet little voice singing to Benjamin. Unfortunately it is also not uncommon to hear the two older boys argue over who held him the longest and who's turn it is.

I have yet to capture a smile but Ryan has managed to get this semi smile
You can see he has light brown hair but I wonder if it will change to blond - he has no eyebrows !

Our good friends Benny and Maria (Tia Nena and Tio Guero)came to visit with their girls on Sunday

2 weeks ago

Two weeks ago today I was praying that I wouldn't have the baby so we could celebrate Jack's birthday. He had been planning the perfect birthday party for so long and I wanted him to have a perfect #5 birthday. As mentioned before he really wanted a Chuck E Cheese birthday with a hamburger cake. I'm pretty sure he had that planned since his #4 birthday. When we arrived at Chuck E Cheese that night it was a mad house - the whole parking lot was filled with minivans and SUV's so we had to change plans and Jack agreed that he could have his birthday at Peter Piper Pizza. The fact that I had taken the time to search coupons online to satisfy my need to be as frugal as possible went out the window, but it was worth it considering the kids could run around a play games without waiting in a 10 minute line. I mean its Chuck E Cheese for crying out loud - not Disneyland.

The last photo I have with just two (and a half) sons.

Birthday morning pancakes - Mickey mouse of course - and hot chocolate! Just what the birthday boy ordered. Of course he filled up on hot chocolate and didnt' eat the pancakes.

The hamburger cake was freakin awesome!! I was really uncertain about how it was going to taste because it looked like it was about 3 inches of frosting -- and the smell!!!! I know it was because I was pregnant but the smell was very unattractive to me. I have to say that we were all very impressed it really was a great tasting cake!!

Now the french fries on the other hand - not so great. I'm not sure what happened there but it still looked pretty cool.

Me and My Jack

The party crew - Grandma Mikey, Aunt Bess and Jeff, The Valles family - Benny, Larisa, Maria, and Abbie

And what party isn't complete without Dad and his pornstache!

How's that for October 27, 2008 - now October 28th a whole new adventure!

More pics

Benjamin is now 1 week old!! He still has his days and nights mixed up so he sleeps the majority of the day away. I'm still trying to catch up on sleep but I have a feeling I'll be saying that for years to come.

I finally got a good picture with his eyes open - its not too often that his eyes are open for any long period of time.

Payton and Benjamin - the newness has not worn off yet. The boys still love to hold Benjamin every chance they get.

Benjamin sun bathing and Jack keeping him company.


Stay tuned for pictures of Jack's birthday........

Benjamin Michael

He's here!! I know you are all anxious to see pictures of Baby Benjamin - here's just a few. When I have had a good nap I will post more.Minutes old

I know compared to little Sammy he probably looks like a giant

Thankfully Ryan's mom Mikey could be here! It was great to have her in the room during the delivery and such a relief to know Payton and Jack were loved and cared for while I was in the hospital.



Yes they are both still this excited about their little brother. It is so fun to see how they behave around him.

Big Brother Jack

Jack and the baby

So despite the fact that I really want to have this baby I'm concerned that he will be born so close to Jack's birthday. For a while Jack thought that if the baby was born before his birthday that the baby would be older than him. I think that he has gotten over that but he may not understand that if this baby comes before his birthday we will have to re evaluate the birthday plans. Jack has been planning for some time to spend his birthday celebration at Chucky Cheese. He also has wanted a hamburger cake. Everytime we are at Albertsons we have to stop at the bakery to see the cake decorated like a hamburger complimented with french fries. At first I thought -"I could do that" but honestly I just don't have the energy or desire to do anything right now and I guess that includes trying to make a special hamburger cake for my Jack. So last night I was talking to the kids about the baby and I asked Jack "what if the baby is born on your birthday?" He got pretty excited and said that I could I give the baby to him as a present and put him in a box so he could open the box but that I would have to put holes in the box so the baby could breath. Its a good thing he remembered the holes.

And just so that you know because Jack is very excited and has been counting down the days :

4 more days !!!

Stop the Press!!!!

OK no joke this was on the front page of the El Paso Times today:

"Without bid, inmates will be without tortillas"

EL PASO -- In a city where tortillas are as common as dollars and pesos, inmates at El Paso County jails will have to go without tortillas -- a cruel and unusual crisis.
No tacos. No burritos. No soup. No corn. No flour.
County officials announced on Monday that no vendors had responded to a bid asking for tortilla supplies for the detention bureau division which includes the county jail, jail annex and juvenile detention center.
"Can't we just arrest someone who knows how to make them?" asked County Commissioner Dan Haggerty.
The contract, which is for six months, is normally worth about $10,000.
Piti Vasquez, the county's purchasing agent, told commissioners that one company did intend to turn in the paperwork needed to make the tortilla bid, but they were several hours late in doing so and had to be disqualified.
The county will now have to re-bid the tortilla contract and hope that at least one of the 20 tortillerias in the El Paso area respond.
Haggerty had a better suggestion -- have the inmates make them.
"I can understand why we have to have a contract for the milk," he said. "But there's no reason why the tortillas and the bread should not be made by the prisoners."
Gustavo Reveles Acosta may be reached at greveles@elpasotimes.com;546-6133.


My favorite line "Can't we just arrest someone that knows how to make them?"
Seriously?
What is the world coming to? God Bless America!