Don't let life pass you by...

So life is flying by... Maggie is over 10 months old and always on the go.. about ready to walk any day now, Elliot is hitting milestones left and right, and Rowin, well, he is going to PreK tomorrow! (since starting this post yesterday, I have officially dropped my baby off!) We went by and met his teacher The other day. It was exciting and scary all in one! She was super nice and his school is lovely and full of other kiddos! I mean it was overwhelming for me to see all these kids his size and older and know that I am just throwing my baby to the wolves! Rowin is tough and brave and a wonderful kiddo and I know he is going to thrive there! He is so social and very inquisitive.. he will give his teacher a run for her money I am sure! ;)

Now for Elliot.. he learned to climb up the stairs the other day to my surprise. I was sitting at the computer and he was sitting at the bottom of the stairs playing as usual. Then I heard an unusual sound: someone going up the stairs?! Sure enough I went to the stairs to find him four stairs up smiling away! I eventually let him climb up the entire way.. and he was laughing the whole way! He was so proud of himself and so was I! :) He is starting to pull up to furniture and even cruise along furniture! The other night I caught him trying to feed Maggie from and empty spoon! :) Then she returned the favor later by offering him his sippy cup! :) too cute! Last night I put him in his room and went to get his sippy cup from down stairs, and came back to find him sitting on top of the toy box! I have no idea how he climbed up there, but he sure did! Oh! and he has taken a liking to the drums!

Maggie, sweet Maggie.. she is such a joy. There is something special about having a baby girl. She adds a whole new dimention to our family: drama, beauty, daintiness (if that's a word ;)), sweetness. She is growing up way too fast. She is also pulling up to furniture and cruising along (she is motivated by her brother who likes to attack her). She is attached to me lately, but fortunately does fine in the nursery as long as she has someone to cling to there ;).

Mark is busting tail at work... he is going to be gone out of town three out of five days for the next couple of weeks. Then things should settle back down. He also just released his CD "Healing Songs (for Elliot)". You can email me or leave me a comment to find out how to purchase one! All proceeds benefit the Little Light House! They are only $10 and Mark sang and played all the music on the cd. They were songs that were on Elliot's ipod while he was in the NICU.

Me, well, I am just being a wife and mommy. Trying to stay sane ;) and right now.. a little bothered by the quiet in my house! :) I am doing quite a bit of volunteer work for Elliot's school and I am sure I will be suckered into doing some for Rowin's school soon. Enjoy the pictures! For some reason, my pictures aren't showing up! hopefully, I can get them up soon!

Wrinkles...

So Rowin has really gotten fond of calling my arms fluffy... (even though I have been working out and they are slimmin down). Well, we were in the car the other night and he began again talking about my arms and how he likes how they are fluffy. It was a sweet conversation (despite that my arms are being called fluffy) So, here is the conversation:

Rowin: "Mommy, I like your fluffy arms"
Me (hesitantly): "Thanks sweetie"
Rowin: "Big Memaws arms are all wrinkled, why are they wrinkled"
Me: "Well, Rowin.. when we get older our skin wrinkles.."
Rowin: "All my grandmas are wrinkled..." (side note: he was really speaking of his Great-grandmas! He clarified later)
Me: "Yes, that is because they are older"
Rowin: "You aren't wrinkled mommy. And I don't have wrinkles.."
Me: "No I am not, thank you baby" (This totally made up for my fluffy arms ;)
Rowin: "I don't want you to get wrinkled because then I wouldn't be your son any more."
Me: "Oh sweetie.. You are always going to be my son, and I am always going to be your mommy! That will never change!"

The conversation continued with me explaining how someday I would be a grandma and how he will always be my son and I will always be his mommy. So then, today he asked me when I was going to be a grandma.. and I told him a long time from now.. when he gets married and has kids of his own! He's only four! Sheesh! I still have 20 more years before I get wrinkles right?! :) HAHA!

Mini Laps 2009

Dear Friends and Family,

Can you believe it's almost been a year since Elliot started school at The Little Light House?! It's the best thing that's happened to Elliot! He has grown so much over the past year, and we are going to get to celebrate all he has accomplished at school September 26, 2009 at Mini Laps! Yes, it's that time again! If you don't remember or we didn't get to share with you last year, Mini Laps is a morning where we celebrate all the miracles and milestones the kiddos at the Little Light House have accomplished over the past year. Last year we got to celebrate Elliot being accepted into school, and learning how to sit up in just two weeks of being there! This year…. Drum roll please… we will get to celebrate Elliot WALKING around that track! He has gotten to be a pro at cruising around in his walker, but we hope (fingers crossed) that he will be taking off without it J.

Wouldn't you like to be apart of that? Elliot is motivated by school and all his friends there. He would not be excelling this much without The Little Light House. Did you know that The Little Light House runs solely on private donations? They do not accept any government funding or United Way money. They want to be able to keep being a ministry and teach the Bible to these precious children. It takes people like you and me who are willing to support them and their wonderful ministry to keep them going. As I sit here and write this letter to you, my eyes are welling up with tears just thinking about this school and how much it has done for just our family, let alone the other 64 families that are enrolled right now. I can't or don't want to imagine Elliot's life without The Little Light House, do you? I know that the economy has a lot of people worried, but even $5 will make a difference. You can eat in one meal can't you? Please help us pull together to support Elliot and cheer him on this year! Let's see how much money we can raise for this wonderful school and motivate Elliot to walk without his walker (maybe if I tell him how much money people are giving to see him walk, that will motivate him ;) haha!!)

So, here is how: log onto www.littlelighthouse.org and make an online donation in Elliot's name, it's that easy!

Thank you all in advance! I will be sending you pictures of Elliot walking across that finish line in September!

Sincerely,

The Bennett Family- Mark, Andrea, Rowin, Elliot, and Maggie

A Little of Everything...

Hey all! I just wanted to blog about this and that... We are having a great summer so far. It has taken me a couple of weeks to adjust to the new schedule.. just in time for Elliot to start his summer session next week ;) hehe. But that will be ok, it will get me back into a better routine.
We had some friends of ours visit this weekend from Arkansas, and we had a blast letting the kids run and play and enjoy each others company again. We went to a new park here that was so awesome. It is handicap accessible and has some water features that the boys loved playing in (that's what they are for). Elliot loved it, but got chilly quickly and very angry when we had to get him out and keep him out. It was a great weekend.
We are going to Arkansas tomorrow for some appointments and Mark is going to work while we are there also. It should be fun and exhausting for all! :) We will see how staying in a hotel room with all 5 will go. Wish us luck! :)
Have I told you all that I am so happy to have a girl?? She is Adorable! I love her! (Don't get me wrong, I adore my boys! But there is something about Maggie... she's my girl! ;)
Anyway.. Rowin asked about Elliot's school.. I don't remember how he asked about it, but as I started to explain, he lost interest and was on to something else. Mark and I exchanged looks knowing the day was coming when we would have to explain that Elliot has Down Syndrome and what that means. There is something inside me that dreads that day... maybe because I will have to admit it out loud (not that I haven't done it before), or maybe it's because I don't ever want Rowin to see his brother as different (in a bad way), I don't ever want to put limitations on Elliot, and I don't want Rowin to do that either (I don't think he will though), anyway, I just love the innocence that Rowin has with Elliot, and I don't want to lose that. ok, brief kid update:
Rowin is hilarious! He is a different character (in full costume) every day, sometimes every couple hours, or minutes. He loves our neighbors that are twin 5 year olds and he plays with them every minute he can now that they are out of school. I can't believe he is going to pre-k this fall!
Elliot is doing great! He is scootin on his butt and wearing out every pair of shorts he has.. he refuses to crawl. He is a pro in his walker, and I am sure he will figure out soon that walking is so much better than having a raw tush! He is jabbering more and more not many real words but throws in a hi or all done (especially when it comes to eating, don't get me started).
Maggie is Adorable as I said earlier. She is oh so close to crawling. Scoots every where and anywhere. She is a joy to have around and her brothers love her (although Elliot is learning to guard his toys). She loves her brothers! I don't think she will know what to do this fall when they are both in school!
Mark is doing good. He is awesome at his business and worship leading. He just amazes me more and more. He works his butt off for us and I can't thank him enough!
I am doing well. Like I said, I think I am getting in a summer groove (except for getting used to being hot all the time :( ). I am constantly feeding someone (I applaud mother's of multiples!) and that is what I have to go do now.. Maggie is awaiting me!
Until next time!

My smilin' faces! :)

Sweet, energetic Rowin

Precious Elliot, he won't smile for the camera anymore.. so had to use an old pic!

This one of Maggie is recent. It's her new face :) hehe. isn't it soo cute?!
Enjoy the video of her repeatedly making this face... and enjoy Rowin's laugh in the background, it's too precious!

Too much in one week!

So, Maggie is growing way too fast. She is doing so much way too soon. This week, she has started clapping! :) She is getting her FIRST tooth (which both boys did not do until they were over a year old!?)! and she is now very mobile! She started really scooting and going places. My world is turning upside down. With her and Elliot mobile, and Rowin the power-ranger, kung fu, pirate, superhero that he is.. I don't know what I am going to do with myself! You may hear about me in a couple of weeks on the news as the woman who locked herself in her closet with chocolate and dr.pepper and ear plugs! :) haha! if only right? Maybe that is what I should ask for for my mother's day present? Three straight hours of silence, all the chocolate I could want (without the calories of course) and maybe step it up to some wine ;) ! hahaha.
With that being said.. I hope everyone has a wonderful Mother's day! and gets some time to themselves, be it, while going to the bathroom, a ten minute stroll around the block, or if you are lucky enough, a night alone!

$10 off diapers!!!

Hey all! I bought diapers from diapers.com the other day and got $10 off my order, and so can you! Just use the code RXWI0071 and I will get a credit too! Their shipping is free when you order $49+ and we know it's easy to spend that when you are ordering diapers :). OK, go buy your diapers! Thanks!

Great Weekend

Hey all! Had a fun weekend. Got to go the the Garden Party for the Little Light House. Tons of fun! I will have to find a pic for you and post it soon.. of course I forgot mine! For some reason, I don't feel like blogging about how cute and amazing it was. Partially because it is overwhelming at the thought of how big Elliot's school is... and it's purpose, and why/how it was started. And it's overwhelming that our family get's to be a part of something so big. I never in a million years would have thought I would ever be apart of something so amazing.
Well, that's all I have.. I don't have the right words to convey what I want, so I am gonna go to bed.

Conversations with a 4 year old...

So, Rowin is pretty darn funny... He has said some things over the last couple of weeks that I have to document for memories sake!
Now when you read these, imagine the most expressive tone and pauses between each word... and with excitement and suspense...
"When I grow up and be a guy...I will get hair in my nose like Dad!"

now.. he has been talking about how God is in our hearts... so keep that in mind.

Today we were playing around with a stethoscope and I was listening to his heart. I told him to be quiet so I could hear...and he asked,

"Why? is God kicking in there?" I was confused at first and asked him to repeat what he said, and then I realized and said, "Oh, because God lives there?" and he said "Yeah!"

HaHaha! Hilarious!!!

Random Catch Up

So.. I am not very good at sticking with the blogging. I am too interested in everyone else's blog to update my own... on top of the fact that I have three children (like that doesn't keep me busy enough?!) and the fact that I am a little addicted to craigslist and finding good clothing deals for my children. Anyway, all that to say.. sorry.

Elliot is starting to walk with his walker really well. He does not like it, but I think he is getting used to it. He really enjoys this new butt scoot where he just scoots around like a dog does when whiping it's butt on the carpet! ha! I just thought of that wonderful example for you all. Anyway. It was my goal for Mr. E to walk from the front door of school to his classroom the first day back from their spring break... and he did it! It was awesome! He had a cheering squad and now when he does it he looks around, like why is no one cheering?! Let me just tell you how thankful I am for Elliot's school! Those three week breaks challenge me!

Rowin is becoming ... hmm.. can't find the right words. He asks a ton of questions and demands good answers. He is hilarious! Right now he is singing a song of nonsense words, which he does quite often. He also sings real songs and he sings alot. He wants to be going somewhere all the time. He just wants to be doing something all the time. Right now he is hiding plastic easter eggs so I can go hunt them. The other day he said.. "when I grow up and be a guy I will get hair in my nose like daddy!" HAHAHAHAHA! Cracked me up!

Maggie is a doll! Her daddy is smitten and so is her mommy! :) I am so thankful to have a baby girl! She is sweet and such a good baby! Like today when she was stuck in her carseat all morning while I volunteered at the school... she just played and talked! She loves to eat and will soon be weighing more than E! She is trying hard to scoot/crawl, it will be no time. My world is going to turn upside down! Elliot walking and her crawling?! what will we do?!

Mark's new business is doing well. He loves it! He loves teaching teachers and he is good at it! And he loves his job at Asbury. Loves leading others in worship! Here is his new blog check it out.

Me-I am being, doing, living, going. I am really enjoying being a mom and wife. I sometimes don't know if I am coming or going or staying.. but this to shall pass. I enrolled my baby (Rowin) in Pre-K!? I am entering a new phase of life soon... so I am going to try and reming myself to enjoy this phase while it lasts.

Until next time... have a great day!

Mommy Guilt

There are times as a mom that I feel guilty for what happens to my kids or what happens while I am busy with another child or what happens right under my nose :) . I have decided though that I am human and I could put a spin on what other people might see as lazy or bad parenting I am looking on the bright side of things :) so here you go from mommy guilt to mommy pride! :)

Mommy guilt (MG): My son peed in the bathroom trash cans! (That are right next to the toilet?!)
Mommy pride (MP): My son did not pee in his pants or on the floor!

MG: My son squirted shaving cream onto the kitchen floor and in attempt to clean it up.. made a bigger mess!
MP: He was apologetic and he attempted to help me clean up a mess!

MG: My two year old son bit off some crayon while using it as a teething stick.
MP: My two year old allowed something in his mouth voluntarily! (At least he spit out the crayon.. I know for sure he wouldn't swallow it!)

MG: My son can quote "Little Bear" episodes word for word.
MP: He is working on his acting and his memorization skills are phenomenal!

MG: My son can sing along with the opening for the Nick Jr. on Demand.
MP: He is developing his pitch! (Daddy would be proud about this one)

MG: My two year old son shuts himself into a room (with french doors with windows) and plays for an hour by himself and gets upset when people open the doors
MP: I am teaching him self confidence and independence!

MG: I rarely fix my boys hair before school or church for that matter.
MP: I am teaching them not to be vain and they are in style.. isn't the messy look still in??

ok... so I think that is enough of me revealing stuff about me. I know I am not the only one out there.. :) just trying to make other people feel good :) hehe.

I hope you all are doing well.. I wish I would have gotten a picture of Rowin's outfit yesterday. He is in the business of dressing himself and picking out his clothes... Plaid Shirt with patchwork plaid shorts! (He claimed that they matched?!) If he wears it again... I will snap a pic!

Have a great day!

Happy Birthday Mark!

I just wanted to tell Mark "Happy Birthday"! And show everyone the guitar cake I made for him last weekend when we celebrated with his family. I also wanted to pay tribute to a wonderful husband who has worked his butt off for us. He is doing an awesome job at his new business that he started and I am so proud of him! He is awesome at training those teachers! Everyone loves the "Hot Smartboard trainer"! haha! :) He is hot, but he is mine ladies... so back off! :) hahahaha. He is also doing such a wonderful job at leading worship at our church and soon there will be a cd out that he has recorded to benefit Elliot's school, that is too awesome!

Well, now that I have made people ill I will let you go... Talk to you soon!

Happy 2nd Birthday Elliot!

Wow! It's hard to believe that Elliot was born two years ago tomorrow?! On Friday he took his "first" official step with his walker! He hated every minute of it but he is getting there.. we are just trying to get him to like standing! sheesh! I don't know if I ever wrote his birth story... I know everyone has heard most of his story, but I don't think we ever wrote about his birth. So, here I go....

It was a Friday morning when I woke up with weird cramps every ten- twenty minutes, and I was spotting a little. Mark was getting ready to go to Hot Springs for a conference, I told him to go on, but to stay close to his phone. I was only 35 1/2 weeks.. so I didn't know what to think. But as the cramps got closer together I decided to call Mark (who was only in Maumelle by this point) and he told me he was coming home and we were going to the hospital. We dropped Rowin off at sweet Bridget's house thinking we would be back later that day. I was monitored at the hospital all morning, and no one seemed to take my pain too seriously because the contractions I was having weren't showing up real strong on the monitors. At one point I was crying because of the pain, and the doctor asked me why I was crying?! OOOhh I could have kicked him. Around 1 they decided to put me in a room under 24 hour watch and give me some Breathene to stop the contractions. I was only dialated to a 2-3 and the contractions weren't strong or very hard, but really painful- a weird painful. Well, thank goodness my doctor left after 5 and a new doctor came on. Mark went to go check on Rowin at Bridget's and get some dinner and Bridget came up to visit me. Well, about that time.. the new doc came in and said he had looked over everything (monitor sheets) and didn't like what he had been seeing had been happening to the baby's heartrate after my contractions. Every time I had a contraction, Elliot's heartrate would drop significantly. Don't ask me why someone didn't catch this before?! Anyway... he did an ultrasound to look at E's position and see how far down he was. After that he told me he wanted to put me back into labor or deliver via c-section. I was scared to death! We called Mark and told him to come back up quick (luckily he was only 2 minutes away). I cried (more like bawled) and with the help of my mom and Mark we decided to do a c-section. So.. they prepped me and off I went. While strapped to the table numb from the chest down I made jokes to distract myself and pass the time. When they finally opened me up and got Elliot out... we didn't hear a sound. He was silent... it was the longest time of my life, waiting to hear any noise coming from him.. I looked over at Mark with tears in our eyes we just waited... and then finally a sneeze came out! We laughed a little... and sighed a big relief. The OB looked over at me and asked if I had had my triple/quad screen done... I said yes.. I never heard of any abnormalities with it. He then said, well, I believe and so does the pediatrician, that Elliot may have Down Syndrome. I remember, crying and just saying over and over again..."I love him, I love him, I love him..." I just wanted him alive! Mark did get to hold him briefly and let me kiss him and see his cute little face... but.. The rest of the night was a blur with him being wisked off to the NICU at Arkansas Children's. And the the next 103 days were a blur too... that is how long he stayed in the NICU. Our life has been a roller coaster, but I wouldn't trade any of it... God is good. Elliot is a joy to us and to those around us! Happy Birthday E- man!

Greetings!

Hey! I decided since our xanga had deminished and hasn't been updated in five months that I would start anew! Rowin just turned 4! Elliot is turning 2 in two weeks and Maggie is four months! Time is flying by! Mark will turn 28 at the end of the month! And in May we will celebrate 6 years of marriage! Please feel free to keep up with us via this new blog.. I hope to write about the kids adventures along with some stories of Mark and I's journey in parenthood. I titled our blog "Bennett's" the Musical because there is constant song and verse around our house. Rowin and Mark are singing constantly and Elliot and Maggie, well, they add their own musical interpretations :). I sing in my own way... "a little quieter please...go to the music room... please don't wake your sister up!" hehe you get the idea. I love the music that goes on in this house... some would call it noise, I call it music.. I know one day the music will fade and it will be quiet around here and I won't know what to do with myself.. So I choose to embrace it and enjoy it while it lasts! I challenge you to do the same in your house. I am excited I am joining the blogger world again!