New Adventures of Regan

Just to add a little something different, I thought maybe I'd let Regan narrate this blog. (Oh my word, I've turned into one of those moms...)

Well, let's see. Here I am this morning taking a bath in the baby bathtub because the big girl bathtub is broken right now. When I woke up this morning, my diaper had leaked all over my pajamas and sheets, and even though we were already running late, Momma had to give me a bath because I was so stinky! Daddy whipped out the camera and here I am showing off. Do you like my shampoo mohawk?
Here's a picture of Papa. He was crawling around under the house trying to fix the big girl bathtub. He didn't. I even think I heard someone say that he broke it just a little bit more. The plumbers are coming tomorrow. Daddy told me to look out for their cracks. I wonder what that means?
Oh, this was fun. I was rolling around on the floor playing with my blanket, and somehow I managed to pull it over my face and when Momma saw it she said, "Peek a boo" and I started laughing because it was so funny!
Yep, I'm pretty much hot stuff. I learned how to sit on my own. I'm not perfect all the time and sometimes I cry when I fall over onto my face, but I'm getting better! I look a little bit crazy in this picture because Momma had just given me some medicine to help me feel better. I was getting my first tooth and it really hurt! It's all in and no, I have not bitten Momma yet. Why does everyone ask that? I'm starting to work on my second tooth now.
Here I am helping Momma bake some cookies. She said that I was a little bit too young to be eating cookie dough, though. I think she just didn't want to share.
Oh yeah, this is a good one. I was taking a nap with Fabio, my naptime buddy. He's so soft and fuzzy and he's very nice to hold on to and cuddle with when Momma lays me down in my crib. I love Fabio.

That's all the pictures!

Painting!!

A couple weekends ago my parents came down to "visit". I had devised a plan to have them come down and help me paint the bedrooms in our house. Eric hates to paint, so I wanted to do it as a surprise for him while he was away at a marching contest. The plan was to get all three rooms done, but alas, we only had time for 1 1/2. Then this past weekend, Eric's folks came to visit and he and his dad spent the better part of this past Saturday finishing the second room my parents and I had started and then they painted Regan's room.

Since my sisters keep bugging me to post pictures of the new rooms, here they are. Although I realize the majority of you could really care less! :)

Here is sweet baby Regan showing off her new pink room. This color has a story to go along with it and I'm going to tell you because even though the majority of you could care less, you're obviously still reading.

In March before Regan was born, my parents came down and Dad and Eric spent the whole weekend painting the nursery. I had two colors picked out, and while I liked the end result, it was nothing like I had planned. I wanted a sage green and a cream color, but instead it turned out almost mint green and tan. We were still okay with the colors though, because our little boy would have lots of blue to match the colors and everything would work out okay.

Enter Regan. A girl.

So in June, I spent quite a few days picking out paint samples and finding the perfect pink color to match her bed set. And I've been waiting for 4 months now to paint her room. So this weekend, my precious husband (who is going to shoot me when he finds out I called him precious) and his dad painted it the perfect pink.

Which turned out looking like somebody had spilled a bottle of Pepto Bismol all over the walls. Seriously, it was awful. I cried. A lot. But we had no more money to get a different color, and as I belive I've already mentioned, my husband hates to paint, so getting him to do the nursery for a third time is out of the question!

So for the time being, we're adjusting to the paint, which actually does look better with the blinds back on the windows. Fear not, though, because we e-mailed our story to Rachael Ray (her website was asking for home remodeling disasters) and we're hoping and praying that she will respond before Regan's Pepto Bismol room gives us even more heartburn and indegestion than we already have!

And here is the guest room which used to be white with maroon trim. I kid you not. Jeremy was a huge fan of whichever Texas team has black and maroon as their colors (A&M?), and his mom allowed him to pain the trim maroon and then he had black curtains. Which apparently was a compromise because he wanted maroon walls and black trim. Of all the rooms, I think this one turned out to be my favorite.

And this is our room. Yes, we rearranged. Notice how we still have nothing on the walls. Seriously, though, it tooks us a year and a half just to paint the rooms, how quick do you expect us to move!?!


Then end. No it's not. I found a picture of the nursery after the guys painted it in March, so now you know what it looked like before!

Last week

Here are a few more pictures from last week. Travis the Cheater took this one of us on the last night of camp. Doesn't Regan look so ornery in it!?
Here she is hanging out with Dad's baseball cap on. How stinking cute is she!?
After we left family camp, we drove up to Elkhart because my sister and her two kids were visiting, and Eric had yet to meet Kyle, so we stopped by there for a visit. Here are the two babies in their car seats with their matching pacifiers. Regan looked like she was going to eat Kyle!
Here's Aubrey being Aubrey. :) We took pizza out to Papa's work and she got into the cabinet where he keeps his safety gear. She's such a goofball and oh my word, that kid is hilarious! I don't think anyone can make me laugh as much as Aubrey can. She's so funny! And yes, her name tag says "I make stuff up" courtesy of Uncle Eric. If any phrase fits Aubrey, that would definitely be it!

Family Camp

This past weekend we spent up at El Porvenir Christian Camp with our church family. It was such a relaxing, peaceful weekend. We got up there Friday evening in the middle of a blackout; we had to unload our car by the light of our cell phones! I'm pretty sure I've never been in the dark quite like that! Anyway, here are just a few of the many pictures we took. This is the chapel where Eric and I first met.


Here's Regan and her friend, Matt Thurston. She was acting a bit camera shy.
And a storm rolling in....
And Caitlin Shaffer, who is without a doubt, the best babysitter anyone could ask for! All weekend long wherever Regan was, there was Caitlin holding her! It was actually nice to not have to constantly watch out for what Regan was putting in her mouth because Caitlin was always there to do that!

And our other favorite babysitters, Travis and Kayla. We had a lot of fun playing Phase 10 with them and a few others the last night. Or not. Eric and Travis were caught cheating and ruined the whole game for the rest of us because they're bad losers. Big brown...

Busy week

This past Saturday Regan and I went to Lubbock, Tx to watch Eric's drumline compete in a drumline competition. Regan was such a good baby the whole day; she made it very easy for me. Of course, she was also a major hit with all the kids and most of the adults too! And in case you're wondering, our drumline won 1st place in our division for the 7th straight year!
On Sunday we went to see Hudson again. Eric and I both couldn't believe how big Regan looked compared to him. Eric was holding Hudson and he goes, "Hey, how cool is it going to be that I can tell my son-in-law, 'I knew you from the day you were born?'" He's a goofball. For more info on all things Hudson, check out www.sharp-family.blogspot.com.
And here's Regan wearing her BNSF onesie that Uncle Rowdy got her. Unfortunately, Regan is suffering from her first cold. Eric and I both have laryngitis, so it's no surprise that Regan caught something... we're just praying that we can keep it to only a cold. I took her to the doctor because of her fever and cough and all the nurses kept asking if her Daddy worked on a train because of her shirt! She looks pretty darned cute, if I do say so myself. Thanks, Uncle Rowdy!
And here she is later that night right before her bath. She's getting so big and has even rolled from her tummy back to her back a couple of times. She also tries to get her legs under her like she's going to crawl, but hasn't figured out how to work her hands the right way, so instead she ends up doing a nose-dive. Once I look at this picture, I can see why everyone always says she looks just like her Daddy!

Future Mrs. Sharp

As most of ya'll know, our best friends, James and Kristen Sharp, have anxiously been awaiting the arrival of their first baby. When Regan was 2 days old we found out that Baby Sharp was to be a boy, and immediately Eric and James began negotiations for a dowry. Well this morning at 10:21 a.m., James Hudson Sharp (named after the famous missionary, J. Hudson Taylor) made his debut. He's a beautiful baby (can boys be called beautiful?) and looks just like his mother. I keep saying he's the baby boy version of Angelina Jolie because I am so jealous of how beautiful his lips are!

Here's Mama K (dubbed so by the youth group) cooing at her baby boy. I've never seen Kristen look as beautiful or as content as she did today.
And Papa Sharp mastering the burrito roll.
Mama K, Regan, and Momma Rath.

As I mentioned earlier, Regan and Hudson will be getting married in roughly 22 years. I really wanted to mark the occasion of their first meeting with a special t-shirt, so last night Regan and I got busy (me with the markers, her as the supervisor) and decorated a onesie for her to wear to the hospital. It says, in little kid writing, I [heart] Hudson, and I must admit, it was a smash. Hudson will appreciate the efforts one day.

lazy Sunday

When I was a little girl, my parents had some good friends that had 3 kids, relatively close to the ages of my sisters and I. Every Sunday the whole family would lay down for a nap, and I remember always thinking that when I was a grown-up, I would never willingly take a nap. Alas, I'm now a grown-up and would you believe that my favorite time of the week is the Sunday afternoon nap with my husband and baby!? Here are a few pictures of our lazy Sunday afternoon. Regan got so many compliments on her sailor outfit at church!
Regan was more than a little ready for her nap by the time we took this picture.
Here's the pre-nap with Dad. Don't worry, he wasn't all the way asleep-- he had a protective hand on her so she wouldn't fall! After this picture we all got in bed and slept for 3 straight hours! Oh sweet nectar of heaven.

Still a fan.....

Yes, that's right, we're still Cowboys' fans, even after their disgusting loss on Sunday. And I would love to stick my finger up the nose of whoever says that Drew Bledsoe still has game. Three interceptions, one of which was run back for a touchdown. And how much did we lose by.... oh yes, one touchdown.
Here's Regan in her game day outfit with her game day face on. Even though she slept through much of the game, we were able to work on our "touchdown" motion with her. And speaking of them 'Boys, how awesome did Emmit do on Dancing with the Stars!? He's our new Benji.
Here's the first nekkid picture of Regan. Today she went for her four month check-up and got four shots. After about 45 seconds, the nurse finally told me that if I would calm down and stop crying, she would give Regan to me. No one told me how hard it is to watch your child get stuck with a needle! Regan weighed in at a whopping 15 lbs 8 oz and is 25 inches long. Aren't her rolls so adorable!?!
Eric was watching the Drum Corps International finals while I was fixing supper tonight, and Regan was watching with him. I think this picture is funny because he's into the t.v. and she looks bored with it. She really wasn't, she was just drugged from her shots today.

Here's another cute one (actually, I dont' think any of them could not be cute!!). She fell asleep with the remote firmly in her grasp. Maybe she was trying to prevent Dad from watching anymore DCI!?

Roly Poly

It's been awhile since I've last updated the blog and a lot has happened! We got to spend some time with Eric's cousins while they were in town, Regan and I took a road trip to see the newest member of the family, we stopped in on Grammy and Grandpa in Tulsa, and now we're back home and in full marching band season.

Yesterday Regan rolled over from her back to her tummy for the first time! She was laying in her playpen while I was doing dishes and the next thing I knew, she had rolled over. She was pretty proud of herself but she wouldn't do it again when Eric got home. Then this morning she and I were laying in bed and she did it again. All morning long she's just kept on perfecting her art and now whenever I lay her down anywhere, she rolls right over. Of course she gets mad when she can't get rolled back over onto her back....

Once again, the paparazzi look ..... after she rolled over this morning.

K-man arrives!

On August 30th, at 4:20 p.m., Kyle Wayne Bennett entered this world. He weighed in at a healthy 8 lbs, 1 oz and measured 19 3/4 inches long. Regan and I went to Wichita over the weekend to meet the little guy and we had so much fun catching up with all of our family and even spent the night with my sister Sarah in her new house!
Here he is getting his bath. And not liking it.
Here's the four cousins. Kylie is holding Kyle and Aubrey is holding Regan. They are both big helpers and Aubrey is a very good big sister.
Here are the 4 grandkids with Nana and Papa.
Here is the first of many pictures of Regan and Kyle. Regan doesn't look so little compared to the baby! I can't wait until they're old enough to get excited about seeing one another!

Surprising Grammy and Grandpa

Regan and I took a detour on the way to Wichita and spent the night with Grammy and Grandpa in Tulsa. My partner-in-crime Karen helped me set it all up so that Richard and Nancy would be surprised by our visit. We had a great time with them, even if it was short.
We got to spend all Thursday evening and half the morning Friday with Lindsey (r) and Leah (l). They are growing up so quickly and are such good cousins to "Baby" Regan.
I love this picture of Regan and Leah so much! Lindsey wasn't too interested in Regan, but Leah loved to put her binky in her mouth and touch her soft head.

John and Amy visit!

Last week Eric's cousin John and his girlfriend, Amy, came up from Austin to help Grandad and Dolly move into their new apartment. They came over for dinner one night and we had such a great time visiting with them. They have such exciting lives that, just for one night, we felt like we were dining with celebrities!! I was more than a little nervous about cooking for John, who used to be a head chef at a restaurant in Colorado, so I let my good friend, Mr. Stouffer's do the cooking for me. :) Here's Grandad, Amy, and John.
And the two boys with Grandad.
And beautiful Amy playing with Regan.