Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Fakesgiving


Last Sunday before we left for Utah for Thanksgiving, my mom had the family over for a turkey dinner Fakesgiving. They are remodeling their house right now and live in a one bedroom apartment. I never thought they'd handle apartment living as well as they do, nor did I think they could fit all of us in so tight a space - but we all fit around the table. Brooke and her family came, even though she had just given birth days earlier. It was a fun time, but we missed Marci and baby Rockford who had a early flight up to Idaho.

Cody's rolls.


Mama's little Turkey.



Family of Three.


The rest of the gang.




Toasting I don't think is very common these days outside of weddings and graduation celebrations and such, but the Bendheim family toasts on. Whether a family get together, or Thanksgiving, or in this photo...to give Brooke props for coming to dinner soon after delivery...Bendheim folk can find a reason to raise a glass.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

4 kids...

I was raised in a family with 4 kids. I always wanted my mom to have 5, after all, it seemed like all the other families in our church congregation had 5 (Days, Claytons, Grahams) and I felt like we needed to match their number. For a long time I felt like the Bendheims weren't as equal or cool because there was only four of us.

Well, as my sister says, 3 is the new 4 and 4 is the new 5. And now that I am older and more aware, I have realized that 4 kids is A LOT of work. Shoot, one kid is a lot of work. And I know that 4 kids was a perfect fit for our Bendheim family.

I personally go back and forth on this issue with Cody. He wants 4. I feel like I would be content with 3. Especially considering my body is still punishing me for traumatizing it with child birth. Don't even get me started on my recovery!

Well, my sister - the rock star - just had baby #4! I'm super impressed that she's grown 4 babies, birthed 4 babies, and is a mom to 4 kids. Crazy! And my new nephew is as cute as can be. And he better be, if he wants to fit in with his siblings.

Meet Hunter John Davis. 11.18.11 weighing 6 lbs. 6 oz. and 19.5 inches long.





Congratulations Davis Family! P.S. better pictures can be seen on my sister's blog.

Friday, November 25, 2011

It's time for you to go to bed Cody...

I lost my eye liner make-up brush at my in-laws in September. Connie couldn't find it after we left, and so while I'm up here for Thanksgiving, I thought I'd search again the bathroom. I was searching the cupboards and moving around items to find it. Just as I was moving a box of cards around (and possibly glancing at them) so that I could see if the missing brush was behind them, Cody comes in and says, "Robin it's not in the cards." (Laughing...trying to get me to "get the joke") "Robin, you are not going to find that brush, it's just not in the cards."

As I type this Cody says, "Robin, no one is going to think that this is funny."

But that is my point. The "joke" is cheesy and dumb and was hardly worth the breath it took for him to make it in the first place. But Cody has some how found three separate audiences with which to share the stupid cheesy joke. Just 20 minutes ago he was laughing so hard he could barely make the punch line of "Robin, it's not in the cards."

Oh. my. gosh. Just when I was going to yell, "Someone save me!" Connie told Cody it was time for him to go to bed.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Family Togetherness...

Our little family of three is so fun. We are a family of happy people who love to eat. We are a family of light eyed people. We are a family of TV watchers. But the sad truth is we are also a family of balding people. Cody's losing his hair. He knows it. No further statement is neccessary.

My hair is falling out in handfuls thanks to hormone stuff I guess. Seriously. It's amazing how much hair I gather in one day!

And my little Livy. The baby I birthed only 4 short months ago had a full head of hair. She's the saddest case of all. Don't get me wrong, she's a super cute little peanut in spite of it all, but just look at the situation we're in!

Before:



Now:

Logan, UT

I have my first flight tomorrow. I'm getting all ready to bundle up in the snow for Thanksgiving!



Grandma - Here I come!!!!!!!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Boo!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

Here is our baby girl being all orange and black throughout Halloween week.








And here is our little Monkey. The cutest little Monkey that ever did exist.




Cody and I were Zookeepers of course, well I was lead zookeeper and Cody was the primate expert. We had an extended family Bendheim party at my cousin Jennifer's house and we won best costume. Well, we might have won the award by default because Marci and Redge had already left.







Here is the evil family...deviled egg, devil's food cake, and bloody Mary.


This is my hot Aunt Sue.


This is my Aunt Candy and Aunt Diane


This is the host, Jennifer, with Rockford and a changed Alivia




On Halloween night, my family gathered at Brooke's for some fun. It was so sad, but Cody was sick with the stomach flu and had to miss the party.


Tanner and Margot were Mexican Wrestlers - How awesome do they look?!



Brooke's kiddos were Peter Pan, Hook, and Tinker Bell!


Monday, November 14, 2011

4 Months Old!!


Alivia was 4 months on 10-28-11! At her 4 month check up, she was 50 percentile for weight (13.1 pounds) and height (24.5 inches). She is a happy baby who loves to sleep. She regularly sleeps 11 hours straight at night. And she rarely cries when she wakes up in the morning. We usually check on her in the morning to find her already awake, and smiling at the ceiling. After such a long nights sleep, you'd think she'd be crying for some food...but she's just too happy in the mornings to cry.

Alivia laughed for the first time on 10-7-11, but hasn't made a habit of it. She is easy to smile and slow to laugh. And her laugh always seems cut off. We'll have to post a video to demonstrate. But it's like she gets going on a laugh and stops at the peak of a giggle.

Alivia loves to talk, and actually said Hi, unintentionally and unaware, the other day. It sounded so exact and creepy coming from a 4 month old. When she complains, it sounds like she is saying mama...but again, its just an unintentional thing of course. I know mama is a common sound, but I like thinking she just wants her mama when she's sad.

Livy still loves her swing. She's never really taken to her bouncer. She enjoys her play mat more and more now that she can actually grab at the toys. She talks to them like she's telling them a story.

Alivia is a content baby as long as she is being entertained. Self-entertainment happens, but is sometimes short lived. Given that Alivia is my first, it is super easy to pick her up when she is complaining. I'm sure if she were my second, Alivia would seem like a more difficult child because I'd be giving her less attention. Regardless, I know that she is still an easy baby and I am super grateful to have such an even tempered daughter.

Alivia loves going out to eat. She requires no attention from us and is totally entertained by the noises and new environment in a restaurant. She is pretty entertained on errands, but not as much as in a restaurant. She must be destined to like dining out as much as I do.

I've come to terms with the fact that my daughter is going to grow older and bigger. I've succumbed. And since I wrote this blog post, she has changed so much! Good thing I love this girl at all her stages.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Catching Up: Here and There

Here are some random photos.

Wearing another dress that was mine circa 1980.



She loves laying on our bed watching the fan overhead.



We thought we were so funny having her stand up in her crib like a big girl. She humored us initially, then she told us we were being stupid and to quit it.




She loves watching T.V. Daddy must of been watching something boring though.


MOM - TOO CLOSE! Zoom out a bit.

Much Better.


I love my bath time! I get one every single night because it is my routine and I love it so much.


Super tired!


All pink and brown dots...thanks grandma for making the blanket!



Mama's best girl!


Example of bad (Huge!) accessorizing...

Now that's much better.


Sleeping Beauty


Wet hand...she has her fingers in her mouth a lot, but she doesn't suck them, she just chews on them a bit.




Oh man. You can't blackmail me with these photos if I've already shared them. So there.



Where did this little one go?!


The family of three.



Is it just me, or does Alivia look really scared of me in that last photo?