The Schwuzzard's

Mother's Day

2011-05-14T10:21:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I know Mother's Day was last week, but being a busy mother of two I often find it hard to make the time to sit down and collect my thoughts. When I finally do sit down, all I feel like doing is melting into the couch and letting my brain go numb...I know I can't be the only mother who feels this way.

This was my first Mother's Day as a mommy of two. It's so hard to believe that Ben is almost three, and that Sam is crawling, pulling himself up, and feeding himself (there will no spoon feeding for this little guy...he has made that VERY clear)!

I look back on pictures of myself after I had Ben...I was tired, but amazingly fresh faced looking. Now, almost three years later, the wrinkles are a bit more obvious, those stray grey hairs are poking through, and even the best puffy eye reducer cannot erase the evidence of Sam's 5am wake-up calls. My body has changed...oh, how it has changed. Gravity is cruel, and those stretch marks....hopefully will fade over time.

There are the days when the whining makes me want to put myself in a time-out and spend some quiet time in my bedroom with Petey, he doesn't need much...just a lap to sit on. *sigh*

BUT, they do grow fast, and I don't want to miss a minute of it. The stretch marks are just a reminder to me of what my body spent nine months doing. Gravity, well, I suppose I could use that gym membership a bit more often, and there's always botox for my wrinkles, right?

Being a mother is a gift. I would not change one thing. I feel so lucky to wake up everyday to my two perfect little beings. Not everyday runs smoothly, but everyday I learn something new, about myself, about being a better person, a better mom, a better wife, a better friend. Ben and Sam teach me about patience, about looking at the world from a fresh canvas...and about trains...I've learned more about trains than I ever thought I could want to know....

--
Dara Schwartz
Sent with Sparrow

Posted via email from Dara's Ditties

Dear Ben...

2011-03-09T08:49:00.001-08:00

Dear Ben:

I'm really glad that Dad and Mom took you outside to see the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station pass over your house. I know that it just looked like a bright star moving fast but it was something special. I stood outside of our house with Nonni and we watched it, too. Seeing the Shuttle and Space Station pass by overhead filled me with this same sense of wonder and excitement that I had when I was a boy and watched the early days of space exploration. I was 12 years old when the Russians launched the first satellite into space. It was called Sputnik. About two years later I saw my first satellite pass by in the night sky. I was 16 when the Russians sent the first man into space. His name was Yuri Gagarin and he was called a cosmonaut, which the same as an astronaut. His little space capsule flew in the night sky over New York City, the place I was living in, and I went outside to watch it. it looked like a bright star moving very fast across the sky. Even though our country, the United States, and Russia were not friends at the time I found my self saying to him--good luck, be safe. Being interested in space, and the moon, planets, and stars is very important. Maybe one day you'll fly a rocket ship to the moon--that would really be great!!

All my love,

Poppi

Posted via email from Dara's Ditties

Sam Smiles....

2011-02-07T14:37:00.001-08:00

and smiles...

This is ONE happy baby!

Posted via email from Dara's Ditties

A Letter to Audrey

2011-01-19T18:00:00.001-08:00

Dear Grandma Audrey,

It’s hard to imagine that I cannot just pick up the phone and hear your voice saying, “Hello, Dara Darling”, but I will forever remember those words in my mind. I’m so glad you had the chance to spend time with Mike and Ben. It’s not often a little person gets to meet their great-grandma, and I loved how you automatically loved Mike, simply because I did, and how you instantly treated him like one of the family.

I have so many memories of you – Your big hugs and warm kisses, our trips to Florida, the smell of your apartment building, your candy dish, the canal, your pot roast, your perfume, your shining white hair, celebrating your birthdays, coming to Florida on my own and spending special time together... going to movies, dinners, playing your keyboard, singing and dancing. I remember realizing that for 90-something, my grandma is pretty hip in her thinking, making it so easy to talk to you like a friend. I will remember your visits to California with Grandpa Julie. Grandpa Julie, who always played games with us, told funny jokes, did his exercises every morning, and poured Metamucil into his orange juice-stirring and stirring...the stirring that drove you crazy!

I will remember your strength, your strength as a woman. I will remember your painted nails, the way you always talked about grandpa Irving with such love, your confidence, and your enormous heart. A heart of gold.

Though Ben probably won’t remember his visits with Nana, and Sam never got the chance to meet you in-person, they will know their extraordinary Nana. They will know you through the stories we share, through the pictures we show them, the memory book you made us. They will know you through Nonni and Poppi, Uncle Bob and Aunt Renee. Though you are not here in person, your spirit is here, and will live on in each of us, because we are a part of you.

You will be greatly missed, but it makes me smile to think that after all of these years apart, you and Grandpa Irving can finally be together again.

We love you, Grandma Audrey, with all our hearts.

Love
Dara, Mike, Ben, and Sam

Download now or watch on posterous

IMG_6126.MOV (10057 KB)

Posted via email from Dara's Ditties

(Just a Few) Things I Love About Ben

2011-01-17T14:21:00.001-08:00

*The way he holds a sandwich with his little hands

*The way he strokes my face when I put him to sleep

*The quiet "sssshhhhhh, it's okay, Sam," that he says when Sam is fussy in the back of the car

*His independence and curiosity

*The way he calls Daddy, "Mike", and when you ask him who Mike is, he says, "Daddy"

*The way he refers to Sam as, "My Sam"

*When he calls "scissors," "fissors"

*That every other word is, "Why? Why mommy?"

*His love of books

*When he "helps" me fold the laundry

*Baking together

*His growing imagination and creativity

*When he says, "I love you, Mommy"

Posted via email from Dara's Ditties

Year In Review

2011-01-06T15:40:00.001-08:00

I get sentimental...a lot. I could spend hours looking through old pictures...wedding albums, friends, pictures of Ben (and not Sam)...it never gets old. When looking through all of the photos that I took from the last year, it was amazing to me all of the firsts Ben experienced, and all of the firsts I experienced through Ben's eyes.

The Zoo, Disneyland, pre-school, the Dentist (of-course the list goes on and on). I wanted to upload some pictures that looked back over the year. It was hard, there were just too many to choose from. So I picked these two.

There is something so sweet about Ben and his daddy staring out at the ocean (his first time on the sands of Venice Beach).

Then I chose this picture of Ben and Sam...brothers. Smiling. I look forward to capturing many more of these smiles together over the years.

Posted via email from Dara's Ditties

Christmas at the Schwuzzards

2010-12-27T17:24:00.001-08:00

For the past 4 years we've been spending our Christmases in Charlotte, North Carolina with Mike's family. This year we decided to stay close to home since it might be more difficult traveling with two, and to start some of our own family traditions with Ben and Sam. Ben was really excited about Christmas this year! He seemed to really get the idea of Santa and his reindeer. We had a little Elf named Red, who lived in our house during the month of December. He kept a close eye on whether Ben was naughty or nice. Ben would wake up every morning and go searching the house for Red, asking him about his travels back to the North Pole to see Santa. He was very sad to wake up yesterday morning, only to discover that Red had gone back to North Pole until next year.

Ben wouldn't wear his Mickey Mouse ears in Disneyland, but he busted them out to parade around the tree...go figure!

A friend of ours, Marc, was in-town visiting from Vietnam (where he's been living for the past 10 months). He shared our Christmas Eve and Christmas morning!

Petey!!!!

Uncle Mark, passing out gifts.

Can you find my dad? He's hidden behind the bag of garbage (one of four bags of trash...a little excessive????) What a MESS...

Playing with our new toys. Life is good.

The rest of the day was spent eating, eating, and then eating some more. Special Pancake for breakfast (a tradition in my family), hot dogs for lunch (a new tradition????), and turkey/cranberry enchiladas, which were delicious! I'm definitely going to have to make use of that gym membership!!! HA!

Happy Holidays!

Posted via email from Dara's Ditties

Halloween

2010-11-03T15:48:00.001-07:00

Last year for Halloween, Ben was one and wasn't so sure about the whole trick-or-treating thing. What a difference a year makes!!! Halloween was three days ago and Ben is still carrying around his bucket (with four pieces of candy in it...because I sent the rest off to work with Mike), and asking to go trick-or-treating. He loved dressing up as a train engineer (because he is obsessed with trains right now), and once he got warmed up, enjoyed walking up to the doors and saying, "trick-or-treat!".

This year we also carved a pumpkin, which Ben helped scoop the seeds out of,

and then daddy carved it up!

Sam helped by sitting around and looking cute in his giraffe costume...

Sammers

Ben 2008

Posted via email from Dara's Ditties

Now I Know My ABC's...

2010-10-31T11:01:00.001-07:00

Posted via email from Dara's Ditties

Oakland Zoo

2010-10-22T14:19:00.001-07:00

Since Mike is heading back to work soon (we're going to miss him...he's been home almost 2 months!!!), I decided I needed to make the most of the time we have left. It had been a while since Ben and I got to do something special just the two of us, so I took him to the Oakland Zoo (threatening rain clouds and all). Luckily, the rain held off until we left, but we had a great time together!

We rode the carousel,

saw the giraffes,

climbed atop tomato frogs,

indulged in some pb&j with fries,

rode the steam train (Ben's FAVORITE part),

and left very happy. I love spending time with my bog boy!

Posted via email from Dara's Ditties

A Phase?

2010-10-17T15:21:00.001-07:00

No, those band-aids are not because Ben actually needs them. Ben has become obsessed with band-aids. What is it about band-aids kids love so much? I just hope they fall off in the bath...I don't want to be the one to have to take them all off. Ouch!

Posted via email from Dara's Ditties

Mr. Smiley

2010-10-15T15:21:00.001-07:00

Posted via email from Dara's Ditties

It Was a Napa Kind of Day

2010-10-14T15:13:00.001-07:00

We decided to take our first mini-road trip as a family and head up to Napa.

And while Sam slept (I caught him awake for a few minutes before he nodded off)...

We had a lovely lunch at Bistro Don Giovanni,

See and download the full gallery on posterous

And then stopped at Bouchon for some chocolaty delicious bouchon...headed to Francis Ford Coppola Presents so Mike could deliver some bouchon goodness to some colleagues. Finally we headed home, in hopes that October temps in Walnut Creek would be a little cooler than the 99 degrees we experienced in Napa.

Did I mention we shopped, as well? Food, family, retail therapy...perfect!

Posted via email from Dara's Ditties

Smitten

2010-10-14T08:49:00.001-07:00

I think it's pretty safe to say that Ben is smitten with his baby brother, Sam....

Posted via email from Dara's Ditties

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-07T14:21:00.001-07:00

While Sam slept, we had a blast at the pumpkin patch! Ben jumped in a giant pool of beans, fed a llama, went through a giant tunnel and maze of hay, and picked out a special pumpkin for his little brother Sam. He's SUCH a good big brother!

Samuel Emerson Buzzard is here!

2010-09-28T09:56:00.000-07:00

Sam is here...and I'm only three weeks late in writing a post about it. We are quickly getting adjusted to baby life again, which has caused me a fuzzy brain from lack of sleep. (Not to mention that we also have a VERY BUSY two year old, so life keeps moving along...any advice from experienced mommies is welcome....yesterday I found myself nursing Sam while eating my lunch and making sure Ben ate his lunch...is this normal???...I guess I need to master the art of multi-tasking....yikes!)

Sam is wonderful. He eats, sleeps, fusses a little, and snuggles a lot! My labor was such a different experience than Ben's labor...there I go, comparing already, but it's really amazing just how different the two are. Sam's disposition is so different than Ben's was at this age (this ripe old age of three weeks), but I can't wait to watch and see what Sam will be like, and how they will be as brothers. So far Ben has been extremely loving...but of-course Sam hasn't tried to steal any of his Thomas trains.

Mike has taken a good bit of time off of work, and he has been spending a lot of quality time with Ben...which I know Ben has just loved. They have gone on some great adventures...steam train rides, the airplane museum, San Francisco...not to mention hours of riding the scooter that Sam got him...it has been nice for me to have some time to bond with Sam and get to know him.

Hopefully soon we'll settle into a routine and Sam will decide that he'd like to sleep some longer stretches at night (which I'd really appreciate)...and life will start to feel "normal" again...our new normal (whatever that is).

A Few Firsts

2010-09-02T14:55:00.001-07:00

Ben had his very first trip to the dentist and did an incredible job. The funniest part about it, to me, is that his dentist was my dentist when I was little, the Snoopy Dentist! Everything in his office is Snoopy. Ben even got to go to the dog house and pick out a toy when it was all over. I remember doing the very same thing. It's so amazing to me how we've come full circle.

Ben's other big first was starting pre-school this week. He'll be going two days a week, and a bunch of his friends and neighborhood kids are in his class! Look at that big boy smile!

Good Morning, Mr. Rolli Polli

2010-06-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

As I was getting ready this morning, I was greeted by a rolli polli bug cruising along our carpet. A rolli polli is much less offensive than a gigantic spider, or a mosquito, or a flying bug I can't even identify, but it's still an icky bug nonetheless.

Enter suburbia...a place where you have ample room to run around, plenty of parking, Target, and a LARGE VARIETY of icky bugs! Living in San Francisco we certainly had our share of mesquitos. On those rare, warm nights, they would congregate over the still puddles of water in the park that hadn't fully absorbed into grass. Of-course, we had raccoon sightings, but rarely an icky bug.

Now, icky bugs are becoming the norm. I'm not a fan a of the bug, flying, crawling, or creeping along our carpet. However, unless we make the exterminator a regular friend, I'm afraid I will have to make peace with the icky bugs.

One Saturday Morning

2010-05-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Ben and I went to our neighborhood farmer's market to pick up some fancy lettuce with flower petals (my favorite), strawberries, and asparagus. Instead of using the stroller (which might have been the easier option), he held my hand the whole time. While perusing the market in the sun, we ran into neighbors, and friends from our Mommy and Me "preschool" class. We walked by the sorbet stand and I figured a little mid-morning snack of icy strawberry-rhubarb would be a great Saturday morning treat.

We found a spot in the shade on a curb and Ben scooted as close to me as he possibly could. We sat together and talked, eating sorbet, and I looked at him, with his little baseball cap on sideways, holding his cup like such a big boy and realized how quickly he HAS become a big boy. Talking, jumping, running, sharing, snuggling, reading, making trains, coloring, understanding, laughing, crying, getting frustrated...he's growing up so fast!

I will forever hang on to that moment in my mind at the farmer's market where life seemed so simple, and my little boy suddenly seemed so grown-up.

There's a Bagel in Mommy's Tummy

2010-04-10T15:23:00.000-07:00

"A bagel in mommy's tummy," was Ben's response when I asked him if he new what was growing in Mommy's tummy (of-course this was right after I had downed an Everything bagel with everything on it)! As we talk more and more about it, and mommy's tummy gets bigger, Ben will tell you there is a baby in mommy's tummy, whether or not he really understands that he will become a big brother in September. The other day I asked him where the baby was, and he put his hand gently on my stomach and said, "Baby right here." We are 18 weeks along and get to find out girl or boy in two weeks!

Everyone keeps asking if I have a preference. A healthy baby is all I could ask for. If we get another boy then we are set with clothes, if it's a girl, I can go crazy buying bows and tutus! We got Ben his own stroller which he loads up with his doll Jake and his sippy cup and cruises through the house and yard, bumping into walls, and popping wheelies along the way (perhaps we'll wait until he's a little bit older to push the stroller with the real baby).

I took him to a doctors appointment yesterday and he got to hear the heartbeat. For the rest of the night whenever the subject came up he put his hands on his stomach to talk about mommy's tummy, the doctor, and the heartbeat.

Ben is going to be a great big brother. He has become quite the little helper around the house. If he finds a drop of water on the floor he will stand by the paper towels asking for one so he can wipe it up. For the next 20 minutes Ben can be found wiping floors, windows, and eventually his nose.

As for now, the bagel in my belly continues to grow and kick, and we are excited that our family of 4 (I had to include Petey), will become a family of 5!

He's a "Yeah" Man

2010-03-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I posted about Ben and his favorite words, "No Mommy," and it seems as though things have taken a turn...for the better! All of the sudden Ben has starting responding to questions with, not yes, but "yeah", and not just a simple "yeah" but an extremely enthusiastic "YEAH".

Me: Are you ready to eat to lunch?
Ben: Yeah!

Me: Do you have a poopy diaper?
Ben: Yeah!

Me: Are you ready to take a nap?
Ben: Yeah!

Me: Do you want to read a book?
Ben: Yeah!

Me: (after throwing his sippy cup across the table) Do you need to sit in the naughty chair?
Ben: Yeah! (the only time I'd wished he would have said "NO!"...who wants to sit in the naughty chair!?!?)

What a pleasant phase we're in right now...I'm going to enjoy each "yeah" while it lasts!

A Bit of a Scare

2010-03-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

Thursday night around midnight we hear Ben wake up and call out, "Icky Lovey, Icky Lovey...." (Lovey is what he calls his blanket). Mike went in to investigate, only to discover Ben had gotten sick. We bathed him, changed his clothes, retrieved alternate lovey from the closet and brought him into bed with us...only to have him get sick again...(so we had to repeat the steps and find alternate sleeping arrangements since our bed was now "icky"). We stripped our sheets and we all went to sleep on the air-mattress in the guest room (including Petey who managed to squeeze himself in). Luckily, we made it through the rest of the night without any further incidence.

Friday he seemed fine. We avoided milk, watched some Sesame Street, and stayed inside because of the rain. He slept through the night and woke up Saturday morning at his usual time.

I went to get him and bring him into bed with us, because we usually "nuggle" (snuggle) and read books and wake up. As soon as he crawled into our bed he fell asleep again, definitely strange for him. I decided to get up and get breakfast going and left the two lazies sleeping soundly. Once Ben did decide to get up, he stumbled into the kitchen and laid down right where he was standing, closing his eyes and going back to sleep. I picked him up and put him on the couch where he fell over sitting up and fell back asleep.

Something was wrong.

Luckily we have a great hospital minutes from our house, so we got in the car and headed over to the ER. Once there they gave B an IV (after pricking the poor thing 4 times to get it in), took blood, did some x-rays and determined the cause of his sleepiness. Due to being sick the two nights prior his blood sugar was low and he was dehydrated. Once they gave him and sugar, apple juice, and a bag of fluid, he was chatting away once again...much to our relief. He was so brave throughout the whole time in the hospital. The only time he cried was not when they were treating him like a pin cushion, but when they were taking off the tape to remove the IV! Such a tough little cookie.

This was certainly not the way we had planned to spend our Saturday morning, but thankful a little sugar and hydration was all it took to get him back to his old self. Phew!

A Walk

2010-02-26T19:23:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to take Ben to the park today after his nap so he could burn off a little late afternoon steam. Unfortunately, the rain came so our outing to the park was called off and it looked like we would be hanging out indoors for the rest of the day...tearing up the house! Once Ben woke up, the rain had stopped, but I knew the park would be a little damp so we decided to take a little walk...(stop and smell the flowers, play in some water, and splash in a few puddles)

"No, Mommy!"

2010-02-22T19:51:00.000-08:00

Little Ben is growing up so quickly, and lately, he wants to do EVERYTHING on his own. From brushing his teeth to putting on his p.j.'s to sweeping the yard. Should I so much as breathe in his direction I quickly get the hand and a, "NO MOMMY!!!" Though I am so excited Ben has this new-found independence, I can't help but feel a bit sad...he's only 19 months old, and I know this is only the beginning of things Ben is going to do on his own. I know my job as a mommy is to give him the tools he needs to be his own little person so he can find his way in the world, but I definitely wasn't quite ready yet to hear "no mommy!"

This last picture says it all...

Gobble Gobble

2009-11-28T20:53:00.000-08:00

This year for Thanksgiving, we were so excited to have my Grandma and Grandpa (Ben's Great Grandparents) out from Florida to spend the holiday with us. We definitely did our share of eating...from appetizers to turkey, to our bagel brunch the next day. There was no shortage of food. I'm still feeling full.

The Yard

2009-11-23T11:56:00.000-08:00

I think one of Ben's and Petey's favorite part about the new house is the yard! Petey has ample room to stretch his legs, chase balls, and hunt squirrels. AND, Ben has ample room to stretch his legs, chase balls, and join Petey in hunting squirrels. Petey finds his spots to rest his legs in the sun, and Ben thinks it's great to grab a broom and help me sweep leaves (I guess it's never to early to practice our cleaning skills)!

Long Overdue

2009-11-08T19:13:00.000-08:00

I don't even know where to start...so I'll give you the most recent update. We bought a house and officially moved in last night! Moving is not an easy thing to do with a toddler (AND a dog), but luckily my parents are close, so they helped out with Ben while we unloaded boxes and made important decisions like where to put the wine glasses and our cereal bowls. Our new neighborhood is awesome! We have a beautiful park, and can walk to a yogurt shop, bakery, Peet's coffee, and a Sports Basement (should the need for anything sporty arise), but most importantly, a skate park for Mike, and one day, Ben.

My parents are fifteen minutes away, which means more date nights (hooray) and nights out in the City. It's strange to have so much space. Ben and Petey don't quite know what to do with themselves. The first day I brought Petey over to the house while I unpacking, he spent the first 20 minutes running in circles. He has become fast friends with the dogs next door (much to the owners delight, I'm sure). Ben likes to sit in the atrium and cover himself with the pebbles that cover the dirt for the plants.

Last night was the first night we spent the night. It was so quiet, I awoke to every creak, driving Mike a little bit crazy. I'm so used to the sounds of the city, Mopeds, people talking on the street, horns, sirens, the sounds of wheels from the shopping carts of our neighborhood vagrants roaming the streets. You get used to the noise living on a busy street, the sound of silence is a bit hard to adjust too and I do miss my city sounds. However, my 9am trek to Trader Joe's and parking out front was a delight! Not to mention unloading the groceries (that did not include parking, throwing on my hazards, unloading Ben into his pack n' play, unloading the groceries, then cruising the hood for parking). I just pulled up into the driveway and unloaded Ben and my six bags...

We look forward to settling in, and having our friends come to visit our new home, helping to make it feel even more like home.

Mani Nanny

2009-07-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Two words...Mani Nanny! My new favorite place in San Francisco. Yesterday I decided that it had been WAY too long since my last pedicure (I won't even go into details) and decided to try out this place not too far from the house. It was clean, quiet, and the owner is there to greet you at the door and offer tea or water as you get yourself (and baby settled). There's a little playroom with the one-sided glass so you can look in while getting your treatments, or you can look on the tv monitor to see what your little person is up to. The nanny was very sweet and kept him busy for about an hour while I got my toes done, and at the end we were both all smiles. This place is GENIUS and definitely worth the $10 nanny fee to have a few peaceful moments of pedicure bliss...

Hooray for Ben

2009-06-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

He's been taking little steps here and there, but tonight was official. He walked across the room and once he figured it out, there was no stopping him.

Trouble

2009-06-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

Thank Goodness for Grandmas!

2009-06-06T21:11:00.000-07:00

Ben is very lucky to have two AMAZING grandmas, Nonni and Mops.

His Nonni (and sometimes Grandpa David) drive to the city every Monday to watch Ben while Mike and I are work. Together they lunch, shop, nap, and take long walks together. Ben's Nonni helps us out tremendously, and we are forever grateful.

Ben's Grandma Mops lives a bit farther away, a 4 1/2-6 hour plane ride, depending on which direction across the country you are flying. Recently Mops came for a visit and helped us out of a tricky situation. Little Ben started out sleeping beautifully in his bassinet and then around 3 1/2 months or so, we transitioned him to his crib. It all seemed to be going fine-"ish" until we went out of town two weekends in a row, broke up our routine, and let the little man sleep with us. Needless to say we were having one heck of a time getting him to sleep in his own crib, got lazy, and had a slumber party every night.

Upon her arrival, we asked her advice (having raised four children of her own). That night she poured me a few glasses of wine, we let Ben cry a little (and really, it was just a little), and Mops camped out on his floor on the air mattress and helped him back to sleep each time he woke up. The next night was a little easier, and by night five, Ben was sleeping through the night! In his crib! And napping there, too! I'm not religious at all, but HALLELUJAH!!!!!!! Mops is a miracle worker. We're all getting some sleep now thanks to Mops...who knows what her secret is, but from what I understand, helping sleep train babies is a big business. Mops should seriously consider this as an option, I'm sure a lot of sleep deprived mommies would pay big $$$ for her services.

Thank you Grandma's! We love you!

Making Waves

2009-06-05T08:48:00.001-07:00

Grandpa David got some great photos of Ben in his little pool at the country house. I think we have a future swimmer on our hands...

Waving Ben

2009-05-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

Ben recently discovered how to wave. Sometimes he waves on command if you ask him to "wave," other times I notice he'll wave at anything, and sometimes when he waves I see him staring at his hand trying to figure out what this floppy thing is doing in-front of his face. I was lucky enough to catch him in a mood when I asked him to wave.

All by Myself

2009-05-03T21:46:00.001-07:00

My mom had gotten Ben these letters for his room, and it's only taken 9 months to put them up! All I needed was a ladder, a hammer, and some nails (which Mike helped with). The rest was all me. I think I did a pretty good job, and now he'll have no excuse not to spell his name. :)

The Schwuzzard's

Mother's Day

Dear Ben...

Sam Smiles....

A Letter to Audrey

(Just a Few) Things I Love About Ben

Year In Review

Christmas at the Schwuzzards

Halloween

Now I Know My ABC's...

Oakland Zoo

A Phase?

Mr. Smiley

It Was a Napa Kind of Day

Smitten

Pumpkin Patch

Samuel Emerson Buzzard is here!

A Few Firsts

Good Morning, Mr. Rolli Polli

One Saturday Morning

There's a Bagel in Mommy's Tummy

He's a "Yeah" Man

A Bit of a Scare

A Walk

"No, Mommy!"

Gobble Gobble

The Yard

Long Overdue

Mani Nanny

Hooray for Ben

Trouble

Thank Goodness for Grandmas!

Making Waves

Waving Ben

All by Myself

Some Recent Pics

Rub-a-dub-dub...Four Babies in a Tub

Busy Day

Wake Up, Daddy!

The Birthday Boy!

He's on the move!

Life is Changing VERY Quickly

On My Way To Work

Ben Takes A Bath

And then he woke up...

Back to sleep

My Other Job....

Ben Enjoys Some Fine Literature

Buttons and Daddy

Reflections

Coffee Talk

Dr. G.

Buttons and Cole-On the Move!

Playdate with Cole and Lisa

Ben Sits Up

Buttons first Christmas in Charlotte, NC

Our Holiday Card

A Day in the Life of Ben

Boy Wonder

Happy Birthday, Mike!

A lot to be Thankful for

Our Weather Forecast

Back to Work

The November Rain is Here

Big Belly Laughs!

It's Already September!?!

A few quiet moments...

Benjamin Hasse Buzzard is Here!

Pee and Poo

My Belly

The Countdown is on

And Now We Wait...

Busy, Busy, Busy

Pretty Incredible!

Little "B's" First Ambulance Ride, Thanks to Mike

Our Cup Runneth Over!

Today was a Good Day!

It's Coming Along...the Room, that is!

Foggy SF Daze

My First Blog