School's Out for Summer!

The Brown's have made it to camp and are settling into the routine pretty well. So far it has just been staff training, but Shane is busy with camp things, and I have been busy carting around a baby while chasing after a two year old. Yet, we are all figuring it out, and there are lots of hands to help when needed. Our first week of campers starts on Sunday, so we will be in full effect then. At least I don't have to cook our meals, and Adaline is loving the food.


Benton has been happy at camp also. We have been getting lots and lots of smiles lately.


We have lots of outdoor space at camp, so Adaline has been able to run everywhere. We got her a slide to play with outside and she has been enjoying that, as well as the swing we used last year. She isn't timid to try new things, like going down head first. This sense of adventure has made it difficult to get around camp when it is just me with the stroller and her walking, as she always wants to venture away to new places, though I have gotten my first flowers out of the deal. Adaline likes to pick the flowers (and the grass) in the fields, and she gave some to me.


The slide box turned into a tunnel for a bit also.


It has already been super hot, even up here on the mountain. So, I am happy to say that Adaline's hair has gotten to be long enough, finally, for her first ponytail. It is still a bit of a stretch, and the hairs on the top of her head don't quite all make it, but it is fun none the less.


We are excited about campers arriving and look forward to the time we will share as a family at camp this summer. We hope everyone out there has a wonderful summer!

Shane turns 33!

Shane's birthday was on the 28th of May, and we were lucky to have Betty and Jerry here to help us celebrate. They came in for the long weekend, met new grandson Benton, and we all enjoyed some fun times together, including Ryan and Jennifer. There was even a bike race in High Point that we were able to walk to and watch a bit of. Adaline starting saying "bike" and now uses the word to point out anything with wheels.

Shane blowing out his three candles for the big "33."

Extras

A few leftover (stolen from Emily) photos from the shower a few weekends ago...

roommate reunion and the kids (me w/Benton, Lindsay w/Adaline, Melanie w/belly William, Anna w/Laurel, and Emily w/Kay)

What Happened to Spring?

We have a lot of catching up to do! It has been awhile since an update, and we have been pretty busy at the Brown household. Mother's Day was several weekends ago, and it was a very nice day. I got pictures of the kids along with my cards as I woke up. This was the first time that Adaline had the opportunity to hold Benton on her own. She loves her brother so much, and I am glad have photos to capture that. We had a nice morning at church, and then I got to have an afternoon away to enjoy a late lunch with my mom.


Group hugs!

The weekend after Mother's Day, my brother, Josh, his wife, Michelle, and their daughter, Tallison, came home to NC from Colorado for a visit. It was nice to spend some time together after so much time away. The cousins had the chance to play and we got to catch up a great deal.

Talli / Josh playing ball with Talli

Uncle Ryan holding Benton / Adaline and Talli sharing a seat

This past weekend Shane worked at camp and I took the kids for our first trip on our own. We traveled to Apex for a baby shower for Melanie, a college friend of mine. My first experience on a weekend away with two little ones was tough, but made so, so, so much better and doable with the help of my great friends. I am thankful.

Laurel / Adaline and Kay playing "house"

Benton's baby butt

We all got back home on Sunday and now have one week left to prepare to go to camp for the summer. It is so hard to believe it is already that time again. It sneaks up on us every year. Before we go, however, we will have one more weekend of visitors. Shane's mom and Jerry will come in on Friday to spend the long weekend with us and meet Benton. We are very excited for the visit.

With all that is going on, we have to fit in rest when we can. Shane's favorite time is resting with Benton, but he does so much to help me as well. Shane has been a great dad and I am so blessed to have him and all of our wonderful family and friends!

Happy Earth Day and Easter

For Earth Day weekend, Shane removed the almost dead dogwood tree beside our house and replaced it with a new cherry tree. He was glad to get the stump out and the new tree in place. Now we can just watch it grow.


We celebrated Easter at home. We went to church in the morning and Benton made it all the way through the service just fine in his first trip to the nursery. After church and Adaline's nap time, mom came over and we had a egg hunt in the back yard before dinner. It was more of us pointing at eggs and Adaline running to pick them up. She was excited to fill her basket and even more excited when she had a taste of the candy eggs inside after dinner.



In other news...Adaline got her first bike! It is a starter bike with no pedals that is supposed to help get young kids ready and used to the balance part of riding a bike. She will start off just scooting along with her feet, and eventually will begin to glide and steer. Right now she is still just slightly short but loves to have Shane push her around. She runs to and points at the bike whenever she sees it to initiate a ride.


Benton had his 5 week check up last week and all is well. He has been struggling with a bit of cradle cap and congestion, and his sneezing has us wondering if he has allergies, but overall it was a good visit and everything checked out fine. He weighed in at 9 pounds, 12 ounces and 21 inches long. He really hates getting undressed (diaper changes and bath time) so it was a pretty loud time with his crying. Wonder how the shot visit will go in another month???

Camp is also just around the corner. Shane is busy at work getting prepared, and we are excited for a summer together there. It will be an adventure!

Treasures

Our little man is growing so fast. It is hard to believe a month has almost gone by.


We have enjoyed having Benton around so much. Learning to be parents of two little ones has been challenging at times, but certainly entertaining. Adaline has been wonderful at her role as big sister, and she seems bigger than ever. She always seemed so small until we brought Benton home. Now she is impressing us more and more each day.

Napping arms crossed on the couch / Adaline giving one of her many many kisses to Benton

Here are some videos we have taken recently... The first is just Benton, mostly for family at a distance that hasn't gotten the chance to meet him yet. He is just hanging out, but very alert when awake. He is much more vocal than Adaline was, so we are still getting used to the loud cries (not in video). The second is some tummy time with Benton, and Adaline is showing how much she loves being near by. Every day when Adaline gets home with Shane, she runs to Benton and gives him lots of kisses (not sure if it is pure love or just the praise from us).


As I mentioned, Adaline has been growing so much. She is really improving on her skills with a fork and spoon (videos below), she is showing a great deal of understanding when we speak to her, and she is trying a lot more vocally. She says several words now with consistency and comprehension, including yeah, no, uh oh, ball, shoes, knock knock, and even hello. We are so proud of her accomplishments and love hearing her new found voice. The speech therapy is finally showing progress, and we are excited to get more and more.


We celebrated my 31st birthday this past weekend, and I had a marvelous day. Shane did a project of mine (that I wanted to do years ago) for my gift, and I am so pleased that now I can hang some pictures in our hallway. I will post a picture as soon as we get them up. We were also able to have a night out thanks to Nana coming to stay with the kids. Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone, and we wish you all well!