31 Weeks

 That's a whole lot of baby...I hope.

Ben at 11 Months

Ben, on April 11 you turned ELEVEN months old. This has been a big month for you. Every day you are acting less like a baby and more like a toddler. It's so fun to start seeing signs of how you and your brother are going to play together and how your personality is going to blossom.

You started crawling on all fours this month! Within a few days you were also pulling up to your knees, then pulling up all the way on everything and walking along the couch. Once you started to go there was no stopping you!

When we say the word "dance" you wiggle around and laugh. You love it!

When we say "sweet baby" you lay your head down and look up at us with a sweet smile. Melt  my heart.

Your teeth. Oh gracious.You have eight now, and I'm pretty sure in the last  few days you have started to get a couple more.

 

You love to shake your head "no" when we say the word.

 You can say dada (and sometimes dad), mama (when you're mad), night night (nigh nigh), and uh oh.

You are a fan of throwing things on the floor over and over and saying "uh oh!" Stinker.
I sometimes think I hear bye bye, too.

Month stickers found here.

30 Weeks

Max likes to jump in the picture every week too...

The Girls' Mississippi Shower

 

On April 6th, some of my friends here in Mississippi threw an awesome shower for Addie, Emmie, and me. It was so sweet of them and another great time to celebrate before the girls arrive. We have only lived here 3 1/2 years, but I been so blessed with some awesome friendships with amazing women and mothers. When we got here we had no children, and now we will have 4...before our four year anniversary of being here...crazy. The Lord has blessed us immensely, and the women He has put in my life here have been my lifeline as I figure this motherhood thing out!

I have some amazingly talented friends. So many of them took the time to make gifts for the girls. I love this bath apron. I know it will come in handy.

 

 

In a Pickle

I was on the lookout for shower hostess gifts this month when I remembered a fun gift my mom got recently. It was a "pickle bag" filled with stuff you might need with you if you find yourself in a pickle! So, I got some mini zipper pouches from Thirty-One, filled them up, and created a fun tag to go with them.

 

The possibilities are endless, but I found myself running out of room. I had to cut back, but I included lip balm, gum, hand sanitizer, wisp toothbrushes, ponytail holders, pain reliever, lotion, etc. It turned out to be an easy, fun, little gift, and I think the hostesses enjoyed it! I think I'll be making some for Max's teachers this year too...

All Dressed Up...

... and barely cooperating. I take what we can get around here these days!

This one is my favorite...love their expressions.

 

 Let's both take a moment to examine our shoes...

 

Rangers Opening Day 2013

 

Opening Day definitely looks a little different for us since we moved away from Texas, but we still support our Rangers from afar. Mike was away at school for this year's opening day, but the rest of the McDonough clan was here including Papa and Aunt Amy. I think everyone has pretty much decided I'm not to be left alone overnight anymore, and I can't say that I blame them. These babies are getting heavy. I think the boys actually slept through most of the game, but they supported them in style!

  Sweet Ben on his first Opening Day!

 Max cheesing for the camera...

 What trying to get a picture of them together looks like...at least I caught the (blurry) one up at the top on my phone.

 A little better...

Nope...done.

 

29 Weeks

Nurse Gifts

With Max, I thought of doing a little something for the nurses at the hospital, but I just never figured out what. Now, thanks to Pinterest, there are tons of ideas out there! So, while my mom was here she helped me put together little bags of goodies that I hope the nurses who are with us during our stay at the hospital with the girls will enjoy! I got most everything I needed at Sam's, and then they were a snap to put together.

 

Easter Fun

Max and Ben had a whole lot of fun this Easter! Even though our families don't live near us, they always manage to make the boys feel special. Sometimes I wonder if the boys even know how far away we really live! 

On Good Friday, Papa and Aunt Amy sent a fun package with chocolate covered strawberries and cake pops. Yummy! Max was certainly a fan! I wish I had a picture of him eating his cake pop, but those pictures have gone to live in iPhone oblivion with a lot of the other photos on Mike's old phone. That will teach me to wait three weeks to blog!

 

Since Mike will always leave super early for church on Easter morning, for now we do our Easter baskets on Saturday morning. That way he gets to be there, which is good for all of us! 

I went shopping for their baskets and came home with practical things like pajamas and underwear, but luckily (for the boys) Mimi was here for Easter this year and she brought lots of fun stuff to add to the baskets.The most popular items? Play-Doh, a new water bottle, and doubloons! The doubloons were actually leprechaun money she found on clearance after St. Patrick's Day. And just for the record, it's Max that calls his pirate treasure doubloons...not me. That kid is crazy!

 

Ben knew exactly what to do. Go after those eggs!

It took a few minutes for Max to even notice.

Toothbrush and foaming toothpaste.

 

 Ben decided he was good eating the tag off his new PJs!