So Big!

Ben Butler is 8 months old and a big boy! At his well check last week, he weighed 20 lbs. 4 oz. and was 29 in. long. That's 61% for weight and 89% for height. Maybe he's built a bit like his daddy?!:)

Highlights from the month:

Ben celebrated his first 4th of July

He is trying a bigger variety of baby food and has tried some table food - avocado, pizza, cheerios, and ice cream! Ben loves all food, except baby food peaches...he's not a huge fan.

Ben is starting to make raspberries and says ma ma ma. (I'm under no illusion that he's actually saying mama!) He's also starting to scream very loudly to get our attention and/or tell us that he wants something NOW. We are working on breaking this loud habit and he hears "no sir" regularly from me and his other two "mommies," Kate and Maggie!

Ben is also getting really good at getting Puffs into his mouth using his thumb and pointer finger. Although the dogs are hoping that he doesn't master this very soon - they love the food that falls on the floor!

My baby will be 1 in four months...really?! He is truly the sweetest, snuggliest, lovable baby boy ever. Love you Benny boy!

(Not sure snuggliest is a word but it describes him perfectly!)

Quick Summer Getaway

Last weekend we headed down to Texas for a night at the Great Wolf Lodge (Just us and the girls. Ben stayed with Mimi and PopPop.) Kate and Maggie had a blast and were both super good sports about trying the slides. They even got dumped on by the really big bucket of water, much to their dismay (daddy made them do it!). We decided that we'll go back once Ben is old enough to have fun with us.

With Violet after the bedtime story

Trying to shoot me with water

Coming down the slide


After our night at Great Wolf, the kids and I stayed for a few extra days of swimming and playing at Mimi and PopPop's...and of course a trip to Sweet and Sassy!

Ben loved sitting in the shade right on the
water's edge

Cannonball!

Bellyflop!

We love summer!

Cute short haircut

Kate requested curls

Mimi and PopPop with their 5 grandbabies

Pajama Party

Kate hosted her first sleepover with her friends, Caroline and Caroline. Since we knew that we would be asked a million times, "how much longer?," we waited until the night before to tell the girls. They were all beyond excited. Caroline R.'s mom said you would have thought that she told her that Santa was coming!:)

We picked the girls up yesterday around 4:30 and they came back to our house to play for a bit while Ryan picked up dinner. After a picnic dinner in front of the tv, we went to Cherry Berry for ice cream. When we got home, we got into our pjs and settled in for a movie, Barbie Fairy Secret. Since we got a later start on the movie, bedtime was later...10:30. With minimal talking all the girls fell asleep pretty quickly. I did go in the room around 2:30 because I heard Kate talking. She was talking to Caroline R. because she had gotten cold and moved into Kate's bed. After I convinced her that it was the middle of the night, they fell back asleep and the group woke for good at 6:30. (During all of this, Mags was sleeping with me and Ryan). We got dressed and went to the donut shop (I stopped for coffee!) and after breakfast the girls played more. Miss Clara picked them up at 9:00 and poor Kate stood in the doorway in tears because her friends were leaving. Needless to say, the girls had a ball and the sleepover was a success.

I know there will be plenty more in the future, for both girls, and I can only hope that they all go this smoothly...but I doubt it!!:)

Busy Weekend

We had a fun and busy 4th of July weekend. The weather was perfect if you were in a pool, which we were the majority of the weekend, and we had some great friends to hang out with. Plus, the fireworks show that we watch was the best we've seen in awhile and the Butler girls weren't afraid this year (Kate!). After staying up waaaay past our bedtimes last night, we are enjoying a day of relaxing and resting. Hope everyone had a happy and safe July 4th!!
Late afternoon swim and dinner with the Schultheis
family and the Cariker family: Kynlee, Kylan holding Brooks,
Kate holding Ben, Caroline holding Brady, Maggie, and
Clark

Ready for church

Swimming at Nanny and Bumps' house

Excited to see fireworks

Lots of swimming and playing with the Chalmers
family: Alex, Darby, Kate, and Jordan

Waiting patiently for the fireworks



Mags only covered her ears for a short time

She looks scared but this year was our best yet...
no tears!

And sadly we didn't get a picture of Ben during the fireworks. He fell fast asleep on my lap! The booms must not have bothered him a bit!