Name!

So way back when, when it was Russ and myself and Campbell in utero, the blog name We 3 Kings seemed clever and fitting. Now, not so much. Mostly because there are FOUR Kings.

Any thoughts?

Why I want to blog again.

This past July, I was unnerved to discover that some disturbed individual had not only been looking at the blog, but had the audacity to post a comment about my precious baby girl. I experienced a range of emotions - from anger that someone had violated us like that to remorse - I should have been more aware, especially in light of what I do for a living. Russ and I decided instantly that we would make the blog private to avoid this sort of threat.

To be honest, the timing was good for me too. Becoming increasingly more huge and pregnant and raising a toddler, blogging just was not much of a priority. Going private seemed like a natural way to slip into not blogging at all. And in the last several months, as we have adjusted to having two kids, I have sort of been grateful that I did not have to think about it, or feel guilty for not blogging.

I've never been one to share my most intimate feelings on the blog, but I do admit there are times I want to say something or express something. And clearly Russ and my precious girlfriends are not ALWAYS available to listen to me when I feel like talking :). Recently, in light of several tragedies in the lives of close friends, I have missed writing as a form of processing some things in my own life.

The most significant reason I even have the desire to blog is because of how much I enjoy reading through the chronicle of Campbell's first year or so of life. I am NOT good at writing in the baby books, so much of her first year is outlined here and nowhere else. I want that for Bennett too.

While I do fear the unknown, I know now that I have to be very cautious of what I post and imagine my audience as not just my friends and family, but whoever out there may have stumbled upon us.

So here we go!

Bennett Russell King

Who has time to blog with two kids?

Bennett Russell was born Sunday, 10-10-10 at 1:10 pm via C-Section.

9 lbs 8 ounces
21 inches long

We love him and are enjoying every second of holding, kissing, and loving this new darling.

My sleepy loves

I took this picture via iPhone yesterday. Aren't they sweet?

It reminded me of one of my first favorite pictures of them together.

Bennett at 30 weeks!

I had a routine Ob appointment this morning. She had told me previously that she wanted to do an ultrasound at this appointment, as I have fluctuated from measuring right on to measuring several weeks ahead.

I had asked my mom and sister if they wanted to come for the ultrasound today. By the time it was all said and done, the room was filled with my mom and dad, my sister, my niece and nephew, Russ, and Campbell. The sweet ultrasound tech was so gracious about all of us, and it blessed me so much to have so much family there, already loving our son.

I have had some moments lately of feeling nervous about whether or not he is still a boy. I think the fact that we didn't actual see any boy parts at our 20 week ultrasound (since we did the surprise thing), but only took the tech's word for it, I had been feeling less confident about it. Thank goodness he is still a boy. Everything else was great. Bennett looks perfect and cooperated with the tech so we could get some new pictures of him.

After the ultrasound, Russ and I saw the doctor. Bennett is already measuring 4 lbs, 1 ounce. She said he is in the 68% among his peers at the moment. She estimated that once he is full term, we would be looking at a 8 - 9 lb boy!

These aren't the best quality pictures. I scanned them in and didn't bother to fix/crop/straighten them.
Two feet and a hand. These limbs have been hanging out at the top of my stomach towards my left side. When I asked the tech what was poking me right there 23 hours out of the day, she took this picture.


Sweet face.

Bennett's "parts". Lots of confirmation that he is, in fact, still a boy. (yes, Russ was proud :)




This picture is a little hard to see, but baby boy already has a head full of fuzzy hair. In the next picture you can also see the hair on his head sticking up.


Another sweet face picture. His little nose looks like Campbell's to me (cute little turned-up nose).

I had told Campbell last night that we were going to the doctor today, explained about the ultrasound, and told her we were going to see pictures of Bennett. She responded "I don't go. I stay home". She watched the screen the whole time during the ultrasound, but clearly didn't understand what was happening.

Creepy Creepy

I've never been a big fan of private blogs. It's a pain to sign in...and what about the people whose blog I'd like to read but feel weird asking permission?

Today I got on the blog and went to the list of posts. I noticed there was an extra comment that was not there before. It was inappropriate - more like disgusting. Frighteningly directed at my sweet little girl.

It took me about 30 seconds (and a call to Missy) to decide to make the blog private. As fun as it has been to make some new friends via the blog, there is no part of me that wants internet pervs looking at my children's pictures.

I feel disgusted. And mad at myself. I know what I experience day after day at work and am so on-guard in the "real world" with Campbell. I just convinced myself that the "internet world" was safe and as long as I was careful not to give too many details about us, we were fine.

No matter how much I don't like private blogs, the safety of Campbell and Bennett is not worth having people read my blog.

2 years, 2 months

I realize that 26 months is not a huge milestone, but Campbell has been so funny lately and changing so much, I figured it was time for an update. And nothing beats bullet points.

*Last night she watched a short Elmo video through twice while she was eating dinner (before you judge me, it was short. And I'm pregnant. And Russ was gone). When the credits started rolling she asked to watch it again. I told her "No baby, you've already watched it twice". She held up 3 little fingers and said, "I watch it three times!". Although she has been counting some, it was the first time she had made a connection like that.


*Also last night, her and I were laying in her big-girl bed reading books before bedtime. One of the books she picked was the "Big Sister Book", which we've read quite a few times. She opened to the first two pages and said "Someone new at our house. You know who is? It's our baby! I'm a big sister now". I was pretty tickled that she had receited those pages to me and started laughing. After that she said it about twenty more times. The little comedian really appreciates laughter.


*To continue with my previous post, potty training did not continue with the same great success that it began. Day two and three were filled with more accidents. By the end of day three and going into day four, she and I were both a mess. She cried every time we asked her if she wanted to go on the potty, was totally unfazed by accidents, and asked to have her diaper on. Feeling like we had hit a wall, I picked up one of my parenting books. The direct quote was "if your child goes on the potty every thirty minutes when you take her, but never indicates to you that she needs to go, she is not potty-trained. You are." Dang. So apparently Russ and I have this potty business down. We prayed and decided to back off for a bit and try again in a while. We put her back in a diaper. Within twenty minutes, Russ pointed out that her mood had totally changed and she was her normal happy self. Since then, several people told me they had real success when their child was closer to two and a half or three.


*Campbell has an "Away in the Manger" book. Usually we read it once and then sing through it once. The other night I started singing and she started crying after a minute and told me "No more singing!". Apparently my voice is about as bad as I thought.


*Speaking of said book, yesterday she started singing "Away in a Manger, no crib for a bed. The little Lord Jesus lay down his sweeeet head." She has the cutest, most shrill singing voice.