Bree and Bauer’s Blog

..to football season…YAY!  And more importantly Labor Day weekend (with a cool front, no less).

The kids and I were all sporting our TCU apparel in anticipation for tomorrow’s game as we ventured to the Fort Worth Zoo in the 70 degree temps.  It wasn’t crowded and the animals were all out celebrating the lack of oppressive heat as well!

Bauer and I showed our pride for “TCU” on the carousel.

And Bree rocked her purple on the train!

And it was only fitting that we found a frog to show some love to at the end of our visit today!  The frog made a “ribbit” sound when you fed it coins!

B and B had to sit on the frog to really feel connected!

And I finally got a smile and a look at the camera when Bree got to pose solo!

GO FROGS!

Disclaimer: The pictures you are about to see may be disturbing to some…but just remember hair will always grow back!

Yesterday while at Jump for Fun, I made a decision as I saw my sweaty boy come running at me from one of the slides.  Bauer’s hair needed to be much much shorter.  I’ve tried to cut it myself, I’ve taken him to Cool Cuts, I’ve made the effort to appreciate the beautiful red hair he has and keep it somewhat long.  But no one can seem to cut it in a way that doesn’t leave it over his ears and mullet-sique in the back.  It’s tough.

So since I have a grown version of Bauer that I’m married too, I went to the professional whose lived with this hair for his whole life.  That’s when the decision was made to buzz!

Again, Bauer surprised us with his lack of protest!

I think playing games on the coveted Ipad helped our cause a lot.

Here’s the play by play:

Innocent shaggy boy playing some games after breakfast…

…meets the 4 guard on the clippers.

I’m pretty sure he has more hair than me on the floor!

The new do!

Daddy then decided to let Bree have some fun with the clippers!

My adorable identical boys!

And who doesn’t love an “after haircut” bath!

Gotta love a morning full of free haircuts!

Bennett will join the ranks soon of a buzzed Murphy, I have no doubt!

Happy weekend!

The summer heat is seemingly giving way to some 90 degree fall days and that has re-energized me. Now, let’s not get crazy, I’m not headed to the park everyday with the kiddos yet or dusting of the double BOB stroller for my famous long walks, but I am feeling more inclined to get out of the house and have some adventures with B&B.

DFW kids are back in school, so that means many of our favorite kid-friendly haunts are back on the agenda for the Murphys!

This past Tuesday we headed to the FW Museum of Science and History for the first time.  One of my mom friends was able to get us in for free and what a treat that was.  The kids ran themselves silly.  We saw a great planetarium movie and got to participate in lots of hands-on activities.  Right up our alley.

There was the chance to spin…

A kid’s sized grocery store with lots of buttons for Bauer to push!

Bree fought tooth and nail to get this grocery cart…it was her first lesson in supply and demand.

Bauer eventually found the trains and was in heaven!

This train table was so fun….little holes to pop through to play on different parts of the track.

Another exhibit revealed the joys of the classic toy, tinkertoys, to the kids.

Bree was very pleased with her invention!

It really was a fun place to explore and so kid friendly.  But definitely only possible with the stroller!  Bauer gets faster and more defiant by the day!

Today, we headed to an oldie but goodie, Jump for Fun in Southlake.  They have Little Tykes Open Play in the morning and I just had a feeling that Bauer is finally just about the right size to really enjoy the different inflatables.

I was right on.  Bree and Bauer played as a team the whole time.  It just warms my heart when Bree calls out for Bauer to join her and vice versa.  It was so fun.  And so manageable when B&B are in the same place!  They played hard for over an hour and a half.

They chased each other silly…

And slid ’til their hearts content…

They must have gone up and down this ladder to the slides more than 50 times.

But each slide down made each climb worth it!

This face says it all!

I’m really loving my days with B&B especially on work weeks like this past one and those through the end of September.  I wouldn’t trade them for anything!

Hope everyone’s end of August is going fabulously!

…the mice will play.  Or at least Bauer will knock down some furniture before heading to bed!

Now no worries, because Bauer was not hurt in this escapade and the furniture has since been moved from the Beach Room.  But it did surprise one Daddy when he went in to check on the two munchkins.

Operation Bunk Beds is continuing on, but getting more interesting by the day as Bauer discovered on Day 3 that he could get out of bed after we tucked him in.  He thinks it is hilarious.  We also thought it was cute or funny at first.  Now he’s just becoming more of a trainwreck during each successive naptime and bedtime!

I’m sure the novelty will wear off eventually, but until then we’ve had to employ gates, door closures and ladder removals to make sure he remains in one piece.  Bree is becoming less than pleased with her new roommate.  So much so that last night we heard her say multiple times, “Bauer, you need to stay in your bed.  Daddy said to go to sleep.”   She said each word very loudly and slowly just so he could understand the importance of it.

On an optimistic note, at the end of all the struggle, he normally ends up in his bed and asleep.

I guess that’s all that matters!

And it was kinda endearing when both my munchkins came to wake me up this morning…at around 8am.  That’s sleeping in….and such a great present for this Friday!

I’ve said this before on the blog, but I am one that lives my life based on the beginning and ending of the school year.  I work in higher education and now I have children so this will be even more so in the coming years.

I would rather make new year’s resolutions starting with the first week of the Fall semester than in January.  I know, it’s rather odd, but nothing makes me happier than to see school supplies on sale and the anticipation of fall clothes coming out of the closet.  I like that the fun and often directionless summer is over and we all know that routine will reign again in our households.

I am also a lover of routine so it all fits nicely hand in hand.

That being said, this is one of my favorite weeks of the year….school is back in session.  The Murphy schedule doesn’t change too much except that my schedule at work is inevitably much busier through the end of September and Bree will start her gymnastics class next week.  But regardless, it all just feels like things are returning to their rightful places such as school zones being turned on and school buses out in force.

And this fall is especially important as we are getting that much closer to getting to meet Mr. Bennett!  Come on November!

Speaking of the baby that will join us in a little over 10 weeks, things in the Murphy household have to adjust a little before he can arrive.  As I mentioned before on the blog, Sean and I bought bunk-beds and created a beach-themed unisex room for Bree and Bauer to share in preparation for Baby Bennett to join our family.  Bauer has wanted nothing to do with this new sleeping arrangement and has happily camped out in his crib since the bunk-beds arrived back in May.  We kept saying we would just give him time…he would move when he was ready.  But here we are about 10 weeks out and he was still giving us no indication that he has had a change of heart.

On the way back from the lake this past Sunday, Sean and I concocted a whole plan to get the transition to happen sooner rather than later.  It involved some middle of the night moving from crib to big boy bunk, a thought to take down his crib and hide it until Bennett arrived, putting the crib in the “beach” room, etc.  We expected we had about a 2-3 week hard core transition in front of us.

So we decided, like everything Murphy, we would start this in conjunction with the 1st day of school.  Sean put up the railing for his bed before dinner and we figured we move him from his crib to the bunk once he was fast asleep.  We were both nervous about what this would mean for everyone’s sleep schedule in the coming weeks.

We went out to get sno-cones last night after dinner to celebrate the 1st day of school (the kids changed classes and teachers from summer) and Mommy surviving working UTA Move-in Day in 105 degree heat.

We love us some Bud’s sno-cones in Bedford.

Bree is addicted to blueberry sno-cones.

I think she’s just amused that it turns her whole mouth blue.  As you can see from the background, our crazy two year old wanted nothing to do with his sno-cone, but loved hanging out by the trashcan.

We got home from Bud’s and it was 8:00. We did a quick brushing of teeth, changing to pjs and were preparing for a story when we noticed Bauer was in his big boy bunk.  He was laying down waiting for the story.  Maybe the railing was all he needed to feel comfortable after all.  We finished the story, said some prayers and tucked both kids in.  And we left.

We watched them on the camera we have in Bree’s room…and continued to be cautiously optimistic that something in the parenting realm could be this easy.  There was a lot of banging on the wall with feet, a lot of “Bree-Bree, where are you”, a lot of Bree looking down and Bauer looking up, a lot of Bree trying to climb down the ladder, but no attempt from Bauer to escape back to his crib.

After about 30 minutes of really entertaining “kid tv” on the camera, all fell silent.  Yes, by silent, I mean both kids were asleep in their own bunks in the SAME room.

Bauer sleeping sideways in his bed….we assume he eventually passed out while making a ton of noise hitting the wall with his feet.  Luckily our master bathroom backs up to their wall….such a fun sound.

Bree came in and told us she was up this morning at her regular time and I went to check on Bauer, who was still fast asleep.

He finally yelled for Mommy about 20 minutes later and had a big smile on his face when I walked in!

We officially survived night one of “Operation Bree and Bauer Share a Room”.  As I type this blog, we are attempting afternoon nap one.  It is surprisingly quiet in both bunks.

And yes, I will continue every night and every afternoon to be surprised when this really works.  This was supposed to be stressful and ridiculously hard with two toddlers.  And let’s be serious, it probably still will be.  But I’ll take my success from last night and this afternoon and relish in it at least until 8pm tonight!

Happy first week of school to all…

And to Bennett…you officially have a room complete with a crib to sleep in!  Hooray!

I realized this week as I entered my 3rd trimester of pregnancy that I have been quite remiss on the blog mentioning anything about the miracle that is growing inside of me!

I know I mentioned it was a boy and you can tell through the multitude of pictures in various blogs I’m getting more pregnant by the day, but I thought it would be nice to document a few of my feelings throughout this pregnancy and how Bennett is already proving to be very different from the other two B’s who have come before.

My pregnancies with Bree and Bauer were almost identical.  So much so that it was hard for me to believe that one was a girl and one was a boy (because all the books say that you carry them different and feel different and all that jazz).  I felt pretty good through both pregnancies and was active until the end.  Both pregnancies went 6 days over (with Bree my water ended up breaking and Bauer was induced).

Bennett is proving to be anything but like the other two, which makes me so excited to meet him and see if his personality follows suit.

Bennett would automatically have been my permanent favorite as we started out strong with no morning sickness.  However, once it started it way outlasted the other two by almost 6 weeks.  Another difference is that my belly has been measuring big since about 23 weeks.  We even got an extra sonogram at 26 weeks to make sure he wasn’t growing extra limbs or something.  He’s actually measuring at about the 50th percentile (which is strange since I have big babies and even bigger toddlers).  And as of today’s appointment  I’m still measuring about 4 weeks ahead (2 weeks is in the normal range).  The doc doesn’t really know why this is, but he thinks it may just be how B’s positioned in my belly.  I definitely don’t have to worry about people not being able to tell I’m pregnant this time around…the belly grows outward by the day.  These next 12 weeks should be interesting.

Bennett is way active every morning but not so much at night like the other two….he loves fruit so much and the other two were just way into sweets. Bennett requires breakfast as soon as I wake up, a mid morning snack and a snack at about 2am everyday.  These extra snacks may account for some of my rapid weight gain…but I have to say my nutella sandwich at 2am is a favorite for both of us!

I know none of these things may mean anything in the long run, but it is fun to remember these little details and I know once he gets here pure chaos will reign and I won’t remember anything.

I may need to have someone remind me of his name!

Bennett is moving into Bauer’s room when he arrives.  At that point, Bauer will happily be sharing a room with Bree.  Do you like how optimistic I am about our two year old who is redefining “terrible” by the minute??!!

I’m not doing much to Bauer’s room for the transformation…one of the nice perks of having another boy…but I did want to get a few new things.  I found an adorable frame with the poem “Now I lay me down to sleep” in it for above his crib.  And today, I made the letters for his name you see above.  They will go on his wall when the “BAUER” letters come down.  I’m pretty much more in love with his name than I was before….seeing it in letters makes it very real.

I love the pic above because you can see my belly as well….it’s like his first pic with his name!

I feel like I’ve been taking it easier during this pregnancy than the other two mainly because I don’t have a choice.  Those two toddlers, working and running a house just wear me out.  I haven’t been working out as much which I miss, but I’m really trying to keep some perspective that this is truly just a few months out of my whole life.  This pregnancy is going way slower than the other two for me….but it’s kinda nice.  I like to know I still have some time with Bennett on the inside.  I’m dying to know if he will look like Bauer or Bree or both and especially if he will have red hair, but the anticipation is nice too.

I’m pretty sure this will be the last time my body and mind go through this miracle of growing a baby inside of me….and I’m going to take these last 12 weeks and just enjoy it.  And yes, I will reread this over and over  as I am still pregnant on my due date and Bennett loses his “son of the year” award once again!

People have been very curious as to Bree and Bauer’s reaction to Bennett’s impending arrival.  Bree talks to my belly and is very concerned that my belly button will be popping out soon.  Every time she sees it, she looks at her own to make sure it is still facing inward.  Hilarious.  She tells Bennett hello and loves to try and feel him when he’s moving.  I’m cautiously optimistic that she is going to be my helper once he arrives.  She is also excited that she gets to sit in the back row of the minivan once he arrives.  Oh the perks…let’s how that excitement continues.

Bauer on the the other hand has no clue, or if he does, he is acting out in negative ways to show is disapproval.  He is in the “terrible” two’s big time and I think adding this to his plate in a few months may send him to a new level or just distract him from his own woes!  It should be interesting.  Today, he was looking at the letters for Bennett’s name and kept saying his name over and over which was adorable.

So there may be hope…

Who knew my middle name may become “Optimist”….lol!

Thanks for all the support through this 3rd installment of B….I couldn’t do it without all the people I love in my life!

I use the word “blessed” a lot on this blog.  And it truly is one of the best words to describe so many parts of my life.  I’ve tried to come up with other ways to talk about my family, my friends, and my opportunities, but they truly are all just gifts from above.

I was blessed with one of the best college experiences anyone could imagine.  I know I’m biased, but seriously one of the best.  I found my dearest friends and through our time in Fort Worth they became a second family, my Loop family.

One of the great yet tragic things about going to a school like TCU is that students are recruited from all over the country.  And once graduation occurs, there is a huge probability that said students go back to where they came from to start their lives.  While this isn’t always the case, it has been the case with some of my Loop family.

But this past weekend, I had the special chance to reconnect with two of my Loop family members, Amanda and Abbey.  I took off on a jet plane with Caitlin and Avril (also Loop family members) for a very overdue girls’ weekend in Kansas City.  There we ate yummy dinners at fun places such as Lulu’s Thai Shop…

consumed ridiculous breakfast appetizers such as a fried cinnamon roll from Mama’s…

tickled and loved on some adorable Loop children….Meyer and Parker Ater…

and most importantly, celebrated the continuing life of one of our own, Amanda.

The main purpose of the trip was to be able to walk in the KC Race for the Cure in support of Amanda’s fight and winning battle against breast cancer.  Amanda was Avril and I’s next door neighbor in Colby Hall at TCU freshman year.  She went on to be Avril and Caitlin’s roommate for several more years and Abbey and I’s sorority sister in Kappa Alpha Theta.  Our lives were as intertwined as possible.  We studied together, cried and laughed over dumb decisions together, partied together and just learned to live our lives together.

So it makes perfect sense that we would continue to learn to live together in this next step of our lives that involves marriages, children, jobs and unfortunately disease.  Nothing makes me feel more powerless than a disease like breast cancer.  In my mind, dealing with something like that was years down the line.  But I’m learning that in situations like this no one knows how to deal with it.  Not Amanda, not our Loop family, no one.  We will all say the wrong things and ask silly questions and probably be insensitive without meaning to be along the way.

But we just have to keep walking with each other…holding a hand or a heart when necessary.

These smiles speak volumes…almost 13 years from the day we all met and living 1000s of miles apart, but we are as close as ever!

Caitlin, Julie, Avril, Amanda and Abbey

It was an amazing weekend filled with so many laughs and so many guiltless calorie-laden meals.  We relived old times and talked about current times.  Our circumstances may be changing, but our hopes and fears are as real as ever.  I am so blessed to have such an amazing backbone of girlfriends in DFW and all over the country.  And am so blessed that Amanda is continuing to win her battle against such an ugly foe.

As a mom, it was also a great break from my daily life in Arlington.  But being gone for three days made me miss these munchkins a lot.  And miss my hubby more.  We celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary while in two different states.  He played hockey, while I played with my girlfriends.  Again so happy to be in such an amazing marriage.  I truly hope that Bree, Bauer and Bennett are blessed with such an incredible partnership and friend-filled family down the line.  I can’t think of two (almost three) faces that deserve it more!

How many times did I use the word blessed???  I hope I never find a better word to describe life!