Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

Mommy and Daddy enjoyed introducing their little B to his very first baseball game - Go Bulls!!

Benjamin was enthralled by all of the activity on the field and loved all of the music and lights...until a big cheer burst from the crowd! That was a little too unexpected!

But after a few beautiful alligator tears and big hugs and kisses from Mama and Dadda, Benjamin was ready to sing and dance for his seventh inning stretch (and we're pretty sure he is still wondering when he gets his beer and hotdog!).

Sam and I are having the time of our lives introducing our sweet Benjamin to all of life's delights. This is what we dreamed about!

Phew, that was a lot of fun! Now I'm spent!!

Future Prom Date?!?!

We loved meeting little Ms. Ella and her big brother and sister (and Mommy and Daddy too!). Thank you for coming to visit us while you were in Raleigh.

It's already been arranged...Benjamin has his first prom date with the beauty Ms. Ella (an older woman nonetheless!! :))

We hope to see everyone again soon!

Move Over Leonardo Da Vinci...B. Leonardo is the New Artist in Town!

What do you get when you combine one naked baby, squishy blue and yellow finger paints, big aprons, and amazed curiosity?LOTS and LOTS of BEEEEEEAUTIFUL artwork! Benjamin's first masterpiece is hanging proudly on the fridge where we can admire it every day together.

We love our new little artist! (Thanks for helping us Ms. Karen!!)

Sitting Up to Take on the World!

Benjamin is now sitting up all on his own - with perfect posture that Mommy and Daddy envy! We are so proud of our little man!
He is cute as a button and ready to explore this new world well above his previous viewpoint.

Here's a big congratulatory kiss from brother Stanford who's not quite sure what to make of these new developments! :)

Benjamin's First Call to Order

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree so they say...

Mommy and Daddy are always leading some sort of meeting - it started even before we both served as RA's in college!

Now Benjamin has called his FIRST meeting with all of his subjects (furry and stuffed).

And just like his Mama, he was so worried about moving through the agenda that he gave himself hives!

He's asking, "why won't they listen to me, Mama? And why are they all smiling?"

Anyone care to join me??

Benjamin's next favorite thing after food is his bath (any water for that matter, but his bath is extra special). He enjoys it so much (and has grown so big) that we had to buy another baby tub (the European version) to give him a better lounging position and lots of leg room for his super kicks that can empty the bath in one swift wave (much to Benjamin's amusement).

Aunt Megan warned us about naked baby pics on the internet coming back to haunt B later in life so we share with you our adorable little water bug when his favorite bath turtle landed on just the right spot for the picture! :)

Benjamin's Personal Pool and Spa

A big thank you to Gwamma and Gwampa for Benjamin's new turtle pool...perfect for the back porch and beautiful summer weather! (And according to brother Stanford...perfect for a drink as well!) Benjamin loves splashing and playing in the water.

He was all smiles and giggles even when Dadda dumped some over his head. I think we have a little Michael Phelps in the making here! (As I predicted on the belly blog when sweet pea was just a little bubble!)

HAPPY SUMMER FROM THE LEONARDO FAMILY

A second visit...this time he can SEE everything!

If you followed our belly blog, you will remember our "Babymoon" - the special trip Dadda planned for Mommy before baby arrived. We visited the gorgeous Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC during the amazing Christmas season and were awed by the grandeur and splendor of this incredible home (aka super-sized mansion since it is 175,000 square feet!).

The last time Mommy trudged up the winding 4 story staircase, a little baby Leonardo (our sweet pea) was happily bouncing along for the ride.

THIS TIME our Benjamin got to see everything with his own two eyes. Thanks to Gwampa and Dadda for serving as the elevator for most of the tour. And thanks to Gwamma for always making sure Benjamin wasn't too warm... :)

Another successful road trip adventure for the little traveling Benjamin!

The tradition continues...

Some or all of you may know the story of KILWINS Chocolates and Ice Cream...

My parents owned and operated a candy/ice cream store in the Midland mall from my 7th grade year until my junior year in high school. As you can imagine, it was a dream come true for all four of the Messmer children. We each worked behind the counters and I think one of my brothers learned the art of making fudge on the marble tables (from my Dad, the newest expert in such treat-making). My Mom hired many of our friends as we reached the age of needing a "first job" and for all of us, it was an amazingly wonderful experience. Despite the hard work, it was like living the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fantasy so many of us have had since we were little!
After we closed the store, the Kilwins tradition has continued in the Messmer family...special chocolates for holidays, and where ever we travel, if a Kilwins store is found, we buy as much ice cream, chocolates, and fudge to hold us over until the next visit. It is by far the BEST candy, ice cream, and fudge we have ever tasted!

So...in good family tradition, Benjamin's most recent adventure/road trip to Asheville, NC brought him to his very first KILWINS. The neatest part of this story is that the last time Mommy and Daddy visited this specific store, Baby Leonardo was basking in Mommy's very big belly only a few short weeks away from his arrival! The owner was so excited to finally meet the little person who had been "hiding" during our last visit.

Needless to say Benjamin was VERY excited to see his first waffle cone...don't worry B...you'll get to taste it soon, we promise!

For now, he had to settle for a special balloon from the owner.
Welcome to KILWINS Benjamin!

What began with the sippy cup...

Apparently as Benjamin has been staring so intently at us whenever we are drinking from a glass, he has also been learning how to do it himself!!! We skipped right past the sippy cup lid (that's like a bottle) and went straight to drinking like a big boy!

And this is what happens when Mama goes potty and a proud Dadda wants to try something other than the sippy cup! NICE!

Benjamin's Hats

Looks like Gwampa has started a fun new hobby for little B...stealing others' hats and looking ridiculously cute in them! :)

Wolfpack in da house!!

I love Gwamma and Gwampa!

Gwamma and Gwampa Messmer came to visit and Benjamin was SO excited to see them!

There you are Gwampa!

Benjamin was very excited to show Gwamma and Gwampa his favorite time of day...time to eat! :)