Bathtime

Laurel loved her first real bath. She got very still listening to the water fill her tub and even hung her leg off of the side of the hammock into the water!


Getting Laurel out of the tub is the hard part! She'd like to stay in a lot longer, but bedtime is calling her name.


All clean and with a full tummy, Laurel is ready for bed.

Laurel loves bathtime! The sound of the water really calms her and she loves playing in the water. As soon as she gets in, she kicks one of her legs off the hammock and into the water, where it remains until we take her out. Bathtime is now part of our nightly routine before bedtime.

Laurel Greets Visitors

Granny holds Laurel during her visit. Laurel was in a great mood and really listened to Granny talking to her.

Em and Aunt Robin took turns holding Laurel, who was a little fussy. They were good sports!

Trey's mom, Betsy, was such wonderful help during her stay. She's definitely got "the touch," and Laurel really responds to her Bebe.

Gracie sat very still and held Laurel. She is going to be a great cousin to Laurel!

Christopher took a turn holding Laurel, too. He was very careful with her, but wanted to know when he could teach her how to jump on the bed!

Rex, Murphy, Tiddle, Emma and Sarah (not pictured) stopped by to meet Laurel on the way home from the beach. We loved seeing them!

We loved catching up with our good friends, Patrick and Leslie, who came to see Laurel.

Trey's Uncle Steve was in town on business and made a special trip over to meet Laurel.

Uncle Will held Laurel, but wasn't too sure what to do with her. He wanted to know if she did any tricks yet!

Uncle Andrew and Aunt Ann were in town from New York City and came to visit for a few days. They were so fun to watch with Laurel, and we can't wait to see them again!

Summer camp was finally over for Aunt Cary and she came by to spend a day with Laurel.

After playing with all of her fun company, little Laurel was tired!

Trey's mom, Betsy, came to stay with us after my family left. There was no gap in coverage! She helped us tremendously by managing to keep us fed and as rested as possible. She never turned down an opportunity to hold Laurel and was very supportive when Trey returned to work, too. Thanks, Betsy, for being such a wonderful and loving mother-in-law to me and a fabulous grandmother to Laurel! We love you!

During both of our parents' stays, Laurel had lots of company. It was really fun to see everyone and we loved introducing Laurel to all our friends and family.

The Benton Boys Make a Grand Entrance

On the hottest day of the summer, with record-setting temperatures, Laurel heads to the LA State Capitol to watch her two uncles, Michael and Will, finish their impressive bike ride from the US Capitol. Although it was probably not smart to have a two-week old out in that heat, we couldn't miss cheering on the boys as they climbed the hill to the Capitol!

The four boys, Michael, Will, Matt and Brian, ride across the old Mississippi River bridge on their way to the LA State Capitol. Their journey began in D.C. at the steps of the US Capitol and took the boys across 6 states, over 1800 miles and lasted 31 days. They raised nearly $35,000 for the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center's C.A.R.E. Network. We are so proud of them!

Family Time

Trey and Laurel hanging out together.

Laurel and her tired momma at the familiar "nursing station."

Laurel and I get in some snuggling time.

We are having so much fun being parents to Laurel. It is amazing how much time a new baby takes; the days just evaporate. I often wonder how it is already dinner time when I just got things going! Laurel is a really good baby, only crying when she's hungry or tired. Who can blame her? She has brought so much joy to us already, and I know it's only going to get better. What a blessing!