{Road Trip: Galveston}

With Chat's grandmother here, we have been very busy.  Busier than usual.  At least I feel like we have since I have been so tired lately.  So for my documentation pleasure, here are some of our adventures with Eva!

Last Wednesday and Thursday, we took Eva and the boys down to Galveston.  First stop...the railroad museum.  Right up Luke's alley right?  Well, not so much.  He did enjoy it, but most of it was more for adults.  It was just about old trains and getting to walk through them. 

So here are lots of pictures.  Pictures of Chat, Luke and old trains.  They are cuties.

What?!?  There was a train table at the museum and nobody told Luke?!?  Well he found it and it was the highlight of the museum.  Did I mention we have a train table at home?  And that it is actually cooler than this one.  Guess he didn't have enough of it at home because this is what he got the biggest kick out of.  Toddlers!

After the train, we ate at Shrimp N Stuff and then headed down to my family's bay house.  Luke went down for a nap once we got there and the rest of us drank wine spritzers (because that is what you drink at the bay during the day) and played gin.  It actually was the most relaxing time I have had in a while.  I loved it.

Oh and don't worry.  Ben played gin as well.  I think he had a great hand here.

We woke up to an overcast morning so we headed down to the beach to see the waves and play in the sand.  Luke did great until we got obsessed with having our shoes off.  Then we wanted them on.  Then off.  And so on...

 Oh, and I was there too!  I rarely get in any pictures of me and the boys.  I am working on it.

{St. Patrick's Day 2012}

I am exhausted.

In a good way though.  Having two kids is so tiring, especially when you are breastfeeding one who eats all the time and who also inconventiently still does not sleep through the night and the other one is throwing tantrums at every turn.  But it is still oh so good.  Very good.

Today was spent running errands, making cake balls (amazing, you must try), going to a buddy's 2nd birthday party and ending it with a family St. Patty's Day party.  All in all, a good day.

But I am tired.

So here are my two boys on this green holiday in pictures until I have the energy to write more.

Sugar cookies with green icing are da' bomb

Somone bites his bottom lip all the time now.  I find it very cute.

{Rodeo 2012}

It's rodeo time here in Houston again!  I love the rodeo, but more for the fun kid activities versus the live performances.  This year we went with Chat's stepdad, wife and grandmother (who is in from Oregon!).  Luke loved it this year since he now knows all the fun animal noises (mooo, baaah, you get the picture). Other than a few meltdowns here and there, overall it was a pleasant experience.  Score one for the parents.

Ben joined the fun too and insisted that we carry him (all 18+ pounds of him) around the grounds versus hanging out in his very comfy stroller.  We took turns, but lets just say, my arms are a burnin'.  Guess he thought I needed a work out.  Thank you Ben. 

We are off to Galveston for a night with Chat's grandma, so I am busy getting ready, so here is the rodeo in pictures...

Watching the chicks hatch

Hello Mr. Chicken

LOVING the petting zoo (Luke's favorite)!

Having fun on all the John Deere equipment

Riding a zebra on the carousel

Mooooo!

Bahhhh!

Petting the rabbits

Milking a "cow"

Things that were not a hit -- riding one of the rides at the carnival (wait in line for 10 minutes and cue freak-out when trying to put him on it), a pony ride (don't even think about it), and attempting to try to take his sippy cup away from him. 

Thing that was a major hit -- funnel cake!  Like mother, like son.

{Painting With A 2 Year Old}

Finger painting gone very wrong....

So guess where Luke ended up....

{Transportation Day}

Today a few of our friends invited us to Transportation Day at their church/school.  What a clever idea!  They had all sorts of cars, a motorcycle, a helicopter, a fire truck, race cars and even horses.  I thought Luke would be totally in to it so we decided to join our friends! 

Hmmmm...not so much. 

Luke LOVED the horses, but there were no trains (how do you explain to a 2 year old that you can't just bring a train and plop it down in a parking lot).  Sadly, Luke had a hard time accepting that there were no trains there, so we just went and spent a lot of time with the horses...

He is such an animal lover.  Any maybe I coaxed him in a car or two...

This guy is wearing me out!

{12 Weeks}

Hello my name is ....

Ben is 12 weeks old today!  I regret not writing enough things down of when Luke did what, so I want to do that for Ben more.  So here goes...

• Sleeping has regressed as I mentioned in a former post.  He typically goes to bed between 8:30 and 9:30 pm at night and does about a 5 hour stretch.  He will eat and then go back down for another 2 to 3 hours before waking back up to eat again.  Sometimes he will be up for good at that point, sometimes back down for another hour or two.  We still don't quite have a perfect schedule down. So right now he is currently still waking up at least twice a night to eat.  Not sure where that 8 or 9 hour stretch went, but it was heavenly the four nights I got it....
• We still swaddle him to for bedtime, but I have a feeling we are going to be stopping that in the next few weeks.  A few times this past week he has busted out of his swaddle and it wakes him up and he fusses and has to eat to go back down.
• He takes about 4 naps a day.  Usually he takes them either in the car, on walks or in his vibrating seat, but I am starting to put him in his crib for at least 1 or 2 of them starting this past weekend.  I am not swaddling him for naps in his crib.
• He still nurses on demand, but he is starting to go longer in between feedings.  Sometimes he will go 2.5 to 3 hours between feedings now, but other times he still wants to eat sooner like every hour.
• Ben sort of takes a bottle.  He is not great at it, but will do it if encouraged enough.  After his hospital stay, I got lazy and did not keep up with it, so right now I am trying to give him at least one bottle every other day or so.  Mama needs him to do this so I can leave him at times! 
• He is not a big spitter-upper.  He does it every now and then, but it is rare. 
• I believe he weighs between 17 and 18 pounds.  He is a chunky monkey!
• For clothes, he is in size 6 months for the most part, but sometimes 3 to 6 months (although getting tight) and sometimes even 9 months in certain brands.
• Ben smiles constantly!  He just smiles and smiles and smiles.  My mom says he reminds her of me at that age :).  He is starting to laugh as well, but it has only come out when I tickle him. 
• He loves to coo and talk to anyone and everyone!
• He loves bath time and it starting to kick and splash his feet in the water.  I give him a bath about every other night.  I am trying to do this to help establish a bedtime routine.
• Watching Luke play with his trains and the ceiling fan are the highlights of Ben's day.
• His eyes are still blue, but I don't think they will stay that way.  I am assuming he will either have brown like Chat and Luke or possibly hazel like me. 
• Ben rolled over twice from stomach to back when he was 8 days old, but nothing since then!  He does pretty well doing tummy time and enjoys laying on his back on his playmat.  But he has to be in the right mood because if he is tired or fussy, watch out! 
• He is starting to put his hands in his mouth and drooling a bit.
• Unfortunately, Ben has had his first cold (well, one that didn't put him in the ICU).  He has been coughing and stuffy all weekend.  So ready for summer...
• Although the newborn stage is hard for me, I do feel we are getting out of it and things are getting somewhat easier.  Even with the lack of sleep, I feel that we are handling having 2 kiddos well and that it isn't as challenging as the first 6 weeks or so. 

I think that is about it for now! 

{The Shirt Says It All}

Why thank you Ben...

 

You are pretty swell yourself!

{Jaws}

I sit here feeling very defeated.  Luke, Ben and I just came back from our weekly music class and lunch with friends.  Except we didn't get to finish music class. 

Luke has recently been pushing kids in class.  I call him "Jaws" since he seems to circle the room and find a target and go in for the kill.  He runs up next to them and pushes his body into them until they fall down.  Today he actually pinned another boy up against the wall.  He typically finds someone smaller than him which is not hard to do since he seems to be one of the biggest in the class.  Today was no exception and after three time-outs, I realized that it wasn't working so we left.

Except I felt worse after we left.

He seemed oblivious that we left because of his wrong behavior.  I was embarassed how I behaved too -- think mad mommy grabbing child aggressively by arm and dragging him out the door.  Yes...that was me.  And I had an infant in tow in one arm (hence only being able to grab him with my one free arm) so it looked even more chaotic and out of control.  I could just imagine the looks I got as I blew past the others moms.  Either relief that the class bully was leaving or judgemental because I could not control my kid and discipline him with grace. 

I was so mad.  I am still mad.

I am sad too.  Luke has always been sweet to other kids so I am not sure the turn of events.  He doesn't seem to have any issues when he goes to Mothers Day Out, so I am not sure why this music class is a trigger for his bully behavior.  I am sad for what was a good time that we used to share turn into an ugly mess where I am not proud of either one of us. 

I just feel defeated. 

I am embarassed to even admit to all this, but I want to remember the good and the bad times of motherhood.  And today was a bad time.  I guess I need to remember this little boy in the picture below versus the one I saw this morning...

{Brother Pictures}

Not sure when I will get a good photo of these two together, but doesn't look like it is happening anytime soon...

Best ones so far...*sigh*

{Faces}

We are stuck at home due to the sick kiddo (and let's face it, the soon-to-be sick kiddo), so I figured a few pictures of our smiley boy would help pass the time.  Luke is still sick.  He is coughing up a lung.  We go back to the pediatrician tomorrow to check his cough (it was originally his 2 year check-up, but that's out the window).  And of course, Ben slept horribly last night.  I should know better than to announce that he is sleeping.  The cardinal rule is that the minute you admit that your child sleeps, it goes out the window, so don't say anything.  Shame on me.  Hoping tonight brings sleep and tomorrow brings healthy kiddos!