{Vacation Recap!}

We are back from San Antonio and had a great vacation!  I will admit, I went into this thinking it could be a disaster.  Traveling with two kids, one going through some major Terrible Twos and the other a seven-month-old that doesn't sleep.  After packing up what seemed like our whole house just for two nights away, I was thinking this could be way more work than fun.  But I agreed that we need to start a tradition of a summer vacation, so I went with it and hoped for the best.  And much to my surprise, we had a wonderful time and I am so happy we did it!

We left Houston about 11:30 and planned for Ben to sleep for a bit, Luke to watch a movie and for all of us to make it to Schulengburg for lunch at Frank's by 1:00 pm.  It actually worked out just as we planned.  We made it there all in one piece and ready to eat!

We got back on the road by 1:45 or so and hoped Luke would sleep.  We prayed that somehow Ben would maybe be tired again and sleep. Wrong!  I ended up between both boys in the back, watching Luke sleep (phew!) and feeding Ben puffs and making funny faces at him so he wouldn't scream his head off and wake Luke.  I sang one too many Itsy Bitsy Spiders on this trip :).

Let's just say I earned my paycheck that hour and a half before Ben finally fell back asleep for the last 30 minutes of the trip.  I must say though, he is a very cute riding buddy...

We made it to the hotel and got checked in.  We immediately got changed into our suits and headed down to the pool!  We spent the next day and a half at the pool having the best time.  It was a little hard having two so small because we always had a child in our arms, but the playtime and togetherness was really nice.  Luke amazed us.  He barely had any tantrums and we enjoyed his company so much.  This was much needed after a few months of being two :).

Wednesday morning we got a little surprise -- a visit from Bugs Bunny!  Luke was less than thrilled, but Ben seemed quite intrigued...

The highlight of the vacation was the waterslide!  Luke probably went down it (with either Chat or me) probably 100 times before it was time to leave.  He LOVED it!  And so did we.  I took so much joy watching Luke have so much fun.  It is so neat to see life through your kid's eyes.

Ben was great other than a little phobia that came about while there.  Apparently he is not a fan of elevators and promptly freaked out every time we got on one.  It was actually really sad and I worried about him.  But it seemed to get a bit better as time went on.  Just hoping it is a baby thing and it doesn't follow him into toddlerhood.  Otherwise, he had a great time!

Every night they had a huge fire going to make s'mores.  Let's just say this was mommy's favorite.  I could have eaten 20!  Luke liked roasting the marshmellows but did not want to eat them.  That's okay, more for mommy!

We actually booked two rooms that were adjoining.  Luke and Chat slept in one room and Ben and I slept in the other.  One of them had a balcony so for nap time and when both boys were asleep at night, Chat and I headed there for some down time and a nice beverage.

Before leaving San Antonio, we met up with two close friends Lindsay and Nichole and their kiddos.  It was so fun -- a bit crazy -- but such a wonderful opportunity to see each other, which we rarely get to do.  We met with all six kids at a nearby Chick-fil-a and tried to talk while we wrangled the kids.  We were all worn out after about an hour, but it was worth it!

Hugs for all!

All in all, a great three days!  It was a lot of work, but truly worth it.  We are thinking we might do this next summer but for four days since the boys will be older and hopefully Ben will be sleeping through the night and the car ride will be easier.  We definitely made some wonderful memories from our first vacation as a family of four!

{Newsflash}

The just in from the Lenhart Newsroom....Luke Lenhart is taking his first nap at home without his pacifier. Although he has been doing this at his school for quite some time now, his family at home has been scared silly and has not ripped off the bandaid until this very moment.  His mother is requesting prayers that he falls asleep soon so she does not have to turn to the bottle to get through this new endeavor. Currently Luke is seen bouncing around in his crib with no sleep in sight. Luckily no tears have been produced on the cheeks of the small child yet. 

Here is a picture live from the scene....

{Late July Update}

Wow, things have been busy!  Since we are leaving town tomorrow for a little vacation with the boys, I am updating the fastest way I know how...with numbers!

1.  I have recently been running the past six weeks or so to see if I can get my body into shape.  So far so good...until last week.  Clearly the universe is telling me to stop working out (I wish!).  I went on a run once the boys were down for the night and a bug fly into my eye and pretty much tore it apart -- literally.  The doctor said the bug acted like a little razor blade in my eye socket and did a lot of damage.  Luckily, optomotrists can prescribe drops with steroids in them that can make you feel soooooo much better.  It was red and very painful and the skin around the eye swelled up and turned blueish due to the bruising.  It was such a freak thing to happen. Here is a picture of me once things started improving.  I just wish I got a picture of it before the drops!

2.  Ben has not been himself the past few days.  We started sleep training him about two weeks ago and things were going pretty well.  Not perfect, but better.  But last Thursday, he seemed to get very fussy and just seemed unhappy.  His sleep went in the toilet and he was making funny faces.  I am suspecting more teeth are making their arrival very soon.  He has perked up today and I am hoping that sticks around!  I miss his endless smiles.

3.  We celebrated my dad's 63rd birthday this past weekend!  We went to my parent's house for a mexican fiesta and had a great time.  Here is my dad and his two grandsons!

4.  These two cousins are about the cutest thing ever.  Molly is getting pretty brave and starting to climb the stairs.  Ben wants to follow, but still has a bit more work to do. But he LOVES standing up!

5.  We got to babysit Addison while her mom (aka best friend Brooke) went to an appointment.  I was totally impressed how well she and Luke played together.  It is nice to have days like this because sometimes Mr. Two-Year-Old can be a real toot!

6. Ben is still doing great with the bottle!  Woohoo!  It is a lot of extra work to pump just to turn right around and give him it in a bottle, but I know it is worth it for a little freedom every now and then.  Now I just need to plan a night out!  Here is the birthday boy giving him a bottle on Saturday:

6.  And just because, here are the dynamic duo together!  Here is another awesome picture I got of them.  Please note the sarcasm.  I am really hoping we get some good ones of them together soon!

We are off to San Antonio for a few days!  I still have lots of packing to do before we leave tomorrow morning.  It is sure hard to pack for two kiddos this age.  It doesn't matter if you are going for one night or two weeks, you still need all the same stuff.  Here's to 3 days full of family, sun and fun!

{The Clapper: Second Edition}

As I mentioned earlier this week, Ben started clapping this past week!  It is so cute to see him do this cute little milestone.  He started clapping way before Luke did surprisingly.  As you can see here, Luke was almost 10 months old when he started clapping and Ben just turned 7 months when he started.  It is fun to have the boys do things at different times and see how different they are as babies.  Luke was crawling by now, but Ben is taking his time.  He is close, but still needs a little bit more time.  Without further ado, here is sweet Ben clapping for one of the first times...

{Dinosaurs! Dinosaurs!}

On a whim, my friend Whitney and I decided to bring the kids to see the dinosaur exhibit at the Museum of Natural Science this past Tuesday.  I wasn't sure if the boys would like it (or do well in a museum setting), but they sure did!  We went towards the end of the day and it was raining outside, so I think it was nice that it was less crowded.  So they just ran from one dinosaur to the next exclaiming, "Look at this big one!".  I am sure it would have not gone as well if there were more people to annoy with their giggles and hyperness, so I am glad we went towards the end of the day.

We had a few times where they tried to climb on the exhibits but luckily security was always just a foot or so away to keep them down. Other than that and a major poop explosion by Ben within 2 minutes of getting there, it was a great little outing!  

Ben and his little friend Stella enjoyed the view from the stroller and did surprisingly well!  Ben was sporting Luke's 2T shorts and Coopers 2T shirt due to his explosion in the beginning.  It is quite sad that those close fit him...almost better than it fit the two-year-olds! 

I am so ready for the fall so we will have more things to do with the kids.  Due to the heat and rain, we have been stuck inside and there are few things we can do.  Luckily this was a good one, so we might be going back before the end of the summer.  You can't be a/c!

{Bathtub Baby}

Luke is still a bit under the weather today, but definitely on the mend.  We had no other throw-up issues other than Friday morning, but we have had quite a few instances coming out the other end all weekend.  We are hoping tomorrow brings a complete recovery!  I think he is ready to have milk again and play with his friends.

In other news, this little bathing beauty started waving yesterday.  It is about the cutest thing ever!  Video to come...

{We Made is 2 Years, 4 Months, 2 Weeks and 4 Days}

Anyone who knows me understands how dealthy I am afraid of throw up.  Terrified.  If you are feeling sick, don't let me know, because I will run.  I will leave you to fend for yourself and I will find safety in those who are feeling healthy and not at all nauseous.

And once I got pregnant and had my boys, I always wondered what would happen when one of my own children threw up.  Would I run?  Would I be totally freaked out and not be able to help them?  And over the past few months, I started really thinking about it.  I started to fear it.  It was looming.  I knew it was bound to happen soon. 

And it did.  We made it 2 years, 4 months, 2 weeks and 4 days.  But today, Friday the 13th (probably not a coincidence), today it happened. 

Luke threw up. 

Three times. 

In the car. 

All over himself.  All over the back of my seat. 

And I was stuck.  I couldn't run.  Unless I wanted to fling my body from a moving car.  But in the end, I didn't want to run.  My first-born, my high maintenance, crazy, sweet boy was sick.  He was crying because he didn't know what was happening.  And this mama was there for him.

So we pulled over.  I quickly opened his door, wiped of the throw up with my hands, used a blanket from the backseat to deal with some of the spillage and directed Chat on what to do next.  Closest place was my parents house (they were out of town), so off we went.  We got him inside, cleaned him in the bath, washed his clothes, wiped down his carseat and placed him in his diaper on towel on the couch and let him watch Thomas the Train and prayed for no more puke.

{Luke set up on the couch after what will forever be called the "incident"}

So far so good.  Luke has had no fever and has been acting like himself.  He has loved the sprite we have let him drink and is starting to eat a few saltine crackers.  I am hoping this is the end of this...for his sake and mine.

{Ben: 7 Months Old}

This big guy is 7 months old today AND finally taking a bottle!!!  It has to be breastmilk and it has to have been pumped within a few days, but he is taking it.  Woohoo!

Next challenge: Someone else (ahem Daddy) trying to give it to him at bedtime and putting him down so Mommy can have a night out once in a while.

{Lipase Issue, Juicy Comments & Baby Food Hatred}

First, it seems as though we are having some trouble in the bottle arena once again.  Ben did great last week and took a bottle (with a little lot of coaxing) on Monday and Tuesday.  Then disaster struck and he refused Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  But I was noticing something different those three days. On Wednesay, it didn't seem to be the nipple that was the issue. He would make a face when he tasted the milk. Then I noticed that the milk was smelling funny -- kinda musty-like. Definitely did not smell fresh. So Saturday, I pumped one side and gave it right away to him. He fought it a bit, but then took it.  I did the same thing on Sunday.  He fought, but eventually took it which is very different than Wednesday through Friday (he would fight, but never give in). 

So it makes me think that I might have an issue with excess lipase (an enzyme) in my breastmilk that causes milk to taste and smell funny. It is not bad for the baby to drink, but can cause some picky eaters (ahem Ben) to reject the bottle. The answer is scalding the milk before freezing or refrigerating it.  Sigh.  This is getting very complicated.  Before I do anything, I am doing a few more tests.  I have 4 month old frozen milk, 2 month old frozen milk and 1 day old refrigerated milk.  I am going to warm them all up and then smell/taste it to see if they all have the issue, etc.  Again, this is getting very complicated.  I just want this baby to take a bottle!!!!

Second, today at the grocery store Ben was described as "juicy" as we rolled by the cashiers.  This was a new one that I have yet to hear (which is hard because we get comments everywhere we go on his ginormous size).  Yes, I know my baby is a bit plump but that is no reason to call him this.  Okay, I will admit it...he most definitely is juicy.  Really loved this one!

And lastly, here is proof that Ben hates baby food.  I have been working with him for over two months and this is where we are at...

{Fourth of July}

Fourth of July is quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays!  Even in the crazy heat and sweating our tooshies off, it is such a great day and it makes me more and more thankful for our little family.  I love the red, white and blue outfits, the decorated bikes, the smell of the grill as you walk by family-filled lawns.  It is wonderful.  As we were walking back from our neighborhood carnival, Chat and I talked about how much fun it is to experience holidays with our kids. Even through juggling the kids and their naps, tantrums, quirks and everything in between, they bring so much fun and excitement to days like yesterday. 

Like I mentioned we went to our neighborhood carnival first, then lunch at my parents, went home for naps (I got one too!) and then to Chat's stepdad's house for their July 4th party.  It was a full day, but oh so fun!  Here is our day in pictures...

Walking to the carnival

First taste of a Bomb Pop!

Train ride with daddy

Picture with mommy because she is never in any pictures :)

Happy baby!

Luke loving the animals at the petting zoo

Luke and his buddy Connor going down the GINORMOUS slide

Close up of Luke and his best pal Connor

Bounce house time!

One tuckered baby

Cutest niece ever!

 

{Cowboy Ben}

I have a few updates on this guy....

1.  Ben is finally napping well!  Over the past couple of weeks, he has started taking longer naps than just 30 to 45 minutes.  At least once a day, he does a two (or close to it) hour nap which is amazing.  He usually will do shorter naps the rest of the day (sometimes not though), but I will take what I can get!  This has been a really, really good thing.

2.  The last two days Ben has taken a bottle!!!!  I hope I stick with this and he continues to take one at least once a day.  He fights it at first, but he eventually will take it.  I have to hold him away from me when I give it to him.  If he gets too close to my chest, he freaks out and wants the real deal.  We are working with pumped milk, but hoping he gets comfortable enough over the next few weeks and then I can start working on formula with him.  I would love to nurse him and give him bottles of formula -- that would be my ideal situation!  It has been a real challenge to not have him take a bottle over the past almost 7 months, so this is a wonderful gift.  I am really hoping we both stick with it!

3.  Sweet Benny Boy is still not sleeping well at night.  Most night he wakes up twice, usually around 2:00 and 5:00 am which I have been handling okay.  But some nights (like last night) he was up every 2 hours.  I think it is due to teething, but who knows?  I have been doing this online seminar with Moms On Call and they help guide you if you let them cry it out in a safe way.  They claim it will only take 3 nights total.  I know it is time -- Ben needs uninterupted sleep just as much as I do.  I just hate to hear him cry, so I am just not quite sure I am up for it just yet.  I wish there was another alternative to sleep training.  If I do the other methods like Ferber, No Cry Sleep Solutions, etc it just seems to make him crazy mad and it backfires.  I am really at a loss on what the right step is for us. 

{Like my bubble mustache?}

4.  This boy loves the water!  Whether it is the bathtub or the pool, he loves to splash.  It is quite adorable :).

5.  Ben wants to crawl so bad and he is close!  I think he still needs a few more weeks, but this big guy wants to M.O.V.E.  He is starting to get a bit frustrated so I know he is definitely motivated.  He is also starting to want to pull up.  He is doing it on me right now and loves to stand and hang on to something -- like the couch or coffee table.  My how fast they grow!

Guess that is about it for today!  We are heading to our neighborhood parade and carnival for July 4th tomorrow and then having a hamburger cook-out at my parents tomorrow.  Happy early Fourth of July!!