{Victory!}

So I mentioned a while back that Ben did not like baby food.  To say he didn't like it is probably a very large understatement, but let's just go with that.  So after about two months of working with him and getting absolutely nowhere except royally pissing off this baby, I finally just gave up.  He seemed to be struggling with it more the harder I tried and the older he got.  So we took a couple weeks off from all food except puffs (ahh, magical puffs).

 

But now that he is eight months and has four teeth, I thought it was time to start trying finger foods.  And, well, Ben is a much happier camper....

 

{Oooh, this looks interesting} 

{This watermelon isn't half bad, thanks mama}

{Wow, whatever I don't want to eat, I can just give to this furry thing}

 

{But hey...I like this stuff. Victory!!}

 

 

{It Goes Like...}

It goes something like this...

Ben gets sick.

Then I get sick.

Then Luke gets sick.

And then?

You guessed it!  Chat gets sick.

We have all had colds around here for the past week or so.  I, for one, am ready to kick this old cold's behind outta here.  Luckily we are on the mend and I am thinking with one more day we will be good as gold.

So today we spent a little time outdoors in the backyard.  We rarely have done this with the 100 degree temps lately, but Hurricane Isaac brought some nice winds and overcast skies and since no one really wants to play with those whose noses are temporarily faucets, we ventured out the back door. 

How I have missed it!  And what did I find?

{A big baby who is on a mission and doing a mean crawl.} 

 {A little boy who still loves to play outside and his smile proves it.}

{Brothers who love to hug.  Okay, this was totally prompted.  Probably would have never happened had I not asked Luke to do it, but hey, look at the smile on Ben at the end.  He loved it!} 

{And this sweetie pie is still sporting the best baby mohawk around!}

{Luke: 2 1/2 Years Old!}

My first born is 2 1/2 years old today.  How did that happen?  Everyone says that the days are long, but the years are short and boy are they right.  I feel like he was this chubby little toddler just yesterday, but he actually is a funny, tall, skinny, crazy, cute boy now. 

We don't really celebrate half birthdays, but I am going to say that we do just so I don't feel bad about Luke suckering me into buying him two cookies today.  Two.  All before 11:00 am.  Yes, one at Whole Foods so he wouldn't have a total meltdown and the other at the cookie store right next to where he gets his haircut.  He did scream, cry and throw a major fit during his haircut today so why not reward that with a huge cookie.  The second huge cookie for the day.  Major parenting points for me today!

{Luke saying "two" and trying to hold up two fingers}

What can I say about Luke at 2 1/2 years old?  I think this sums it up -- the good is sooooooo good and the bad is typically pretty bad.  The talking, the kisses, the hugs, the learning, the giggles, the playtime.  It is wonderful at this age.  But the meltdowns, fits and opinions can be quite a lot to take at times.  Luckily lately we have way more good times than bad these days. 

Luke is talking more and more and it is so funny to hear what goes through his little head.  I love that we can have conversations and he can tell us what he needs/wants (sometimes it can be problem though...like when he wants oreos for lunch).  He has crazy energy (help!), loves his friends and obsessed with trains and most recently Mickey Mouse.  The pushing that was a problem the past few months seems to be subsiding and he seems to accepting those disappointing moments better (like when it is time to turn off the tv or time to go home when he is having fun).  He is still quite a handful and we are still using time outs when needed (like just now when he just hit my hand because I wouldn't let him type on the computer ~sigh~), but overall he is really fun to be around.

He can be very loving and loves to snuggle with me on the couch and hold my hand.  It is moments like those that I just want time to freeze so he will do that forever with me -- yes, I know that is a crazy boy mom moment that my future daughter-in-law will hate reading one day.  He is still in his crib and potty training is no where on the horizon.  I think he weighs around 35 or 36 pounds and I have no idea how tall he is except that he does seem about an inch or two taller than most of his peers.  Not sure if that will stick around or if he is just an early grower. 























He is also becoming a wonderful big brother.  Suddenly Luke is so interested in Ben and is constantly saying, "Baby trains!", meaning -- Ben come and stand at my train table and watch me play.  He gets on the floor and crawls with Ben now that baby brother is mobile.  It is really just overwhelming to watch the two of them together.  Luke still has his moments where he hits him or gets jealous and will act out, but there are definitely way more good times with these two brothers.

Happy half birthday Luke...Can't wait to see what the next 6 months bring!

{Ordinary Days}

It's all about the simple things in life, right?  Lately, life has been pretty simple.  Busy, but simple.  The summer has been filled with time together, many hours at home and trying to keep ourselves busy indoors since it is so stinkin't hot outside.  Here is a glimpse into our ordinary days.

One thing we have found that we can do outside in the evening is take the dogs on a walk.  This is my view.  Well, mine and Ben's view... 

I have Ben in the stroller and Chat has both dogs.  And Luke leads the pack!  Luke has loved his evening walks.  I guess I should say run though since that is what Luke does the minute we hit the pavement.  He keeps it up for the whole 20 or 25 minutes and comes home happy and sweaty, probably two of my favorites on him.  I think all little boys need an outlet to get all that energy out and we finally found one that he loves.  Too bad it makes him smell like a little goat.  Luckily bathtime usually follows.

Ben is making bathtime interesting.  No longer are the days where he sits and enjoys watching everything around him.  Nope!  He likes to stand.  And stand.  And stand some more.  Literally he will stand holding on to the ottoman or some other table for 45+ minutes.  Including in the bath...

He wanted to get that running water so bad.  Anyhoo, the boy only wants to stand in the bath which is making it very tricky.  He is so darn slippery when he is wet, so I always have to keep a hand on him so he doesn't tumble into the water, which...er...might have happened.  This makes bathing both boys at the same time complicated and a workout for this mama. 

We had a rainy Sunday this past weekend, so we had a lot of train time at home.  Luke still loves his trains and pretty much plays with them 95% of the time when he is at home. Thank goodness for those trains... 

Jam sessions have become a normal around here lately.  I am not sure who likes it more - Chat, Ben or the dogs.  I can tell you who doesn't...me.  Whenever I see that darn guitar, I immediately clench my teeth.  That strumming gets sooooooo annoying to me -- ha!  But then I realize how much all my boys love it and how much it occupies them all so I can possibly get a shower or brush my teeth or something even productive around the house.  And then I am at peace with that stinkin' guitar. 

Again, this one loves to stand.  And now he loves to look at himself while standing.  And can you see Luke in the background.  I am sure he was flinging himself on the bed, then proceeded to fling himself off the bed, or into the pillows, or into the headboard.  He finds many fun (and potentially dangerous) things to do with our bed that involves flinging his body.  Boys will be boys.

Summer has been great, but I am soooooo ready for the fall.  I am ready to stop sweating.  I am ready to go back to the park.  I am ready for the holidays.  I just have to be a bit more patient.  All in time :).

{Recently...In Pictures}

With two busy boys, I am having keeping up with blog posts!  So here are a few things that have been happening recently in pictures...

{Someone really likes Cheerios!}

{And someone's brother really likes stealing his Cheerios}

{Ben has been pulling up like a champ especially in his crib, so I get this view of his chubby little legs a lot}

{Daddy and Ben snuggles}

{Brother snuggles on the bed -- okay, I think Luke was really trying to lie on top of him}

{Playdate at the park with Luke and his buddies!}

{Introducing...}

My baby's rattail.  Ben has had it since the day he was born.  And as the days go on, it keeps growing (and growing and growing).  And just in case you don't truly believe this is a rattail...here is the definition.

Wikipedia defines a rattail as a hair style that is characterized by a long "tail"-like element of hair growing downward from the back of the head (ummm, check).  The rattail usually curls naturally (ummm, check); however, it can be braided, treated as a dread, permed, straightened, or curled with an iron (oh lawd, I hope not). In some instances, an individual might choose to grow several tails as opposed to a single very long tail (please hold me).

{Ben: 8 Months Old}

My sweet Ben is 8 months old today and he is celebrating by trying to get in his top two teeth which is causing him a great deal of pain.  It has been a hard few days for him.  Sleeping and naps are hard to come by and tears are flowing.  So we have had lots of soothing, nursing, rocking and holding, and we hope he will be back to himself in the next few days.  It is hard to see him like this...

This has been a big month for him -- taking a bottle, crawling, pulling up, eating puffs and much more.  It is all so exciting yet we need a few days to get back to our happy self.  Happy 8 Months my little 28 pound turkey!

{Naptime}

Too bad I didn't have a million things to do during the boys' naptimes because I could hold this guy forever....

{The Battle Begins}

It has already begun...the battle between two brothers.

Accept one doesn't realize it yet. He is just doing his thang. His thang that is clearly rocking someone'e world. Meaning all things train.

It seems that little brother loves big brother's train table and can pull up on it all by himself now. It has already caused many fits and it is only day two of this new found talent.  Ben being mobile is a huge game-changer in this house and a certain big brother is not pleased.  I have a feeling this is one battle that is going to be sticking around. {Secretly I am rooting for the little one as I believe someone needs to have a very big lesson in sharing}.

At least we know we have a few more years of use out of this train table....that is unless I need to cut it into two!

{Namesake}

I realized that I never shared the meaning behind Ben's name -- Benjamin David.  The name Benjamin wasn't even really in the running for several months when I was pregnant with him.  I thought about it and liked it, but it never really stuck as his name when thinking about his arrival.  We originally were trying to find a name to go with John, which is Chat's first name.  Luke got Chat's middle name (Luke Chatland) so we thought it might be nice to use John this time.  So I kept thinking John Benjamin and it just didn't seem right.  Then on October 7th of last year, I thought of Benjamin David and talked it over with Chat and then I sent this email to my sister (I still have the email!) which said:

"What do you think of Benjamin David after dad?"

My sister loved it and responded that she just got chills.  After that, I just knew.  Our second son would be named Benjamin David after my father.  I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it earlier.  So we finalized the name, but decided we would make it a surprise and swore my sister to secrecy. 

Then December 12th came along and I was induced early due to preeclampsia.  We had less than 24 hours notice, so we scrambled to get Luke taken care of and our plans in order.  My parents took Luke for the night and we told them we would call them once Ben arrived and then they could come up once someone could stay with Luke.  Ben had no problem coming quickly.  We checked in a little after 7:00 am at Texas Women's Hospital and got set up.  It wasn't till almost 9:00 or 9:30 am that they gave me pitocin. I had two nurses because one was in training, so things were taking a bit longer because there was lots of explaining, etc.  But once I got the pitocin, things moved pretty quickly.  I managed for about two hours with pretty painful contractions so around 11:00 am I asked for an epidural.  Sometime within the hour my friend Robin came to visit and brought Chat lunch and chatted with me to help pass the time.  Around 12:30 things were getting pretty painful again...very painful.  They suspected I was complete and ready to push and they were right.  They called the doctor and she was in surgery.  They turned everything off and we waited.  Well, Ben waited for a while but he was ready.  So they called a back-up doctor to be there just in case.  Luckily, my doctor (well actually she was my sister's doctor because my OB was on maternity leave -- she had her baby the very next day at the same hospital) made it just in time.  I pushed for 12 minutes and our little Ben was born.  It was an amazing moment.

I didn't realize it but my mom had come up and was waiting outside the room during my delivery.  She came in and met Ben and said she would be back with my dad later that day.  I didn't realize how much I needed one of my parents there when Ben was born to share that moment.  I was so concerend about Luke, I didn't realize that I needed my mom there to help me welcome Ben.  I was so happy to have my mother at that moment.   

My dad came back later that night.  He was huddled around my bed with Ben in my arms.  I finally asked my dad, "Do you want to know his name?".  Of course he said he did. "His name is Benjamin David.  After you Dad".  My dad didn't say much after that.  He had a look of surprise on his face and then I saw his eyes well up with tears.  I could almost see the lump in his throat.  It is a moment I will never forget. 

Later that night, my dad called me up at the hospital.  They were having a high old time with Luke at their house but he was calling to check in.  He then said, "Sweetie, I know I didn't say much when you told me Ben's name earlier."  Then I heard the lump in his throat.  He started choking up and had trouble getting the words out.  I am not sure exactly what he said because at that point I was overwhelmed with emotion too.  But he said how much it meant to him and it was hard to say it earlier that day.  It was one of the most touching conversations I have had with my dad.

I know I will never forget those moments.  They are some of the most precious I have had in my 31 years.  I won't forget my dad's face and the tears of happiness in his eyes when I told him as he hovered over my son in that hospital room.  But just in case, I wanted to write it down somewhere so I won't forget.  And so one day, I can tell Ben who he is named after and how I told his grandfather the news.

You see there aren't many men like my dad.  I know no one is perfect, but he is pretty darn close. He is there for me, my sister and my mom through anything.  And now my boys.  He would do and does anything for us.  He gives us unconditional love and it shows every day.   

I think my dad and Ben have a special bond.  When Ben went into the ICU at Texas Children's when he was 7 weeks old, my dad came almost every day.  He was Ben's champion and did everything he could do to help.  Even when Ben was off the ventilator and I was trying to get him to nurse again, I would go behind the curtain and my dad would station himself at the monitors and manage his breath count.  I couldn't let him go above a certain number while he was trying to nurse or I would have to stop because it was too dangerous.  Since my dad certainly couldn't help nurse, he found himself a job to help.  Everytime it would get close to a particularly dangerous number, he made sure I knew about it.  It is funny that through all that craziness and hardship of those two weeks, that is one of the most clear memories I have.  I just see those two black dress shoes under the curtain while I sat and nursed my sick son. 

Ben has a lot to live up to with his grandfather's name, but I have a feeling he has the best person to look up to in order to do it.  I love both of my Davids with all my heart. 

{The Other Side}

After reading my post from yesterday, I realize I am not giving the full picture of Luke at the age of two.  I have definitely written down the hard part of raising a two-year-old, but I have not really documented the good stuff that comes with this age.  The stuff that makes the hard part worth it.

So today I am going to show the other side of Luke of being two.  The worth it side. The ohmygoodnessilovemychildsomuchithurts side.

1.  Luke loves his mommy and daddy.  Yes...US.  It is the best feeling in the entire world.  He wants nothing more than to be with us, playing, laughing and loving each other.  There is something beautiful about being everything to one little person.  I try everyday to live up to it.

2.  His vocabulary and ability to speak has grown leaps and bounds in the last six months.  Luke can communicate with us using words.  It is truly amazing for you to ask your child what they want for dinner and for them to answer "pizza!" and for them to say "thank you daddy" when you place the plate in front of them.  And the best part is we are finally hearing what is going on in that little head of his.  It is crazy amazing to hear what makes them tick. 

3.  Speaking of thank you, Luke is actually a very polite little boy. Since turning two, he says thank you and please unprompted daily and makes you want to give him chick-fil-a and candy for every meal when you get a "please", "thank you" and smile like that. He can wrap Chat and me around his finger in an instance. 

4.  Energy.  Luke has so much energy and it is contagious.  He is always on the go, always so adventurous, so physical.  Even after a long day, full of activities, plus little to no nap, he can keep going and going and going. If there is any action, he wants to be in the middle of it, usually with a big smile on his face.  I love watching his energetic nature and all that spirit and spunk flow out of him.

5.  He can show me where things hurt now and likes to point out his "bo bo's".  

6.  Luke loves his friends. Over the past six months, his buddies have become an integral part of his life and makes him sooooo happy.  I love watching him interact, play, hug, laugh with his pals.  Yes, there is the occasional fight, but it is quickly replaced with giggles, dancing, running and "I'm sorry's". 

7.  Hugs and kisses flow freely from my big man.  And if you catch him on a good day, he will even give Ben kisses and hugs and it makes my heart melt to see my oldest embracing my youngest.  Truly melt. 

8.  Jumping is the new mode of movement in our house.  Luke will jump from his room all the way to the den, then kitchen and then bathroom.  Oh and he jumps off of things.  That is a bit trickier because I foresee a trip to the ER soon if we do not get him under control. 

 

9.  The boy loves to pray.  I guess they started it at school, but he has definitely mastered it at home.  Everytime we sit down for dinner, he exclaims "pray!" and clasps his little hands together.  I typically say the prayer and he ends it with an exclamatory "AMEN!".  The prayer bug hits him quite often and in lots of places, therefore we have been praying all over this city. Houston is one blessed city :).

10.  He can say all of his ABCs and can count to 10.  He knows all of his colors, animals and what sounds they make.  Now I know must 2 1/2 year olds can do this plus some, but everytime he does it, I think what a genius.  Ha ha!  I know, some kids are doing so much more.  But I love his accomplishments and watching him learn.

11.  Luke loves going to school now.  He is such a big boy and walks in all by himself and does not cry a tear.  He has made huge strides since his first day over a year ago (lots of tears and hand holding).  He names his favorite friends in his class (Connor, Silas and Matthew -- what the teachers call the 'rat pack') and can say his teachers' names.  He eats well, naps well and sits in a mean circle when it is storytime. 

12.  He loves to be tickled so we do that quite a lot in our house.  His giggles are contagious as he squeals with delight.  Before you even stop tickling him, he starts requesting "tickle! tickle!" just to squirm some more. 

13.  Luke has shown to be a leader among his peers.  I believe everyone has a place and we need leaders, followers and everything in between and all are important and needed.  But it is amazing to see him blaze some trails among his pals.  It gets me that much more excited for his future. 

So there is the other side of being two.  The other side of tantrums, high emotions, meltdowns, fights.  As you can see, there is so much good.  There are bad times and we have days that we struggle with disappointments, but the good is so good.  That I know.

{Happy Monday}

I am having a bit of writer's block lately and I am not sure why.  Maybe it is due to this guy....

I love this little man more than I can put into words, but it is taking all my strength and energy to deal with his emotions and meltdowns.  We have such good days and have such fun, but they can quickly be shattered because I turn off the tv, or it is time to put his shoes on or, God forbid, I suggest the wrong snack or need to change his diaper.  Who knew that the WORLD COULD END just because I put a bowl of grapes in front of him???  Honestly, I have been managing it okay over the past few weeks and even laughed about it mostly, but I guess I got to the end of my rope over the weekend. It had been building and Saturday was just hard -- more for me than him I guess.  It was just a normal day for him.  He would meltdown and cry over the littlest things and I had zero patients left. What's worse?  Not only was I mad at him, I was disappointed in myself for finally 'losing it' so to speak and I felt like I was failing as his mother. 

So what did we do?  We retreated to my parents house for a change of scenery and a little help from Bea and Grandad.  Chat was working that night and I knew I just needed to change it up or I might have exploded.  Clearly it is what I/we needed because Sunday was much better.  My nerves had relaxed some and I had a better handle on the small situations that come up daily.  We ended snuggling a lot and holding hands (my particular favorite) and 'making up' for the hard past few days.  I guess everyone needs a break once in a while, especially when traveling down the path of the Terrible Two's. 

Oh and then there is this guy!

Teething is in full force with ole Benny Boy.  He is such a sweetie, but lately he has had moments like the above picture.  I feel sooooo sorry for him when I see him like this and when he makes those funny faces that only teething can create.  Luckily, our sweet boy come backs pretty quickly to us and they are just fleeting moments.  I still don't understand why it takes two years of hardship to get these suckers in just for you to lose them all in just a few short years.  Explain that one to me! 

In other news, these two brothers are starting to play a bit more together....

...or maybe Luke is just pushing him more and Ben is finding it very funny:).  Well, until he gets hurt.  We are having more fun together as ben grows and becomes more mobile, but with that has come more issues with sharing.  Luke thinks all toys are for him which leaves Ben with...well, not much.  Luckily Ben is pretty happy-go-lucky so it hasn't caused too many issues, but as soon as he starts crawling faster and can get into more of Luke's things, we are in trouble.  TROUBLE.  Specifically, Ben is eyeing Luke's train table.  Laaaawwwwd, help me.  There is not enough valium in the world that will help me with that battle.

Luckily school is going to be starting in the fall and there will be more time for Ben to explore the house by himself.  Until then, Ben still thinks Luke is the most awesome thing since...hmmm...puffs and Luke, well, Luke tolerates Ben.  The fabulous life of two little boys!

{The Sleep Question}

Oh Benny Boy!   You keep me on my toes.   How are you sleeping?  Such a tough question!  Just a quick update on sleeping since I have so many of you on the edge of your seat :). 

This is pretty much how it goes:

1. Currently -- Wake up 3 to 4 times a night.

2. Mommy gets beyond exhausted.

3. Mommy and Daddy decide it is time to sleep train.

4. First night -- not good.

5. Second night -- not bad.

6. Third night -- I think this baby is learning to sleep!

7. Fourth through ninth night or so -- Hey this really does work.

8. Around tenth night -- Wait, why is he up again.

9. Eleventh night -- How many times has he been up tonight?

10. Twelth night through fourteenth night -- Wake up 2 to 3 times a night.

11. Fifteenth night through eighteenth night -- Wake up 3 to 4 times a night.

12. Mommy gets beyond exhausted.

13. Mommy and Daddy decide it is time to sleep train...

Get the routine?? 

Again, thank goodness I think he is a cutie because he keeps me hanging in there. On a positive note, the boy has mastered naps (yay!) and is sleeping more than he has in the past. It is just squeezed in there with lots of not-sleeping nights still.  Overall he is still doing better than where we were a month ago :). Baby steps.