Hopeful

This is how I feel about this week:

This is how I hope to feel after Friday is over:

And this just cracks me up b/c he NEVER slows down rearranging our kitchen:

Moo Cow!

Life is bittersweet this week for mommy - little man is trying cow's milk for the first time. We made it to a year of breastfeeding - woo hoo!

Breastfeeding has been a great experience for me and little man. Like big sis, he took to it right away and we made it through all the ups and downs this last year. But I can't say it was easy. My job keeps me busy and between being a mom, working, and taking classes my time is spread a bit thin. I am not really sure if I am quite ready for the weaning process to begin or if little man is ready either.

I remember these same doubts and concerns (although with a lot more tears!) when I began to back off breastfeeding big sis. I worried about how weaning would affect our relationship and if it was the right time and if big sis would be sad about the change. It was a long process that took several months. Our last session was when big sis was 15 months old. I wasn't prepared for how simple it seemed in the end to take small comfortable steps away from breastfeeding. Or how happy it made me to see big sis extend her bond with Disco as I stepped away. I thought I would miss breastfeeding so much but I was surprised to see other routines that were just as fulfilling take its place. The process that terrified me because I didn't know what to expect turned out to be positive for our little family.

I don't know exactly what to expect this time around either. Little man is such a different kiddo for sure! But I hope we are able to take small steps that are comfortable for both me and little man. And that as the breastfeeding sessions come to an end that little man strengthens a few other family ties.

Oh, and I am looking forward to fresh margaritas again! Girls night out anyone?

Memorable Weekend

So we really didn't do anything too exciting this weekend but I hope that we remember this Memorial Day Weekend as a "Memorable Weekend"! It started early . . . Thursday night.

Thursday we played at the park after work.Friday we ate a nice dinner to celebrate Disco's graduation.

Saturday the kiddos visited their great aunt and grandparents all day. So Disco and I got to work in the yard. Not that you can tell a difference yet but it is a start!Sunday we did a bit of shopping and hung out at the house while the rain flooded everything, again.

Monday we bought little man's birthday present, grilled bratwurst and veggies, and hung out with Aunt K. Oh, and tested out little man's new basketball goal and man was there some competition. Big sis was good!

What was so memorable to me about the weekend was how happy everyone was. Now little man is still grumpy when he isn't being held or getting exactly what he wants - not quite 100% yet. And big sis' refusal to take a nap really makes her bossy and irritable about 5pm. But otherwise everyone just enjoyed hanging out without an agenda or time frame. We were just one big happy, relaxed family this weekend. And it was nice!

Recovering

Little man has stopped running a fever. And there are times when he is an active, giggly, mischievous 11 month old. Tonight he actually ran around the house more than usual. But the antibiotics or pain medicine he is taking really gives him a belly ache so he still wants to be cuddled or held a lot of the time he is home. And obviously he can fall asleep anywhere!We are finally getting him to sleep by himself again. These are cute photos of little man napping while home sick. They were too cute not to post!

ER

This family has been sick FOREVER. But the last two days little man and I have been much worse. Little man began vomiting at 4 pm Wednesday and spiked a fever which we still could not get under control by 7 am Thursday. And he was SO pitiful - not crying or fussy, just lethargic and clingy. He just was NOT himself and we were worried about dehydration by Thursday morning.

Disco and a Pitiful Little Man Thursday AM

We are blessed with several friends who are pediatricians and a very accessible super doc pediatrician the kids see regularly. On Wednesday I talked to one our peds friends and she gave us warning signs to watch. I called our super doc pediatrician on his cell Thurs morning (I LOVE that our pediatrician gives us that option - anyone that has to wade through clinic staff on a regular basis should understand what a blessing that is!). Since he wasn't in the clinic today and we were getting concerned about dehydration he suggested a trip to the ACH ER.

Disco couldn't get out of work today so it was just me and little man when we arrived at the ER. A close college friend is on staff at ACH (outside of the clinics) and once she realized we were there she came down to stay with us throughout the visit. That was so AWESOME b/c we were there for 3 hours and little man and I would have gone insane without her support!

Little man had pretty strong opinions about certain procedures. I feel he gave some negative feedback to the staff about taking his temperature, being catheterized for a urine test, and the radiologist's torture chamber was definitely not his fav. He has double ear infections again and most likely a tummy bug. Everyone was friendly, they explained every step, and it was an efficient exam process (I know 3 hours doesn't sound efficient but there was only a short time we had to wait at the end for a result - otherwise we kept moving from test to test). By the end we had also seen/heard from all of our super peds friends which was awesome. Did I mention we were blessed in the peds department yet?

'Tis the season for doctor's visits. Little man was not alone at his visit to the hospital this week, his pal MF who is roughly the same age as little man also made an ER trip this week. And another Buffy buddy of his had his eye exam at ACH. I am happy to say this was our first ER visit ever for either kiddo. And that it was a positive experience overall. As active/curious/adventurous as our kids are I am sure we will be back to the ER again (as I write this big sis is trying to stack her chair on top of the coffee table to see how tall she could be. No worries, Disco stopped that activity!). I can't say that I look forward to another trip but at least we know we will have good support if it is necessary again!

Carnivores Eat Ice Cream Too

We ALL love barbecue and ice cream around here! And what better way to spend a happy mother's day weekend than with family, barbecue and sandwiches, and cake and ICE CREAM. Especially when it means we hang out on the couch the rest of the day after the food coma sets in :)

It amazes me that our kiddos eat all of this fun food - even little man who screams if you are eating food he thinks he should eat too. Can't wait to spice it up with some Indian food next!

Canines and Snot

Little man is having a rough week of teething i.e. keeping us all awake! His top two canines pushed through his gums today. I feel bad for him! It must be a painful process because he sure isn't himself.

The entire family has the sniffles too.

All of this would be business as usual for our chaotic clan except Disco is finishing his masters this week and we are both unusually busy at work. When it rains it pours (which has been the state of the weather this week as well).

On the positive side, we are all looking forward to this weekend when we can do some fun family stuff and relax!

running into 11 months!

Little man walked two days before his 11 month birthday . . . and he has been running ever since! I have been surprised at how he has quickly moved from cautious steps to crossing the room in seconds. His movements are still much like Frankenstein's monster and uber-cute tugging on his ear as he goes! I guess he is officially a toddler now.

It moves AND makes lots of noise - he loves it!

I am amazed that both kiddos were walking by 11 months. But they got there two very different ways. Big sis didn't pull up until she was almost 9 months old, took her first tentative steps at 10 months, and was walking by 11 months. Little man was pulling up at 7 months and seemed to be practicing his moves until he just took off at 11 months.

Little man is voicing his opinion a lot lately. Oh, he is still quite the happy go lucky guy. But if he wants something and either doesn't get it or you take it away he lets you know how much of an injustice he was served!

We are still breastfeeding, although I don't know how much longer it will last. He is becoming more and more independent and other than nighttime has no interest in slowing down for breastfeeding sessions. The fact that he practices his pincer grasp the entire time is weakening my drive to continue as well. And he is literally spilling off of my lap because he is getting so big! But we will enjoy our breastfeeding bond as long as we can.

Little man is becoming more and more mischievous . He practices laughing out loud to see if you will too. And his favorite past times include tearing things apart, climbing up anything interesting, and opening doors and cabinets to see what is inside. Our house is in constant disarray these days!

All in all he is a happy guy. I say this at every stage but this one is my favorite. Happy 11 months little man!

Random Photos I Haven't Posted

I have a paper due tomorrow, I am behind at work, our house is a mess. So I decided to take a break and upload pictures to the blog and ignore all of it for a moment. Enjoy the random photos!

Easter Family Shot

Obviously I am on the phone too much if he knows exactly what to do with this toy!

Nothing says bliss like a smile like this!

Little man's first Mickey D's on our road trip this past weekend. In our rush to get on the road I forgot to think about healthy options for the toddler who will only eat finger foods. But obviously he liked those fries!

Big sis and her daddy at Mickey D's on our road trip - she is really becoming a daddy's girl.

The reason we were traveling last weekend. Because nothing says breast cancer awareness like a bazillion ducks bearing pink ribbons!

He just took off running . . .

Little man has been practicing walking with focus lately. Usually holding onto one of your hands while using his other hand to tug on his ear or carry a toy. There have been a few cautious steps on his own here and there. And we got to witness those "first steps." But for the most part I would have considered his actions cruising. Not today! Disco got to daycare first and picked little man up before I arrived. Apparently little man was impressing all of the teachers and they were going on and on about how they didn't know he could walk. News to us too! When I arrived, Disco said "watch this" and plopped little man in the middle of the hall. Little man took one look at me, grinned, and then RAN the other way! That stinker! Ok, I know it wasn't really a run but it was speedier than I expected.

At any rate, he never looked back or slowed down the rest of the night. Walking is on!

Table Scraps

Bye bye baby food . . . hello big people food! Little man has made so much progress feeding himself since we got past our thrush attack. Now it means I have to boil everything after use, adding to our daily routine. But at least little man doesn't gag constantly because his mouth and throat are full of fungus!

So far, he LOVES everything you put in front of him. Favorites are natural cheetos and cheese. Rocks at the park are also a favorite snack - so full of nutrients. But there isn't anything he won't eat yet. Today he ate fish, banana, apple, cheese and avocado for dinner. If he can pick it up he will put it in his mouth and it means he stays put during dinner without much complaint.

I know this also means we will be ready for steps towards weaning in a month or so. A process that I dreaded with big sis but ended up being so much less dramatic than I imagined. I don't expect it to be exactly the same with little man. I let big sis guide me through the process based on her tolerance and comfort level at each stage. I am sure little man will do the same. For now, we are just excited that we can sit through an entire meal together as a family. We will enjoy it while it lasts!

Our Easter Celebration

Palm Sunday in their Hawaiian Finest

So I know Easter is all about resurrection and renewal. But I don't think I can handle any more of that this week!

Hopping along to school Friday

The kids enjoyed some egg hunting and Easter antics starting Friday at school which continued at church Saturday and Sunday. They actually had a lot of fun!

And here he sat smiling for the entire egg hunt

But Bondo, bless his mis-guided 66 year old heart, decided to be a little too adventurous on his birthday Saturday. After severely miscalculating his ability to fly solo on a ladder with a chainsaw he landed quite squarely - on his ARM. Thank goodness he was thinking clear enough to throw the chainsaw away from himself as he fell. And that my mom was there to get him to the ER. They spent the rest of Saturday and all of Easter at the hospital.

Gaga and Big sis BEFORE Bondo landed in the ER

On Easter morning we watched the minister who drew us to our church preach her last sermon. It was a very emotional service and a hard decision but for a somewhat joyous reason - she is taking off to be a full time mom of 4 boys. I say somewhat because she is still battling a few health issues which also played a role in her decision. We look forward to a new beginning at the church but we will definitely miss her in the pulpit!

The rest of the day on Easter was actually quite relaxing. Little man took a nap, big sis watched TV, I read a book, and Disco played on the computer. After naptime we spent our time playing phone tag with Gaga and Bondo waiting for word from the doctor. So we played and did a bit of household chores. But everything was EASY and FUN! It was the first afternoon in a long time when we really just enjoyed hanging around the house.

Still behind . . .

Until Disco can get back to the computer I will just make a few quick comments . . . mainly to remind myself later when filling in the baby book and scrapbook journal.

EMPATHY
Big sis showed her first sign of empathy the other day. We have to take a different route home this week because I keep picking the kids up later than usual. This means we hit TRAFFIC. When big sis whined "why this way", I responded that "there are more cars and all the traffic keeps us from turning". Immediately she switch to her sorry voice and said "sorry momma". I was confused and then asked her why she was sorry. And then she said, again in her sorry voice, "because taffic". So sweet!

PIECES
Little man has been obsessed with taking things apart and putting them back together. Although he is much more efficient at the destruction part of that scenario. Yesterday I witnessed him put a ring back on the "stack o rings". I was so impressed!

BABY STEPS
Little man so wants to walk. I was talking to tallgirl about this issue today on the phone since babyP is working on the same moves. And we both oohhed and aahhed about how cute the process is. If left on his own, little man usually gently moves to his knees and crawls from point A to point B. But today he took a few very small calculated baby steps . . . right before he toppled over. His motivation was a tiny piece of food on the floor. Not momma, not dada, not even big sis. He shuffled ever so slightly for FOOD. He knows what he wants. I wouldn't consider this walking quite yet. But it was really nice to see his big attempts . . . for minuscule bits of trash.

Is it May yet?

Disco and I are swamped at work this month. We knew it was coming but you are never quite prepared for the chaos that ensues when life gets out of balance. And our attitudes reflect what you see in the faces of these two . . .

Big sis at 8 months

Little man at 8 months

I saw a comparison of pics on big dutch baby's blog and it reminded me of these pics hanging in our hallway. Tonight, I see more of Disco in big sis and more of me in little man. But I change my mind often. I need to search for some comparison baby pics of mommy and daddy at the same age. Thanks for the inspiration (which I needed since my photoshop guru is currently busy with other income-related projects!).

10 Months and 2 Days

I can't believe we hit 10 months a couple of days ago! Little man is so much more a little boy these days than a baby. And this one is a CLIMBER! We never had that problem with big sis. She was very curious but we didn't worry about her climbing up too many things. Little man can crawl/climb UP the little slide in our living room. He can also climb up big sis' step stool in the bathroom - which he did the first time without hesitation this week. It was like he knew exactly how to get to up but once he got there he discovered there wasn't too much for him to reach. So he yelled for some help down! Make that one more room he is not allowed to visit on his own.My favorite part of all of this exploration is that he KNOWS he isn't supposed to do certain things. He deliberately gives a quick look at you before he takes off like a firecracker to our "area 51" locations around the house. And he giggles as he speeds away. Right now his favorite off-limit locations are the bedroom/master bath (where the beloved step stool lives), the pantry (oooh, trash), the hall night light, and the kid's bathroom (not sure what appeals b/c he has never been allowed to explore in there - but since we said "no" it must be AWESOME!).
He is making lots of sounds that sound like words lately. DaDa, MaMa, BaBa seem to mean daddy, momma, and food. On one of our walks this week he made his first "animal" sound. I thought he barked at our dogs last week but I wasn't sure. Well, this time we are certain little man barked at a dog defending his territory behind a fence. It was very cute (well, not the dog defending his territory).

Little man is standing on his own. Cruising and crawling are still the modes of transportation by choice. But when he isn't thinking about it too much he will let go when he tries to walk. This doesn't happen often and so far he falls each time he lets go. The walker has been nice and little man thinks it is quite fun! But as he tries to walk he usually reaches up because of course your hands should be there to guide him. And that is just fine with me b/c it is so sweet! By this time next month I have no doubt that we will be chasing after him instead of holding him. He is getting so big!

200 Pictures

The B-M household held another fun-filled amateur photo session this past weekend. This time we honored "spring" by donning our bunny ears! And little man was about to outgrow all of the cute college T shirts we acquired when big sis was born. I thought it might be our only opportunity to document those college years since we may not be able to afford college for either kid at the rate we are going.

There was only one of 200 pictures that was AWESOME. Oh, there were other cute photos that I will post later this week. But for the most part we ended up with 199 pictures of one kid laughing while the other one cried. No kidding. But one photo popped up on the computer screen and both Disco and I just smiled! So even though our kids will use our picture taking sessions as the topic for many a therapy session, it was all worth it for pictures like this:

Happy Spring!

Making Momma a LIAR!

So at little man's doc appointment we had our "on the fly" 9 month check up. Which means as we were preparing to leave we asked about our 9 month well child and super doc asked a few questions and then stated "there is our 9 month check up". Basically we are good on weight and development - average as usual. Right now little man is all about motor skills so that was what we were able to describe. When asked about saying "mamamama" "dadadada" or "babababa", my response was "yes, but we don't really know if he is associating those sounds with what they mean".

Of course I was WRONG! But it didn't hit me until I thought about it later. In the mornings little man wakes up saying "dadadada" and starts looking around the bed for Disco who has either left to take a shower or take care of big sis. When little man is hungry there is a lot of "babababa". And over these last few days, when little man has NOT felt well and is a bit more clingy than usual, he has said a lot of "mamamama" and reaches for me anytime I am near. Melts my heart!

Speeding into Spring

It is time to catch up on blogging! Life has been crazy busy these last two weeks - not really sure why. Just busy at work and home. I have a few pictures from my camera documenting the past week or two. Obviously not as great as Disco's pics but they will have to do.

Last weekend we went to the Daffodil Festival for our yearly rendezvous with our buddies.

Stopping to Grab, Squish, and Eat the Flowers!

These Two!

Self Portrait with Little Man

Big sis is still just trucking along - enjoying life, doing well at pre-school, and pushing ALL of our buttons on a regular basis. The cutest thing she is doing recently is waking up, dragging blankie to the living room, and climbing into her "house" (a mini-slide/play house). Big sis doesn't even talk to any of us. She just opens her door and lays down on the floor of her "house" until she is ready to interact with the family. It is pretty cute!

Smiles in the Playhouse!

Little man is on a mission! He is EVERYWHERE. I commandeered the walker from my parent's house recently and little man is now zooming around the house. We were getting tired of being at his beck and call since he is obsessed with walking. Cruising was getting him around for the most part but otherwise he waits (yells) for someone to lend a hand to move from point A to point B. I mean, crawling is so YESTERDAY as far as he is concerned (not really, he still a speedy crawler but the thrill of trying to walk has taken over).

Zoom Zoom!

Go Speed Racer Go!

Little man has another ear infection and his thrush is still hanging on - so I don't know how that will affect his speedy nature. But I stayed home with him today before the doc appointment since he was running a fever. We only knew he had a fever because he was BTU man! He didn't even cry or fuss - just a bit clingy at times. And he seemed to do just fine barreling around the house!

Who's sick?

Cruising, Cheetos, and Evening Walks

Life is short . . . combine random thoughts!

Little man is cruising up a storm. AAAHHHH! Walking is next and we are not ready! He is already letting go and standing on his own way too often. And he only needs one of your hands to run across the room. I hope that we still have some time before the toddling takes over!

Our food introduction continues. Little man loves mushy banana, avocado, bits of cheese, and CHEETOS! The natural Cheetos actually seem softer and easier for little man to handle than some of the "baby" products out there. They melt in your mouth quicker than cheerios and don't splinter in big chunks like any of the crackers we have tried. So far they are his favorite munchies . . . most likely because it is something he can "share" with big sis!

The time change has caused a bit of adjustment around here. Big sis is having a hard time and started crying at daycare when we drop her off again. Most likely because it is another change in her schedule and she is grumpy since her sleep schedule is off. Little man is having the same problem. I am sure both kids are thinking "I can't be tired, it is still light outside!" Which is actually the positive thing about the time change - extra day light!!! So far we have enjoyed evening walks and trips to the park after dinner. Which is nice when your kiddos refuse bedtime until 7:30 or 8:00 pm. Hopefully we will adjust quickly!

Anyone got an ice pack?

This was our day . . .

Little man had an interesting visit to the doc. A couple of days ago little man was doing a bit of tugging in the bathtub and he acted like he was in PAIN! Not what I had expected from a curious boy. I immediately called catlady for a "penis consult" - since she is a seasoned boy mom. And after careful inspection, Disco decided it was time to see the doc. So we brought little man into the clinic and find out that he had an adhesion. Little man did NOT think the solution to this problem was pleasant to say the least! But we did find out his ears are clear and the thrush is under control for the moment. Hopefully a little petroleum jelly over the next few days will ease his other problem. Can I say, I have no clue what to do with little boys?!?

Big sis and I got out of the house to do a bit of shopping and pick up a pizza for dinner tonight. It was a lot of fun having some girl time - just the two of us! By bedtime little man was just maxed out on patience after his long day. So I traipsed back and forth between big sis and little man as much as possible so that I could get in some final girl time with big sis. When I finally got little man to sleep, I walked back to big sis' room to find this:

Disco told me that she wouldn't let him read her last book because "mommy was going to read" her book and she could "hear footsteps". I wanted to cry it was so sweet! So I read the book to her as she snored away and then sang her a lullaby. Someday all of the bedtime rituals will coincide again - but until then we will just do the best we can!