It just gets worse...

A few posts back I wrote something about things getting better. So this time I thought I switch things up. Actually Ben decided to switch things up.

I was summoned upstairs by my nephew tonight to find out he hit his older cousin with a very large toy, and pulled two of his girl cousins hair. I separated him and sent his dad after him. In a moment of insanity Will left his side for a minute. Well a minute was all it took. The markers were found and Ben wrote all over moms piano, wall, chairs and couch. He was nice enough to point out we had missed cleaning the mirror he had markered on as well when we missed that. Before you all feel really glad your son isn't as crazy as my son- I think you should know it was washable marker. I assure you he would have never colored with permanent marker.

 Really though- overall Ben is not too bad. He's got his dads mind his moms energy and a will that just doesn't quit. I am really very impressed with the strong individual we have for a son. Even if most sundays it takes all I am to not run out of the chapel screaming…. Ok enough of Ben lets talk about James…

We recently found out he is in the 91st percentile in height. He is 10 months old and wears 18 month old clothes. He is only in the 30th percentile in weight so he is skinny and tall like his dad. Another wonderful development has been his first tooth!  It took 9 months but it is there and there is another bump underneath his gums that seems to be promising to pop up anytime. As for smiles- he always has them. One of the women in the Relief Society told me today- "I used to think James just really liked me. But as I watch him he smiles at everyone-- I'm not his favorite after all." And it's true - everyone feels special around this kid and I love it.

As for Will and I, we are stumbling around in the dark trying to figure out how to be good parents. Days like today I feel like we're failing miserably. I can see how that first child can be such a learning curve. WE have NO idea what we are doing! I hope we don't ruin our kids :) Life is consistently busy for me trying to keep up with housework, kids, and work and Will's business. Finding a minute to myself is just not in the cards at this season of my life-- I'm not complaining - but I will be if I've gained 60 pounds by the time I get a minute to exercise someday ;)  But really I'd give it all up and so much more to have the family I do and to be together. I do love my life and I was kidding-- It does get better everyday!

Binky and smiling

I don't really have time to write as much as I used to. Every minute of my weekday is chuck full of child raising or working/writing. I can't neglect this blog for one more minute though- so husby with toothbrush in hand waiting for me to come to bed will be waiting just a few more minutes :)

Ben: It wasn't a drama- I held off for sooooo long on taking his binky from him. I didn't want him to be sad for days on end and cry for hours upon hours. The morning we took away his binky he cried a little but then it was over. He hasn't looked back since. He sleeps fine with out it and whenever he bumps his knee or hits his head he doesn't need it as a crutch to suck on. So come to find out I was the baby not willing to give up the binky-- how many lessons will I need to learn.

Next, I'm going to paint you a graph in your mind. If you could sketch the length, loudness and frequency of tantrums over the period of 18 months to 4 years old the line definitely goes up and up and up. I had NOOOOO idea what I was in for. Ben has such a strong will and when I tell him he can't have any more soda he slams his hands on the counter jumps up and down and cries like I was taking away his left arm.  Holy cow man! I feel like all the tanturming has me regressing. I think  the length, loudness and frequency of my own tantrums are definitely headed up on the tantrum scale. Being the bigger man here is hard - especially when tantrum number 62 from the day is on it's way. Now lest you think Ben is over the top he is not. He is average I think. No one told me - I"m just saying no one warned me about the terrible two not being just a bunch of cute flour on their face moments-- they are TERRIBLE :)-- and wonderful of course.

James: I have never met a more smiley baby than this little man. He is extraordinary! At church wherever I sit I've got instant friends to my right, left, behind and in front. He engages everyone- I can't even carry a conversation without some pause in the middle to have them google at this kid who is smiley their way. He is soooo sweet!  Other things about James as he is now 9 months old. He still has no teeth and does not crawl. He is great with Ben even though I can't even put a number to the times Ben knocks him off of his seat everyday. They laugh together and Ben is always bringing him toys. I hope they will become the best of friends- They are already off to a good start.

Hubby and I. Will is doing some writing work to become a medical writer and I am doing more writing work for an Au Pair firm. We keep busy and we are happy. So we can't complain. We'll I better get off - I think my hubby has already fallen asleep!

Talk to ya sooner than last time!!

Summer

One more thing- I got glasses for the first time in my life! 34.5 years old…

Potty Training and more...

James:

Cutest new thing: Ben just looks at him and James laughs!  He loves his big brother so much. James rolled over about 4 1/2 months and has no sign of teeth yet (he is 5 1/2 months old now). He still sleeps in a bassinet in my room in his car seat. The car seat is for is GERD, and the staying in our room is because Ben's new thing is to climb into the crib and jump-- I can't imagine what that might look like if James was in there…Yikes!

Ben:

This morning Will listened as Ben sang Twinkle Twinkle little star from start to finish, and afterwards Will asked him to sing it again and he said "No I don't want to sing it again."  Lately when I ask him if "he wants to do something or no" he says "or no" I 'm afraid I've taught Ben a nonexistent extension to the word No.

I tried potty training Ben on Monday and I got a stomach bug on Tuesday; by then I lost a lot of steam but pressed forward on the training...by the time Tuesday's sun was setting - Ben was back in diapers. Now the thought of picking back up the "big boy underwear" and trying the training again feels like insanity.

Will:

Thinking about pursuing a job in the continuing medical education field- creating materials for doctors. To be continued…

Summer:
Traumatized. I don't know how any mother survives potty training.

It just gets better

I've got to start this one out with Ben. He has had an explosion of cuteness lately. He can count to 11 and he knows his colors, says his letters and he sings twinkle twinkle little star and repeats his favorite book passages to us.  The other day he looked at the icicles hanging from our roof and said "cute popsicles." At night after we put him down he will get up and knock at the door and when we open the door he passes us and hands us his binki and says "here you go" (I only give him is binki for naps and bedtime). He is in this habit of helping his cousin Mikayla to know what she can and cannot do-- "no touch that" or "turn that on Kalya…" My cute little demanding tyke is adorable!  Another cute thing is  I find cars and toys lined up all around the house and the places we go. Ben is very particular about this. One day I moved one out of line, while he wasn't looking to see if he would notice. When he looked back he saw the car out of line and quickly put it back.

 Another favorite activities of my little Benny is that he loves to walk around the house picking things up with the dinner tongs. Below is one of Ben's tong/clamp projects he worked hard and was able to de-petal the flowers Will gave me in less than an hour ;)

James is moving right along as well. He keeps pulling himself to a sitting position when he is in the bouncer-- I'm afraid he will roll himself right out of it. He still spits up like it's nobody's business- but apparently he is keeping some of it down-- his 4 months stats were 80 percent in height, 30 percent in weight and 33 percent in head percentile.  Ben was about 90 percent head percentile and 50 percent height at this point…  James doesn't mind tummy time and he doesn't care about water in his face. James is very smiley, in fact so much so that everyone refers to him as the smiley baby. He will smile even when he is upset if you smile at him.  He still sleeps in my bedroom in a play pen in the car seat because of his GERD.  His older brother also just acquired the skill of climbing into the crib. I am not quite comfortable with a toddler jumping on my baby yet -- so I keep him with Will and I.

 James started rice cereal at 4 1/2 months

 I'm not going to say out loud that little James is a favorite around family ;)

As far as Will and I are concerned we just tottle around with our kids thinking they are the cutest things we've every seen. We loved celebrating Christmas with them (even if Ben did start out the day with a tantrum).  This parenting stuff is totally our dreams come true!  Even though it means less sleep, more noise(crying) in the house and no time for the ski slopes.  Our home is filled with their sweet innocence and unconditional love. 

 Yes the crazy person behind us is a relative… distant… once removed… Or maybe he is our
brother-in-law Derik- I can't remember. 

Laughing

I have to take a minute today to say: He laughed.  Yesterday James laughed for the first time. I had forgotten how extraordinary it is to hear a little person laugh for the very first time ever. To know or hope that we will share a lifetime of laughing and smiling is the best feeling. I love James so much. He is three months old and he makes my heart melt.

Summer

ps This video is of James talking. I thought that it was too cute not to post :)

pps James does not have cold -- the cough is his routine- it's his way of getting rid of acid that comes up from his stomach and settles in his throat.

Family fun

 My little James is my constant companion. In every sense of the phrase. He is there as I sit at the computer with my work from 9-12 pm at night. He is by my side all day-- I wouldn't dare leave him alone with Ben. He doesn't need to be held as much as Ben did, but he does like to be where he can see me. In fact he is 2 1/2 months old now and his eyes follow me everywhere I go around the room. He smiles when prompted and I don't know how we did it but we have another baby with a dimple. His smile just makes me melt. He is starting to grab my arm and shirt. His coordination seems to be right on track.   He loves Ben, when he is not being attacked by Ben. He is my everything. I love him so much. I feel so lucky to be his mother. 

Speaking of luck, our "fighting" phase is over. Ben and I are friends again. In fact we're best buddies. If I have to go somewhere for a minute without Will I love to take Ben with me. My errands are so much more fun with my little buddy a part of them. Ben's favorite phrase right now is "mommy do it."  When Will and I are exiting the car-- "mommy do it" I have to take him out. When Ben wants to watch a video "mommy do it" I have to turn it on. When we are eating "mommy do it" I have to load his plate. Will wondered if I was getting tired of "doing everything" _ I told him not usually. Ben wants me- he seems to need me- I love that! We're entering our Christamas season and Ben is so cute about everything. We turned the Christmas lights on our tree tonight and Ben threw his arms in the air and gasped. When we were decorating last night, it was so cute I found some of the decorations in his bedroom on his shelf-- he had taken the liberty to decorate his own room. I'm really liking this toddler phase (minus the tantrums of course ;)

Will and I are finally breathing again. We are getting used to our work schedule and to life with two kids. For now our finances are stable and we like our ward. We're still very far from where we want to be -- Aka -- Will wants  a real career again and I want a mini van. -- You know one that fits more than two kids-- I am really enjoying the two we have and can't wait for more!

We'll I better sign off. I hope you're all well and know that we are well….

Love,

Summer

James' Blessing

SO many things have happened that I am sure I will forget to mention even half of them in the past month. BUt what is worse is-- Ben says and does cute things daily. And unless I blog everyday or follow the little tike around with a recorder I'm going to miss talking about 98 percent of it. For example we told him it was time for prayer tonight and he proceeded to sit down and conduct his very own prayer without any prompting. He blessed me and Will and James. He is so cute. On top of the cute has also come a whole lot of crazy. He unfortunately has really had a hard time adjusting to our moving and James' birth and a new ward all at the same time. He has been skipping most of his weekly naps and has only fallen asleep in his own bed a couple times since moving to Centerville almost a month ago. Tired and confused the poor child has taken me to the end of my rope more than a few times in the past few months. Honestly I've felt like a bad mom- like "why is he doing this? am I not giving him enough attention?"  I think the worst is over though. He seems to be crying only five minutes at his bedroom door instead of 1 hr before he falls asleep there in front of the door. Speaking of doors I better be knocking on a wood one right now ;)

Today was James' baby blessing. It went off without a hitch!  Which is great because Ben's blessing was traumatic enough to count for four baby blessings. (Ben cried all through the blessing, I made my sister cry that day, and ran around like a crazy lady trying to make everyone in the family happy O and Ben got a cold from the whole event).  Today I decided to take it easy and guess what...people were still happy without me having to talk to them… I assigned out everything for the luncheon but the BBQ pork. We had the lunch at my brothers place which we set up the day before and the best part was James was awake and quiet through the entire blessing! This little man is becoming a very needed calm stability for me in a world that seems just out of control right now. Part of that could be that he was in my arms for 72 hours straight two weeks ago because he caught RSV and I was not about to miss out on any symptom going south so he and I stayed together and didn't leave the house for three days. His fever finally let out after the third day- I was so happy to see him smile and wiggle lots again! As a side note-- James has made Ben a little jealous at times and one of those particularly crazy toddler days where Ben refused to nap- he adorned James face with five separate scratches-- I was furious about it until two hours later when Ben just fell asleep in my arms exhausted…then I felt bad the poor kid was trying to tell me he was tired the whole time!

Now to the details of our lives. Will got a job at Fed Ex. He works nights 1-6 am in the morning… I am also holding down a stay at home writing job. So I work nights too. 9-12pm. I average about 3-5 hours of sleep -- I'm hoping now that James is older and Ben is calming down I can work during the day more to give myself more sleep at night. I have to admit to being very discouraged about Will's career right now-- I'm sure he is too. He doesn't seem to be getting interviews even though he has done a lot of volunteering, shadowing, and applications. The residency angle seems sometimes hopeless and I just don't really know where to go from here or how to encourage Will-- I feel like my advice has not necessarily been any better or more helpful than other's advice… We sold my condo and it's left a little hole in my heart-- we couldn't afford it but it had been my home for the past six years. We now live in a old apartment in Centerville- it's a little ghetto but the right size and place for us for now. Well I better get going. I've got to read my scriptures so I can get down to sleep before too late!  Sunday is my only day off ;)

Ben went tricker treating with Braden and Rachel (ya gotta love her face :)

James was Tigger for Halloween

We spent the weekend at Amy's family cabin-- it was fun!