Potty Training... Phase 3

Okay. We have reached our final stage of potty training. Joshua has mastered daytime potty training, breezed through nap time potty training, and now we are tackling overnight potty training. We were just about out of diapers for him, and he has been not fitting so well into his size 4's, so we knew the next pack would need to be bumped up to a 5. I really didn't want to go up a size, and instead wanted to try to do away with the diapers altogether. Andrew wasn't quite so excited about it, and didn't think Josh was quite ready because he would wake up with a full diaper in the morning. My theory, however, was that he was going in his diaper because he COULD, not because he had to, so I wanted to try and see if he could do it. We decided to go for Pull Ups for this one, since they aren't quite as absorbent as a diaper, but wouldn't make quite so much of a mess as if he had an accident wearing underpants. We called the Pull Ups "Special Underpants" and got him really excited about them. We told him that he was wearing underpants to bed, and that he doesn't go pee pee in his underpants or in his bed. He seemed to understand and be on board with the idea, so we went for it. At 5:30 in the morning, he woke up crying that he had to go potty (he doesn't come out of his room, and so he usually will cry for us if he needs us). His Pull Up was completely dry! He had made it all night and had woken up to go potty. After Andrew took him to the bathroom, he went back to bed, and slept for another hour or so, until he woke up needing to now um, finish his business. We are so proud of him! He never ceases to amaze us with how grown up he is getting to be. I am hoping that this package of Pull Ups will be the last diaper type item we will ever have to buy for him. What a big boy!!!

What a Weekend!

What an exciting weekend this has been! It's hard to believe that it's over already. We had so much fun, it is worth the exhaustion we now feel.

On Saturday morning, Andrew took Joshua to a Daddy & Me day that was being held by our daycare. The theme was "Having a Ball". They had all sorts of fun activities, such as tricycle races, gymnastics, baseball, soccer, bouncy obstacle courses and so much more. Joshua even got to sit on a City bus. He had so much fun, and even got to see some of his friends from school. It was great for him and Andrew to be able to spend such quality time together.

After Having a Ball, we went with Grandma and Granddad to the open house of the new fire station by Grandma and Granddad's house. Joshua got to sit up in a fire truck (and play with the walkie talkie), a helicopter, and even wear the fireman's headset. We got to see where the firemen hang out, where they sleep and where they eat.

On Sunday, our old friends Jason and Carrie Miller from Seattle (Jason was Andrew's friend from his MCC days, and was the one who got him out to Santa Barbara) came over with their little 18 month old daughter Natalie. Joshua and Natalie were fast friends, playing on the swing set and with all of our toys. They had such a great time running around together. After they left I realized that we didn't get any pictures of Jason and Carrie when they were here. =( But we at least got a couple of Natalie, so at least we can prove that they came over. =)

With so much happening this weekend, it went by so quickly. But it was all stuff that was so much fun to do with the kids (Ben was at least for the ride for most of it... one day he'll be able to participate too), and we hope that it will make some really happy memories. That's what it's all about!

Where'd our Angel Go?

Joshua has always been such a good little boy. We have really been spoiled with him. He is a good listener, makes good choices, and is usually the most well behaved 2 year old I've seen. His teachers have always told us what a joy he is to have around, and when we were part time, tried to get me to take other kids home instead so that they can keep Josh longer. =) But with our new schedule has come some adjustment. Joshua is starting to misbehave a bit at school, and we are getting some less than glowing reports at the end of the day. His biggest problems are spitting and throwing toys (not really throwing them at anyone, but just chucking them across the room). He even pulled his little girlfriend's hair today (does that mean they are broken up now?) His teacher told Andrew this afternoon "He's always been my little angel!" but he's been less than angelic the last couple of weeks. Well, maybe that's being a little harsh. It's only been 2 or 3 bad days, but when you've had 2 1/2 years of nothing but glowing reports, that's a lot. We suspect it is because he is getting a little less sleep due to the new schedule. He used to get up at 7:00, and now he is getting up at 6:00, and there hasn't really been too much compensation on the bedtime side. So we are making an effort to have him in bed at least a half hour earlier than we have. But when you're putting the King of Procrastination to bed, that can become a challenging task. The "I make it dark" and "one more ice ice baby" and his moment of solitude before finally deciding to get under the covers can really drag bedtime out, and before you know it, it's 8:30. Hopefully in another week or so we'll have our schedules all worked out and will be back to normal. We just want our little angel back!

A Glimpse Into our Future

Andrew was informed today that Joshua has a girlfriend at school. There is a little girl, Emily, in Joshua's class that apparently has a big crush on him. They run around holding hands, and Emily always wants to sit next to Joshua during snacks and lunch. We always said that all of the ladies were going to love Josh and those big brown eyes, and I guess it's starting already! In addition to Emily, Joshua had a little "fling" with a girl he met at his counsin Chevlynn's birthday party on Sunday. She apparently liked what she saw and decided that Joshua needed a big smooch right on the mouth, so that's what he got. So apparently, we've got the Ladies Man on our hands! I don't think I'm ready for this. =)

Scooter McBooter

Ben is really working on becoming mobile. He has been rolling for quite some time, but now he is trying his hand at a better method of transportation. He's not really crawling yet, but we can tell it's right around the corner. Tonight he was scooting himself, backwards, all across the living room floor. He's trying so hard to go forwards, but his arms are much more useful to him right now than his legs are, so they keep pushing him backwards. He gets pretty mad about it, but it's so funny to see him scoot, scoot, scoot away from you when he's trying to come to you. He'll get it one of these days. But please, Ben, don't be in any hurry!!!

The End of One Journey, and the Beginning of Another

What a time of transition it is right now! Friday was my last day at Bohm & Jones, the place where I have spent part of every day for the last 5 1/2 years. It was hard to say goodbye to so many people that I love. I worked with most of them for so long, they began to feel like family! Some of my favorite memories are: not burning Laura's lunch and getting yelled at for it; Cindy believing her home phone was bugged so she took the front office phone home with her at night; Liberty... need I say more???; "There were 2 reasons for that", "I'm having too much fun"; Christmas parties (after the attorney had a few cocktails in them); and I know there are many many more that I'm forgetting (Hey BoJoers, if you read this, leave me a comment with some of the good ones I'm spacing on!)

Yesterday I started my new job. My new boss, Rick, is a really nice guy. The first thing he said to me yesterday was "I am SO HAPPY that you're here!" That's nice to hear from your boss! Most of the day was just set up, but I also was able to dive into some trial prep for a trial coming up on Friday. This is my first experience billing my time, but in 2 days, I was able to bill 5 hours. Not too bad, I'd say! I also was able to show him a nifty tool in Outlook to save your e-mails as PDF's (thanks B&J for teaching me that one!) He was really excited about that and decided to make that how we save e-mails from now on. As I was leaving on that first day, the last thing he said to me was "I am SO HAPPY you're here, I can't even tell you!" Well, I'm glad he was still thinking that at the end of the day! Things are kind of getting off to a slow start, but that's to be expected in this kind of position. I have a lot to learn, as I have never done this kind of law before. But I'm sure I'll be able to stay busier in a couple weeks once I start getting the hang of everything.

In addition to my own transition, the kids are now adjusting to full time daycare. We have been so blessed over the last 2.5 years to be able to only have them in daycare part time, but we are at peace with the decision, and they really don't seem to care. I think Josh might prefer it! He is having a hard time adjusting to a slightly modified sleep schedule, but he did better today, so I think we're on our way!

Hopefully this job will work out for a while... at least until Josh is in kindergarten. Then I would lke to find something closer to home... but that's a ways off. But for anyone that knows me, I'm a huge planner! But it is still feeling like this was the right move for me, so off I go to where God leads. I wonder what he's got in store for me!

Here's Your Covers

Daddy made up a cute little bedtime song that Joshua loves to sing. Here are the words so you can sing along at home (to be sung to the tune of "Where is Thumbkin")

Here's your covers
Here's your covers
Go to sleep
Go to sleep
Have some real sweet dreams now
See you in the morning
Joshua
I love you!

Here is Joshua's rendition...

Joining in the Fun

Ben now has his very own swing on our swing set, so he can now join in the fun! It's a pretty cool baby swing. It is shaped like a race car, and came with all sorts of decals to stick on. Ben loves it, and Josh is so excited to have his baby brother swing with him.






In other news, Ben has finally been upgraded from the carrier to a convertible car seat. It will be so nice to not have to lug around that carrier anymore. We bought the car seats at Babies R Us, which we call "The Baby Store". When we told Joshua we were going to the baby store, we jokingly told him that you buy babies there, and asked if he wanted a new baby. And he said "No, I just want that baby. I love my baby brother." He's such a sweet little guy!

Making Progress

Joshua has always been a very picky eater. Even when he was a little baby just starting solid foods, it was difficult to get him to eat. We had gotten into the very bad habit of making him his own separate dinner, usually comprised of either chicken nuggets, a hot dog or a grilled cheese. It has gotten to where that is all he will eat. There was a short time in there when he had gotten a little more adventurous, but that was short lived. We decided that we are done with all of that, and we want the habit to be broken by the time Ben is old enough for table foods. We think that Joshua needs to learn to eat what we are eating, so we have taken a pretty hard lined approach, giving him whatever we are eating, take it or leave it. It is also a benefit for us, because we end up eating a little healthier since we like him to get as many fruits and veggies in him as we can. For the first few nights, he ate most things but the main course (he loves fruits and veggies - even broccoli!). We have been able to coax him into a bite or two, but that's it. Then last night we had spaghetti. Josh decided he was going to eat it and did a great job. We're not sure if he tasted it and just really liked it, or if he is learning that if he doesn't eat what is in front of him, he doesn't eat. Whatever the reason, we were encouraged to see the progress. We'll see what tonight brings!

Our New "Baby"

It was quite a day for our family yesterday. We traded in our 1999 Nissan Sentra for a 2008 Toyota Sienna. We were sad to see the Sentra go, because it was such a great little car for us over the last 8 years, and still got over 30 mpg. But it was needing a couple thousand dollars on repairs, and was a bit small for our family of 4, so it was time to move on. Here is one last picture of our old reliable Sentra. Good-bye, ol' girl!


The Sienna is so nice! We hadn't planned on buying new, but it just worked out to be a better deal that way, so why not? We got the LE, middle of the road, version. Among it's many features is 1 power and 1 manual sliding door, and a 6 CD changer. It rides like a dream, and now we can move stuff, so we won't need to borrow so many trucks. Yay! Now, all we need is a road trip! =) Welcome to the family, Sienna!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

Well, I did it. I accepted a new job. It was a long and agonizing process and decision, but I feel in my heart that this is the path that God is leading me down, and I am so excited to see what He has in store for me. I have been at my present firm for the last 5 1/2 years, and have made some life-long friends there. Because of the partners there, my family was blessed enough for me to be able to work a part time schedule after Joshua was born. Now that Ben is here and we're paying double the daycare the ends just quite haven't been meeting as comfortably as we would like, and now it looks like one of our vehicles is on its last leg, so there's another expense we really can't afford the way things are. So it was time for me to make a move. I have been feeling the winds of change for quite some time, but I did not feel any prompting to act on anything. Then, as the year ended and we started to look forward into the new one, I felt that little nudge that I should get out there and start making my move.

This past Friday, I had an interview with a sole practitioner who works in real estate transactions and commercial litigation. He is a really nice guy. I was talking to him for more than 2 hours. There are so many perks to this job. He is super flexible with hours, so I can still come in early and be done by 4:00. He has offered me a salary that his higher than what my current full time salary would be, plus frequent bonuses for my billable time, which could bring in roughly $10,000 more per year on top of my salary, which is huge for us. Right now his office is at 44th and Thomas, but he is going to be moving in the next few months down to the Biltmore area, which is close enough to daycare and Andrew's office that we could carpool, saving us probably $150 to $200 per month, plus wear and tear on our cars. Funny thing is, he is looking for space in the same building where my current firm is. I spoke with him again the other, and he is genuinely excited for me to come and work for him.

I officially gave my notice to my boss on Thursday, which was really hard. Cried like a baby! Although he can frustrate me to no end, we have had a really good working relationship over the last 5+ years, and I knew he was not going to be happy to see me go. But he was very gracious about the whole thing, and made sure to tell me how much he has appreciated everything I have done for him.

It's so hard to make these life changing decisions. But I feel as though God knew my heart, and knew that I only wanted what He wanted for me, and I feel like He has blessed me for my faithfulness. I have been around long enough to know that His plans are better than mine, and I have learned to trust Him. Thank you to everyone for your prayers while I have been on this journey. Your continued prayers for a smooth transition would also be greatly appreciated. I am really excited to see what is around the bend!

6 Month Checkup

Ben went for his 6 month checkup today. He is doing so great, hitting every single milestone he should be at this point. He weighed in at 15 lbs 12 oz (25%) and 27 inches (75%). He's just such a happy healthy boy. He got 3 shots, which is always the saddest thing. Ben hardly ever cries, especially big tearful wailing cries, so it is strange to see him as upset as he gets when he gets shots. But he calms down very quickly, so I'm sure he's not totally traumatized by it all, and it's better than getting Rubella! =)

The boys also got to take their first bath together tonight. Joshua was so excited to take a bath with Baby Ben, and Ben looked equally as excited when he saw that Josh was climbing in there with him. Ben's not quite big enough for this to be a regular occurrence, but it sure is nice for him to be able to do it every once in a while on nights when Mommy or Daddy are flying solo and both kids need baths!

Coolest Swing Set EVER!!!

Today was such an exciting (and exhausting) day! We finally built the swing set that we got the boys for Christmas. For the last two weeks, Andrew and I have been staining and water sealing the wood, and this morning Grandma and Grandpa B came out, and Andrew's friend Jeff came over and the guys spent about 10 hours in the backyard putting together what we think is the coolest swing set EVER! See for yourself!



When it is actually finished, it will have a slide, 2 swings, a captains wheel (like on a pirate ship) and a "cosmic communicator" aka 2 plastic flip phones connected by a tube. Think reinvented tin cans connected by a string. It is supposed to have a cargo net, but we decided to hold off on that for now... Josh is just 2 after all.

While the guys were working, Grandma B helped me take care of the boys, which was a tremendous help to me. It is difficult to keep Josh out of the way when there is a big project going on, and also take care of Ben at the same time. The extra pair of hands and eyes were definitely necessary today! Plus, it gave Grandma some quality time to spend with two of her favorite little boys. Thanks Grandma!

We are so excited to have such an awesome swing set for the boys to play on for years and years. The guys really worked so hard today, and I am very proud of them. This thing is going to last forever! So anyone who wants to come over and help us break it in is more than welcome. We think our boys are going to be the envy of the neighborhood!

Another Edition of Kids Say the Darndest Things...

So I took the boys to the park this afternoon. While we were there, Josh apparently decided he needed to go potty. Our park lacks any formal facilities, but hey, he's a boy, so he goes on the tree. I was feeding Ben when he decided to do this, so I stopped and went over to help him so he didn't pee on his pants. but I was told "No Mommy. Go finish Baby Ben's dinner." I was slightly amused by that, but I decided to let him do his thing. As he was finishing up, I saw that another family was coming to the park to play (a grandma with her 15 month old granddaughter). As she walked up, seeing Josh with his pants and underpants around his ankles, we both just sort of laughed. No need to get embarrassed. When you've got to go, you've got to go, right? So he finally got his pants up and was for some reason fascinated by his pee pee on the tree. He ran over to the little girl and said in his loudest voice "LET'S GO SEE MY PEE PEE!!! COME ON!!!" That's just one of those things that definitely deserved blogging. They're the things I don't ever want to forget. Priceless!!!

Babble Boy

In the last couple of days, Ben has discovered babbling. His favorite sounds are da-da-da-da, ga-ga-ga-ga and ya-ya-ya-ya. He seems very proud of himself, and is turning into quite a talker. He really sounds like he's telling you all about something. I guess he just has a lot to say. He is such a joy to be around. How did I survive almost 28 years without that smile in my life?

On the Mend

I'm glad to report that Joshua is feeling so much better. He has had no real fever over the last couple of days, and he's back into all sorts of trouble. His flu caused him to get a minor case of viral pink eye. We were concerned that we were going to have to take him back to the doctor and keep him home from school for yet another day, but it seems to have pretty much cleared up. Andrew and I are also feeling better, although we still have some of the lasting effects from being sick (I have a cough that just won't quit). Ben is doing great, although his appetite isn't quite back up to par. He has not been wanting much to do with solid foods, so he's been waking up to eat earlier than usual. We hope this is just temporary! But we are thankfully all on the mend. So it's back to school tomorrow for picture day!

Photos are Updated!

I have finally added some updated photos of Josh and Ben to our photo album. Just click the link to the right (it says "Joshua's Photo Album", but all of our photos are there). There are also a couple of videos added to some of the posts below. So go check them out. Enjoy!

P.S. If you looked at the album before 2/17, please check it out again. Due to technical difficulties, some of the pictures weren't actually posted in the public photo album. Enjoy some more!

Ew The Flu!

For the last couple of days, we have all been sick around our house. Andrew and I have been fighting colds all week, and Ben had a low grade fever on Wednesday. But Josh by far takes the prize of Sicky. He has been sporting a high fever, between 102 and 103.7, for the last few days. I took him to the doctor this afternoon to make sure it wasn't an ear infection, or anything else that might require medication, and it turns out he has the flu. He got his flu shot in October, but apparently they didn't nail the correct strain of the virus, so there are lots of kids who have been vaccinated that are being diagnosed with the flu. Poor little guy. He is handling it like such a trooper. If you didn't know him, you probably wouldn't even know he was sick. But on Wednesday I knew there was something wrong with him, because he was melting down about everything on the car ride home from school, and it is so unlike him. When we got home, I took his temperature, even though he didn't really feel warm. Low and behold it was over 101. And it has just gone up from there. Children's Motion brings it down to about 100 for a few hours, but after that, it's right back up there. But, unfortunately, we just have to wait it out. Hopefully he'll get over it quickly so he can start feeling better. Until then, I guess it's hours and hours of Backyardigans!

What Happened!?!

I am pretty sure no one is even looking at this thing anymore, since we haven’t updated a thing in months, but I wanted to try to get us up to date, so the next few posts should fill everyone in on what we’ve been up to lately. Sorry for all the slacking. With two little ones to chase around (and there is chasing involved with BOTH of them now - see below), it gets difficult to find the time to do anything! I will try to get the pictures posted in the photo album ASAP, but if I reference looking at any pictures in any of these posts, and you don’t see them there, just keep checking back!

After Move the Dirt, Get a Swing Set!

Let the backyard saga continue! We are so excited! We got the boys a swing set for Christmas. We found a great deal on a buy-your-own lumber swing set kit, and now we are getting started. The first step was to remove the thorn in my side pile of dirt that has been taunting and irritating me for the last 6+ months. We had told Josh that as soon as we move the dirt, we’ll build his swing set. In a way he was sad to have to dirt go, because shoveling dirt was one of his favorite things to do, but he can’t wait to have his swing set. So one day while he was napping, we were able to get the dirt into a truck we had borrowed from a friend (thanks, Dave!). After his nap, he came out saying he was going to shovel dirt. When he saw the dirt was gone, he looked concerned and said “Where’d the dirt go?” When I told him Daddy was going to take it away, he thought about it for a minute, then his face lit up and he screamed “I get a swing set now!” We were a little surprised of his level of understanding of the whole thing. He’s a smart cookie!

We have now bought the lumber, thanks to Grandma and Grandpa B bringing out their truck (I’m thinking we need to get a truck!), and are diligently working on getting it stained and water sealed (which thankfully all comes together, so it’s just one step). We plan to build the swing set in about 2 weeks. We hope that this backyard project will be less of a headache than the other ones have been... but we’ve learned not to hold our breath on that one!