One Year Checkup

Ben went for his one year old check up today. Everything is great! He weighed in at 19 lbs 10 oz, which is still in the 10%, but he is holding steady on the growth chart, so there are no concerns there. He is 29.75 inches long (50%) and his head is 47 cm (75%). So he is pretty much our little big headed boy. =) He is hitting every single milestone right on target. One little blip on the health radar is that his iron came back a teensy bit low, so they are having us give him an iron supplement every day for the next 3 months. He was just borderline anemic, so he should be up to par at his next checkup. Hopefully the iron won't cause too much staining to those brand new pearly whites! He also got 3 pokes today. But big brother was there to comfort him and make sure he was okay. The tears didn't last too long afterward and he quickly returned to his happy go lucky self.

Come On Already!

I've heard the advice... I've even GIVEN the advice. "Don't be in such a hurry for your child to walk. Once they start walking, there's no going back.." Blah, blah, blah. This is true to a certain extent. BUT, then you hit that point where it would honestly be so much easier if he would just start walking already. We're at that point, and it's driving me crazy. Ben has been incredibly mobile for a long time. The only think missing is independent walking. He crawls at the speed of light, pulls himself up and cruises.... and he knows it. He knows he can go wherever he wants to go all by himself, so he gets frustrated at being carried around and becomes squirmy worm that is hard to even keep a hold of, because all he wants to do is explore. He doesn't understand that there are some places you just can't crawl. I know he's going to do it on his own time, but I am praying that his time will be soon, and I'm also praying for endurance and patience to get through this time. I know he'll do it.... I just wish he'd get on with it!

Gotta Get Away!

The weather in Phoenix lately has been, shall we say, toasty. In addition to that, life has been a bit mundane. We have been really feeling the itch to get away from it all, break out of our box and do something new and different. We got our chance this weekend. Grandma and Grandpa B were camping up in Payson, and invited us to come up for the day. What? Spend a day away from 110 degrees and spend time outdoors, and all it will cost us is a half a tank of gas? We felt like we won the Health and Wealth! Okay, that might be going a little far, but we were pretty excited about it anyway.

We started our day by going out to breakfast with the boys before heading out on the road. I think we could have ordered Ben his own adult sized meal and he would have taken it down. The kid was bottomless! But I digress. After breakfast, we got out on the road, and were delighted to see the thermostat on our car tick down one degree at a time. By the time we got to the camp site, about 15 miles outside of Payson, the temp had gone down to 78 degrees. Whoo hoo! We met up with Grandma and Grandpa, after having an entertaining conversation with the old lady who was running the booth at the entrance to the camp ground. She was a character to say the least. Joshua was highly impressed with Grandma and Grandpa's trailer. Actually, so was I. This is not your roughing it camping. This is my kind of camping. Camping with a bed, a microwave, a DVD player and a fully functioning bathroom. We spent a little time exploring the woods behind the campsite, collecting sticks and pine cones. Ben loved crawling around in the dirt, too.

After exploring the camp, we packed a picnic lunch and headed up to Woods Canyon Lake, which is at the top of the Mogollon Rim. We got a nice little shower on the way up there, which kept the temperature nice a cool. Ben had a great time smearing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich all over his face and stroller. He may have even gotten some in his mouth!

Josh was fascinated by the lake, and even got to stick his feet in. It is so beautiful up there! We even got to see a crawdad and a water snake!

After bumming around the lake for a while, we went back to camp and hung out. I even let Andrew beat me at cribbage... ha ha, just kidding. He ALWAYS beats me. But I guess that's why he suggested we play cribbage instead of dominoes! But at least I held my own this time...he only beat me by one point!

Grandpa made us an awesome dinner and Josh and Grandma made a yummy dessert. Nothing says vacation like good eating! But alas, it was time to head home. We were all sufficiently pooped! Josh was sacked out before we hit Payson city limits, with a book still open in his lap.

I'm pretty sure Ben was too. After an hour and a half car ride, we were back to our 100 degree home and our normal routine. But it was so great to be able to get away, if only for a day. Thanks for the invite, Grandma and Grandpa B. Can't wait to do it again!

Standing Man

Ben's standing skills are increasing every day. It's so exciting! We really noticed how far he had come yesterday afternoon. Everytime he pulled up on something, he would let go and stay on his feet, usually without so much as a wobble. I don't even think he realized he was doing it. It was really for just a few seconds at a time, but we can tell that he is mustering up some bravery to let go of that security of holding onto something. We've learned a little trick to get him to let go... entice him with something "forbidden". None of his toys will do the trick. It's got to be something he thinks he's not supposed to have, i.e., the remote, the phone, a spoon, etc. It's the same trick we used to motivate him to scoot/crawl. Works like a charm! He's still not taking any real walking steps, but he is definitely finding his balance, which means the rest is probably soon to come.

Not Ready for Weaning

Now that Ben is officially one, I wanted to try to start weaning him from the breast to cow's milk. He has been drinking cows milk once a day for a couple weeks now, and does just fine with it. But this kid really loves nursing, which makes my heart soar! =) Our current nursing schedule gives him 3 nursings a day... 1st thing in the morning, right before dinner and right before bed. I wanted to try to cut out the early evening feeding on Monday, and try to give him milk with his dinner. But when I got home, all he was interested in was Mommy's milk. I tried giving him some cow's milk in a sippy cup, and he would have none of it. He pushed it away in utter disgust and then started poking at my shirt, as if trying to figure out how to get to those things he really wanted. So, of course I gave in! I don't want to take it away from him if he's not done with it. It feels nice to have that freedom to nurse if we want to, but if he doesn't, he can have cow's milk and it doesn't make a bit of difference. So I am going to just let him tell me when he's ready to wean, and enjoy this time with him while I still can! =)

Randy

We had an awesome experience on the way home from work one day last week. Where we get on the freeway to begin our lengthy drive home, there is frequently a homeless man standing on the median asking passers by for a little help. Andrew has taken to trying to have a bottle of water with him at all times for such an occasion. But on this day the only water we had had been sitting in the car all day, and would have been shall we say, less than refreshing. But feeling like we wanted to give him something, we gave him the cash we had on us. When Andrew handed him the money, he asked him what his name was, and our new friend introduced himself as Randy. Andrew shook his hand and told him we would be praying for him. It was so awesome to see Randy's huge smile at the idea of someone caring to know his name. After our light turned green, we got on the freeway and went about our way home. After a minute or so, I turned around to Joshua and asked him if he saw the man that Daddy was talking to. I told him that was Randy, and explained that Randy doesn't have a house, or a bed to sleep in like we do. When I asked what we should do for Randy, he said "we should pray for him. We should pray that Jesus gives him a house." It was too sweet. So we prayed for Randy and continued on our way.

Joshua must have continued to think about our new friend, and made a very profound observation... "Randy doesn't have a house. We have a computer." I don't think he probably meant it the way it sounded, but it spoke volumes to us, and helped us to put the whole thing into perspective. Randy doesn't have a house. Not only do we have a house, 2 cars, beds to sleep in, air conditioning, tubs to bathe in, food whenever we want it... we have a computer, which is probably the most frivolous thing we own.

It's easy to get caught up in the "keeping up with the Jones'" and obsessing about all the stuff we want and think we need. Experiences like this really make us extra thankful for the things we take for granted in our cushy lives, and motivates us to do a little more for those less fortunate than we are. I guess it all comes down to being Jesus' own hands and feet. I hope we see Randy again, and can continue to be a blessing in his life.

It's Fun to be ONE!

What a happy (and kinda sad) day it is. Our little Baby Ben is officially one year old. How on earth did THAT happen?!? What a year it has been. I have to admit that bringing Ben into our family wasn't quite as much of an upheaval to our lives as the first time around, but it has definitely made our lives more rich, joyful, and of course hectic! We celebrated the big day (a day early) with a big party at our house. The whole family - minus Auntie Kerri and Uncle Jonathon - was there to celebrate with us. We had yummy Mexican food and the kids played themselves out. I've got to say, the best part of the day was the birthday cake. We were so excited to see Ben cover himself with bright blue frosting. He had a blast. It was too cute. Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure! It was a great day. Happy birthday, Baby Ben. We love you, buddy!

The Dancing Man in Action

We finally got a decent dance video of the almost-birthday boy. Watch Ben get down and funky! You will also get to witness his patented "lay flat on my tummy and be cute" routine. Enjoy!

Comprende?

Ben's cognitive skills seem to have exploded over the last week or so. A couple weeks ago, I was thinking to myself that he just doesn't seem to be getting what we're saying. In thinking back to Josh at this age, he seemed to understand a lot more than Ben appeared to. I was never concerned about a delay or anything, it was just an observation. Then all of a sudden, Ben has started following directions and really seeming to understand what we are saying to him. He will give us a bite of his food when we ask for it, he will stop doing something when we tell him to stop... it's amazing to see how the light bulb has suddenly come on. Last night during dinner, he even tried to copy us blowing kisses and clapping his hands. He hasn't quite gotten these things down yet to a fine art, but it was so cool to see him try. As the birthday fast approaches, he seems to be growing up even faster. What will he do next?

Dance Machine!

Ben has dicovered a new love... Dancing! Whenever there is a funky beat, you will see little Ben bobbing his head and groving to the music. We are so excited and amused by this. Baby dance is a new thing for us. Joshua wasn't at all interested in dancing at this age. Much too serious a fellow for that tomfoolery! Ben seems to be a little more happy go lucky, loving to cut loose!

Ben's favorite thing to dance to is Hokey Pokey Elmo. Ben loves this Elmo. As soon as he sees it, he will start dancing... even before the music begins. Then when the music starts, his whole face lights up with a huge open mouth smile. I am trying so hard to get a good video of this, but as usual, once the camera is present, all activity ceases (or he just goes for the camera... darned mobility!). But I will continue to try and as soon as I get one, I will share. It's just too cute not to!

The End of an Era

Today was quite the ceremonious day for me. It was my last day of pumping at work... and probably of pumping ever. YAY!!!! I am so excited to be done with pumping. It has been well worth the inconvenience. I can proudly say that Ben has never, and will never, have a drop of formula. With the milk I pumped today, he has enough to make it through the week. Then starting Monday, we'll have his daycare teachers give him a little whole milk in his cup. I figure starting on a little cow's milk a week early won't hurt him. I've given him a little once or twice, and he seems to dig it, and hasn't had any adverse reaction, so we should be in the clear. I plan to continue nursing for a little while longer, but probably not too much. I'm ready to have my body back.

Although it is a little bittersweet for me to think that nursing is coming to an end. In a way I feel that has defined me over the last year. Nursing has been my thing... my soapbox, if you will. I'm certainly not shy to talk about it. I feel such a sense of accomplishment (only 17% exclusively nurse - as in no formula - for the first year). I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to pump at work without a problem, because I know not everyone has that opportunity. My employers have been exceptionally supportive of it. But it is a relief to know that I can now carry my cute SMALL purse to work, instead of the ginormous backpack. Plus, I get my lunch hour back!

So long my friend Ameda Purely Yours. We've had some good times, but I'm glad to be done with you!

Tornado Ben

Here is a great demonstration on how Ben likes to occupy himself. He must know how much I love to step on magnets with my bare feet. Thanks Buddy!

What a Weekend with Grandma and Grandpa Will Do To You

Josh spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa B last night. Usually it's Josh wearing them out, but apparently this weekend the tables were turned! Josh fell asleep at the dinner table tonight. And when I say asleep, I mean ASLEEP. We could not rouse this kid. It must have been the 3 juice boxes he said he had (BUSTED Grandma!!!). =)

Big Faker!

We're on to you, Ben. You can't fool us with your "I need to hold onto something to stand." We've seen you when you think we're not looking, standing unassisted. Then when you notice us watching, slowly sitting down. Let's stop the charade!

Okay, well maybe he's not a professional stander yet. But we have caught him on several occasions letting go of whatever he was holding onto while standing, only to remain on his feet for a few seconds. When he realizes what he's doing, he squats down in a very slow and controlled manner. Usually it is in the bathtub - Why is it always the bathtub? Josh did the same thing when he was little... Whatever works for the little dude, I guess. It's just a reminder for us to enjoy our little Baby Ben while he's still doing baby things, like crawling. We're pretty confident that those first steps will be taken at some point well after the big birthday, and that's a-okay with us. But as much as we are in no hurry to get to that next phase, it is still exciting to see him take that next step into big-boydum.

The Case of the Missing Library Card: SOLVED

As you may have read about in a previous post, Andrew took Josh for his first visit to the public library a week or so ago, getting Josh his very own library card. When they got home, Joshua was so excited to show me his new card. He ran in the house and shoved it in my face so I could see it. I'm glad I got a good look at it because none of us ever saw it again. It was the strangest thing. We knew he was the last one to have it, and we know that he loves to stick things places... places that probably make sense to a 3 year old. So when we discovered that it was missing, we asked Josh where he put it because he usually knows exactly where he puts things. Like I said, it makes sense to him. But even he couldn't remember. So we determined that it was either in the pantry or got thrown in the garbage. After scowering the pantry, we decided it had to have been thrown away, in which case it's gone forever. So I gave up, totally defeated by a library card we had for all of 10 minutes.

THEN this morning, Josh and I were making lunches, and I asked him to get a cookie for Daddy's lunch. He went to the pantry and was very sad to find the cookie box was empty. So I went over to get the box to throw it away and, ta-da! The library card was safely tucked away inside. Of course it would be in the cookie box! How silly of me. That's where we keep everything important! I have never been so excited to see a piece of plastic! Case closed!

What a Pain in the Neck!

Literally. For the past week I have been going through physical therapy for the injuries caused by my car accident a few weeks ago. My pain is mostly in my neck and between my shoulder blades. So far, I haven't really seen any improvement, but I know I am just getting started and shouldn't expect too much at this point. I am just not used to this. I am not a doctor person, and avoid going to the doctor at all costs. Now to be going 3 times per week is like torture for me. As most mommies, especially those who also work outside the home, I do not have an over-abundance of time to be spending 3 hours per week at the doctor. Plus, its really hard to recover from a neck injury when I've got two little ones at home that want Mommy to play with them and pick them up. But I suppose life goes on, despite car accidents and neck pain.

But in all this, I've got to really hand it to my husband. He has really stepped it up (not that he was slacking to begin with). He ends up making dinner most nights since I'm not home from therapy until after 6:00, all while keeping the kiddos entertained. It makes it so much easier on me to know that he is here, with a servant's heart, willing and able to pick up my slack. You're awesome, my love!

I'm hoping to start seeing more improvement in my pain level over the next week or two. I'm really hoping to be done with therapy after my 4 week prescription is up. We'll see what happens. Thank you to all of you who have been praying for my recovery. Hopefully I'll have good news to report soon!

Not So Sweet Potato

To the casual observer, the above picture appears to be a small piece of au gratin potato, placed upon the end of an everyday fork. But to certain 3 year olds, this is much much more. This is a foreign object, unknown in origin. A substance that may cause great pain upon the taste buds and digestive system. An enemy so great that it should be avoided at all costs, even if that means spending 45 minutes at the table and forsaking bath toys and bedtime stories. So my friends, beware the au gratin potato. It may look tasty to you and I, but unknown evils must lurk within.

Gotta Love the Classics

With all of the new fangled technology and the all of the overstimulating TV shows of today, it's nice to be able to introduce our kids to some of the simpler classics that we grew up with. Here are two of Josh's all time favorites that we also loved as kids (you just gotta love YouTube!)

Going on a Cruise!

Where are we going, you might ask. The Bahamas? Nope, much too moist. Alaska? Far too cold. No, the cruise we are going on is a little closer to home.... it's from one end of the couch to the other! Okay, maybe this cruise is specific just to Ben. He finally decided today to give those little feet a try, and started cruising along the couch. He's also taken a few steps using a push walker. He's been pulling himself up for quite some time now, but once he's up, he pretty much grows roots and has not really even tried to move his feet. If there was something that he wanted that was out of his reach, he would sit down, crawl over and stand up again. But I guess today it occurred to him to try things a new way. On one hand, we hope that this new found skill will put some ideas in his head and get him walking around his birthday (we're not holding our collective breaths, but I suppose it could happen). On the other hand, it makes us sad to see how close walking is, and how there is NO TURNING BACK once that door opens. Whenever he decides he is ready to walk is fine with us. We are just enjoying each stage and milestone as it is reached at his own time.

On a teething side note, Ben officially has 2 teeth, his bottom left that sprouted last week, and top left front tooth that finally decided to break through yesterday. We've been watching this little sucker trying to come in for about 3 weeks now, seeing a large hard bulge in Ben's top gum. We were so glad to finally get a look at it. And I'm sure Ben was happy it wasn't poking him anymore. We're pretty sure the right side is soon to follow, and then hopefully he'll get a little break, poor little guy!

Bookworm

Even though Josh LOVES books, we have somehow never gone to the library during the first 3 years of his life. Today we finally went down and got him a library card, and Josh loved it. I think he wanted to take half the books home with him! We read a few books while we were there, and eventually picked out 5 good ones, including one called "Food Fight" that I think Mommy and Daddy like almost as much as Josh. In any case, I think that we will be spending a lot more time there in the future.