We're BAAAACK!!!

Er, I am anyway....finally able to blog after working ungodly much for an ungodly long time...I'm going to start blogging REGULARLY again - YAY! There is so much to tell with the boys...Bonny is walking, Brewer is in full-on tantrum mode, and the birthday party plans are in full swing.

In short, mommy is very, very tired. More later this week with pictures and video

Stay tuned...

Happy Birthday

I love you my sweets. I can't believe you are 10 months old today.

Letting Go...

Yesterday, Brewer stood on his own - he let go. Did it a couple of times at day care and then again for Daddy before they went to bed!

I can't wait to see it myself! What a big, strong boy!

MIA Mommy...9 Month Check-up

Bonham is officially no longer the 'little' brother. He weighed in at 18lb 14oz, and measured 29" long. Brewer weighed a mere 18lb 13oz and measured 28 and 5/8"...

Ok, ok, so they are practically the same, but considering historical weights and measures, Bonny had a serious growth spurt this quarter.

They are in the 75th percentile for height and 25th for weight. The doctor says they are doing great.

I am so proud of my boys and of me and Jon for doing a great job!

For those of you who don't know...this is the time of year where my job takes over my entire life. I've cut back my overtime hours since the boys came, but I'm still terribly busy so my blogging has slowed. I'll post when I can, but just know that things will pick up here again in a few weeks after my projects are done and I am able to come up for air.

XOXO

Super Sunday...Super Sons!

It's been a while since I did a Super Sunday as regularly scheduled, but we are back!

(sort-of)

I'm not plugging a product tonight...instead I am bragging, yes, straight-up bragging, about what smart, strong, lovely little boys I have.

Today was a big day for Bonham - he pulled up to a stand from crawling. He did it all by himself, several times. The first time, I was laying in bed with a sleeping Brewer as part of our usual lazy Sunday morning ritual. Bonham had gotten a little overactive so Jon put him in the play area (baby jail) on his way out to mow the yard...so I hear this crying - and crying. I realize Jon is outside, but I am hesitant to leave Brew...so I block him in with pillows, praying he won't wake up while I am in attending to Bon. I walk in, thinking Bon's just needing a paci, and there he is...fingers wrapped around the plastic of the play area wall...STANDING UP! My father-in-law speculates he was crying because he didn't know how to get back down - entirely possible, I guess..

I was lucky enough to get pictures and video, which I will post later. Jon was outside, but he got treated to a repeat performance later in the day.

At breakfast, Brewer was eating for me and started paying alot of attention to Jon instead...I asked him 'Stop looking at him, please. Pay attention to me.' he bowed his back and looked behind him toward Jon, pointed his finger out and said, 'Da Da'...you should have seen Jon's face. No other babbling before or after, just 'Da Da'! I said 'Yes, that's your daddy!'...and he laughed...so cute! Jon has 'called it' as a first word...I am tentatively tempted, but I am waiting for a repeat performance first. :) Way to go Brewer!

Fastforward to lunchtime and Brewer, our big boy, finally picked up his puffs on his own!! He's fine holding his food - his 'wagon wheels' and his bottle - but he has to have them handed to him or put into his mouth first. Not today! At lunch Jon had some puffs on the table that he was feeding B. Well, he got impatient and reached down and grabbed a handful (which for him is 3)and judiciously put them in his mouth one at a time until he had eaten them all! Again - way to go, Brew!!

After dinner, I put Bonny down to play. Just for fun, I set him down in the sitting position to see what he would do - he stayed that way!!! For a long time he sat there - I had time to snap several pix and Jon called his mom who came down to check out all the action.

WHAT A DAY!

Mommy is so proud of you boys...you had such a big weekend. It's so funny how different my two little guys are! Both so smart and sweet, though! Jon and I are such blessed parents.

We love you guys!

All Ears...

Brewer's follow-up visit to the doctor who put in his tubes went great! He passed with flying colors all of the hearing tests that he failed at his initial visit. As long as he doesn't get an ear infection that he can't kick, we don't have to go back for another nine months!

I am so thankful and thrilled that we took care of his ear issue before anything happened that could cause permanent damage.

He was such a good boy at the doctor, too. He got oodles of compliments on his blue eyes, flirted shamelessly with the ladies (of ALL ages) and laughed his little baby-butt off at 'Kung-Fu Panda' in the waiting room...I think we'll have to get that movie.

I had such a fun time spending the morning with him. I love it when I get to steal a couple hours alone with just one of the boys.

I am so happy for my little buddy - I love him sooo much!

Super Sunday, Super Playyard....

This weekend we put up our Northstates Playyard XT...we love it! It was $69.99 at Amazon and each extension was about $25 at Babies R Us.

It's a fuzzy picture from the iPhone, but you get the idea...



Jon calls it baby-jail, but by the time we put in the 2 extensions we got, it looks like baby-jail is bigger than grown-up jail AND has cooler toys...the boys are having great fun with it - they don't seem to even notice the walls.

Other than that, the big news around here is that Brewer has officially mastered holding his own bottle and eating 'Wagon Wheels' himself. Way to go, Brewer!

We went to the Baby Expo this weekend and got our weight in cereal puff free samples. I also signed up for a bunch of giveaways, so hopefully I'll win something!

On the weight loss front, this was week 2 and I lost 2 lbs this week. That takes us to 5 in total. Only 37 more to go! (ugh).

Until next time, here's a new pic of each of the boys to tide you over! Forgive the picture quality - daddy is a much better photographer...

On the Move!

In other news...

Bonny CRAWLS!!!

He did it - not scooting - not creeping - honest-to-God - hands & knees!

We saw it for the first time (so naturally it WAS the first time, right?) on Friday. He was 6 months and 3 weeks old that day! Way to go, buddy!

Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you and we love you bunches, buddy.

Here's a picture from this weekend - it doesn't show the crawling, but it is a cute one of the boys playing together.



Have a great week - see ya when we can!

If you're happy and you know it...

Clap your hands!

I clapped my hands today, not even thinking about it, as I asked Brewer if he was ready to go to school. He had his eyes closed - and he TOTALLY jumped, startled, when he heard (yes, HEARD) the loud clap.

It was the best thing that happened to me all day. :)

One Bonham, One Shot, One Brew...

Today was the boys' 6 month appointment.

Dr. S. was very impressed with all the things they are up to...reaching for toys and people, pushing up on their hands, laughing out loud. They are doing great. Brewer weighed 16lbs and 4oz and Bonham weighed 15lbs even. They measured 26.25 inches and 25.75 inches respectively.

Brewer was in the 30th percentile for weight,the 40th percentile for height and the 25th percentile for head circumfrence.

Bonham, my little guy, was in the 10th percentile for height and weight and the 5th percentile for head circumfrence.

When the time came for shots, Bonham went first and he didn't make a peep - I was SO proud. Brewer pitched a fit when it was his turn - he was even angry about drinking the drinkable medicine, and then when he got the shots - OH MAMA - Once he calmed down, he shreeked when I tried to put him back on the table because he was afraid I was going to hurt him again...poor little guy - we had to put his clothes back on him while I held him. I guess we know who the tough guy is now.

The nurse (who does their shots everytime) even said we should do Bon first from now on because she thinks he only cried in the past because we had done Brewer first and so Brewer was already crying so it encouraged Bonny to get upset. LOL! My two little boys could not be more different!

All in all, things were great at Dr. S.'s and he eased our minds about Brew's surgery on friday. He even said to call even if I just feel anxious about the surgery - what a doll he is! He wanted to know all the details - where, when and who was doing the surgery. He is so kind and he REALLY loves these boys. Thanks, Dr. S.!

And now, fun videos from yesterday. One shows Boo being soothed by the magic squeak ball. The other two show the boys in all their snotty glory...it's kinda gross actually, but they were so hilarious and I know that other mommies will be ableto relate. Try to look past the mucus to see how adorable the boys are, ok?

Six Months Old...

Absolutely Phabulous! The boys spent their half-birthday playing all day with their dad. They went for a walk around the neighborhood, then to Hooters (silly Daddy!), to the mall, and to Granny's for dinner and a visit. Then they came home and played until they fell asleep - surrounded by all their toys. What a perfect day for two rough-and-tumble little boys.

Tomorrow, I will post a birthday message to my sweeties, but for now, mommy is going to learn a lesson from them and get some much needed sleep.

Hungry, hungry hippos...

The boys are now eating 'solids' three times a day. It's wild how fast they have escalated from once a day to three times. The last couple of days Jon has done a great job of feeding them their evening food on his own. He is such an involved dad and has sooo much fun with the boys.

Now that the boys are eating more, we are really starting to notice Brewer's tongue giving him problems. I am glad the ENT told me about it so I can bring it up at our 6 month appointment. Ideally, they'll be able to cut it(if need be)while he is udner the anesthesia for his tubes.

Jon is taking the next couple of days off work to take care of our ever-mounting to-do pile...it won't be fun, but he is up to the task.

Thanks for stepping up sweetie! I love you so much - and YES you may go out with your friends on Friday as a reward!

Sigh...my hubby is a doll.

Super Sunday, Super Sick...

Urgh...I won't bore you/gross you out with the details, but I am the third in the house to come down with this awful tummy bug. I think the beginning of the end was when Bon threw up ON me (read ALL OVER me) when I picked him up from day care on Friday (where he hadn't been sick all day until I showed up...) and I had to drive home covered in his puke...

Ironically, that's the last time he threw up. For me, I was darned sick a short 24 hours later.

On to this Sunday's products. I have been living on Zofran and Gatorade, and I try to talk about something every week that makes my life better, so this is what you are going to get - LOL.

If you haven't been prescribed Zofran for the nausea and vomiting associated with your tummy bugs, ask for it by name next time! Zofran and I got up-close and personal while I was pregnant and now I know the Z and I will be friends for many years to come. Bon's doctor prescribed him liquid Z when we took him in last week with this bug - Dr. S. is good people. :)

When it comes to Gatorade, well I can't say enough about it...I think you already know how great it is. It tastes way better than the Pedialyte poor Bonny had to drink.

Lastly, Johnson's Bedtime Bath...I just took a long soak in a warm bath full of it. We are about to find out if it works as good on mommies as it does on babies.

In other news, Brewer finally started flipping backward and forward today like his brother, so we now officially have two little acrobats. Bon is also a certified creeper. He is a riot. We'll have to get video of it posted here soon.

Jon's been a lifesaver, taking care of me and being a auperdad with the boys - I guess he knows how miserable he was just a few short days ago...I really appreciate it.

Granny was awesome today, too. She helped with their solids at lunchtime and made sure they had a bath this evening. Thanks Granny!

Wish me a good night's sleep, everyone!

We Heart Our Kids

There are signs all over our neighborhood that say this, of course with a drawn heart rather than the actual word, compelling people to slow down as they drive through the neighborhood. Most of the time, Jon and I joke about them, but I was thinking about them this morning as I 'slowed down' to reflect on our Valentine's Day for this entry.


Friday night, Granny and Granddad watched the boys so we could go out for the evening. We went out for sushi - just the two of us - and stopped by our fave local watering-hole for a drink with friends. It was a great night! Thanks Granny and Granddad!



On Saturday, I got up with the boys in the morning by myself because all Jon wanted for his gift was to sleep in. He's been such a trooper taking care of us all while I've been sick/injured this week. It was nice for me to get some solo time with the kids after spending so much time away from this week because I was either ill or working. I fed the boys and then we all settled in for some play-time on the floor. It was so much fun! By the time Jon got up, I had the boys down for their morning nap.


Jon went out and came home with Reese's Hearts for me (YUM) from the boys - they so know their mom, and a giftcard for a massage and hot stone mani/pedi for me from him. I gave him his card from me and his card from the boys (which almost made him cry - aww). The boys told him he was the best dad they have ever had - my kids are smart asses...


When the boys got up, we went out and about for haircuts and a walk around the mall. We came home and the boys napped again and then got up to find their Valentine's gifts from mommy and daddy - big boy dishes and (drumroll please!) CEREAL!










Bon got on a little faster than Brew, but both did GREAT! Bon ate ALL of his cereal.


Pictures of Bonham, the cereal champ!






Brewer loved his cereal, too...




Can I just tell all the people who said, 'Oh, they'll sleep longer when you give them cereal.' that you are SOOO wrong. For the first time in a VERY long time, both of my kids woke up in the middle of the night and demanded a full bottle. It's like the cereal addition made them realize how much more full they could be and now they are chasing that rice cereal (heroin) high...




After cereal and a bottle, the boys went down for the night and Jon and I enjoyed some quiet time at home before we went off to bed - all in all, it was a very nice family day.


I'll be posting again later with my Miracle Day and Super Sunday entries, but before I can do that, we have a full day to get through! Happy Belated Valentine's Day, everyone.

Brewer Naps!

An official routine!! Well, we've done it every day this week, so I am going to call it a routine anyway. It's a routine for his afternoon nap. Both of my kids very rarely get fussy, but Brewer has been fussing in the afternoon regularly, so we decided to try getting a routine - guess what, it works!

Every afternoon around 3 after his afternoon bottle, Fatty McMilkMouth turns into a major cranky-pants.

Sooo, I take him in his room and put him down in his crib, give him his paci and leave the room. He kicks out the paci and continues to cry for a couple of minutes - I go back in.

I say to him, "Brewer, there is no reason to be upset. There is nothing wrong. Mommy is right here. You just need to rest. I promise you mommy will be here when you wake up." or some variation on this theme - While saying all this, I keep my voice quiet and I pet his head and rub his tummy, tuck him in with a blanket, give him his paci and Mr. Moo-Moo...his teether cow. Usually before I walk out the door his little eyes are closed and he sleeps for 2-3 hours! It totally cracks me up that this works - like he already understands every word I say when I reason with him. LOL!

At daycare, they also have afternoon naps starting between 2-3, so it looks like this could become his regular routine! YAY Brewer! What a sweet big boy!

In other news, the car did not start this morning - ugh - dead battery. Granny had to come help me get the boys to day care - Thanks Granny! Jon came home and fixed the car, which was awesome because I had a major Sam's run to make! Jon is the family hero today!

We all seem to finally be over being sick - though Jon and I still have sore throats and runny noses. The boys have finished their antibiotics - thank goodness - and seem to be doing fine!

Well, I gotta go! Time to school my other child on the fact that he should be napping.

Hopefully I'll get the zoo pix incorporated into our zoo post tonight. I know I am running behind on that!

Later!