A little bit of Christmas

The boys and I have been hard at work trying to get some of the Christmas decorations up around the house. It's been difficult without daddy here to help us get the house ready for the holiday season. I decided not to put everything up this year, just the important things that would make it feel like Christmas for the boys.

We travelled to the tree farm last Sunday to get our tree. Last year daddy chopped one down for us, but my plan this year was to just pick out a pre-cut one from the farm. However, Peytonn was having no part of that. Luckily, Papa and Nay Nay were with us and helped us pick out a tree. Papa was kind enough to cut it down for us and Peytonn helped pull the cart with the tree loaded up on it.
Once we got home, Peytonn helped Papa untie the tree and open it up. He then helped me decorate it and put the lights up. Everyday he reminds me to turn the lights on. He was such a good helper putting everything up with me. He even helped me decorate the mantel with lights and our stockings.
We have gotten all of our stockings from Pottery Barn Kids and I love them!!! We have gotten one each year and this year was my turn. This picture has my old stocking in it, but my new stocking came in the mail the other day and is now up on the mantel with the others. I got a red one so we now have 2 red and 2 blue ones. Our stockings are now complete. I can't wait to fill them up with fun things for the boys for Christmas.

Here we go....

We're very, very soon going to have a full blown walker on our hands. Bennett has been walking for a while holding just one of your fingers and will stand alone, but he would not take any steps on his own. So I got this brilliant idea to try out the old fashioned white Stride Rite shoes. I even got those little bell things that keep the shoe laces tied. And let me tell you, what a world of difference those things have made! Bennett loooooves the bells and will kick his legs just to hear the bells jingle. I've noticed he feels a lot more stable and sure of himself with the shoes on.

So, its been about a week and a half since we got the shoes and today he took his first steps all by himself. (I was only slightly trying to bribe him with his cup of milk) He is so cute though, he gets so excited and happy when he is standing by himself. He will even dance and clap his hands.

He is just growing so fast and quickly turning into a toddler instead of a baby. He is now into 18 month clothes and quickly outgrowing the 12 month stuff, especially in pants. I think he just has long legs and a short torso, because he not a "big" kid. I think he may just have long legs like his daddy. The outfit he has on in this picture is head to toe 18 months. He just looks so big in this picture, like a little man. :tear:

Such is life.....

This is the phrase that sums up what life has been like for this month. I have gone through a lot of ups and downs this month and I am ready to get off the roller coaster. Let's start with the positives:

Bennett is completely off the bottle and has been since the day after his birthday. It was difficult to find a cup that he really liked. He would drink out of almost any cup between meals, but he really just wanted his bottle in the morning and before bed. We were using the Playtex drop-ins with the latex nipple because the soft texture of the nipple worked really well with bottle and breastfeeding. It was easy to switch back and forth. So, then I went on the hunt for a cup spout that was similar in texture to the latex nipple. And I found it!!! B is in love with the Nuk Trainer cup. It has a latex spout that is soft and he is able to draw it further into his mouth than the hard plastic ones.
On another note, I accepted a position for a new job. I start my new job on December 1st and I am really excited about it. The position is similar to what I do now, but I will be in contact more with my clients instead of sitting at a desk and doing a lot of paperwork among everything else. The best part is, I get to make my own schedule and it is a lot more flexible than what I do now. I really need that right now in my life, I feel very stressed out at the moment due to work and taking care of everything at home by myself.

Now onto the moments this month that have led to me really think about my life and the people that surround me.

I am stressed out to capacity! Not that I am surprised at all, how could anyone not be in a situation like this. It has really made me look at my life and how I can simplify it and make it less stressful for me and the boys. I have come to realize that I cannot be everything for everyone. There comes a time when you realize you have done all that you can possibly do to make things and situations go smoothly. Then you just have to take a step back and let things progress how they are meant to. I feel as though if I am stressed out and upset, then my kids are going to pick up on that. I want my kids to be happy and healthy and us all to get through this phase of our life in the best way possible. I can no longer pretend as if statements and situations do not bother me and remain silent any longer. I am not one for confrontation, but I am up to my eyeballs in stress with no end in sight. I have not had a day or night all to myself since May. So yeah, I'm a little tired and irritable, but I am doing the best that I can given the situation.

I just want people to understand that when you come to me with a full plate and you want to pile that full plate on top of my own full plate, I may just got a little nuts. I am starting to speak up and I will say what I have kept bottled up for so long. Just realize that when you want to come to me with your mound of issues and problems.

Needless to say, the holidays are going to be strange this year. I want my husband home to enjoy this special time of year with us. It already feels like something is missing.

Can't believe he is 1

My little monster man is 1! How crazy is that?! This year has flown by, even faster than normal. We had wee man's party today and everyone was so generous with new toys and clothes for him. Both boys were so excited to have everyone over to the house and to play with friends and family.

Let's see what B is up to these days:
--Cruising like a mad man, but still refusing to walk. (fine with me!)
--Has been on whole raw milk for about 2 weeks now
--FINALLY started sleeping through the night once he started the whole milk (thank heavens!!!!)
--Is cutting his top two teeth
--eats just as much, if not more than his older brother
--drinks about a gallon of milk per week, so we go through about 2 gallons per week for both boys
--calls me "mama" and will crawl after me yelling it
--he is super good at feeding himself and eats just about anything.
--some of his favorite foods are black beans, waffles, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheerios, hot dogs, chicken, pot pies, peas, carrots, cheese. Basically the kid will eat anything that I give him. :)

Wee man loved his cake so much! He was a little unsure at first about getting into it, but once he took a few small bites, he really went to town on it. He ate the entire piece that I gave him. We even video taped some of the party to send to daddy and we took plenty of pictures for him as well. Daddy really wished that he could be here for wee man's 1st birthday, but soon enough he will be home for a visit.

Mr. Fiesty

Well, my calm easy going baby has turned into quite a fiesty little guy at times. It's interesting to watch him and his older brother play. Now if big brother takes a toy from him, B screeches at big brother in a very loud voice! He is not shy at displaying his dislike for an event that just happened. I guess he feels as though he needs to state his opinion on it.

B has also become quite fast in his mobility. He is lightening fast when he crawls and now he is standing on his own and cruising around the furniture. He hasn't gotten up the guts to try and take some steps on his own, but he will walk with anything and everything he can get his hands on.

B has really taken to the word "dada." The boy will yell "dada" anywhere and everywhere we go. I try to get him to say "mama" and he just stares at me and then laughs, like yeah right mom! Apparently even thousands of miles away, dad is still cooler than mom. :( At least mom still has the goods! :)

Speaking of goods, I am in the process of weaning myself off of the pump. Instead of pumping 3 times a day at work, I am now down to once a day, usually around lunch time. That leaves about 4 hours between feedings. My plan is to stop pumping completely when B turns 1 and then he can nurse at night, in the morning, and on weekends. I will make it to my goal of 1 year and then we will become extended nursers until B decides mom and the goods aren't cool anymore. That will be a sad day for me because I enjoy nursing him so much and I love our quality time that we get to spend together.

We also got a new stroller recently. I really like our doubler stroller that we got, but P wants to walk all the time now. That doesn't really fit with lugging around a doubler stroller then. I wanted something light weight, had a basket for a diaper bag or other things, and had a good canopy to keep the sun off B. I think I have found perfection in all of those categories! I ended up getting a Joovy Kooper and I LOVE it!! It is extremely light weight and I can fold it down with one hand and lift it into the van while holding B. It also has a basket and drink holders and it has a HUGE canopy to cover B and will definitely keep the sun off of him. I also like the colors that they make, we got the Appletree color, which I love as well. Here is a pic of it:
It drives like a dream too! It folds down to the size of an umbrella stroller, which is nice if I have other things in the back of the van. It does recline almost all the way down, which is nice for naps. It fits both boys great and they both seem to enjoy it.

I'm here and you're there

This month marks 6 years since I met my husband. It really doesn't seem like it has been that long, but I guess that is a good thing. This year will also mark our 3 year wedding anniversary. The only problem is, I'm here and he's there. :( I miss my husband immensely and each day that we spend apart seems like eternity. I hate that we are apart, but I know that it will only make our relationship stronger.

*Then*

We have been tossing around the idea of putting the house up for sale when hubby gets home and moving out to the country. I think the kids would really enjoy the extra space and not having our neighbors so close to us. I would also like to have a bigger garden next year and have the option down the road to maybe have some chickens for fresh eggs. I know, crazy right? But it sounds like a good adventure and my husband could teach me how to do it. :)

We are planning to get pictures done of the boys next month. I am having the same person do it that did my sister's wedding photos. She did an amazing job on her pictures and I hope the boys' will turn out just as good. I would've liked to get family pictures done, but we will wait for hubby to get home to get those done.

*And now*

10 months and counting

Wow, it has been forever since my last blog. I cannot believe my little man is 10 months old now. And even more so, I can't believe that when daddy left, B was only 5 months old! It kills me every day to know how much he is missing with the boys and how much they are changing while he is gone. I have been taking videos and pictures of the boys with my cell phone and emailing them to daddy so that he can still see how they are changing.

It seems like B has changed so much from 9 months. Let's see what he is doing now:
--pulling up on just about anything he can get his little paws on
--he is starting to move from one place to another while standing, such as from the toy box to the kitchen set.
--he is eating only table food.
--We have switched out the bottle for a cup during one of his feedings at the babysitter.
--We are still nursing and going strong! I am determined to make it to the one year mark and beyond.
--He has taken a liking into tackling his older brother to the floor and then climbing all over him.
--I don't know how much he weighs exactly or how long he is, but he is outgrowing his Medium sized diapers in the rise. So that would tell me he is getting longer.
--He loves to laugh and is probably the happiest baby I know.
--He now has his 2 bottom teeth.
--He has discovered where the DVD's are kept and I must now find a new location for them unless I want to continue to clean them up constantly.
--He has also found the toy box and loves to stand there and throw out all of the toys.
--He is sleeping the entire night in his crib. (Not sleeping through the night, but he is staying in his crib the whole night)
--He now wears 12-18 month clothing and he and his older brother can wear some of the same stuff.

He is changing so much and learning so much from watching his brother. He is just a joy to have in our family and I can't wait to see how he continues to grow and change.

P is also growing and learning so much. His speaking skills have improved so much in the past month and he can now say so many words that he was unable to say before. Another big milestone for P is that he is now potty trained, except at night. It didn't take very long and I am very thankful for that! Both boys are just adjusting so well to daddy being gone and we have gotten into a very good routine. Bedtime is so much easier now and so are the evenings and mornings. I think we have it down to a science. :) So, now on to the good stuff...pictures!

*A good pic of his teeth*