Ben signed his first word!!!

Ben just signed "more"!!!!! He was eating corn puffs, and after he finished he looked over and put his fingertips together!!!! He repeated it several times after finishing more puffs. This is so cool!!!!!

keep watch for when he PATS the candy in his hand

How To Force Your Mother To Bathe You At A Time Other Than Planned

1. Refuse to eat any of the normal foods you like, causing your mother to resort to sharing her broccoli and cheese quiche with you, despite the fact that it's not even big enough for her.

2. Eat as much of the first bits she gives you as you can, encouraging her to give you more. This fills you up, and gives you ammunition at the same time.

3. Don't forget to drop several choice bits on the floor for a snack later.

4. Grab as much egg, broccoli, and cheese quiche in each hand as you can possible hold. Don't worry if some squishes out, this allows for more fun later on.

5. With each hand, grab a handful of hair. Slowly pull upwards, as if you are combing your hair with the egg mixture.

6. You may want to do this a few times, as there will be enough egg mixture stuck to your hands to last, and you don't want to waste any.

7. Remember the stuff that squished out? If you have been allowed to stay in your highchair instead of shrieked at and pulled out (as I am the second child, my mother's opinion is that if it's entertaining me, she's okay with it for a few more minutes), place your hands flat on top of the food. Briskly brush them from side to side, making sure to go off at least one table edge, allowing the food to cover your hands, then fall to the floor (see step 3) and your lap.

8. Step 7 is easier if you are able to drip your milk on the table first, making the food more slippery, and therefore more likely fall off the table rather than stick to the edge.

9. Enjoy your bath, and be sure to read "How To Avoid Getting Re-Dressed After An Impromptu Bath", coming soon!

My Boys

Daddy's Shoes

Too cool!

Ben took his first steps tonight!!!!! Will post more later, gotta go to book club.

Boy With Drumstick

Had too much fun to take many pictures.....

I didn't take very many pictures while Andrea and her kids were here....in fact, I only took pictures while we were at the water spray park. We had a wonderful visit, and I can't wait to be able to head over there for another visit!

Here they all are, hanging out under the tree. It's hard to see Katia, but she's there!

Rockin'

I think I saw a puddy tat! I did! I did!

For a little while now, we've been thinking Ben can say "cat", but weren't sure because a lot of what he babbles fits the situation he's in. "Out!" when he was struggling to get out of his car seat. "I want that!" when reaching for something the other day. But stuff he's not really saying, of course.

But this morning, he looked up, saw Suzie, grinned and yelled "CAT!" Then after we got all excited, he started saying "kitty cat! kitty cat!" over and over. Mike calls the cats "kitties" when talking to Ben, I call them "cats".

So he is now up to three words. "Mama", "Da Da", and "Kitty Cat". Or four, depending how you look at it!

Two Top Teeth

and now, for the close up! He doesn't usually like to show off his top teeth, so I was happy to get a shot of this smile!

In more notaboutme news!!!

She's having a girl!!!!!!

sleeping woes, continued

not good. I've set us back a bit in our efforts to help Ben go to sleep at night and at nap times.

First, last night I let him fall asleep on me for about 10 minutes. Before we put him to bed we woke him up and got him into jammies, but the damage was done. He had remembered how nice sleeping on Mama is, so he was FURIOUS when we put him in his crib. He cried for over an hour.

Then in the middle of the night sometime (no idea when, I wasn't coherent, or it wouldn't have even happened) he woke up and instead of letting him go back to sleep in his crib, out of old habit I got him out and fed him. Then he fell back asleep in our bed, so of course woke up a few times and wanted to eat again. At that point I knew it would be hopeless to put him back in his crib, so he spent the rest of the night with us. Which meant he ate a few times at night, instead of waiting until morning.

So now it is naptime again. He isn't pleased that we've gone back to the evils of solitary crib sleeping. I have to be diligent about not letting him sleep on or with me, even though now that it's not ALL THE FREAKIN' TIME it's sweet again. Last night when he fell asleep on me it was just so wonderful to cuddle with him again while he was asleep. I am sure I'll be able to do that again, after he's fully used to sleeping on his own. I really hope so, because the idea of NOT being able to is very sad. I like sleeping with my boyo, just not 24/7.

Right now, however, it's an all or nothing thing, or he gets confused. I can't wait for this transition to be over.

He's learning faster than I'd like

Holy Crap. He's learning how to move things around to help himself. He took Kaia's sink out of her kitchen, then dropped it on the ground. At some point he figured out that if he turned it upside down and stood on it he might be able to reach the things under the sink. He couldn't, quite, but still! He moved it where he needed it and stood on it! I'm in trouble.

This past weekend I went up to Canada to surprise Tania at her baby shower. I got a passport several weeks ago, and bought a train ticket for going up, and a bus ticket for coming back. (the train doesn't come down in the morning)

She was really surprised, and it was wonderful to be able to be at her shower. Mike stayed home with both kids! The train ride up was fun, I sat next to a guy who talked a lot, but about really interesting things. Right after getting into Canada, we went past a beach that had about 50 bald eagles! I saw more bald eagles in that 3 minutes than in my entire life. It was awesome.

I won the clothes pin game (will actually be posting a pic about that later) and brought my prize, a little soft bear, home to Kaia. At the station before leaving Canada, I also got her a bookmark, a pair of socks that say "Canada" and a roll the shape and size of a roll of Mentos but is actually 10 pressed-into-tablet towels! She was excited with all of her presents. I bought Ben a hat for next winter that is a raccoon face. It's wool, and will be very toasty! If he keeps in on, of course...that boy HATES hats!

I got TONS of pictures for Tania's scrapbook and I really want to work on it, but it will have to wait until this weekend so I'm not constantly having to get up to get Ben out of things.

I cannot wait to meet Tania's little girl!!!

A little of this, a little of that

One of these days I will post about something NOT related to Ben's sleep habits -- promise! However, today is not the day. Or at least, this is not the post.

Last night Ben took about an hour to fall asleep. He woke up a few times after, but not as much as the night before. I definitely got more sleep! Not caught up by a long shot, but I am hopeful the next few nights will see even more improvement.

Today we added in scheduled naps, since Kaia's school is out for summer. Ben was sleeping in the car every time I took her to or from school, ruining any chance at a decent length nap. I am going to put him down every day around 10, then again in the afternoon (I'll figure out what time depending on how long he sleeps this morning). He's been fussing in there for about 5 minutes, but seems to be calming down.

Tomorrow is Tania's baby shower! In Canada, so I won't be there. I'm really disappointed I can't go, and so I'm trying to think of something fun Tania and I can do together at some point. I was thinking the other day that now that Ben is trying to sleep through the night, I probably could have gone, but it's a bit late, what with the no passport and no financial planning. By a "bit late", of course, I mean "there's no way in hell I could get a passport and plane ticket or gas money together if I started now". I know Tania will have a wonderful time though, and that's all that matters! *pout* (just kidding)

well, my house is a rat's nest, so I must get off my ass and do something about it. Sunday being Father's Day and all, I guess that means I should be treating my husband to a clean house and home cooked meals! wait, I do that anyway...the home cooked meals at least. The house isn't always...shall we say, photo-ready?!

Wish us luck with Ben, send him love.

And Tania--have a BLAST at your baby shower!!

blech

well. last night sucked. Ben fell asleep after only an hour, which seemed like a good thing, but it just left him with energy to wake up later. He sat up, and then calmed down. and the cycle started. He'd fall asleep, fall over, either bonk his head or just startle himself back awake, sit up and repeat above steps. If I tried to lay him down he'd just get mad.

He woke up this morning at 5:30. After I woke up sufficiently to tell time, I got him out of his crib and fed him. He was pretty cheerful, and fell back asleep for another hour. Then he woke up and didn't eat, but got a diaper change and fell back asleep for 45 minutes or so.

I am so tired. Please keep your fingers crossed that tonight will go better. thank you.

Cheerily Chomping Cheerios

Last night went pretty well. Ben cried for about 2 hours, which WASN'T easy, but after he went to sleep the first time, whenever he'd wake up he only fussed for a minute or so then went back to sleep. Mike and I went to bed around 11:30 after making brownies together. He slept in the livingroom so he wouldn't wake Ben up with snoring. He will come back to the bedroom and Ben will have to learn to deal with it, but for now we just want Ben to get used to sleeping all night and in his crib.

He woke up this morning at 6:30. I got him out of his crib and fed him-he ate quite a bit! I cuddled him and talked to him about the night. He seemed quite happy. He fell back asleep after eating, so I just laid him down in our bed (still just blankets on the floor) and he slept for another 45 minutes. When he woke up again he was his usual cheerful self!

I hope tonight goes even better! I didn't get much more sleep than usual last night since I woke up every time he did, but I have high hopes for tonight.

On another note, he tried cheerios for the first time this morning, and he very much enjoyed them!

Tough Love

Tonight is The Night. well, the First Night Of Hopefully Very Few Nights. Right now I am in the middle (the beginning?!) of listening to Ben cry, then calm down, then cry, then calm down....rinse, repeat. We are almost an hour and a half in, and at the moment he is silent. Poor Kaia is in her room with an Mp3 player and big headphones over the little ones, trying to sleep. I feel so bad for her, but this WILL be better. It will give us more time with her (we decided Ben's bedtime will be at 7, leaving us with some time with her before her summer bedtime of 8).

Starting Friday, we will also be doing naps in the crib. I can't before then because he sleeps in the car while I'm taking Kaia to and from school, but Thursday is her last day for the year.

He is still quiet....I am hopeful.....

I didn't want to do this, but I have to do something. I am not getting even close to enough sleep and it's starting to be dangerous. I NEED MORE SLEEP. His doctor confirmed that he doesn't need food at his age, he is simply in the habit of getting up several times to eat. As a commenter on another site said "If someone gave me a brownie every time I woke up at night, I'd be getting up 5-7 times too!" Speaking of brownies, Mike bought some mix earlier since we both thought Chocolate Fortification would be necessary.

Ben is STILL quiet. Mike and I are going to make brownies. Send Ben happy dreams, okay?

Rain Rain GO AWAY

okay, even for the Pacific Northwest, this is RIDICULOUS!!!! Where the hell is the SUN!?!?

We had an unusually cold winter (snow in MAY), now we are having a cold and gray spring. Please, please, make up for it by a warm, dry summer. I am begging.

In other news, I am sick and Ben is still waking up several times a night. I am making a dr. appt. for this afternoon.

In a later post, I will talk about the things I've been planning for this summer--my first summer as a stay at home mom to two kids. Most of it's free, too!