Big Boy Beds Aren't for Napping...

Apparently, the big boy beds are way too exciting to take naps in... Ben was asleep in his high chair after lunch and the minute I laid him down in his bed, he sat right up and started laughing and jumping around! They finally conked out at about 1:30 on the living room floor. I had given up on trying to get them to take a nap at all... I guess this works!

We had to spend an hour last night trying to get them (mainly Conner) to go to sleep... hopefully tonight will be a little easier!

Full Weekend!

Nick got to take 3 days off in a row this weekend so we made the most of our time! We got Conner on video climbing out of his crib! He has the technique down as if he's been doing it all his life! This was the last morning they got to wake up in their cribs!!!

On Friday afternoon, we met Grandma and she took the boys to Conrad for the weekend. We had friends come stay with us and we were able to party all weekend... haven't been able to do that for a long time! It was very fun!!!

So after picking up the boys on Sunday, we got their new beds ready! I still have to put up some new shelves and wall stickers, but they really like their "new" room and their big boy beds!

After unveiling the new beds, we hung out and the boys played (and tried to keep Nick from falling asleep... apparently our big party weekend took its toll!)

Bed time went fairly well... we did have to sit in their room for a while and make sure they stayed in bed but overall it wasn't too bad. Today's naptime is a different story... I have tried several times to get them to lay down but they are not having it. I settled for them just staying in their room but that's not going so well either since I have had to remove everything from the room that they could throw and as of a couple of minutes ago, they have removed the heating vent from their wall and torn out the phone cord that runs through their room.... they are now sitting in their high chairs so I can have a few moments of peace... Funny thing is they are just about falling asleep in their high chairs because they are so tired!

I was feeling rejuvenated after the fun weekend... now that feeling is soooo gone... I can't wait for Nick to get home!

Too Early!

At 6:15 this morning I was awakened by Conner's giggles and the sound of his little feet running around his room! (We put a gate at the bedroom door so he can't get out!) I quickly grabbed him and took him to my bed so that I could sleep more... this unfortunately was not how it went down... Ben was awake shortly after so we got up and went down for breakfast by 6:30! This may seem normal time for lots of you, but for us we seldom have breakfast before 7:30... not a great start to the day (at least not for Mom!) Our morning has been filled with little boys crawling up the side of the stairs, climbing up onto tables, breaking Mom's Willowtree angels, throwing toys and food, and now as we are trying to start naptime, I have to sit outside their door so that no one escapes... these are all the things that no one ever tells you about being a mom! I am exhausted and looking forward to handing the kids off to Grandma and Grandpa this weekend! Gotta go... I have an escapee....

So Far, So Good...

We are starting to feel better after having these awful colds... I am still the worst but at least the boys aren't coughing so much.  Ben is doing well with the meds.  We have to increase his dosage tomorrow, but hopefully his little body will be able to adapt quickly!  He is completely back to normal now and driving me crazy!  We will hopefully know more about his condition after a few more doctor appointments.  Conner is a little jealous that Ben gets all the medicine!  Yesterday Conner climbed out of his crib at least 5 times and Ben actually fell out of his so we will be converting their cribs to toddler beds over the weekend!  They have been up to no good today so I'm going to keep this short so I can get a few other things done before they wake up from their naps!  Enjoy your day...

Scary Stuff...

Most of you know by now that our Ben had another seizure on Tuesday evening... even though this was the third time I have witnessed one of my children having one, it never gets any easier seeing your child lying there, convulsing, and unable to respond to you in any way.  I never knew that life could be this scary...  We spent the night in the hospital since this was Ben's second seizure in the last 6 months.  The ER doctor said that Ben didn't have a fever when we got there, so he really thought we should stay and have more testing done since it was probably not just a febrile seizure (caused by a sudden spike in temperature.)  My heart dropped when he said that...

Ben's EEG is abnormal so they are telling us that he does have a seizure disorder.  It still scares the shit out of me, but I know that we will manage just like we always do... We will see a neurologist next month who will hopefully be able to give more specific information regarding Ben's seizure disorder since there are so many different kinds of them.  My doctor told me to treat him exactly as I would normally treat him, the only thing he will never be able to do is be an airline pilot!  I guess I can live with that... 

Of course, our concern also spreads to Conner so in the next month we will be talking to doctors to figure out whether he should undergo some of the testing that Ben did or if we just wait and see if Conner has another seizure.  (He has had one in the past.)  For right now, I will be doing lots and lots of research on seizure disorders and epilepsy so I can become the latest expert on the topic so if you find anything interesting, let me know!  Ben will be taking medication for the foreseeable future and that scares me since he's only 2 years old, but it sounds like it is the best option for now.  Hopefully the meds will take care of the seizures and he will still be able to outgrow this condition, as many children do...

You never want your kids to have to deal with heavy stuff like this, but this is our life... we don't always get to follow our own plans!  And you know what -  if we didn't get tossed a few curve balls every now and then, Nick and I might not even have our kids at all... that is scarier than any seizure in the world!  So for now, we are going to concentrate on trying to keep both of our boys healthy and happy!  I have the greatest husband and the most wonderful little boys in the world...  No matter what happens, I will always be grateful beyond words!!!

I think this is fitting to end with...  "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.  I just wish He didn't trust me so much." (Mother Teresa)

Love to you all....

Monday Morning - Caught!!!

Well... it's Monday again... and of course it's snowing again! Couldn't even make our trip to the grocery store this morning so the boys and I are going to have to think of some more indoor activities to keep us all happy and busy... it gets a little tough! Naps are getting shorter and shorter along with Mom's fuse but we'll just have to put up with the weather (and each other) for now! Nick went to work at about 3 this morning so he will be home (hopefully) around 3 this afternoon so it will be good to see Dad a little earlier than usual! (Although I'm sure that a nap will be at the top of his to-do list!) He's had a pretty nasty cold the last couple of days so we are just hoping that he will start to feel better and that none of the rest of us get it!

Most of you know that Conner has been climbing out of his crib so this morning I got my camera and caught him in the act!!! We are dragging our feet on the "big boy beds" but sometime in the next few weeks, we are going to have to take those cribs apart, get them some new bedding, and hope that we won't lose our minds trying to get the boys to stay in their beds!

Hope everyone has a good Monday!

Happy Friday!

It has been a loooong Friday here but we know that Dad will be home soon with pizza and a movie and that makes everything okay! We love Fridays!

Big Boy Haircuts!

You never know what might entertain the troops... yesterday it was a couple of little cookbooks! They just laid on the ground, looked at the pictures, and "read" the recipes out loud to Mom!



Today we took the boys to get haircuts! I have trimmed their hair several times now but this was their first real haircut done by someone who actually knows how to cut hair! It went a lot better than I expected... Conner pretty much just sat and played with the mirror and comb that the stylist gave him and Ben was a bit more uncomfortable but he made it through! He kept ducking his head down and you could just tell he was thinking "what the heck is this lady doing to me?!" They were very excited for Mom to take a picture of their new haircuts!!!

We are enjoying our Wednesday together (especially since it is the only day Nick has off this week!) The boys are napping now but I am sure they will be joining us very soon! Hope everyone has a great week!