Aiden on the Move

Aiden Rolled

Aiden has been trying so hard to get from his back to his belly. Today I spent a long time recording him in 2 min chunks just hoping to get it on film and I did. I got the first time on video.

videos

Baby food

Aiden is a eater that the boys never were. He is so aware of food and eating. We have started to play with it a little. He LOVES oatmeal. He is MAD when it is gone and I feed him milk first. He is also the cleanest eater I have ever seen. He hardly wastes a drop. He sees the spoon and starts shaking and making noise. It is so cute.

I am kinda hoping this will help him sleep a little longer but so far no luck.

Paccy and potties

I know, know I, I always have an excuse as to why I havent blogged lately. BUT truth be told a few big things have been happening in our house the last 2 weeks. They involve two very important things. Paccys and potties. I know sounds so exciting but really it took some work.

Paccys- Many of you know I have attempted to kick the paccy habit a few times and FAILED with a bog fat F. I knew the boys were ready but very strongly attached. I kept making excuses as to why I needed to put it off. First I got pregnant and was so tired I was napping when they napped, then I was to busy, after that came the potty (more on that later) and I didnt want to many changes at once. Lastly we got sick (10 days of coughing no fun). We were already down to only getting them in bed. I spend a lot of time in Target (we are there at least once a week). Well the boys BEGGED for pillow pets every time they saw them. So we started talking about the paccy fairy. We told the boys all about how one day she would come and leave a gift for them and take the paccy away forever. That she only comes to big boys and girls. When they started telling me this I moved on to asking them what they wanted and pointing out the pillow pets in Target telling them that one day soon the fairy would bring them one if that is what they wanted. The whole process took about two weeks. We knew it was time when we would put the boys down and they would take their paccy and tell us about the fairy.

This last weekend we were at Erick's mom's and we told her about our plan. We were at Target to get toothpaste and showed her the pets. She decided to get them and let the boys pick the ones they wanted. When we got back to her house I went and tossed the paccys.

Owen and Wim the turtle

Ethan and T-bone the dog

We had the boys name their own pets and whenever they asked about the paccy we asked them right back. The boys always responded with "the fairy came and took paccy forever". We had about 5 min of crying/asking for the paccy the first nap and about two days of asking without crying. They are doing AWESOME without it.

Potties- We have been working on using the potty for some time now. Not forcing but letting the boys know it is there and putting them on it when they want. We were only making them use it before bath. In the last two weeks we have stepped up our game and the boys are rising to the occasion. I am extremely proud of Ethan. Im sure Erick will agree that when we started this we thought that Ethan would train last. He proved us wrong. He has decided he no longer wants the rewards. If I have him in a diaper and tell him to use it he has and will cry. He hasnt pooped in underwear in a few weeks and we are able to take him out in underwear without accidents. He even made it the 2 hr drive to and from Erick's mom's house dry. Owen is totally in it for the jelly beans. And he knows how to work the system. If we are home they are in undies for the most part. We keep the undies in the bathroom under the sink. Accidents arnt a big deal and the boys pick their own undies out. So far so good.

My boys are growing up at a rapid pace. Yes I know that doing this now could mean doing it again after the new baby comes but I am glad we are laying down the foundation now. It isnt hurting the boys and they are loving the attn and praise.

I will try my best to keep you updated. PS No new news on the pregnancy. We still dont know the gender and are looking forward to finding out at the party. Lots of movement and kicking going on.

Dentist

Today we took the boys to the dentist today. Erick took some time off (just a few hours) so that I wouldnt have take the boys on my own. Thank goodness he did.

The dentist we took them to specializes in kids. They were great. The waiting room is amazing. It has all kinds of toys, TVs and video games. As soon as we got there Ethan pooped. This caught me off guard because both boys have been loyal afternoon poopers for a few weeks. So silly mommy left the diaper bag at home. I did however have wipes with me because I keep an extra stash in the car. So my plan was to go to the bathroom, clean him up, clean out the diaper and put some tissue in the dirty diaper to protect his bottom just long enough to make it home. This plan would have worked if he hadnt at that exact moment been called back to get pictures taken of the inside of his mouth. By the time the photos were taken and he was in the computer he STUNK. I get him into the bathroom and there is no saving the situation. My only recourse was to let him go comando and pray he didnt pee everywhere (he didnt).

The verdict:
Both boys teeth are great. Both have some teeth coming in. Ethan's front teeth need to be flossed because they are touching. They got floride coated on teeth. Other than that brush 2x/day and come back in 6 months. The boys got balloons and Wall-e electric toothbrushes. We got asked to tell our friends to bring their kids in because they would like all kids to be seen around age 1. Overall it was a great visit.

Potty training

We bit the bullet. This past weekend we decided that the boys were showing signs of being ready. We got some Disney cars undies and decided to get to work. After 1/2 day of trying we noticed that Ethan wasnt as interested/ready as we thought so we put him back in diapers. Owen on the other hand was doing great. The end of day one of training was 2 pee accidents, 1 poop accident and a diaper for nap. Not bad for the first day.

Today's training is not going as well. Owen is teething and not feeling well. He is refusing to eat or drink. If nothing goes in nothing can come out.

Big boy beds

This is what the boys room looks like.



But the last two days Owen has decided to prove that he can escape the crib. Today that resulted in a rainstorm of q-tips all over the room and Ethan getting really pissed that Owen was out and he wasn't. The good news is that the boys cant turn a doorknob. The bad news is they can lock their bedroom door.

So this morning Erick and I talked and decided to make the boys room look like this




Their reaction to seeing the big boy beds...



This is all great except it was HELL getting them to nap today. It took almost an hour for Ethan to get it an fall asleep. 2 hours later Owen was still up. He finally fell asleep on the floor in front of the door so I couldn't get in. Owen ended up sleeping about 45 min and Ethan slept a little less than 2 hrs. We will keep with this and see how it goes.

18 month check up

I don't know why I haven't posted this post yet. Oh yes I do my house is a mess because we had clarks here for spiders and bugs and at the same time the AC went out and now my washer is dying. Along with that is the fact that the boys now know and try to double team me. Ethan can climb on the kitchen table and Owen will take that moment to get into the DVDs or stand on the TV or take a disk out of the wii. Not to mention the tantrums.

SOoooo last Friday the boys had their check up. They got three shots each because a shot they got before is being phased out in favor of one that is better (it covers 13 things rather than 7). But you don't really care about that. What you want to hear is that the boys are good and growing and healthy. Well they are.

Owen
Height 31in
Weight 24 lbs 13 oz

Ethan
Height 31.5in
Weight 26 lbs 4 oz

That puts both boys firmly in the 25th percentile range. They are walking and talking fine. They met/far exceeded all of the milestones.

Videos videos videos

Life keeps getting in the way of my uploading videos so here is all the videos I have that you have yet to see. Some are funny. Some are cute. Some are just because.

18 months

I know it is a little late (only a few days) but let me tell you those few days have been rough. The boys are talking more but understanding less so it seems. They both are blessed with their father's selective listening. They are finding joy in finding new "rules" to break. They are teaming up to try and open doors and climb on things. They are dropping a nap. Among other things.Really it has been a difficult time for us all. We are also getting back into the swing of things after vacation, a virus and teething. Yeah things in our house have been fun. We have played with potty chairs but nothing solid and only 1 success each. So now that I have given you a glimpse of the hard things going on in our house lets talk about the good.

The boys are growing bigger and stronger every single day (Official weight and height on the 16th). They are SMART. Oh so smart. Sometimes they are way to smart for my or their own good. They are repeating EVERYTHING. They only have to hear it once and they are using it in context. Sentences are forming and getting longer. Simple commands are being followed (when they want to). Owen knows all of his body parts (we are still working on cheeks because he likes you to pinch them). Ethan is using sentences daily. I am so proud of my boys.... Even when they drive me batty.

Potty Time

Let me start by saying that No we are not potty training. We are however encouraging the fact that the boys are interested. They are starting to want to sit on the potty and they are telling us when they are dirty. So today I am playing with them on the floor and Ethan comes over to me and tells me poo poo. So I look and he isnt dirty. I take him in the bathroom and have him sit on the potty. He sits there for 5 min and nothing. He asks to get down, I let him down and tell him we will try later. Five min later he poops. He comes up to me and tells me poo poo, I change him he walks away and poops again. grrr. Then I repeat the process with Owen.

How do I teach the difference between a fart and poop? They dont seem to know the difference. I know farts can lead to poop but they want to sit on the toilet NOW and then get off before they poop.

Spring has sprung

I keep meaning to get on here and write something or share pictures. Then it just doesn't happen. The weather is getting nicer and I am working on my 101 in 1001. Not to mention the boys are trying to test limits which has been oh so much fun.

Let us see... what have we done after my last post....

The boys turned 17 months.


The boys didn't want their pictures taken so these are the best I could do. You can see how big they are though. This picture is them and the same bear.


We went to Grandma's in Salinas. Owen and Ethan loved being outside and playing in the dirt.




Because the weather has been so nice we have also gotten a few chances to play in the water. They LOVE the water.









Words are coming at an alarming rate. We say something once and they are repeating it. And to think not to long ago we were worried about Ethan's speech. He has a favorite phrase that we have yet to get on video but I hope to soon. I love you.
So here is a video of Owen showing off and one of Ethan being strong willed.

Phrases

Owen is a great speaker. He is already copying everything we say. This is both a good thing and a bad thing.It is great that he is so interested in talking (Ethan isnt much interested)but sometimes... Today I was telling Owen to get his sippy and bring it to me. This was all fine and good. Later he had his snack bowl. He wanted more and I told him to bring it to me (he needed a butt change I could smell him from across the room). He did want the butt change just the more snack. He brought his snack bowl over, stopped about 3 feet from me, threw the bowl, pointed to it and told me "get it". While I am glad he understands and is talking and communicating his needs/wants that so isnt going to work for me. I swear he is 14 months going on 14.

Sunshine, Valentines and new toys

What more could two little boys ask for then sunshine, Valentines Day and new toys.
New tricks

Mama's boys

I want the cookie back

Tunnel





Ethan finally learned that he can climb in the toy box. This was all well and good until Owen wanted in too.















Oh I know what more 2 little boys could want.... their mom. When Erick is home we take turns getting a little extra sleep. We get the best greetings when we get up from the boys. So I thought I would record it for you. (please dont mind the messy house it was a rough few days dealing with the sudden death of a long time close friend that left behind 2 little ones)

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!

OMG Owen and Ethan are 1! How did that happen? Yesterday they were babies and today not so much. Every day they are closer and closer to little men. Ethan is walking more than crawling now. He also has 3 teeth. Owen decided that he was not to be outdone by Ethan in the walking department and he RUNS (video coming soon). He has 2 teeth. They are completely off bottles and we are now trying milk (at least til the GI says otherwise).

Today the immediate family came for a little gathering. Grandpa and Uncle live far away and wouldn't be able to attend the big party in Jan. We had lunch then opened gifts. The boys are getting good at opening gifts as long as they are interested. Once again they were spoiled rotten. From there we sand to the boys. Each of them got sang to on their own. We tried to get them to blow out the candle. I had been working on it with them for weeks. The cake was just way too tempting and they didn't care about the candle. By the time Owen was done with his cake you couldn't tell it was Owen and you really couldn't tell it started as a cake. Ethan on the other hand was very clean and ate the cake in order from left to right. He only got about 1/3 through the cake before he sat back finished. After a quick bath it was play time while the adults talked.

It was a wonderful day for my wonderful boys. Happy Birthday my beautiful little men. You cannot imagine the joy you bring to my life on a daily basis. You mean the world to me.

Christmas

Whew!!! Now that was busy. Our Christmas this year was 4 parts. It was crazy. We were everywhere and the boys were so good all things considered.

Part 1
Christmas Eve I cooked and my family (my moms side) came to the house. When all was said and done there were 14 people here. I cooked a huge meal which was a feat because the kitchen sink stopped draining while I was doing prep. The boys got the first real taste of Christmas and opened lots of gifts.

Part 2
Christmas morning was a lot slower, calmer, and in my opinion yummier. My mom (nana) came back over for a breakfast of coffee and cinnamon rolls (homemade by me, sink still plugged). The boys opened more gifts. These gifts needed a little more help from mom and dad once the boys realized there were goodies inside and decided they wanted to play.

Part 3
When it was time to put the boys down for a nap Nana left and we got in the car to head to Erick's grandmas. This was perfect timing as the boys napped the whole 2 hr drive. Before we could actually head to our destination we had to stop at Erick's mom's to pick up his brother. Once again more gifts. Finally getting to G.Grandma's and we eat and open more gifts. After chatting we head to our last stop.

Part 4
Christmas dinner was hosted at Erick's aunt's house. This was another hour drive from G.Grandma's. When we got close we called to find out if they had whole milk for the boys. They didn't so we stopped at the store. Once at Erick's aunts we had to try to get the boys to drink. This was near impossible because things were bustling. After more gifts we sat down to a nice dinner. When things got late we loaded the boys back in the car and headed the hour drive home.

Christmas was GREAT. Our boys are SPOILED. Happy Holidays everyone.

(pictures will be added when I get the gifts put away and can find the cord)

Movin' on up

With us all sitting in the room and the camera out look who decided to put on a show.



Ethan had only taken 2 steps before today. All day today he was taking little steps. Then this video. After that he crossed the room another time. The space between the couch and where I am sitting with the camera is about 5-6 feet. We are so proud. We were convinced Owen would be first. GO ETHAN!!!

Did you miss us?

Well we are home. The trip was long and hard. I couldn't go to the mine although my sister did. At the funeral they played a video of my cousin taken in the hour before her death. It was her dancing in the back of the truck before going into the mine. It was hard to watch and she will be missed. That is all I want to say on the matter.

While getting ready to leave something interesting happened. Owen took a step. A single step not holding onto anything. Then while in the hotel in front of everyone he took 2 steps all on his own. We are so proud. While we were in the hotel we had a bad night with the boys. OMG it was horrible. Well we now know why it was so horrible. There is a new tooth in the house. Owen decided he no longer wanted to be toothless. He also has his second tooth coming in.

Ethan is getting braver. He is still my careful child but he is starting to let go.

We also took our holiday photo.

It is so fun to watch them grow!

Things I could do without

I forgot to post The boys are now 10 months old. woo hooo. Things are getting really fun now. They respond to you and play really well but there are a few things I could do without.

* eating the paint off the cribs
* biting
* temper tantrums (I am talking full on through down on the floor kicking and screaming)
* climbing on everything
* arguing
*crying when I leave the room

Oh and my all time favorite

*looking at me when I tell them no and asking for dada

But like I said they are doing some really cute good things too.
* walking with toys
* baby kisses
* waving and saying by by
* the giggles at funny faces or being tickled
* making faces
* tub time
* feeding themselves
* playing in the mirror
* being held upside down
* clapping and saying yeah
* new words

As you can see the good list FAR outweighs the bad but ohhhh the tantrums. :(