Snips and Snails

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

2012-02-03T10:07:00.000-06:00

A while back we took the boys to their first live show. It featured 3 Eric Carle stories with puppets in black light. The boys were mesmerized and did a great job sitting still and staying quiet. Mostly quiet, anyway...Zane did yell "Moon! God!" any time there was a moon in the show, because we had talked the day before about God making the moon. But other than that, they were quiet. :) We couldn't take pictures during the actual show, and the boys were getting fidgety by the time it was over, but we managed to snap a few quick pictures on our way out as the puppeteers came out to answer questions. It was a fun day for our little family!

The Many Faces of Zane

2012-01-25T14:31:00.000-06:00

I may have mentioned previously that Zane is ornery. It's no joke. My brother predicts that Z will be the one who's always in trouble--not serious trouble, but mischief-making type trouble. I have no doubt he will be the practical jokester of the family.

He just has this look about him--a gleam in the eye, usually accompanied by an impish little grin--that says ORNERY. You wouldn't believe the number of people (some who know him well and some who don't) who have commented on this. See for yourself:

Doesn't he just look like he's planning something?

Fortunately for Zane (though not so fortunate for the rest of us) he has also perfected the Who, ME?

Don't let it fool you for a minute.

Because It Was Funny

2012-01-22T17:59:00.000-06:00

1. Yes, we did take pictures of our child in front of a tattoo parlor.

2. Isn't he intimidating when he makes a scary face and flexes his muscles?

3. No, he didn't actually get a tattoo.

A Very Merry, Random, Belated Christmas Recap

2012-01-15T20:54:00.002-06:00

I suppose the word "recap" assumes that this post will thoroughly cover the various Christmas preparations and celebrations in which our family participated.

Confession: It doesn't thoroughly cover anything. I simply picked a few pictures from the Christmas season that I liked.

So while this is technically not a recap, it is a little merry, a lot random, and somewhat belated. Here 'tis.

Trimming the tree

Gingerbread house decorating with his friends Kelsie and Travis

Z is not yet a professional gingerbread house decorator. He is, however, quite skilled at eating candy.

Hanging out with their buddy Truett during our travels

A sad amount of snow in the promised land

Dessert time with some of the 2nd cousins

Christmas morning presents!

Birthday cake for Jesus

Told you it was random.

18 Months

2012-01-08T16:58:00.001-06:00

What a fun little guy our 18-month-old is! He is talking all the time and cracking us up with the things he says. Full-fledged toddlerhood is upon us, and we're hanging on and enjoying every minute (okay, maybe not every minute, but as many minutes as we can).

18 month stats:
-28 lbs, 35.5 in
-18 month and 2T clothes
-sleeps 8 PM-7AM and naps 1-2 hours
-check out that picture--he's finally getting hair! (though we have yet to give him his first haircut)
-people are forever commenting on the scrapes on his face. Though he's actually a pretty coordinated kid, keeping up with his older brother means that minor injuries are a common thing for him right now. And for some reason, they always seem to be on his face. As soon as one starts to heal, he gets another one.
-he's learned to pose and say "cheese" for pictures. He's also learned lots of other words and phrases and speaks in sentences a good portion of the time. This kid is a talker.
-he's also a singer. He seems to have an ear for music and will repeat songs after only hearing them a couple of times. His current favorite is "Away in a Manger." He sings all 3 verses at the top of his lungs.
-the little boy "train stage" has begun. I don't know if all little boys go through this, but ours sure have! He will spend hours building train tracks, driving the trains around, and repeating "choo choo" fifteen million times.
-ORNERY. Seriously. This kid may just turn out to be the practical jokester of the family.
-counts and says ABCs
-at 15 months I mentioned that he was starting to become a Daddy's boy. "Starting" was an understatement. This kid absolutely LOVES his Daddy. He also loves his grandpas.
-has learned to stand and holler if Brock does something he doesn't like. He knows someone will come running to see what's wrong (kids learn fast!).

We love this ornery, charming, injury-prone little man!

Cotton Bowl 2012

2012-01-06T18:22:00.000-06:00

Conflicted.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T17:07:00.000-06:00

All in a Day's Work

2011-12-21T21:45:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago we went to visit Uncle Steve and Aunt Amy in the big city. While we were there, the boys...

mastered their ABC's,

did their own grocery shopping,

changed a tire,

made pizza,

participated in an archeological dig,

studied the properties of magnetism and electricity,

created masterpieces,

built skyscrapers,

utilized hydroelectric power,

and scaled a 3-story beanstalk.

Uncle Steve and Aunt Amy are awesome.

Party Party Party

2011-12-08T11:54:00.001-06:00

Our big 3-year-old's birthday was pretty special. He got to celebrate 3 years with 3 celebrations!

He started his big day off with a "3" pancake.

Then had a party that night with Daddy, Mommy, and Zane.

Complete with a few gifts, of course.

Grandpa and Grandma E came to visit and he got to have a party with them, too.

And when we visited Grandpa and Grandma T for Thanksgiving, he celebrated with Mommy's side of the family.

Whew! That's a lot of birthday, but I think we've all recovered. Now on to Christmas!

Thankful Tree

2011-11-25T16:08:00.001-06:00

As a way of teaching Brock about thankfulness this year, we made a thankful tree. There are about a hundred and one variations of this out there; we decided to keep ours simple and just use construction paper. The idea is to start with a bare tree at the beginning of November, then add a leaf each day leading up to Thanksgiving. On each leaf you write one thing you're thankful for.

Brock loved adding leaves each day. In fact, he usually didn't want to stop with just one, so I let him put on as many as he wanted. We talked often about how God has given us lots and lots of good things.

I let Brock take the lead on this and only wrote down what he told me. His tree had everything from pizza to giraffes to the UPS man. I plan to do this with the boys each year and keep a list of the things they come up with. What a fun Thanksgiving tradition!

3 Years

2011-11-22T09:28:00.001-06:00

It's a little hard to believe that Brock's been a part of our family for 3 years. What a joy he is to us! He is full of energy and curiosity, and there is certainly never a dull moment when he's around. We've been dealing with some "terrible three" behavior lately (my mom friends were right when they said it doesn't end at 2), but in general, he's a good kid with a big heart who is constantly on the go and loves life. Here are some other tidbits about Brock at age 3:

-3'4" tall and weighs about 35.5 lbs

-4T clothes

-sleeps from 9 PM-7 AM and takes a 2-hour nap

-completely potty-trained during the day, including naps. Nighttime is a different story.

-knows the letter sounds and can spell several 3-letter words

-writes about 1/2 of the letters legibly

-loves music. Recent favorite songs include "Crown Him with Many Crowns" and "Shout to the North." He sings all the time at home but rarely in front of others.

-alternates between being super kind to his little brother and taking everything away from him

-this kid has some major arm strength. He does military-style push-ups, the monkey bars, and this:

-his "helpfulness" is actually becoming helpful. I'm a firm believer in child labor and try to include the boys in household chores. Usually this means that jobs take 10 times as long as they would if I did them myself. However, I see it starting to pay off--Brock can now clear the table, load/unload the dishwasher, switch laundry, and vacuum on his own. Well, vacuuming is semi-on-his-own. He also loves to help cook.

-some of his speech is still a little hard to understand, as he has trouble with 2 consonants in a row (such as the Br sound in Brock). However, the things he says are incredible and sometimes hilarious. Such as when our garden sweet peppers weren't turning orange. Brock's response: "No worries. Hakuna matata." Or when he told us his lesson at church was "Joshua and the battle of Cherry Coke."

We love you, big guy!

Falling Asleep With a Good Book

2011-11-12T09:12:00.001-06:00

A child after my own heart.

What To Do With All Those Pumpkins?

2011-11-08T14:56:00.000-06:00

Carve them, of course!

Getting started

The boys carve (while Daddy stands in the background paying no attention whatsoever to the fact that they are wielding knives)

Daddy might want to start paying attention now.

Success! The top is off! And nobody lost any fingers!

Digging in

Pumpkin guts. Mmmm.

And the finished jack. Good job, boys!

More Pumpkin Patches

2011-11-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

We took 2 more pumpkin patch trips in October. One was with my moms' group, but I didn't get many pictures because of this:

This faceless scarecrow freaked Zane out so much that he wouldn't let me put him down the entire time. We couldn't go near it without him crying, and if Brock went over to look at it Zane would start whimpering like he thought the scarecrow was going to eat his brother.

After we had been there about an hour he did let me put him down long enough to get this picture. So sweet!

As far as pumpkin patches go, the last one we visited was definitely our favorite. It was free for the boys because of their ages but had a ton of stuff for them to do. They got to take a hay ride, go down huge slides, climb to the loft of a barn, find their way through a corn maze, ride in a horse-drawn wagon, play pumpkin basketball, go through a hay tunnel--and all with their friends Travis and Lucas (it's mostly pictures of the big boys; the younger ones were in strollers a lot).

The favorite activity of the day was definitely this corn box. Think sandbox, but with corn kernels. The boys played in this thing for a LONG time and we still had to drag them away!

Frugal Costumes

2011-11-01T15:25:00.000-05:00

Last year I joked that I would recycle the jacket from Brock's costume (he was a fisherman) so that he could be a fireman the next year. This year I decided it wasn't a joke.

I added some black electrical tape to the existing duct tape stripes from last year to make it look slightly more fireman-ish. He wore a shirt, pants, and boots that he already had, and at my friend Jenn's suggestion, we got a free hat from Firehouse Subs. It was quite possibly the cheapest costume ever.

And, because every fireman needs a dalmation puppy for a sidekick, we had one of those, too.

We used black pants and a white shirt he already had and only bought white mittens, a white hat, and black felt to make the spots and ears. It was the 2nd cheapest costume ever.

And there you have it: 2 costumes for under $5 total.

They made a pretty cute pair.

They also made a pretty good haul.

15 Months

2011-10-26T15:09:00.001-05:00

Update time. Zane only has a few more days to be 15 months old, so I figured I'd better get this done! This little guy is all toddler now; the only time I really see any traces of baby is when he snuggles with me in the rocking chair. And I will let him snuggle and be my baby until he's 52, if he wants! But for now, here's what this 15-month-old has going on:

-26 lbs and 33.5 inches
-18-month and 2T clothes
-16 teeth
-sleeps 8 PM-6:30 AM and naps 2 hours in the afternoon
-will eat most things but would live on fruit, cheese, crackers, and burritos if I'd let him
-surprisingly accurate with a fork and spoon
-often speaks in phrases and occasionally in complete sentences
-has begun identifying a few letters, shapes, and colors
-wants in on everything big brother does (which is a great lesson in patience for big brother!)
-always been mama's boy but has been more of a daddy's boy in the last few weeks
-happy most of the time but has started showing quite the temper when he doesn't get his way
-favorite activities are reading, doing puzzles, watching Mommy cook, and playing in the sand
-and in case you were wondering, he's still obsessed with balls

Mia and Tabby

2011-10-23T20:26:00.000-05:00

Phew! Is it just me, or is October crazy busy? We've been running running running, but we've had lots of fun fall activities filling our calendar.

First up: a visit from Mia and Tabby! They came to see us a few weeks ago (they brought their parents, too), and while they were here, we took a trip to the pumpkin patch.

The 3 older kids loved petting and feeding the goats in the petting zoo.

Then they navigated the corn maze.

They each got to choose their own little pumpkin from the pumpkin patch.

And little Tabby took it all in from the comfort of her carseat. Isn't she sweet?

Off Road

2011-09-28T13:34:00.003-05:00

Several months ago, Brock informed us that his first vehicle would be a Jeep. Our thoughts? Okay, great! We don't have to worry about that for at least another 14 years.

Some people had other plans.

Thanks to Grandpa & Grandma T and Uncle Steve & Aunt Amy, the boys now have their own set of wheels. Which they LOVE.

The Jeep comes fully loaded, complete with 2 speeds, a working radio, and a cupholder. The glovebox and a front compartment allow the boys to haul their treasures (which so far have included rocks, grasshoppers, flowers, Oreo cookies, and caterpillars).

The boys would drive the Jeep all day if we'd let them (we usually cut them off after an hour or so). Brock is actually a pretty good driver, and Zane is content to ride along...so content that he often takes a little snooze in the passenger seat while Brock chauffers him around the property.

I wonder if they'll still be okay with this when they're 15 and 16.

On Raising Boys

2011-09-21T21:30:00.000-05:00

You might be raising boys if...

1) Injuries are a regular part of life. Especially head injuries.

2) Bugs are frequent visitors in your house. You count yourself lucky when they're in jars.

3) Cushions are never on the couch. They are being used as a highway, a fort, or a trampoline. Plus, your kids prefer to sit on the "naked couch."

4) Your budding writer decides to practice his letters...on your white bedspread.

5) Rubber boots are the footwear of choice.

6) You notice your toddler is taking awhile in the little boys' room. You enter to find him giving himself a bath. In the sink.

7) Pots and pans are never just pots and pans. And no activity is quiet. Ever.

8) You find your sweet little baby....

...looking like this. When questioned, big brother informs you that he was giving little brother "a helmet." Well, that explains everything.

9) Your main mischief-maker spends so long in time-out one day that he falls asleep (see #s 4, 6, and 8).

Bad Hair Day

2011-09-15T07:38:00.002-05:00

Look who finally has enough hair to have bedhead!

Assume Your Positions

2011-09-08T12:23:00.001-05:00

We spend a lot of time playing with playdough at our house. Playdough is the one miraculous thing that keeps the boys occupied for extended periods of time but doesn't require much supervision (sure, Zane eats his fair share...thank goodness everything in homemade playdough is edible). When Mommy really needs to get something done, the playdough comes out.

We have a kiddie picnic table that used to be Daddy's and Uncle Brad's. This table is the perfect place for the boys to work on crafts, color, eat snacks, etc. (thanks, Grandma and Grandpa E!). Sometimes they stand beside the table and sometimes they sit on one or the other of the benches. But when it's playdough time, they ALWAYS sit in exactly the same positions--Brock on the bench facing the windows and Zane squatting on top of the table facing him.

And as long as they're playing happily together, I don't care if they stand on their heads.

Peachy

2011-08-29T12:59:00.002-05:00

Dry

2011-08-15T13:27:00.003-05:00

Brock is potty-trained! I have been putting off this post because I know that as soon as I announce it to the world he will have 15 accidents in one day. But, he has been rocking the undies for a few months now, so I think it's time.
*Warning: If you are reading this blog because you're a young mom or Brock's grandma, proceed. Anyone else--this post will bore you to tears.

As with every other area of parenting, everyone has a different idea about how to potty-train. Start when they're 1, wait until they're 5, do it in a day, do it over the course of several months...we really had no idea where to begin. He started showing a little interest when he was about a year and a half, so we bought a little potty chair then. However, we also had Zane about that time, and I decided to hold off on hard-core training until we had settled into life with 2 kids. Brock would choose to use the potty now and then, but we weren't pushing anything and he was still wearing diapers.

We started really training this spring (because he could go outside, would have less clothes to deal with, etc.). He was fairly interested, especially when he realized he was going to get a jelly bean or an M&M every single time he did his business. He knew what to do and would usually do it if I reminded him. He wore underwear most of the time at home, but he was still having accidents sometimes and I was still putting him in diapers when we went places (because really, who wants to deal with an accident in the middle of Walmart when you have a shopping cart full of groceries and 2 toddler boys?).

We spent a couple of months at this stage. Because of the occasional accidents, I figured he still needed diapers when we went out. Then, a friend told me that she had the same problem with her child until she got rid of the diapers completely. It was then that I realized that it was probably really confusing to Brock to switch back and forth and have to think about what he was wearing and if he needed to find a potty or not.

So...I finally bucked up and ditched the diapers (except for naptime and bedtime). And after just a few days, he was virtually accident-free (We did have a Walmart accident, though. With a cartload of groceries. And 2 toddlers. Fun.). He now goes on his own when he needs to and I rarely have to remind him. Hooray!

Here he is...my handsome, potty-trained, big boy. Yes, it's long pants and long sleeves in the middle of summer, but he's really into dressing himself now that he can tackle almost any button, snap, or zipper. Which also makes potty-training WAY easier!

Nap Time

2011-08-08T13:46:00.003-05:00

I may have mentioned (once? twice? twenty times?) that Zane is NOT a good daytime sleeper. I know I shouldn't complain...he slept through the night by 4 months, and if I had to choose, good nighttime sleeping would definitely be my preference. So after several months, I had given up and come to terms with the fact that Zane would never sleep more than 30 minutes at a time during the day.

But, I had heard rumors that some moms got a break for a couple of hours in the afternoon while their little ones napped. Amazing. Two whole hours? To myself? (to be used only for highly productive activities such as unloading the dishwasher or mopping the floor. Never for, say, checking Facebook.)

Well. About the time Z turned 1, we made 2 discoveries. The first was that he loved to be cuddled under fluffy blankets. Drop a blanket on that kid when you lay him in his crib, and he's out like a light. The second was that if he woke up and you patted his back, his eyes magically closed again.

Simple, right? But totally revolutionary.

Take a Liking to a Viking

2011-08-03T14:25:00.005-05:00

We spent last week in the Promised Land (which seems to be flowing with corn rather than milk and honey, but that's a whole other post). I am somewhat a lover of small-town festivals, and since the town we were visiting was holding one, we had to check it out. Now, some towns have watermelon festivals and some have music festivals. This town has a festival to celebrate Scandinavians. Which I am not. But I guess they let me in because I'm married to one.

It was fun. I mean, when was the last time you saw this in your town?

Our half-blood Norwegian boys enjoyed the sights and sounds, especially the upbeat music.

Their favorite activity, though, was sampling the yummy Norwegian food.
Mommy and Daddy did a little taste-testing, too. (see, I could pass for Scandinavian, right?)

There's an App for That

2011-07-21T15:26:00.003-05:00

Our boys love cell phones. Brock loves to play with the old one I gave him, and for Zane, pretty much anything doubles as a phone. However, Daddy recently traded his Blackberry in for an iPhone, and the boys thought they needed an upgrade, too.

Behold, their new iPhone:

Which is, in fact, an old TI-85 graphing calculator. Love these imaginations.

Blueberry Pickin'

2011-07-12T20:31:00.005-05:00

And a little blueberry eatin', too.

One Year

2011-07-03T19:27:00.004-05:00

We blinked and Zane turned 1! Unfortunately, the little man was sick on his actual birthday, so our biggest event of the day was a trip to the doctor (but we were able to sneak in lunch with Daddy at the Golden Arches afterward). He's on the mend now, though, and is wreaking havoc again just like a 1-year-old should! Some of Zane's accomplishments in his first year of life included...

-growing. He's now 23.5 lbs and 31.5 inches and wears 12 or 18-month clothes.
-teething. He has 10.
-sleeping. He continues to be a good nighttime sleeper (8 PM-6 AM) and has finally achieved semi-consistent naps (30 minutes in the morning and 1.5ish hours in the afternoon).
-eating. He's a pro.
-talking. His expanding vocab now includes roughly 30 words.
-physical fitness. He dances, does jumping jacks and push-ups on demand, and can climb the playground and go down the slide by himself (eek!).
-manual dexterity. He signs, gives high-fives, plays pat-a-cake, and does the actions to Itsy Bitsy Spider.
-athletic ability. He's great at throwing balls, pretty good at catching them, and is working on hitting a ball off of a tee with a bat.

Happy birthday, Zane! We love you, little munchkin!

Have a Ball!

2011-06-29T20:33:00.009-05:00

Last Sunday was a big day for our little guy. First, we had his dedication at church. His grandparents joined us for this special occasion, where we committed to teach him about Jesus and raise him according to Biblical principles. How fortunate we are to have parents committed to praying for our boys and helping us in this task!

Some of the great-grandparents were also able to join us for the event. Uncle Brad was there, too, but somebody had to take all the pictures!

After church, we had Z's 1st birthday party. We used--what else?--a ball theme.

All of the food was spherical...meatballs, cheeseballs, melon balls...you get the idea.

And, of course, we had to have a ball-shaped cake.

Mommy and Grandma T stayed up way too late making it, but it turned out pretty cute!

Zane was excited...but he wasn't sure if he was supposed to eat it or pick it up and throw it.

He figured it out!

Big brother helped with the gift-opening.

And while Zane got lots of great stuff, guess what his favorites were?

Thanks to everyone who joined us for this milestone day in our little boy's life. We love you all!

Just Hangin' Out

2011-06-25T09:22:00.001-05:00

We love summertime!

Lovies

2011-06-23T07:47:00.002-05:00

I've never quite understood the concept of "lovies." I mean, really, must you buy 4 look-alike pink elephants just so your child never has to go anywhere without one?

And then I became a parent.

And if you've ever been a parent, you know that everything you judged other parents for in your pre-parenting days ends up happening to you once you have kids.

Now, I will clarify that we do NOT have identical stuffed animals, nor do we allow our children to throw fits if their lovies are not with us.

But.

We DO have a Curious George that goes virtually everywhere our family goes. Brock has loved stuffed animals since he was really little, and for the past several months George has been the definite favorite. George gets diapered, dressed, fed, rocked...and George is the best naptime and bedtime buddy.

Zane, on the other hand, couldn't care less about stuffed animals. But balls, BALLS, now those make great companions. Currently, anything roughly spherical will suffice, although I wouldn't be surprised if he picks a must-have favorite in the near future.

So there you have it: lovies. I must say, they do have the incredible ability to deliver peace and quiet.

Maybe I'll pick up a couple more Georges after all.

Daddy's Day

2011-06-20T08:29:00.005-05:00

The 2nd annual Father's Day camping trip was postponed due to rain chances, but that didn't stop us from celebrating Daddy this weekend!

The men still got to do lots of masculine activities together.

Daddy enjoyed sharing some of the things he loves with his boys, and the boys loved being with their Daddy.

Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy in the whole world!

You're a Grand Old Flag

2011-06-14T15:20:00.002-05:00

The boys participated in a Patriotic Parade in honor of Flag Day. Brock had lots of fun pulling Zane around and even won the Best Decorated Wagon award...nevermind that they were the only wagon in the parade! I think the best part of it all for the boys, though, was the watermelon. I'm pretty sure they ate the equivalent of an entire watermelon all by themselves!

Texas Relatives

2011-06-09T20:46:00.007-05:00

On Memorial Day weekend we headed up to Grandpa and Grandma T's. Their house is always fun, but it was extra fun this time because the Texas relatives were there! Brock and Zane were especially excited to see these 2 young men:

Price

Hayes

Last time we saw the Texans, Price was just a little guy, Brock was a baby, and Hayes and Zane weren't even born. This visit was a little different with 4 active, energetic little boys! We spent a lot of time outside and the boys had a great time.

At the park

In the backyard with the sprinkler

Playing with water guns

And of course, we had to give the city-folk a taste of life on the farm, so Brock showed cousin Price how to drive a tractor. I wonder how many little boys will be running around the next time the Texas relatives come to visit??

Eleven Months

2011-06-05T19:44:00.004-05:00

This is the last monthly update before our baby turns 1! What fun Zane is. Even though he can't communicate very well yet, he understands so much about what's going on around him. He attempts to do all kinds of things that he sees other people doing. It's so neat to see him learn and grow!

-23 lbs and 31 inches
-8 teeth, with the 2 bottom molars now working their way in (and causing lots of misery for the poor little guy)
-sleeps 8 PM-6:30 AM and naps 1-2 hours total during the day
-12 or 18-month clothes
-recently trying to talk more; we can recognize about 10 words
-walks very well
-loves to give kisses
-follows simple commands
-wants to use utensils and eat other people's food, even when he has exactly the same thing on his tray
-makes a few animal sounds (cow, lion, and owl)
-still loves "pat-pat" (pat-a-cake) and will now do some of the actions himself
-playing with balls and playing in water are still his 2 absolute favorite things to do
-other random baby tricks include showing you where his tongue is, waving bye-bye, stacking blocks, whistling, and "talking" on the cell phone

Two and a Half Years

2011-06-02T08:20:00.003-05:00

This little man is 2.5 years old! David and I were recently discussing how he doesn't seem like a toddler to us anymore. He's definitely a little boy. He is pretty self-sufficient at this point and his favorite phrase is "I want to do it all by myself." We have made it halfway through the terrible 2s, and so far they haven't been too terrible. He does test the limits, and there are certainly things we are working on with him, but the pleasant, fun-filled days still outnumber the want-to-pull-my-hair-out days. Here's Brock at 2.5:

-37.5 inches and 32.5 lbs
-3T clothes
-sleeps 9 PM - 7 AM and naps about 2 hours
-loves to sing and has started making up his own songs
-He has an incredible memory. He easily memorizes songs and rhymes and can "read" most of his books in their entirety. We have started working on Bible verses and he knows 4 or 5 of them well.
-loves to count things and can count to 20 (with 13-15 a little mixed up)
-speaks well but won't say much until he is comfortable with the people around him
-at some point pretty much every day, rain or shine, he states, "It's a beautiful day God made!"
-He's NOT potty-trained, but he definitely understands what it's all about. We may start some hard-core training soon. Maybe by his 3-year-old post...
-loves his little brother but gets quite upset when Zane gets into the toys he's playing with
-recently started asking deeper questions like "Where is heaven?" and "Can God hear me at Grandma's house?"
-can dress himself with minimal help. However, his favorite attire is his birthday suit.

Roughing It

2011-05-19T18:20:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we went camping. This was the first time we had camped with both boys anywhere besides the backyard. In case you haven't camped with little people lately, let me just say that camping with 2 small children is a LOT different than camping without kids.

Looking at this picture, you might think that we sat calmly around the campfire for hours. And you would be very wrong. This scene lasted for about 5 minutes, tops.

But it gets better. Because we are gluttons for punishment, we went camping with 3 other families that also have small children. Number of adults: 8. Number of people under age four: 8. At least we were evenly matched.

It was cold. And between the 8 small people, someone was awake pretty much every hour of the night.

So we froze. And didn't sleep. But...

We also had moments like these. And it was so worth it.

Zoo

2011-05-11T07:46:00.003-05:00

Last weekend we visited our good friends Luke and Amanda (Amanda is Jill's cousin) and their sweet daughter Mia. On Saturday we braved the heat and the crowds and took a trip to the zoo. We all had a great time!

Brock and Mommy watching the elephant show
Checking out some fish

The penguin area. Brock was more impressed that he could see under the water than he was with the actual penguins. He just kept running back and forth between these little alcoves.

Both boys loved the petting zoo (Brock wanted to know why he couldn't pet all of the animals at the zoo--specifically the tiger).

Zane and Mia were a little worn out by all the fun!

Brock's favorite animals were the monkeys and apes. He's talked about them ever since.

And finally, the 3 little monkeys themselves!

Ten Months

2011-05-02T21:11:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure when a baby officially becomes a toddler, but I'm pretty sure ours is almost there. He's a walking, talking little bundle of smiles, and he adds so much to our family! At 10 months...

-22 lbs, 30 inches

-12 or 18-month clothes

-6 teeth in, with 1-year molars peeking through on top

-sleeps 8 PM-7 AM

-pretty consistent 30-minute morning nap; afternoon naps are completely random and unpredictable

-mimics everyone, especially Brock

-added a few words to his repertoire: ball, cow, bubba (brother)

-signs "more" and occasionally "please"

-balls are his absolute favorite. He will throw a ball repeatedly to anyone willing to play catch with him and will push a basketball through a hoop if we lay it on the floor

-smiles and laughs all the time but can definitely squeal if he isn't getting something he wants

-recently began walking well and now walks as much as he crawls

-can open and close doors that have lever handles

-decided (even though Mama was holding out hope that this would not happen) that he wants to be a climber just like big brother. We are in so much trouble.

Easter

2011-04-28T19:47:00.007-05:00

We had a wonderful Easter weekend. Here are a few highlights...

We knew that we would have several guests and that the weekend would include lots of colored eggs and chocolate bunnies, so we spent some time beforehand talking with Brock about the real meaning of Easter. He was still a little young to grasp much of it, but he definitely understood that it was about Jesus, and he loved opening these Resurrection Eggs that my friend Megan made for him.

Grandpa and Grandma E came to visit, and Brock had fun dying eggs with Grandma.
He also had a great time hunting for them--along with a few treats and some fun craft items!

Great Grandpa T came to visit, too.
And so did Uncle Steve--who brought along Easter baskets for the boys.
Grandpa and Grandma T also stopped by...with some little feathered friends.
Brock is super excited about these little guys and has done a great job being gentle with them. He asks to go see them at least 50 times a day and has started naming them. So far, we have chicks named Soap, Sandy, and Dot-Dot. Ah, the mind of a 2-year-old.
And here is our little family on Easter. Something was apparently pretty interesting on the other side of the room, but at least the picture actually has all four of us in it!

Adventures in Cloth Diapering

2011-04-19T20:34:00.012-05:00

(OR...How to Cloth Diaper Your Baby Without Doing Any Advanced Planning)

Lesson #1: Find a few friends who already use cloth diapers. They will have spent hours researching the hundreds of options and will know exactly what works and what doesn't. You won't have to do a thing.

Lesson #2: Do not start cloth diapering when your baby is 9 months old. He will be entirely too wiggly for you to figure out how to get the thing on his cute little tush.

Lesson #3: Know where you are going to put the diapers before you put one on your baby. Otherwise you will stand for several minutes in the nursery wondering what to do with the wet diaper in your hand, and you will eventually stick it in a mixing bowl from the kitchen.

Lesson #4: Invest in a diaper sprayer. Repeat: Invest in a diaper sprayer. Unless, of course, you find enjoyment in sticking your poo-covered hands in the toilet.

Lesson #5: Let your baby run around sans clothing for the next several days while you follow him around with your camera. Regardless of the amount of hassle, those cloth diapers are WAY cuter than the disposable ones.

Nine Months

2011-04-06T18:44:00.005-05:00

This little boy sure has done a lot this month! He is picking up on things quickly and has accomplished several "firsts." He is such a happy little guy and we love that he is part of our family! Nine month stats:

-22 lbs, 29.5 inches

-12-month clothes

-6 teeth

-sleeps 8 PM-6:30 AM at night; naps vary depending on location. He only naps for 30 minutes at a time in his crib but will nap for a couple of hours in his carseat or snuggled up against someone.

-eats a mixture of baby food and table food. Burritos are his favorite.

-will take a few steps but still crawls most of the time

-thinks his brother is hilarious and wants to join in whatever Brock is doing

-loves to clap and will attempt to wave once-in-awhile

-says a few words consistently (mama, dada, bye-bye, no)

-can whistle. No joke. My parents and grandparents always told stories about how I could whistle at 9 months of age, but I never believed them. Until now.

Arts and Crafts

2011-04-02T06:58:00.008-05:00

During Zane's morning nap, Brock and Mommy have a semi-consistent craft time (semi-consistent because Z's naps are semi-consistent, at best). Brock loves craft time and often asks if Zane can take a nap so that we can make something. We don't do anything too fancy or anything that requires much advanced planning on Mommy's part, but it doesn't take much to impress a 2-year-old. He loves getting to experiment with paper, glitter, glue, or whatever else we happen to have on hand.

Sometimes Mommy runs out of creative ideas and we simply get out the play-doh and go to town. Brock's favorite play-doh creations are cookie-cutter letters, snowmen, and sea serpents.

Like I said, we use what we have. These little guys weren't anything spectacular, but they sure sparked the imagination! Brock spent the rest of the day dancing them around and making them have conversations with each other.

Diaper box car. Had to be blue, just like Grandma's.

One day we saw an owl in our yard, so we made an owl out of construction paper. After being carried around the house for a month, the owl was ready to be retired. So, Brock asked to make a penguin (don't know where that came from--we didn't have one of those in our yard). He's pretty proud of this guy.

It's so fun to watch Brock's creativity begin to develop. We're going to need a bigger scrapbook!

The Funny Things He Says

2011-03-25T19:00:00.006-05:00

Brock always has something to say these days. Sometimes he imitates us; other times we have absolutely no idea where he gets things. He keeps us laughing with his ongoing commentary...

During playtime:
B: Let's go outside and play.
Me: Maybe later.
B: Maybe RIGHT NOW!

As we relax:
B: Mama, what you thinkin' about?
Me: I don't know, Brock, what are you thinking about?
B: Ummmmm...bananas.

During snack time:
Me: Brock, don't take Zane's cup.
B: I borrowed it.

While we're cooking:
Me: Brock, what's in your mouth?
B: Nothing. Not potatoes. Somethin' else.
Me: Oh, what is it?
B: Brownie.
Me: Where'd you get a brownie?
B: Ummmmm...Walmart.

As we take care of Zane:
Me: It's okay, Zane. There's no reason to cry.
B: Goodness gracious, child. CALM DOWN!

When we're eating:
B: I'm full.
Me: Are you too full for a treat?
B: I want ice cream. I'm hungry now!

At bedtime:
B: Mama, what you doin'?
Me: I'm praying.
B: Mama, what you tellin' God?

Love this kid.

Exploring

2011-03-12T20:27:00.002-06:00

There is just something cute about little people in little places.

Eight Months

2011-03-05T08:24:00.003-06:00

What fun this little guy is! His personality is coming out more all the time. He still tends to be pretty laid back, but he will definitely let you know if there is something he thinks he needs. Other Zane facts at 8 months:

-21 lbs and 29 inches
-12 month clothes
-4 teeth with another coming in
-sleep is still a little crazy. We got back on track just in time for him to start cutting that new tooth. In general, though, he sleeps 8 PM-7 AM and naps 30-45 minutes 3 times/day. Unless he is in his carseat, in which case he will sleep for hours, even during the day.
-crawls and cruises well
-does his absolute best to keep up with his older brother
-quite a mama's boy
-loves loves loves water
-eats all baby food but prefers to feed himself bits of table food
-favorite games are peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake

Life

2011-02-23T20:55:00.003-06:00

It has been a LOOOOONG couple of weeks.

It started when both boys came down with colds. Nothing terrible, but enough to disrupt their sleep. Which, of course, meant disrupted sleep for Mommy and Daddy, too.

Then there was the late-night family excursion to the ER, where the doctors decided Zane had croup. He only had one short-lived episode and was actually fine by the time we got to the hospital, but goodness, have you heard the croup cough? It's enough to send a mama's heart into overdrive.

After a few days, both boys were well again. But by that time, the smaller munchkin had decided that he really liked being held during the night. And eating. And sleeping in our bed.

Don't be fooled by the look of innocence.

After 2 weeks of crazy nights, we are finally getting back on track. Hopefully. And you know what? While it was terribly exhausting, it also reminded me that I have an awful lot to be thankful for. Such as...

-2 little boys who, overall, are very healthy. They haven't been sick much, and when they have, it's been pretty minor.

-a loving husband who's also a hands-on Daddy. I wasn't enduring those short nights on my own.

-a God who cares for us. During our drive to the ER, as I prayed for my baby's breathing to return to normal, we passed a sign that said, "From the first breath to the last, we are in God's hands." What a timely reminder then, and what a comfort to know always.

And Then it Snowed. And Snowed Some More.

2011-02-17T08:13:00.004-06:00

Remember how I said that Brock doesn't see snow very often? Mother Nature decided to prove me wrong. In a land where snow is rare, we got not one, not two, but three significant snowfalls within a week.

The post I did a couple of weeks ago was after our first winter storm. We had several inches, but it was nothing compared to what was coming! The second storm gave us another 6 inches, which we thought was pretty amazing...until the 3rd storm dropped TWO FEET on us in 12 hours! Even David, who hails from the Promised Land, had never seen that much snow in such a short amount of time. It was incredible. All kinds of records were broken and everything in the area was shut down. I loved being snowed in with my boys--we even got to have Daddy home for a couple of days!

Our front steps.

The park. It got shorter.

The 7-foot Frosty we made when we had just a few inches on the ground.

And Frosty after the 2-foot snowfall. Brock insisted on going out to check on him.

We had to shovel a path just to get there.

And after all that snow last week, it is 70 degrees today.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub

2011-02-09T10:14:00.004-06:00

Two cute little boys in the tub!

Seven Months

2011-02-01T21:42:00.002-06:00

At 7 months old, Zane is sure changing fast. Every bit of newborn is gone, replaced with a happy, bubbly baby who seems to be running toward todderhood. Slow down, little man.

We do still have a few months of babydom to enjoy, though, and we're soaking it up. It's a slightly different feeling with the second child, when you've seen these changes happen before...but every milestone and every discovery is still a delight to watch.

Here are the 7-month happenings:

-just under 20 lbs and 28ish inches long (he's too wiggly to get a very accurate measurement)
-12-month clothes
-sleeps 8 PM-6 AM, has a little snack, then sleeps another hour or so
-naps 30-45 minutes 3-4 times/day
-eats 3 solid-food meals a day and seems to like all foods
-crawls, pulls up, cruises, and is just beginning to realize he can climb
-4 teeth
-good snuggler but not a great self-soother
-loves his bath
-babbles; the only clear word we get so far is "mama" (not surprising, he's definitely mama's boy)
-plays and interacts with his brother; the sweetest sound is hearing them laugh together!

Snow Fun

2011-01-28T14:15:00.005-06:00

He thinks laundry baskets are for sledding...

and snowmen are for carrying...

Obviously, he doesn't see snow very often.

(but he had a good time anyway.)

Manly Men

2011-01-19T21:24:00.004-06:00

Daddy is REALLY excited for the day when his boys are old enough to go hunting. That day hasn't quite come yet, but that hasn't stopped him from preparing them early...

Brock loved going scouting this fall and checking the deer feeder.

He also had fun digging out all the corn while Daddy wasn't looking.

During these winter months inside, he's been working on his duck calls.

And so has Zane. Hey, it's never too early to hone your skills on the duck call.

Park!

2011-01-16T18:15:00.008-06:00

Brock LOVES to play at the park. So you can imagine his excitement when he received his (and Zane's) Christmas present from Grandpa and Grandma T and Great Grandpa T. Grandpa T and Daddy managed to assemble the entire playscape without Brock knowing, so it was a complete surprise when he walked outside. This was his reaction:

"Park!!"
Yep, your very own park, Buddy. Right in the backyard.

Oh what fun these 2 little boys are going to have on the "park" over the next few years. Now I just have to talk Daddy out of installing the zipline that he thinks would be such a great addition.

Christmas In Pictures

2011-01-08T16:22:00.008-06:00

(with a few captions)

A little Christmas Eve pizza picnic. For those with a keen eye--don't worry, it's just sparkling grape juice.

Bringing in Norwegian tradition by allowing Brock to open a present on Christmas Eve.

Brock's stocking Christmas morning included his current obsession: gummies.

Zane's included his current obsession: baby food.

We traveled to see family. It was a long trip, so we let Z take a turn at the wheel.

We kept Brock happy with Christmas goodies. Perhaps a few too many. Shortly after this picture was taken, the goodies made a reappearance. Ew.

There was a lot of snow in the Promised Land! Brock got to build a snow fort with Daddy and Uncle Brad.

And Zane got to sit in it.

Another tradition (not Norwegian) passed on to the next generation: Grandpa T's Christmas scavenger hunt.

Come on, guys. Is it time to open presents yet?

6 Months

2011-01-03T19:19:00.004-06:00

Our sweet little baby is 6 months old and is becoming a little person. He babbles a lot, makes his preferences known, and has become quite curious about everything around him. He has also mastered the army crawl (the kid is FAST) and has moved on to more challenging things in the area of mobility. We now often find him doing this:

and occasionally this:

Silly boy. Here are some other milestones, accomplishments, and random miscellaneous tidbits:

-27 3/4 inches long and 18.5 lbs

-some 6-9 and some 9-12 month clothes

-sleeps 8 PM-7 AM, sometimes with a 5 or 6 AM snack

-naps 30-45 minutes 3-4 times a day

-started solids and is doing great. So far he's had a few types of cereal and a handful of fruits and veggies. Boy can he eat!

-babbles quite a bit and says "mama" when he's hungry or upset

-sits on his own, army crawls, and pulls up to his knees (which means he also falls over a lot and has entered the multiple-head-injuries-per-day stage)

-just got his first tooth, and it looks like there may be 3 more not far behind

Things You Never Thought You'd Say to Your Children

2010-12-31T18:52:00.003-06:00

"Brock, quit straightening your brother's hair."

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T12:15:00.001-06:00

Milestones

2010-12-13T21:21:00.003-06:00

Whew! So many potential blog posts, so little time!

In my blogging absence, Brock and Zane have been hitting the milestones like crazy. Here's a quick update.

Zane: He started waking up during the night again, and by process of elimination we determined that he was just plain hungry. Mommy couldn't quite keep up with the big boy's caloric needs, so we started solids. We've only done rice cereal so far, but he is doing great with it. He just wants to eat and eat and eat, so we'll probably start some other foods soon. This is his Woohoo! Someone's going to feed me! face.

Brock: His recent language explosion, combined with his natural curiosity about everything, has made for some pretty interesting and hilarious conversations. He has entered the "What's that?" stage, and we hear that question many times a day. We're just waiting for "Why?" to enter his vocabulary.

Zane: He's on the move. He scoots/army crawls all over the place and is especially motivated to move if he sees shoes. He also likes to rock on his hands and knees, so a full-out crawl may be coming soon.

Brock: He started school.

Just kidding. He did, however, get to go for a ride on Grandpa T's school bus, and he thought he was pretty big stuff. Mommy is glad this milestone is still a few years away!

Five Months

2010-12-01T21:02:00.002-06:00

Another month, and yes, we are certainly outgrowing the truck. Here are the 5-month stats:

-weighs 17 pounds and is 27 inches long (half an inch shorter than last month...he's shrinking, but still gargantuan)

-wears 6-9 month clothes

-sleeps 7:30 PM-7 AM and naps about 3 hours during the day

-really wants to crawl but can't quite coordinate it yet; right now he spins in circles and lunges for things

-thinks his big brother is pretty funny and loves to watch what he's doing

-is making his opinions known a little more but is still a pretty easygoing baby

Thankful

2010-11-25T21:23:00.004-06:00

There are lots of things I'm thankful for. Here are three:

Happy Thanksgiving!

Two Years

2010-11-20T17:21:00.005-06:00

As of Wednesday, we have a 2-year-old. This past year with Brock has been so much fun, and we are incredibly thankful that God has entrusted him to us. He makes us laugh all the time and brings so much joy to our lives. He is definitely ornery and can be quite the wild man, but overall he has a sweet and loving personality. Here's what's going on with him at 2 years old:

-weighs 29.5 lbs and is 36.5 inches tall
-wears mostly 24-month and 2T clothes
-sleeps 8 PM-6:30 AM (thanks a lot, Daylight Savings Time) and naps about an hour in the afternoon
-is working on his 2-year-old molars, which should complete the teething process (at least for the next few years!)
-loves going to the park when it's nice out and playing with trains when he has to be inside
-knows his letters, colors, and shapes, but seems really uninterested in numbers
-has recently taken more of an interest in music and is obsessed with Toby Mac
-had a speech explosion in the last couple of months. It finally clicked that he could put 2 words together (his first 2-word phrases were "Whoa, Dude!" and "Raw meat!"), and he now puts several words together.

We love you, Buddy!

Four Months

2010-11-07T20:30:00.002-06:00

Last week Zane turned 4 months old! We went to the doctor on Friday for his check-up and he's doing great. He was a little fussy last time he had shots, but this time they didn't seem to bother him much. I wasn't sure it was possible, but this kid may be even bigger than his brother. So far his height has been off the charts (see previous post regarding giant lobster).

He continues to be a happy little guy, smiling at pretty much anyone who makes eye contact. His major accomplishment this month was breaking the nighttime pacifier habit. He got pretty used to eating at 4 A.M. in the process, but we managed to get through that, too. Here's what else Z's got going on:

-weighs 16 lbs, 13 oz and is 27.5 inches long

-wears some 3-6 month clothes and some 6-9 month clothes

-rolls to his tummy any time you put him down so that he can see what's going on around him

-sits on his own for short periods and stands with support

-sleeps 10-11 hours straight at night and about 3-4 hours during the day, usually divided between 3 naps

-can get pretty loud when he wants to talk

-still likes sucking on the pacifier if we offer it during the day

Catch of the Day

2010-11-03T19:21:00.009-05:00

In case you were wondering...the boys DID dress up on Sunday, and we DID take pictures. I just haven't had a spare minute to put them on the blog. Here they are...FINALLY!

First up, our little fisherman:

His costume is the poor man's version of a picture I saw in a magazine, but I think it came out okay. And we can always recycle the jacket next year for a fireman's outfit.

And here is the fisherman's catch:

I'm pretty sure he's wondering why in the world we crammed him into a lobster suit. And I do mean crammed. We made the mistake of getting a 0-6 month lobster bunting, forgetting that we have a giant baby. No worries, though...after a little lobster surgery, we made that costume work, too.

The baby's legs and feet are supposed to fit inside that tail. Um, yeah.

And here they are together: the fisherman showing off his catch. AKA two boys not interested in taking a picture.

The costumes were an adventure, but we had a good time. Brock got to get candy with his friend Kelsie, and Zane got to take a nap. Two happy boys!

Pumpkin Hunting

2010-10-28T11:20:00.007-05:00

Last week we took our annual family trip to the pumpkin patch (does it count as annual if this was year 2?). It was perfect weather and we had a great time together. Brock was really into it this year and loved picking out a pumpkin for each member of the family. Here are a few highlights from the trip.

Come on, Mommy! The good ones are over here!

Brock was quite excited to show Zane what he called the "baby" pumpkin.

Daddy helped Brock out a little with loading the big pumpkins.

They had this great little photo-op spot set up.

Wait, kids actually sit still for pictures?

Ha. Hahahahaha.

Last year our adventure ended there. This year, though, we decided to carve a couple of the pumpkins. Brock was intrigued.

I'm not sure you got all of that goop out, Daddy. Let me check.

Finished product. We were going for happy pumpkins. One out of two isn't bad.

Accessorizing

2010-10-22T08:12:00.004-05:00

Brock's fashion tips for the day:

1) One can never wear too many headbands.

2) A good pair of heels and a necklace complete any outfit.

PS--Don't tell David these pictures are on the internet for all the world to see. He just might ban me from further blogging.

Let Me See!

2010-10-18T13:32:00.002-05:00

This is what Zane does most of the time now. He can roll tummy to back and back to tummy, but mostly he prefers to get to his tummy and stay there so that he can watch whatever is going on (and with Brock around, that's usually something interesting). You just can't take in the world very well when you're laying on your back!

Honorary Big Brother

2010-10-12T08:13:00.003-05:00

Two afternoons a week, when Mommy teaches class, Brock and Zane get to go hang out with a wonderful family. This family has 5 kids, so our little guys have lots of love and plenty of entertainment when they are there. All of the kids are great with our boys, and Brock loves them dearly. In fact, he asks every single day if we are going to their house.

The youngest of the five kids is Caleb. When Brock and Zane come over, Caleb gets his chance to be the big brother. And what a great big brother he is!

He shows Brock how to do all sorts of things.

He helps Brock do things himself.

He takes time to stop and sing to Zane.

Look at that hair...they even look like brothers!

Thanks for being such a fabulous "big brother," Caleb!

Your Chariot Awaits

2010-10-07T10:47:00.006-05:00

Yesterday evening as we sat outside enjoying the gorgeous weather, Brock decided that Zane should have a ride in the wagon. My initial response was, "Not for a few more months," but then I thought, "Oh, why not? What's the worst that could happen?"

(You know there's about a 99% chance of the worst happening when you have THAT thought...fortunately, it didn't end badly. This time.)

Daddy had the genius idea of using the Bumbo for a seat, and once we got Zane situated, off they went. Or rather, off we all went, as Daddy was out front taking pictures and Mommy was following along behind to rescue baby if big brother got a little too crazy.

It was chilly out, so after a couple of minutes, we added a blanket. Little man looked like a king in his chariot.

Zane was pretty indifferent about it all; Brock thought it was the greatest. Of course, the first thing he did was head down a hill. Boys will be boys.

I have a feeling this is the first of many adventures these boys will have together!

Three Months

2010-10-02T07:29:00.002-05:00

3 months old and the time continues to fly! It has been a fun month as Zane has hit several physical development milestones. He is still a laid-back baby who is nearly always content (as long as he is fed--and you can see that he's well-fed!). He likes to be in on the action, so he prefers to be up where he can see what's going on. And, he has found his voice. He loves to have conversations and can get quite loud. Here's what else is going on with him:

-weighs 15.8 lbs and is 25.5 inches long
-wears 3-6 month clothes
-has rolled both ways, but tummy-to-back is more common
-sits and stands with support
-sits on his own for brief periods by supporting himself with his hands
-loves sucking on the pacifier, his fingers, or whatever he happens to be holding
-goes 7-8 hours straight at night without eating, but unfortunately thinks he needs the paci sometimes in-between (this month will be devoted to breaking that habit!)
-has bright smiles for anyone who makes eye contact, but especially for Mommy and Daddy

Hit the Road, Jack

2010-09-28T13:22:00.003-05:00

This is what we call a Brock-in-the-Box

(which Brock found hilarious and did about 50 times in a row)

Snuggle

2010-09-20T09:51:00.002-05:00

We have been extremely busy lately (hence the lack of posts), but Zane has still managed to find the time to work on two new skills: holding objects and bringing them to his mouth.

He's a talented little fella.

Mahney! Monny! Mawney!

2010-09-15T19:30:00.003-05:00

Since Grandparents Day was Sunday, we thought we'd tell you how much Brock loves his grandmas. He loves his grandpas, too, of course, but there is something extra special about those grandmas.

Every day, Brock asks to visit Grandma's house at least 10 times. At bedtime when we ask who he wants to pray for, Grandma is first every single night. And any time we see a white van or a blue car or anything else remotely resembling the vehicles his grandmas drive, he is quick to point it out and tell us that it's Grandma's.

Oh, and the title of this post? We have no idea where it came from (or how to spell it!), but that is how he says "Grandma." Brock loves you, Grandma E and Grandma T!

Two Months

2010-09-04T11:56:00.004-05:00

Zane turned 2 months old this week. The past month has been really fun as he has become more alert and responsive. He continues to be a super easy baby who rarely complains about anything (except his shots--he was NOT a fan!). Here's what little Z is up to:

-weighs 13 lbs, 10 oz and is 25 inches (!) long
-wears 3-6 month clothes
-bats and kicks at toys
-likes sucking on his fingers
-holds his head up well
-is just starting to baby talk
-gets very excited (smiles, talks, and waves arms and legs) when he hears Brock or makes eye contact with Mommy and Daddy
-sleeps 7-8 hours straight at night

People are always surprised to find out how old (or rather, young) Zane is. Sadly, he just doesn't look much like a newborn. He's still a little sweetie, though. See what I mean?

No, Really!

2010-08-31T13:26:00.003-05:00

I have talked to some of you who saw the last blog post and seem a bit skeptical that being a mommy of 2 is really that easy.
Well, the truth is, I have great help from my elder child. Just look at all of the places he pitches in...

He helps Mommy cook.

He helps Mommy sort clothes.

He helps Mommy water flowers.

I mean, with that much great help, it's really a piece of cake.

Balance

2010-08-25T15:07:00.001-05:00

Mommy of 2?

No sweat.

21 Months

2010-08-18T12:56:00.002-05:00

We are getting closer and closer to having a 2-year-old...he's now 1 and 3/4! Brock continues to be a bundle of energy, and he definitely has his moments of misbehavior, but he is still a sweet little boy. And even though he's pretty young, he seems so much more grown up now that we have another baby. We love our little blonde-haired, blue-eyed munchkin! Here are his 21-month stats:

-Weighs 27.5 lbs and is 34.5 inches tall
-Wears 18 or 24-month clothes

-Sleeps 8 PM-7 AM and takes a 1.5-hour nap

-Loves animals, water, anything outdoors, towers, bubbles, his grandmas, and his little brother

-Eats a variety of foods but is showing more preferences for certain things. His new favorite thing to ask for is "meat" (already like his Daddy)

-Says new words each day and is speaking a little more clearly all the time

-Goes in the potty occasionally (too bad Mommy doesn't have time to potty train right now)

-Knows all of his capital letters, several shapes, some colors, and some numbers

-Is becoming a little problem solver. As an example, I'll leave you with a funny conversation he had with Daddy:

Brock (pointing at the sky): Moon!

Daddy: Yes, Brock, that is the moon.

B: High! (He doesn't quite do sentences yet)

D: Yes, Brock, the moon is very high.

B (reaching toward the moon with both hands): Please?

D: Sorry, Buddy, we can't reach the moon. It's too high.

B: PLEASE?

D: The moon is really high up there, Buddy. How could we get there?

B: Airplane!!

Well, that's one way to get to the moon. :)

Wrestling

2010-08-16T13:20:00.002-05:00

Pretty sure Zane was winning this match.

Splish Splash

2010-08-13T19:01:00.002-05:00

FINALLY! At 5 weeks old (this happened last week), Zane lost his cord stump!
(Brock was 5 weeks old when he lost his, too. What can I say? My boys are just really attached to their mother.)

If you know anything about babies, you are aware that loss of stump results in first bath. Zane marked this important milestone in the kitchen sink at Grandma's house.

As you can see, he had mixed feelings about the experience.

On the Farm

2010-08-11T22:06:00.002-05:00

During the summer, Grandpa T does custom hay baling. So while we were visiting jill's hometown, we of course had to take advantage of this and let Brock experience his first tractor ride.

Getting ready to go. He's dressed appropriately, don't you think?

He even got to drive!

While we were at it, Daddy had to take him on his first 4-wheeler ride, too.

And although Zane didn't get to ride the tractor, he did sport the overalls. Little cutie!

Sick Baby

2010-08-08T20:14:00.003-05:00

We just got back from visiting family and friends in both David and jill's home states. It was a whirlwind trip, complete with 2 family reunions and a wedding. Zane got to meet lots of people for the first time. Unfortunately, he was also exposed to several sick people along the way. On Saturday evening, he started feeling warm, and by Saturday night he was running a temperature of 102.9. Since he's still pretty little, we took him to the E.R. just to make sure everything was okay. They couldn't find anything wrong (other than the fever), so they sent us home. The fever came and went, but this morning it was back up over 102, so we took him to the doctor. Once again, they said he looked perfect, other than the fever. The doctor suspects he just picked up a little virus that has to run its course, so we are hoping this passes quickly. For now, Zane is spending his time hanging out like this:

Clothes are overrated anyway.

One Month

2010-07-30T15:04:00.005-05:00

Yep, he's still here, and he's a month old! We are taking pictures of Zane in the truck, just like we did with Brock. We saved up the first 4 weeks so that you could see his progress. Here they are, followed by his 1-month stats. Enjoy!

1 Week

2 Weeks

3 Weeks

4 Weeks

At 1 month:

-weighs 13 lbs and is 22.5 inches long

-wears 0-3 month clothes

-holds his head up pretty well for short periods

-sleeps 3-4 hour stretches at night

-loves his pacifier

We love this little guy! He is a really content and easy baby so far (hopefully I'm not jinxing us by saying that!). He fits right in with our family and we are so thankful that God added him to it. Happy 1-month birthday, sweet boy!

Boys Will Be Boys

2010-07-28T15:09:00.003-05:00

On your mark...Get set...

GO!

Wasn't that awesome, Mom?

All By Myself

2010-07-21T20:15:00.003-05:00

If it's 9 A.M. and Mom hasn't gotten you out of your pajamas, take matters into your own hands:

And if it's 2 P.M. and Mom still hasn't gotten around to putting a shirt on you, well, just take care of that yourself, too.
**Note to Brock: You might have more success with your own shirt than with your little brother's sleeper.

Buddies

2010-07-16T13:08:00.004-05:00

No, Brock does not have a twin. This is him with his friend Braylon.

Seriously, how cute is this picture?

And How's Big Brother?

2010-07-10T19:25:00.006-05:00

Brock is adjusting quite well. He is very excited about having a little brother, but he is finding out that being a big brother comes with lots of responsibility. There are so many things to get done in a day! Here's a little glimpse of what his new role looks like.

BROCK'S BIG BROTHER TO-DO LIST:

1) Remind Mommy and Daddy, first thing in the morning, that they have a "Baby!" and they probably need to go get him out of bed, too.

2) Haul the Boppy to the couch several times a day and ask to hold baby.

3) Try to remember not to poke baby's eyes.

4) Watch Mommy and Daddy very carefully as they change baby's diapers, just to make sure they do it right.

5) Remind Mommy and Daddy to put on baby's "may-may" (A.K.A. medicine, A.K.A. the alcohol for his umbilical cord).

6) Get baby his pacifier and put it in his mouth.

7) Try to remember that Mommy said not to take the pacifier out of baby's mouth.

8) Bring baby toys and stuffed animals to look at (even if he's sleeping).

9) Watch baby sleep.

10) Try to remember not to climb the bassinet/crib/pack 'n' play to see baby better.

11) Ask Mommy if we can put baby in his carseat, just for fun.

12) Buckle a stuffed bear in the carseat, since Mommy said "no" about the baby.

13) Help Mommy out by putting baby's dirty laundry in the basket.

14) Try to learn baby's name (okay, maybe Mommy added that one to the list).

15) Give baby LOTS of hugs and kisses, many times a day!

Eat, Sleep, Poop

2010-07-06T18:51:00.004-05:00

We are settling in and Zane is mastering the 3 tasks of a newborn. Here's a little recap (with a few sweet pictures mixed in):

Eating: Zane had trouble regulating his blood sugar the first day in the hospital. This is apparently not uncommon in larger babies and was not a serious issue, but it did mean that we had to supplement with formula after each nursing. Fortunately, his numbers were up by Day 2, we were able to drop the formula after a couple more days, and he is nursing like a champ!

Sleeping: As you can see from the pictures, he is doing quite well with this one. The first 2 nights home he decided that it was necessary to be held for 4-5 hours before his 3 A.M. bedtime. Much to Mommy and Daddy's delight, this did not become a pattern, and he has been keeping much more regular hours since. He sleeps the majority of the time and goes back to sleep well between nighttime feedings.

Pooping: I'll spare you the details on this one. It's going fine--and we'll leave it at that!

New Addition

2010-07-01T21:44:00.002-05:00

Zane Anders

Birthday: 6-30-10

Weight: 9 lbs

Length: 21 inches

And we're home!

Everyone is doing well. Will post more after a little shut-eye.

What a Difference a Day Makes

2010-06-30T18:23:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we were a family of 3.

Today we're a family of 4!

Blackberry Pickin'

2010-06-27T14:06:00.004-05:00

3 recent discoveries:

1) Several blackberry bushes reside on our property.

2) Those bushes are currently producing fruit.

3) Brock really, really, really likes blackberries.

1st Annual Father's Day Camping Trip

2010-06-23T19:24:00.008-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posting. I wish I could say that baby's arrival was the cause, but it was actually a storm that took out our internet for a week. Baby is, by the way, still snuggled up inside of Mommy. And he seems to want to stay that way.

The major event of the past week was, of course, Father's Day. Since one of Daddy's favorite hobbies is camping, we have decided that "the boys" should take a camping trip each year to celebrate this special day. So this weekend, Brock and Mommy gave Daddy the 1st Annual Father's Day Camping Trip Kit.

For several reasons (Brock is only 19 months old, Mommy could go into labor at any time, it's approximately 150 degrees outside, etc.), we had to improvise a little on the "trip" part this year.

Brock helped Daddy set up the tent...in the basement.

Daddy and Brock made s'mores...on the stove.

Brock used his new flashlight to navigate...around the family room.

Brock and Daddy had a great time. Hopefully this was just the first of many great Father's Day camping trips to come!

Lightning Bugs

2010-06-15T09:36:00.004-05:00

The other night Daddy came home late, and Brock got to stay up to see him. Usually Brock is in bed before dark, but since he was up later this particular night, Daddy decided he needed to experience lightning bugs. Mommy totally agreed, even though little man was already clean and pajama-clad. Sometimes you just gotta roll with it. :)

First, Daddy showed Brock the little flashes of light and explained that those were the bugs. Brock walked around for a while saying, "blink, blink."

Then the boys got a jar and went to town. Brock pointed out all of the lightning bugs for Daddy to catch.

Brock even tried to catch some himself, which involved swatting at the air just like Daddy was doing. This was his preparatory stance. Bug-catching requires intense concentration.

That night, the lightning bugs slept in Brock's room on top of his dresser. The next day he asked me approximately 49 times if I would get them down so that he could look at them. He kept saying, "Bugs! Daddy!" to tell me that he had caught them with his Daddy. As you can see, he was quite proud.

Baby #2 Update

2010-06-11T20:51:00.002-05:00

We have a full-term baby! Here's a little update on Baby #2...hopefully the next one will include pictures of him outside of Mommy's tummy!

-We are at 37 weeks. Only 3 more to go, give or take.
-Mommy is puffy-faced and waddling. Observe:

-Baby has no name (suggestions are welcome). Grandpa T, however, has taught Brock that the baby's name is Joe Bob, which Brock thinks is hilarious. He can't say "Joe," so if you ask him what his little brother's name is, he'll tell you "Bob-Bob."
-Mommy is nesting. This includes not only cleaning, but sorting and organizing everything in sight. It is not a slight nesting urge, it is a nesting rampage. Observe again:

-Brock is practicing his big brother skills. He gives the belly hugs and kisses, talks and sings to it, and has recently started bringing it toys and stuffed animals. Let's hope he's that excited about it when it's a baby and not just a belly.

-We are ready to meet this little man! I have a feeling he may be coming sooner rather than later. Maternal instinct or wishful thinking? We'll see!

Sweet Treat

2010-06-09T18:31:00.002-05:00

I know we just had popsicle pictures on here, but these were too cute not to post, too! Brock recently enjoyed his first Sonic ice cream cone.

He had, of course, eaten ice cream before, but this was his first control-your-own-cone experience.

He had to be reminded a few times to hold it upright, and he was a little irritated that it kept melting too fast and dripping, but he did well. And, as you can see, he definitely enjoyed it!

Perhaps He's Changed a Bit...

2010-06-06T16:58:00.002-05:00

from last summer...

...to this summer!

A Thank-You Note

2010-06-02T14:46:00.002-05:00

Dear Black Beans,

I want to say thank-you for the role you have played in our lives lately. Not only are you a wonderfully cheap source of protein for my family, but you also do a great job of keeping a toddler entertained.

At 8 months pregnant, the very thought of taking my child outside in the middle of the afternoon in the 90-degree heat makes me start to sweat. You make for a great 3 p.m. indoor activity.

Granted, you make a bit of a mess in my house, but that's nothing a little sweep of the broom can't handle (my disgusting kitchen floors thank you, too).

So know that you are appreciated, black beans, and that we will be inviting you over more often in the near future.

Gratefully,

Preggo Mama of an 18-Month-Old

The Thinker

2010-05-27T16:00:00.002-05:00

Just Chillin'

2010-05-24T20:34:00.002-05:00

We (David and jill) went on a little getaway this weekend to celebrate our 5th anniversary. It's not until next month, but as it is close to baby #2's due date, we decided we'd better celebrate now. This was the first time we had been away from Brock overnight at the same time (we've each done it separately). Brock didn't mind, because he got to head to Grandpa and Grandma T's for the weekend. They spent lots of time outside in the gorgeous weather. And what better way to cool off after playing in the warm temps than with a cold, refreshing popsicle? This was Brock's first, and you can see that he loved it--so much so that he thought the dog should experience it, too.

18 Months

2010-05-21T15:26:00.002-05:00

He's now closer to his 2nd birthday than his 1st! Although this age has its share of challenges (can we say "discipline?"), it is incredibly fun. It is amazing to watch Brock learn new things every day, and he continues to bring lots of joy and laughter to our home. Here are the 18-month stats:

-weighs 25 lbs, 12 oz and is 33.75 inches tall
-has 13 teeth
-sleeps 8 PM-6:30 AM, with a 90-minute midday nap
-stays in his big boy bed like a champ (other than falling out occasionally in the middle of the night)
-eats at the table in a booster seat and uses a fork and spoon reasonably well
-likes to "sing" songs and "read" books to us
-still loves being outside, especially if animals or water are involved
-pretends often: gives his stuffed animals drinks and snacks, takes them for walks, and makes them talk, sing, and dance
-possesses a decent vocabulary, although a large portion of that vocabulary still requires an interpreter
-has a new obsession with towers and will point them out wherever we go
-informs us of his dirty diapers about half the time (potty training is still a ways off, though!)

A note about the pictures--I don't know if you can tell, but he has learned to say "cheese" for the camera. And the busted lip? I debated waiting until it was gone to post pictures...and then realized it captures this age quite well!

Hard Hat

2010-05-17T21:12:00.002-05:00

Now that's a good-lookin' construction worker. Takes after his daddy.

The Icing on the (cup)Cake

2010-05-13T08:58:00.002-05:00

Last week I made cupcakes, which fascinated Brock. He was especially interested in the frosting part and pulled his stepstool into the kitchen to help. I gave him a cupcake and a (flimsy, plastic, completely un-sharp) knife of his own with some frosting on it.

He totally understood what we were doing and calmly frosted his cupcake...for about 10 seconds.

Side note: Why is it that toddler activities (at least the ones you want them to do) never last for more than 10 seconds?

Anyway, he then resorted to this:

Well, I suppose it is easier to just lick the frosting off of the knife and then eat the cupcake. I think I'll use that method next time, too.