Keaton has been doing AWESOME with the potty. I cannot say enough times how I’m so glad we let him take the lead on this! Other than the first weekend of pottying, there have been NO accidents. We finally ventured into public with him in undies yesterday (any other trip has been diapers due to me being too chicken). But after a couple conversations with Zach and our children’s director at church, I left the decision to K and he wanted to take the dinosaur (some of his undies have dinos on them, ha) to his class 
((OK, maybe I bribed him by saying that ALL his friends in his class used the potty and that if he told his teachers he had to go and had no accidents, he’d get a handful of M&M’s…haha!)) 
Zach picked him up after the service and K came in the sanctuary BEAMING — then Zach informed me he asked to go, and went 2 times, with no accidents!!! SO proud of him!!
We went to a consignment sale in the afternoon to take advantage of the 50% off prices and came away with a TON of stuff…which I was rather proud of our finds (including nearly new shoes for Keaton for the next couple years, ha) but, I was WAY more proud of Keaton and NO ACCIDENTS!
The sleeping arrangement…well, daddy was home this weekend and it went virtually perfect for him, so we’ll see what today holds
I’ll post more updates on the boys soon!
Here is (basically) the email I sent my mom and in-laws after my 14 week appt. this morning –
The appt. went great!! (The boys were perfect and flirted with every mama in the waiting room, hahaha!)
Not included in the email. I met a new (to-me) midwife and she was super encouraging…not my favorite. My favorite is long-gone! But, she came in, introduced herself and said, “So, baby #1, c-section after reaching completion (fully dilated/effaced) and pushing, only to find out he was in a poor position with a short cord…correct? (correct) #2, perfect, beautiful VBAC…how about come August we add another perfect, beautiful VBAC to the list, sound good? (SOUNDS GREAT!)
Baby sounds great (I’ve been feeling “flutters” for about a week and I was curious as to where baby would really be — turns out baby is right where I was feeling movement!) I asked my midwife if I was crazy for thinking I was feeling baby, but she said after a baby or two, you figure it out sooner so it most likely was!
Heart rate is strong at 150 (She giggled and said, “Maybe a girl?” And then looked at Benjamin & Keaton’s chart and realized they both had the supposed “girl heart rates” too (Old Wives Tale that high heart rates are girls and lower are boys…both were in “girl” range)
Got our ultrasound scheduled for April 1st at 9am (we are NOT finding out — unless there is something wrong, then we will, but, other than that — holding strong!)
BEDROOM SHARING news – it’s awful. haha! The boys just play and play and play and then crash and sleep from 3-5pm and then don’t want to go to bed at 630/7pm and then play and play and play til 8 or 9…a disaster. Yesterday, they cleaned out the dresser drawers and put it all on B’s bed…and then later, K started climbing the dresser and jumping off (something he has never done) — and that wasn’t the last time I caught him doing it either. Other sleep-stalling tactics include, banging on windows, doors/wall, playing with the lights, wrestling and, B’s favorite, playing with messes inside his diaper.
POTTY news – Keaton is doing GREAT (And now Benjamin is asking to go — I’m thinking of setting up a tv in the bathroom and just watching movies all day while they take turns!) I wasn’t ready to take K in undies today, esp. since it was just me and I KNEW he’d 1) need to go or 2) have an accident while I was on the table during my appt. But we got home and he was totally dry (730am-1130am!) I was super proud!
That’s the latest!
Whew. It has been a crazy week!
K did really well with pottying last week – until Sunday. Zach stayed home with the boys from church as they had been/were still cruddy. K had 4 accidents then, and started off today with 3. After about 10am, he got back into the swing of things – really weird since he only had one accident all last week. Anywho.
The bed situation is crazy. We kind of resorted to just letting them be (whether that’s playing/singing/talking/running around their room/whatever) as long as no one is screaming. Today, nap time has started great (great, compared to OTHER days! haha!) They only played for about 45 minutes before falling asleep (last Thursday, they played for 4 hours and didn’t nap!) So, there’s hope (right?)
Night time is still a little rough, but we’re getting there!
That’s about the latest. Just mourning the Olympics being over! (ie: I have to get back to cleaning house and other things I put off while being a lazy bum for 17 days!)
Well, what a week it has been and it’s only Wednesday!
We had planned to move the boys in the same room together next week while Zach was on Spring Break, as well as B into a ‘big boy bed’*. Well, we were waiting for a local kids’ consignment sale before buying a bed…then we realized that the sale was AFTER Zach’s break. So, I found a STEAL** on Craigslist – the bed came assembled — AND the guy would deliver it! So, we made arrangements for him to deliver the bed Tuesday evening.
Tuesday afternoon, I moved K’s room around to make room for the new bed. The boys were excited! K would lay on his bed and tell B to lay on the empty spot and go to sleep (which he would comply by acting like he was sleeping…bossy much?! haha) The bed came and the boys went nuts! We delayed bedtime allowing them to goof of and get the crazies out. Zach calmed them with bedtime and Bible stories…
And then, much screaming followed.
Much.
Much.
Much screaming.
It started out just B screaming due to a new bed, new room, new blanket, new pillow, new everything! But then, sweet, caring, loving, older brother, K, started screaming because B was crying (yes, his exact words were, “Mommy, I’m scared a Ben’s scared…fix it…” hahaha!) Sweet boy.
We Zach finally got them settled and the rest of the evening went a bit better…til about 515am…but that’s another story
Back up to Monday night after dinner. I had cleaned up K and was waiting on B to finish (like always, teehee) K looks at me and screams, “POTTY MOMMY!!! NOW!” and takes off running. Lately the only potty talk has been that of Ding (his sock monkey) needing to potty. I was hesitant to agree to letting him use the potty, but decided to go with it. Not only did he go – he ‘earned’*** a fire truck!
We decided to let him take the lead on this (as we have from the start, not pressing him/forcing him to go, knowing that one day he’d just get it and take off with it) and if he asked to go, we’d take him. I am mentally ready (and more than ready to be done lifting one 30lb kid multiple times a day to change their diaper! ha!) but ‘physically’ (energy wise/’morning’ sickness wise) not quite there yet. So, we’re doing things a tad unconventional (but, what have we ever done that IS conventional?! ha!) He’s still in diapers all day (probably will change that this weekend, even though at dinner last night, he was in undies and he asked to go – and WENT!!) But, whenever he goes to the potty, his diaper is nearly dry – great sign! I’m pretty lax (ie: totally lazy) about asking him if he needs to go but he is great about telling me! So glad we’re doing this the easy way!!!
*I SO wanted another IKEA bed like K has, but, they don’t make that style anymore, and apparently no one in Wake county, NC has that style of bed for free or sale. I didn’t want to get a “toddler” bed, but, sometimes, you just need a BED!
**Let it be known that it was only a semi-steal, as the next day, after I had agreed to purchase the Craigslist bed, someone GAVE AWAY the same bed on Freecycle, but I responded within a minute of seeing the ad come through e-mail and I was #32 on this list — should 31 other people decide not to come get a nearly-new-FREE-toddle bed.
***We resorted to bribery a while back when K was scared to even go NEAR the potty – an M&M for going..#1 and a hot wheels fire truck for…bigger jobs, ahem
Time for a Benjamin update. First off, Keaton never did this…maybe once, but never again. This is about the 15th time I’ve discovered Benjamin this way — and the 2nd time today, sigh.
(sorry it’s small, it was taken with my phone…I seriously don’t get wordpress and pictures…haha)
Anywho – if you can’t tell, he has no clothes on…he’s apparently our little semi-nudist stripping during nap time!
Speaking of naps, so thankful, he still takes two a day, although the morning nap is hit or miss – most days still hit
He loves repeating everything we say (whether or not it is intelligible is another story) and he jabbers all day long.
He is still snuggly and could cuddle all day.
His appetite is unbelievable! Never have I seen a toddler eat like him – I love it (except I usually run out of things to give him!)
He loves pictures of cats (as did Keaton at this age!)
He is definitely his mama’s boy, but loves his daddy just as much. When one of us has been out of sight for some time and enters the room, he runs to you, reaching and saying, “I want you! I want you!” (fyi: I love this, hahaha!)
He’s wearing 2T & some 3T clothing…and the shoes Keaton outgrew just a couple months ago! (so I guess a size 6, since K is a 7…I think, ha)
He too loves helping me out (when he feels like it) His favorite way to help is pushing clothes in the dryer (followed by closing doors!)
He enjoys trying to do “puh-yels” (puzzles) but loves playing soccer.
He also enjoys pretending to make food (with cups & blocks)
He also loves being as rough as he can with Keaton (and usually makes K cry)
Again, I know I’m forgetting a thousand things
So crazy that on Monday, my lil chunker will be 18 months!
Benjamin & I fought the crud the past week or so…but a round of colds wouldn’t be complete if Keaton didn’t upstage everyone to the point of needing breathing treatments! Thankfully (so far) we’ve only had to do one last night before bed – the rest was handled by nice, cold, winter air (and a freezing mom). Though he seems to be doing much better today – still a runny nose and a cough, but no wheezing! Yippie!
Other updates on what our nearly (unbelievable) 3 year old is up to:
*Fighting so hard to give up his nap – no.sir.ree.
It takes him about 90 minutes to finally give in (you know, to stop needing to tell me things, sing songs, count, read a story, change his diaper) and then he sleeps for about 30-60 minutes.
*Wearing 4T shirts and outgrowing some 4T pants (NOT his waist, but the length!)
This kid is so tall (no idea how tall…it’s been about a year since we were at the pedi…but he is TALL) We need summer to get here so he can be in shorts!
*With help, can count to 10 on his fingers (he sometimes surprises me and does it on his own, but not if I ask him to).
He’s very stubborn about learning and I’m very thankful we’re not taking the homeschooling route. I just don’t have that patience! Ha!
*He has SUCH an imagination and comes up with some very creative stories and loves playing creative games.
*He definitely loves being the center of attention and is QUITE the social butterfly.
We walk into church and he is saying “Hey!” and “Hi!” to every person we pass!
*He loves going to his Sunday school class and talks about seeing his friends all week. Afterwards, all he can talk about is what they did/read/sang/etc…
*He has a major love for all things trains and dinosaurs.
Although, we may have a budding doctor on our hands! After my appointment the other day, he’s used his play dr’s. kit to “listen” to the baby every hour or so and tell me that the “baby is ok!” Whew!
*He is quite a picky eater, but we can usually bribe him. Lately, it’s been more of a time thing (like, zoning out, taking his time and what not), so for lunch I’ll set a timer and he knows that when the timer off, lunch is over, otherwise he’d sit there all afternoon! That’s been working well and so I’ve incorporated the timer into many aspects of our lives (particularly cleaning up the living room before meals).
*It hit me the other day that he has really progressed out of the “Terrible Two’s” (not TOTALLY, I mean, he’s my strong-willed, stubborn child after all!)
*He is super excited about a new sibling. He talks about the baby ALL the time and how he saw the baby on the tv (on the ultrasound) and the “dum dum dum” sound (heartbeat) and wants to “see” the baby all the time and pulls up my shirt to see my belly.
*He is a huge help around the house (they BOTH are!) Cleaning up after meals and snacks, getting me wipes out of his room if Benjamin runs out, helping carry laundry to rooms, etc…
I’m sure there are a thousand other things, but I’m drawing a blank right this minute!
The precious being that is wearing me out, making me ill and causing me to eat everything in sight!
I think it’s safe to say that I’m completely and totally in love 
We had our first {real} appointment w/ my midwife this morning. The plan wasn’t to have an ultrasound, but she had a midwife that was training with her and she had not used the ultrasound machine yet, so she had to twist my arm to get me to agree, ahem, but we did end up getting to see our sweet baby and hearing the heart beat via the ultrasound machine. There is nothing as amazing as that sound! Baby is measuring right on track at 10 weeks and looked great! (We did get pictures, but I’m trying to type this up before the boys wake up from naps – I’ll get them posted this weekend, promise!)
She is keeping my estimated due date at Aug. 31st for now (it seems to change at our “big” ultrasound around 20 weeks…which is fine, as I know my midwives won’t be pushing to intervene come close to 40 weeks — and I’m fine with baby baking as long as baby can! ha!
The boys did great and Keaton talked about the “baby on the tv” the whole way home – Benjamin is still unsure, but knows something is up and is being super snuggly
Here are more pictures from our snowy adventures
Here are pictures from our first round out in the snow (Keaton informed me we were going back out later…) We have approximately 5 inches on our back deck. The road has been scraped atleast twice (I heard it once last night and then they just went by at about 10:40am and salted it as well), so we should be back to life as normal tomorrow (oh, how we hope! We have a Toddler that SERIOUSLY needs some “friend” time in his Sunday school class!!!!)
*if the link doesn’t work, let me know. I don’t like posting pictures with wordpress as it is a pain!
