The boys are very into helping out in anyway they can. They now enjoy helping to carry silverware and plastic dishes to the dishwasher, picking up toys and rolling out toilet paper for anyone who will let them accompany them to the bathroom:). They are also working very hard on their stair climbing abilities, not wanting to use their hands anymore, and Nick actually OPENED a door today...I mean, he actually turned the doorknob and opened a door that was completely shut! I knew this was coming, because they have both been practicing a lot.
They still repeat many words we say and are initiating more and more words on their own, although pronunciation is not their strong suit yet:). I usually know what they are talking about though and my husband and I both have noticed they are starting to pronounce certain words more clearly. They both talk A LOT now...maybe that's because I talk to them a lot:). I am trying to teach them to say "mama, please" when they need my help with something, instead of "uuuhhhhh!! uuuhhhhh!!". So far, they have not remembered this on their own but they will say it when I remind them.
My husband took the day off today, which means he was working on his projects around the house. The project for today was repairing some guttering around the house. He really can do just about anything. I forgot to mention one day earlier this week that he left me the sweetest card, telling me he would be praying for us that day. That's when both boys were not feeling up to par and were clingy and whiny. Yesterday he brought home some beautiful star lilies. As my grandmother says, he is definitely a keeper:).
My sister, mom and niece came to visit yesterday and it was nice to have some company. My sister is so wonderful with the boys. They are normally laughing the majority of the time she is here. She is so good at entertaining them and being silly with them. It is a joy to watch.
This is really blowing my mind lately: Ben will be 2 years old in approximately 3 months!! I just can't believe it!! And Nick is only about 6 weeks behind him. Wow!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
June 28, 2007 - Getting Back to Normal
The boys woke up at 9:00 today, second day in a row. Must be because it is so dark outside because of the clouds and rainy weather. They went down for their nap around noon and are still sleeping, so I have had a nice break to get a few things done this afternoon.
It has been a nice and relaxing day so far. Nick is back to his sweet, jolly, very active self. Ben still had around 100 degrees fever but, after his motrin, he was running around playing, almost like normal. He is not quite as smiley and happy as normal though and I miss that...I'm sure he does too. Both boys are eating better today. I am feeling much better today too, even though I am still running around 99.5 degree temp myself. I'm sure the boys have missed my smiley, jolly self too:). But I am definitely feeling more like myself today, thankfully. I did end up moving both entire sets of blocks (plastic mega blocks and wooden blocks) to the living room and the boys noticed them immediately this morning. I think the favorite thing about the blocks so far is putting some of them back in the bag and then dumping them out again. It is so much fun to watch the play of toddlers, isn't it?
Well, must go fold the last load of laundry before the boys wake up.
It has been a nice and relaxing day so far. Nick is back to his sweet, jolly, very active self. Ben still had around 100 degrees fever but, after his motrin, he was running around playing, almost like normal. He is not quite as smiley and happy as normal though and I miss that...I'm sure he does too. Both boys are eating better today. I am feeling much better today too, even though I am still running around 99.5 degree temp myself. I'm sure the boys have missed my smiley, jolly self too:). But I am definitely feeling more like myself today, thankfully. I did end up moving both entire sets of blocks (plastic mega blocks and wooden blocks) to the living room and the boys noticed them immediately this morning. I think the favorite thing about the blocks so far is putting some of them back in the bag and then dumping them out again. It is so much fun to watch the play of toddlers, isn't it?
Well, must go fold the last load of laundry before the boys wake up.
June 27, 2007 - Busy with Blocks
We have been stuck in the house for way to long now due to rain and illness. I have been pulling out the stops, trying to find fun things for the boys to do. Yesterday we got out all of the wooden blocks and we also got out all of the plastic mega blocks, which they really enjoyed. That kept us all busy for a long while. The boys should be awake anytime now so I must get ready for my day to start. Hope you all have a great day today!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
June 26, 2007 - Second Night Time Duty
Ben woke up around 2:30 am and I gave him another dose of motrin. I rocked him for a while and put him back down around 3:00 am. He seemed ready to go back to sleep and did not protest, although Nick heard us and stood up crying in his crib. So I held him for a minute also. So, the sick child didn't make a peep when I left the room but the well child was crying; not for long though.
Nick really is such a people person. He likes to be with people. So when Ben is well and is running around playing with toys, Nick is happy to run around too, playing with toys and they are almost always together, doing whatever they are doing. I think Nick feels a little lost when he doesn't have Ben to play with. I am so glad they have each other:).
Nick really is such a people person. He likes to be with people. So when Ben is well and is running around playing with toys, Nick is happy to run around too, playing with toys and they are almost always together, doing whatever they are doing. I think Nick feels a little lost when he doesn't have Ben to play with. I am so glad they have each other:).
Monday, June 25, 2007
June 25, 2007 - Sickies
Ben woke up with a fever after his morning nap today. This was the first time we have ever seen Ben with anything higher than a low grade fever, so now we know how he reacts. He wants to be held 100% of the time, which is understandable when you are such a little guy and feeling so miserable. If I put him down for even the shortest period of time, he would cry his little heart out. He would lay on me and would be totally limp, to the degree that I was worried about him a couple of times, looking in his face and wondering if he was OK. I took his temperature a million times today.
We also now have a new understanding of how Nick reacts to Ben being sick. When Nick saw me trying to hold Ben as much as possible, Nick was jealous and wanted me to pick him up too. To be fair, he is still recovering from not eating for 3 days and having a high temperature for much of that time. Anyway, when I sat down so I could hold them both, Nick was not satisfied because he really wanted me to hold only him. So, his response to all of this was to do everything possible to get attention. He never once went to play with toys on his own while Ben was awake. He constantly and consistently did one thing after another that he knew he should not do, watching me and waiting for me to respond. Did I mention that I was also still running a fever myself and, generally, feeling exhausted, and that I was holding a (heavy) sick child most of the time? This did not make for a good combination.
Just so you know how desperate I was, I actually turned on the TV for about 45 minutes and let the boys watch Animal Planet's Funniest Home Videos (or funniest animals or whatever they call it). The boys loved watching the animals and this kept them entertained for a while. Nick was clapping and yelling and very excited in general about all of the animals and Ben even watched for a while. Nick is the most active child, yet when the TV is on (which is almost never), he is glued to it. It is really an amazing thing to watch. I was bummed when the show ended and the next one coming on was about shark attacks. I couldn't find anything else decent, that I could tolerate, so I turned it off after that, much to Nick's dismay, as he started up with his attention-seeking behavior once again.
My husband picked up some Chinese food on his way home from work, which was wonderful. About 15 minutes after my husband got home, Ben started perking up. He got down and started walking around, irritating the cat, smiling and acting like his old self again. He ate rice for dinner (he had eaten nothing but yogurt all day) and after dinner, he got down and started playing again. His temperature is almost gone. I am amazed.
And, as soon as Ben started acting normal again, Nick started acting normal again too, going off to play with toys and with Ben.
**Updated: Spoke too soon. Ben's fever started rising again just before bedtime. He went right back into limp, hold me mode, poor little guy. We gave him some motrin 45 minutes before putting him to bed. He went down without a whimper, he was so tired, so hopefully he will get some good sleep, at least for a couple of hours:). We'll see what the night and tomorrow brings.
We also now have a new understanding of how Nick reacts to Ben being sick. When Nick saw me trying to hold Ben as much as possible, Nick was jealous and wanted me to pick him up too. To be fair, he is still recovering from not eating for 3 days and having a high temperature for much of that time. Anyway, when I sat down so I could hold them both, Nick was not satisfied because he really wanted me to hold only him. So, his response to all of this was to do everything possible to get attention. He never once went to play with toys on his own while Ben was awake. He constantly and consistently did one thing after another that he knew he should not do, watching me and waiting for me to respond. Did I mention that I was also still running a fever myself and, generally, feeling exhausted, and that I was holding a (heavy) sick child most of the time? This did not make for a good combination.
Just so you know how desperate I was, I actually turned on the TV for about 45 minutes and let the boys watch Animal Planet's Funniest Home Videos (or funniest animals or whatever they call it). The boys loved watching the animals and this kept them entertained for a while. Nick was clapping and yelling and very excited in general about all of the animals and Ben even watched for a while. Nick is the most active child, yet when the TV is on (which is almost never), he is glued to it. It is really an amazing thing to watch. I was bummed when the show ended and the next one coming on was about shark attacks. I couldn't find anything else decent, that I could tolerate, so I turned it off after that, much to Nick's dismay, as he started up with his attention-seeking behavior once again.
My husband picked up some Chinese food on his way home from work, which was wonderful. About 15 minutes after my husband got home, Ben started perking up. He got down and started walking around, irritating the cat, smiling and acting like his old self again. He ate rice for dinner (he had eaten nothing but yogurt all day) and after dinner, he got down and started playing again. His temperature is almost gone. I am amazed.
And, as soon as Ben started acting normal again, Nick started acting normal again too, going off to play with toys and with Ben.
**Updated: Spoke too soon. Ben's fever started rising again just before bedtime. He went right back into limp, hold me mode, poor little guy. We gave him some motrin 45 minutes before putting him to bed. He went down without a whimper, he was so tired, so hopefully he will get some good sleep, at least for a couple of hours:). We'll see what the night and tomorrow brings.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
June 23, 2007 - First Night Time Duty
Last night was a first for us. Last night was the very first night I ever had to get up during the night for one of the boys. Yesterday afternoon, Nick came down with a pretty high fever of 104.6. We were giving him motrin and tylenol to help but it took a long time to work and he still had a hard night.
We didn't get much sleep between 1:00 am and 4:00 am but he did sleep from 4:00 am to around 8:30 am, which was nice. I sat in their room, rocking him while Ben slept. I didn't like that he didn't feel well but I sure did like being there for him and rocking with him in the quiet of the room together.
Another first was that he spent a small amount of time in our bed during the night (the first time we have ever had a child in our bed). He tried to sleep but kept waking up so I took him back to his bed once the medicine kicked in. But I think he liked being snuggled up with us. He kept saying "night night?" and "daddy". It was so cute. He seemed relieved when he finally got back into his crib though and he went to sleep right away.
Ben was running a low grade fever yesterday evening. I was running a fever of 100 degrees this morning (and I suspect I was last night too) and my husband had an upset stomach, so I think we all have a bit of whatever virus this is.
We didn't get much sleep between 1:00 am and 4:00 am but he did sleep from 4:00 am to around 8:30 am, which was nice. I sat in their room, rocking him while Ben slept. I didn't like that he didn't feel well but I sure did like being there for him and rocking with him in the quiet of the room together.
Another first was that he spent a small amount of time in our bed during the night (the first time we have ever had a child in our bed). He tried to sleep but kept waking up so I took him back to his bed once the medicine kicked in. But I think he liked being snuggled up with us. He kept saying "night night?" and "daddy". It was so cute. He seemed relieved when he finally got back into his crib though and he went to sleep right away.
Ben was running a low grade fever yesterday evening. I was running a fever of 100 degrees this morning (and I suspect I was last night too) and my husband had an upset stomach, so I think we all have a bit of whatever virus this is.
Friday, June 22, 2007
June 22, 2007 - Five Months Home
Just because they are so cute:), here are some fun pics from the last couple of days.
The boys now get their own yogurt from the fridge. They love helping themselves, picking the flavor they want and carrying it over to their highchairs. They get very excited about yogurt time.
Since they can each eat a whole one now, they eat right out of the container and feed it to themselves. This is somewhat new because their mommy is such a mess-control freak;). In these pictures, they actually have towels on their laps to catch the drips. Momma don't like big messes:).
These bibs are great though, because they have a huge pocket along the bottom to catch all of the food. The boys love them too because they can pick up the food that falls into the bib and still eat it.
Always the comedian. This always gets a good laugh from me.
Daddy likes to be silly with the boys too and they love that. They were trying to get me to do this yesterday. I did it for a little while but not as long as the dad did. Maybe it is a guy thing because my husband thought it was very funny too.
I had a pillow fight with Nick and Ben yesterday afternoon. It was a lot of fun!
A cute thing from yesterday. The boys both repeat pretty much everything I say, watching my mouth to try to learn how to say the words. Their words are becoming much more clear and they are pointing to anything and everything, asking "that?" and meaning "what's that called?". Yesterday afternoon, when we were outside, playing in their little pool, Ben pointed to the umbrella, wanting to know the word for it. When I said umbrella, he repeated it after me. He actually did a pretty good job but I was cracking up because, while saying it, he had the tip of his little tongue just inside his lips, where I could see it clearly, and it was moving from one side of his mouth to the other, along his lips, when he would try to say this word. It was a crack up. He did it again, several times and with a smile on his face, for daddy at dinner last night.
It is so fun to watch them learn and grow. They can reach so much higher now that I am constantly amazed at what they can do. Ben was standing flat-footed and had his hand on our bedroom door knob yesterday. They are trying so hard to turn the door knobs, it won't be long before they figure it out. We can't leave anything along the edges of the countertops in the kitchen and they can reach pretty far onto the kitchen table now. I also have to be very careful now when I take anything out of the top oven and really have to watch them extra close when using the bottom oven. I normally make them go into the living room when I am opening the ovens these days.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, they will have been home for 5 months tomorrow. Ben will be 21 months old in about a week, and Nick about 19.5 months old now. It is really hard for me to believe how much they have changed in 5 months. They are so much fun to watch and be with. I love being their mom and I love being a stay at home mom.
The boys now get their own yogurt from the fridge. They love helping themselves, picking the flavor they want and carrying it over to their highchairs. They get very excited about yogurt time.
Since they can each eat a whole one now, they eat right out of the container and feed it to themselves. This is somewhat new because their mommy is such a mess-control freak;). In these pictures, they actually have towels on their laps to catch the drips. Momma don't like big messes:).
These bibs are great though, because they have a huge pocket along the bottom to catch all of the food. The boys love them too because they can pick up the food that falls into the bib and still eat it.
Always the comedian. This always gets a good laugh from me.
Daddy likes to be silly with the boys too and they love that. They were trying to get me to do this yesterday. I did it for a little while but not as long as the dad did. Maybe it is a guy thing because my husband thought it was very funny too.
I had a pillow fight with Nick and Ben yesterday afternoon. It was a lot of fun!
A cute thing from yesterday. The boys both repeat pretty much everything I say, watching my mouth to try to learn how to say the words. Their words are becoming much more clear and they are pointing to anything and everything, asking "that?" and meaning "what's that called?". Yesterday afternoon, when we were outside, playing in their little pool, Ben pointed to the umbrella, wanting to know the word for it. When I said umbrella, he repeated it after me. He actually did a pretty good job but I was cracking up because, while saying it, he had the tip of his little tongue just inside his lips, where I could see it clearly, and it was moving from one side of his mouth to the other, along his lips, when he would try to say this word. It was a crack up. He did it again, several times and with a smile on his face, for daddy at dinner last night.
It is so fun to watch them learn and grow. They can reach so much higher now that I am constantly amazed at what they can do. Ben was standing flat-footed and had his hand on our bedroom door knob yesterday. They are trying so hard to turn the door knobs, it won't be long before they figure it out. We can't leave anything along the edges of the countertops in the kitchen and they can reach pretty far onto the kitchen table now. I also have to be very careful now when I take anything out of the top oven and really have to watch them extra close when using the bottom oven. I normally make them go into the living room when I am opening the ovens these days.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, they will have been home for 5 months tomorrow. Ben will be 21 months old in about a week, and Nick about 19.5 months old now. It is really hard for me to believe how much they have changed in 5 months. They are so much fun to watch and be with. I love being their mom and I love being a stay at home mom.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
June 21, 2007 - Special Times
We spent a lot of time outside today. After they woke from nap and ate, the boys and I went outside and they played in their little swimming pool for a while. Then they got out and just played in the yard for a while.
I really love the time right after they first wake up. Sometimes we sit and rock and sometimes they just want to start playing right away but they are always in such a great mood and it is just a really special time.
Saturday the boys will have been home for 5 months. They are growing so fast, I still just can't believe how much they have changed in the past 5 months. I love seeing their little personalities emerge. It is awesome!
June 20, 2007 - Fun at the Sprinkler Park
Today, we went to the park to play. As it turns out, the water sprinkler park was on and there were two other little children playing in it. Ben and Nick wanted play in the water too but didn't have swim suits. So I took off the shirts they were wearing and let them run around in the water in their shorts and sandals. They had a ball and it was really fun to watch. They laughed so much and really enjoyed playing in the sprinklers.
It was a fun morning and I will be looking forward to going back to the water park soon, since it is really close to our house.
It was a fun morning and I will be looking forward to going back to the water park soon, since it is really close to our house.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
June 19, 2007 - Cutie Patooties
Let's read books Dad!
They like to look at my Reader's Digest:).
They love sitting next to each other, whether it is in a chair or on the couch. It's really cute to watch them together.
As for personality types, take a look at the pictures below and let me know what you think:).
Isn't he a cutie pie? These are, by far, the best pics I have gotten of Ben to date. I have had a much harder time trying to get pics of him that really reflect his personality, but these are perfect.
And now, here are the pictures of Nick:
He's a cutie pie too.....a very active one:).
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
June 13, 2007 - Climbing Up
My mom sent a couple of cute little step stools for the boys and they are having a fun time learning how to step up on them in order to get into the big chairs.
They used one to climb up into this big rocker, each carrying a book, and then they sat next to each other in the chair and started looking at their books. It was really cute. They are enjoying their new-found independence of being able to get into a chair on their own.
I have not been very good at taking pictures on our many trips to the zoo. Here is a picture of one of our outings, with the boys in their caps, but I think this may have been when we were in Kansas City.
Here is the scene that is frequently at my feet when I am standing at the kitchen sink. The boys will bring their books and toys into the kitchen and play on the rug at my feet. (Those are my toes sticking into the bottom middle of the picture:).
And here is a shot of Ben climbing up on the large ottoman in our living room. Both boys can do this now, without assistance, and Nick can also climb up onto the couch without assistance. They are growing and learning by leaps and bounds.
Here is a picture of my sister, holding Ben. She and I are very close and our close relationship is one of the reasons I really wanted to adopt two children of the same gender. Hopefully our sons will also have a very close relationship. They are certainly enjoying each other so far. Watching them grow closer is priceless.
Here is a pool shot. We have not had a lot of time in the pool yet because of all of the rain. When it gets really hot and sunny, they are really going to love it. I put shirts on them because I knew we would not be out long and I didn't want to bother with sunscreen.
Both of the boys love to wear my husband's slippers on their arms. It always cracks me up when they do this.
Monday, June 04, 2007
June 4, 2007 - Fun Times in the Yard
They wanted to go to the backyard to play on the swing set so we went back there and I put the boys in their swings and pushed them for a while. They enjoyed the swinging for a while and then they wanted out to try the slide. So I helped each of them slide a few times. I would pick one of them up and put them on the slide, about half way down, and then hold their hands while they slid down. They are not quite at the point where they can go up the steps and slide down on their own. But they really enjoyed their mini-sliding and I think they are starting to get the hang of keeping their balance while sliding.
After sliding, they wanted to swing again. So I loaded them back up in their swings and we did that again for a while. After a few more minutes, Ben wanted out but Nick didn't, so I was holding Ben and we were both pushing Nick and they thought that was fun. Nick had such a beautiful, open mouthed smile on his face during this time of swinging; it was a look of pure joy and I wished I could have had a picture of him like that.
They love playing outside. We had so much fun together!
Friday, June 01, 2007
June 1, 2007 - Wuv You
One day this week I was kissing the boys on their foreheads, while they were in their high chairs, and telling them "mommy loves you". They both started saying "wuv yu" back to me. It was so so sweet. This week, they have both also started initiating kisses, which just melts my heart. They are both such sweet little boys....when they aren't terrorizing the cats and each other:).
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