11 Months!

 

No!  Nope!  Not Possible!  Are you really only a ‘baby’ for another month?  Weren’t you JUST born?  Sweet Briggs you are amazing.  We are so in love with you and adore your sweet personality! 

You still smile ALL.THE.TIME!  And you look just like your daddy!  You are so laid back and go with the flow.  And your plug…your little buddy.

You are wearing 12 months clothes most of the time, but still wear 9 month sized depending on the weather (Ben had lots of cold weather 9 month clothes).  And as of last week you’re wearing size 5 shoes.

Your stinkin’ teeth!  You are up to 5 now and we have felt every single one.  We did not have this issue with Ben like we do with you and because of that you got your first taste of whiskey because nothing else was helping.  You currently have one more trying to poke it’s way through.

You love taking baths.  We ditched the round seat because you kept finding ways to get out of it or try to tip it over.  You like sitting on your own much better.  You’ve also spent quite a few baths lately exploring your boy parts.  You find it fascinating!

You are a ladies’ man!  Our friend Sydnee is in love with you and you love her.  You enjoy our playdates and seeing your friends.  You and Camille like to steal each other’s pacifiers and eat the bigger kids food.

You can EAT!  You won’t touch baby food anymore and will eat just about anything we put in front of you (even if it’s a little spicy).  You also eat HUGE amounts of food when you do eat.  You’re still nursing.  Mommy’s had the stomach bug and has been pretty dehydrated and not making milk.  We tried to give you whole milk in a sippy cup and you wanted NOTHING of it.  I’m very worried about how you’ll do being weaned next month (or now if that’s how mother nature rolls). 

Thanks to all the recent doctor visits, I know that you weigh 22 lbs.  And Mommy finally moved you out of your infant carrier and into a big boy carseat.  Ben’s not a huge fan of you having one and has told me “Briggs doesn’t like that seat, he wants his orange one back.”

Mommy is still #1, but you light up when Daddy walks in the house.  You love playing with him and love playing with your big brother even more.  You’re always grabbing his toys and putting them in your mouth.  You generally take 2 naps during the day and sleep about 12 hours waking up once during that time.

You crawled before your brother, but Ben was walking by 11 months.  I am pretty confident you will hit your bday and not be walking.  You just don’t care.  You love to crawl and pull up on everything, but have no desire to walk holding my hands.  And why should you when you know Mommy will hold you all day long!

Along with not walking, you’re not into talking.  You love to sing and babble and throw out “dada” whenever I say “mama”, but that’s it.  I am convinced you have a speech delay and need speech therapy.  Daddy says you’re just fine (but we both agree you’re perfect).

Sweet Love Bug, you have no idea how much you’re loved!  You have an enchanting smile and the deepest blue eyes that suck everyone in.  We just love, love, love you!!!

Ben’s mini vacation

Last weekend (and by last I mean the one prior this past one), Boots and Gramma came to see the boys and stay the night (it wouldn’t be a visit if they weren’t in and out in less than 24 hours ).  B and I got to go enjoy a kidless dinner for a change!  Then Sunday after Boots finished his 101 chores we gave him, they stole Ben and took him back to Austin for a few days.  To say he had fun would be an understatement.  He was spoiled and just played and played.  The kid loves those two.  He got to enjoy his first lemonade at the park with Nicholas and got his own ice cream cone, too!  Thanks to modern technology and Aunt Tina, I got to stay up to date with pictures.  Def helps make the time away easier.  Ben was an angel there…figures.  We met Gramma about half way on Wednesday and Ben started sobbing when I put him in my car and not Gramma’s.  Thanks Gramma and Boots for all the fun!  Ben misses you two so much and can’t wait to go back.

 

At Gramma’s we eat a dorito in style

Train fun

Nice look kid!

Watching the Goodnight Show in bed with Boots

I found a Lightning McQueen phone the night before he left and put it in his car bag with some new toys.  Mommy must talk on the phone A LOT because he would spend time calling me throughout his visit and using his phone to take pictures!

Helping Aunt Tina put together his Car Wash toy he snagged while down there

He loves this toy!

Serious driver at Toys R Us

What’s this you see?  Ben asleep in his own room ALONE?  Too bad that didn’t happen when he came back home.

Briggs was more than happy to see his big brother.  He really missed him (maybe we did, too).  It was SO quiet around here without him!  Crazy quiet!

Now Briggs must have wanted Ben to know that just because he’s home, Briggs is still the center of attention.  I was changing Ben’s diaper Wed evening and Briggs crawled in.  I saw a coin in his mouth so I scooped him up to grab it.  As I stick my finger in his mouth he swallows and the coin is GONE!  B had just walked in and I grabbed Briggs and raced to Acute Kids.  After two hours and this sweet little picture:

(there are bones under all that fat)

They found NOTHING!  I know they thought I was a complete nut, but I kept telling them that I saw something.  So they send us home and as I’m getting into bed I find this coin on the floor next to where I scooped up Briggs!

I’m NOT losing it!  How he found a Canadian dollar coin I’ll never know.  Grams calls him a slot machine now   Glad my baby was clear, but it would have been nice to find that damn coin before we left.

And now the reason this post is SOOOO late.  Friday morning we were getting dressed for a playdate and Ben was super fussy and whiny.  As I not so nicely asked him what was wrong he walks over and give me a hug and throws up all over me.  Thanks kid!  So he was sick Friday, Mommy Saturday and Daddy caught the bug Sunday.  Being two years old affords you the ability to fight that stomach bug in 12 hours while those of us in our 30’s took a few more days.  Very happy he beat it so quickly and our Love Bug was spared.  The Mahrers don’t want it to get warm out, but man are we tired of all these illnesses!!!  YUCK!

RSV, HFM, ABC, 123…

Poor Briggs still wasn’t doing so hot as last week ended.  I ran into one of the nurses at the mall on Thursday (a quick trip to the Disney store for Ben) and told her he was still sick and she suggested we come in Friday morning.  Good thing.  It took 5 seconds for his RSV test to come back positive along with a “major” double ear infection (but his HFM sores had disappeared).  So we’ve been doing the breathing treatments every few hours which SUCKS for both of us and he’s on a strong antibiotic for his ears.  This weekend everyone BUT Ben was sick.  One of those times we REALLY wished family lived close to us.  Briggs is doing MUCH better today and we even got out to a playdate, woohoo!

Dr. Ben trying to fix baby brother

Taking a break from his first hot chocolate experience with Daddy after some soccer fun at the park

So we were at the Disney Store because last Wednesday night Ben ASKED to sleep in his room.  I had to lay there with him until he fell asleep, but that took about 1 minute and he made it ALL night!!!  He knew that as soon as he made it all night we’d go straight to the Disney store and get Daisy for his collection.  We walked out with 8 plushes in hopes to entice him to do it again…hasn’t happened since.  Small victories, right?

And this is what happens when someone refuses to nap-he falls asleep on Daddy watching tv.  This was Saturday

Sunday (he actually never woke up from this one-slept from 5 pm til 8 the next morning)

And Monday.  Just nap gosh darn it!

Because Daddy was sick he stayed home on Monday and it worked out that Briggs went down for his nap just when our playgroup Valentine’s party was starting so Ben and I could make it.  I was SOOO excited to get out of the house and see my friends.  We had it at the library (did you know they have a huge room you can rent for free) so that no one had to get ready for it and had it catered…YUM!  Ben was watching the rain here.

Each mom brought a toy for the kids to share and play with.  Ben is going to be a rockstar!  Ben was REALLY well behaved.  And just as I texted that to B, he did a 180.  As we were cleaning up, he grabbed a handful of nuggets and shoved them in his mouth.  I tried to just shrug it off, but then he SPIT his CHEWED up nuggets in the ice cooler.  As I’m fishing out nugget bits in freezing cold water, he walks over to where the cupcakes are and wipes all the icing off of one and shoves it into his mouth.  Little Beep-Beep-Beep!  After that it was time to go!

His class exchanged Valentine’s and Mrs. Wilkins said he did such a great job.  He was SO excited to come home and eat them.  I gave him one and then went to put the sheets on the bed (thank you Charley for peeing on the bed AGAIN).  I walked back and he had shoveled more into his mouth.  Oh Ben!!!

While Ben was at school for Valentine’s, Briggs and I met B for lunch.  Briggs looked SO cute and like such a big boy, but was too squirmy to get a picture with my phone.

These two are my Valentine’s EVERY day!  B had to work really late yesterday and Ben and I were talking about what Valentine’s day is for and how we tell everyone we love them.  He looks at me and says, “well we need to call Boots and Gramma and tell them we love them!”  So we did

 

 

Hand, Foot and Mouth aka-the plague

I feel like Ben came down with just about everything under the sun when he was at daycare, but leave it to Briggs to get two things he never did-croup and as of this weekend-Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease.  Does that not sound like something you pick up in a 3rd world country!!! But unlike the other illnesses, we had a good idea this one was coming.  Last week we were at a playdate and Briggs and his buddy, baby Isabel, were both sharing (by chewing) a Sophie Giraffe.  Thursday we found out Isabel had come down with it we played the waiting game with Briggs.  Isabel got sores all over her hands and feet, but Briggs has them all over his throat (ouch) and had a fever over the weekend.  I took him to Acute Kids Sunday because he was SO miserable (we didn’t think it was HFM because we didn’t see any blisters).  With all the icks we’ve dealt with between the two boys, we’ve never seen one of them as miserable as Briggs was Sunday.  We even had to cancel our Super Bowl party because the little man was so sick.  He went back to the dr yesterday because, although his days have been much better, his nights are AWFUL.  This momma hasn’t gotten any sleep the past few days.  He just lays there and moans.  Hopefully the tylenol with codeine that the dr gave us will help us both get some much needed sleep! Last night was a little better, but now he’s come down with a nasty cold.  Poor thing! Looking forward to my sweet little man being back to his amazing little self!

Poor baby passed out on his daddy’s sweet pants!  Yes you can be 31 and wear Iron Man pants!

Speaking of passed out…Ben fell asleep the other night like this.  He was playing with his computer and then the next second was totally out.  We hadn’t even made it to pj’s yet.

He thinks he’s hysterical!  I think he’s a toot (but a cute one).

Mommy broke out the paint today.  I thought keeping him in the high chair would help with the messes.  I am such a control freak that I HATE painting, but I’m trying to be a good mom.  He wasn’t thrilled I would only let him use red, purple and pink for Valentine’s day.

Enjoying his Valentine sensory bin while Briggs took a great, much needed, nap.

After an hour of him screaming upstairs paranoid to sleep in his room, we gave in and let him downstairs.  This was 30 seconds later.

Love them!

Friday we went to an open gym playtime.  Ben LOVED it.  I hadn’t even paid yet and he had taken off his shoes, threw them at me and was running around.  I really need to find a way to get him in gymnastics.  He played so hard, he took an unheard of 3 hour nap!

And I will leave you with this picture which just makes me smile.  It’ll be framed soon and in their bathroom.