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.

 

10 Months!

My our little bug turned 10 months yesterday!  Can he stay a baby forever, please?  It makes me sad to think he’s so close to a year.  Briggs-you are still the sweetest, happiest, cuddle bug.  You ask for so little and just smile all the time. 

So you’re STILL in your infant carrier.  It has a weight limit of 30 lbs, but you are just too big for it.  But you’ll still doze now and then in the car so I’m hesitant to move you.  It’ll probably be this week though.  I’m pretty sure I’ve torn a tendon or something in my left hand and wrist from lifting this (esp in Daddy’s lifted Jeep).  And Grammy-please notice what he’s wearing! 

Enjoying some warm January weather.  First time in the grass.  About 2 minutes later you moved to my lap because you ate the grass silly.

Enjoying some pizza crust during a birthday party

You stand ALL.THE.TIME!  You spend over half your day pulling yourself up on things.  Now you’re at the point where when you want down you don’t know how to just fall so you fuss for help.  And speaking of fussing-you have been a little more fussier this month.  Those four damn silly top teeth still have not pushed through and are causing you quite a bit of discomfort.  The concept of self soothing has disappeared this month…argh!!!

You are a belly sleeper 100% of the time!  You take two naps during the day and sometimes sneak a tiny late one in around dinner time.  And you’ve given me a few GREAT nights of 10-11 hours.  Most nights you sleep 8 then nurse then go back to bed for a few hours. 

You’re taking your plug out more and more to talk and put everything else in your mouth.  I mean EVERYTHING!  But it’s still your best friend (next to Mommy).  Briggs is a huge Momma’s boy.  HUGE!  Probably because he’s home with me all day.  Last week Michelle watched him while I picked up the kids from school and he went nuts when he realized I wasn’t there.  First time to freak out.  We think it’s also because Ben wasn’t there.  And sometimes it drives me bonkers, but really I love how he’s all about me.  And now he’ll lay his head on my shoulder when I hold him.  I could melt!

Ben’s workbench is a big favorite of yours to play with.

Helping daddy make dinner (check out daddy’s awesome new running shoes).  You have a HUGE appetite.  You’ll eat just about anything we give you, including our dinner.  It amazes me how much you can shove down your mouth.  And you’re always hungry to eat.  You’re still nursing and I am a little worried about how you’ll do when it’s time to wean you.  When you first wake up or it’s time to nurse you always throw your entire body sideways ready to go. 

This just makes me laugh!  You have the cutest short, chubby legs and butt full of dimples.  I could squeeze it all day.  Just so cute!

And this one is staged because I thought Briggs was just too cute the night before. 

Happy 10 months sweet little bug.  We love, love, love you so much!!!

Bad mommy blogger

I am a horrible blogger!  You can thank Pinterest for sucking up any extra time I have.  I love to think I’m crafty, knowing full well I’m not!  But, if I don’t get my butt in gear, I will quickly forget all the little things I want to always remember.  Here’s a random mix of what’s been going on in the Mahrer casa lately:

Charley Girl!  This stupid sweet dog was gone for 2 days!  I let her out around 3:30 in the morning on Monday and somehow the latch on the gate was broken and the wind pushed open the gate.  We NEVER use this gate so we didn’t know.  I went to get her for breakfast at 7ish and she wasn’t there.  Thanks to TONS of sweet and caring people, she finally let someone catch her yesterday afternoon.  She had been spotted in the neighborhood next to us Monday morning about the time I realized she was gone, but after 5 hours of searching it on Monday, we still didn’t have Charley.  The poor boys were stuck in the car with me all day. She was found though in the same neighborhood (and on the same street that our friend Addie lives).  And of course Charley decided to bolt when we had pouring cold rain for 48 straight hours so when I got her back she was a mess.  I tried to bathe her, but she was so matted we took her straight to a groomer.  Poor girl was shaved and looks like a total weirdo now (but she’s so soft and all the icky thorns are gone).  I hate this dog, but it wasn’t fun not knowing where she was or the thought something could have happened to her.  Glad she’s home where she belongs!

She loves Briggs’ chair…

and the couch!

Soccer fail: part two!  Ben had his second practice last week.  Bill even took a 1/2 day thinking that if he were there Ben would go for it.  Nope!  He spent half the time watching some friends play on a playground and the other half with his head down pouting.  We tried everything-including bribing.  Finally we just left.  You know how the Mahrers feel about wasting money

-a very productive practice indeed!

Matching clothes!  Briggs can wear 12 month size clothes so now I can buy the boys all the matching clothes I want (I had the hardest time finding toddler and infant matching things).  I’m SO excited about this. 

Haircuts!  Last week Briggs had his first (real) haircut!  I wasn’t quite ready, but Chia pet Ben desperately needed one so the deal was Ben could get one if Briggs did.  Briggs was amazing and never cried once.  I’m not in love with his new hair, but I still think he’s cute.

oh sweet boy!

I’m sure this comb was very clean

they’re ready to enlist!

Bedtime troubles!  So this one has me SO stressed.  Ben has completely failed at bedtime.  It’s like he’s very scared.  One of us HAS to fall asleep with him and if he wakes up and we’re not there he loses it.  We’ve tried to let him cry it out (he will literally SCREAM like someone is hurting him for hours), a night light, sound machine that projects pictures on the ceiling, music, and even his top bunk.  He discovered how to climb up last week.  Luckily he prefers to sleep in his bottom one.  None of this is working.  The doctor said it’s a phase, but I’m pretty over it.  He won’t even nap unless he’s on our bed next to me (he naps at school fine because he’s not alone).  So he’s not getting as much sleep and has the attitude to show for it.

 

how most nights end up lately

Playdate fun!  We have stayed SUPER busy this month with playdates.  The boys are having a blast playing with their friends and this momma loves being with her friends each day, too.  Yesterday we went to the Indoor Safari Park and basically had it all to ourselves!  Yay!

Chilling in the caboose

While Ben was on the train, Briggs got put in “baby jail”

waiting their turns (someone was super grouchy about pictures)

riding the mechanical zebra at the Safari Park

Briggs crawled through this all on his own

Briggs enjoying a little playdate while Ben’s at school

Ben discovered how fun water fountains are at Pump it up!

Paige is here!  My childhood best friend, Kathryn, had her first baby (and Briggs’ future wife) last week.  I literally burst into tears when I found out her water broke and then again at Target when I got a picture text of Paige.  Nothing like crying in the lightbulb aisle of Target.  I cannot wait to get my hands on this little sweet P!

Such a little angel!

Hanging out at home!  They enjoy getting into everything!

it’s Ben in a box!

painting the sidewalk with water

who knew a spray bottle could be so much fun

Briggs needed to be ‘fixed’ after church on Sunday

catching up on some reading

A tag team effort to ‘fix’ Daddy

Playing with some flubber

 

That’s all folks!

 

 

 

 

Soccer.FAIL!

As of Thursday, I am officially a “soccer mom!”  Our bouncy 2 year old started Soccer Shots after school.  The program is designed for ages 3-6, but last week I asked the coach, who was offering a demo before the season began, if Ben could play.  He told me to bring him and let him try the demo that day.  Ben LOVED getting to try it out (and did really well) and I emailed the director to see if an exception could be made.  He replied yes (of course he would-he was getting our money), but in their experience 2 1/2 year olds aren’t very successful because of the listening aspect of it.  And what do you know-he was completely right! 

Ben was super pumped to go and couldn’t wait to kick the ball.  But that’s ALL he wanted to do-just kick the ball!  And he wasn’t too keen on Mommy sitting on the bleachers (they moved it inside because it was almost freezing out).  I got a pretty cute video of him warming up, but after that he either flopped on the floor, tried to move cones, sit behind me and ask for snacks or just complain that he wanted to kick and run.  So daddy’s going to work with him on the skills they covered this week and we will keep our fingers crossed that this week is a little better!

Ben NOT sitting on the line with the rest of the kiddos.

Stretching during warm ups (they were SO cute)!

Not sure what skill he’s working on here, but it wasn’t what he was supposed to be doing!!!

And Briggs being the good little brother watching what will be the first of at least a million sports games/practices.  He wasn’t in this the whole time and I’m pretty sure he paid more attention than his big bro.

I don’t want Ben to grow up at all, but I can’t wait for him to be able to play more sports!  I can’t wait to not only be a soccer mom, but a baseball mom, football mom, hockey mom, etc!

So our little bug LOVES to crawl around and play.  Ben loves to use the shelves to play with his cars.  Briggs crawled over and pulled up on Ben while he was  playing.  Look how happy Briggs as he gives his brother a hug!

Daddy came home and both boys couldn’t get to him fast enough to play!  It was SO cute!

The next two pictures I just love!  My boys make me so happy!

how cute are they!