Ch, ch, cha, changes....

He's getting too big, too fast!

 Last week we converted his crib to a toddler bed. Yes Ben was in a 'big boy bed' at 21 months, but Briggs is my BABY!  And we weren't rushed with the impending addition of a baby like we were with Ben so we had planned on keeping him in a crib as long as possible. And then the little monkey figured out how to climb out. Well crap!  Ben has full on full bunk beds, but they just Rent ready to share a room. And Ben has no interest in this happening. EVER!

Almost a week into it and he's doing pretty well. Naps go smoothly and he goes straight down at night. He does, however, come downstairs almost once a night and curl into bed with us. At least he doesn't stand outside his door ans scream like Ben does. 

We also took the gate off the bottom of the stairs. It took us both about 10 days to get used to. Now the boys get to play upstairs and they love it!

And...are you ready for this...we are paci FREE!!!  100% paci free. This little miracle is thanks to hand foot and mouth. It hurt him so much to suck that he told us they were "yucky!"  So we used that little gem as our 'out'. And he's done soooooo well!  Hasn't asked for it at all. He did see some in a gift for Aunt Kristin (I'm going to be an aunt!) and got confused, but got over it quickly. 

I just can't believe how big my little guy is getting!!!  But no worries- we have every intention of making that a crib again...one day (gotta get aunt Tina married first)!

HFM- take 2

Two weeks ago Briggs was just off. Super fussy even at a birthday party. Wasn't sleeping at all- up every 15 minutes and wouldn't take any food or drink. Sunday I took him to acute kids and they said what we suspected- hand foot and mouth disease...again!  But this time it was about 100x's worse. Poor little guy had huge sores all over his mouth and throat. Wouldn't take a paci or drink a thing. It took five days before be started to feel even the tiniest bit better. The first couple days he literally just cried and moaned ALL day. We felt so bad :(

But- he's good now :). Even two weeks later though he's still a little scared that what he eats and drinks will hurt and holds his hand to his mouth :(. 

The pictures won't upload for some reason :(  But he was miserable.

Lake Geneva 2013

Miss me?  A reformatted laptop + pics on ipad and iphone = a pain in the butt to get everything back together.  Took over an hour, but it’s all ready to go.  So here you go (I’m talking to you mom, Aunt Linda, Grammy)

We had such a SUPER fun time at “Grammy’s blue house” as Ben calls it.  Three wonderful weeks.  And we’re all already talking about next year.  The boys are a perfect age for the lake.  We swam, played at the beach, bought every toy target had to offer and ate!

The pictures aren’t really in order, but there are SO many and I’m too lazy to rearrange them.

It took Ben all of 20 minutes to fall asleep when we headed out.  The drive wasn’t too bad.  As they get older, it gets harder for them sleep in their seats.  We left around dinner time and pulled up for breakfast.

Happy 4th!

Grammy and Pal bought them a new blow up pool and put it under the deck so it could stay put the entire visit.  The boys got right to work.

We always miss the golf cart parade, but this year we managed to see it.  They throw candy.  Enough said for Ben!  It’s probably still in the back of grammy’s pantry now that I think of it.

Daddy built a kid wash for the boys before he flew home on Saturday.  Briggs thought it was way too cold for his little tush, but Ben enjoyed it.

  

My baby :)

This kid hit a growth spurt up there.  His feet grew two sizes!  He’s never eaten so much in his life (and would eat the healthy things at that).  He also went to bed like a champ at the end of his exhausting days!

A trip to toys r us results in a very hard decision of what toy to get

Mimi/grams and Pops flew up for a week.  This meant Ben had someone to play with, even if Pops is an old man and got tired all.the.time! 

We took many golf cart rides!

Mommy and Ben went on their first ever movie date.  No Daddy and no Briggs!

After dinner playtime at the pirate park on the lake!

He may be my kid after all.  Someone didn’t like his feet dirty from the dark sand (it ruined my nail polish).  Notice his feet aren’t even touching.  He warmed up to it though.

 

We have a pee-er!  Briggs pottied for the first time up there.  He insists on completely undressing to go potty and must try every time Ben does.  He’s exhausting!

King of the hill!

Hanging out in the sun room.

He’s a little Boots!  He was so proud of the drink he made!  A total Mahrer!

Pal flew to NJ to see his kids for part of the trip so after we dropped him off we went to Discovery World in Milwaukee.  Part of it is an aquarium that the boys loved (except for walking on the glass floor-that scared the crap out of them).

They also have a replica of a ship that Ben played pirates on for a good 30 minutes.

 

This little guy finally made it to the top of the sand hill this year!  He was so proud.

 

Daddy came back!  Daddy flew up for the last few days.  I told them they could swim in the lake when Daddy returned.  It was the first thing they did.  Ben blew us away with his swimming and cannon balls this trip!  So very proud of him.

  

Ben went to the grocery store with Grammy one morning and came back with this.  He made it all by himself (well he put the sprinkles on).  He was so proud of his cookie cake!

Briggs LOVED watching Mark (next door neighbor) cut the grass.  He also just loved Mark.

My navigators

Pal broke his arm and had a ball of yarn to help with his therapy.  HAD a ball of yarn.

On a whim we took the boys to play miniature golf.  Neither got it, but Ben was better suited for it than Briggs.  Best part-neither got hit with a club or a ball.

The day we left B built new stairs for Grammy on the back porch.

Briggs has his Mimi wrapped around his fingers!!!

And Ben spent some time reading the American Girl catalog!

I love our little family!

We love Pops!

Notice how mimi/grams is holding the heavier kid???  Apparently he’s too big for Pops.  Seriously!!!

 

And one last picture.  Sweet Briggs.  This picture captures your personality so well!  You are a crazy mess!  We love you!

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We are so thankful for our amazing family!  Three weeks with us is A LOT!  But it was so nice and no one wanted to come home.  Mommy had a pretty hard time adjusting back at home.  LOVE LOVE LOVE our family and HATE how far away we live from one another :(  We will have to keep working on that!

Our little Michael Phelps

When you grow up in Florida, you swim year round it seems. I don't even remember taking lessons I was so little. This year we finally got Ben lessons. Carey came to us for 8 lessons over 3 weeks. At first we met at the neighborhood pool, but moved to our next door neighbor's pool after the third lesson because our pool kept getting closed. Ben was AWFUL for her at first. Told her no, talked like a baby and pouted. And pissed his mommy off!!!  But all that changed once we could use Austin's pool. There was no audience for him or distractions. He started swimming after lesson 4!  We were SOOOO proud of him!  He is super comfortable in the water, but still likes his puddle jumper when he gets tired. Briggs had one lesson and he's so little for what she teaches that we decided we would wait another year. Maybe the awful survival class is his thing. Today I watched a friend's son almost drown before I jumped in. I thanked God for this gift if swim lessons. I figure there are three things a parent should give their children: a love for The Lord, a love for books and swim lessons!

Lesson one- kicking and blowing bubbles

Mommy and Briggs watched from the guest room window this was the day he swam on his own :)

And the next day he showed mommy and daddy how to do cannonballs!

 Thank you, Carey!!!!

Camp JaM

For the past four weeks, the boys have gone to camp JaM (name comes from their teachers' names) every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30-2:30. We thought this would be a good trial for Briggs before he starts mdo in the fall. He would have Ben with him, but would still be away from mommy. The boys were great and had a blast. A few times I picked them up around lunchtime instead of at 2:30. They'd go to the park on Tuesdays and Thursdays was splash day. Ms. Maria and Ms. Jennifer were so good to the boys. And the boys had Addie and Mayson to play with as well as new friends. They made a mistake and have spots for them when we are back in a few weeks so they might attend the last few days, too.

And I'll be honest-the quiet time was pretty nice!

LOVE this pic!  Briggs' backpack and lunchbox are just as big as he is!

Mrs. Maria was awesome at posting pics on facebook each day. Loved knowing the boys were having fun. 

Ben picking on Mayson- it's what he does :)

Mrs. Maria texted me this. She ADORES Briggs. She can have him!!!

The boys' weekend getaway

Mommy had a MOPS retreat Friday night so Gramma offered to take the boys for the weekend. Works for us!  Met Gramma in Waco Friday and picked them up Sunday. 

As usual, they had a great time. Spoiled kids!  They shopped for new toys because we all know they don't have any, played with Aunt Tina and (in 11 months Uncle) Brad, fed the fish at the lake and played at the park. Briggs charmed Gramma into forgoing naps and Ben bunked with Boots (or "Boops" as Briggs calls him. 

Looking for deer at Gramma's house :)

Briggs was SO unhappy to come home. No lie- the toot SCREAMED, CRIED, or WHINED for gramma the entire trip home from Waco. Fun times!!!

This was Briggs' reaction to Ben telling him that it's okay, they'll see gramma and boots in August. Pretty sure Briggs would have shown Ben his middle finger if he had known about it :)