Early Fall Adventures

Ben was invited to his first birthday party for one of the kids he goes to daycare with.  They had it at one of these places which I never knew existed.  Indoor inflateable bounce house play yards.  It was actually pretty fun.  We all went.  Talk about party crashing. Nothing like a 3 year old birthday party.

Ben and Jimmy have really been getting along.  Ben will flip his lid if Jimmy touches any of his things, and boy does Ben have things.  Martin calls him his little hoarder.  Whenever he moves from room to room he has to bring every possible possession he currently cares about with him, to brush his teeth, to change his diaper (yes his diaper - more on that after I leave this tangent), to eat.  God forbid Jimmy touch his dinosaur sticker or big frog. 

 We have been trying to enjoy the fall weather as best we can before the season whose name must not be spoken arrives.  We all know.  Winter is coming.  The wagon is good unless Ben has a pinecone or acorn or some hoarded item because Jimmy faces him and tries to grab it from him.

 We have been exploring the trails by our house.

 Dining at the Texas Roadhouse, where the ambiance can not be beat according to Martin.  Trial by fire, Jimmy is not allergic to peanuts.

 We went to Stillwater for lunch and Ben got the biggest PB& J I have ever seen in my life.

 We saw the lift bridge lift which I have never seen.

 We've gone to the park down the street to enjoy the new equipment.

 The light was coming in and Jimmy was trying to taste it and laughing at his hand when it looked so funny.  Then Ben got in on the action.

 It is rare that Ben gives a normal smile, this is not normal, but it is less weird than most.

 Jimmy likes Chicken Bones!

Sarah came and we went to a CE together (we can gas people now) and we took advantage of our 80 degree weather and went to Taylor's Falls for a little boat adventure.

 Family Picture Fail.

We attempted a day without a diaper with Ben after a day at daycare when I picked him up and the director told me he had gone potty in the toilet and he wasn't currently wearing a diaper.  I was excited, he was concerned because his pants were too loose.  A few days later we talked and talked and talked to him and got him dressed without his diaper.  He walked out to the porch and peed then screamed because he had peed, and walked, all over.  I cleaned it up, talked to him to let me know and we can go to the potty and he agreed.  45 minutes later, sitting at the table, Martin smells poop.  We attempt to get him to the bathroom and Ben proclaims "It dropped!!!!"  The poop.  Dropped.  All down his leg.  We got the pants off with poop from anus to heel on the poor boy.  And he peed.  We put a diaper on him for the rest of the day.  He didn't seem too concerned but did tell my mom the next day about getting poop on his leg.  Love that kid.

10 months and 2 teeth.

OK, two more months.  Two more months.  You can do it big mama.  Two more months.  I am the latest as I have ever been at updating the wee one's monthly stats.  Here it is though.  O and P have their little incisal edges poking through the gingiva on the lower.  Two new tubes have been installed in his ears.  Twice daily nebulizations are taking place for his terrible sounding cough and wheezing.  And yet he is happy.  Happy happy happy.  And sleeping in our bed.   Still.  His newborn phase we were really good about it, but alas now that he is nearly a toddler he is in our bed. He loves to be the crossbar of the H.

On the 15th we went to Children's Hospital in St. Paul to get ear tubes.  He has had an ear infection pretty much constantly since Memorial Day weekend, our PCP recommended checking in with the ENT who said he did have hearing loss and after needing Augmentin to start clearing his infections and fevers we decided that we should do the surgery.  It was touch and go for a while as he threw his highest fever yet the two days just before his surgery, but he managed to keep it at a low grade of 101 for the day of the surgery so it was a go.  The fastest thing in the world.  He definitely was sore afterward, he was pulling at one of his ears for a day or two but we have successfully gotten a cold and another URI and not gotten a fever.  He had a crusty ear which tells me the tubes are working and stuff is getting drained.  I didn't get a picture of him in his little hospital garb.

Jimmy loves his brother, and vice versa.  Ben and Jimmy have crawl races down the hallway.  Then Ben gets mad and grabs all his toys away from Jimmy's reach.  Jimmy laughs at him and loves him so.  He is walking along the furniture and speed crawling but has yet to take a step.  Good.  I want him to stay put.  He crawled up his first flight of stairs the other day, with  my behind him of course, but he is smart.  And still possesses his freakish strength and unusally dexterous feet.  Odd little fellow.   Oh.  And he squeals a lot.  Check this out: