fussy baby = no sleep

Max has been having some fussy/gassy baby issues lately. It really hit a low on Thursday night this week. He started fussing (flat out screaming crying) about 8 pm and was still at it, with very brief periods of calm and quiet, at 11:15 when finally out of desperation I called my mom to see if she had any ideas how to calm him. Turns out I had tried everything that she was suggesting already but it was still worth calling. She ended up coming over to see if she had any luck and to give Brad and I a break from screaming baby. You can only take so much of that before you want to kill yourself.

In the end Max, of course, fell asleep as she was headed over and was a quiet, peaceful sleeping baby by the time she arrived. But she let Brad and I sleep all night and did his feedings that night.

We decided to change Max's formula after that night. He is already on Mylicon for gas so the fact that he is still so gassy is bothersome. So, we switched him to a gentle formula that is supposed to be better for fussy/gassy babies. So far so good. Last night was his third full night on it and he seems to be sleeping a little better. Hopefully the change will mean more sleep for us:)

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

grabber.

On Saturday afternoon Ben, Mom and I had lunch at Cracker Barrell.  This is always an interesting place to go, mainly due to the "Old Country Store".  Ben always wants to look at the toys.  Now, most times we can get him out of there without any un-necessary purchases; however, with Nana along he did manage to talk her into this one thing... he calls it his "grabber".

He has found many interesting things to do with his grabber.  Like help put away his socks and undies one piece at a time and pull shirts that he wants to wear off the hanger.  He has also already been told NOT to chase the dog with it, once or twice and it has caused a spill or two.  But, he really loves it and hardly wants to go anywhere without it. 

This morning he and I found something really fun and completely non-destructive to do with the grabber.  And I have to admit that I thought it was pretty fun and cool myself:)

   

It took a little practice but he finally got it up in the air! 

    

And chased me with it... and wanted me to chase him too!

 I must say a pretty fun use for the "grabber".

just ben.

This is one of my favorite things that Ben is saying right now.  Any time that anyone calls him honey, baby, sugar, sweetie, etc. his response is always “I’m just Ben”.  He is obviously worried that we have forgotten his name:)  We all get quite a laugh from it.

This is definitely not the only funny thing that he is saying lately.  Some of his other favorites are :

• “What you said?”  He says this a lot when we are asking him to do something that he may or may not want to do. 
• “Here am are.”
• “Don’t get-for this!” and the even cuter “Don’t get-for me!”  It is so adorable that he says get-for instead of forget that we don’t even correct it.  I’ll actually be sad when he figures out that he is saying it wrong.
• Finally, the classic “I’m just playin’ my tuba!”.  Yeah, we have no idea where this is from…  he tends to say it when we tell him not to do something that he is currently doing or to get out of something that he shouldn’t be into.  He just started saying it one day and we can’t figure it out.

impromptu photo shoot.

Pulled out the camera for an impromptu photo shoot of the boys today.  Really was wanting to get some pictures taken on Max before we head to Kentucky to see family tomorrow.  I thought they might like some pictures of him, especially Grandma.  Ben, of course, had to help me get set up and take some pictures too (my little future photographer.)  So, while I had him interested I clicked off a few of him too.  Really just got lucky that he was in the mood with this one, but I love the colors in the blanket (thanks Shirley!) and his eyes.

Then came the fun with Max.  Trying to get something cute, like the Ben in the bookcase picture that I did of Ben at this age.  I think it turned out pretty good, but am still looking for another place to put him that is unexpected to take more.  Any ideas???

Finally, since I actually had makeup and decent clothes on today (rare right now) I took the oppurtunity to have Brad take a few pictures of me and the boys.  This was my favorite.

trick or treat

 

This year we weren't really sure how interested Ben would be in trick-or-treat.  He picked out his costume about a month ago and really was excited about dressing up as Thomas then, but didn't know if that would last until Halloween or not.  We talked about it all last week to try and get him in the Halloween spirit and when Saturday came he was definitely ready to go out a get some candy. 

So, we went to a neighborhood locally for him to go house to house (our subdivision is on a huge hill, and mostly older people so we weren't sure how many of them would give out candy.)  This is a neighborhood that we lived in for a little while before I did my residency that took us to Bloomington so we knew that the neighbors there really have a good time with the kids on Halloween.  As we were getting Ben strapped in his car seat he couldn't stop talking about going trick or treating.

Poppy met us in the neighborhood to walk around to the houses with Ben.  I still wasn't too sure how well Ben would take to the whole thing but he was awesome!  He walked up to each person all by himself and said "trick or treat"  and then said "thank you" and "Happy Halloween" after they put candy in his bag.  He enjoyed it so much that he was all but running to the next house each time (which he thought was fun because then he was "fast Thomas".)   

I think that Halloween was a hit with Ben... and he is already looking forward to next year!