Another Year In The Bag

Oh, how I love to have some time off of work. I always tell myself that maybe I'll go into the office and catch up on some stuff. But, it never happens. That being said, we have stayed very busy.

On Christmas Eve Eve night, Lezlie and Maya decorated cookies. Lezlie's big thing is creating traditions with her babies. I can't say that Maya's cookies were the most beautiful, but it sure was fun to watch her focus so hard.

On Christmas Eve morning, we woke up to a bunch of gifts from Santa. It is just amazing how courteous Santa is with everyone's schedule. She got sticker books, Play-Doh, and Tickle-me-Elmo hands.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day was very crazy. In the past, it wasn't that big of deal. But since we now have to transport our 2 babies around, we tend to get more of a workout. All in all, we did 7 Christmas parties in 3 days. That makes me tired just talking about it. And if I remember correctly, Maya did not get one nap in the middle of all that. She caught a snooze here and there while driving from place to place. But if she was lucky, it was only a 10 minute nap.
There is no reason why a kid should have as many toys as Maya does. But, she loved every one of them. Her favorites were of course the puzzles. But, she loves her blocks (legos) too. The winner of the biggest surprise was a tie between the huge Raggedy Ann doll and the huge Tonka truck. Tonight, I made the mistake of putting her in the back of the Tonka truck and racing her around the basement. She just did not want to stop. But, she doesn't quite understand that Daddy gets winded very easily. After awhile, I had to fake a "boo-boo" in order to get out of the "racing of the trucks." I am such a mean person.This year, we hosted a New Years party. Lets just say we can't party like we used to. At one point in time, I think all four babies were either crying or whining. By the end of the night, we figured out that Maya had a fever. She had been more irritable than normal that day but Momma and Dadda just couldn't put 2 and 2 together. So, she ended up being the first to bed. We did manage to get the rest asleep. But, Ben woke up just as the ball was dropping. I guess he just had to see Dick Clark:)
Monday was supposed to be Ben's first day in day care but he decided to play hooky. Actually, he had a fever, a runny nose, and pink-eye. Since Lezlie has no vacation or sick left, it was time for Daddy to spoil the baby. I took him to the doctor worried that he had an ear infection but luckily nothing of the sort was found. I'm sure Dr. Rosenbloom just laughs when we come in for simple things like these. But, I guess if we didn't, he could get even sicker. Better safe than sorry, right? He was still fussy on Tuesday so he stayed home again with me. But, he soon started acting normal again and drinking a full bottle.

On Wednesday, he finally made it to day care. Its gonna be a little tougher hauling both kids there but it wasn't as bad as I thought. However, Maya did pull the limp leg trick as I tried to drag her to the car. Ms. Laura said he was a good boy and hardly made a peep. But, they did seem to wear him out because he only woke up once at night. Let's just hope those kind of nights become normal.

The Smiling and Laughing Boy

It's not too hard to get Ben going these days. Enjoy.

The Kiddos....

It is hard to believe that Ben is already 2 months old! He had his check up last week and the doctor said he is a very healthy boy. He weighs 12lbs and 7oz and is 23 inches long. He is a big one!!! He is doing a little better at night too. He is now sleeping in his crib (he slept in his bouncy seat for the first month and a half) and isn't quite so restless. And, he is no longer on medicine for reflux.

Maya is doing pretty well too. She has been battling a cold for over a week now. We took her to the Dr. this morning and she said that she has developed a sinus infection and if she isn't feeling better by Thursday she will prescribe an antibiotic for her. It hasn't slowed her down too much though, just makes it really difficult for her to sleep. Between her coughing and Ben's feedings, there hasn't been too much sleeping going on for Mommy and Daddy either.

These are just a couple of cute pictures taken this week. Ben is really smiling a lot now and Maya has become quite the "ham."

Two Weekend Getaways

It's good to get away, but it's also good to be home. Two weeks ago, Lezlie and I decided to get away from the kids for one night. I know that sounds ridiculous but its probably the longest we could have made it without seeing our babies. So we made the trip to Cole Camp, stayed Friday night, but then left the kids and headed for Branson for some shopping and the Silver Dollar City Christmas light experience.

I don't want to discourage people from going down to see the lights at Silver Dollar City. But, if you don't like crowds, stay away. I usually like to be in the thick of things, doing what everyone else is doing. But, it was just too much. The people were shoulder to shoulder and the one show I wanted to see (at the Saloon), you had to wait for over an hour in line for. Let's just say it wasn't that important to us. We did see a couple performances. One was absolutely horrible--Cajun Christmas. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or applaud. I'm sounding like a critic. Unfortunately, Lezlie's doctor frowned on her riding rides. But, we did manage to ride "Fire in the Hole." Mainly, we just walked around, enjoyed the atmosphere, ate some very good food, and watched the lighting of the tree. It's not that I wouldn't recommend going, just plan on taking a full day to do it all. Frankly, Lezlie and I don't have that much energy.

After watching the lights, we high-tailed it back to the Branson Landing where we went to a piano Bar named Ernie Biggs. I have been to the one in Springfield and this one was no different. The whole night was entertaining and they played every song we requested. It was better than any show I have seen in Branson. But, maybe the booze helped entertain me??

The next weekend was Thanksgiving. Lezlie and I always look forward to the trail-ride and Lola's. This year, I believe Maya got to thoroughly enjoy it (rather than sleeping on a hay bale like last year). It was extra luxurious this year since Ed and Lola had pimped out our trailor with some world-class seats ripped out of a van. It was truly red-neck and everyone loved it. If only I could have sat in one of those comfortable chairs...

On Friday and Saturday, Maya and Ben got to spend some time with their cousins. I had heard Maya speak of Jo-Jo several times but wasn't sure who she was talking about. Well, now I know that means Jocelyn. Actually, I think she associates that with Jocelyn and Olivia. Maya and I were actually taking a nap together and Josie and Olivia snuck in the room. Maya jumped up, yelled "Jo Jo Jo Jo!!!" and quickly ran off to play. It's unfortunate that Maya and Ben don't get to grow up like I did with all of my cousins close-by, but it is very nice to see that it is just the same.Ben is growing up fast. If you've been keeping up with the facebook photos, you can see that he is becoming quite a chunkster. I keep saying that he is storing up for winter. At most feedings, he takes close to 4 oz, but at times we have had to give him 6 oz. So, things are quite different from Maya--I don't remember Maya drinking 6 oz until she was 6-8 months old. His neck is getting much stronger and he no longer is a "bobble-head". He reacts well to us. At certain parts of the day, he becomes very happy and gives a big wide-mouth smile. I even think he is trying to laugh.Maya has been getting jealous of Ben more lately. A common phrase you will hear from her is "baby seat" meaning "put Ben in the seat and play with me instead." Maya's speach is getting a little better. She speaks full sentences. It's just that you don't understand a word she says. But seriously, we know she is trying harder and we are picking up new words every so often.