James Benjamin is 19 Months Old!

The big, exciting 19 months!  Or, as I like to think, full blown toddlerhood!

An example of JB's increasingly toddler-like behavior - completely irrational reactions to things!  He screeches and slaps if he doesn't get his way; lays his head on the counter (or his body on the floor) when he doesn't get something he wants; completely loses his mind if you cut up his food, take away a dangerous object, or try to keep him from falling off furniture.  All those things that - as a first time parent - leave you a little wide eyed and shell shocked (while veteran parents laugh and say, "ah, toddlers….")

BUT, fortunately that little JB is not the norm.  He is more often a very fun-loving, happy, adventurous guy.  Still one of the busiest little kids I've ever seen.  And turning into a big helper who wants to pour the dog food in the dog bowl, put the pillows on the bed, put his animals back in his crib, bring you shoes and put them on your feet, etc.  I give him another 3 months before we implement a chore chart (kidding, kidding). Well, or in 4 months he can take nighttime diaper duty with his little sister.

OH, and big news - JB has a few words!!!  Interestingly enough they all start with "g".  He says "George" (for Curious George); "go"; and "gurt" (for yogurt).  We all break out into a happy dance when he says them, too.

At 19 months, JB absolutely loves:

• Sticks - he collects them, hoards them, I find them hidden in his room, they're everywhere 
• Wagon rides
• Playing in dirt and water
• Climbing on anything (but especially dangerous, tall furniture or playground equipment)
• Waving goodbye to everyone (and everything)
• Waving hello to random people on the street
• Guzzling cold water
• Latin Food (especially anything that Nanny Y makes him)
• Fruits (new favs - pears and blackberries)
• Still loves his books, but now also a huge fan of certain songs (that we sing and hear over and over again):  Ants Go Marching; Itsy Bitsy Spider; Wheels on the Bus; Five Little Monkeys

JB will throw a fit if:

• He is refused a snack
• When others take his toys 
• When Enda takes his sticks
• You cut something up that he wants to eat whole - banana, piece of bread, cheese stick (see reference to irrational toddler behavior above)
• When you wash his hair (though baths are now acceptable again)

Totally appropriate chore at 19 months, right?

We sure do love our little busy monkey - growing like a weed and changing every single day.  

Trekking with Texas Visitors

We sure do love visitors!! Especially from Texas!! This weekend my brother, Kelly, and should-be-sister-in-law, Shawntel came over for a quick visit.  My brother had a work event in South GA and I am so glad that he figured out a way to see us, too.  And fly up Shawntel to join him.  JB very much enjoyed some aunt and uncle time.  Especially all his time with Uncle Kelly - JB was all about Uncle Kelly and doing whatever he was doing and staying exactly where he was at all times.  (He does very much adore his Kerr male relatives, which I think slightly hurts all the Kerr ladies!)

He did love on Aunt Shawntel, too, of course, but she had to work for that affection - JB is a shy one when he wants to be.  Fortunately she's a real sweetheart, so she won him over quickly at the start of the weekend with some books.

I know people come to see JB, but we like to think we have some appeal, too.  The adults got away for a little adventure one morning, hiking up Kennesaw Mountain on what turned into a perfect, gorgeous day.  From the top you can see the city, and from the bottom some famous Civil War battlefields.

It's .8 miles top to bottom, and .9 miles bottom to top.  That's some good Georgia education for ya...

Such a great time with these two! Thanks for the visit, and we will see y'all again (along with the rest of the Kerrs) in June!

Bumpdate - 20 Weeks with Baby Girl

How Far Along: 20 weeks
Total Weight Gain (so far): 12 lbs (that's 7 lbs in one month, folks!  I'm not messing around…)

Sleeping: Pretty good, now that I broke out the body pillow.  (That means 2 humans, 1 dog child, sometimes a cat, and 1 body pillow in our Queen-sized bed…)
Eating: A lot of food, in general. I'm hungry all the time, and love to eat. Less veggies than normal, more meat than usual. So thirsty, all the time, and drink gallons and gallons of water.
Craving: Sweeeeeeeeeets.  I cannot get enough sugar in my body.  Cookies, ice cream, candy (fruit if I'm desperate for a sweet taste). YUM!!!!
Wearing: Totally maternity now.  So comfy.  Why do normal clothes need zippers and buttons?
Feeling: Great!  Just really worn out by the end of the day due to lots of work travel, plus a busy, busy, busy 18 month old boy.
Loving: Little baby kicks!!  I am feeling them super low and a little faint, but it's definitely her.  (Started around 17 weeks, although I didn't feel her every day until week 19.)  James should be able to feel her soon.
Missing: Cold lunch meat (microwaved deli turkey is terrible). Wine - especially since I'm in NYC so much right now.  It's a shame to be in a nice restaurant and not enjoy their extensive wine list.
Dealing With: ITCHY SKIN.  All over, all the time, and sometimes it leads to full blown hives.  I'm now on Zyrtec every day and it's helping.  (Doctor says this is "hormones".  They blame everything on that, don't they?)

Sweet Baby Girl

Best Moment(s) of the Month: Feeling her kick, and then seeing her kick on the screen during our anatomy scan.  The very best was confirming everything looked "perfect" during the scan yesterday.  We loved watching her for a good 20 minutes, and hearing the sonographer confirm she saw legs, arms, 4 chambers of a heart, proper brain growth, lips, working kidneys, etc etc.
Worse Moment of the Month: Constantly seeing Listeria recalls for things I've been eating every day (Sabra hummus, Blue Bell, etc).  Cue freak out!
Looking Forward To: Figuring out how we're going to accommodate our growing family in our current home.  I'm getting into nesting mode a little early this time, and I'm organizing, planning and thinking through every (and I mean every) option.

WE ARE HALFWAY THERE!!  

Previous Bumpdates:

• 16 Weeks

Playground Mishap :(

Yesterday was beautiful and meant to be spent outside.  I landed in the afternoon and was home in time to synch up my email from the plane ride and take JB and Enda to the park. After we ran around the field for a while, JB was clear it was playground time.

Usually he spends quite a few minutes collecting sticks.  Then he turns his attention to the big kid playground. So much anxiety!! I realize it's not super tall (and I don't even let him go on the even taller parts!) but for my little guy it IS too tall.  He just doesn't believe me.

Fortunately he was staying on the little bridge yesterday (which is the lowest part), and having a grand old time until some older kids (like 4 year olds) joined.  He tried to run after them, bumped into one as they turned around, and then, AAAAAH, I saw him stumble, fall and slip through the rails!!!!  Pure panic!!!!!  I dove to catch him (obviously I was right there the whole time) and managed to slow his fall, but he still landed face first on the ground.  We sat there for a few seconds and cried (together!) until JB popped his little head up and pointed, asking me to put him back on the bridge.  Then he acted like nothing happened. I declared "NEVER AGAIN" to the big kid playground, and carted him over to the other side.  Where he played happily the next 20 minutes and I tried to emotionally recover.  

A dad (wearing scrubs) showed up to join his family, and the sweet mom* asked me if she'd like him (a doctor) to check us out.  JB's face was scratched up from the mulch, and I didn't realize I had a bleeding knee. He quickly said all looked good, "superficial" and said to take the fact my child was running around and squealing as a good sign. (Also, this morning, you can't see but one little scratch - no long term physical damage.)  

Unfazed...

OUCH.

JB quickly seemed to forget about the incident, pointing and asking for the other playground up until we left.  Glad someone can forget, because this will haunt me forever.

*This sweet gal was the ONLY one who acknowledged the fall and tried to help.  She even pulled out some wipes and a bandaid for me. Either it didn't appear as big of deal as I imagined (very possible), or the other people lacked some serious empathy.  Hopefully not the latter - I like to think better of people! 

The Sheep Say Beeeeeee

A busy, busy weekend, that is wrapping up for me with a late flight to NYC for a meeting tomorrow.  Quick trip, so the boys will barely have time to miss me.  And Mama will get some good rest for a couple nights. :)

Most everything we did this weekend was "ordinary" outside of an impromptu Spring festival on Saturday.  JB's swimming lessons are at the Baptist church up the street, and as we arrived we realized their preschool was hosting a fundraising festival.  Needless to say we had to promise to return after swimming.  And he did not let us forget!  

JB experienced his first bouncy house (a big fan), ate a hot dog, chips, and juice box (loves his fair food!), and also enjoyed the petting zoo.  Gia gave him a new book with animal sounds, so hearing them in real life is solid entertainment for toddler.  He especially liked the baby goats and sheep.  

Highlight of the weekend - feeding the sheep some straw. (Well, and Mama used up all the extra tickets at the bake sale - it brought me a lot of happiness.) We get our kicks where we can these days!! 

Nothing but Love for the Kitties

JB has a new obsession:  the kitties.  He loooooooooooooves the kitty girls.  Fortunately they seem to like - well, or at least tolerate - our human munchkin, too, which is a relief since they despise the other (furry) child we brought into the house.  

If the kitties are walking around, JB points them out to us and sits patiently until we come put one in his lap.  He then hugs and cuddles and strangles strokes them.  Thankfully he seems to grasp the word "gentle" when it comes to the cats - not yet when it comes to humans or Enda.

When they come into his nursery during our play time or reading time, we must drop everything so that he can play with them.  He wants you to put them in his crib at night (though they rarely stay).

He also realizes that they live upstairs in my office.  Multiple (maybe 20) times a day, he points up and yells to go up and see them.  OR, what's worse, he will take off up the stairs to go see them himself.  (The stinker can outsmart that baby gate, meaning we have a new item on our to-do list.)   I work up there 45 - 50 hours a week - he never tries to come see me!!  

(Carmen is under there - God bless her….)

I'm pleased JB is an animal lover, especially that he loves cats.  I've found there are few men who do, so happy to raise and contribute a cat-lover to the world.  And, obviously, Carmen and Lupe are breathing a huge sigh of relief.  It will be hard for James to kick them out now!

The Attempted Break In (Seriously, People?)

Friday night started uneventful, other than a crazy storm that blew in and altered our eating plans from the pub (walking distance) to sushi a short drive away.  JB is obsessed with shrimp shumai right now, and the ladies at the restaurant are obsessed with JB.  After JB went to bed, James fell asleep at 8pm and I read through nearly all The Hunger Games.  

At 1:30am, Enda jumped out of bed and ran to the door.  While we were still trying to wake up, the doorbell rang.  James cautiously got out of bed, made sure the alarm was set, and peered out the window.  He came back to report that there was a young couple kissing on our porch, and they would probably realize they were at the wrong house soon. 

But they didn't! The doorbell starting ringing over and over again, and then cue the banging on the windows.  Enda was going CRAZY, so James calmly opened the door (leaving the storm door closed and locked, of course) to make sure all was okay.  The gal was very, VERY convinced this was their friend's house, and demanded entrance.  James was clear it wasn't.  Her boyfriend (we assume) takes off around the house and I hear him (from the master bedroom, where I was pacing) open the side gate and run around to the back.  James locks the door again, resets the alarm, and tells me to call the police.  So I dialed 911 for the first time in my life.

The 911operator dispatched the police, the boyfriend kept trying to find an entry point, Enda continued to go biserk, and girlfriend sat down in a rocker on the front porch to patiently wait. In all seriousness, she sat and rocked like she hadn't a care in the world.  (Although I obviously don't know for sure, I assume she was a teensy bit drunk.)

GET OFF OUR PORCH!!!!

It felt like FOREVER, but the police arrived about 6 minutes later.  This city is swarming with law enforcement during the day, but I guess they don't hang out in our 'hood at night (maybe this should make me feel better?)  We opened the door to tell one officer the situation, while the second officer retrieved lover boy from the backyard.  These two were still quite convinced their friends lived in our house, wanting the police to go in and check.  James (politely, with very few curse words) let them know that was not an option. The girl looked at James incredulously (from the rocking chair) and said "why are you doing this to us??"  Oh dear God…. 

After way more discussion than should have been required, we went to bed and the officers promised to take these crazies with them or to their (legitimate, as in stated on their driver's license) home.  Just as long as they didn't ask to go to their "friend's house" we were fine with that.  Looking back it was quite comical (though at the time the adrenaline was running pretty high.)

So not sure what happened to those two.  I hope they woke up at the station so they were forced to think "what the #%^* did I do last night?"  

A Happy Easter!

Our little family had a lovely Easter weekend!  We spent two days up at our church (for an Easter Egg hunt and breakfast, then a very special Easter service), went out to eat for Easter lunch, and spent an enormous time outside enjoying the weather.  I took lots of pictures and will include them all - no apologies!

The Easter Egg "hunt" was JB's first, and I had to put "hunt" in quotes because it was nothing of the sort.  Even our pastor referred to it as a "grab".  Thousands of eggs spilled out onto the grassy knoll, with hundreds of kids released to grab them. 

Fortunately the 2-years-and-under group had their own section, and there was very little grabbing going on.  It took a lot to convince the kiddos to even grab one egg!  JB did get a few (after some prodding from Dad), then turned his attention to the stakes in the ground holding all the signs.  Boys.

 



Even though he only got a few eggs, he did get some good loot - a sticker, a stamp (which he somehow knew exactly what to do with?) and a mini kaleidoscope.  He was a happy camper, and we had a great time watching him experience it.

Breakfast included Chick-Fila biscuits and fruit, and JB got to experience his first juice box (well, or actual first drink of juice, period).  Oh, he was a fan. 

 



When he wasn't sucking down the sugary goodness, he was on the look out for the Chick-Fila cow and the Easter Bunny. He did not want anything to do with those two, and steered clear!

Sunday morning we shifted our focus and returned to church to celebrate a risen Lord.  We opted for the contemporary service (which we never attend, but really enjoyed), and the pastor delivered a great sermon.

 



We returned home to find the Easter Bunny had left JB a full basket!  (The Easter Bunny was a little too frazzled to come before church...)  JB received a new Llama Llama book, the Easter Story book, and a bright new green cup.  His Grammy and Gran Gran has also sent a wind-up yellow chick (which both JB and Enda enjoyed), and Gia and Aunt Wyllene both gave JB new books. 

There were a few more surprises outside, with eggs on the front lawn - this time filled with sugar! 

You can imagine JB's delight to open eggs filled with Puffs and Peeps.  I will treasure these pictures forever - my two boys, sharing a special moment. 

(We went to Brio for Easter lunch, but sadly no pictures to show.  JB decided that he would rather run around the flower beds outside the restaurant, so Mama and JB's Easter lunch came home in to-go boxes.  Ah, life with an 18 month old.... :)  )

A happy, HAPPY Easter. 

1 Peter 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...