Is it wild "1" and fierce "4"?

I love both my children with all of my heart.  I am so thankful for each of them, how uniquely created they are.  They are so different from each other.  Ben is mellow and very even keeled.  Lila is a roller coaster.  She smiles a lot more than Ben, but she also screams a lot more than Ben did.  Just within the last month, Ben and Lila have really started to play together.  Lila loves to get behind Ben and tackle him.  She also loves to cover him in kisses.  He's not a big fan of that.  He does however, love to wrestle with her.  And she is one tough cookie.  He'll lay on her with his full body weight, and she just lays there and smiles most of the time.  But when she's had enough, she'll do something like grab his face really hard!

Even though they are very different, they currently have one thing in common.  They are both going through some sort of acting out phase.  I'm afraid Lila's phase is going to be around for a couple of years if she's anything like me.  Mom says that she's as strong willed at 1 as I was at 2.  Help us all!  She has actually taken a few steps back in her nonverbal communication.  I used to be able to understand exactly what she wanted.  Now, she's alway pointing to the kitchen asking for food, but I can never figure out exactly what she wants.  I think she has something very specific in mind that I'm not getting.  She still really likes to be held.  The only difference is, now if I put her down, she has a complete melt down and chases me through the house screaming like I beat her.  It makes it a little tough to get much done.  Today, was actually one of our best days yet.  She played with her brother for  a few minutes on several different occasions, so I was actually able to get the house picked up!  She still is the best cuddler in the world.  It cracks me up.  She'll hit me in the face and then when I spank her for it, she cuddles with me.  Such a complex girl!  I take for granted what a good sleeper and eater she is.  She may be high maintenance, but she let's her mama sleep to get ready for it!  Oh, and Lila has mastered the art of walking.  No more crawling at all!

Benjamin, our sweet Benny, has always had a stubborn streak to him.  He and I will have a good 30 second stare down occasionally.  He's got this scowl he's had since he was born!  But recently, he has started blatantly disobeying and being disrespectful.  Calling us names, telling us he's going to punch us in the face.  His favorite name for us is "chicken boy".  Where he got that, I have no clue.   He also likes to become a super hero when he's getting in trouble.  So when I'm reprimanding him, he'll shoot his web at me.  It sounds so silly for me to say "don't you shoot your web at me".  But as Kim Avis put it, he's basically found a new way to flip us off!  So, he's been getting in a lot more trouble than normal.  He's also learning what it means to do something on purpose vs. accident and about making good choices.  So, it's presenting good opportunities to teach him.  It's just new territory for us with our laid back mellow child.

After my last post, Miralax became a life saver for Ben.  It cut his stomach aches down from about 4 or 5 a day to 1 every one to two days.  But since he was still having them after a month, Harris wanted us to see a GI specialist.  So we went last week.  She has put Ben on a pooping schedule.  Right after breakfast and after dinner.  After we started that, Ben didn't have one stomach ache for a week and a half.  We were so excited!  Then Saturday, he had 3 or 4.  We think it might be donuts that caused it.  Either that or pizza.  Because that's what he ate, and he hadn't had either of those in the past week and a half.  So, we're going to try to figure that out.  But in the mean time, we're praying for no more episodes.  Because the next step is a scope!  And we really don't want that for Ben if at all possible.

I think that covers the major stuff.  My kids are awesome.  They've got so much personality, and they like to keep mom and dad on their toes!  They start Mother's Day out in a couple of weeks.  I think that will be really good for both me and mom, since she keeps them those days when I work.  I thrive on routine, and I'm about to get a good one going!  God is good!

Oh - here's a couple of pictures from our last photo shoot.  Let's just say I'm glad it's still shots and not video.  What a day!

Jill Junior

It's amazing the development that can happen in 6 weeks.  Since I last posted, several things have happened:

First for Lila:
- The big news is Lila turned one!  I can't believe a year has already passed.  We had a big family birthday for her.  She did great, and did quite a number on her smash cake.  She wasn't quite as eager as I thought she would be, but once she got into it, she definitely made a mess.  Her favorite gifts were her stroller and her riding toy.
- She is taking 6 or 7 steps at a time.  That just started happening in the last couple of days.  All she lacks is confidence.  Dr. Harris said at her one month check up that as soon as she gains confidence, she won't walk, she'll run!  If I hold her hand, she can walk right along with me.
- Lila has turned into the toddler that I was rumored to be.  Her nickname is now officially Jill Jr.  She will kiss you when she loves you and head butt you when she's mad.  She's already mastered the tantrum, an art Ben has never even attempted.  She arches that back, double kicks her feet, and screams like she's possessed.  She has got quite the temper.  But it's really hard to discipline because it's so stinkin cute.  Her fuse is nonexistent.  She goes from 0-60 in .5 seconds.  But that same crazy child, will cuddle up with me and give me lots of kisses, something this Jill was not willing to do with my mama. She's got a smile that lights up a room and she smiles most of the time.  She laughs a lot of the time.  But when she chooses to get mad, watch out! One thing's for sure, she's got her mama's strong will, which I have a feeling will be her greatest strength/weakness in the long run!  It's so neat to see her personality emerge, even if it's a little scary.  It shows me what a determined and intelligent girl she is. She's been good at this for quite some time, but I don't think I've mentioned it.  She can communicate nonverbally so well.  She will let you know exactly what she wants.  She points.  She pulls.  Whatever it takes.  Very rarely can I not figure out what she wants.  It's so nice not to have to guess.

Now for Ben:
- The past month has been tough with Ben.  He has been having severe stomach pains, several times a day.  We've had urine tests, blood tests, xray, ultrasound, and nothing.  No answers.  Yesterday, we had the church pray over him, something we should have done a long time ago.  He seemed to have a better day today.  Right now, he's on reflux medicine, miralax, a probiotic, and milicon as needed.  Since other things have been ruled out, she thinks it's a motility issue.  I didn't even know what that word meant until Friday.  It basically means the rate that his intestines move food through them.  So, instead of being constipated, sometimes he has pain from working it through his intestines, slower or more difficult that it should be.  The Miralax is supposed to help with that.  We have him on Nexium just in case his reflux is back, contributing to the problem, but I don' think that's it.  We already took him off milk for a week to see if he was Lactor intolerant.  Found out he wasn't, but it was a tough week for Ben.  He loves milk, but hates all other forms of it.  It's so pitiful.  He hurts so bad that my son who typically refuses to take medicine is asking for it.  It's very hard as a mom to see your little boy in pain and not be able to fix it.  I'm praying this regimen  of medicine is the answer for now.  If it doesn't significantly reduce the problem in the next week, we're going in for a CT scan to rule out appendicitis and other more severe things.  Praying we don't have to go there.  He's handled it like a trooper though.  He's a tough kid.  You see him hurting far more than you hear him complain.  He told Angela that there are ghosts in his tummy trying to come out.  Poor baby is just trying to find an answer like we are!
- His eating has gotten even worse.  Now he won't eat fried chicken (unless its from mcdonalds).  Not a fan of grapes anymore.  He likes waffles, pizza (without sauce), donuts, ice cream and corn dogs, oh and barbeque chips.  Yep, that's about it.  Everything else is a battle.  No vegetable.  No fruit.  Very little meat.  And with his intestinal issues, it's a battle we've been having to fight even more than usual.  I'm so praying that this changes over time.  We're giving him V8 fusion again so he can get his serving of fruit and vegetables, along with a multivitamin.
-   He's a fish again.  It's summer time, and it took a couple of weeks, but Ben's back in the water, swimming like a fish.  This summer, we really want to teach him to take a breath while swimming, but we might have to get some instructor help to make that happen.  Lila's still not to sure about the whole swimming thing, but she will be soon enough!
- Sonny Lawing, the tic tac man, died today.  He was so good to Ben.  He will be missed.  I'll tell Ben for years to come about his sweet relationship with the tic tac man!

End of an Era

So Friday was a big day in the Santiago house.  Lila's last day of nursing.  Mom's last day of nursing.  I am so thankful for the gift I've had in being able to nurse both of my kids.  I'm just as thankful that it's time to move on to cow's milk!  Lila has refused to take a bottle since December, so needless to say, I feel a little freedom right now that I haven't felt in months.  Lila and I have not been away from each other for more than 4 or 5 hours in quite some time.  I think she's a little tired of me!  She's still a mama's girl, but stopping nursing will probably change that a little bit.  I don't know if mentioned in a past post, but Lila also gave up her paci a few months ago.  It didn't really seem to soothe her much, so we just stopped giving it to her and she never missed it.  So, until potty training, I don't think we have any major transitions.  She now has 7 teeth!  Another good reason nursing is over.  She is still a little high maintenance but she is such a happy baby.  She smiles so big and so often.  She loves her Daddy, her brother, and her Yayee.  Already a little flirt!  Not walking yet, but I bet she will be in the next month.  She's also started dancing.  She get's her rhythm from her mom.  Dancing mainly consists of head bobbing, but it's pretty darn cute. 

Benjamin is doing great.  He started playing tball.  He loves it, and we love watching him.  It is priceless.  No matter what, every time he runs to home plate he slides.  It's a must!  That's what they do on TV.  It's been a really fun experience for all of us.  He's signed up to play indoor soccer this summer.  I kind of hope he doesn't like it!  I like baseball way better!  His vocabulary has majorly increased in the last month or so.  He has full conversations with me just like a little adult.  His imagination is still crazy.  He's Mrs. Hill's favorite at school.  She says he's so much fun to interact with.  She says he's very smart.  Just last week, he actually asked to go to school.  That's a major accomplishment!  I really hope he loves school.

Hector and I have waged war on bedtime again!  We have officially decided to end Ben's nap unless there's something special happening at night.  When he doesn't get a nap, he falls asleep in his bed at about 8 and typically stays in his bed through the night.  So, no break for mom during the day, but a much more peaceful and restful evening for all of us.  Hopefully, Lila will continue to be the awesome sleeper she is so that mom can keep getting to sleep through the whole night!  She wakes up about 6:30AM but I refuse to go get her before 7AM, so she dozes until I do.  Ben typically get's up around 7:30AM.  Now I just have to start getting my happy but out of bed about 6:30AM so I can have my coffee and devotional time.  Makes such a difference when I choose to start my day that way.

Life at the Santiago house is full of love and craziness as always.  Everyday I wake up so overwhelmed with the blessings God's given me in my treasure of a family.  Hector and Ben get out of school in a few weeks and we're going to have an awesome family summer!  Can't wait for all the adventures my husband leads us on.  And I can't wait for a few adventures we get to take just the two of us now that Lila and I are detached!  Thank you Lord.  How could I ask for more!

Also, forgot to mention, we went to the Botanical Gardens and got some precious pictures of the kids.  Thanks mom for your help!

Alot can happen in a week

Well, in the last week, Lila has crawled, pulled up to a standing position, and learned to wave.  After she crawls, she also likes to clap for herself.  It is so cute.  She would still rather be held than anything, but she's growing a little more independent each day.  Her crawl is so cute.  She crawls with one leg and then kind of walks with the other.  It's amazing how much can change in a week.

Yesterday, Ben started wrestling with Lila.  He says "it's clobbering time".  she loved it!  She didn't cry except when he stopped.  He pinned her and she thought it was hilarious.  I think they are going to have a really great relationship.  Brooklyn is a 2 year old at church that Ben loves to play with.  He is so sweet with her, and I think he's going to be just as great with Lila.

Speaking of Ben, he continues to develop both physically and verbally.  His later quote is "Snap out of it". He still loves all of his super heros, but he's beginning to get back into baseball.  With the weather getting nicer, he's been asking to go outside to play.  He watched a little league game the other night and wanted to play with them so bad... so the next morning I signed him up for tball.  He's going to be a PIRATE!  I can't wait.  I hope he loves it.  His teacher talks about how much fun he is at school.  How awesome his imagination and verbal skills are.  Even the people that watch him on Wednesday nights say he is so entertaining.  He and Noah are still working on the sharing thing.  Neither one of the are very good at it yet.  Hopefully that will get better over time.  I'm determined to have a child that shares!  Pretty soon, he won't have a choice.  Lila will just take stuff from him!

So as far as sleeping arrangements go, Hector and I have thrown in the towel... at least for now.  Ben was coming to our room several times a night crying cause he was scared.  We tried to put him back but his crying would wake lila up and the thought of him being scared broke my heart.  So, now he goes to bed with mom.  Then dad moves him to his bed when he comes to bed.  Then if he wakes up in the night, we let him crawl in bed with us.  If it get's too crowded, mom goes to sleep in Ben's bed.  Granted, it's not a long term solution, but it's working for now.  At a parenting conference, we heard a sweet song and it talked about embracing a child's younger years, and letting them "sleep in the middle".  We'd rather that not happen every night, but we're embracing it for now.  He's such an awesome kid.  If night time is his challenge, we want to help give him the security and love he needs.  Plus, i just can't resist when he asks to cuddle!  And at least for now, Lila is ok in her crib.  She wakes up several times, but puts herself back to sleep.  If/when she starts wanting to be in our bed, we may have to change things... or get a king size bed! :)  She we're not giving into the "family bed" idea.  Ben still get's put in his bed every night, but at least half the time, by morning, we hear those little feet pitter patter into our room and crawl up in our bed.  We used to stop him.  Now we just smile and go back to sleep as he crawls up in between us.  I know I'll be begging for that cuddle time in a few years!

Growing like a weed

Since my last post, a couple of big developmental things have happened for Lila.  Mid January, finally, Lila stopped being swaddled.  I noticed that when she would bust out of her swaddle, she would roll over on her tummy.  So, I tried laying her on her tummy, and it worked like a charm.  That way, she can't scratch herself like when she was on her back.  I figured 71/2 months was plenty old to sleep on her stomach.  I think Ben did it sooner than that.

She's also pulling up and pushing up to a sitting position from her stomach.  She started that just last week.  It's actually keeping her from crawling, because every time she gets up on all fours, she sits back.  She will be crawling any day now!  So close.

I don't remember whether or not I posted this last time, but Lila now refuses to take a bottle or formula of any kind.  Since I'm not working away from home, I haven't consistently exposed her to bottles, and now I'm paying for it!  But, I'm treasuring every day I get to nurse her, praying that it helps build up her immune system and makes her strong and healthy!  Especially today, as I'm struggling with allergies MAJORLY.

Crazy, Wonderful Christmas

So the craziness continues!  The past 2 months have blown by.

First, a health update.  We've had some pretty sick kids for about half of that time.  It started out with Ben throwing up at Wednesday night church.  A stomach bug had been going around that we thought we had avoided, but poor Ben got it.  He threw up 2 or 3 times at the church building, then another several at home.  Fortunately, the throwing up only lasted about 8 hours.  And none of the rest of us got it... then at least.  So, as he was bouncing back from that, Lila came down with a horrible cough.  We were concerned for a little bit that it might turn into pneumonia, but fortunately it didn't.   Then, a couple of weeks later, Ben woke up covered in hives, with his hands and feet swollen.  It got worse throughout the day, and we ended up in urgent care with him that night.  Still don't know what caused it, but it was just like my break out a few years ago that put me in the hospital, so needless to say we erred on the side of caution.  Less than a week and a half after that, about an hour after we had bought our new used Honda Pilot, I was over at mom's (Hector and Ben were at a birthday party) and Lila proceeded to puke all over Dad.  Then all over Ang and Savannah.  Then all over me.  She smiled through the first 3 times, but then stopped smiling.  She threw up about a dozen times in an hour and a half.  So we ended up at Cooks downtown with her.  Fortunately, we got there before she got dehydrated.  They gave her some anti-nausea medicine and she stopped.  That's our first real scare with her.  In the waiting room, she was just lying listless in Hector's arms.  We had never seen her like that.  Fortunately, we got all of that out of our system before Christmas, and stayed healthy over the holidays.  Except Yaya who ended up with an ear and sinus infection, and Nana who ended up with pneumonia!  Craziness.  I compared it to Chinese water torture.  We counted our blessings the whole time and realized it was all very minor in the grand scheme of things, but sick kiddos can really take an emotional toll on a mama!

Now onto the good stuff.  Christmas was great!  Ben was so much fun this year.  He loved every minute of it.  Last year, we had enough gifts to open one each day after Christmas for a whole week.  We planned on doing the same this year (with very inexpensive gifts).  But Ben couldn't stop opening presents!  He cleaned us out on Christmas day.  His daddy then went on to by more on Ebay.  Ben now has every super hero action figure and costume in existence!  When he sat in Santa's lap the first and second time (at the mall and at church), he asked for, and I quote, "Captain America toy and Captain America Shield".  The third time (at Grand Prairie lights which was a ball!) he added on Iron Mon.  It's great when your kid asks for $10 toys from Santa!  He now has all the Avengers, Power Rangers, Batman, Superman, Green Lantern and the corresponding costumes for each.  He also got a camera and an ice cream maker.  He loved all of his toys and was very appreciative.  He hugged everyone and said thank you.  Such a polite kid.  Lila did great.  She was pretty oblivious to what was going on, but she behaved great.  And she looked so cute in all of her Christmas outfits.  I always thought it would be so fun to have a little girl at Christmas time, and it was.  She was in a different Christmas tutu and bow each week!  Who knew I would be a bow mom!  This Christmas baby Janessa was with us.  And next Christmas, we'll have a new baby cousin.  Can't wait to see the cousins begin to interact as they get older.  Janessa and Lila are a month and a half a part.  And Baby B and Lila are less than a year apart.  So, I think it's going to be fun!  And Ben's close enough, to where I think he'll enjoy them too.  

Lila is growing up so fast.  Just in the last month, her personality has really emerged.  She smiles all the time.  And it's a smile that lights up the whole room.  You can't help but smile.  That could be trouble for us later!  She also just started cuddling, which completely melts my heart.  She'll just lay her head on my shoulder wide a wake.  It's the sweetest thing.  Ben never really did that.  She giggles the sweetest giggle.  She also reaches out to you.  She lunges for me.  It's really stinkin' cute.  She is definitely a mama's girl. I love it.  But no one else does.  She also loves being with her Yaya.  Ben did too.  Something about yaya!  She started off as our little Latina, and now she looks just like me.  It's so much fun.  The way her hair falls.  Her hot temper.  Her fair complexion.  Her big smile.  The way she scrunches her nose.  It's just like pictures of me at that age.  It's so special for me.  I never really had that with Ben because he looked so much like Hector.  And she's definitely got my strong will, but so does Ben!  She's now refusing to take a bottle.  Since I'm not working, she's gotten spoiled to nursing, so next week, Mom get's to come with me and Dad to Houston next week, so that I can nurse Lila.  She's a trooper!  She started on solid food at 5 1/2 months.  We skipped right over cereal and went to green beans.  She eats a jar a night, but is still getting all of her nourishment from milk.  I think that starts to change at 9 months, but I'm not sure.  I'm appreciating the extra calorie burning right now.  15 lbs down, 30 to go! I better hurry before I stop nursing.  

Ben continues to develop before our eyes.  He's got the coolest imagination.  He definitely gets that from his dad.  He's about 4 different super heros every day.  He and Hector have a ball playing together.  Lila and i even dress up from time to time.  Sometimes I'll catch him pretending to put on a Super Hero costume.  He'll start at the shoes and work his way up to the mask, totally through his imagination.  I love it!  From his birthday to Christmas, he went from loving Woody from Toy Story to the Hulk!  And it seems like just yesterday he was obsessed with baseball and Sandlot!  How fast things change.  He's definitely three.  He's pressing his limits just to see our reaction.  Obeying the first time we ask is something we're really having to work on.  He seems to think we mean it after about the third time.  But he's still such an awesome kid, and so low maintenance compared to his friends.  We sometimes take it for granted.  

Just recently, God's really convicted me to slow down and breathe in every moment I have with my family.  My mind is constantly moving if I let it, and it makes me miss little things that I should appreciate.  Giving my kids my undivided attention, not in a spoiling way, but in a "you are more important than facebook or email" way is my goal for this year.  I want to slow my mind down and allow God to grow me and make me more aware of how he's moving and working every day.  I'm anxious to see all I'll notice in 2012 with less chaos in my life!  Praise God for His unfailing love and never-ending patience with this hardheaded child!

Another update

It seems like the best I can do blogging is an entry every 2 months.  At least it's better than nothing!  The last time I wrote, Lila was just beginning to get over her colic.  While she still has a quick temper and cries her fair share, I think it's safe to say the colic is gone.  Praise God!  That was definitely a very stressful thing for the whole family.

The past two months have been nuts!  We had Sav return from Kenya, Sav leave for England, Sav's Birthday, Ang's birthday, Mom's birthday, Ben's birthday PARTY, Ben's birthday, a family reunion, and the Life Challenge.  Oh, and the Ranger's trip to the World Series... oh so close!  It's all a blur!

We had Ben's birthday party up at the church to save money.  It was the Saturday before his actual birthday and it was Toy Story theme.  We got a great deal on a big bounce house with a basketball hoop and a slide.  Hector did balloon animals and we had a teen paint faces.  Ben had a ball!  We invited all of his friends from church and school, although alot of his church friends couldn't make it this year.  He was very polite opening all of his presents.  The only problem came when they started to take down the bounce house at the end.  Ben started bawling, saying, "my birthday going by by", "no, wait, please".  It was so sad.  He got lots of Toy Story and Spiderman toys.  Spiderman, along with Batman and Power Rangers (just in the last two weeks) have become his new obsession.  That's all he wants to watch, and of course, act out!  On his actual birthday, we had family over.  It was much lower key, but very fun for him.

So, for the month before his birthday, we kept telling Ben that when he turned three, he was going to be a big boy and wouldn't need his paci anymore.  We actual got him to the point where he would say it.  We would ask, "Ben, what's coming up?"  He would say, "My birthday.  I'm a big boy and throw my paci in the trash".  So, we planned on letting him throw them away himself on his birthday.  Mind you, I was very doubtful that it would work, but it was worth a shot.  So, as we were leaving his birthday party to go to mom's, Ben said "I don't want to go night night".  And I told him it was way past time for his nap.  He then shocked me with his next statement.  He said, "I'm a big boy now.  I don't need my paci.  My paci in the trash".  We had not planned on attempting to get rid of it til his actual birthday, but he initiated it so I went with it.  Now, almost a month later, he hasn't even seen one of his paci's.  We never even actually had him throw them away, because we didn't want to tempt him.  We just acted like we had thrown them away.  The first week, he asked for it a few times, but there was never a meltdown, and now he doesn't ask at all.  What a blessing!  We couldn't believe how smooth it went.

So, Ben is still an incredibly low maintenance child, but he is definitely three.  He's pressing his limits more and is far more dramatic.  But he's also so much fun.  His faces are priceless.  And he still acts things out impeccably.  He is becoming very particular in what he wants.  He has his exact idea about how things are supposed to work, how his clothes are supposed to fit, and he makes it very clear to us, especially concerning his masks that he loves to wear. Unfortunately, we frustrate him often because we can't meet his expectations.  We should have seen it coming last year with the playdoh.  We had to make that disappear because we couldn't make the figures he wanted good enough!  I'm very interested to see how this perfectionist side of him translates into adulthood!

Mrs. Hill is Ben's teacher at school.  He has done much better this year going to school.  Not near as clingy to me, and typically very well behaved.  But one Sunday at church, the children's worship leader told Hector that Ben would not mind her.  Hector had a strong talk to Ben and we hoped that would work, but just in case we prepared Mrs. Hill that he was having a rough week, and to let us know if she had any problems.  Dad picked Ben up from school that day, but Hector went to open house that night to meet mrs. hill (i already had gone to the meet the teacher day).  She told hector that she typically didn't tattle on the kids, but since I had asked, she felt like she had to tell me.  She said that for the first time in 20+ years of teaching, she had to put a kid in time out.  It was time to go outside, and Ben decided he wanted to take his shoes off.  When she tried to get him to put them back on, he ran from her and hid in the tunnels so she couldn't get to him.  We were so proud that our son was her first time out!  She was very kind about it and said it was no big deal.  We actually had a good laugh about that since Ben is typically so well behaved.  And it was partially our fault, because through the summer we had let him take his shoes off whenever he felt like it.  That's not the case anymore!

So Miss Lila is growing so fast!  She is a little chunk but so stinkin' cute.  She is completely different from her brother.  Everyone says she looks so much like me.  I love it!  Ben looked nothing like me.  Everyone says Ben looks like Hector.  But everyone also says that Ben looks like Lila.  Very interesting.  Her personality appears to be following in her mama's footsteps as well.  She's very vocal, knows exactly what she wants, and is a little impatient.  Oh, and she likes to eat :)  Ben is much more like Hector, very creative and mellow, but he get's his intensity from me.  Last week, I threw a toy at him to get his attention while he was watching one of his shows, and he didn't even blink.  Come to think of it, that sounds a lot like his dad too!  Lila is starting to belly laugh which is so cute.  She's got one big dimple, one little dimple and a little dent on the left side of her nose when she crinkles it.  Dad's the best at making her laugh.  She only crinkles her nose when she smiles extra big.  She's now rolling over both ways.  She loves outside!  Too bad it went from blistering hot to what's beginning to be freezing over the course of just a month.  She is still quite a mama's girl.  I love that too... most of the time.

Just recently, she's really started paying attention to Ben.  She'll watch him move across a room.  In the car, when she's crying, if he sings to her, she stops.  She already thinks he's the coolest thing ever.  He think's it's pretty cool too.   I don't even have to tell him to sing.  As soon as she starts fussing, he starts singing.  His favorites to sing to her are "Jesus loves me" and "My God is so Big".  It is so neat to see them interact already.  I can't wait to see how that relationship grows.

So Halloween was a great success.  Ben was Spiderman and Lila was a pumpkin.  We did trunk or treat Sunday night and then went trick or treating Monday night.  We knew Ben would like trunk or treat at church, but we figured he would be too shy to trick or treat the neighborhood.  Boy were we wrong.  We went all the way down our long street and back.  Hector or I would walk him up the driveway, but then he would go by himself to the door, know and say "Trick or Treat" loud and clear.  He would then say "Thank you.  Happy Halloween" when he left.  It was precious.  It was a reality check for me of just how fast he is growing up.  Lila had a ball.  She just chilled in the stroller for most of it.  I carried her towards the end and everyone commented on what a precious pumpkin she was.  It was such a neat family night.  It was yet another reminder of just how incredibly blessed I am.  Thank you Lord for the family you created for me.  It is far better than I could have ever asked or imagined!

Just to See Her Smile!

So, within the last couple of months, since my last blog, Lila developed a pretty severe case of colic.  It's really kind of a blur.  I would say for a good month and a half, she had to be held about 90% of the day, even when she was sleeping.  If we got her to sleep in our arms, and attempted to lay her down, she would instantly wake up.  If we would lay her on her back, she would last about 2 minutes if we were lucky, and then she would cry.  If we layed her on her stomach, she lasted even less.  Fortunately, the doctor told us that she get's tummy time plenty of other ways, like when we hold her facing us, or when she lays on our chest.  Even when we held her, we couldn't just hold her.  We had to most of the time, be up with her, walking, jossling, dancing.  Whatever it took!  She told us to hold her as much, stand up as much, rock her as much, as it took to keep her comfortable through the colicky months, which could be anywhere from 3 months to a year!  What??? I about freaked out when i heard it could be a year.

For the first several weeks, she was fussy during the day and then had her major screaming episodes of colic in the evening.  When the episodes first started at about a month old, we didn't know what the heck to do.  She would scream bloody murder and nothing would console her.  She was obviously in pain.  She showed all the symptoms listed for colic.  Screaming, writhing, scrunching her stomach and then flayling back.  It was obvious she was in significant pain.  One article I read said that colic is definitely the worst pain your child has experienced thus far in life.  Thank you author, that makes me feel much better!

She also never slept soundly during the day.  Fortunately, she's always slept very well at night.  At a month, she was waking up about every 3 hours, but would eat and go back to sleep, something we had trouble getting Ben to do.  At 2 months, she was making it 4-6 hours, eating and then going back to sleep.  Now at 3 months, she's sleeping anywhere from 7-9 ours, eating, and then going back to sleep.  I am very fortunately, because if I were dealing with the screaming during the day and then no sleep at night, I would have needed to be institutionalized! 

We were giving her Mylocon around the clock, and it wasn't helping at all.  The fact that she is the noisiest eater on the face of the earth doesn't help her gas issues.  The doctor recommended gripe water, something I had never heard of before.  It was a miracle worker!  It didn't do it every time, but often times, Lila would be in the middle of one of her episodes, we would give her gripe water, and she would instantly ease. 

A few weeks ago, she started having episodes all day long.  So, instead of dealing with 2 or 3 a night, we would deal with 5 or 6 a day.  Several nights, I just stayed over at Mom and Dad's to get extra help, especially when Hector went back to school.  We were both completely worn out.  So was the rest of the family.  It truly took a group effort.  We would have to take shifts, and by the end of your shift, you were totally worn out.  Bc even when she wasn't screaming, she wasn't happy either.  We would get one or two smiles a day and be thrilled!  We appreciated them so much more, bc they were so few.  Lately, Lila has become a major mama's girl.  So other people would have to hold her in between episodes bc i was the only one who could calm her down during episodes.  One day was so bad that I just stayed in the shower for about 45 minutes b/c it was the one place I couldn't hear her scream.  If she was just screaming just to scream, that would have been one thing.  But knowing she was in pain, made it so much harder.

This picture is of one precious and rare smile we caught at about 2 months.  What a treasure!

Depressing blog so far, huh?  Well, here's the good news.  Lila turns 3 months old this week, and it appears that the colic is fading.  She still has occasional episodes, but they are fewer and she can be calmed easier.  She will now sometimes lay in her swing awake and happy!  That is huge!  The other day, she layed in my lap for over 30 minutes, just looking up at me completely content.  No fussing.  I didn't know what to do with myself!  The entire time, we have been counting our blessings, completely aware of how minor colic is compared to other challenges we could be facing.  But we are so incredibly thankful that we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  It is very obvious that Lila is in less pain, Praise God!  I can't wait to see the personality that emerges now that she's more herself.  We've already seen more content and happy moment in the past week that we've seen in the previous two month combined.  We'll take it!

Life with Lila

One challenge we faced with this birth is that labor was too fast for me to get the antibiotics I needed because I tested positive for Strep B.  We didn’t know this until later in the day when the nurse came in and told us that they had to take the baby to do some blood tests.  Then they came back after a couple of hours and said that they were going to have to give Lila two rounds of antibiotics since I hadn’t gotten them in time.  They would be given over the course of the next 24 hours several times.  So, the first day, poor Lila spent most of her time in the nursery.  And she was poked several times before they could get a good IV in. 

Then on day 2, she started looking a little yellow.  Hector noticed it first.  We asked that they test his bilirubin level, and sure enough, she was high for her age.  So we had an awesome night nurse, named Joni, who helped me pump and syringe feed Lila extra colostrum to try to flush out the bilirubin.  Well, they tested her the next day, and it appeared that her numbers had leveled out, so they sent us home.  Unfortunately, the next day, they went up, and we got the wonderful home bililight again.  I’m not complaining though, because even though we had to do that for a few days, we didn’t have to go back to the hospital to put her under the big light!   

Since we’ve been home, things have been great.  Especially after we were cleared of the jaundice.  One thing that’s very different about her from her brother, she loves to eat!  She’s far ahead of schedule for weight gain.   We took her to get a sonogram last week, and it looks like she has reflux just like her brother, but that’s ok.  We’ve been through that once, so we are better equipped to handle it.  Things definitely seem to run smoother with #2.  She eats and sleeps better than Ben did.  She eats a lot more than Ben did!  One interesting difference is that she just now is willing to take a pacifier and does so very sparingly.  Ben loved his.  Hopefully that means separation will be easier down the line.  For now, it means she’s a little more difficult to please when it’s not feeding time.  Actually, for the first couple of weeks, I fed her pretty much any time she fussed.  Thus, the overweight issue.  So, we’ve toned the feedings down a tad.

Overall, we love being a family of 4.  Hector has been a life saver.  I don’t know how I would have done this without him.  He’s taken 6:30AM morning duty with Ben, and has taken Ben to do a ton of fun things, like Six Flags, the Zoo, and the Dallas Vigilantes, not to mention swimming just about every night.   It’s been a wonderful summer so far.  We are so blessed to have our baby girl here.  Ben loves her as much as we do.  His melt downs have definitely gone up a notch, but at least they’re directed towards us instead of her! 

Thank you Lord for the perfect family you’ve given us.  Hector and I are so humbled by the honor of raising these two precious children for your Glory!  Please continue to guide our steps. 

Lila Grace Santiago has arrived!

OK.  So, I'm obviously not very good at this blogging thing, considering my last post was four months ago.  In my defense, I've been a little busy.  So, I'll do my best to sum up what's happened since my last post.

As I've mentioned before, this pregnancy was really hard on me.  My poor husband had to deal with no cooking and very little cleaning for the second half of it.  I was exhausted all the time.  It's like I had a bad case of mono.  I don't know what I would have done without my mother.  Thanks to her, my son remained in one piece, and groceries stayed in the house!  Any home cooking we did get was from her or one of the sweet ladies from church.

At 32 weeks, I went on modified bed rest.  I was supposed to stay on bed rest until 37 weeks, to try to prevent Lila from coming earlier than Ben did, since the second often comes sooner than the first.  I didn't change much at first, but at 34 weeks, my body really started telling me to stay down, so I did.  That is until 36 weeks and 3 days.  That was the day Ben was born in my first pregnancy.  So, I thought to myself, this one is going to be different.  I had actually convinced myself that I was going close to full term this time.  So that day, we went out to Lewisville for Hector's mom's 60th birthday.  We went to Chili's for dinner, and didn't leave until about 10:30PM.  We were standing outside saying goodbye to his family, and I finally told him that I was exhausted and had to go.  On the way home, I told him that if he wanted me to go into labor, I just needed a day or two more like that!

Typically I went to bed around 9PM.  That night, I didn't get to sleep until midnight.  And guess what happened at 1AM?  Yep, you guessed right.  My water broke!  It was the strangest feeling, because it woke me up out of a dead sleep.  I jumped out of that bed so fast that I didn't get a drop on the sheets.  Go me!   You would think that the second time I would be much calmer.  But I wasn't.  I ran to the bathroom.  My heart was pounding out of my chest.  After weeks of saying that I was so ready for her to get here, I kept saying to myself, I'm so not ready yet, I'm so not ready yet!  But I knew it was time.  So this time, instead of yelling at Hector from the bathroom.  (My water broke with Ben at 8AM while I was on the toilet.  Very clean way to do it!), I crawled up next to him in bed and gently woke him up to tell him.  His response was the same as it was with Ben - "You're kidding.  No you're not. Stop lyin'.  Don't mess with me." The only difference was, this time he didn't think I was just saying that to try to get him up for church!

So, we called Mom and Dad to come over and watch Ben while we went to the hospital.  The story continued just like Ben's.  When the nurse checked me, I was only 2 CM dialated.  At first, she couldn't even tell that my water had broken.  Lila was blocking the flow.  (Sorry to be so graphic).  We she finally saw that it had, they checked me into a room and put me on Pitocin.  Last labor, Pitocin and I didn't get along.  I didn't think I would need it this time, because I was having contractions on my own once I got to the hospital.  But get this.  The nurse said my contractions were too close together, so they needed Pitocin to stabilize them.  I told her I would be fine with Pitocin if she promised to give me the epidural as soon as I asked, even if I hadn't dialated past a 2.  She agreed.  And sure enough, my labor wasn't progressing and I needed an epidural at a 2.  My anathesiologist was awesome.  My epidural was perfect.  I could still feel my legs and even lift my hips, but felt no pain for most of the labor.  Several hours past and I was still at a 2.  When she checked me at 7AM, I was still at a 2.  Then I told her, I was feeling pressure, so she checked me again about 8:30, and said "let me recheck to make sure I'm right".  I thought she was going to tell me that I was still at a 2.  Instead, she tells me I'm complete. I said "huh?".  She said, "Well, about a 9 1/2".  No one but Mom and Hector were at the hospital at that point, because everyone including the nurse and doctor thought I would deliver around lunch.  She mom got on the phone to get Dad, Ang, and Sav up to the hospital asap.

Everyone made it in time.  Lila Grace Santiago came into the world at 9:01AM.  She weighed 16 lbs 15.8 oz and was 19 3/4 inches long.  Delivery was fast.  I pushed through about 3 contractions with the nurse and then about 2 with the doctor for a total of about 15 minutes.  My epidural had worn off some, but I was glad it did, because I felt the delivery which was really cool, even though a little painful.  No bruising, no trouble breathing.  A healthy baby girl!

OK.  What happened after delivery is going to be in a separate post.  This is getting ridiculously long! :)

Another Mass Update including potty training, Ben's big boy room, it's a girl, and Hector's job update

So, the further along i get in my pregnancy, the further apart my blogs get.  Any extra time I have I spend sleeping.  So, I have a lot to catch up on.  I'm now 26 weeks pregnant.  I look like I'm about 34 weeks, but that's ok.  I was big with Ben too.  Before I got any bigger, I had two goals:  to get Ben potty trained and to move him into his big boy room.  I knew potty training would be physically hard on me, and I wanted him to have plenty of time in his new room before the baby came.   I'm thrilled to say potty training is completed, and Ben is loving his big boy room. 

Hector did an incredible job on it.  He definitely went above and beyond. We converted the guest bedroom into his room, so the baby can have the nursery.  He painted a different sport on each wall.  We have a basketball court, with a real rim.  A baseball wall, with Ben's name in wooden letters (customized with Ranger decor), and a poster of the ball park, along with a huge painted baseball. Another wall is a football field, with the yardage marked and everything.  It also has a huge score board customized with a clock and a "Ben" vs. "Them" chalkboard score area.  The last wall doesn't have a lot of room because of the closet and the door.  So Hector did a basketball, football, and baseball, and then did shadow figures playing soccer with a really cool soccer ball in the middle.  Then on the back of the door, he did a tennis court.  It looks awesome.  Now we just need to add a scripture to the wall, and we'll be set.  We plan to put "This is my son, whom I love.  In him, I am well pleased!"  I love the thought of him receiving that every day.  Hector worked so hard, but I think it was totally worth it to see how proud Ben is of his awesome room.

We did the 3 day potty training approach at the end of February.  Ben was 28 1/2 months.   It was absolute madness the first day.  I thought I had lost my mind to attempt such insanity.  It basically involved letting Ben run around in his diaper and a shirt, and I was supposed to catch every accident in progress.  Needless to say, we made many a messy dash to the potty.  By day 2 it was a little better.  It actually ended up taking us 5 days instead of 3, and even then, we had to watch him pretty closely.  He wasn't very good at telling us verbally.  We had to pick up his nonverbals.  He's got it down now though.  It's been about a month, and he's only had one or two night time accidents since week one, no day time accidents.  So the program works.  But I would call it Bootcamp Potty training instead of 3 day.  For girls maybe.  For boys, not so much.

Oh yeah, I guess another update is in order... I'm having a girl!! We're really excited.  We would have been thrilled either way, but it's going to be great to have one of each, since we were stopping at 2 no matter what.  Her name is Lila Grace Santiago.  We found out at 20 weeks.  We almost didn't though.  She was crossing her legs tighlyt.  The sonographer said that based on what I had told her about my difficulty in this pregnancy combined with how difficult she was being in the sonogram, she knew I was having a girl.  It was really funny.  Finally, Lila confirmed it.  We got three good pictures to prove her femininity!  Hector was speechless.  It was too cute.  After I helped him out of the chair, he ran out to the car to make calls.  I had to grab a kiss on his way out.  He was a little preoccupied.   We're not exactly sure how we're going to handle this little girl, but we're excited to find out. 

I think Ben really understands that she's coming.  He watches Baby Story with me, and I explain what's going on.  I fastforward through the screaming labor!  When I point to my tummy and say "Who's in there?"  He says "Baby sister".  I say, "what's sister's name?" and he says, "Lala".   It is too cute.  Especially since Dad used to call Aunt Lila "lala".   When we pray with him at night, we ask him if he wants to thank God for anyone or anything.  He almost always starts with "lala".  He's also getting way more clingy to me.  The bigger I get, the more he wants me to hold him.  I think he knows what's going on, or at least that something strange is going on. 

Hector is in the process of painting the nursery.  We had planned on keeping it the same because it's somewhat gender neutral, but when we found out we were having a girl, Hector caved.  He said he had to give her her own room.  So pink and green it is.  Butterflies and flowers.  Can't wait to see how it turns out.  We got her entire set at babies are us for 70% off.  It was my favorite set and just happened to be on clearance.  I think God might have had a hand in that!

Good grief.  Another update I forgot.  We found out in February that AISD was going to lay off all probationary teachers at the end of the year because the state had significantly reduced education budgets for the districts.  Well, that group includes my husband.  It was really interesting though.  When we found out, we were really at peace about it.  Both of us were more concerned about the other.  But God's been so faithful in providing, and He so directly led us to Bailey, we just knew everything was going to be ok.  If he didn't want us at Bailey anymore, we were excited to see where he would take us.  Well, after much debate at the school board meetings and a march on the capitol, things are still up in the air.  Hector is supposed to find out for sure by April 18th.  But it looks like he might get to stay where he is.  He has an awesome principle that doesn't want to lose him.  She's fighting hard to keep him.  Either way, we'll be great.  But it's need to see how valued he is!

God is faithful and He has been and continues to be so good to us.  As I always say, I am completely undeserving but unbelievably grateful!  Thank you Lord for your goodness and your grace.

I'm a wuss

So, I know after you have a baby, you forget all the pain you went through to have him.  That must have definitely happened with Ben, because in hindsight, I remember my first pregnancy as being a breeze compared to this one.  I know it wasn't.  i know I had my fair share of nausea and aches, but nothing like I'm dealing with this time.  In the last 3 years, I've turned into a complete wuss.  This time around, my allergies are outrageous.  My hormones are worse.  And my energy level in through the floor.  I had another day yesterday where I could swear I either had a bug or food poisoning.  I thought I was in better shape going into this pregnancy, but maybe not.  It sure doesn't feel that way.  I'm wondering if that is a foreshadowing of this child's personality.  Is he/she going to be one that likes to shake things up, push the envelope, drive his/her parents nuts.  It definitely seems as though the will of this child is stronger than Ben's.  It will be interesting to see his/her personality when he/she comes out.  I have so much to be thankful for, and this pregnancy is a breeze compared to others I know.  I just have to keep my hormones in check and keep perspective.  Thank you Lord for this life growing inside me and for the challenges I'm facing in bringing him/her into the world.  It will make his/her entrance that much more special!

So much to catch up on

I can't believe September 30th was my last post.  Time has flown by the past several months.  So much has happened that I should have been writing about, but I haven't had any time or energy to do it.  So, today, I'll do my best to catch you all up.

October 12 - Ben's 2nd birthday.  We had a Texas Rangers theme.  And little did we know, the Rangers would be playing in the playoffs that night.  I think it was against Tampa Bay.  This was Ben's family party.  The house was packed.  We set up a baseball field in the front yard and Ben had a great time playing with Paxton and Caleb.  It was a wonderful night.  Ben had more gifts than he knew what to do with.  Hector, Craig, and James had to leave at 8:30 to go play in a softball game the team would have had to forfeit without them.  About everyone else left that same time as well, so Ben and I wrapped up the evening cuddled up on the couch watching the Rangers beat Tampa Bay.  It was the perfect end to the night.

October 23 - Ben's scheduled friend birthday party.  I was so excited about this party.  It was going to be a Fresh Beat Band theme.  We had FBB decorations coming out the wazzoo.  We had a FBB pinata, special ordered, and we had personalized invitations that looked like FBB concert tickets.  The tickets were sent out, RSVPS were in, and then October 14th hit.  We were in New Braunfels for the Life Challenge.  It was our first night there.  Ben woke up at about 1AM throwing up.  He then proceeded to throw up 16 more times through the night.  Hector and I took turns sleeping sitting up so that we could just lean him over when he would puke.  It was awful.  Definitely our worst sick night with him yet.  We took him to the doctor the next day, and he said that the cold he had morphed into a stomach virus and could last up to 7 days.  He gave us phinergen just in case he started back up.  The next night he did fine.  It looked like we were in the clear.  Then Saturday night came, and Dad and I both started puking.  Mind you, we were running this deal.  The next morning was worship followed by our wrap up,  our favorite part of the weekend.  Dad attempted to do the worship but had to go lay down b/c he was so sick.  I had started earlier in the night, so I was doing better than he was (for adults this appeared to be a 12 hour bug), so I did the wrap up.  It went ok, but wasn't the same without dad.  Oh, and did I mention, our friend Kim Avis got sick too, and later we found out two other people from the Challenge did on the way home.  Oh what a child can start!  Oh, and btw, Ben puked again that night.  And then again on the way home, ALL over his carseat.  We had to pull over to the side of the road and it took hector almost an hour to get it cleaned up.  It was nasty.  That started the first of about 6 more nights of throwing up for Ben, and he would throw up about the same time each night.  But after a week, we started wondering what else it could be.  Mom suggested that it might be his reflux.  Come to find out, that's what it was.  His virus had triggered a recurrence of his reflux.  So, the first day was a bug, but every night after that was his reflux.  Since then, he's had to be back on his medicine to keep it under control. :(  So, needless to say, we didn't get to have our friend party.  And it took us so long to recover physically, mentally, and house wise from this junk that we decided not to reschedule.  The family party was plenty!  Ok.  moving on.

October 21st - One thing I didn't realize when I was throwing up at the Ranch was that I was already a couple of weeks pregnant.  I hadn't had time to get a pregnancy test b/c i had been taking care of Ben.  I didn't want Hector to get one b/c if i was I wanted it to be a surprise for him.  Finally, on my way out of town for business with Dad on the 21st, I took a test.  And sure enough, it was positive.  I didn't even have time to absorb the results, b/c we had to get on a plane to go to McAllen.  Once we got there, I took another test just to be sure.  The results were the same.  This was technically an unplanned pregnancy.  Hector and I originally planned to start trying in September because that would make the baby due at the beginning of summer, when he could be off of school.  Because of that, and some issues I was having with my birth control, I went ahead and got off of it.  But then we decided that we needed to wait another year.  We just weren't ready yet.  Well, I think God liked our initial plan better because that's how it happened.  I am now 16 weeks pregnant!  I'm through the first trimester.  Besides extreme fatigue, two stomach bugs, severe allergies and the worst cold I've ever had, I've been great!  Mild morning sickness has been the least of my worries.  We find out in a month what we're having.  We're very torn.  We would love another boy.  We know how boys work.  We're more comfortable with boys.  But we also think it would be fun to have a little girl.  I always wanted a boy first and then a girl.  So really, there's no losing.  We will be thrilled either way!

December 25th - From the time I found out until now, we've been consumed getting ready for Christmas.  This year was so much fun!  Ben was old enough to really get excited about Santa Claus.  We went to see Christmas lights, watching Christmas movies, read Christmas books.  You name it.  If it had to do with Christmas, we were there.  We saw Santa twice.  Ben didn't cry either time, but the 2nd time he actually smiled!  Both times he talked about Santa for hours afterwards.  On Christmas day, he got so much stuff, mainly in the Toy Story, Wonder Pets, Handy Manny and Mickey Mouse arena.  Those are his favorites!  He would have been content with a fraction of the gifts that he got, but he loved them all!  We actually set a few back because we didn't want to press our luck and have him open up to many and get frustrated.  It actually worked out perfect because for the next several days, he would go to the tree and pick one up and say "present please".  and we'd open up another one.  He was so well behaved and so polite.  It couldn't have gone better.  The Monday after Christmas is when i got my 2nd stomach bug, followed by the worst cold I've ever had.  Ben threw up once too.  Tuesday, Hector had to take him to the doctor, and ended up that he had an ear and an eye infection.  So we're not sure if he had the bug, or if it was just part of his infection.

So, that brings us to today.  I'm finally feeling better.  Ben appears to be well.  Things seems to be getting back to some version of normal.  Oh, one other thing, Hector has started converting our guest room into Ben's toddler room so that he can be out of the nursery long before the baby comes.  Hopefully, that will be done in the next month or so.  He is creating a sports themed masterpiece, so I can't wait to see the finished product!  By March, we plan to have him in his new room and potty trained!  So, I'm sure there will be some entertaining posts in the near future!  Sorry for the length, but there was a lot to catch up on!

Like Father, Like Son

So, this past week, I had the first experience of Ben truly inheriting a specific quirk from his father.  Since I've known Hector, he's always like to have his back scratched/touched.  He always asks me, "please touch my back".  Strange I know.  Doesn't even really care if I scratch it, just as long as I touch it.  And sometime, he's almost panicky about it, not taking no for an answer.

Well, the other night, I was putting Ben to sleep in his big boy bed.  We're moving from the rocking stage to the put your self to sleep stage.  I told him to lay down, which he did.  I sat there next to his bed singing.  Within seconds, he said "back".  I waited.  He said it again.  So I started lightly rubbing his back.  Then after a few minutes, I stopped.  Immediately he says "back", with a major emphasis on the "ck"!  So I did it again.  Then I stopped again, long after he should have fallen asleep, and I hear "back" again!  This time I told him no, that he needed to go to sleep, and he proceeded to try to rub his own back!  Oh my goodness, he is his father's son!  It warmed my heart and made me smile.  I couldn't resist it.  I rubbed his back until he went to sleep!  Right now it's so incredibly cute.  In a few years, it may drive me nuts having two back rubbing crazies in my house! :)

Willy the Wilcat

Last weekend we went to see Sav at ACU in Freshman Follies.  She did great!  While we were there, we decided to catch the football game.  Caleb had never been to a college football game and wanted to go.  We had a great time, hector, me, caleb and ben.  Ben loved it!  Surprise surprise.  He loves football too!  Except he doesn't say football.  He says spit ball.  But he really spits.  I'll post video soon to show you.  It's hilarious.  Anyway, he watched as ACU killed the other team by 40 points at the half.  They are really good this year.  In the third quarter, Willy the Wildcat decided to come into the stands to take a picture with us.  Ben was in awe.  He didn't really want to touch him when he was a round, but the minute he started to leave, Ben wanted to follow him.  He kept saying, "where wiyyi?" over and over.  I finally went down to the front row to get Willy's attention.  He came over and said hi again.  Ben was so excited.  Since then, there hasn't be much talk about the blue dot.  Now it's all about Willy!  "where wiyyi".  "wiyyi home"  "wiyyi ni ni".  So now I need to track down a wildcat stuffed animal to get Ben for his birthday.  That should be easier to find than a blue dot!  More fun memories with our sweet son!

Time with Granny

Now a days, it seems like every day with Ben is something fun and special.  He has developed such a personality and he is now saying three word sentences!  I can't believe it.  It's like he's become this little boy overnight.  We're about to start potty training!  Crazy!

Well, the other day, we had an extra special morning.  Ben and I dropped Hector off at work and went to see Granny at the Waterford.  Typically, Ben is pretty apprehensive when we're there, but this day, he was a riot!  He was all smiles and was playing with Granny so well.  She was thrilled.  I actually got a little choked up over it.  Granny has played such a special role in my life, and I'm so thankful that Ben is getting to spend time with her.  Fortunately, I captured some sweet memories of this morning on camera!

Blue Dot Bye Bye?

So a couple of months ago, we bought tickets to a Ranger game, even though it really wasn't in our budget, because the kid promotion for the game was a chest protector backpack. One we knew Ben had to have! So a couple of weeks ago, we weathered the heat to sit through this afternoon game. The first few innings were brutally hot, but it was all worth it because Ben had his backpack and was very proud of it. It was bigger than he was, as you'll see in the pictures, but it was so cute on him. As the innings went by, the weather got cooler. We were having a great time. A couple of Hector's friends from Crowley came with us. They bought Ben a foam finger and a batters helmet! He loved the foam finger especially!

Then the 7th inning came, and so did the dot race. Ben was sitting in my lap, and I started to root for the blue dot, like I always do. Ben started cheering with me... "Go Blue". Blue won the race! And then all the dots left the field. This was very disturbing to Ben. I kid you not, for the rest of the game, "Blue? Blue? Blue bye bye?" Over and over again. I don't think he saw another ball pitched. He kept pointing to the back entrance that they ran out of. Even driving away from the ballpark he was adamant about going back to see blue. We had to explain to him that the game was over and blue went night night.

So now, two weeks later, he still wants to know where blue is. We've shown him the dot race on youtube several times to appease him. If only there were a blue dot stuffed doll. He would be in heaven!

Tuesday was Ben's first day of school, and he wore his Ranger backpack. It's about the cutest picture I've ever seen. I'll post it as soon as I figure out how to sinc my new phone!

Back to Sanity

I can't believe it's been three months since I've written an update. The summer was great but it completely got me out of my routine. Dishes went undone, laundry stayed dirty, refrigerator was empty, and my blog went unupdated! But we had fun. June through mid July was the busiest our lives have been in years. Trip after trip, and camp after camp. Finally in August we got some down time. Just enough for Hector and I to remember why we both don't stay home all year! We were about ready to lovingly kill each other!

So here goes my update! Over the past three months, Ben has grown so much! He is no longer anemic, thank goodness. He is right on track with his words. Newest additions include pen, paper, chips, outside and glove. His favorites are hot, cold, ball, bat, glove, and ouch! He can also call most of my family by name: dada, mama, yaya, nana, mimi, angie, KK, and sassa (for sassy). Now we just need to work on Hector's family.

He loves baseball as much as he ever did, and he's getting better at it. He now has all the proper equipment - balls, bats, gloves, batters gloves, batters helmets and bases. Notice all of those words are plural. He has more than one of each! He also has mastered the slide. So now every time he hits the ball, he slides and waits for us to call him safe. He chooses to watch baseball over cartoons every time. He also mimicks both the batter and pitcher perfect. He adjusts his helmet, does practice swings, taps the plate, and spits just like the batter! And he holds his glove, hikes his leg, throws and scratches his face with the glove just like the pitcher. It's amazing how observant he is!

He's also moved into a big boy bed. Actually, we converted his crib into a big boy bed. We had to after the 3rd or 4th time he climbed out of the crib and came running into the den. It was a rocky transition. He kept waking up and coming into our room. Finally, we had to put a baby gate on his bedroom door and let him scream it out. More than one night, he actually slept on the floor by the gate after he fell asleep screaming. We felt like such bad parents, but we had to do it for his sanity and ours! Now he still get's up occassionally, but it takes him much less time to go back to sleep. The only problem is, he's established a new wake up time of 6AM. A little early for mom, but at least it gets my day started bright and early!

Another fun thing this summer, Ben learned how to swim. He took 9 swim lessons over 11 weeks (we missed 2) and whoa-la, he can swim. He can hold his breath for 10 seconds under water and swim about 10 feet. It is really cool! He used to hate getting splashed and now we have to put him in time out for jumping in without us being ready.

He has such a great personality. He's pretty intense like his mom, especially when he's playing softball. He's beginning to show signs of the terrible twos. He's developed a growl that he uses when he's really mad. He uses it alot when I won't give him chips, his favorite food right now. If it were up to him, that's all he would ever eat. He loves wrestling with his dad, and working out with mom (who is currently doing P90x!) He does a great push up. It's so cute. When he gets tired of me working out, he crawls underneath my pushup or upward dog if it's yoga!

He starts school next week, so I can't wait to see how much more he develops. It's been so hot this summer we've been stuck inside or in the pool. Can't wait to head back out to the park. Hopefully, the temps will cool down soon.

I don't have any pics because my computer crashed and this is a new one. But I'll post them from Hector's computer when I get a chance.

One last update - Hector's teaching at Bailey Junior High in Arlington!!! Praise God. We are so excited. He had his first day yesterday and it went great. He works exactly 3 minutes from our house. What a nice change from the 30 minute commute last year. Ben and I are so excited to get to support the Bailey Rams! We're very proud of our husband/dad!