A week of iPhone pictures and updates

Since I've gotten my iPhone there have been less 'real' camera pictures but a few more blog posts. It's so easy to blog from the phone! Now I'm getting a whole bunch of pics on my phone though so I have to share.

Jack with his 'Nemo' fishy. My niece was visiting for a week so we went to the aquarium one day.

A day out shopping.. Look at the little old man and the cute little dudes with the sunglasses! :)

Our niece, Journey. She was such a big help while she was here and Jack loved having her around. He was so sad when we dropped her off and he realized she was not coming back with us.

Jack with our nephew, Gabriel. He loved him too and just thought he was the bees knees. :)

I thought it was cute that Jack fell asleep while still holding his balloon. :)

The kids are doing really well. :) They both had a cold, Ben's lasting longer but I'm wondering if some of the congestion could be from teething. Guess that's just a wait and see game. I took him to the Dr.'s the other week for a sick visit and he's 20lbs! 2lbs gained in a month! Blows me away since it's hard to get him to finish bottles a lot of days and he's not really on solid food yet. Just cracks me up..he'll be sitting on Jack in no time. :) In other news, he's rolling like a champ from back to belly but gets frustrated because he can't roll back (even though he rolled belly to back, like, 4 times in a row at 3 months). I'm looking forward to when he figures that out so he doesn't get so mad, haha!

Other than that, not too much going on. Just looking forward to vacation next week, yay!

I really don't know how mothers with multiple children blog on a regular basis.  I've pretty much failed at this, haha!  At this point, I'm really thankful for my iPhone and that I can blog from my phone..the last few posts have been from there while I'm feeding Ben so the Blogger app is really coming in handy.  If it wasn't for that, I have a feeling I'd be a lot worse. :) 

The summer has been a crazy one so far, I really can't believe it's August already.  Seriously, where is the time going?!  Time already sped up once we had Jack but, since having Ben, it's been going at warp speed or something.   Not having Dan around for the last few weeks also plays a roll.  I'm happy that he had taken Fridays off in June because July was nuts for him at work and it's still going..4 days into August.  If it's nuts for him there, it's nuts for me here and there were many days I just wanted to pull my hair out.  I love my kids to pieces and wouldn't have things any other way but you really start to get burnt out not having any help.  My hats are off to single parents and parents who have to deal with long periods of time with doing things on their own...it's not easy.  Along with not having the extra help, it was hot as anything outside so I felt like we were confined to being inside.  Thankfully things have been a bit better lately.  I'm looking forward to vacation in a few weeks.  It'll be nice to play on the beach with Jack and have Dan around for a little while..that is before the next busy time rolls around.  I'm already dreading it. 

In kid news, they're both doing great!!  It's crazy how much Ben is changing everyday and how much of his little personality is coming out.  He's a great baby and, although he's not quite as laid back as Jack was, he's a happy little (big! haha) guy.  He's been sleeping through the night since just after 2 months.  He usually goes from 8 to anywhere from 5- 6:30 in the morning.  Up until recently we could give him a bottle and he would go back to sleep for another 2-3 hours.  He's starting to either be really up at that time now or will go back to sleep for another hour or so.  He's had some mornings of waking at 4:30 but he's generally a really good sleeper (knock on wood!!).  We're working naps.  He's a good napper but I'm used to Jack who has always been a great, heavy sleeper.  He started sleeping through at around 2 months too but would take a 2 hour and a 3-4 hour nap during the day.  He still takes a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon.  It's harder to have Ben on a napping schedule since we're usually out and about in the morning.  I do put them both down at the same time in the afternoon but Ben usually wakes up before Jack does.  I know I shouldn't complain though!!  The times lets me get some things done and maybe relax a little before it's back to kid duty.

Ben is also starting to move around more.  He rolled belly to back about 5 times in a row just after he turned 3 months but he hasn't done it since, haha!  I DID get it on video though so I have proof!

He seems to be really close to rolling back to belly but he can't quite get there yet.  He gets all the way on his side but just doesn't have the momentum.  I blame is chunky legs..they must be heavy to lug from side to side!  He's also working on sitting up although I know he's got a ways to go.  He's so strong though and really loves when you hold him in a sitting position.  I think he's starting to get bored with laying down.  The jumperoo is also becoming a favorite of his.  I'm happy that he's starting to enjoy bouncing himself around! 

Jack is doing really well too!  He's still a small guy and it's funny to pick him up and hold him after holding Ben for awhile, haha!  He's only around 26-27 lbs at 2 1/2 and Ben was already 18lb at 4 months.  I have a feeling Ben will be giving Jack a run for his money once he's mobile and more independent.  He's getting a little better with his eating with adding the occasional bite of pizza to his diet and soy nut butter and fluff sandwiches.  He's still super picky though and basically lives off fruit (blueberries are his favorite right now), yogurt, wheat thins, cereal and french fries.  It's frustrating but he's getting there. :)  His vocabulary is off the charts to us.  It's amazing to think that at his 2 year appt I could not give the doctor 5 words that he said on a regular basis and now he's telling us what things are and speaking in sentences.  I know I've said that before but it really does blow me away.  He can count to 15 and can spell his name.  I know Jack isn't hard to spell but I'm still proud of him!  He'll also sing the alphabet with you and loves to dance.  This kid has an awesome personality and is still super sweet.  We are so incredibly blessed to have such great kids. :) 

Here is he hamming it up (his new thing is wanting to see pics or videos of him after we take them)..

I've really got to whip out our good camera again soon instead of using all of these iPhone pics, haha!
My handsome man :)

 So, all in all, things are good.  Just hoping we can spend more time as a family the next 2 months before craziness ensues again.  :) 

Sittin' pretty

I love this picture from last week. He can't sit on his own yet but is trying so hard!

I do have updates on everyone but things have been so crazy around here that I haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm full of iPhone pics though, haha!

Laughs!

Ben has starting laughing here and there and it's a great sound!!  I love that he's getting to the fun baby stage and out of the newborn stage.  He looks like he's been out of it for awhile based on how big he is though, haha!

I also can't resist a good Jack video either.  It's so bittersweet to look back at old videos of him..I LOVE the little man he's becoming but I miss that he'll never be that baby again.  I'm glad we have these to look back at. :)  This is one of my favorite..Jack, the muscle man!!

Cutie pie's first taste of cereal..

4 months!

Ben is 4 months as of yesterday! Seriously where does the time go? He's growing up so fast and is already a big boy. He dis great at the doctors today and weighed in at 17lb 15 oz and is 25 3/4 in long. For another comparison, Jack was 15lb 2 oz at 4 1/2 months. Nuts! :)

Ben is meeting all of his milestones and is doing great! He's ready for cereal but I'm not sure I want to start that yet. I know it sounds silly but I don't want to deal with solid food poops yet, haha! Speaking of.. We've gotta work on Jack potty training but he has absolutely no interest. We keep trying though.

1 of 2 battle wounds from his appt today.

He's a trooper so far! :)

One is not like the other

And that is true around these parts!  I know I talk about it all the time but it's just so crazy how different Jack and Ben are.  We totally thought Dan would have 2 mini-me's when it came to the kids so I guess I'm still getting used to the fact that Ben looks nothing like him.  I loved having my skinny, little baby and I'm now loving having my big, chunky baby. :) 

Ben had is 2 month appt a few weeks ago and he weighed in at 14lbs 10oz (95th percentile) and 23.5in long (64th percentile).  At 3 months, Jack was 11lbs 12oz and was 23in.  He was always so skinny where Ben has some girth to him, haha!  I love his chunky legs!  Here is a picture of Ben in one of Jack's old outfits at 2 months (it's a 6m)..

 And here is Jack  at nearly 4 months (I absolutely LOVE this picture of him..one of my favorites!)

 Jack probably wore this for another 3-4 months while I think Ben is out of it now. :)  I know it'll even out eventually but I really do get a kick out of it. 

 In other news, things around here are going well, can't complain!  Jack continues to talk up a storm which I LOVE.  His little voice is so cute and it's so much easier to communicate with him now.  I know he used to get really frustrated when we couldn't understand what he wanted.  He's really good with Ben still and always wants to see him and hug him first thing in the morning and right when he wakes up from his nap.  I love that he's been so good with him.  Ben also seems to really like Jack too. :)  Now that he's more aware and paying more attention to what's going on around him, his little head follows Jack everywhere.  It's so freaking cute! 

We took a little day trip to the local zoo a few weeks ago.  It's the first time Jack has been and he really liked it!  Now we'll just need to take him to the DC or Philly zoo so he can see more animals.

Daddy and Jack checking out the turtles..

Cute baby elephant :)

 Daddy and Jack :)

We went to Dan's aunt and uncles house for a little bit over Memorial Day..was so nice to see everyone!  We've gotten to see them lots lately (Dan and his uncle are doing our deck) which has been a lot of fun.

Mom-mom and Ben on a very windy day, haha!

I love that they have this old rocking horse.  I used to loves these things and Jack loves it too!  I wish we could find one like this..

And a picture of our big baby boy!  Going back to the whole "difference" thing..Ben loves his baths and is totally chill in there.  Jack screamed like a crazy man from day one until he was nearly a year old.  Maybe this explains why he won't get into a pool now (although fine with baths, thank goodness), haha! 

Oh, and an update on the toddler bed situation.  We haven't done it yet, haha!  It turned out that we had the rail to transition to a full size bed but not the toddler bed.  He actually DID nap that afternoon with no rail on his crib at all but I was scared he would fall out so we put the crib side back on.  We have a toddler rail now but we've been so busy every weekend and have been skipping naps and haven't done it yet.  Hopefully this weekend..