foolproof or foolish??

*i'm going with foolish on this one. i thought i had a great idea for potty training. anyone that knows brandon knows how addicted to chocolate milk he is, i always call it his crack addiction. so i thought if i withheld chocolate milk until he went on the potty it would make it worth trying to pee on the potty....WRONG. do you know that this stubborn child did not even ASK for chocolate milk yesterday after i told him the new rule?!?! so, to make a long story short, i'm having to change my rule. i can't keep milk from him, especially chocolate milk, because i'm still trying to get him to a better weight and he probably gets about 600 calories a day from his drinks. and just so you know, he CAN go on the on the potty. he as peed and pooped many, many times on it, he just doesn't want to, he keeps telling me he wants to wear diapers. i've bought him bob the builder, spiderman, diego and elmo underwear and he just doesn't care. jason thinks maybe that we should limit his tv watching, but he really doesn't watch that much tv except in the mornings when i need him distracted so i can shower and get jack ready for the day. i'm gonna have to come up with a new idea!

staying busy!

swimming at carla's house


this is considered a chubby baby in our house...check out the thighs

call me!

brothers gotta hug

brandon is eating chocolate crackers

typical scene in our house...hi sophie!

*we had a super-fun bbq/swim party at joe and carla's on saturday night. they invited us to their neighborhood pool and then back to their house for hamburgers and hot dogs. all the kids LOVED the pool! brandon was having a total blast and jack thought he was a super swimmer. he was splashing a lot and got worn out! they totally crashed out when we got home, it was great!



*on sunday jason took brandon to see his first movie, wall*e. brandon LOVED it. he's been talking about wall*e all day. jason said that brandon sat in his own seat for nearly the entire movie and paid attention the whole time. while they were at the movie i went shopping with jack. i found the ugliest pair of light-up buzz lightyear sandles...and of course got them. brandon insisted on having them in bed with him for his nap, lol.

staying cool and having fun!

*we are trying to keep busy this week! there is only so much brandon can do around the house before he gets bored to tears and starts getting in to things he shouldn't. jack is getting somewhat mobile now and even he is wanting to be entertained at all times. as a matter of fact i'm having a hard time even typing cause he keeps grabbing the keyboard and pressing keys. he can pretty much roll where ever he wants to go, and goes totally across the room! he loves brandon's toys, telephones (cordless and mobile) and tv remote controls. he's so good at rolling i'm not sure he'll ever crawl! he's growing so fast.
we went to dynamoze twice this week. brandon loves this place. it's just his style. i love that it's basically like someone's playroom and that i don't have to clean up! even jack has fun rolling around on the playmat. today we met up with izzie and carla and the babies had fun taking toys from each other (okay, it was mostly jack taking away from isabella). afterwards we had lunch at chick-fil-a, which was a nice treat, it's also brandon's favorite place to eat. they don't know it but i totally saw nick and bliss pulling in to the parking lot when we were leaving ;) i'm assuming they were headed to CFA but maybe not, lol. (you guys were turning at the light across from target, where we went after, haha).
we also went to the zoo this week. brandon had some requests of certain animals. he loves the "mingos" (flamingos), bears, fish and "baby jaguar". afterwards we cooled off in the little water area until it got insanely crowded.
we have more fun stuff planned for the weekend, hopefully i'm remember my camera for that!
*OH! i've been giving jack two to three meals of baby food a day for the last week or so. he's doing really well and we are starting to work our way thru fruits right now. i put him on the scale last night and weighs just over 17lbs! just two weeks ago he was 16lbs 3oz at his 6mo check up so i'm SHOCKED that he's gained nearly 1lb in two weeks. go jack! i hope he keeps it up!

another long weekend

pirate jack, with brandon in a baby headlock
caught jack in mid-raspberry and brandon in mid-love
kisses from jack, hugs from brandon
this one either makes brandon look tiny or jack look huge, lol

*we had another long, busy weekend. on friday we ran out to la cantera and the rim to return some things. the boys were great and we had a nice evening. i realized once we got there that i only had the single big stroller in my car and thought brandon would like to walk holding hands. i was wrong, of course, and he wanted to ride in the stroller with jack. i reclined the back of the stroller and put jack towards the back, sitting up, brandon sat up front. they were so cute in it together. jack was sitting so well, holding on to the side with his little hand, people watching. we had dinner at red robin and ran a few errands as well. at target brandon really wanted to get a toy but we wouldn't let him because he wouldn't eat his grilled cheese sandwich at dinner. stubborn child!

*on saturday jason and i went out for a real date! his sister, hannah, and her adorable boyfriend, brian, came and watched the kids. they are the cutest couple! jason and i went to eat on the riverwalk at casa rio. we had huge margaritas and actually sat outside right next to the water. downtown was really busy! after that we went to the movies and saw "the strangers". it was sooo scary but seeing scott speedman was totally worth it :D we were pretty zonked out by the time we got home. old people don't stay out late for a reason ;)

*sunday we mostly stayed home with the kids. brandon and i ran to mcdonalds to get some lunch. in the drive-thru he saw the giant "m" arch on the wall. he pointed to it and said, "mommy, is that a rainbow?". i told him it was the shape of a rainbow and asked him what letter it was. he knew and quickly responded, "it's an m!". he's getting so good at recognizing his letters! in the early evening we (yes, all four of us) went *swimming* in the backyard blow-up pool. we had dinner, then ran to get some ice cream. brandon had ice cream everywhere! it was all on the side of his face and even on his knees somehow. once it got really melty we had to take it away, it was getting everywhere. "mommy, i need a baby wipe". so, i got him one and cleaned him up but then he told me, "mommy, go sit over there. i'm eating ice cream". this kid knows what he wants and more and more it's to do everything himself. after dinner we ran to heb so jason could get some things to take for lunch this week. i'm curious to see if he actually remembers them when he leaves in the mornings!

*oooo, i just got an email from the HR lady at work. the issues with my insurance and my OB/GYN have been resolved! i'm still on with them, yay!!!

*i've added pictures of our morning routine. brandon insists on getting in jack's crib with him every morning. they *wrestle* a bit and kiss a bunch. they love each other so much! i think\ jack looks like a pirate in one of them.

jack in the jumperoo

map of where i've been

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

i stole this off a friend's site. these are all the states i've visited or driven thru on a trip. i've also been to italy and mexico a few times.

pic for auntie and a picnic

*we went to a park yesterday and met up with cheryl and allison and the kiddos. i can't believe i got a pic where they are all, more or less, looking at the camera. asking for smiles from them all would have been too much ;)

*and a pic for auntie, she loves jack's snarl so much. this is as good as i could get. hope you like it, carla!

i'm uploading more videos of the kids...they take so long.

happy anniversary!

*today is our 4 year wedding anniversary! i can't believe we've been married for 4 years! i never imagined four years ago, that we'd have two beautiful boys, today. we are so blessed, life couldn't be more perfect!

looong weekend

*whew! i'm just now able to relax a little bit since our busy weekend.

*saturday we had a birthday party and brandon *finally* enjoyed himself at a bouncy place. he really got in to it and i'm so glad! i hope he's gotten over his fear of it. he refused to do any slides but at least he got to jump around. i think his favorite part was cake and his goodie bag. he sure loves birthday parties!

*sunday we had isabella's baptism and father's day. carla posted all about it. izzie was soooo good! i know that was a relief to her mama that had worried about every possible thing that could have gone wrong, lol. they had a lovely lunch after and my kids had a great time with izzie's toys. we came home and brandon got a much needed nap, when he woke up he was asking to go back to church! he really loved the organ music. he did pretty good thru the service but jason had to take him out halfway thru since he kept demanding more music!

*jason took monday off and we all went to sea world. brandon loved the dolphins last year but this year was terrified of them this time. he did seem to get over it fast, so maybe he'll be excited to see them when we go back. he had a blast at the water park there. jack and i hung out in the shade with him splashing away.

*last weekend we had another birthday party and the kids got pails with their names on them. brandon has decided his is a helmet and belt (check out his waist) like buzz lightyear.

*izzie and jack in their big boy/girl highchairs

*caught jack in a funny moment!

*today my mom and i took the boys to "papi's work" and brandon got to see a big truck and a real life "bob the builder", it was an exciting day for him. plus, uncle phil got him a banana..wish i'd had my camera.

splish splash (that's pizza on b's face, lol)

big brothers love to share

*brandon was having a nemo snack (those "fruit" gummi snacks) today and decided to share with jack. i hear him say, "you want some, jack?", and look up to see him putting it in jack's mouth! i started yelling, telling him, no, jack can't have those but jack has a firm grip with his two little teeth. brandon finally tugged most of it out of his mouth and jack chewed (gummed, more like it) the little bit he had and swallowed it before i could cross the room. he was fine but it scared me to death. i guess that's his first table food, lol, i can think of a million things i expected him to have before nemo snacks ;)

jack's 6 month check up

*jack had his doctor appt today. he is 26in long (about 25%ile), weighs 16lbs 3oz (about 25%ile) and is in great health. i was really hoping to reach brandon's 1yr weight at this well check up since he's had a cold this last week he just didn't eat enough. we talked about his appts with the nephrologist and neurosurgeon and dr. w. assured me that she would have sent us to see specialists just like dr. f. did. i asked her about his penis hole (if you know the story about that, lol, apparently dr. f. thinks it's not big enough and he could possibly need surgery in the future) she said it looked fine to her and as long as he can pee then he's fine. phew! he got 3 shots and one oral vaccine. he napped when we got home and woke up in a HORRIBLE mood, screaming and crying...so not like jack! i gave him some tylenol and he fell back asleep and woke up happy jack again. i got the brandon's old bath ring out of the garage and the boys got a bath together. it was super cute seeing them splash each other. he crashed pretty early tonight so i'm sure we'll be up in a few hrs for some milkies.

jack is 6 months old today!

*jack is 6 months old today! i can't believe how fast the time has gone. he is still just about the sweetest, most calm baby you ever saw. he gives great big smiles and has a hearty laugh. he's a rolly polly fool these days and always has to have his hands on something, and then have that something in his mouth. tomorrow is his 6 month check up. i can't wait to see what the doctor says about him.

look what i can do!

*it's still in the early stages, but jack can now sit on his own for a few minutes at a time. he does much better if he has a toy or something to focus on. he's quiet proud of himself (he IS quiet precious).

jack and izzie video

sunday fun

*we had a blast at brooke's 1st birthday party yesterday. she's so darn adorable. jack and i stayed inside most of the time. he's a lot like me, hates to sweat, lol. brandon had so much fun in the pool, swimming. we got to see jason's family for a little bit, which is always fun. we had to leave a little early because jason pulled another all nighter at work (worked from 12am until 7am) and the party was at lunchtime.

*we saw joe, carla and izzie, too. jack just loves his izzie, brandon loves her, too. she's so freaking cute. brandon is always asking to hold her and jack is always trying to kiss her. above are my favorite pics from sunday, and a cute video of jack and izzie.

yipee!

*before we left for dinner tonight brandon went pee and POOP on the potty!! i had just told jason we needed to change both of the boys, and while i was changing jack, brandon went in the bathroom and got on the potty and went! he got two bob the builder stickers and we went out for ice cream after dinner.
*after ice cream we went to my favorite store, target, to get some things. jack saw this soft block that he kept reaching to get. it was the first time he reached for something at a store so i went to see how much it was on the aisle scanner. it kept coming up that it couldn't find it in the system. when we went to checkout i asked the cashier if he could give me a price and it gave him the same message. he saw a manager walking by, and after she tried it a few times (i kept telling them it was okay, nevermind) and couldn't get a price she decided on $2.99, so we bought it. i came home and looked for it online and the prices range from $23-$30!!! wow, what a deal!

soooooooo mad!

*allison called me today with some upsetting news. we both have the same OB/GYN and they sent letters out this week saying that they will no longer be accepting our insurance, blue cross blue shield! apparently they've been trying to come to some resolution about payment plans and BCBS doesn't want to pay them what they want. i really don't know who to be more angry at: the insurance company or the doctors! jason blames the insurance company for being bullies but i know that those doctors make a ton of money. i sure haven't been vacationing in italy anytime recently. dr. shows delivered both of my babies and i still want one more. i hope that when our insurance comes back to renew, we either switch, or they've come to some kind of a deal. it's really upsetting to think of looking for a new doctor when i love the one i have so much. they have offered a reduction in fees for those of us who want to keep going and pay out of pocket. i'm just hoping i don't have an issues that require a visit any time soon. aaaaagggrhhh!
*on a happier note, we went to the mall today. it was raining when we got there so we looked around nordstroms for a bit. i got these really cute shoes for jack for half price! http://robeez.com/Robeez-Tredz-Dylan-brown-Robeez-baby-shoes/product.aspx?ProductID=725&deptid=226&PriceCat=2&Lang=EN-US they were only $20. they are too big now but will be perfect for him this winter when he starts walking. for half-price i couldn't pass them up!

TMI: a trip to the ER

*if poop grosses you out quit reading, lol.

brandon got super "backed up" yesterday. he had the urge to go, but, for some reason, decided to hold it in. we've had these issues all his life, but it's NEVER been this bad. he was screaming for me to help him and shaking so bad. i called the pedi to see if there was anything i could do for him (he's on regular meds but apparently they need to be increased), she suggested doing an enema. my mom, the best grammy in the world, ran to walgreens and said she'd help me hold him down while i gave it to him. yeah, right. first of all, dear grammy, was in near tears the entire time. i told her to get a grip and be supportive. she loves brandon so much, i know it was hard for her to see him like that. i have to laugh, now, thinking back at that, it's so typical mom. second, the kid was clenched so tight i could not get the thing to work. we decided it was best to go to the ER. i was scared he couldn't get it out himself. anyway, we got there and they gave him the enema. he was terrified but got it done. afterwards he was a totally different person. i've never seen him so happy! he must have been miserable for days. the ER doctor gave us a few options to help him over the next few days and lets just say he's refusing to cooperate. i may just up his meds and deal with it that way. as you can see he's back to his normal two-year-old self.

*jack's news is that he tried a new vegetable tonight. last week it was sweet potatoes (he did not like) and today we tried carrots. he seems to enjoy those much more although he doesn't look very thrilled about it in the picture.

i weighed him tonight and he was 16lbs 3oz! a huge difference from brandon at this age. jack has his 6mo check up next week and i'm *trying* to get him to what brandon weighed at his 1 YEAR check up, 16lbs 10oz. we'll see if it happens!

he's still the sweetest, most huggable baby in the world. i rocked him to sleep tonight and cherished every breath i felt on my neck. i am so blessed to be their mommy.

it's getting hot in heeerrrrrrrrrre!

*last night, the night i couldn't wait to be over, got worse. jason left for work at 6:30pm and around 11pm i realized that it was waaaaay hotter in the house than it should be. the a/c is out. i spent most of my 3hrs of sleep with my elbow in, what i'm pretty sure is, a pee spot in brandon's bed. we're headed to my mom's where things are cooler. brandon did make a funny already this morning. he was getting a shower to cool off and he saw me getting dressed and said, "mommy, take your diaper off and take a bath". i love that little guy.

oh, what a night!

*i can't wait for this day to end. seriously. last night was sooo long. jason had to go to work at 9pm last night and worked until 5am this morning. in between that BOTH boys got up (brandon, twice) and brandon decided to start his day at about 4:30am! he has been a bit crabby today and has had a runny nose but once he's got some motrin in his system he's more himself. neither of the boys has had much of a nap today and the BOTH want me non-stop. once i get one settled down, the other one starts fussing. on top of it all jason worked most of the day (when he wasn't sleeping) and went back to work at 6:30pm tonight. i really hope he doesn't have another all nighter, for both of our sakes. ok, enough complaining.
*brandon did say some really cute things today. earlier he was standing in jack's crib and i told him to get down, that i didn't want him to fall. he has a tendancy to repeat a lot of what i say (and i hear it again later) and repeated what he heard as, "get down, i want you to fall". lol. then, later in the day, jack was fussing and i was trying to make a bottle for him. brandon was on the floor playing with his toys and kept telling him, "just a minute, jack" which i hadn't said, but has probably heard a million times. finally, just a few minutes ago, i was putting brandon to bed while jack was fussing in his crib and he told me, "mommy, go sit on jack", really meaning for me to go sit with jack. i thought that was funny and cute since he was showing concern for his baby brother.
*i did get a few cute pics of the kids today: )