Egg on your face

It's official... I have a 6month old. We started solids on Sunday. I took the non-traditional approach and started him on egg yolk. Lucy never had a problem with digestion, in fact, I'm not sure the girl ever spit up. Mr. Tankers on the other hand has been spitting up since he was 2 weeks old. He is getting better as he gets older, but because of that I have done a lot of research and found that whole grains are one of the last things that their little bodies learn to digest easily. Babies bodies easily digest fats and proteins because that is basically what mama's milk is made up of. So Michael was very excited about that, in fact, he was all about making meat shakes for Brandt. I couldn't quite go there. I also read that you can start babies out on fruits, veggies and egg yolks, especially eggs from chickens that are free-range and feed mulit-grain and flax seed because the yolk will contain higher amounts of omega 3's. It's funny because I must have read this one article 5 times and kept praying about what would work for Mr. Tankers and then one day I just saw it and felt peace that egg yolk was the answer. So, Sunday afternoon we fed him egg yolk watered down with my milk. He made some funny faces all while smiling and really not sure what to do. He really didn't eat much, but the next day he ate a little more and I'm sure today he will do even better. He looks really proud of himself while eating, it's quite cute. I made a bunch of carrots and pears the other day also, so we will slowly start adding things in. I can't believe my baby is eating food... it's bittersweet because he's growing so quickly. He's making such loud noises and one of my favorite things is when he grabs my hair or my face with both hands and gives me the biggest open mouth kiss... so slobbery and so sweet! I love that Lucy will lie down next him and talk in a high pitch voice saying "I love you, oh yes, I do," or if he is fussing she will say, "it's okay, Brandt, it's okay." She always informs me of what he is doing in car... "mommy, brandt is sucking on his binky holder... mommy, brandt has his hand in his mouth." That boy is not going to get away with anything because big sissy will be informing me of everything.

As for Lucy, well, she is a ham. She is our entertainment. Michael's sister asked if Lucy could come spend 6 days with them, and when I told Mike, he said "hmm, I don't know if I like that idea. She might be fine, but I don't think I would be." How sweet is that! There's just something about a Daddy who will play house and have tea parties with his little girl. It's precious! So, needless to say, Lucy isn't going away this summer, maybe next year. Her birthday was on Easter, so it was quite the sugar-filled day. It was a soggy and cold birthday again, but we had a great time. Lucy found her Easter basket and had a piece of candy before even having breakfast. Then we had her birthday breakfast and we got ready for church. We went to church, came home and had 15 of us for Easter dinner, then the rest of the family came over for her party, and we had 15 kids and 16 adults. It was a busy house. I think birthday's are just as special for the Mommy as it is for the child because the day is just filled with so many memories. It was a very special Easter celebrating the gift of salvation and the gift of Lucy. Yes, I did cry quite a bit that day.

We go to the doctor at the end of the week for their check-ups and we will see just how big my babies have gotten.

Cheesing

Last night we were playing a game, and Mike was cheating and teasing me. So I was telling him to stop cheating and teasing me, and so when it was Lucy's turn she turned to Mike and said "stop cheesing me, Daddy." We laughed so hard. I tell you what, that girl says the funniest things. She also calls memory game "rememory game."

We do have a potty-trained little girl. My parents gave her a Elmo coloring book that had a potty chart in it. So the day after her birthday, we put the chart up on the pantry door and every time she went to the bathroom she would put a sticker on the chart. She has only had 2 accidents since then and that was 2 1/2 weeks ago. I think turning 3 helped also because she will say things like, if I potty in my pants then I will be 2 again. I try to explain that she will never be 2 again, but hey whatever works in her little mind is good with me.

As for our little Tankers, he is such a sweet baby. He was sleeping through the night until he discovered how to roll over. So at least once a night we have to go up and roll him back over. Thankfully, he goes right back to sleep. He does wake up cooing in the morning while looking at his mobile, it's just so sweet!! Just so I remember this... things that warm my heart right now about him... the way he likes to press his cheek up against mine, the way he eats my face whenever he gets hungry and just to give me kisses, they way he will stick all his fingers in his mouth except for the pointer finger which will be next to his nose, the way he kicks his legs and waves his arms when I come to pick him up, the way he squeals and laughs on his changing table, and the way he plays with his tongue. Mike also taught him how to give "five"... his hands are always moving, so while he was hitting Mike's hands, he kept saying give me 5 and now he just does it when Mike asks him. I remember this from Lucy, how it is so hard to watch them grow out of little clothes, but how much fun each stage is.

Pictures

Lucy catching snowflakes

Brandt at 4 months

Going to the cross

We spent 2 weeks in March at my parents house. Michael thought Brandt changed a lot during those 2 weeks. He really began talking loud, laughing and being so alert during that time. He had his 4 month appointment and he weighs 15lbs, and drum roll please... he is sleeping through the night. Ahhhh, it's been a long time!! We did the cry out last weekend and after 2 nights he slept through. Although, last night he was up because he was hurting from those stinking shots. Michael had to make a run to Walmart at 3am because our Tylenol had expired and our sample was used up. I am a tired one today, but thankful that Brandt seems to feel better. He sat in his exersaucer for the first time today... it was pretty cute! He slowly made his way around the whole circle. Such small milestones that make a mama so proud. So he continues to make us laugh at how hard and fast he kicks his legs, and how he manages to stick 3 fingers and his thumb in his mouth at one time. I think he is going to be a swimmer and a thumb sucker... we are constantly pulling his thumb out and sticking his binky in. I guess time will tell.

Miss Lucy is almost 3 and absolutely refuses to be potty trained. What can a Mommy do? I know it is something that she has to decide for herself now because she will randomly just go poop on the potty or stay dry for a few days in a row. Maybe when she turns 3 she will all of a sudden realize that she is a big girl and we will be done with it, but then again that most likely won't happen. She is excited about her birthday. If you ask her what Easter is, she says it is my birthday. So we have been trying to teach her about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and rising again on the 3rd day and going to heaven to prepare a place for her one day. So the other day, she came and asked me if we can go to Jesus on the cross and tell him that it is her birthday, too. I just laughed so hard and loved on her because it was just such a precious little thought. At least now when you ask her what Easter is she responds that it is the day that we are going to celebrate Jesus and her. It will be a fun and busy day!!

Pictures as promised

Here's Brandt raising the roof at 7 weeks old. He is showing you his moves that Daddy taught him.

2 months old

Mary and Jofus

I've been waiting to get the pictures off my camera so I could post about this because it shows Lucy's creativity. So, at Christmas time we talked a lot about the birth of baby Jesus and the kids acted out the christmas story. So since then, Lucy loves to play Mary, Jofus and baby Jesus. She brought a blanket to Michael one morning and said, Daddy can I be Mary. So he put the blanket on her and she asked him if he would be Jofus (we absolutely love to hear her say Joseph... makes us smile every time). Anyhow, she said, now we have to find a manger for baby Jesus. So she gets her baby Sophie doll and sticks it in the back of her sham on her pillow. Then she gets other stuffed animals to be the wise men, shephards and animals. They call me in Lucy's room then and this is what I find....

Love you

I talked to my Mom and Dad yesterday morning and they said to tell Lucy that we love her very much. So of course I did and she smiled. So at lunch time she wanted to pray, here was her prayer.... Dear Jesus, thank you for this day. Thank you for mommy, daddy and baby brandt. Thank you for daddy's job and he can go to work, and thank you that Grandma and Grandpa called to say they love me. Amen. Isn't that sweet! When she goes to sleep she has to say nigh, nigh, love you and she will cry until you come back upstairs to say it to you if she thinks you didn't hear it. So go and tell your children you love them right now... it means the world to them.

So last night I had to take some toys away from Lucy. We had started where if she wets her pants we take away a toy and then she gets it back when she goes 3 times in the potty. It had been working great because she doesn't like having her toys taken away. Well, yesterday we were out, so she had a pull-up on. I asked her several times if she had to go to the bathroom and it was always no. Anyhow, when we got home she was very wet and she didn't want her underwear back on and never went in the potty until before bed. So, I took 2 very precious toys away... her coffee pot and tea set. I thought she would cry and be upset, but she looked at me and said "I'm not sad, Mommy. It's okay." Great... not that I want her to cry, but come on it's the tea set, be a little sad so I think we are headed in the right direction with potty-training. I told her today that if she wets her pants, there will be no Dora... so far so good :)