Busy Weekend

It's been quite a busy weekend for the Kuhlmans. I only have a few pictures to prove it, but we all had lots of fun. After gymnastics on Saturday, Linc got to spend a lot of time outside on the swingset. He's a super climber. He's mastered the rock wall and pretty good at the ladder.

He's totally bossy and tells me which swing to sit in, when to climb up to join him, whether to use the slide or monkey bars, and on and on. I occasionally play along with his demands, but I often keep on swinging or hanging on the monkey bars. I think we're both getting a good bit of enjoyment from the swingset. He stopped to cheese out after he made it to the top!

Beau and Daddy did some bonding while I climbed with Linc. I think Beau likes to be outside as long as it's not too bright. I can't believe how much he's grown. He doesn't look like a newborn anymore, instead he looks like a big old baby!

Ammy and E came over to play for a while, and Linc did lots of giggling while they built towers with the blocks. He would just dissolve into fits of laughter when it crashed!

This weekend we also went to a Rangers game, church, brunch at Cindi's, a morning walk in the double stroller, and had a fun date night. Whew! I'm still tired thinking about it all. Good thing both of my boys slept until 8:00 this morning!!!!

Baby Straightjacket!

So I'm a swaddler . . . a no holds barred, super tight swaddler. Lincoln was swaddled with a blanket until he was over four months old and it worked great for us all. Of course I began swaddling Beau as soon as he came home, and he's been a great sleeper too. However, last week he decided he needed to get his little arms free every night. He wiggled and wormed his arms out of the blanket then dug in his heels and scooted up and up and up. He would be at the head of the crib, and the blanket was sitting (still all swaddled) where he had started. By about 5 am each morning, he started calling for me. Uh-uh, buddy! I would reswaddle him and calm him, but there was no early feeding going on! I decided to try the pre-fashioned velcro swaddlers (that never worked with Lincoln) just in case they had new magic. He's been in the straitjacket for naps and bedtime since Saturday, and it's going great. He has slept until 7:30 am, then 7:45 am, then 8:00 am since. I'm sure he's got ESP and knows I'm bragging . . . he'll be up fifteen times tonight!

Because he's getting such calm sleep, he's having more fun playing than ever.

Luckily, Mommy's having more fun too and sharing in the extra sleep time.
Here's my next question - how big do these straitjacket swaddlers come? He's getting big really quickly, and I'd hate for him to outgrow it before I'm ready to retire it. I'll have to check out the baby store asap!

New Place to Hang Out

Beau got a new bouncy chair this week, and he's really enjoying it. I'm going to take his nice Boppy chair to school when he starts in a few weeks, so we needed one for the house. Since he likes to be upright (and I like to have a place to sit him when I need to do something), we headed to the baby store to find a cute hangout! He had fun meeting the little characters that hang down and rattle. I'm sure there was some fun conversation going on between him and the animals! He was goo-ing up a storm!

What a sweet face!

Saturday Night

The Robisons and the Brosnahans came over for burgers and Chick-fil-A on Saturday night, and we all had lots of fun. The kids played so hard! Everyone enjoyed the swingset, and there was lots of climbing, swinging and sliding. The bubbles were great until Lincoln ended up with half the bottle in his hair. We had a quick shampoo in the sink, and I've never seen so many bubbles!!!! Beau and Lewis did a bit of snoozing during all of the fun. The Mommies and Daddies took turns eating so everyone could play. I don't know when I've seen Lincoln this dirty, but dirty equal fun, right?

Good food, fun friends and six tired kids . . . successful night!

Budding Fashion Icon

Sometimes (often) Lincoln suggests what he wants to wear when it's time to get dressed. I humor him when I can, but he can't wear the Sesame Street shirt every day!!! He often hears that his favorite shirts are in the laundry basket. After school today he told me he wanted to wear Sesame Street (laundry), Elmo (laundry), and then Mickey (laundry). I did all the boys laundry three days ago, so of course now his favorites are dirty. He gave up and let me put a regular shirt on him but chose gray shorts to go with it. Then he located the rain boots! Sure, buddy! He walked, or rather clomped around the house all evening with a smile. He must have told me a hundred times, "Lincoln have boots, Mommy." Live it up, dude! Since we're talking laundry, I have a lot of it. I do the boys stuff every few days, and only twice in 9 weeks have I managed to actually put it all away on the same day that I washed it. It usually is all folded in the laundry room for at least a day until I have time to get it to their rooms. I'm glad Kevin uses the dry cleaners for most of his stuff . . . he'd never have clean clothes if I had to do it!

Outside Fun

The weather was perfect for spending some time outside today. Beau and I went for a 3 mile walk this afternoon, and Lincoln got to enjoy two recess periods at school and playtime after dinner. Beau usually hangs in his carseat while Linc is playing on the swingset . . . at least for now. He's gonna get tired of that soon, and we'll have to bring the bumbo or jumper outside for him to play in when he gets a little older. I got a few fun pictures on camera tonight.

Pops and Bubbles have really worked hard to teach Lincoln about the rock wall. I'm so proud to say that he's got it down pat! He doesn't want me anywhere near him while he's climbing, but the mom in me will only stand one foot back with my hand out the whole time! He's really good at it, but I can't be too far away.

Picture Time

Lincoln and Beau got to see Minnie and Bubbles this weekend, and we're all so glad they came to visit. Bubbles and Lincoln did lots and lots of playing, and Minnie and Beau did lots and lots of cuddling. Both kids were on their best behavior . . . that means Lincoln only had a few fits (followed by stern talks in his room) and Beau napped pretty well and didn't cry much. I tried to remember to take pictures, which is hard for me right now. I always forget to grab the camera when fun stuff is happening. I even keep it right on the mantle so it's always accessible, but I guess that's one of the side effects of having another kid to deal with!

Minnie and Beau doing some bonding!

Even Bubbles got a little Beau time. Right next to them is the tissue holder that Lincoln made at school for Mother's Day. His little handprints are so sweet. He likes to use the tissues to "wipe a tear" when he's upset! Trust me, he uses them often!

Bubbles shared his ice cream treat with Lincoln after dinner. Lincoln was sure he needed one but was definitely skeptical because it didn't look like regular ice cream. He only had one bite and decided that was enough. He's a strawberry/blueberry kid . . . with a few Hershey Kisses here and there!

I attempted a group shot, but Lincoln was not interested. He was too busy being silly!

Just for fun, I tried to take a pic of Mommy with her boys. Neither wanted to cooperate, but I loved holding them together as long as they would let me!

Beau is 2 Months Old!

Sweet little Beau is two months old! We did what every other two month old does to celebrate . . . we went to the doctor! Dr. K was VERY impressed with Beau's size and sleeping habits, especially because he's a breast milk baby. Beau was on his best behavior and didn't mind any of the exam. Of course the shots were another story. He did ok but definitely didn't enjoy it! The first rotavirus vaccine was given (by mouth), and he sucked the little tube dry! Good boy - none of us want to go through that again. (Lincoln got rota two weeks before his last vaccine was scheduled, and he gave it to all of us!) Here are Beau's stats:

Weight - 13 pounds - 75th percentile - Beau's a great nurser and takes a bottle each evening. We're up to 7 ounces before bed, and he usually takes it all like a champ. I have resumed eating a wide range of foods, and the only thing I think bothered him was adding pico to quesadillas. He was pretty fussy after he drank that milk.

Height - 23 1\4 inches - 50th percentile - He looks like a normal height to me, so I'm good!

Head - 15 1\2 inches - 45th percentile - Looks like Beau doesn't have Lincoln's giant melon (yet)! Strangely enough, we measure heads a lot around here. Lincoln found a measure (as he calls it) in the stuff we brought home from the hospital and loves to measure all of our heads!

Eating and Sleeping - Beau nurses every three hours during the day. He's always eager to eat and has his little fists clinched so tight and holds them right by his chin. By the end of the feeding, his arms and fists have relaxed in satisfaction. So sweet! When he's finished, he puckers his little lips and makes the cutest goos. (He often overeats and spews quite a bit of milk, so I keep him still and a burp cloth around his neck for a while.) He's still a good napper and has improved on his night sleeping as well. In honor of his two month birthday, Beau has decided to sleep from his last feeding at 9:30 pm until 7:00 am. Hooray!!! We had a rough patch last week when he thought (for three nights straight) that he needed to eat at 4:30, but mean Mommy made him wait until 5:30. I guess he got the picture because now my wakeup call has been after 7:00 for several days. Keep it up, Beau!

Other stuff - He's smiling and gooing sweetly, mostly when I mimic how Lincoln talks. (Linc doesn't want to play the baby talk game and says "No goo goo gaa gaa" when I ask him to say that. I guess Beau thinks it's funny.) Tummy time is a breeze, which is weird to me. He holds his head up well and checks out all the toys I lay around him. Even Lincoln knows that when Beau is crying, try the tummy!

I asked Dr. K about Beau's constant looking (and sleeping) to the left. There isn't an issue except his head has begun to flatten on the left side now. His ear is even beginning to move a bit because of his habit. So we're now sleeping propped up to the right and playing with (Mommy assisting) our head flat or to the right. We should be able to correct it within the next couple of months, but I'm being very persistent. He's not putting up much of a fight anymore, so that makes it easier on everyone.

Beau is a sweet and cuddly little two month old, and we all love him to pieces. Even Lincoln wants to know where Beau is and what he's doing all the time. There's only been one or two little jealous moments, but they're getting along great. Well, at least until Beau is old enough to fight back!!!

Rain Rain Go Away

There's not much going on today . . . just the usual hanging around the house. It's been so rainy, and we had quite an experience this afternoon. Beau and I headed to pick up Linc from school after the monsoon eased up with my trusty Razorback umbrella in the car - or so I thought! We got to the parking lot, and it wasn't under the passenger seat as usual. I climbed in the back and looked everywhere to no avail. I decided we'd just make a run for it while it was only lightly raining, so I covered Beau with a blanket and ran. (He never even noticed the rain!) I explained to Lincoln that he needed to run beside me back to the car and a little rain would fall on his head, but it would be fine. Not so much!!!! We ran to Beau's side first with him repeating to me that water was hurting his head. He started to cry while I put Beau in, so I grabbed Linc and ran around to his side. Really, you're crying about this! He couldn't even drink from his water cup because it had rain on the top . . . so sensitive! Luckily I had crackers to distract him in the car, and he was singing with a mouthful of Keeblers in less than a minute.

On to less painful topics . . . I took a picture of Beau today that reminded me of one I had of Lincoln around the same age. Here's the comparison of both at about two months.

Lincoln, May 2009

Beau, May 2011After dinner we decided it was time to juggle, but there was just one problem - Daddy wasn't here. Uh-oh, I guess Mommy should have learned after all. After a few feeble attempts, Lincoln grabbed the juggling balls and took over. Really he just counted to ten and threw them up in the air while yelling. Maybe we should all learn to juggle!

I'm hoping for a clear day tomorrow so we can get out and enjoy that wonderful swingset. People get a little crazy in the rain!!!

Happy Kids

Fun times are the norm right now . . . I'm happy that we have more smiles and laughs than we have cries and fits!!! Everyone is eating well, sleeping well, and getting along. Beau is enjoying his little gym mat more and more and likes to bat at the rattles. He likes it much more when Lincoln is at school because when Lincoln is home, he constantly rolls him over so he can't see them any more. Lincoln is always proud to tell me, "Beau roll over, Mommy!" Not without your (unwanted) help, Lincoln!!!!

Lincoln has been busy learning a new dance routine, and it's just the funniest thing! He wears these "Elmo hands" and follows a video of Elmo and some kids teaching him a dance. He sings along with the song and does a little booty-shakin! I'll have to get this on video soon. Here are the stills.

If I didn't know this already, Lincoln showed me he's one unique (weird?) kid at dinner tonight. I made grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli for us all. I was really pumping up the mashed potatoes because he's not really a potato lover. I just threw some broccoli on his plate for fun. (He was having his most favorite food - green beans.) He surprised me by LOVING the broccoli. He ate several florets and asked for more. He followed that up by eating ONLY THE CRUST of a slice of wheat bread I put on his plate. Seriously . . . . he won't eat macaroni and cheese, pizza, or mashed potatoes, but he asks for seconds of broccoli and wheat bread crust!!!!! I guess I'm glad he has healthy tastes, but I still think it's weird.

Exciting Day!

It was a very exciting day at the Kuhlman's house . . . the swingset arrived!!!!! We've been anxiously awaiting its arrival and installation, and it's finally here. Lincoln enjoyed watching the construction process yesterday afternoon and tried to be patient about playing on it. He talked a lot about what all he was going to do.

"Lincoln swing, Mommy. Lincoln swing high, Mommy. Lincoln swing so high in the tree, Mommy. Bye, Mommy. Bye, Beau. Lincoln in the tree. Lincoln can't see you in the tree, Mommy. Hi, Mommy. Hi, Beau. Lincoln swing down now."

Is that the cutest, most imaginative little story ever!!!

Unfortunately it wasn't finished before bedtime, so I convinced him we had to wait until the morning. We all woke up bright and early to enjoy the super cool new playset.

(Sorry, I can't make this one rotate . . . cell phone pic.)While Lincoln was enjoying the beautiful day and exploring his new stuff, Beau was enjoying the quiet indoors! He had lots of funny looks today, so I'm posting several smiley faces!

Lincoln was braver than I thought he'd be about swinging, climbing and sliding by himself. We go to the park often, and he gets to slide at school, but this looked a bit large. He warmed up quickly, and Nana and Pops were here to help guide him through all the cool features. I know this is one swingset that will get lots of use . . . I can't wait until Beau and Linc are having swing contests, racing up the rock wall, and jumping off the fort. (Well, maybe not that last one!)

Bathroom Fun

Beau was laying in his favorite place in the world . . . the bathmat . . . and he was very excited and smiley! I got one of his most excited, wide open looks on camera. He was a happy kid today, and I was happy that he stayed in the same outfit all day!

While Beau and I were talking, Lincoln found a way to occupy himself in the bath . . .

Whatever!!!

Smiles, Cries and Spit Up

Beau and I worked really hard to get a good smile picture today . . . we were not very successful! It was a major spit up day. Every time he got excited and started smiling, spit up started shooting out! Needless to say we went through several (4) outfits in the process. I got several "I'm about to smile" pictures before the milk began spewing.

I guess I really wore him out because he fell off to dreamland during one session. I do love this picture though. Look at those cute dimples! Lincoln doesn't have dimples, so I don't know if they are here to stay or just a temporary part of his super chubby cheeks. Lincoln told Kevin, "Lincoln and Beau sit in Daddy's chair", so Kevin obliged. Beau seemed upset that his opinion wasn't considered! For a minute, Lincoln mimicked Beau's crying. Finally he got aggravated and was telling Beau to stop! He patted his head then got a little more forceful. Linc pointed his little finger right in Beau's face and said, "Beau, no crying." These two keep us in stitches! I wish I had a video of what transpired after dinner . . . Linc, Beau and I were in the playroom. Lincoln couldn't find Ernie, so I ran out to the car to look for him. (Ernie goes along for a lot of car rides with us, but never actually gets to go in at Target or the grocery store. Poor Ernie!) When I returned a minute later Beau was no longer on his back but on his tummy on the blanket, and Lincoln was standing over him with a mischievous look on his face. I asked if he rolled Beau over on his tummy, but he never confirmed anything. (I think the mischievous look was all I needed to know!) Linc just wanted to lay on Beau's back and hug him. Sweet I know, but he's not to be trusted for a second!!!!