Thanksgiving Pics

since it's december, i guess i owe my blog a few photos from thanksgiving day. i did not get ANY pictures of the family at my parents' house. would you believe i pretty much had my hands full of food or little boys or both the entire time? go figure. so, all i've got is a few pre-dinner shots from the park.

this is the best shot i got of the littles together. i'm not really sure what i'm doing wrong...they NEVER want to look at me and make happy faces at the same time. this one has camera aversion.
and this one usually cooperates...until his brother is next to him. then he just eats things and/or tries to get away.
despite the lack of quality photographs of the day, the entire crew (us, my parents, brother, sis-in-law, grandmother, great aunt, aunt, two uncles, and two cousins) had a delicious and thankfulness-full holiday. henry was especially thankful for the unlimited refills of sweet tea that we let him have, and james was delighted by and thankful for his first taste of tablefood - my dad's sweet potato casserole.

on thanksgiving, i was most thankful for the hours of 1 p.m.-4 p.m...wherein sweet, sweet silence blanketed the Chesshouse during a once-in-a-blue-moon concurrent nap.

Do you know what a brumming truck is?

I bet you don't.

But we four here at the Chesser house sure do.

A brumming truck is a toy truck of any size or shape that can spontaneously be transformed from a sedentary child's plaything into a fast-moving, fear-inducing, wrecking ball of Henry-propelled destruction. Said object is most often aimed directly at an unassuming 8-month old who offended his older brother by taking too much of mommy's time and attention. Or for no reason at all. You really never know with a brumming truck.

Brumming trucks are 'not allowed in mommy's house'...for the record.

Yesterday, we experienced the motorcycle variety of the brumming truck. Baby James was trying to finish up his afternoon meal, and Henry took it upon himself to provide the dessert - a face full of brumming. As per the house rule, the brumming motorcycle was taken outside and put into the trashcan for Luis (remember the nice man in the garbage truck blog post?).

Yep, as mean as it sounds and as much as I NEVER thought I would tell my babies that I was throwing their toys away, brumming trucks are taken straight outside to the trash. It's what works, people.

Within a few minutes of the motorcycle being sent to pasture, Henry became apologetic. He hugged his brother, he hugged me, he said he was "sooooo sorry," and then he asked for his little brumming motorcycle back. I asked him if he thought the motorcycle was ready to stop brumming. He said that it was. So, out we walked to retrieve it. I reminded him on the way that "brumming trucks aren't allowed in mommy's house, and if he does it again, the motorcycle will go right back into the trash."

As we came in the backdoor, Henry told me he needed to 'put the motorcycle over here [on the kitchen table] for safety.' I told him that would be a good idea, and then I proceeded to wash out a few dishes on the kitchen counter. As I'm doing that, I hear a little brumming coming from the table. You know, as in, "bbbbbrummmmmmmm....bbbbrummmmm". I turn around to see Henry (sans motorcycle) running straight at me making his very best brumming engine sound.

By the time he got to me, he was full-speed ahead...and not stopping. Crash, boom, bang...he dramatically fakes a fall to the floor after clobbering me. I kneel down to make sure he's okay, and he's got this at the ready: "I brummed mommy. Throw me in the trash, please, mommy. Do it. Throw me in it. Brumming things aren't allowed in mommy's house."

I guess I'm glad he was listening...sweet little literal two-year olds. Gotta love 'em (and make sure they know that human brummers NEVER go out with the garbage)!

Oh...there you are...

This past weekend, Jared and I left the kids with my parents and had a few days 'away.' It was our first night to spend away from the boys since James was born in March. We stayed in the beautiful Houstonian hotel, and Jared planned many, many romantic surprises for our time there. It was beyond perfect. Just what we needed. I know that I will treasure the memory of it forever.

The only part of it I want to share is this. At some point on Saturday, we were driving along and the hubs says something like, "doesn't this all just remind you of that scene in Hook where the kids realize Robin Williams really IS Peter Pan?" I hadn't really thought of it that way, but once I did, I could only agree that it was a perfect analogy.

Sometimes, in the humdrum of everyday life, we can lose sight of the magic. Isn't it fun to find it again - to see that it's right there under the surface...buried under bills and babies and life...BUT THERE just the same?

As much as I hope and pray that we can remember the magic through the mundane, I am pretty sure we'll continue to hit obstacles that will make it impossible. And when those come along, I'm pulling out my mental rolodex and flipping straight to this...

Eight is great.

Guess who's 8 months old already?

Yes, it's true...the littlest little is 2/3 of the way to his first birthday. Is your head spinning yet, because mine sure is.

At 8 months, sweet baby James has certainly staked his claim on our hearts (and most of his brother's toys). He is still a perfect little angel baby. I've never been around a more content, calm, affable, smiley, sweet, cuddly child in my entire life, and I am just so thankful for his disposition.

Mr. Littles has seven teeth, and number eight looks to be just under his gums. He is cruising my furniture (and those pesky bricks), and he has learned how to climb the stairs. His favorite thing to do right now is crawl after his big brother. Actually, if he can do ANYTHING with Henry, he loves it...the crawling/chasing thing is just his most fave. We tell him, "Where's Henry, James?!? Can you get Henry?!" and with that, he's off to the races. Screeching and chasing and sitting up to flap his arms and screech some more before crawling after him again. Needless to say, Henry is loving that the baby is big enough to 'play' with him finally...and he's been having such a fun time letting James chase and catch him. Big brother has also become quite the comedian, as he's figured out that James is his easiest audience. Jump up and down...baby laughs. Play peek-a-boo in the curtains...baby laughs. Hide behind something and peek over the top of it...baby laughs. Spin in a circle...baby laughs. Blink your eyes really fast...yep, you guessed it...he laughs some more. He's also been trying to teach James to play catch with him with a ball-pit ball, but Baby J just takes the ball away and eats it...a few more months, Henry, just a few more months. All this brotherly love around here is just too sweet for words.

Over the past month, James has started saying lots of little words. He is still good with 'mama' and 'hi' and 'bye-bye' (with a waving hand), and he's added 'da-da,' 'Paw Paw,' 'ball' (sounds like bahh), and I swear I heard him say 'dog' when he was petting my brother's dog last week. He hasn't said it again since, though, so maybe that one was just a fluke...maybe. His eyes are gray - not really blue and not hazel...just gray. In good light, I guess I'd say they lean towards blue, but I'm not sure how they'll end up. Oh, and this month, his hair really started to come in, and it's SO wavy and sandy blonde! I am hope-hope-hoping that it really curls up, because isn't curly baby hair just the cutest thing ever?!

As for big brother, he's grown into such a REAL PERSON since the summer. Not only has he grown inches and inches, but he looks and sounds like a (boooohooooo) pre-schooler. The conversations he can have and the things that come out of his mouth are just frightfully grown-up, which is so bittersweet for us. I mean, nobody really likes watching their baby turn into a big boy, right? 3-year old pre-school is only 10 months away. I can't believe it's almost time already.

It would also seem that he has turned a corner on whatever that hot mess was from a few weeks ago that we were politely calling his 'terrible twos.' Looking back, I think that H was really thrown off by James' newfound interest in and ability to get around the house and play with all-the-toys-formerly-known-as Henry's. While I know he adores his baby brother and he can be very affectionate and loving with him, it just hit him hard that the baby was suddenly a force to be reckoned with and not just a blob that laid around babbling.

The acting out, tantrums, and destructiveness had reached a fever pitch before I blogged about it last time, and for several weeks, I would certainly say that I felt like more of a bodyguard than a mommy.

When it all first started ramping up, I can admit that I panicked at the freakish severity and approached it entirely as a behavioral issue in need of stern and consistent reproof. And, for the record, that's exactly what he got. However, it didn't take long to realize that my discipline was being met with worse behavior and indescribable frustration. And, guys, he wasn't frustrated at being punished...he seemed to be more and more frustrated by everyone's general misunderstanding of him. So, here I was, for days on end, KNOWING that his hiney needed to be in time out or spanked but also KNOWING that all of that was making it all worse...and not in a 'it's gonna get worse before it gets better" way, either, okay.

To that end, if anyone ever tells you that parenting isn't hard work requiring positively supernatural discernment at all times, please go ahead and punch them in the stomach from me.

Anyway, once I had determined that disciplinary tactics were failing, I decided to get way outside the box on it all. I tried to put myself entirely in his shoes. I gave him the benefit of the doubt. And, after a few days of that, I made the realization that this entire outburst was more of a developmental issue with behavioral side-effects, and as such, I needed to change MY ways.

Since that day, he has not been given a single spanking. He also has not been 'time-outed' in the traditional sense. Instead, I've opted more for the "Well, if you need to act that way, then mommy can't play with you anymore. Please let me know when you're done being mean/rough/etc., so I can come back and play with you." Also, we've all been doing everything we can think of to help him feel more secure. He has a few toys that are ONLY his, and he has a few places he can go that we don't let James follow. Also, when James is sleeping or pre-occupied, I switch into quality-time mommy. No matter what, during that time, the H-man has my complete attention. Yes, that means no computer, no TV, and no telephone, but it's a small price to pay for a happier and better-adjusted (non-brotherkilling...ahem) kiddo. And, that's exactly what he seems to be...happier and better-adjusted. Phew.

My apologies for all the detail and length to that part of this post...it just doesn't read true without the details.

In other news, I decided to start potty-training about a week ago. I am so happy to say that it's going really, really well. He's a quick study, this one. :)

I've got lots more to blog about and many pictures to share, but that'll have to wait until next time. This post is already way too big. Hope everyone is doing well and getting excited for the holidays. I know we are.

Good news...bad news...

The news: I have a black eye.

The bad news: I have a black eye because I placed myself in the direct path of a wooden box being a-held and a-swung by a wild animal...errr, I mean...by my sweet boy, Henry.

The good news: My face took the fall for his intended target: his bubbly, smiling, laughing, entertained-by-his-every-move baby brother.

And that, my friends, is called 'takin' one for the team.'

On and on and on...

Well, he did it. 4 months before his big brother could do it, he did it.

We're pulled up, folks...all the way to standing. Seeeee?!?! (Note: I hate our bricks for babies...I can just feel my teeth being knocked out when I see a baby crawling near them...however, Baby J reached inbetween two pillows to get to them and pull up for the first time, so we took advantage of the photo op while I stood by ready to catch if necessary). At 7 months, James has also cut 2 new teeth (he has 4 total), says "hi" while waving, says "mama," blows kisses (I wish I could figure out how to post the video of this...too cute!), is crawling everywhere on all fours (Henry didn't do this until after 8 months!), is becoming more social by the minute, is taking two naps a day - long in the a.m. short in the p.m., is a sweet little thumb-sucker, wears 18-24 month clothing, is verrrrry ticklish, loves his big brother, is into anything he can get his hands on, puts everything he can find into his mouth, and is still the sweetest most easy-going baby you've ever seen. Since we're talking milestones, Mr. Henry has hit a few of his own. In a bad mom moment like none other, I discovered that he cut ALL 4 of his big boy molars this past month...they were all through before I even knew it had happened. Poor baby. Everytime I see our full bottle of Children's Motrin I want to kick myself. He has gone from speaking in sentences to having full-out conversations...with anyone who will listen. (Jared, darling, he does not get this chattiness from me.) He is very into 'hiding' right now, and seeks out cubbies and nooks to stash himself in while nobody is looking. He is also all about pretending. He pretends to be all sorts of things and people, and he also loves to make his toys have conversations with each other and with him. Don't even get me started on how much he loves his Halloween costumes - yes, there are two. Also, about a month ago, we noticed that he was singing along with songs that he knows and speaking along with scenes from movies that he likes. That was so awesome to us, because literally one day, he couldn't sing along with anything...the next, he was singing every single word to every single song. That kind of thing is fascinating to me, because there are so few other stages in a human life where you can actually SEE cognitive processes developing, and we're bearing witness to it everyday. Wow.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention/admit that the H-man is having a time of it getting through his Terrible Twos. I don't really like that phrase, because I don't think anything about my baby is terrible...but, it's what the world calls this phase, so I'll begrudgingly use it. One of my girlfriends who reads here recently wrote a blog post about how her sweet daughter (who is almost three) never experienced this at all, and all I could think was...hmmm, how nice...where do I sign up for one of those? Because, alas, 'tis certainly not the case in the Chesser house! We're all about the red-faced, tantrumy, mine-mine-mine, no-mommy-no, don't-want-to, accidentally-yet-on-purpose hurting baby brother, etc. etc. around here. If you need a lesson in patience, I highly recommend taking on a 2-year old for the day. In fact, I'd be delighted to let you know when mine is having a particularly bad moment by throwing him out my car window and into your yard. Return him at your leisure. :)

A few Fridays ago, we took a field trip to see daddy at work. Henry was on Cloud 9 to get to see where daddy goes everyday, to make xerox copies of his hands, to be pushed around all over the place in a rolling office chair, and to lay the ChesserCharm down on Ms. Becky. And looky looky what I got a few days after that...a sweet picture of the two of them together where they're BOTH smiling. No, they're not both looking at the camera. No, they're not their best smiles ever. But, beggers can't be choosers, right?!? I'll take it!After finishing this post, I learned how to upload the kissy video!! Just turn off the music (at bottom of the blog) to hear the video. Enjoy!

Laura's Birthday

Last week, at Henry's Zumba (it's what he calls his music class??), the teacher announced the date for the annual Halloween Party. "Mark your calendars, mommies...we've pinned down a date for the dress-up-boogie-down-trick-or-treat good time." Say whaaaaaa...hold up, sister. Do you mean to tell me that September is gone?

Evidently, that's exactly what she meant to tell me.

And, with the passing of September comes the entrance of October and with that comes, well, one of my most favorite days of the whole year. I'll give you a hint...it's not Halloween. While Halloween is absolutely one of my favorite holidays, this other day of which I speak, it's just a day...no nationally recognized holiday...just a day like any other. Except it's not. And calling it "just a day" does it no justice at all.

It's the day that kicks off the best holidays of the year for me (who remembers that post from last year?). It's a day full of memories of happiness and simple times. It has been that way for me for 7 years...although, as I type this, my memory is blurring on precisely how we celebrated that first year. Somebody help me out on that. I do remember, though, that 6 years ago on this day, a group of law school friends decided not to care about homework or stress or life or school nights, the chill in the air...or the sanctity of trying out for law journal. baahaha. And 5 years ago, those very same friends laughed until their stomachs hurt over sushi and hot spit (or whatever that sick drink is that you crazy people drink at sushi bars). And that every year since we graduated, this day has not passed without acknowledgment.

It's October the 5th, people, and it's Laura H***'s birthday.

Now, I realize that roughly 3/4 of the readers of my blog don't know Miss Laura, and that's okay. You don't have to know her to follow me on this.

Let me start here: I love her. :)

And I love her birthday. I love it because she was so happy and grateful for those little homemade parties we gave her in school. I love it because Laura is the kind of friend you LOVE to see happy and surprised and tickled and celebrated. I love it because it's almost always accompanied by good weather. I love it because it reminds me of our law school 'group'. I love it because it's orange and gold and red and tan and crisp and sunshiny and good. I love it because it looks perfect in a Grove tent bedecked with white lights. I love it because it doesn't always require a present. I love it because it doesn't even require a phone call. I love it because almost every person who celebrated with us in '05 has called me in Octobers since with a, "Hey, remember that time we had that surprise party for Laura and we...." I love it because it, somehow, turned into a tradition that we all silently celebrate from Texas to the Middle East. But, mostly, I love it because I love Laura (the reasons why I do will have to wait for another post :).

And after seven years of ups and downs and round and rounds, we're still all here, my friend (yep, she reads here). No ooey-gooey cheesy sentiment to close this thing, DON'T YOU WORRY (Laura no likey cheesy sentiment)...just one more "I love ya and I love your birthday and I hope it was perfect and I wish I coulda been there to sing the song and see your face alit in birthday glee...maybe next year."

Happiest of birthdays to my dear friend, Lou...and Happy October 5th to everyone else. Now, the party that is 2010 can really begin.

A little fall cleaning.

A few months ago, my mom springs this sweet little number on me. She tells me that she's thought about it (great...this can't be good), and she's decided that I need some help keeping up my house. She even had, at the ready, the name and number of a lady that cleans the homes of several of her co-workers. And even though she didn't speak this decision in that judgy 'mom-to-daughter' way that all of us daughters have come to know so well, I nonetheless reacted in typical brat daughter fashion. Yep, my reply was receptive and mature and super-humble and sounded something like this - "awwww, HELLLLL NAWWWW."

My second thoughts were like this - "I am not about to be paying somebody to do what I can do just fine. And I am doing just fine, thankyouverymuch. Do you even know how much work it would take me just to have my house READY for a housekeeper to come into it? Jared won't pay for that...no way, no how. That's just lazy and ridiculous and preposterous and stupid. Yeah, that's what it is...it's STUPID."

And that was the end of that.

Fast-forward to two weeks ago. My kids were sick. I was sick. Our house was looking like a bomb had gone off in it. Jared was traveling for work 4 out of 5 days that week. I was tired and lonely and sad and sick and overwhelmed and overworked and...in a moment of weakness...I called 'her.' Her name is Maria.

And, you know what? It -- calling her, that is -- just might be the best decision I have ever made.

I'm not saying it's a forever thing. I'm also not saying it's not a little of all of those bad things I said about it before. What I am saying, though, is that my mom wins the prize yet again for knowing best when it comes to me and my sanity (or whatever's left of it after meeting a man, marrying him, job-changing, moving, retiring, popping out two babies, and turning 30 in about 7 seconds flat).

And, now that I've been blessed by not one but TWO visits from Saint Maria, Patron Saint of Saving My Sanity, I've found myself with a little time and energy to post a bloggety blog list of fun about it. And, here it is (in no particular order):

10 Things I've Learned from Saint Maria, Patron Saint of Saving My Sanity

10. A clean house is like a home-cooked meal...it's totally awesome and it's even better if somebody else does it for you.

9. If your 2-year old comes down the stairs from his nap and sees that his home is clean, it's not going to make you cry (like it used to) when he asks, "Mommy, who's comin' over?" Because, guess what. For the first time in a long time, your house is clean just because. Wow. What a revelation.

8. It's profoundly easier to keep a home clean than it is to clean a destroyed crap-sty of a house from the ground up while keepinganeyeonyourtoddlerandsixmontholdandcookingdinnerandrunningerrandsandfeedingthebaby andjugglingwidgetswhileattemptingtobrushyourteethforthefirsttimein48hours.

7. $50-$60 is a small price to pay for right-mindedness. In fact, it's worth giving up just about ANYTHING to squeeze into the budget. I personally chose something very near and dear to my vain little heart...but I don't even care...nobody should have done nails while feeling so undone everywhere else. On that note, it's true what they say...fake nails positively ruin your nailbeds. So, here's to healing fingers, reformed vanity, AND clean baseboards! Holla!

6. Less time and energy cleaning/sorting/picking up/dusting/mopping/sweeping=More quality time and energy loving on the little people in the house.

5. Less time and energy cleaning/sorting/picking up/dusting/mopping/sweeping=More quality time and energy for the other big person in the house. :)

4. If you are used to slavin' around your house and overseeing little people at the same time, you may have a moment like this -- you're sitting at your kitchen table eating a sandwich, both your kids are down for a nap, and you can actually hear someone else scrubbing your toilet...and in this moment, you will suddenly look up and feel like you stole something. Just ride it out, girlfriend...do not let guilt creep in on you now. That moment, it's transcendent and fabulous and, sad to say, short-lived. As we all know, a middle-of-the-night wake-up or a huge blowout diaper or a screamy tantrum at high noon in the neighborhood ChickFilA is sure to befall you very, very soon.

3. It's okay to be so filled with gratitude over the presence of help with your housework that you have real tears in your eyes and a lump in your throat...for two weeks straight. No really, it is.

2. You will find yourself becoming less and less worried about the random little messes that your family makes on a regular basis because, guess what, random little messes are NOTHING compared to random little messes on top of the destroyed crap-sty of a house you were cleaning by yourself before. Nothing.

1. When someone knocks on your door unannounced, you don't have to hide behind furniture and duct-tape your babies' mouths closed so as to make it seem as though you are earning Mother of the Year points by being gone from the home on an outdoor adventure (how else to explain a car in the driveway but no answer at the door? Oh come on, you've sooo thought about it!). Instead, you get to earn Mother/Wife/Homemaker/Hostess of the Year points by calmly and casually swinging that door wide open and saying, "Oh hiiii! What a nice surprise...won't you please come in?!"

So, there you have it. A completely non-inclusive-but-hitting-the-high-points list of things I've learned and love about my mom, Saint Maria, and this little 'secret' to my newfound sanity.

Happy October, friends.

We've gone PINK!

It's October...Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Taking a cue from the NFL, the foremost authority on all things of monumental relevance, we decided pink was the only way to go. Real posts coming soon...haha, no really. I promise.

...the darndest things...

Braved a trip to Target with the hooligans today, and here was an exchange I had with Henry while passing the toy aisle:

Henry: Mommy!!! Look at all those toys for me!!!
Me: Oh, Henry, we're not going to buy a toy today...maybe you can just ask Santa for those toys for Christmas. (never in a gadzillion years did I think I would say those words...but, you know, whatever works!)
Henry: Okay, mommy...will ask for Christmas.

We continued on past the toy section, and H just couldn't break his gaze with the vast cornucopia of playthings. He was pining for those toys, people. Pining.

Finally, after about 30 seconds of thinking about it, he says (and this is a DIRECT QUOTE, mind you):

"Well, I guess I'm just gonna have to come back here later with Mimi."

Spoiled by Mimi much??? hmmm...

Sweet Baby James

How in the world did 6 months go by already? Phew.
Now, James, I hope you aren't mad at me for not posting oozy milestone posts about you each month. Well, actually, I KNOW you're not mad, because you're never anything but joyful and a-giggle. Have I told you lately how much I love that about you?

At six months, you are 19.9 pounds, 28.5 inches long, and your head is 18.75 inches around. This makes you in the 90th percentile for weight and length...and (big surprise here) off the charts for head size.

You babble and coo and roll all over the place. You rock on your hands and knees and army crawl like a true soldier. You do spider fingers to 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' just like your big brother did at this exact same age, and we're certain that it's your favorite song. You have discovered the joy of emitting piercing screeches, and you love to scream back and forth with Henry. He's louder than you, but you sure do try hard to beat him.

Speaking of Henry, he has become your very best friend. You love to snuggle with him, bang toys into him, screech at him, read books with him, steal his bottle, lick his legs, pull his hair, and in general, watch his every move. In fact, this past week, you've decided that watching Henry is even better than eating. Mommy is working hard to time things out so you won't be so distracted. :)

We dappled in some solid foods last week, and you seem to really really like everything we give you. Your favorite - squash! Mommy is going to try to make you a few things this month for you to eat so that we can be careful not to irritate your allergies with any unknown baby food ingredients. Allergies, yeah, you have them...sort of. What you really have is a big scaly case of Eczema, and it comes from an allergy that we haven't quite figured out yet. Thankfully, we've been able to control it okay with medicine, but I'd be lyin' if I said I wasn't afraid that I was going to give you a bite of something that would flare it up worse than it's ever been.

Last week, we took you to Florida where you were able to finally meet the rest of your family. You couldn't have done better on the road, sleeping nights in your pack n' play for two weeks, or with meeting so many new people. You just smiled and laughed and put on quite the perfect baby show for anyone who wanted to watch...and of course we all did, because you're just so stinkin' cute!

I am so thankful for this precious little boy. Thankful for the calm, happy, smiling, laughing, angel-faced, bubbly, cuddly doll of a baby that came into our lives only 6 months ago...and who I now can't imagine my life or our family without.

Happy half birthday, sweet baby James!

Something worth your consideration...

Please jump on over to my friend, Charity's, page. If you are looking for a real opportunity to GIVE to something worthwhile, I strongly encourage you to choose this beautiful cause. Charity Rohlfs's Page

Oh, Henry!

So, today, my two-year old tried to nurse his baby brother.

One minute, they were snuggling on the couch - tummy to tummy, James nuzzling his face into Henry's neck. The next minute, Henry has his shirt up saying, "Want some milk, Little Bruwwa? Please drink some of my milk..."

We knew something along these lines was bound to happen, and it was just as precious and hilarious as we thought it would be. Jared and I have been snickering about it all day. I especially loved the "please drink" part...Mr. Perceptive has clearly picked up on his Mama pleading with James through his nursing strike this week (two teeth in seven days will do that to a baby, I've learned x 2).

Priceless pics

Blogger has changed the way my photos upload and display...I am soooo lost. Nonetheless, here's a few from the past couple of weeks around the Chesser house. Enjoy! :)

big brother

Hey guys. Sorry I've been gone too long again. My long-awaited, much anticipated comeback just keeps being thwarted by boys....you know, the two (okay, three...) that I'm responsible for over here at the Casa de Chesser. Everytime I think I can sneak off to write something, one of them wakes up from a nap, needs a new diaper, must be fed at that very moment, or is demanding attention.

And since the thought of clacking out a big, long, hilarious post to compensate for my absence makes me want to hyperventilate (yes, that sort of thing is admittedly overwhelming to me), I've been procrastinating. Ultimately, I decided to just re-enter with only this - a brief and heartwarming tale of brotherly love.

Henry, ordinarily a 'this is my space...that is your space' kind of kid, has suddenly developed an interest in snuggling (aside: I've only been waiting two freaking years for it, little man!! wahooooo!!!). With this new snuggalicious development have come some pretty adorable conversations and precious memories.

Here's one from yesterday:

The boys were both in our living room while I was slavin' in the kitchen. James was propped up against the couch pillows (he likes to 'sit' there and watch Henry play), and I overhear Henry abruptly decide to stop what he's doing and go see what James is up to. I hear him say, "Wan' snuggle James...wan' snuggle, Witt-ew Bruwwa?" (Witt-ew Bruwwa...that's Henryspeak for little brother). I had my eye on them from the doorway, and just as I began to worry that he was going to seriously smother sweet baby j, Henry sits up quickly and looks down at James' arms.

"(audible gasp followed by a dramatic monologue)...Ohhhh nooooo, Jaaaaames...what haaaaappened??? Mommy, what haaaaaaaappened to James' arms? Look, Mommy, he has bo-bos!! Awww, Witt-ew Bruwwa...ya' okay, Witt-ew Bruwwa? Ya' okay? Need a Band-aid, Witt-ew Bruwwa? Okay, be riiiiiight back (holding up one finger in the 'just a minute' gesture)." (sidenote: James' bo-bos are a bad case of eczema...arms are the worst, but he has it all over).

He returned seconds later with a measuring tape (where does he find these things?!?!), and begins to wrap up James' arms. "There go, Witt-ew Bruwwa...make you feeeeel muuuuuuuuuuch better."

And I feel much better too...August is already off to a better bloggy start than July. Look for a few make-up posts in the coming days/weeks. I've got birthdays, anniversaries, and the like (and pictures to go with each!) to tell you all about!

Greetings from the Anti-blogger

Hi, remember me? Yeah, I'm that girl who used to sign on and write quirky things a couple times a week on this blog. I don't know if it's the heat or the tiredness or the shifting priorities or WHAT, but I just haven't felt like clacking out entries lately. Maybe it's the new outlet I've found for my energy and creativity (more on that next time). Whatever it is, it just can't get in the way of the information I have to report today...you know, so that it's preserved somewhere other than in their baby books which are oh-so likely to be lost, destroyed by Crayola-wielding tots, or left incomplete by their mashed-potato brained mother. Ahem.

Soooo, today, we had one big mammajamma of a pediatrician appointment. Well check...for both boys...shots all around. Go big or go home, right?

They both did exceedingly well at their appointments, and Paw Paw did a nice (and MUCH APPRECIATED) job of accompanying us and then stepping in to take my big crybaby to the toy store as my little crybaby had his turn with the needles.

Can I just stop right here to give my daddy some major props for thinking to follow us in his truck to the doc's office so that he could make a quick exit with Henry while I finished up with James??? Of course I can. Props to you, Super-PawPaw.

The stats. Whooooweeeeeeee. Let me preface this section by just saying, for the record, that I have huge kids. Huge. Jared and I aren't small people and never have been, but our kids could seriously kick both our asses with an arm tied behind each of their backs. :)

Henry is 37 1/2 inches tall (>97th), weighs 36 1/2 lbs.(>97th), and has a head circumference of 21 inches (>97th). Jameson is 26 1/2 inches tall (85-90th), weighs 18.8 lbs.(94th), and has a head circumference of 17 3/4 inches (96th). As you all know, I don't usually go looking up percentiles, but our doctor made such a deal of how big they are that I just got too curious.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!      

Father's Day and the Big 3-0!

For Father's Day this year, we headed out to the utmost kid-friendly, non-womanizing establishment in our neighborhood...also known as The Brickhouse Tavern. 

Can't you just see how disappointed Jared was that we weren't enjoying an uber-boring brunch somewhere more PC? ha. ha. Please disregard Henry's sad face...it has nothing to do with his contentment level (which was high)...more to do with his fever (also, high).

This oh-so-special restaurant didn't even HAVE a high chair...or a booster seat...or a kid's menu. But it DID have a dessert section on its menu entitled "Happy Endings," and all of the waitress' jean shorts seemed to have been attacked by 3-foot tall legwear-eating gnomes. Just sayin'. Debauchery at its finest, y'all. ((Again, I feel I am failing at my bid for Mother of the Year).

A good time was had by all. Here I am, first, with my brothers and dad...and then, with just my dad...

Then, the day after Father's Day was another fantabulous day of celebration. Yours truly did, indeed, change that front number! Despite H's pesky fever, it really was a wonderful birthday. We're doing the 'BIG' celebration this weekend, though, so I'll post more about the festivities and fun then. For now, a pic as we left for 30th birthday date night.

More to come...

3 months old!

Hi, I'm James.

When I was born, I looked like this...

...I've come a long way, baby! Here I am today...3 big, huge, amazing months old!

A rainy Tuesday...

Me: So, Henry, what do you think we should do today?
Henry (very matter of factly): Go to store.
Me: Oh, do you want to? What store should we go to?
Henry: a BIIIIIG one!!! a BIIIIIG store mommy.
Me: Really? Well, what do we need to buy at the big store?
Henry (again, matter of factly): Groceries.
Me: No, we have groceries. What else do we need?
Henry: ummm, a pillow...a CHOOCHOO pillow!!!
Me: A choo choo pillow?? I'm not sure if...
Henry (cutting in, sing-songy): It'll be fun. Mommy...will.be.fun!!

Would it surprise you if I told you that I sometimes convince Henry to get in the car to run errands or go to the store by telling him that it's going to be fun? Little copycat stinker. Speaking of him being a copycat, Jared and I have learned a very important parenting lesson these past few weeks. Here it is: DO NOT respond to your child's incessant questioning with anything but 'yes' or 'no' - no really, don't.

An illustration: Henry has a fascination with having his diaper off and asking if it's okay to pee-pee on things. Just stay with me, okay...you'll see where I'm going. At first, it was sort of an adorable game. Pee-pee floor? No, Henry. Pee-pee couch? No. Pee-pee wall? No. Pee-pee James? No, Hen. You get the idea. Well, after him asking to pee-pee on a gadzillion different things, we got lazy. Pee-pee shoes? No. Pee-pee counter? No, Henry. Pee-pee chair? No. Pee-pee feet? No. Pee-pee pool? No, Henry. Pee-pee TV? Nope.

**sound of record screeching as music comes to abrupt stop**

Fast-forward a few days. Henry, it's time to put your shoes on. NOPE! Henry, seriously, we have to go. NOPE! Henry, come get in your seat. NOPE! NOPE! NOPE! Henry, stop throwing things at James. NOPE! Eat your dinner, buddy. NOPE! And, just since this weekend, he's tacking on an adorable "don't want to" to the end of his nopes. On that note, if I figure out who taught him the ever-charming "don't want to"...well, I'm just gonna...well...nevermind.

In other news, James has all of the sudden found his voice. He's been serenading us all day long, and Henry and I are loving it. Henry gets so tickled, because James looks right into his eyes and squeals and screams as loud as his little baby pipes will let him. He told me today that James is actually singing to him, so a few times, when James was extra loud, Henry would chime in with a few words to songs he knows.

For all you math people, here's the equation. Screechy, excited baby + tone-deaf song-happy toddler = Truly joyful noise.

The weather is humid and drippy, so we're making memories inside until that passes over...you know, in, like, September. :) By the way, it's a big birthday month around here. James will be 3 months old on the 10th (I know, I can't believe it either), and in some even more unbelievable birthday news, someone in our house - ahem - may or may not be changing her front number before the month is out. Let's all hope that what they say is true...it's the new 20, right? :)

More on that later...

...and it's done.

Okay, so here we are...private.

I think I like it so far. We've had a few kinks to work out with the invite emails and the sign-in process, but I think we're all situated now. I can't tell you how reassuring it is (for me) to see only familiar cities signing into the blog this week (see the feed on the lower right side of the page). There's something disconcerting about not knowing a soul in New Guinea or Arizona but seeing those places continually 'checking in' on here. Maybe those are relatives of friends who link us on their blog...or maybe they're not. Nice to not have to wonder anymore. :)

So, what's going on with us? I know I've been M.I.A. for a few weeks, but I assume all of you know that's just the nature of the beast we call life right now. I don't have a lot of time to sit and write unless I'm up before my babies (fat freaking chance that's gonna happen!!) or unless they nap at the same time (even fatter freaking chance THAT'S gonna happen). Rest assured, we're making serious memories up in here...they're just not making it to blog. And, for now, that's okay.

Probably the biggest thing going on right now is that Henry has gotten over his fear of water. Well, I should qualify. He's never been afraid of water, per se. It's more the unpredictability of water droplets. I mean, he's good just sitting in the bath, and the thought of splashing in there has been fun too. It's when the splashes inadvertently lead to water in his eyes or on his hair or anywhere he wasn't expecting water to land. God forbid he accidentally turn the shower on himself. That's a Stage 4 Meltdown in the making, fo' sho'. So, you see, he's been slow to take to the pool. He's been getting in pools since he was about 2 1/2 months old, and he's been getting right back out of them about 5 minutes after he gets in for just as long.

Then, just in the past two weeks, we've seen a change. And it has been so much fun for all of us.

It started with a really sweet birthday party that we attended a few weekends ago at a really sweet pool. This particular pool is kind of like a water park insomuch as it has a splash pad section and a lazy river. We were so excited to see what H would think of it...and we figured it would be a perfect place for him to try lots of different water activities. Bonus: other kids would be there to 'show him the ropes.' Woot. So, we left the baby with my mom, and we focused all of both of our energies on playing with H in the water. By the end of our time there, he was still very pissy about splashing, but we had convinced him to stay in the water for 10-15 minutes AND to jump to us from the side. Progress. Then, at the end of our time in the water, there was birthday cake, ice cream, cute playfriends, and singing. All good associations for the future 'pool' outings to come, right? Right.

The next day, we took him to my brothers' apartment complex pool for fun with his Uncle Jon-Jon, Uncle Justin, Aunt Steppy, and 'Toria. You could immediately tell that he was a recovered pool hater! Not only did he jump freely to all of us, but he stayed in the water for a lot of the time. You should see him decked out for it...he wears floaties AND a tube AND his sandals. Jonathan (my brother) and I joke that all he needs are some flippers and a snorkel to complete his waddly, awkward get-up. hehehe. The photos are just BEGGING to be in a wedding slideshow one day.

Then, the next weekend, my dad got the macdaddy of all hot tubs to replace his older model. Y'all, this thing is ginormous, and it has lights, fountains, and a sound system. Yeah, for reals. So, the 'rents have decided to keep it cool for Henry to swim in during the day, and may I just say, the macdaddy hot tub was the last nail in Hen's watersplashphobia coffin. Booooyah...

Since then, we've spent countless hours beating the heat in pools, sprinklers, splash pads, and of course, in "PawPaw's new pool that has waterfalls."

More later...hell just froze over...I've got both asleep at the same time...

We're going private.

After reading boatloads of information regarding internet safety/privacy issues, I've decided to make our blog private. I've been public for a long while now, but I have to tell you, just lately, I have become anxious about staying that way. So, I did some research, and now I've decided that, for me, this is the best choice. Private. In 72 hours.

I know what you're thinking...you hate having to sign in...you hate having to email me and ask to be on the 'invited readers' list...you hate an extra step to any part of anything.

I get that. I really, really do.

But, the thing is, I hate the thought of pe.dop.hi.les enjoying photos of my boys. I hate the thought of hac.kers and creeps (who may be able to find a way in anyway, I realize) being freely given information about our id.en.ti.ties. I hate wondering if my number is up in bl.ogwo.rld and whether the baddies are all up in my bizzzzz all the time. And, you know what, I hate that stuff way more than you hate inconvenience.

So, there it is. We're going private. In 72 hours.

Contact me via email or fb, make sure to include your email address, and I'll gladly add you to 'The List.' Also, I know there are a few of you who read here but that we don't talk on a regular basis. No shame to that game, girlfriends...just shoot me your info via email, and I'll add you too!

Thanks for understanding, y'all. See ya on the other side...

The blahs

Every room in my house is messy. Every. Single. Room. I haven't showered since Monday morning...and even so, I didn't get to dry my hair afterwards, so it totally doesn't count as a real shower. There are countless half-drunk bottles of apple juice scattered about this place. That's right...BOTTLES. Sippy cups are being rejected at this particular moment in time. You know what else is scattered about this place? Everything.

Henry can't keep his hands off my new breast pump...doesn't matter if it's in use or idle...he loves. I love too (the pump, that is...not Mr. Grab-at). It's made by Lansinoh. Speaking of Lansinoh, I'm irked at them, because right after I give them such mad props on my blog for their bitchin' breastpads, they go and change the design. New design = stooooooopid.

Jameson grew out of all of his 6 month clothes already...yes, he's huge. Mr. Bigs also has a little patch of cradle cap that I've been itchin' to get at with baby oil and a comb. But where, oh where, is the baby oil???

I'm pretty sure I have a husband and that he's the cute guy that keeps coming in around 5 or 6, cooking dinner, and taking the reins so I can get my head back above water. One day soon, I'm going to have a start-to-finish, uninterrupted conversation with that guy. If I can find a shower (a real one preferably) and manage to put some of this strewn-about crap away, that is...something about me and the house looking like this make me want to hide my head in shame from that cute guy.

On a brighter note, we've all slept through the night for a week straight (8 hours or more), so at least that's good.

Actually, it's all good. It's just been one of those weeks. One of those weeks where everything happens at once -- the summer heat arrives, the 2-year old doesn't want to stay inside anymore, baby brother gets a heat rash after three minutes outside, all the bills come due (who knew a few hives could be so expensive?!?), the baby wants to eat at the exact same time that the big brother wants to sit on mommy's lap or throw trucks at her face, the humidity is up, and Project BabyWeight is at an annoying standstill. The rooms are a mess, but naps are staggered instead of simultaneous this week. Quiet is hard to come by, and Calm is all but forgotten.

This, my friends, is what I call The Stay at Home Mommy Blahs. It happens to the best of us, and this week, it has gotten ahold of me.

Our week in pictures...

First, a shout-out to Henry's favorite time of the day (on Mondays and Thursdays anyway!). This is his "garbage friend." He's telling him about "the big green truck that mushes the trash."

Hi, sweetface.

James is the happiest baby IN THE WORLD.

These dudes are BFFs.

Happy Mother's Day! Henry made me this awesome stepping stone for our house...love, love, love. Mommy likes her babies like she likes her cookies - chocolate-covered with sprinkles on top. :)

2 months old!! Very squeezable and delicious...

2-month old picture with the puppy from Paw Paw.

Wild Man at the park.

I'm so glad it's almost time for another weekend. I absolutely LIVE for weekends.

2 months old!

Let's face it, 2-month olds don't 'do' very much. So, suffice it to say that Baby J has hit all of the normal developmental milestones for his age. As for stats, proud grandparents, here they are:

weight: 14 lbs. 10 ozs.
length: 23.5 in. (I think he's actually longer than this...he was very squirmy during measuring...I'm going to measure him when he wakes up to double-check)
head circ: 16.5 in.

Big Brother Henry accompanied us to the 2-month check-up today. He was so sweet and concerned the whole time, and he even told the nurse "NO!" when she gave Jameson his first shot. This was the first time I've ventured into a place of business with the two of them by myself...and I'm pleased as punch to say it went just fine.

It's naptime at the Chesser house, so I've gotta go. I'll post a 2-month photo later on today along with my AWESOME Mother's Day presents from the boys.

Happy belated Mom's Day to all of the fab ladies who check in on my blog -- especially my mom, Jared's mom, Nana, and Betsy!!

catalog browsing

Just about everyday, Henry and I go out to get the mail together after he wakes up from his nap. We run (read: he runs, I chase him) down the driveway, into the street, and to the mailbox. Once we open it and get the goods out, we go through it together. Lots of things are just "trash." We take those to the garbage can on our way back inside. We call all envelopes (i.e. bills) "daddy mail"...ha. And, then there are the catalogs. Some of these are "trash" and others demand a quick browse.

We sit on the driveway to sort and browse. Henry in my lap. Can you picture us??

Okay, so the other day, we got a boatload of Mother's Day catalogs. Treasure trove! Lots to browse. As we were perusing the Kohl's catalog, Henry spots a lady donning only her underthings - a cute matchy bra and panty set, if you must know.

For a moment I contemplate all the pop-culture musings on modesty, propriety, and oversexualization of kiddos at a young age. He breaks this dumb train of thought in typical, hilarious fashion.

He says to me, "Mommy...lady?" Me: "Yes Henry, there's a lady." Him: "Pretty...pretty lady, mommy." Me: "Yeah, buddy, she IS pretty." Him: "Lady go to pool??"Me: *sigh* "Yep, she sure is going to the pool!"

The newest and littlest...

Announcing (officially):


I'm sure I'm breaking all sorts of etiquette rules by a) waiting/procrastinating on this project until 2 months after the baby was born and b) blogging the announcement before it's actually been mailed. Oh well...Emily Post gave up on me a loooong time ago, anyway.

Hope y'all like these as much as I do!!

**Note - I totally nabbed this blog idea from a girlfriend of mine, B.E., so, if she happens to stop by, I hope she remembers that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! Love the blog announcement idea!!

a few pictures...

1 month old (from a few weeks ago...obviously).Henry trying to help James brush his teeth.Being 1-month old makes me sleeeeeepy.Muscles!! Brothers.

It's my first day in Size 2 diapers (7 weeks, 2 days)!! Such a big boy!My sweet 7 1/2 week smile...

Naptime now...see y'all.