Ouch

Ben has teeth 2, 3, and 4 about ready to make their debut. This seemingly fun fact landed us in the urgent care center today because he was MISERABLE and based on my experience with child #1 I assumed it was his ears. Whoops, no. According to the doctor (who, I'm sorry, was really looking at me through the whole process as if to say, "You have no clue, lady"....or maybe that's just my paranoia and pride about being the "good mom" talking) his ears looked "fabulous". Well, what's a girl to do? The kid was in pain. We got him juiced up on Motrin and he's been doin' pretty fine ever since. Sometimes it seems just plain not fair that kids can be so different from each other. It seems to me once you plow through the issues of your first child it should be dues paid toward the coming of the future offspring. Which I guess in some regards it can be. And I suppose I wouldn't just want little carbon copies running around anyway. And I'm certainly not complaining that Ben's ears are clear. Looks like we'll just be riding out the teething wave for the time being with a few tears and some ibuprofen (perhaps a little for Mom too.....never hurts).

Breakthrough

Literally. Benj's first tooth made its appearance today. Discovery is attributed to Nana.....er, Nana's finger. Poor guy has definitely been chewing more voraciously and exhibiting more crabbiness in the past week or so, so this would explain things. We won't be breaking out the peanut brittle and steak quite yet, but it's pretty exciting to watch our little guy getting bigger. Exciting and sad at the same time. More evidence of time marching onward.

Favorite sound of the day: Jeran making Ben laugh hysterically.

Summer - Week 1

School is, somewhat sadly but mostly not, a distant memory already. I think that's just evidence that I was really ready to be done and shift into mommy mode. Our first week of summer has been fabulous! We kicked it off with a long-weekend trip to Michigan so James could fish and the boys and I could visit with the fam and friends. Upon our return to the Land of Lincoln we've made it to the park, Pump It Up w/ some buds (it's a place with big inflatable slides and things you jump in - very fun and very tiring! Jeran slept good that day- see a few pics below), and we've also had time to accomplish the necessary parts of life: laundry, grocery shopping, Ben's 6 month dr. appt., etc. It's such a relief to be able to only focus my brain on the things my family and home needs and not school on top of it. Next week I do start work at a tutoring center 2 days a week, but it's a VERY different atmosphere. Much more laid-back, small group work (with none of the grading either! :) - I know, why do teachers complain about grading when we're the ones that assign it? We're gluttons for punishment that way). Anyway, it is a blessing right now to have this reprieve from busyness and to be able to really spend time with my boys. It blows my mind that Ben is already 6 MONTHS and it hit me that Jeran COULD be heading to "three-school" next fall (although he's not :) ). Before I know it he WILL be in school and life is just a wild, hang-onto-your-hat ride from there on out as I understand it. Pretty soon it'll be drivers' training, high school graduation, college.....aah! Ok, let's get this potty training thing down first, how about? Which, let's now even go there in this particular blog.

Random question of the day: What's with UPS guys? They ring the doorbell and SPRINT back to their trucks as if they'll get docked in pay should you open the door to actually find them there with your delivery in hand. Maybe the fellows have some sort of delivery guy dare to see how many times they can "ding-dong ditch" the goods. It creates this somewhat creepy aura of mystery around this particular line of work. Maybe THAT'S what they're going for. The appearance of a glamorous and all-important job where wearing shorts is acceptable and there's a deep underworld centered around black market knee socks and contraband packing tape.