Bonus Day

Lance had a 3-day weekend, which we were surprised about at the last minute when his boss called Thursday night. We set out to have a fun, yet productive Friday with our beautiful boys. The main project for the weekend has been making use of all of the wonderful digital photographs that we have recently gotten from Bloom Austin Photography. Of course, no productive weekend is complete without a trip to Costco. This particular trip was notable for two reasons. First, it was probably the least we have ever spent in a single trip. Second, Evan sat in the cart for the first time! As you can see from the photographs, he really enjoyed it. I was overcome with pride and thankfulness, seeing my two boys sitting in that card side-by-side.


After Costco we went shopping for Benjamin's bed and I think the boys were really getting tired. We wrapped up the afternoon with a trip to the Mighty Cone food trailer. Lance and I have been following the increasing popularity of food trucks/trailers, yet we have only been to one or two. Mighty Cone maked a good first start in our quest to become familiar with Austin's fine trailers. Crunchy chicken and shrimp with bright, fresh slaw and a spicy sauce, wrapped in a tortilla made for a delicious dinner in the 100 degree weather. We were a little too ambitious and went over to the Austin Trailer Park and Eatery to sample more trailer fare and some cake balls. We got a hot dog for Benjamin and sat down in the shade to feed Evan. Unfortunately, the cake balls will have to wait, as our stay was cut short by Benjamin's meltdown. All in all, it was a great bonus Friday.

A House Without Baba's

We finally took Benjamin's Baba's away, and it was long overdue. We have no one to blame but ourselves for any fallout that might be. That doesn't make it any easier, it makes it a little bit tougher. So I thought things wouldn't be too bad, which was probably just wishful thinking. I was wrong. It seems that he really did use them to soothe himself and he's had such a hard time settling down for sleep without them. The good news is that they are gone, all of them. We took Evan's away too. After all, he did not really seem to want them. I realized that I just kept putting them back in his mouth after he pulled them out. It is the end of an era. Now we are praying that Benjamin will soon learn to calm down and fall asleep in less than the two hours that it currently takes at night. He has pretty much stopped taking naps. Yes, that hurts a stay-at-home mommy as much as it might seem. I might have to settle for an hour-long "quiet time" if I want to get a shower or some exercise. Despite these problems, a house without Baba's seems somehow liberating and I know it will be better for all of us.

Evan Update

Evan is almost 8 months old. He is really getting around, despite not crawling yet. He rolls over to get things and goes from sitting to a crawling position. In fact, it seems like he will hardly sit at all anymore. Along with these changes has come a change in sleeping patterns. He has cut his naps in half and was really fighting sleep for a week or so. What I learned from Benjamin is that this is likely a phase and he will return to the good sleeper that we know. This is such a neat time in his life, as he rounds the corner and heads toward the one year mark. He has a sweet disposition and such beautiful blue eyes. I am so excited to see how he changes into a little boy. Go Evan!

The Bad Day, At Least Mostly

The day did not start out bad, really it didn't. The boys and I went for a lovely walk around the block and I'm pretty sure I actually felt a semi-cool breeze. Evan went down for his morning nap after just a few minutes of crying and Benjamin and I enjoyed a brief period of drawing with sidewalk chalk in the front yard. We hung out peacefully for a while and then went to Sprouts to acquire some baking materials. Evan sat in the grocery cart for the first time while Benjamin walked alongside me! If only I had brought my cell phone to take a picture. I was very proud of my boys, who were so well behaved. Then, the first sign that things might not be as good as they seemed, I realized that I had left the groceries in the cart in the parking lot! We were on our way to Benjamin's gymnastic class and, as you recall, I did not have a phone to call Sprouts! When I got to My Gym I borrowed their phone and called Lance, who called Sprouts to hold the groceries.


The class was really great and, to be fair, I can't really say that the entire day was bad. I enjoyed watching Benjamin be so independent in his class. He was the teacher's pet, sitting right next to him for most of the class and following his every instruction. Benjamin really did shine in that class and you could tell that he was feeling so good about himself. He even used to potty during the free time period and did an excellent job. He is always the first to sit in the circle when the music stops and it is "Circle Time".


Its on our way home that the bad day really began. See, the problem is that the class is at 11:45 and is over just before 1, when the boys have usually been put down for their naps. I had to stop at Sprouts to get the groceries that I had left, and the boys still needed to eat something before taking naps. So Evan started breaking down on the way to Sprouts and the next hour was rather stressful to say the least. Thankfully, Evan only cried for a few minutes before falling asleep. However, Benjamin never went to sleep. I rested and ate lunch for a few minutes before making the rather unwise decision to bake cupcakes.


Since I hadn't heard from Benjamin I assumed he was asleep. As I was getting ready to mix the dry ingredients into the eggs, I heard Benjamin's door open and somehow I knew this would not turn out well! I asked him to play quietly for 10 more minutes while I finished the cupcakes. Well, its hard to remember if you already put a teaspoon of salt in the batter when a 2 year-old is screaming and banging on his door. Then I heard Evan wake up after just a 30 minute nap. Uh oh! I went upstairs after putting the cupcakes in the oven. I walked in Benjamin's room and he requested to use the potty. I should have known by the smell that he had already gone but I told him to go ahead. Then I got Evan and headed downstairs to check on the cupcakes. That is when I fell down the stairs for the second time in two weeks. I screamed and cried for fear that Evan might be hurt and Benjamin started screaming too. I clung to Evan, who by the grace of God was okay. Then I went upstairs to calm Benjamin and he screamed that poop was all over the floor. Poor thing had taken off his pull ups to use the potty but they were already full of poop! I quickly cleaned up the poop and closed the bathroom door, then went downstairs to take the cupcakes out of the oven. Well, they did not look good! It was then I realized how much pain I was in. I thought I might have broken my tailbone. Sarah and Bryn were scheduled to come over in a few minutes. I took several tylenol and put a bag of ice on my derriere. Sarah was able to help me give Evan a bottle and we managed to have a good conversation. After she left I decided to try the cupcakes again, I was determined! Well, they failed a second time...... The rest of the day and evening was spent nursing my injuries (the knee is still recovering) and taking many a deep breath.


Thank you God for keeping Evan safe while his mother keeps falling, and thank you for the joys of seeing Benjamin grow. Please Lord, heal my injured body and restore me to my former self. Amen.

Busy Weekend

We had a long list of to-do's and, I have to say with pride, we got through about two thirds of it! It really is amazing how much you can pack into two days and manage to come out relatively unscathed. That is not to say that we are well rested or relaxed! We did end up doing some gardening, necessary household chores, trying out a new church, and grocery shopping. Especially considering my damaged knee, I feel pretty good about that list. Its also true that I get a little bit more done when a chunk of time is not spent exercising.


As far as fun goes, we got some of that in as well. Benjamin, daddy, and Evan braved the 100+ weather and did some sidewalk chalk. Evan seemed to enjoy it and generally just loves to be around with daddy and Benjamin doing some guy bonding. We got a picture of him sticking out his tongue, which is a very frequent activity for him these days. It is just too cute and too funny!


The biggest highlight of the weekend was the free concert at Sunset Valley Hall. We got to see a Cajun Zydeco band called "Doctor Zog". I had my doubts about the timing of the event, since it was right before bedtime and Benjamin had skipped his nap on Sunday. However, it was so much fun that it was even worth the wild time we had putting the boys to bed last night. Benjamin absolutely loved it and spent about half the time there dancing. There was a cute little 5 year-old girl with a princess red dress on and a tiara. Benjamin was particularly interested in her and, with daddy's prompting, asked her to dance! They danced for about 30 minutes or so and started pulling up strands of Bermuda grass, giving them to each other and to us like flowers. It was absolutely precious! Evan even got in on some of the fun and the little girl was quite fond of him.


Finally, it was also a weekend with firsts, as most of them are around here. It was Evan's first time to stay with someone besides us or the grandparents. We dropped him and Benjamin off at the nursery while we tried out a new church on Sunday. He did absolutely great and the ladies said he was a flirt. The concert also marked Evan's first live music event. May he have a lifetime of wonderful music to look forward to!

Recuperation and Renewal

After coming home from vacation, I needed a break. Before I could quite get my bearings back, I fell on the stairs and injured my knee. I don't mean to complain too much, but my knees have always been problematic, and that was not something I really needed. I have been hobbling around for almost a week, hauling my lame body up and down the stairs. The add more stress to the system, the boys and I got a cold. Thankfully, it was a pretty mild cold, but it did seem to make me feel very worn down. I started to feel like I have been tired and worn down since I had Evan 7 months ago. Now that I am feeling a little more like myself, I realize that it wasn't really true, just a temporary perspective. I have had periods of energy, especially associated with exercising and getting in shape.


After finally giving in and going to our room to lie down last night (before we put the kids to bed!), I texted the grandparents and invited them to take Benjamin tomorrow. I felt a pang of guilt, but reassured myself that I was sick and needed a break. I do SO love Benjamin, but recently he does take a lot of mental energy. I want to be able to respond to his needs in a calm and loving manner. I find that I am often disappointed by my responses, and that is even more tiring. So today is a day of rest, a day to reset. Evan is upstairs taking a good nap and I am taking some time for myself. I have plans, big plans. Its just a matter of picking one of them and seeing it through. Hopefully I will be posting images of my photo collage and various decorating projects in the near future. To be fair, let's shoot for the end of the year!


This is a reminder that we need to take care of ourselves in order to take care of others. I need this quiet mental space to renew my energy and be ready for Benjamin when he needs me. Its okay to ask for help and its okay to realize that you need a break. Now I just have to believe that and repeat it to myself daily. If only I could focus on the most important things, not getting bogged down in the minutia of daily life. This is probably God telling me that its time to get back to church and a Christ-centered way of life. Please God, help me to follow in your path and lead me into the light!

Our Big Boy

Today was the first day that Mr. Benjamin Vaughn did not need a diaper change. It seems hard to believe that he went all day using the potty, when just a few weeks ago I wondered when it would ever happen. He looked so proud of himself when we all congratulated him tonight. Yay Mr. Benjamin Vaughn!

7 Months

Evan is 7 months today! So much has happened since he turned 6 months! He has sampled so many new foods, gone swimming, been to the beach, flown on a plane, and vacationed in New Mexico. He is babbling, shrieking like a baby dinosaur, and trying to crawl (he can go backwards and in a circle). There aren't words or photos to capture what a sweet, dear, precious little boy he is. We are all so blessed to have him!

A Look Back

Phew! What a vacation! This was our first vacation with both boys! It was also Evan's first time at the beach and first time on the plane. Lance and I thought we would barely make it on the way home but it wasn't that bad. The boys were both very good but it was a chore hauling the car seats and luggage around. When we got home we were so exhausted. I am still trying to recover from vacation. Oh the irony! Can hardly wait for the next one ;)