Teething

For the past several weeks, the boys have been teething. The emergence of some monster grinder molar teeth on the top and bottom on both sides unfortunately coincided with our attempt to introduce night weaning, which we have now abandoned. Some nights one or both boys wake up two or three times. Tonight we luckily muted the television show we were watching at 8:30pm and heard Theo screaming. By the time we got upstairs, Beck was crying too. I have no idea if he just had a bad dream, or if his teeth were bothering him, but I decided to give them both tylenol. As always, most of the tylenol ended up on the floor, my clothes, my arms and legs, their necks and faces and arms and legs and bellies and diapers, and the bedside table. Then we went for a walk around the block in our Ergos, with them wide awake and looking out at the cars and streetlights and people out for strolls. When we got home, we put them down in their cribs and they curled up and went to sleep.

 On a day a few weeks ago when Theo woke up early and cranky from a nap at the lake, Grandpa Stu cuddled and rocked him for a good long while so he could at least have some rest time, if he wasn't going to sleep.

More photos from Tamaleaa weekend

 Jalen and Beckett reading a book.

 Grandpa Stu and Theo reading.

 Jeff and Jared, who beat Jeff (twice, but who's counting) at chess over the weekend.

 Grandma Joanie demonstrating the natural instinct to gloat when one has something coveted by others. For example, in this photo, she is gratuitously enjoying her root beer float, procured on a trip to the grocery store with Jordan (who also got a root beer float).

 Theo gloating over his having procured the baby cell phone given to the boys by Grandma Joanie.

Grandpa Stu and Jada fishing off the dock.

Stu and Mark--he who is never photographed!

Weekend at the lake with the Tamaleaas!

This weekend we brought our friend and the boys' babysitter Mindy and her family to the lake with us. We had beautiful weather all weekend though it was COLD at night and breezy during the day. We also brought them to the Sim Redmond Band concert with us Saturday night, which was awesome. Everyone pitched in to make and clean up meals, and everyone had fun entertaining the babies. It was a really great, easy weekend!

Babies' first art!

I bought some newsprint and some chunky crayons at an art store last week to try out with the boys, and we just got a chance to try it out Monday afternoon. The tile floor got some crayon marks and there may have been some crayon ingested by one or both boys but it was a fun first attempt. I think we'll wait another month or two before bringing them out again.

Visit with P Man!

Between fighting over Preston's juice and Theo getting a fat lip, Theo and Beckett enjoyed a great visit with friend Preston. Note: Preston is only four months older than T &B but is quite a bit larger....

Luckily Daddy Lovebo arrived home at the exact right moment, as Beckett was careening toward the road and Theo was thrashing in the stroller, bleeding from the mouth and screaming. Beck and I joined Sara and P-Man at the park to play in the fountain, swing on the swings, and run around the playground.

Case in point

Theo decided not to nap today. So we spent the hour Beckett napped making as much noise as possible.

To sleep or not to sleep

That is the question my boys ask themselves every night, and every nap. About two weeks ago we thought we had night weaned, for which we patted ourselves on the back. Then it seemed like nights were getting very difficult again, with multiple wakeups, and difficult calculations of whether the boys needed to be attended to or whether they were only briefly awake and would put themselves back to sleep. All of which resulted in very little sleep for the Parents Lovebo. Inspired by Sarah at a visit this weekend, I decided to resume night nursing if the boys awoke. Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights have gone much better, with one brief wakeup and then otherwise uninterrupted sleep for all. The boys are nursing at 6:45 or 7pm and then waking up at 4 or 5 in the morning, so I figure they're going 9 or 10 hours straight sleeping, so maybe they really are waking up hungry in the early morning hours. So far we're all getting more sleep, so I think that's a sign we're doing something right.

Sunday Theo decided he was not going to have a nap, which turned out to be okay because the Parkes came over for a great afternoon which kept Theo and Beckett entertained until bedtime.