First Visit to the Dentist

The dentist office is sure different then when I was a kid.  It looks like a living room complete with a fireplace and coffee machine.  There is a game room for the kids (the games are even free!) and a playhouse/loft.  Nathan and Ben love the dentist.  We waited for about ten minutes as I filled out the duplicate paperwork.  The kids were more then content playing with all the toys and waiting for Katie (the dental hygienist) to call their names.

  I was a little unsure as to how the boys would do.  We have been talking about going to the dentist, reading books and practicing brushing their teeth twice a day, flossing with the dino flossers and using mouth wash to "spit with."  We kept telling them that we wanted their teeth sparkling clean for the dentist. 

Nathan wanted to go first!  He jumped up in the chair.... Katie gave him a ride up and down and backward and forwards on the chair.  Katie asked him what he would like to watch on the TV hanging from the ceiling... he of course answered Team Umie Zoomie.  He settled in and listened perfectly to everything that Katie asked him to do.  They counted his teeth... 10 on the bottom and 10 on the top.  It was then on to the brushing of the teeth...Nathan picked bubble gum flavored toothpaste.  He told us that the tooth brush "tickled his teeth."  It was then time for Katie to use her special head light and mirror to look more closely at his teeth... both boys told Katie all about how they have "cars headlights that they got for their birthday from their friend Lilah."  DDS Edlund came in to count teeth and look at Nathan's chipped front tooth (from his fall last winter), he said the tooth looked healthy. 

 NO CAVITIES for Nathan!

Nathan's shiny clean smile!

He then waited in this funny chair because now it was Ben's turn!

Ben also hopped into the chair... he wanted mommy to hold his hand for a minute though.  He wanted to watch Umie Zoomie too... however that show was over so Katie found him, Mickey mouse club house.... he was happy with that.  Nathan decided that Ben should hold his hand.  So Nathan stood next to Ben during the entire exam and held his hand.  It was the dang cutest thing!  They kept talking to each other "Nathy boy... no hold my hand too tight."  "Ben your teeth shining.... Ben the tooth brush tickle your teeth?"  Ben also did a great job listening to Katie, helping her count his teeth and suck on the water sucker.  Ben decided that he wanted cookie dough flavored toothpaste.... interesting but whatever he wants! :)  Both boys also picked out cherry flavored fluoride.  Ben was especially intrigued with the dental floss.  DDS Edlund also said that Ben's teeth looked great and that he has plenty of room in his mouth for his teeth (and some day his permanent teeth).  

NO CAVITIES for Benjamin!!!!

Benjamin's Shiny new smile!

Katie the hygienist was fabulous with the kids!  Both boys got to pick out new tooth brushes... Nathan picked Woody from Toy Story and Ben picked Buzz lightyear!  They also got a goodie bag of dental stickers, floss, mini tooth paste and a MN wild Hockey balloon.  I could not have asked for them to be any better, they cooperated and listened... I was so proud of them!   .... They also seemed a little to old, kind of makes their mommy sad.  

January 14th 2013... from 3 pounds to 3 years!

The boys are THREE!  Holy cow... how did that happen????

Why Worry.....
* I worried about Ben talking and walking.... the other day I told him he had to be quiet, mommy needed a little quiet time.... this was after he had run around yelling/singing " BUZZLIGHTYEAR to THE RESCUE" about a million times... why did I worry???
* I was worried they weren't gaining enough weight or eating enough MBM....  the other day I spent $160 on food at the grocery store and bought them new jeans in a bigger size.... winter jackets too...again why did I worry?
* I thought that they were NEVER going to get potty trained this Spring... now they run screaming through the house "My potty almost here MAMA!"... again why worry?

Accomplishments:
* potty training
* riding bikes
* Toddler beds (we are new to this)
* lots of swimming, lakes, rivers, pools etc
* First time tubing behind a boat
* First Movie: Monsters INC
* Getting themselves dressed
* crawling into car seat by themselves
* Drawing circles, straight lines, squiggly lines
* Singing songs, alphabet and numbers

Favorite Things
Food:
N: blueberries, milk, cheese
B: CHEESE, granola bars, apple cider, "Christmas milk" (eggnog and milk),

Books:
N: Where do diggers sleep at night, Max and Ruby, Max cards (brain quest), Peter Pan
B: Little Critter books, Llama Llama books, Curious George books, Marley books, Lady and the Tramp

Toys:
N: Leap pad, painting, vacuum cleaner (anything with a button), flashlights, key board,
B: Buzz light year, trains ("button trains") and tracks, painting, musical instruments, Big trucks with buttons

Things I LOVE...

Nathan:
* He doesn't say his "F" clearly yet so he always wants to go "Pirst" or play with "Pirepighters"
* Nathan loves to sing at bedtime with either Brent and I.... he is so cute and so calm and Innocent.
* The other morning Nathan crawled into bed with Brent and was rubbing his unshaven face.... "rough daddy" then he would rub his forehead... "smooth daddy."

Ben:
* Shear determination in everything he does (drives me CRAZY at times but some day it will be his BEST asset).
* One day I had by hair back in a hair band ... during naps I had taken a shower and gotten ready... when Ben got up he asked me "Mama... where did your pony hair go?"
* while we were up north for Christmas, the boys kept wanting to look in peoples throats with their new flashlights, at one point grandma Cathy asked the boys if they could see a frog in her throat.  So Sunday morning Ben asked her, "Where is the turtle in yous throat?"
* Brent told the boys one weekend that I was working that I was taking care of a sick baby and couldn't talk on the phone.... now every time I come back from work Ben asks me "mama your baby sick? your baby might die?" or "mama you go on a helicopter?.... the "babies fly in helicopters?"  It is so funny to hear them talk about my work.

This is not a complete list... just a few quick things I could think of.

We had a 3rd birthday party filled with FIRE TRUCKS!  I put in a lot of work and when all was said and done we really didn't get a whole lot of photos... I was a little disappointed... apparently I forgot my 3rd and 4th arms.  Oh well fun was had by all.  Thank you to all of you who love these little guys enough to celebrate with us!

Firetruck cakes

The best we could get

A little pin the hat on the fire dog.

Gramma and Grumpy

Ben and his God parents

Stephen, Christine and Nathan

Ben's 3rd birthday cake.

A little about the 3 year olds (they are posted at the end of this post)... 

and the Dalmatians that they happen to make at school last week.

Pirate Nathan

Nathan 

LOVER of eggers chocolate milk and his yellow blanket DOESN’T LIKE broccoli or rice or pausing for potty breaks LOVES trains, play dough and trucks ASKS to watch Dora the Explorer and play outside any chance he gets GIVES the best lizard kisses the ENTIRE HOUSE knows when he isn’t happy about something as he roles up the rugs in time out and often screeches ASKS for band aids PREFERS Fireman Sam to anything else on TV just went to his FIRST MOVIE (Monsters Inc.) and ate his weight in popcorn DEFENDS his brother by stealing the toy away first LOVES cooking with mommy, drinking bath water, riding his bike and being in charge of the garden hose GOT a leap pad for Christmas MAKES his mommy and daddy proud and happy and grateful and LOVES the color green is right handed JUMPS  off of everything including stairs and couches and loves to snuggle during movie nights PUSHES his brothers buttons GIVES hugs to his puppy dog SPENDS his nights sleeping with a pillow over his head ANSWERS to NayNAy or Nathy boy and has more Humor and Stubbornness than should be allowed in such a small body. xoxo

Benjamin

LOVER of cheese Christmas milk crackers and his blue blanket DOESN’T LIKE olives or pickles LOVES trains, pretend cooking in his kitchen and anything fireman ASKS to eat snacks blow out candles and turn lights on any chance he gets GIVES the best little kisses NEVER stops talking the ENTIRE HOUSE knows when he isn’t happy about something as he will throw objects across the room ASKS to stir pots on the hot stove and PREFERS curious george to anything else on tv just went to his FIRST MOVIE (Monsters Inc.) and ate his weight in popcorn PROTECTS his brother by asking for snacks or treats for Nathy Boy LOVES to blow out candles, take baths, swim and ride his scooter GOT a rocketship for Christmas MAKES his mommy and daddy proud and happy and grateful and LOVES the color blue is right handed but bats left handed RUNS doesn’t walk and can talk and snuggle as sweet as can be HUGS his brother GIVES treats to his puppy dog SPENDS his time climbing under and over and on top of tables and chairs and totes ANSWERS to BenJAMIN and has more CONVICTION and DETERMINATION than should be allowed in such a small body. xoxo

Tales of the Toddler Bed

So they finally did it... they crawled out of their cribs.  I have to admit I was sad and mentally and physically unprepared for this task.  Truly I was hoping for 6 more weeks.
* I got a text from Brent while I was at work.  I have to admit the first thought that went through my head was... "damn... how am I going to study for boards."
*I told Brent to leave them in their cribs and not to switch to toddler beds... I was hoping for a miracle.
* the 2nd text message a few hours later read.... I switched them to toddler beds... they both crawled in Ben's crib.

Day #1
* Nap time:  multiple attempts to keep them in their beds failed... at one point Brent walked in on Ben standing on Nathan's bed, holding on to the curtains prepared to catapult himself across the room via the curtains.  OK NO NAP!  (N&B: 1, Daddy: 0)
* Bed time: Both boys were exhausted from no nap.  They go to sleep in thier toddler beds without much fight.  (N&B: 1, Daddy:1)  Both boys slept through the night.

Day #2:
* Nap time: Multiple attempts, and threats to stay in bed and sleep... all failed.  Daddy is frustrated. (N&B: 2, Daddy:1).
*Bedtime: Daddy called in re-enforcements since mommy was at work.  Gramma came with a plan... Read to one (Nathan) and daddy put one (Ben) to sleep via a piggy back ride up the stairs.  Boys go to bed successfully.  (N&B:2, Daddy & Gramma: 2) *** mommy is sad that the boys are in big boy beds!

Day #3
*Nap time: Gramma has this under control.  Boys in beds, Gramma listening from our room.  Only three threats to lay down.  (N &B: 2, Gramma:3)
* Bedtime: Boys in bed and asleep by 8pm in their toddler beds. (N &B: 2, Daddy: 4)

Nathan's hand peaking out under the door... I didn't say anything, either did he.

Day #4
* Nap time: Mommy's 1st day with the toddler beds.  Boys lay down great but then get wild and they keep getting out of their beds... Mommy decides to split the boys up.  Nathan in the extra bedroom, Ben  in the boys room.  Boys go right to sleep.  (N&B: 3, Mom: 4).
* Bedtime: Mommy and daddy were both home... boys go to sleep after a few tears and a few threats. (N &B: 3, Mom & Dad: 5).

You get the idea!  I'm not sure where we stand.  Occasionally... usually at nap time we end up splitting the boys up.  They don't like it... they cry for each other.  "I need my naynay boy!"... "I need to hug BEN!"... but they sleep and they don't get out of beds.

As I write this I'm sitting outside the boys bedroom... as a threat to stay in beds and sleep.  The first threat we take the night light.  The second threat is we split the boys up in separate rooms.
These are some of the conversations that I'm over hearing.
#1: Nathan: crying "Ben I need fergus (the stuffed dog)"
      Ben: "No naynay... night light get taken away!" (Ben currently has Fergus)
#2: Nathan: screaming for Daddy to come and hug him
      Ben: "Stop crying Nathan... I sing...."A, B, C, D, E, F, G..."
#3: Nathan: "Mom.... Ben being naughty!"
       Mommy: "What is Ben doing?"
       Nathan: He is being naughty.
       Mommy: Nathan... you just worry about nathan... time to sleep!

They are proud of their Big Boy beds....

I really want to keep the boys in the same room.  I cherish the mornings that I would lay in bed and listen to the boys in their cribs talking, singing and laughing together.   I think that they bond with each other.... its the 30 minutes a day that they communicate and play without squabbling over toys.  I LOVE IT and I really don't want to give it up... but I may have to temporarily.  I truly don't get to plan anything... you think I would have learned this during the 13 weeks of bedrest and the 6.5 weeks in the NICU.  I maybe also should have learned this lesson when we were sleep training, or potty training or waiting for developmental milestones... but I still deep down believe that planning leads to success.  I guess looking back I should leave it up to these spirited and capable almost 3 year olds.  So far each "unplanned" milestone has been successful, N &B just completed them in their own time frame... not mine.

Christmas Break and New Years Eve

BOXES after Christmas make the perfect forts!

Nathan and Ben's First Movie in the theater: Monsters INC.  They loved it and they ate popcorn the ENTIRE movie.  They sat perfectly (with the occasional trip into our laps). They ask daily if they can go back to the Movie Eater!

We also made our first trip to Choo Choo Bob's in St. Paul.  

We played for a long time! What a cool store.  

It was then off to Chatterbox Restaurant for dinner.  Pac Man was a hit!

Nathan insisted on drinking is Egg Nog out of this glass.

We had a few bumps along the way... Ben got a Firetruck to the head.  Nathan hit the back of his head on the corner of the cabinets. The bandaids are always more for effect then necessity!

They wanted to ride bikes and scooters so we headed to the basement!

Waiting for lunch to be ready!

A little post bath time band practice!

"Look Mama I'm a little drummer boy!"

We haven't been to the MN zoo in a long time so we headed out on a cold winter day.

The penguins are always a hit. The bamboo rods were also a hit as was the money donation spiral. 

Trying to touch the sting ray!

They love the train sets... especially now that we can make huge tracks. 

Nothing like a pretend ride in the new storage container!

My last day as an RN.  I can't believe that it has been 7.5 years since I started at Children's.  My life has completely changed since I started.  The wonderful people that I work with have made such an impact on my life. Thank you to all of you who have taught me new skills, encouraged me, took care of my own kids and have been fabulous friends. I have meet some amazing people ... especially AMAZING little babes.  Many who have left footprints on my heart that will be with me forever.  We truly are witness to miracles.  

Hanging out with Auntie Grace on New Years!

Happy New Year!

Some truly great friends! 

We wish you a joyous and healthy 2013!!!!

Love always,

The Utechs