Tubes and teeth and talking oh my!!!

Here’s my bi-monthly post update!

Eli’s constant ear infections landed us in the ENT’s office on 12/12 and he had tubes put it on 12/19. Oh what a difference they made! He is talking like crazy… mama, dada, mu (more), dye-dye (bye-bye), et (eat), tooks (cookies) and hi. He is signing so much more now too. He’s not quite walking yet but will hold our hands to practice and rocks the house with his push toys! He is sleeping all night (7:30-6:30) and in a much better mood. It’s just great. He is teething yet again but he finally has 6 teeth now and we’re working on #7 now. Eli is drinking from a sippy cup now! He still has a morning bottle and 2 at school but no night night bottle….slowly but surely!

*Might I add that Kevin ended up with strep throat the day before Eli’s surgery. I had to take him to urgent care Sunday, Ben stayed home Monday morning with him and my mom and I went to the hospital with Eli. Never a dull moment with these boys!*

Kevin is doing great. He’s learning so much in school now and learning how to read small words. He’s keeping us on his toes with his little attitude and personality and he’s so much fun.

Christmas was great this year! We took the boys to get their pictures taken and YES I have pictures to post to show how big they are! Eli got some new toys (and sippy cups) that he is enjoying and Kevin got Wii games, a discovery laptop, games and movies. He was in heaven.

All else is well in the Sasser house! Trying to keep the boys healthy this next year with our insurance changing. Lots of vitamins and hand washing going on. We are looking forward to 2012 and all the fun adventures that will come our way. With these two kids every day is an adventure – and I cannot imagine life with Eli walking and talking this time next year….but I’m ready for it!

Because I’m the world’s worst blogger – I will combine all my news in a quick update:

First: Eli is getting his 4 top teeth in! This just started a few days ago and surprisingly enough he’s in a pretty good mood! Before Thanksgiving he had an ear infection and thrush – that cleared up in about a week and now the thrush is back. We are attempting another round of medicine this week and hoping it works. Eli is cruising on everything these days. He can stand up by himself for a short amount of time only. He is eating everything under the sun, completely off baby food and only 3 bottles a day now. So ready for no formula in a few weeks. He still struggles drinking out of a sippy cup but I’m sure he’ll get the hang of it soon enough. This baby is in no hurry to do anything….

Second: Kevin had a wonderful 4th birthday. We had a party at the park and invited all our friends and family. It was so windy and a little cool in the morning but turned out to be a great day and he had a blast. Ben was brave and picked up the bounce houses (to save money) and did a great job at setting them up. Kevin got so many cool presents and is definitely set in the toy department for the next year!

Third: I don’t really think there is a third. My news is all boring. Our life consist of church, school and work. If we sleep…that’s a bonus. I joke all the time that my kids are fed and bathed on a daily basis, don’t expect much more out of me until they are older.

And to answer the question that I was asked several time recently – NO….we are not trying for another baby and NO I’m not sad that we’re not having a girl! I love being a mommy and raising my 2 boys. Couldn’t ask for anything more.

9 month check up....and sick Kevin!

Eli had his 9 month check up last week. He weighed in at 20lbs 9oz and was 30" long. He is at the 95% percentile for his height and 50-75% for his weight. My big boy is wearing 18 month clothes now! I cannot believe that. He is doing so good. Crawling like crazy, pulling up on everything and "talking" up a storm. We just had to drop Eli's crib recently because he was pulling up in it and could easily fall out if he leaned over too far. He's such a fun baby and getting quite the personality too. He yells a lot - and sometimes for no reason. He laughs like crazy at the silliest things too. He sleeps all night and wakes up looking for his bottle. Daycare is great with him and he rarely stays in his classroom - he ends up crawling over to see friends in the room next door! He's still as blonde as he can be and his eyes are very blue. I love it!!

Kevin tagged along for Eli's appointment! His friend at school ended up with strep last week and sure enough on Friday Kevin started complaining of a sore throat and had no energy. Come to find out - he had strep too! Poor kid was miserable but bounced back very fast.

We are in the process of planning Kevin's 4th birthday party! It's going to be a Texas Ranger party the park. He's super excited!

Pretty quiet in our house lately - well not really "quiet" but drama free at least. Our house is enjoying the ALCS games this week and rooting for the Rangers to win!!

Family Vacation 2011

Oh so much has gone on the past few weeks! First…Eli is crawling everywhere now. He also just learned how to clap and anytime you say “yeah” he smiles and starts clapping – it’s truly so cute.

We just returned from our first family vacation! We took the boys to Sea World on September 14th. They had an absolute blast….and so did we! I want to do a day by day recap of our vacation – mainly so I don’t forget anything.

Day 1: September 14 – Departure Day

We left our house after church around 9:30. Ben stayed home to get our stuff packed up and also to allow Eli to go to sleep on time. We were all packed up and hit the road right on time! Rewind 48 hours…. Ben woke up Monday morning with a stomach bug – he was home sick all day Monday. I left work early on Tuesday with the same stomach bug and was home all day Tuesday and Wednesday! We were praying hard the boys stayed well for the trip. Eli was fast asleep all the way there and Kevin fell asleep around 10:30. Both boys woke up when we pulled into the hotel around 1:30am on Thursday. Eli had just learned to crawl the weekend before our trip so the minute you put him down he’s everywhere. Kevin fell in love with the hotel room! He walked into every room admiring the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. They both finally crashed around 3:30am!

Day 2: September 15 – Zoo Day

After our long drive and little sleep, Eli was wide awake at 7:00 Thursday morning! We were so excited to be on vacation – little sleep didn’t stop any of us from getting up and ready for breakfast. The breakfast at the hotel was very nice. Kevin enjoyed the pastries and waffles and Eli loved the yogurt. We finished up breakfast and headed to the San Antonio Zoo. It was amazing. Our favorite parts were the butterfly exhibit where lots of butterflies flew all around us and landed on the trees for us to see. We also enjoyed feeding the birds. A bunch of birds landed on Ben and one landed on Kevin’s head! It was so funny. Ben found a monkey friend too that was jumping up and down at the window “playing” with Ben. Kevin loved that!

We rested Thursday evening, ate dinner by the pool and did a little swimming. Although the day temps were in the 90s the water was still pretty cool in the evenings so only Kevin and Ben swam – too cold for the mama and Eli.

Day 3: September 16 – Sea World Day!

On Friday we spent the entire day at Sea World. We arrived at 10am, received free parking because the credit cards machines were down and made our way to the most memorable day! Our first stop were the dolphins. We got to feed them and pet them – that was the coolest thing ever! Kevin rode his first roller coaster – the Shamu kid coaster. He loved it and when it ended he immediately asked to ride it again. We saw the dolphin show and that was pretty cool. Of course the best was the Shamu show, Kevin loved getting soaked when Shamu splashed our section. I don’t think he knew what to think about it when it happened so he just laughed. There was a great little splash park that we got to enjoy – even Eli got out and splashed for a while. Kevin rode 2 more kid rides all by himself (his request, not ours!) and was such a big boy. We fed the dolphins two more times before we left (so mommy could feed them too and not just take pictures). It was a great day and something I know we’ll never forget. Our boys did amazing. No melt downs, no crying, no arguing….just a perfect day! I am so proud of them both. It was rough for little Eli being in the stroller all day and not taking his normal nap but he did great.

Day 4: September 17 – Alamo and museum day

On Saturday we decided it would be best to steer clear of Sea World (we originally purchased 2 day passes) because they were having a BMX day and hundreds of people on skateboards would be flooding the park. NO THANK YOU! So we visited the Alamo and did some other site seeing. We took Kevin to the Rain Forest Café on the Riverwalk for lunch – that was a cool experience! Lunch was great and again the boys did great. It rained off and on on Saturday so we decided to leave and visit a local museum that had a children’s museum. It allowed us to be in the air conditioning for a few hours and a baby area for Eli to stretch his legs! As soon as we were leaving it started to rain….hard! We made it back to the hotel in time for naps and relaxing. We didn’t do much that evening – got our bags packed and things in order. The boys crashed pretty early that night too.

Day 5: September 18 – Heading home

We left San Antonio around 10:00 Sunday morning and after a few stops, lunch, feed Eli, etc – we finally made it home around 3:30! It was great to be home! Kevin immediately picked up his Wii remote and played some baseball and Eli crawled all over the house! Loads of laundry awaited us but being home and in our own beds and routines was wonderful.

My most memorable moment was Kevin calling the hotel (Homewood Suite) the “chicken wait”. For a few days we would tell him we were heading back to the hotel and he would say “to the chicken wait?” We could not figure out what in the world he was talking about. Finally it hit me! The night we arrived at the hotel Ben took Kevin in to check in. I asked him what he told the guy at the hotel when he walked in. Ben’s response… “we’re here to CHECK IN LATE”. Kevin thought the name of the hotel was “the check in late” (chicken wait). We laughed so hard!!! He’s such a funny kid. I also enjoyed watching the boys play together in the hotel room and Kevin sharing his toys with Eli – most of the time – and Eli being adventurous crawling all over the hotel! I love my little family and this was a great vacation together. I look forward to many more in the years to come.

Pictures coming soon…..

Eli is crawling!

Eli is finally crawling!!

Ben surprised me yesterday and brought Kevin to my work to have lunch! We ate at our new cafeteria at the hospital (yummy Chick Fil A) and also visited build a bear. Kevin made a cute shaggy dog who he proudly named Texas Ranger! We also made a monkey for our little monkey….and Eli loves it.

Eli is so close to crawling it’s not even funny. He can get up on his knees and then rocks back and forth. Eventually he sits back up or flops on his tummy like he’s confused on where to go. It’s very cute. He is cutting more teeth too. One so far up top I can feel and possibly a new one on the bottom. He’s getting so big.

Kevin is learning so much in school now. He is talking like crazy and says funny little phrases that throw me off from time to time. His new expression yesterday was “mommy when I talk to you please pay the tension to me okay”. It was too cute. He’s learning his letters like crazy too. It amazes me how much he knows already. He’ll be starting Pre-K in January, then hopefully kindergarten in the Fall at Kids’ Place. After he turns 5 he’ll do public school kindergarten also. Think it’ll be good for him and hopefully he’ll mature a little bit too….hopefully!!!

Ben and I are going to the Ranger game tomorrow evening. I’m super excited. In just a few short weeks we’ll be leaving for San Antonio. Lots of planning still to do but we are very ready. Traveling with Eli should be interesting but we hope leaving in the evening time will keep him asleep in the car until we arrive at the hotel!

Exciting month ahead of us and we are looking forward to the adventure!

Pictures....finally!!!!

This scrapbooking design created with Smilebox

7 months, 10 years and 2 teeth

I have to combine a few milestones into one entry...because I'm a lazy blogger! Let's see - Eli turned 7 months last Sunday. He's wearing 12 month clothes and weighs about 19 pounds. He's eating like crazy and just started yogurt this last week which is another favorite of his. Eli also has 2 teeth. Yes 2! He cut the first one last Friday and the second one today. They are so small and you can just see the tips of them but they sure look cute when he smiles!! He has a great schedule right now. Eats dinner around 6:30 or 7 and is asleep by 8:00. He usually sleeps all night and doesn't take his morning bottle until we get to school. That has been great with my morning schedule! I actually get to sleep in. I'm finishing up the last of the frozen breast milk then he's all formula. I think he's ready and I'm so happy he got breast milk for more than 7 months!

And I can't forget our little man. Our new phrase of the week is "don't give me attitude mommy" and being obsessed with the rangers. His favorite player is Josh Hamilton and he says his is "his baborite pwayer in the whole high world". That cracks me up!

And last...we are celebrating our 10 year anniversary today. I cannot believe it's been 10 years. It truly has gone by so fast. I remember waking up 10 years ago and hearing the announcer on the Today show announce "today is Saturday August 11, 2001" and I left the room to puke! I couldn't believe the day was finally here! I was so nervous yet so excited to get married and begin my life with Ben. He has been a wonderful, loving, loyal and patient husband. He became a daddy 6 years after we got married and I have loved watching him with Kevin and now Eli. Parents to 2 precious boys and 10 years later and it's still hard to believe this is my life!

You gotta have friends!

So you know the scene in Shrek (yes, that’s what my world has come to - kids movies!) where donkey is singing slow and deep “I’m all alone….” and the end of the song he gets upbeat and finishes with “but you gotta have friends”. Isn’t that so true? You gotta have friends…not just acquaintances, not just people you smile at and say hello in passing – true friends. It’s been a challenge since Ben and I got married to build relationships. He’s always working crazy hours and days which leaves very little time for us, let alone other people. Don’t get me wrong, we have couples that we’ve been friends with for years – Chad and Ashley are the first couple that come to mind. We were friends before we had kids and living a little ways away from each other has been a challenge but we’re still friends. They are a couple that I know if we needed anything I could call them and they’d be right there in a heartbeat. They are dear enough friends that when we got the call almost 7 years ago that George was not doing well and we needed to get to the hospital quickly, they actually beat us there and were waiting with open arms to support us. We love them dearly!

In my crazy life now I work 40 hours a week, spend my nights feeding 2 kids, giving baths x2, night night x2 and maybe I have enough time to read before bed. And because I spend most of my waking life at work – friendship at work is important too. And did the Lord ever know that I needed a friend just like Elizabeth! Who would have thought 5 years ago when I interviewed Elizabeth that we’d become such close friends. We also met before we had kids and we both experienced the struggle of trying to get pregnant. The day I returned from maternity leave she found out she was pregnant! 9 months after Kevin was born she gave birth to the sweetest baby boy! She was the first person (after Ben and my mom) that I told I was pregnant with Eli. I actually couldn’t hold it in when I walked into the office that day. I was scared as all get out – excited but scared – and I think she about fell over when I told her! We laugh together, cry together and share so much of lives together. She’s the person I know I can call and say “hey, just pray for me!” and that’s all I need to say. She truly is a gift from God. I could not have survived 2 pregnancies, 2 births and now raising 2 kids without her. She’s such an encouragement to me – probably more than she knows!

Sometimes I get discouraged because my circle of friends is limited – mainly because I’m limited on my time and availability. I try not to let it bother me but I’m only human and sometimes it hurts not to be included in the events of other people’s lives. But I am blessed beyond belief with my job, house, dependable vehicles, healthy kids and a great daycare for my kids because of my job! But most of all I am blessed with friends, people who love me and pray for me and people I can depend on in any situation.

6 months old

Eli is already 6 months old. Time continues to fly and next thing I know I'll be planning a 1 yr old birthday party!!!! Eli is just a fun baby and we are enjoying this stage with him. He's sleeping great at night and eating great too. He's a very easy baby. Not sure if he's easy because we've done it before or because Kevin really was a high maintenance baby!!!

Don't judge for the lack of pictures! Being a single mom 5 days a week is hard work. We joke that I'm a single mom with 2 incomes! The 2 incomes part is nice but I'd rather have Ben home every night and could use the help. But we manage just fine and I do the best I can. We are blessed with great jobs so I am not complaining at all.

And I know this is Eli's 6 month post but I have to talk about Kevin's new expressions:

1). Oh bummer or oh coconuts!
2). Sorry mommy, too late (used when I ask him to stop doing something)
3). I'm just teasing you mommy
4). It's ok mommy I just changed my mind (he's been asked to tell us this instead of throwing a fit but it's used at the funniest times!)
5). Mommy stop talking. You talk too much (he hears this a lot so has started saying it to me)

Recently he started whining in the car "mommy, Eli is looking at me!". Oh my! I'm not ready for that yet. He also tells us when he gets spanked that we shouldn't hit and we should be nice to our friends. He's such a mess! I just love that little boy. I love both my boys. Can't
imagine life any different!

Sitting up!

Yes I know I have promised pictures in almost every post....and here I go again making a post with no pictures. I have a ton of pictures to post and show off how big Eli is getting and some new pictures of Kevin but logging into my laptop, plugging in the camera and downloading then uploading pictures is SO much work!!! So I do promise pictures soon - and maybe I'll have the time and energy this week!

But for an update: Eli is now sitting up by himself. He can sit up unassisted for a long time but can get excited and lean backwards and then tip over! He continues to eat great and is loving his homemade baby food. I didn't think I'd enjoy making his food but I actually did! I think I did better this time than I did with Kevin. His favorite food is sweet potatoes and bananas. He'll eat anything I give him though. He's taking 4 7-8 ounce bottles a day. Still giving 1/2 breast milk 1/2 formula. I still have about 8 bags of frozen milk (each bag has 40oz of milk) left....so maybe another month or so before he goes straight formula. I'll have to change it up soon to 6oz formula 2oz breast milk so he can get used to it.

The 4 of us enjoyed the morning eating breakfast at ihop. Then Kevin and I spent the afternoon at the splash park and eating snow cones! Perfect 4th of July! We'll all be asleep before the fireworks start and as much as Kevin loves fireworks he has no idea what happens on July 4th! Kind of happy about that. Think next year will be different. Was thinking today at the pool that this time next year Eli will be 18 months and I'll have both boys at the pool! Wow!

So I promise again....pictures coming soon!

Carrots were a success!

Introduction of carrots tonight and again he ate the entire jar! He has a variety of baby food now and I'll be making some very soon. I am loving this!!! Eli is also sleeping through the night. Goes down around 9:00 and sleeps solid until 6:00. It's been great. Such a big boy now.

Had a great week so far. Celebrated my 10 year service awards banquet last night and we had a great time. Rangers game this Friday and both boys spending the night with my mom! Should be very interesting but I know they'll have fun.

Roll over roll over....

Eli is rolling over like such a big boy now. I put him down and 5 seconds later he's on his tummy! He's so proud of himself! Another big thing for Eli this weekend....the introduction to baby food! He ate an entire jar of peas last night and loved them. I couldn't believe it. Next on the menu is carrots. Already pulled out the food processor so I guess I'll be spending next weekend making baby food. So hard to believe I'm doing this again. Seems just like yesterday I was doing it for Kevin.

Got some great Father's Day pictures of the boys with Ben - just need to find the time to upload them!

Another ear infection

My poor baby is getting over yet another ear infection. Just to recap...he had an infection the entire month of April, hand foot mouth in may and now another infection in June. Hate to ask what July has in store for us. He's still a happy baby for the most part and is sleeping good still.

Ben just got over a terrible stomach bug that had him out of commission for an entire day. Ben never gets sick and can usually recover quickly if he does but this bug won the battle! He's also feeling better now.

Kevin is doing great!! Loving his new school and doing great. He's learning how to write his name and other letters. He can sign all the letter of the alphabet and various other words. He's just a fun little boy and since the daycare change his attitude and entire personality is fantastic! He's talking so much now in full sentences that everyone understands....not just me! He can get quite the attitude if he's getting on to us about something we said or did wrong! He is loving his baby brother so much and Eli loves him too. They both crack each other up.

I just love my boys and the fun and busy days we are experiencing now. I know before long they will be grown up and I'll miss these times. Well maybe not miss it but I'll remember how sweet my boys were at this age!

5 months old

Oh my little monkey you are already 5 months old!! You are so much fun and changing every day. You've learned how to "talk" and you can get very loud at times. You think you're brother is so funny and you laugh for him and daddy all the time. You can almost roll over and can sit up by yourself for a little while. You've recently discovered that rice cereal with fruit is very yummy...especially when mommy mixes with apple juice (sshh our little secret!). You sleep through the night and wake up all smiles. You love your soft blankets and when laid next to your face you fall asleep in minutes. You're just a great baby and you make everyone smile. I'm still amazed that you are here and I know that you're a miracle baby that has completed our family. You're a great little brother, monkey and pumpkin nose. Love you so much!

Pictures coming soon!

It's just potatoes

So my mom has this new saying "it's just potatoes". She had a friend who dropped an entire boiling pot of potatoes on the floor. As she sat there crying over them her teenage son informed her...."mom, it's just potatoes - why are you crying?" It's the expression she uses when life throws something at you and really in the whole scheme of things, it's nothing..it's just potatoes!

Well life has thrown us some major curve balls lately. At the time we thought it was the end of the world but just like mama said - it was just potatoes. Our boys are now in a new daycare (well not really "new", it's the same center Kevin was at until we moved him last November). They are considerably more expensive than the daycare they were in but it's just potatoes! Eli's class is wonderful and the teachers are the best. He is now sitting up almost completely by himself!

Kevin was actually our reason for leaving the other daycare. The only word I can use to describe them is terrible. Terrible staff, terrible with the kids, terrible management - just plain terrible! We tried to stick it out and look for the good in the center but we couldn't. Kevin's behavior was getting very bad and he was so bored in his class. They have been in their new center for 2 weeks now and Kevin has been wonderful! He's learning so much and his behavior is 100% better. I am absolultely amazed. No actually I'm not - God had His hand in this from the beginning. Why should I be amazed? Why do we doubt God?

The situation is just perfect. The boys are across the street from my office, I can walk over any time I want to check on them and just this last week when Eli was sick I was able to walk over to give him medicine. It's just the best thing ever.

So we've really started adopting the "it's just potatoes" thinking in our lives. I'm trying hard not to stress about the little things and focus on the big picture. The "just potatoes" things in life I can handle!

A memorial day to remember

My kids are determined to make holiday weekends so memorable for me! Kevin has passed the torch to Eli and he made his brother proud. We took a trip to urgent care Sunday afternoon and discovered that Eli has hand foot and mouth. His temperament yesterday wasn't too bad. Maybe a little fussier than usual but nothing I couldn't handle. That all would change at 2am when Eli woke up screaming his head off. That continued for about 2 hours and he finally crashed. The screaming continued all day along with no eating! Here we are Monday evening with no improvement and I'm just praying for a good night.

So when asked how I spent memorial day 2011 I'll definitely remember holding my cranky rash covered not eating 4 month old. But this too shall pass and I know he'll be back to his laughing fun self very soon. Until then I'll just enjoy loving him and taking care of him. Being a mama is great...most days!

Lots going on in the Sasser house these past few weeks. Eli is laughing and talking so much – he is such a happy baby! He is also sleeping through the night…which is a huge blessing. He eats around 9:00 and sleeps until 5:00. We started some cereal with him at night. He does okay with it but not a big fan just yet. Kevin wasn’t either. We pretty much skipped cereal and went straight to baby food with him. I think I’ll continue the cereal at night (even if it just a few bites) and hold off on baby food for at least another month or so. It’s not like gaining weight is an issue with him! He is growing like a weed. I had to adjust the car seat straps this weekend. They are at the highest level so if he grows again, we’ll be buying a big boy car seat for him!

Kevin is doing great also. We had some major daycare drama the first of this month which ended in Ben and I staying home with the boys for 2 weeks and them starting a new daycare just this past Monday. We could feel God’s hand in the entire process though and we know all this happened for a reason. They love their daycare now and Kevin is doing so much better in just the few days he’s been there. He is learning his letters and how to write them – we are also still working on his sign language. He knows majority of the alphabet and many other words. We really enjoy him being able to sign still and it’s fun to learn with him!

We had our first “take cover in the bathtub” experience last night. Boy was that exciting! Bad storms came right through Saginaw and there we were smack dab in the middle of it. I had all our stuff packed up in case we had to take cover and warned Kevin that when I said “get in the tub” I meant it! Sure enough the sirens went off, saw rotating clouds over our house, and we were all sitting in the tub with pillows over the boys head. We lost power for a little while and the sound of the sirens and wind outside was enough to make this mommy scared. I took that opportunity to remind Kevin that we can pray for God to watch over us so we did lots of praying while we waited. Power came back on soon after the storm passed and I was surprised to see no damage at all in our neighborhood.

Well that’s been our exciting month so far. Eli has been ear infection free for a month and we are praying that continues. It does appear he is about to get his 2 bottom teeth soon. I can see them under the gum line already. He’s just been sleeping a lot, not really fussing too much about them so far.

I am loving this stage of both Kevin and Eli. It makes for some interesting nights and fun weekends now that Eli is getting bigger and easier to care for.

4 month check up

Eli had his 4 month check up today! He weighed in at 15lbs 3oz and 26 inches! He's growing so fast. He's in the 90% for his height and 50% for weight. He got 2 shots and although he wasn't thrilled he got over it fast.

The boys are changing daycares....yes again! It really is a VERY long story but the drama is over and I'm happy they will be in a new center on 5/23. Another change is taking place - we are in the process of switching Eli to formula. After 4 months of nursing I am done! And really that's an understatement. I have about 4-6 weeks of frozen milk so he's getting breastmilk for a little longer...just less work for me!! He's done great on the formula. No tummy issues so far. I am enjoying the freedom and extra sleep!! My milk isn't completely gone yet but I anticipate in the next few weeks I'll be completely done. It was fun while it lasted!

Kevin is doing great!! Keeping us busy as usual but still such a sweet boy. Loving being a mama of 2 boys!!

Ears, hands and feet

Well Eli should win some award for having the longest ear infection. We're going on 3 weeks now! Basically he spent the entire month of April sick. He's been a trooper but you can tell it's getting to him. And who can blame him. Think I would be irritated too. We're on our 3rd antibiotic and it's so strong it upsets his tummy. So in addition to Tylenol every 4 hours, ear drops before eating and reflux medicine...we give him mylanta for his tummy. I feel so bad for him. He doesn't complain much and really just sleeps it off but you know he has to be thinking "am I ever going to feel better?". At least that's what I think.

Eli has recently discovered his hands and feet. It's the cutest thing. I don't remember that with Kevin. He studies them so much and just when I think he's asleep I find him watching his hands move and working on getting that thumb in his mouth. Yes! While he loves his paci he also enjoys putting fingers and thumb in his mouth. He drools like he's teething most days. Kevin cut 2 teeth at 4 months so I'm wondering if Eli will do the same.

Praying my next post is to announce his ears are clear and he's feeling better.

Ear infection go away!

Well I was back at the doctor with Eli yesterday. Apparently the antibiotic he was on didn't do a thing for his ear infection. Poor baby was so miserable and in so much pain. He's on a new antibiotic and ear drops. Didn't have a great night last night but was all smiles this morning. Hopefully he does good at daycare and takes more bottles today than yesterday. Our house needs sleep!

First ear infection

I took Eli to the doctor today and he has his first double ear infection! He's such a good baby I had no clue he was even sick - just been fighting a cough the last few weeks but it had gotten worse. Sure enough...his little ears were the culprit. He's starting his medicine tonight and should feel all better in a few days. Wonder if he'll continue sleeping through the night when he feels better? I sure hope so!

random pictures

Not much going on in Sasser Land! Just some updated pictures of the boys. Enjoyed some family time last weekend with my cousin Loriel and her kiddos, Delanee and Troy! It was great seeing them. Eli is growing like crazy and still a great baby. Kevin is well...Kevin - crazy, funny and non stop all the time. Never a quiet moment in our house. Enjoy the pictures!







Franny with all her great grandbabies! First time she's been with all of them at the same time. What a special moment and memory.


Franny and her great grandsons


Naked Eli!!


What a cute face





Eli expressing his feeling about bluebonnet pictures


The Sasser Family!

12 weeks old

It is so hard to believe that Eli is already 12 weeks old! I think back to the little 6 pound baby I held in the hospital and then look at the chunky 13 pound baby I have now and it doesn’t even seem possible that time has gone by this fast. Eli is smiling and laughing so much now. Lately he has started to recognize Kevin’s voice and he looks for him in a room if he hears him. He thinks Kevin is so funny and will usually smile and coo for him more than he does for me!

Daycare is going great for Eli. He takes a good morning nap and then is awake for most of the day. I am pleased to announce that he has slept through the night the past 2 nights!!!! He eats around 10:30 or 11:00 and has slept until 5:30 or 6:00. That’s an awesome schedule for us….if it stays this way. Since this is not our first rodeo, I’m not holding my breath – babies have little minds of their own. We learned that quickly with Kevin.

Everything else is going good. I’m settling in to a good routine at night with the boys when Ben is working. Kevin is fascinated with the show Dino Dan so after bath he watches that before bed. That has definitely helped in my schedule and allows me some time to give Eli a bath or straighten up the house. With the nice weather we’ve been having, Kevin is also playing outside more…which is wearing him out…which equals a tired 3 year old that is ready for bed at 9:00! It’s great. I’m also getting about 6 hours of sleep each night. Not ideal but I know it could be worse.

It’s opening day for the Rangers today and I’m super excited that Ben and I get to go with my parents. Gail is picking up the boys and taking care of them until we get home. Go Rangers!!!!

You remember?

Kevin has so many saying and expressions these days that I told myself I needed to blog all of them so I could remember this stage in his life.

Here are the top 5 things Kevin says that crack us up:

1) If he wants something and doesn't want to come out and ask he says something like "mommy, you remember that candy in your purse?" or "mommy, you remember that CD we listened to in the car?"

2) If I ask him too many times to do something he says "mommy, you don't worry about me"

3) Even if it's just him and I walking somewhere, he races in front of me and yells "no, I wanna be the line leader!"

4) Of course the every 3 year old expression "you don't tell me no" or "don't you say those words to me" He also says "mommy you don't talk back to me!"

5) When he messes us and apologizes he always ends it with "are you still my friend?" Kevin is getting so big and as he grows so does his heart! He loves his family so much and the once never cuddle, never hold me baby is now a sweet little boy who gives hugs and kisses without being told. He is such a blessing to us.

First week of work

Well my first week of work came and went very quickly. It was a great week overall. My lack of sleep didn't hit until Thursday night and ALL day Friday!! But I survived and was ready for the weekend. Eli is doing great at daycare. He takes a short morning nap and afternoon nap. Most of the time he is wide awake watching all the excitement in the room. His teachers say he's a great baby and very happy...but we already knew that! Kevin's week was great too. I think he can sense that we're back into our old routine and I'm sure he's happy about it. He's been great at night for me also and I'm very thankful for that.

Eli is 11 weeks old already. He's getting so big and smiles all the time. Because of my experience with Kevin I am very proud to say I'm still breastfeeding. Cannot believe I've made it this long. When he was a few weeks old the thought of making it 3 months seemed so far away and it's already here. My next short term goal is 6 months. Not having to purchase formula has been wonderful. Hope the next 3 months goes by smooth and fast!

We spent our morning taking pictures in the bluebonnets. I'll be posting pictures soon.

eye doctor trip and first day of daycare

Kevin went to the eye doctor today! He was such a big boy!



















Eli's first day of daycare

Another first!

Eli slept through the night last night!!! He took a bottle around 9:00 and slept until 3:15! We were so proud of him. Daycare really wore him out...which is exactly what we wanted. He is really loving his teachers. They are all so sweet. Today when I picked him up he was smiling ear to ear at the girl who was holding him. I almost didn't think it was him at first glance with that big ole smile on his face! Seeing him happy sure makes it easier to leave him.

And I have to share this story about Kevin and the way his little brain works. I think we hear a hundred times a day "mommy (or daddy) can I have your phone?". We have spoiled him with tons of games on our phones for him to play but asking so many times a day is annoying. Sunday morning I was getting ready for church and Kevin asked to have my phone. I told him no. He replied with a confused look on his face "mommy....I thought you were my friend!". I am your friend buddy I told him. He then said "well mommy...friends share!". He asked again with a huge smile on his face if he could have my phone. I said yes and he told me "thank you mommy for sharing with me". He made me laugh so hard! I love that little boy so much! But really he's so easy to love.

I'm taking pictures of Eli's first week in daycare so I'll be posting those this weekend. Been trying to get some of Kevin too much he's not a morning person and has refused to take a picture the past few days. I'll get at least one I'm sure!

Daycare here we come!

Well the day has finally arrived and Eli starts daycare tomorrow! I'm excited, a little nervous and a little sad. Not because he'll be away from me during the day but because this is the last baby I send to daycare for the first time. I remember Kevin's first day like it was yesterday. He was almost 5 months when he started daycare and he was very ready. It's different starting Eli so little but I know he'll do great!

Eli is still smiling like crazy and on the verge of laughing. He is sleeping in his crib at night now! I started that routine just a week ago and he has done pretty good. Only a few occasions (last night being one of them) he decided not to sleep and instead cried for 2 straight hours. Got to love that!!!

I am returning to work in a week and I'm ready. Ready to get back on a routine and be around adults all day. Maternity leave went by fast the first 6 weeks. Since then it's slowed down quite a bit....especially after Ben went back to work 2 weeks ago. I am looking forward to having all next week to myself. I plan on cleaning and getting things in order before I start work. I also plan on napping a lot and enjoying one week of good sleep. I doubt it'll happen again for at least a year. I am still happy to report that breastfeeding is going great. Due to me returning to work I started pumping more during the day and feeding Eli by bottle so he would get used to it. Well that became the best and fastest way to feed him! He got used to the bottle very fast and preferred that over me. So now I pump and bottle feed. It's a great routine for us and allows Ben to feed him more often. Eli takes about 28 ounces per day and I can pump around 58-64 ounces. I have quite the stash of frozen milk now and it just keeps growing. I guess that's a good problem to have.

Kevin is doing great. He has the attitude of a teenager lately and has no problem expressing his thoughts and feelings. For example: mommy I'm tired of you, I don't like you anymore, I'm not your friend and I don't want to talk to you anymore. Regardless of all those not so nice statements he sure loves his family, especially Eli. He really has started cuddling with me more at night and any chance to get one on one attention with me he's all over it. He's doing better in school and is learning that good days result in good nights without punishment. He also just informed us a few days ago that he stands up to go tee tee now. He potty trained so early that sitting down was easier and made more sense for him. We've tried getting him to stand in the past and he just couldn't do it. Well he must have watched the boys at school because he also announced that sitting down was for babies and he's a big boy so he stands up!!! He's so funny!

I'll post new pics of the boys at daycare tomorrow. Since I'm not in a hurry to get to work I get to enjoy drop offs all week! I'm sure the teachers will love me! Next week when I have to be at work they'll be lucky if I say hi and bye as I'm tossing my kid into the classroom!

2 month check up

Eli's check up went great! Well great until he got his shots at least.



WAITING FOR OUR SHOTS


MUST HAVE TASTED YUMMY!


SHOT #1


SHOT #2

2 months old

Oh I cannot believe Eli is 2 months old already. I also cannot believe I go back to work in 2 weeks. I'm ready most days....just not ready to be tired at 5am and stay tired all day when I don't get my 1:00 nap! But I remember doing it with Kevin and somehow I survived that first year. That's why time goes by so fast when your kids are babies...sleep deprivation!

Eli is smiling more and more. I just love his sweet smiles in the morning. He is fighting a little cold right now but we have his doctors appt today so hopefully it's nothing more than just a cold. Nothing really going on especially since Ben went back to work. My weekends and evenings are crazy but I'm trying to get a routine in place to make it less crazy...if that's possible.

More updates after his check up today....

Our baseball star

Yesterday we took Kevin to the park to play. We got him a t-ball set for Christmas and since the weather has been so nice we've been able to play with it. We quickly found out that Kevin can play better without the T!! He's pretty good at hitting the ball - daddy is so proud.

Collage personalized with Smilebox

7 weeks and smiling!

Eli is 7 weeks old already and he has started smiling. It is so cute and it makes us smile right back at him! He made it through his growth spurt and we all survived! We decided to take Eli to see his nana and gmama at work yesterday. At nana's work we weighed him - he's already 11 pounds! That's crazy. His 2 month check up is on the 7th and we're also getting an ultrasound that morning to get a better look at his reflux and what's causing his choking episodes. He'll have to go 4 hours of no eating which should be very interesting. I'm glad we're having it done though...especially before I go back to work.

Kevin had a rough week at daycare. He's decided to start hitting his friends. Nice I know! During my talk with him last night he told me that (1) he was done talking to anyone about his problems and (2) he was quiting school and was never going back. Just great! He's a preschool drop out. He's at school today and forgot about his demands I guess!

Ben goes back to work today. I think he's ready. I'm definitely not but all good things must come to an end.

Eli's first Sunday at church
















Kevin's first Sunday at church

Digital collage personalized with Smilebox

Free collage customized with Smilebox

6 weeks

Time continues to fly! Eli is already 6 weeks old. He's still a great baby and sleeps pretty good too....most nights! We are still working on getting him to sleep in his crib. He has to be really tired to be laid down anywhere and sleep. He can definitely sense when he's being held and is warm. He is eating great still and I'm pleased to say I am still breastfeeding. Most nights I'm ready to quit but my days are good so I'm hanging in there. His 6 week growth spurt has been a challenge but I'm hoping it's almost done. Feeding every 2 hours gets old fast. I'm ready for our every 3-4 hour stretches again. I should have been more thankful for those!

Kevin is doing great too! He is loving his "baby brudder" as he calls him. He always wants to know where he is and what he's doing. He constantly gives him kisses and rubs his face or head. He's so sweet and gentle with him.

Ben goes back to work Friday. Yuck! I'm not ready to do this alone yet. He does so much for us now. I know how blessed I am that he was off 7 weeks. I enjoyed the things we got to do while he was off. The shopping and eating out and running errands were great. It's something we never get to do because of his work schedule. Kevin has enjoyed it too. We have done all sorts of field trips with him. All in all my maternity leave was great because of Ben. The time we spent together and the memories we made are priceless.

Eli starts daycare in 3 weeks and I return to work in 4 weeks. I'm sure it'll go by very fast. Pictures coming soon of Eli's first Sunday at church and some other fun things we've been up to.

1 month check up

Eli had his 1 month check up today. He weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs 9 oz and is 22.5 inches. Didn't know a baby could gain 4 pounds and grow 3 inches in a month. We were shocked!!! Think he's making up for being born early. He's in the 90% for his height and 50% for weight. Just one shot and one unhappy baby!

We now have reflux medicine to give Eli. Obviously the reflux isn't keeping him from gaining weight but he is miserable after eating so we are looking forward to having a happy baby soon. We were excited that Eli "showed off" for his doctor today. She put him on his tummy and he lifted his head up and started looking around the room. He thinks he's big stuff now.

Kevin is feeling much better. No fever the last 2 days and coughing sounds better. Still not eating but that will change I'm sure.

Preparing for more snow tonight and tomorrow. This will be the 3rd time it has snowed since Eli was born. Texas weather for you!!!

Kevin is sick!

Kevin woke up with 103 temp this morning. He's had a little cough the past few days but no fever and acting okay. I decided it was best to take him to the doctor and sure enough, he has strep and the flu!!! I'm thankful Ben is still off work to help me. I couldn't do it without him. It's quite a task keeping Kevin away from Eli. He loves kissing him and not being able to even touch him is driving him crazy. He's on his antibiotic and didn't run fever at all today. Hoping he feels better soon and that none of us get it.

Kevin's trip to the Zoo

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1 month old

I cannot believe Eli is a month old already. time has gone by so fast. Eli is such a good baby...he sleeps and eats and only cries when he is hungry. he has figured out the crying thing the last few days and it seems to be getting louder! He can hold his head up for longer periods of time and during tummy time he can turn his head from side to side. He has a monkey pillow pet his Aunt Lee Lee got him for Christmas and he really enjoys laying on that and looking around!

Eli is a great eater and has made nursing him very easy. kevin is very intrigued with me feeding eli. he doesn't ask as many questions now but the first few days were full of questions. Now if I sit down to pump Kevin simply says "you making milk mommy?".

It has been such a joy to watch Kevin as a big brother. He loves Eli so much and he's so gentle with him. Ben and I weren't sure how he would be and he's really surprised us. We are so blessed to have 2 healthy boys. Some days it feels like a dream that Eli is even here. His 1 month check up is tomorrow. Can't wait to see how big he's gotten. I'm ready for him to start wearing 0-3 month clothes. He is now fitting into his newborn outfits better...some are even too small. We're also anxious to find out about his reflux issues. He has been spitting up but we're more concerned about his choking episodes. There are times his lips change colors until he can catch his breath. It's scary but happens so fast.

More updates tomorrow after his appt! And I have a ton of recent pictures of Kevin to post too.

new year, new blog, new baby

welcome to the new sasser family blog! let me catch you up on our latest addition....

we welcomed the birth of our second baby, eli craig sasser, on 1/7 at 4:56pm. eli weighed 6lbs 3oz. he wasn't due until 1/30 but apparently had other plans. I woke up that Friday morning feeling strange. I cannot describe the feeling other than I knew something wasn't right. I was checked out by my doctor at 10:00 that morning and returned to work. I was pleased with the news I had dilated to a 3 but knew that meant very little....or so I thought. contractions started around 11am except I had no idea that's what I was feeling. like any other pregnant woman food was always on my mind and Friday meant nachos at the hospital. my good friend Elizabeth, worried about my pain level, had already joked that she would be eating lunch alone. nonsense!!! no pain was keeping me from food. I stood up at desk at noon and my water broke. that got my attention quick! I was entering the doors of Baylor at 12:30 and in a room by 1:00. my doctor visited me and informed me I was at a 5. holy cow! this baby was coming...ready or not. things continued to progress quickly and by 4:45 my doctor was being paged. 3 pushes later eli was born. it was the easiest and fastest delivery. I was thrilled to say the least. eli was a perfect little blonde hair blue eyed baby. nothing like big brother Kevin! regardless of being early he spent no time in the NICU, had no issues with jaundice and no eating problems.

fast forward 1 month. eli is growing like a weed. kevin is loving his baby brother and we are just in awe that we have 2 boys. life is busy but we are loving it. check in for more updates and pictures of our sasser boys!