I'm trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy for the boys amidst all the transition. We try to get out most days to the park or for a walk or play date with friends. Last week they had a day with Grandma and Grandpa while Mama packed boxes. This weekend they loved being at our friends' house, the Jansens, who have three sweet boys ages 7, 5, and 3. Dave and I were amazed that we could actually enjoy some adult conversation because their kiddos occupied ours! This morning they had fun playing with their buddy Jake Rooney. And most weeks we get some time with their beloved cousins, Jachin and Bo.
Ben's sleep has improved dramatically. I'm trying not to get too excited in case it doesn't last, but both boys have been napping 2-4 hours each day and sleeping 10-11 hours straight overnight. Ben actually seems to like naptime and bedtime instead of fighting it every time. This does a mama's heart good!! I'm wondering if some of his sleeping and attitude problems the last couple months were actually related to illness. He's had pretty bad digestive issues since July. We were planning to start a trial of gluten and/or dairy avoidance to see if he has an intolerance, but we just found out that he has Giardia. Poor kid!! We will start antibiotics today for both boys even though Luke's culture came back negative. We're pretty sure Luke brought the Giardia with him since it's so common in Africa.
We're working hard everyday with Luke's attitude. He gets so upset so quickly, but I think he is learning (slowly!) that it's better to use words to communicate his needs instead of fussing and whining all the time. Their vocabularies continue to grow daily. Ben will tell you his name if you ask. The only problem is that when you ask Luke, "What's your name?" he says "Ben." Hahaha! They say shoes, keys, Uncle, bubbles, plane, ball, help-- just to name a few new words. Luke says "Bless you" when somebody sneezes and Ben says "Achoo!" Luke is quickly filling his shoes as the bossy big brother. If I reprimand Ben for something, Luke gets in Ben's face with a pointed finger to say, "No more Ben!" He tells Ben to wait. And he even tells him "Gentle!" when he thinks Ben is being too rough. A couple weeks ago I told Luke to go get a tissue; he came back with a shoe. I guess it sounded like Ti-Shoe to him. :) Ben jumped in and got the tissue for his brother!
So thankful I get to spend most of my days with these two boys!
