The Hannig Home

At times, Luke gets overwhelmed with love for Ben and just wants to squeeze him and kiss him and squeeze him and kiss him.  In the tub last night he was feeling that way and squeezed and kissed Ben and said, I like this little Benny boy.  His belly is fat and his legs are really chubby. Oh Ben, you are so stinkin' cute and we love those rolls!  Below was last night, just out of the tub. He insists on wearing that yellow vest around with nothing else on.  He will not love me for posting this picture on my blog, but he is a baby so I think it's okay.  Look at those legs and belly!

Yesterday we endured Ben's 18 month appointment.  I say endured  because it was an almost-2-hour appointment with 2 little boys, needles, and limited space to run.  The appointment started out normal and fine (normal includes Ben screaming the entire time he was weighed and measured).  The doctor came in shortly after the nurse left.  Just as we were getting into her examination of Ben, Luke claims he has to go potty.  I ignore it.  He claims he HAS to go potty.  I tell him to hold it a little longer.  He's screaming it now.  Dr. Vick says, go ahead.  I'm guessing Ben won't stay with me ( she was correct ) so I will go check if there is another patient waiting to see me.   We traipse down to the nearest restroom - Ben in only his diaper - and Luke goes potty (he DID have to go).  We head back to the room and Ben takes off running down the hall right at another one of the doctors who is back in the 'doctor area.'  I run after him and Luke thinks its all so funny

Luke pooped today.  Ben came in to check it out and as he was peering in the toilet Luke said to him, That was a pretty nice one Ben, don't you think? This didn't even phase me at first, because I hear this kind of conversation daily.  But when I really thought about it, I realized it is quite funny.

My baby Ben is 18 months old already.  I think I blinked and 18 months just happened.  Even though I was working full-time when Lukey was a baby, I was able to give him one-on-one attention as a mom.  But with Ben I am sharing time with both boys, and it seems to make the time go even faster.  Paul and I don't get too much one on one time with just Ben.  Each of Benny's "stages" have to share attention with Luke's happenings and stages.  This is neither good nor bad, it just is.  I just wish I could spend more time in each stage (i.e., slow time!). I remember when Luke was in the womb (!) I was journaling for him and dedicated an entry to speak about the 2008 election.  I told him what a monumental election it was because for the first time in history a black man could become president of the United States of America.  And that is what happened.  Today, 4 years later, I am sitting by the computer (instead of having a pen in hand) and journaling about the 2012

A few "posts" ago I talked about Ben's love for his brother Luke.  Well, Luke loves his brother, Ben, equally as much.  Yesterday Luke informed me that Ben had a big booger coming out of his nose.  I said to Luke, somewhat kidding deep down but still in a serious voice, Why don't you go get a Kleenex and wipe his nose for him?   In my head I was thinking, it'll never happen.   Okay, Mom!   And off he runs to get a Kleenex.  He ran back, beckoned for Benny, and gently wiped his nose. Got it, Mom! And he brings me the proof. Benny actually let him wipe his nose.  He stood still and let Luke do it.  Now why doesn't he let me? ***** Last night Luke headed to the bathroom to go potty one last time before bed.  I was wiping the kitchen counter off and just watched his little 3 1/2 year old body doing his recently potty trained thing.  When he was finished I saw him trying to get some toilet paper off the roll.  He finally got a little piece off the roll

It wasn't really a long day for me/us.  This is just what Luke says when he referring to something that happened in the past - multiple days ago, or a long time ago, etc.  He will say, for example: A long long day, uncle Jonnie was here and we went in the backyard.  He had pockets and a pen.  'Member that, Mom?  It was a long long day.

Date:  Late July, 2012 and in other news.... my HUSBAND {Peter} & i are  MOVING into our OWN HOME in just NINE days!!! we are BEYOND excited!!! currently we are living with Peter's brother & family... we are also LOVING that right now!   we get to wake up to our two absolutely ADORABLE &  fully entertaining nephews...and i LOVE being able to chat with Nikki... pics of those cuties to come - i don't have my camera cord with me! i am truly BLESSED that is for sure!! LIFE IS SO GOOD!

Today I witnessed my two boys' behavior on opposite ends of the spectrum.  Luke was setting a puzzle.  Ben decided to walk all over it.  I sensed something from the kitchen and as I looked down to the living room, I saw Luke punch Ben in the stomach.  I ran down to intervene, grabbed Luke - to avoid further punching - and brought him to the couch.  I told him he would get a spanking.  We talked about being a loving brother and about how he is supposed to come to me if he has an issue with Ben, rather than taking matters into his own hands (hands which turn into fists and punch in the gut).  He started to cry and cry and cry.  Ben (who wasn't even crying from getting socked in the gut), came around to the front of the couch with his most prized possession - his tassled green blankie with the footballs on it - and offered it to Luke for comfort.  It was so precious.  Luke took the offering and snuggled with half of the blankie, and Ben stood there, too, and laid his head on th

Luke had a play date without mom for the first time ever.  He went out to his friend Liam's house last Friday.  He was so excited and so brave.  He told me on the way there, I won't cry there, Mom.  And if I do, I will go on the swing-set and then I will be happy. I'm glad he can find comfort in swing sets.  My Lukey is growing up.  He even tried Liam's Great-grandmother's homemade salsa and ate it all down for lunch.  When I got there to pick him up a few hours later he was not ready to leave. So happy and proud of Luke!

Grandma was here last Thursday while I worked at Jake's Pizza.  When I got home, she told me a little Luke story.  Luke had said to her: I'm gonna be a man......but Mama doesn't want me to be a man. :) Grandma explained to him why I don't want him to grow up and become a man.  I won't be able to hold him in my arms when he is a big man like his daddy.  I won't be able to snuggle him and sleep by him at night. Oh Lukey, I will love you as a man, but I just don't want that time to come anytime soon.

Here are some pictures of Benny at the DQ.  I bought a Blizzard for me, Luke, and Ben to share.  I tried to feed Ben a spoonful, but before it got to his mouth he started to crab at me, grabbed the spoon, grabbed the Blizzard and hid them on his side.  He wanted it ALL, and for himself.  :)  Here is our little stubborn and always-hungry boy.

We got a swing set!  Thank you to Uncle Jim and Aunt Rita for the swing set...and Marina and Victor for growing up and getting too big for it.  We've had the swing set for a week or two, and a day has not passed without us using it at least once or twice, often for quite extended lengths of time.  Ben loves his little swing, and often he will sit in it after it has come to a complete stop while I'm inside doing some chore.  He doesn't whine or complain, just sits there contently by himself. And when I go back outside he begs (through a series of non-verbals and sounds) to be pushed again.  He squeals and laughs the entire time.  Luke loves the slide and he has perfected getting on and off the swings by himself as well as twirling around on the rings.  And truth be told, I'm usually having just as much fun as the boys - swinging high, tipping back my head to see the sky and trees.  Here are some pictures of our fun. Just the woods (or "hoods" as Luk

Here is Luke, helping me fold washcloths.  He is getting quite good at it.  Not sure of his strategy for 'piles' here, but nonetheless, very helpful.  Love him!

Luke loves batman - his batman pajamas, the batman cape I made for him from the batman material we got at the Fabric Warehouse, listening to the batman theme song and singing it. Luke also loves cowboys and cowboy boots.  Cowboy hats, old cowboy songs on the radio, his holster and six shooters.  For Halloween this year he will be bat-boy.  Not like a baseball bat boy.  But a cross between BATman and cowBOY.  I guess you could also call it a man-cow, too.  He will wear his batman jammies and cape, his holster, guns, cowboy hat, and boots. We haven't played baseball or golf for months.  Luke hardly picked up a baseball bat or golf club all summer long.  He has shifted his attention to superheros and Bonanza heros.  He uses his jump rope to lasso everything, and he turns everything into a gun:  hockey sticks, golf clubs, baseball bats, bendy straws, tools, sticks, or just anything that is shaped in an L and could slightly resemble a gun. Luke is also falling in love with puzzles

We moved into our new home just a little over a year ago.  I don't miss the Cities, just some of the friends I still have there.  I LOVE being home with the boys - as I state in just about every blog post that I type.  There isn't a day that goes by where I do not thank God for this special time I can be with Luke and Ben, seeing and experiencing every special, crazy moment of every day with them. This summer we made a few home improvements, experimented with a garden, but mostly, just spent time together, and spent time with the Dold and Hannig families. This update is mostly just to post a few pictures of my favorite boys.  Sorry, the pictures don't format all that well and they are all over the place rather than in a nice orderly sequence. Grandpa's Ernie's convertible At the Spicer park.  I love this picture. Look at that face.  Those cheeks and lips and chin! So smoochable! Uncle Joe putting Luke's shorts on Benny for fun.