The Hannig Home

Now that we have moved out of the Twin Cities (where there was a SuperTarget store at every corner), we have had to adjust to shopping elsewhere for groceries.  That means we head to the Super Walmart in Willmar quite often (...Walmart in Willmar).  Luke thinks it is called "Willmart."   Mom, are we going to Willmart? Mom, why are we going to Willmart?  Mom, can we get fruit snacks at Willmart?   So cute. And here is a picture -not at Willmart- but actually at Cub Foods.  This is the first time they both rode in this fun shopping cart and they had a blast.  Luke kept begging, "Mom, buy more stuff.  Let's keep going."

Just a few pictures and one video to share of the boys out sledding on Jan 21, 2012.  The first picture is my very favorite.  They are both looking and smiling - hard to capture! Down the hill with dad! And Luke trading out the orange had for a face mask...

Benny is officially crawling.  Until this past weekend, he would make one or two moves crawling toward an object of interest, then dive on the floor to reach for the toy.  He would also army crawl or roll himself all the way around a room.  But this past weekend at our good friend's house (Donovan and Chauntal), he made one or two moves crawling, and then, as we watched for him to dive, he surprised us and kept on crawling.  Yay, Benny!  The baby gates will go up and the small toys/choking hazzards will be put away. Last week he also was able to get himself from his stomach or back to a sitting position.  He had been so frustrated that once he got down to crawl he was stuck on either his tummy or back.  Now he can get himself back up to the sitting position.  In fact, it is 11pm as I type this and he just woke up crying so I went in to check on him and for the first time he was sitting up in his crib, watching the door.  It was so cute!

Luke often wants to hold my hand when we're in the car...even if I'm driving.  If he is sad (for example, when we had to leave Paul's holiday party at the bowling alley and he didn't want to stop bowling and he was upset that he couldn't take his Orange pop and bowling shoes with him) or if he is tired, he will say, "Hold my hand, Mama."  I reach back and he reaches forward and we hold hands.  I love the feel of his soft little hand in mine.  I love that holding my hand gives him comfort.   Here he is bowling!

Boys, We come into your rooms and stare at you while you sleep - every night.  We turn on the hallway light to help us see you and we quietly open your doors and tiptoe in...right up to your little breathing bodies.  We stare, we smile, we look at each other in awe, and we whisper to each other that you look so big or that this is our favorite stage or age, or that we can't believe you are real.  We touch your little bodies lightly to make sure you are breathing.  We giggle at your positions, or your snoring, or an arm stuck through the crib rails, or the golf ball in your hand.  Then we exit.  And sometimes, we come again just a few minutes later because we can hardly stand it and we want to see you again. Love, Mom and Dad

Today being a mom is hard.  I'm crying as I type.  Ben has been tough, crying (actually screaming at the top of his lungs) for most of the day.  Luke and I just battled for an hour to put him (Luke) down for a nap.  He was so overtired, causing him to be completely hysterical.  He cried hysterically for an hour, hardly able to talk or breathe.  He wanted to get out of bed, watch movies, play with his cars, anything but sleep, which is the one thing he needed the most.  I tried everything - reading, watching one little show on the computer, listening to calming music, praying for him out loud, telling him a story, getting up to leave.  He screamed and fought at every turn.  I was calm for an hour, and then I lost it.  I screamed at him to go to sleep.  He started to get up and I pinned him down, yelling STOP, JUST STOP.  Then, realizing I had lost it, I got up and left the room and slammed the door as hard as I could to let out my anger.  Ben awoke from the slam, screaming his head

Here are the boys in their new New York sweatshirts from aunt Heather!  Love them!

Benny boy won't take a bottle - not that I expected after 8 months of exclusive nursing he would change his mind and start loving a bottle.  But, he is a stubborn little (Schroeder) boy.  :)  He screams at me in anger when i get near him with a bottle.  He pushes it away, won't allow it near his mouth, and screams at the top of his lungs.  The past few weeks have been a challenge for me, as I prepare to go on a trip with my husband in February.  I haven't slept and have felt down in the dumps with anxiety.  What kind of horrible mom leaves her baby (Ben will be  9.5 months when we leave for our trip) who won't take a bottle?  We booked the trip when I was pregnant with Ben, and I never imagined in a million years that Ben wouldn't take a bottle as a 9 month old.  A sweet friend of mine spent $45 on all different brands and kinds of bottles and sippy cups, in the hopes that Ben would take to at least one.  But so far he refuses to get any liquids from a source other

Ben turned 8 months old on January 1.  I love 8 month Ben.  I loved 7 month Ben and 6 month Ben, too, and all ages of Ben. Ben is not crawling, but is close.  And regardless, he covers a lot of area by rolling and scooting backward.  He gets up on all fours and rocks, but then he either pushes himself backward or he lunges forward, diving for a toy or object.  He wants to move so badly! He is eating tons of solids and he demands we funnel the food in his mouth at lightening speed, or we will hear about it from him.  This week he's had french toast, tons of pancakes, chicken noodle soup, green beans, mashed potatoes, mandarin oranges, and a few carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (those are his favorite). My favorite things about Ben: --The way he laughs at his brother, Luke.  He can't wait to see what Luke is up to each day.  He watches him closely and smiles and giggles whenever Luke zips by. --The way he sucks the two middle fingers on his left hand only.  And

I waitress at Jake's Pizza once a week while Grandma Annie watches the boys.  Today when I got home from work, I packed up the boys in the car to head to a doctor appointment.  We were driving for about a mile, not talking, when Luke started up a conversation.  He said, "How'd Jake's Pizza go?"  It was really cute.  He's 2 1/2 and he's starting conversations, asking how my day went, how work was...all adult conversation material.  He's so fun.  Here are 2 recent pictures of him:

Paul and Luke are snuggled in bed.  Luke has his metallic orange golf ball with him - he cried so hard when we made him put it on the night stand that we gave it back to him.  It can't hurt for a 2 year old to sleep with a golf ball, right?  It's not like he can choke on it.  So I hear them chatter as I type...their far-off voices, telling stories, asking questions.  Luke wants Paul to tell him more stories about Zeus and Mr. Potter.  The main thread of this story each night is that Zeus goes golfing and sees deer, and someone named Mr. Potter comes along once in a while.  In tonight's story, it was raining, so Zeus and Mr. Potter were putting on the carpet in the living room when they saw the deer outside the window.  That was when I exited the room.  And now I just listen to their far-off voices and smile at the sweetness of it.

Benny and Luke got some awesome sweatshirts from Aunt Heather (New York) and Luke also got some Cars PJs and slippers (thanks Santa and Uncle Joe).  Oh wait, this isn't Luke, it's Ralphie.

Friday, December 30th was a special day.  Paul's youngest brother, Mike, got married to a wonderful woman, Virginia Thayer.  Luke was a ring bearer and did a fantastic job.  He walked up the aisle holding Aunt Heather's hand.  I was prepared for him to buck and cry and refuse to go down that aisle, especially when he realized the church was not empty like it was at the rehearsal the night before.  But you never know what you will get from a 2 year old - and to my surprise, he really hammed it up the entire time.  He walked down the aisle a little shyly at first, but by the time he reached the front he was feeling confident.  During the entire service he sat on the steps below the groomsmen and played with the two golf balls we let him put in his pockets (for security while walking up the aisle).  You could tell he was enjoying being part of something big and exciting.  At the end of the service as the bride and groom and  bridesmaids and groomsmen walked out to some awesome mus