Hurdles and Mountains

What.A.Week.

I have been using the phrase "this is just a phase, this will pass" more often than not this past week. It's been a rough one. Who thought that scheduling back to back appointments for both boys was a good idea?

Oh wait, me.

When Cole was a baby his immunizations came and went like a breeze. They never seemed to phase his happy-go-lucky outlook on life. Perhaps it was the extra rolls that protected from too much pain. Bennett on the other hand....

Game over.

Misery loves company.

I will cry until you cry.

Sleep, what?

It was a sad couple of days in the Marston household. Both boys spiked fevers, Bennett's topped at 103.7.  My heart broke the day Cole was sick. Kyle got home from work and went over to the couch to see how he was doing, Cole looked up at his daddy and then one giant crocodile tear rolled down his cheek. It was the saddest.

Bennett wasn't so quiet about his pain, he cried for hours non stop and if I even came close to touching his leg that received the shots his wail got louder. I felt like I spent more time racing between boys at night than I did actual sleeping. And for the first time since Bennett was born I actually wondered if I would have enough energy to make it through the week.

I did.

So did Cole.

And Bennett finally recovered from his traumatic 4 month immunizations. He was back to his easy, sweet, smile-giving self after a few long days and nights. But turns out he is still my little pip-squeak. At 19 weeks he weighed in at 13.4 lbs (13%),  24 in tall (10%), and his head circumference was 16.5 in (35%). He is developing great and is getting stronger by the day. He can still roll from front to back and almost has down back to front. His Dr. thinks we can expect to see a tooth popping through anytime...that would explain the constant drool dripping down his chin. He still loves to talk, he learned how to blow raspberries and spent one whole night practicing. He much prefers to be held, and is a bit higher maintenance than Cole ever was, but a sweet baby all the same. I have loved seeing more and more of his personality come out with each passing day.

After our little rough patch with immunizations and fevers we all were healthy enough to get away for the weekend with all of my siblings.It felt good to get out of the house and breathe in some fresh mountain air!

We had so much fun! It snowed beautiful fluffy white flakes, Cole got his first taste of sledding and making snowballs.

He got over the fact that I put him in purple snow boots and bundled him to the point that he could barely walk.

He loved it, and I had to bribe him to come in with hot cocoa.

We all had fun, didn't get a whole lot of sleep....vacationing is definitely a whole different story with little ones. Between both boys we all ended up being awake between 5:30-6am both mornings. We tried to bribe Cole into being quiet with cartoons, but that would last all of two seconds before he was wanting to wake the rest of the house up! I think someone liked having all the attention from all his uncles, aunties, and cousins.

It was the perfect way to wrap up a hard week filled with lots of tears, lots of pain, and lots reminders that this stage of life is but a mist, it will be over in the mere blink of an eye. And I'm sure I will be left wishing it back...sleepless nights and all.

I'm so thankful for such a loving and supportive family, for siblings that are my best friends, and for sweet little ones that suck up my energy yet give me more joy to get through even the roughest of nights and days.