Spent the afternoon this past Sunday at Pleasure Valley Llamas (and Pumpkin Farm) with Stacey’s parents and Stacey’s nephews Owen and Alejandro. It was our second year visiting. Zachary was too little to really enjoy it last year, but he really made up for it this year. Benjamin had good time again this year, too.

A few pictures have been uploaded to Flickr if you’re interested:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexfalkenberg/tags/pleasurevalleyllamaandpumpkinfarm/

It’s well worth the $8 per wristband to enjoy all of the various activities there. Each wristband also includes a 20-pound pumpkin of your choice–picked from their patch yourself, or taken from carts near the entrance/exit. Larger pumpkins are $2 for every additional ten pounds over twenty, so a $40-lb pumpkin would only cost you an extra four bucks; a pretty good deal in the grand scheme of things-pumpkin. It’s located about 20 miles or so west of Random Lake, near Adell/Batavia. The farm’s website (linked above) has a map.

We hope you enjoy the pictures.

http://vimeo.com/3343680

Our apologies to anyone that had trouble!

So I cracked this joke at dinner last night, and Benjamin thought it was pretty funny, so he kept repeating it. And of course, I made him repeat it again for a quick little video. His fake-laughing really is super-funny, though maybe you have to be there to appreciate it. ;)

The joke, in case the audio’s as poor as the video (recorded with my crappy cellphone camera), is “Is your nose running?” “Yes.” “Better go catch it!” followed by his classic fake-laughing and a request to watch the recording we’d just made. Enjoy!

He really is a fantastic kid. We’re so very proud of him and how nice a job he’s doing growing up, even if it seems like it’s all moving way too fast. He’s a great son and an awesome big brother.

If you’re at all interested in a shot from his past, here’s a post from his very first birthday that includes a pretty cute picture of him:

http://www.benjaminfalkenberg.com/2007/02/20/the-big-one/

We’ll have some three-year portraits here to look at, soon, so keep an eye out for those.

Benjamin’s transformation so far has been amazing, and continues to be amazing. And not just the changes in him, but also the changes in us as adults and parents; Stacey and I have also really grown tremendously since he was born; it seems like he teaches us as much as we teach him. And it all feels very, very right.

Love you, buddy!

Benjamin wrote his first-ever letter to Santa to put out with the cookies and milk last night on Christmas Eve. Or, rather, Dad asked Benjamin what he wanted to say to Santa, Benjamin told Dad, and Dad wrote most of it, except for a couple of bits Benjamin insisted he write himself; he focused so very hard writing the bits he did, and it was incredibly cute…

Dear Santa,

Merry Christmas!

Hi. I’ve been a good boy this year. My brother Zachary was a good boy this year, too.

[Benjamin scribbles, saying each word out loud as he slowly, carefully writes...] (”It’s a good cookie.”)

Mommy has been a good girl, and Daddy was a good guy. Owen and Ollie and Laura and Lydia were good, too. Nana and Papa were good, too.

Merry Christmas.

[Benjamin scribbles, saying each word out loud as he slowly, carefully writes...] (”I was a good boy.”)

Santa, thank you for the presents.

We love you, Santa.

– Benjamin, Zachary, Mommy, Daddy and Yoda… (and [long list of cousins, aunts and uncles here])

Bye!

Awesome, right?  :)

We hope you had a great 2008…and we hope you have an even better 2009. Take care, everyone–we love you all.

Benjamin’s first snow angel, created 20 December 2008, in our front yard.

Image manipulated slightly to enhance the imprint.

Initially, in the early evening of December 16th, both he and Benjamin were sitting in the chair together. Benjamin got down to do something else. Zachary leaned over the side of the chair to see where his brother went, and boom, down he went.

He wasn’t acting like he’d broken anything. He rarely cries as it is, so it was hard to really determine if there was something seriously wrong or if he had just scared himself. Until the next morning, anyway, when we started to notice he wasn’t putting weight on his arm… He was climbing up the stairs, but using his right elbow instead of his entire arm. He was grabbing at things and picking things up, trying to use his arm and his hand, but heavy things (like a full sippy cup or a book) were things he couldn’t hold, and he was dropping them. Uh-oh.

The fall was less than a foot and a half to the floor. Really. He apparently landed Just Right™. He’s certainly had bigger, more dramatic falls before…

So we called our pediatrician, who normally offers appointments same-day for the serious stuff. We couldn’t get in; our doc was apparently on a half-day, and there just weren’t any slots open. Very disappointing (thanks, nurse!). Ended up with an appointment with him the following morning, got some x-rays, and confirmed a clean break of his right radius. Plain as day to see on the x-ray. After some calling around, he finally tracked down a orthopedic specialist who could see him and cast the arm.

Anyway, the arm is casted. The break, it turns out, is both bones in his right forearm, and not just the radius. The ulna is also fractured; it wasn’t as obvious on the x-ray, but the ortho doctor noticed it right away. No setting of the bones was required; straightforward, clean breaks. The cast is waterproof, and the lining under it is Gore-Tex, so he can take baths and even go swimming. He’s already had a couple of baths, and the water runs right out and it’s not been a problem at all.

You’ll notice he was casted up past his elbow; casts on kids can (and do) fall or slip off, or get pried/pulled off, so they go ahead and cast past the elbow to help hold the thing in place and prevent accidental removal/separation. Zachary would definitely try to pull it off, or at least play with it until it came off.

We were told bones heal at the rate of approximately 1week per year of age. So Zachary’s arm should be OK in about a week and a half. That’s… amazing.

We have an appointment again in three weeks to remove the cast, take another batch of x-rays to confirm it’s healed, and hopefully be done. Let’s hope so! It’s been a couple of days now since he got the cast, and he’s definitely felt frustrated. The red-PJ pic here is a great example from his first day with his cast: when he can’t reach something, or can’t put his right hand to his mouth to eat or touch his face at all, he gets a little upset. Can’t blame him… For the most part, though, he’s adjusting just fine. We knew he would; it’s just What He Does™.

Neither Mom nor Dad have been casted before, so we really were not directly familiar with the process. Turns out it’s quite simple and pretty quick. We’re trying hard not to feel like bad parents, of course. These things happen, and there’s really nothing you can do to stop them. We live, we learn, we keep on going, and growing as a result. :)

It’s worth noting (again) that Zachary is pulling really, really hard on Santa’s very real beard in this picture. Poor St. Nick… That look on his face? Pure pain. We apologized, of course, but it was pretty darn funny…

It’s strange looking at this picture, as both kids have grown up so much since it was taken. Zachary’s walking now. Benjamin’s in gymnastics classes, knows all his numbers and letters… Their growth this past year has been pretty amazing.

More holiday pictures on the way as we get them processed and uploaded. Those of you that end up with our photo Christmas card–going out Any Day Now™–we hope you enjoy that, too.  Happy Holidays!

http://www.carters.com/corporate/tagless_message.aspx

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s advisory on this issue is here:

http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml09/09023.html

The affected garments have tags that look like this:

Garments with tags like the following are NOT part of the advisory:

Interestingly, Carter’s is not issuing a recall, saying they’ve researched the matter thoroughly and concluded it’s only an issue in babies and infants with sensitive skin. Really, Carter’s?

We have conducted an internal review of the product and test results, required our label manufacturers to do the same, and coordinated with several independent experts, including physicians, to provide their analyses. Our review and testing provide no indication that the labels contain any known skin irritants or abrasive chemicals, or that such a rash is anything beyond a rare allergic reaction to an otherwise safe product. We have received fewer than four reported rashes for every 1,000,000 of these products sold.

Nevertheless, we have been working closely with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and issued a joint advisory to alert consumers to the situation.

Carter’s claims “fewer than four reported rashes for every 1,000,000 of these products sold”. Seriously? Babies and infants get rashes all the time. Carters, do you really think that most people would consider your clothing the source of the problem? Most parents write such rashes off as reactions to teething or laundry detergent or something else entirely. The statistics mention seems a little…disingenuous.

Our opinion on this is that Carter’s should do a recall and take a little more responsibility. Carter’s is basically saying their clothes “technically and legally aren’t a problem” and then are more or less pointing the finger at the kids wearing the clothes for being too sensitive. Umm, yeah.

And if the rash persists? It’s apparently left to us to figure out on our own, according to their statement:

What should I do if my child has a reaction to a tag-less label?
You should stop using the garment that caused the reaction. If the condition persists, please contact your pediatrician for advice. We also encourage anyone with questions or comments to contact us at 1-888-282-4674 or by e-mail at contactus@carters.com.

And there’s this:

Is this reaction serious?
It is our understanding that the reaction is a type of allergic reaction called contact dermatitis and that it generally clears up completely within a matter of days after removal from contact with the allergen. If the condition persists, please contact your pediatrician for advice.

That’s right. They’re in the clear from the CPSC, so if the rash hangs around, you should simply start throwing piles of cash at your kid’s doctor and work it out yourself. Good grief.

Some of you may remember that we had issues with Carter’s in the past, and we weren’t even complaining or reporting a problem. We once attempted to contact Carter’s for help finding a replacement for a toy for Benjamin…and never got any response from Carter’s at all.

Does Carter’s think they’re actually responsive to consumers? Our own experience says they’re not… so we’re not particularly inclined to think Carter’s actually received or processed any or all reports regarding this rash issue.

As always, Carter’s is here to answer any questions or concerns you may have. Please feel free to contact our Consumer Affairs center anytime at 1-888-282-4674 or by e-mail at contactus@carters.com.

Tsk tsk, Carter’s. I want what you’re claiming about always being there for customers to be true; I really do. But it’s not. We’ve emailed you at that very email address above–contactus@carters.com–when we were looking for that replacement toy some time ago. We’ve still not received a reply. Not even an automated “got your message, we’ll get back to you” reply. Nothing. We were actually trying to buy something from you.

Maybe now that they’re trying to save some face they’re finally checking their email. Maybe they’ll find that email of ours, from two years ago. (Don’t bother replying now; the replacement-toy issue is long-since resolved, thanks (for nothing)!)

We do have some of the Carter’s clothing affected by this issue. Both Benjamin and Zachary have had some rashes, too. But, are they from the Carter’s clothing? Even now, we have no idea! However, in the spirits of both “better safe than sorry”, and “it’s the principle of the thing”, you can bet we’ll be contacting Carter’s to get those items refunded. Will it be a full refund? Carter’s says yes:

What do I do if I’m not satisfied with my Carter’s clothing?
As is our standard policy, customers may return any item that they are not satisfied with for a full refund. Our Consumer Affairs staff can be reached at 1-888-282-4674 or by email at contactus@carters.com, and will help with that return.

Since prices vary all over the place, I wonder what they consider a ‘full’ refund. We’ll see.

And, to be clear, we do like Carter’s stuff. We still buy Carter’s clothing and other items. But their customer service and their handling of this issue–in my opinion–leave something to be desired. I guess we’ve always held Carter’s to an all-around higher standard; maybe we shouldn’t.

Are you affected by this clothing issue? What are your thoughts? Have you called/emailed them regarding a refund yet? What was the experience like? We’d love for you to share your stories and experiences in the comments.

Not pine needles, according to Benjamin. Pine noodles.

Image is from the camping part of our vacation last week.

It’s been a really interesting year this past year having a second child. Mostly, it’s been challenging, trying to wrangle two boys instead of one. It’s really not even close to twice the work… it’s more like four times the work. It’s important to understand, though, that it’s been totally, totally worth all of it.

Zachary is an amazing, expressive boy. Smiles and laughs all the time. Really easy-going and mellow. He’s not yet walking (which Benjamin had been doing for a couple months or so at this point in his life), but he’s cruising, standing a lot, and definitely wants to walk. He’s getting there, and it likely won’t be long at all.

Not much else to say, really. Zachary’s a great kid, and we’re really happy we have him. Benjamin loves him to death, and Zachary certainly loves his big brother. We couldn’t be happier or more proud of them both.

Party on Saturday Sunday!

Update: The party was a great success! Thanks everyone for coming, sending cards, calling, etc. We really appreciate it!

He’s only 8 weeks old, fresh from the Wisconsin Humane Society in Milwaukee (picked him up July 13th). Very playful, very cuddly, very happy kitty. Benjamin and Zachary are going nuts with him so far, really enjoying him, and Yoda’s very interested in them, too.

The Yoda name, well… it was sort of thrown out there by Dad as a joke, but Benjamin (who knows nothing of Star Wars…yet!) latched onto it immediately and decided it was the perfect name.

For those that remember our last cat, it was a kitten Mom received at age 6 and a faithful companion and pet for her (and later Dad as well) for over 20 years.  She’s been gone now for about four years, and it’s only been in the last year or so that Mom’s felt ready again for another cat. The only requirement was that any new feline not look like or be named after her. Fair enough.

Soooo, Yoda makes…five, and our family continues to grow.

Eventually, he stopped doing it, and we were relieved.

Zachary, on the other hand, is a regular thumbsucker…but only when he wants something. He doesn’t suck his thumb unless he is hungry or tired…or, well, both.

He sucks his thumb while he eats his cereal or whatever, too, but we think this falls under the “hungry” category. With each new spoonful of food, he follows it in with his thumb and sucks, and it appears to help him ingest the food. And yeah, it sometimes makes things a bit messy. But it also seems to help him get the food in and down, and he pulls his thumb out when he’s ready to take in more spoonfuls of food, so we just don’t worry about it.

The net result of basically letting the thumb sucking while eating thing go is that it’s less hassle than it was before when we were constantly trying to control it with Benjamin. It’s proven to be one of those choose-your-battles things that we’ve decided to just let go.

We’re not experts of any sort, so do whatever you want with your own children…but from our perspective, if your infant can’t stop sticking their thumb back in their mouth after every spoonful of food, well, just let him or her do it. Engage with your baby–talking, smiling, etc–and you’ll find that all that thumb-related hassle was mostly created by you and not your little eater.

For us, everyone–everyone–is soooo much happier in the end.

And of course, you still need to watch your baby and see if they’re engaging in extreme sucking of thumb or pacifier that might affect their development of new teeth or jaw, etc. Zachary isn’t strong or frequent with his sucking, so we’re not worried…and like Benjamin, we anticipate the thumb need will eventually just vanish on its own.

Both Benjamin and his Mom went out today and picked up a cake and decorated it for me for Father’s Day. Benjamin picked out all the different frosting colors, and did most of the decorating (with a little bit of Mom’s help, I’m told…). Sure, it’s all a day early, but I can’t say I minded one bit!

When they presented it to me, Benjamin even wished me “Happy Father’s Day!”, which was really, really great.

“(heart) U DAD” is simply… awesome.

First and most importantly, Benjamin really enjoyed himself. It’s not at all uncommon that he enjoys himself; he always manages to find something fun to do. But this was something new, and it got kind of dark, and it wasn’t anything he was familiar with as experiences go…but he adapted well and settled right in. There were moments where Vlad the Vulture spooked him into asking to go potty when he really didn’t need to. Benjamin sat in his own seat (with a theater-provided booster) and held the giant box of popcorn for the whole family, the entire movie.

There were also moments when he asked to go potty and needed to; he was still clean and dry when the movie was over, which was great considering the kid’s not yet even 2.5 years old. Yes, his parents are proud…

Unsurprisingly, Zachary enjoyed the movie a bit less. It wasn’t so much a matter of not enjoying the movie, because he wasn’t even really watching it; it was more a matter of having just been breastfed prior to the previews and then wanting to nap when the surroundings were unfamiliar and a bit, umm, animated… He did finally go to sleep, and everything worked out fine after that.

All in all, a great experience, and a great afternoon at a matinee show (and at a theatre worth supporting!). Mom and Dad enjoyed the movie as well. Mom in particular was laughing out loud at the song and dance bit at the end.

We’ll definitely be doing it again!

We’ve been really busy. New job, new house soon (!), lots of packing, and just getting a lot of Big Stuff(tm) taken care of lately.

Sure, it sounds like a line, but it’s really true. And we’re really, really sorry.

Benjamin’s super-excited about the new house. He’s stoked to have a new room, and a new house, with a new yard, a giant wooden play set in the yard with a slide and swings, and lots and lots of room. He’s also pretty excited about our decision to get a kitten once we’re in the house, and to befriend some new neighbor kids to play with.

Zachary continues to grow and smile and laugh. He’s almost crawling, but not being able to crawl doesn’t stop him from moving across 25 feet of floor in just a couple seconds, rolling and twisting his way from Point A to Point B. He eats well and plays well. We’re very pleased with his growth and his demeanor. It’s so strange to see him in Benjamin’s not-really-all-that-old clothes…

So that’s a quickie update. More soon after we move and get unpacked and settled in. The next few weeks are going to be busy!

It went really well; he really enjoyed the peas, happily smacking his lips with each spoonful. His reaction to the first taste was more like “hey, what IS that, I don’t know that!”, but he had already recovered by his very next bite.

We’ll do peas for a few more days (4 days per food starting out, according to the pediatrician, to stay on top of any possible allergic reactions), and then switch it up a bit with some sweet potatoes or something.

And in case you’ve forgotten or are trying to remember, Benjamin’s first real food was peas, too…

And yes, Zachary is six months old today, too. Where does the time go?

Proofs from Benjamin’s 2-year birthday pictures! Since they’re just proofs, they’re not large nor very high-resolution. You can click them to get slightly larger sizes.

Zachary (roughly 5 months old here) is naturally in some of them. We went to a Target photo studio near us; the woman there was rumored to be terrific…and she was. We were very impressed with her ability to capture great facial expressions and the natural look and feel of Benjamin.

We didn’t order all of these poses, of course. If you see one you really like, though, let us know!

Rough week. Looking to reschedule party to a date a couple weeks from now. More on that when we figure it out…

Croup for Benjamin for sure, and a cold for Zachary as well (along with Zachary’s ‘mystery rash’). They both seem pretty miserable, and Dad’s not much better. Not much the pediatrician could do for them, either.

We had planned to get some pictures done this week, but that’s been rescheduled for now.

If the party date/time changes, we’ll certainly let you know, but for now, that, at least, is still on schedule. Hopefully they’ll be cleared up by then.

We know it’s late notice already, so if you show up, you show up, and we’ll all be happy to see you. :)

Can’t believe it’s been two years already!