A Wondeful Week/end!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. The crappy weather aside, we had a nice relaxing one! We had no set plans, and boy was it nice!!!

Saturday I slept in and then we got up and went to breakfast at Harris County Barbecue. It was so yummy I am still thinking about it. Saturday night was "The Fight". I am referring to the UFC 71, but by "The Fight" I do mean the one that took place in Las Vegas and the one that took place in the V household! Jimmy wanted to go watch it a friends house and leave me home alone. This was not happening. HELLO! I'm home everyday with JD, what makes you'd think I'd enjoy spending Saturday evening at home with JD?? Of course, I didn't tell him this. I pouted when he asked if I would mind if he went. He even offered to take JD with him. Normally I'd said yes and been eternally grateful; however, I knew this was just his way of getting on my good side so that he didn't feel guilty. He forgets I'm a genius and figured this out on my own. He also forgot that he can be a complete 'tard! "Yes honey, I think it would be a fine idea to take our 2-year old son to a friend's child-less house. A house with some serious home entertainment equipment that JD will love to climb on. A house where there's no such thing as outlet covers, cabinet locks, or TOYS of all things. A house that will be filled with stupid boys who say bad words and will probably have JD farting and belching the alphabet before he leaves! Oh, and of course it doesn't matter that he's in the middle of a nap - wake him! Oh, and don't worry about him being up until 10:30, that's only 2 hours past his bedtime, who needs a schedule anyways?? Have fun!" Uhh....I think not! So, Jimmy left b/c I refuse to be that wife who tells her husband he can't go somewhere. Instead, I wait until he walks out the door, start crying, pour myself some water (because I AM pregnant) right about the time he's looking into the kitchen before pulling away in hopes he sees me and feels AWFUL. This doesn't work, so I call him with a stupid question, but he can tell I'm crying. He comes home aggravated and we talk. How bad am I? This is what pregnancy can do to a girl! Make her insane!!!!

Oh, and for some more fight commentary, check out Big Mama's UFC 71 recap!

Sunday, we ran some more errands and then had a nice evening at home with my in-laws. I made lasagna for my family and my dear friend, D's family.

A little update on B: He's doing better. He's home and putting on weight, which is GREAT news. The hard part is they still aren't sure why B won't eat. This is the battle they are currently fighting. He has nurses that come throughout the day and therapists that come for every imaginable thing! Bless his heart, he is getting better! The feeding tube can remain in place up to 6 months now. This solely depends on how he's doing and if he'll eat on his own! Keep the prayers coming!!

Monday, we celebrated the day of memorial in the rain. Hubs made some delicious ribs and we ate ALL DAY!!! It was much fun!!!

I'm not sure I'll get to post tomorrow before Jimmy and I head of town. This depends on how much I get done today, and seeing that I'm blogging instead of cleaning/washing/packing - so far, not so good. Anyways...Jimmy and I leave town tomorrow for Las Vegas!! I can hardly wait!

I'm not a gambler. I can't justify losing money to a dealer when I could purchase some things I really NEED - new shoes, a new COACH purse, some new sunglasses, etc. Jimmy on the other hand, does enjoy it and will be playing in the WSOP (that's the World Series of Poker) tournament. We are leaving tomorrow evening, so we'll have all day Thursday and Friday to hang together before the tournament starts. I hope to not see him Saturday AT ALL and then hope we have to change our flight to Monday morning - this will mean he's doing good and hopefully our house worries will be gone. Ok...a girl can dream! I look forward to doing NOTHING!!!! I will have no child to look after...I'm not really sure what that feels like but I imagine it's refreshing!!! I will miss Mr. JD with my whole heart, but momma can't wait for some R&R. I plan on getting some major pampering done. I also plan on eating everything in sight and laying by the pool. I have bought two new books, an iPod (I'm like a real person now), and a cute new pair of shoes for any walking I might do!! I truly can not wait to do nothing!!!

Hope to post tomorrow, but if not...enjoy your week!! I'll sure enjoy mine!!

Oh, and mom, Papa Tim & Shan - thank you so much for watching JD for us! He is SOOO excited to go to his KK's house for 4 nights! This means so much to Jimmy and I. I am well aware that this will probably be the last trip the 2 of us take together for a long while!! I am MORE than blessed to be able to leave my precious child with someone and know he's in the most wonderful hands. I know I'll have a lot of un-spoiling to do when we get back, but I couldn't ask for anything more. This child sure thinks y'all are the greatest!!!!

Rough Night

This evening we got some more bad news when it comes to this dang house. Expect this blog in the next day or two, I have to let it fester a bit!

Anyways...I read Big Mama's blog about her sweet Caroline and it was a gentle reminder that life isn't really as bad as it seems. It was one of those reminders where you almost feel silly for being so upset over something trvial (only for a second - after a few minutes I needed another gentle reminder) and are a bit more thankful for the BIG things in life.

I shed a few (okay, a lot) of tears, closed down my pc (after crying to both of my playgroups on the mssg boards) and went to lay in my bed to watch the end of AI. JD was laying in my bed as well and he immediatly grinned when I walked in. "Lay down" he said. Ok (like he had to twist my arm or something), I curled up next to him and cried a little more. A few minutes later he pointed to my eyes and said, "What's that?" "Uhhh....my eye." Then in the most gentle, most precious voice he said, "No mommies, their butterflies," as in butterfly kisses. He then gave me the sweetest butterfly kiss, eyes fluttering and all.

And once again I say...it's okay, because I have the most important thing of all - an amazing husband (who's let me cry over this and even rubbed my shoulders) and a beautiful baby boy who thinks eyes were specially made for butterfly kisses. Big Mama said it best, at the end of the day...this is what matters.

and the time has come...

The time has come and ugh! I say. JD has expressed his readiness in beginning the long, treacherous journey of potty training. I was in complete denial for a while. This is something that I was not looking forward too and almost certain would not need to worry about for another year! WRONG! I tried ignoring the signs...the eagerness to sit on the potty...the constantly taking off of the diaper...the way he always told me when he pooped. I figured this was the norm and that potty training was a good 6-12 months away. I even went as far as laughing at those friends of mine who were ready to work on it. One of those, "yeah right...let me know how that goes" kinda laughs!

This was until Saturday afternoon. JD walked into the study where Jimmy was on the computer and said, "Daddy, I needa go potty." Jimmy just kinda looked at him like, okay...go. The JD started removing his diaper. Jimmy, of course, called out to me for some guidance. "Uhh...take him to the bathroom at least!" So this was JD's first, real pee-pee after telling us he had to go. This happened a few more times at my mom's. Then Sunday JD did the same thing four times! WHAT?! So, Monday I woke up and went to Target. We bought pull-ups and big boy undies. Both in classic Lightning McQueen print!! This was a HUGE thrill for JD. He loves his White-ning!

So Monday began the training. From noon-on JD only went in his pull-ups during nap time!! Of course by this time I thought I had a child prodigy and we had potty training beat. Ha ha! Hahaha! Yesterday, well...let's just say we had more accidents then successes. Today, we've broke even.

If I've said, "JD, do you need to potty?" once, I've said it a million times already. Either that or, don't potty on Lightning; he'll be sad if you potty on him. This is of course followed with Mater will be sad, Sally will be sad, Doc will be sad, and the rest of the Cars cast!

So here are a few new pictures of JD in his new big-boy undies!! These seem to work better during the day!!


Is he cute or what???




...and here we have JD's infamous, eye's closed smile!!


And here are two videos of JD. I'm in love with this new talking ability. The first is of him singing his favorite song. The other he's talking to his Nana and PawPaw!

Update on B

Hey guys...thanks for all the prayer support.

Just a quick update. B is home from the hospital, which is HUGE. Please keep praying for his strength and his health. He's on the feeding tube (which I can't even imagine) for another 5 weeks, but hopefully this will mean he'll steady gain his weight back!!!

Please keep these two special people in your prayers!

I'm In For It!

I'm pretty sure I had a glimpse into the future today. Or maybe it was a flashback of me as a teenager. It was a wee bit scary.

I was busy in the kitchen slaving over the stove to prepare a hot meal for my son. JD's top choices right now are chicken and noodles, so today it was Tereyaki Noodles courtesy of Lipton Sides.

I was almost done preparing lunch when I told him (stupid me), "After lunch and your nap, we'll go outside for a while!" Well, I said the "o" word, and this is up there with the four-letter words in our household. A no-no. That's all he needed to hear. "Outside? Outside? Where keys mommy, outside?" Ugh!!!

Of course once I told him we were NOT going outside right now, we had a melt down. Stopping feet, crying, turning in circles - full fledged tantrum. I calmly told him to eat and then we'll go outside. It was then that he screamed, "NO, RIGHT NOW!!!" and then turned around, ran into the hallway, and slammed the door!!

The Stomach Flu Strikes Again!

Do yourself a favor...get on over to Big Mama's and read up on her adventure in the land of El Stomach Flu! After a long Monday you'll enjoy it!

Prayer Request

So...I'm needing some major prayers from you dedicated prayer warriors out there. I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me to post this earlier, I guess that's just how my mommy-brain works these days!!

A good friend of mine in JD's playgroup has been going through A LOT with her adorable son. He was born prematurely and from then has had endless problems. They have spent the last couple of months literally in and out of the hospital. Because I can not even begin to describe all of B's problems, I'm gonna insert a few of D's recent posts regarding B's condition! I can tell you that he's had heart problems from birth, but recently it seems the problems have tripled!

May 11
I know you all are tired of hearing this, but B was admitted to the hospital AGAIN!! Yes, again for the 3rd time in 3 weeks. Can you believe our luck? I feel like we are being punished for something. B went through so much today. Of course he has another IV. He also had a catheter, blood work, EEG and CAT scan. Tomorrow (Friday) he will have a MRI and other testing done.

The Doctors did find a couple of things wrong with B but they still believe there is more because his fever spiked to 103.6 while at the hospital today and he want stop sleeping. He is basically motionless, no walking, talking, moving, eating, nothing. Plus the short time he is awake and walking he wobbles. They told us tonight around 1am that his liver test came back abnormal and that he has a sinus infection. Of course they are more concerned about his abnormal liver test and will do further testing to find out what is wrong in the morning.

May 12
We got some of the results back from B's test yesterday. I did not update the board yesterday b/c the news was hard to absorb. It showed that he is severely anemic. It turns out that he does not have iron deficiency anemia but a rare genetic blood disorder that is common in Native Americans. My father was part Indian and there is also Indian blood on my mothers side of the family. I can't believe this news! The doctor told me that this disease is not common in African Americans and asked my about my family history and if anyone in my family was Native American. I never knew that being part Indian would come back and bite me in the butt. I am so nervous about what the doctor will tell us today.

Monday B will have more test done so I know for sure he will be here even longer. We are waiting on his iron levels test and to find out if damage was done to B's liver since his liver test came back abnormal. I am so sick at the stomach right now. The only good news is my mother will be back today even though she just left here last Sunday.

I will keep you posted but I already know Monday will be an emotional day so I can't say when I will update. Thanks for your prayers and please keep praying!!

May 15
B is getting a feeding tube tonight at 8pm. The only other thing we know is that his spleen is swollen, he has a gall stone, infection in his liver, very low iron (almost none in the body), and still will not eat or drink. He will have a swallow study done and is getting occupational therapy and physical therapy. B can not walk without almost falling, if his hand is not held he will stumble and/or fall. The doctors did say he will have the feeding tube for about 6 weeks. Please, please keep praying!!!

May 17
Today was the best day so far. His liver still needs to improve and he will go home with a feeding tube but he is much better!! Thanks again for all the prayer!!!!! He has about 2 more test before he can go home. We found out that most of his problems are because he has lacked so much nutrition that he hit all of the marks for this due to him not eating. He will go home with a feeding tube for 6 weeks and will receive therapy to improve his walking and eating. Once we are home he will be able to attend some playdates with the feeding tube just as long as no one is sick.

May 19
It was decided that B was well enough to go home so the date was scheduled for Monday to go home. Since we were going home they needed to change B's feeding tube to a weighted feeding tube to lessen the chance of him vomiting, sneezing or coughing it out. We were told that it was practically impossible for the tube to come out. The Dr. comes in and places the tube in which takes about 10 minutes between B crying from being in so much pain & trying to make sure it's in the right place . After the tube is in a X-ray is taken to make sure the tube is in the right place, it was not so B was given medicine so that the tube would fall into the right place. We finally get B comfortable and he starts coughing. The he starts to vomit non-stop and the tube comes out through his mouth!!! He starts choking b/c the tube bended when it came out through his mouth. The Dr. pulled the tube out of his mouth so that it was straight and then pulled the tube out from his nose. This was the scariest experience I have ever had!!! B was crying so hard he was dripping with sweat. Because of this he did not get his feeding last night.

Today the doctor started all over again to get the tube in and again it came out but this time through B's nose. We waited about 4 hours and gave B medicine to help relax him, but as soon as he saw the Dr and nurse he covered his mouth and nose b/c he already knew what was going to happen. I thank GOD that the tube stayed down this time!! This is way to much to bare but I have no choice but to bare it.

As you can see...this is never ending. This is after a month of already being in and out of the hospital due to swollen adenoids and B not being able to breathe.

This is the most courageous woman I have ever met and B is the most adorable little boy. He's a little older than JD and sooo precious. When D & B joined our playgroup in February, this was the FIRST time in B's life he'd ever been exposed to other children outside of his family. It was so amazing to watch him play. As a mother, I can not even begin to know how D feels. My heart breaks every time I hear more sad news. I know they are so excited to go home, but so nervous of going back.

Please, please, please keep this family in your prayers. They are so unbelievably strong, but need all the prayers they can get!

Tidbits

So...there's not that much to write about on this beautiful Friday, except that I'm determine to get some things done this weekend. I'm on a roll so I'm feeling good about this!!

I've already cleaned up my computer. By this I mean I've gone through every picture file since October and deleted all the photos from work (the daily pictures that Jimmy takes while on inspection are saved on my pc) and organzied all the ones of our family stuff.

This has inspired me to add some more pictures to my blog. These are just cute ones I came across that I thought I'd share. Enjoy...and if I don't write again until Monday, have a blessed weekend!


What a sweet face on Easter!


JD discovering the joy of bubbles


Frodo


Max - Our First Babies




The crazy storm on the way to the river - we were literally on the outside of it!


The BEAUTIFUL rainbow afterwards


Tell me these two are not up to something!


Can we say handful???!!!


Another one of my sweet family


JD and his MDO teachers on the last day of school


"This is what I do while Momma is packing"

And M is for Maid

So it's been a few days, but it's been a VERY busy week. Apparently going out of town is the fun part, the coming home - not so much fun. My house looks like a tornado struck and I can't get caught up on the clothes!!! Ugh!

Then there's the house selling issue. I'm not gonna elaborate too much right now, but I would like to ask for y'alls prayers. We have a contract on ours and a contract on another one - but until it all goes through this time, I need some prayer support. I'll tell you more about the new one later and why we decided to sell. For now, just know we got a great offer and the new house is oh-so perfect!!!

So the last few days JD has been really testing his mama's patience! I don't have much, but what I do have, well they've been TESTED to say the least!

Last night was the first night I felt mean and I just didn't care!!! I was so mad at the sweet child I could have rung his neck. I was doing laundry and he was suppose to be laying on the couch watching Cars before bed. I went around the corner to check on him and he was gone. About this time I see him at full speed rounding the corner in the hall, daddy not far behind. "JD, get on this couch and LAY down!!" Jimmy asks, "Ummm....who had Smoothie King?" CRAP!! I don't even want to know! My sweet JD decided to have himself a taste and boy did he taste it alright. After assessing the situation, I believe this is how it went down:

While sitting on the chair in the living room, JD removes the lid from the SK cup. After trying to drink/play in/spilling a little on the couch, he realizes this might cause some problems and slips from the room. After climbing up on mom's bed (her side naturally) he proceeds to drink a little more - spilling most of it on the sheets and the clothes yet to be washed. This isn't working to well either, so he decides to climb down and figure something else out. He then pours the rest out on our tv stand where it will be much easier to lick off.

AHHHHHHHHHH!! So, yes...I indeed had another mess to clean up! I was soo mad I stuck his butt in timeout so fast! After cleaning everything up, I put him straight to bed! Yes...you read that right. He went from time out to bed. How mean am I? Even Jimmy asked if he could watch tv for a minute before bed - NOOO....I want his butt in bed now!!!

45 minutes later JD is still crying from him crib yelling "Mama...." I finally cave and went and got him out of bed. We laid on the couch and I asked him if he got in trouble? He said, "Yes...I had to sit time-out!" He then hugged me and told me "I wud you." This was immediately followed by him stroking my hair and saying "I wike your hair!" They are so precious! Anyways, he fell asleep in my arms. He was sound asleep only 2 minutes after I got him out of bed, but I think he just needed his mommy to know he was sorry and that he loved me.

I wish I could say I haven't cleaned up a mess of his since then, but sadly, that's not true. I just finished cleaning up an entire bag of pretzels (my only pregnancy craving thus far) that he poured out, marched on top of, and spread around the kitchen with a spatula. When I came in there, I put him in time out where he told me, "I'm in trouble!"

Home Again

...and here I am, on the computer. Never mind we've been out of town for 4 days and the clothes from the river are starting to smell a little less than fresh. Never mind my house looks like a tornado hit. Never mind I have 10 shows to catch up on. Never mind my dogs feel neglected after spending 4 whole nights at Barks Fifth Avenue (yes, that is the name of the boarding place). Never mind I have a million and one things I should be doing otherwise.

So we are home. Our lovely weekend of fun has come to an end. Back to reality - back to STRESS (another post).

We did have a great time. I was hoping to post prior to our departure, but just couldn't find the time. I literally went non-stop until I sat in the car Thursday afternoon at 3:15. It's a lot of work but SO worth it.

We arrived at the beautiful Frio River Thursday evening. This is after driving through some eerie weather and then witnessing not one, but 3 BEAUTIFUL rainbows. I'll post those pictures once I'm able to upload them. This is after I find the usb cable to connect my Lexar to the computer that JD was using for a jump rope last week.

So we arrived and unpacked. My brother Eric was already there (he drove in from Lubbock) and Emil and Dolores were there (my B-I-L's parents). My parents arrive shortly after and then my S-I-L and her kiddos followed. We hung out a bit Thursday night, well they did - I passed out on my bed after getting out of the shower. I was BEAT!!!

Friday we woke up, had breakfast, and got on the river!! Concan has had a lot of rain the past month, so the river was up 3 feet! It was wonderful!! We tubed for a couple of hours and had a BLAST. The kids did so good! They are all at an age now where they really enjoy it! JD is quite the river rat. He laid back in his tube and floated the whole way! We also floated again that evening once a few more of our group arrived.

Saturday we floated again and well, that turned out a little differently. The float itself was great. The weather was pretty cloudy so the COLD water felt even colder, but we still had fun. The trouble wasn't until the end. We thought we'd float a little longer than our normal 2 hours, so we made arrangements to float to Garner. Ha! Little did we know, the float to Garner was 8 (that's right E-I-G-H-T) hours!!! We reached a bridge (that marks half way) and asked a group of friendly river rats how much further to Garner. They informed us we had another 4 hours to go! It was already 4:00 and the water was COLD!!!! These river rats were nice enough to drive Jimmy, my brother, and B-I-L to Garner to get there trucks. An hour later we were riding comfortably in daddy's F250 back to our cabins!! This is a mistake we'll not make again!!!

Saturday night we made fajitas and enjoyed our last night at the Frio. At sundown we had a BIG Badminton game, appropriately named the Showdown at Sundown!! This was the match of the trip! It was teams of 2. Aylie (my S-I-L) and me, against Shannon (my sister) and Lynn (a family friend). I must first tell you. I'm a big smack-talker. This began earlier in the day when I was bragging about my badminton skills, or the skills I used to posses. I pretty much warned my opponents that they were about to face badminton death. They weren't too intimidated. SO the match lasted a while and in the end, we lost. We fought until the end, but were defeated 15-13. I shook the champs hands and walked away. I was unaware that my sister was a badminton beast! She really won the tournament. I mean, seeing how Lynn really just stood there and looked pretty! So congrats Shannon. You are the Big Puma of badminton!!!

After the showdown we chowed down some more. I called it a night not to long afterwards. I'm really a pregnant weeny underneath!

Sunday we spend the moring packing and the afternoon at Garner. The weather was BEAUTIFUL and we enjoyed every last minute of it. Garner is located on the most beautiful part of the the river! Here are a few pictures...





Here are a few others from our trip...I'll probably add some more later!


JD cheesing it up


JD and his cousins (minus one) - Nicky, JD, and Lezlie


JD and Lezlie




JD and his buddies - Logan (my brother's friend) and Matt (my youngest brother)


My Sweet Family


Me and My Man

Saying goddbye...

I am a complete mess right now. A complete hormonal mess.

This week marks the last week of JD's first year at The Lamb School. Today and Thursday are his last official Mother's Day Out classes for this school year. It's gotten me so worked up this morning. True, I'll miss MDO for personal reasons (no more quiet days at home, no more hair appointments on TTH, no more 5-1/2 hours of me-time twice a week), but I'll mostly miss it for JD. He loves school and he LOVES his teachers, especially Mrs. Kitchen, or Kitchen, as he calls her.

It's just a huge reminder that time flies. It seems like only a few days ago Jimmy and I were walking him into that big church building for his first day of MDO. It was already a very hard time for our family because it was only 2 days after Jim had passed away. I was a mess when we dropped him off and in complete disbelief that my sweet boy was old enough for "school". He did fine the first day and seemed perfectly content to play. Of course, the next three weeks were very hard as he cried every time we left. But those days quickly disappeared and he began to love school. He really impressed me one morning when he remembered his teachers names and a few of the boys and girls in his class as well. It's amazing how they grow and learn without you even realizing it.

Today when I told JD he had school, he got the biggest smile on his face and was ready to get dressed. As we drove to school he asked from the backseat, "I go play?" He's grown up so much, but yet he's still got so much more growing to do.

When we got to his classroom he knocked on the door and waited for his teachers to come. As soon as Mrs. Behrend opened the door he handed her his backpack and lunchbox and then ran inside. I had to call him back to the door for a kiss. I also received his end of the year art book today, and this is what really sent me over the edge. I tried looking at it as I walked through the parking lot and then realized I was going to be a huge ball of tears if I didn't stop. It is the most precious thing. I called my mom and cried to her. How can this be? How can JD already be done with his first year of Lamb School? Mom and I talked a while. It's a big year all around. The end of the school year will also be the start of Shannon's senior year. This time next year we will be preparing for her graduation. I can still remember her kindergarten graduation like it was yesterday. She was the most precious thing I'd ever seen. The close of this school year also means Matt is now a junior high student. This isn't so much sad as it is weird. He's still just a bratty brother and doesn't seem old enough (or mature enough for that matter) for junior high!

So there's a good chance that today will be a tough one. I've already looked at JD's art book several times and cried. It's just precious!!! Here are a few pictures from his first year of MDO:


JD's School Picture - Fall


Spring Picture


Class Picture


And a few pages from his book...


The Cover








A few pictures the teachers took over the past school year...


My favorite...JD asleep on his nap mat at school. How precious is this?

'Stros Highs and Lows

I've been racking my brain for something worth posting. Not much comes to mind. It was a pretty slow weekend in The Van house.

We hung around Saturday and tried to be productive. This was hard because it was my FAVORTIE kind of Saturday. It was a beautiful day and the Astros were on. That's like the best combination ever! There is nothing I'd rather do on a Saturday then lay on the couch with the sun shining in through the windows and watch the 'Stros! Especially when we are kicking some Cardinal butt!!!! The game was a great one and the bats were alive!!!! Our rookie right-hander Matt Albers pitched 7-1/3 great innings!!! He only allowed 3 hits and put Mr. Pujols in his place!! And the for the first time in who knows when, we didn't leave men on every inning!! We were actually letting them touch all 4 bases!!! Amazing what some hits can bring!! Anyways...a shut-out yes indeed. What a beautiful 13-0 WIN!!!

Sunday was a different story, AND if that wasn't bad, the BIG Clemens announcement came! What a bummer! I can't say I blame him, but still...BUMMER!!! What am I suppose to do with my Clemens jersey now???? And did you hear why he chose the Yankees????? Apparently the Astros weren't going to be ready for Roger to return until the end of June and he wants to play now!! WHAT?! When The Rocket wants to play - You let him play!!! Thanks for letting another one go Drake McLane!!! What is it with Houston and their stupidity in passing up INCREDIBLE players???? Vince Young, Reggie Bush, Roger Clemens????? Way to go Houston...you've done it again!!

On a better note. We did spend Sunday at the lake with some friends. The weather was kinda crappy. It was sunny, but SOOO windy! Oh well...I got some more color. And really? That's whats most important, right??

We are counting down the days!!! ONLY 3 more and we will be at The Frio River. Ahh...the sweet life. I CAN NOT wait!!!!

Three Things...

So I have a few fun things for the day...

First off, I am finally doing it (no, I'm not working out or washing my car) - I am finally going to redo this ole blog. I've wanted to for a while, ever since Amanda at Baby Bangs and LPM made theirs a little fancier. But, I just couldn't devote the time and money to doing it until I became a more dedicated blogger. And I think I'm on my way to that. I don't know if this means my life is slowing down or I've just finally sped up enough, either way - I'm gonna be here more often. I've already gotten better!! So...be looking for the new look. I'm still not sure what I want exactly. I'm hoping Lindsey at Splat Designs can help a sista out. I'm thinking blues and greens and I really like water. Any ideas are welcomed...

Second, I have to share a few photos of my little man, but I need to share something first. Over the last year I've been told countless times how JD resembles his father. I've heard everything from they look similar to they are spitting images of one another. I guess this is something that bothers some mothers because it's usually followed with an apology - that or they think my husband is ugly...hmmm...I dunno. Either way, JD looks like his dad. I don't mind this one bit. Matter of fact, I think it's a bit promising because Jimmy was as good looking as they came in high school and he's only gotten better. So, JD's in luck. I've never really disagreed but I've never really seen it either. Occasionally I'll see a baby picture of Jimmy and notice some of JD in it, but as for the day to day - he just looks like JD to me. This was until a week ago. JD and I were on our way home from a play date and he'd passed out in his car seat. I looked back to check on him and it was the strangest thing. When I looked at him I saw Jimmy's face. I had to blink a few times to even realize it was JD. He looked JUST like his daddy. Granite - it was the jawline and big square head that really did it - but still, for the first time I saw what everyone else saw. He's his daddy's boy.

Here are a few pictures that remind me of Jimmy that I took of JD today (kinda a mouthful there). They don't necessarily look like Jimmy, but the outfit and smile remind me of his daddy for sure. You be the judge...


Can we say all boy? I asked him to say cheese and right when I got ready to take the picture he lifted his shirt and said cheese in the silliest voice ever.


A much better one! Did you happen to notice the huge bruise on his forward. Once again, ALL BOY!


I especially like this picture. Please notice the shovel, wad of post-it notes, and truck in his hands. All which I had to pry from his fingers before going to MDO!


And a picture of the two most amazing guys in my life. How blessed I am to have these two!!!

Third....

I thought I'd leave you with this very cute Mother's Day Story!


So, we had this great 10 year old cat named Jack who just recently died. Jack was a great cat and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day long on this mat in our bathroom.

Well we have 3 kids and at the time of this story they were 4 years old, 3 years old and 1 year old. The middle one is Eli. Eli really loves chapstick. LOVES it. He kept asking to use my chapstick and then losing it. So finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom I keep my chapstick and how he could use it whenever he wanted to but he needed to put it right back in the drawer when he was done. Last year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush around trying to get ready for Church with everyone crying and carrying on. My two boys are fighting over the toy in the cereal box. I am trying to nurse my little one at the same time I am putting on my make-up.

Everything is a mess and everyone has long forgotten that this is a wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is motherhood.
We finally have the older one and the baby loaded in the car and I am looking for Eli. I have searched everywhere and I finally round the corner to go into the bathroom. And there was Eli. He was applying my chapstick very carefully to Jack's . . . rear end.

Eli looked right into my eyes and said "chapped." Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right--their little butts do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn't seem to mind.
And the only question to really ask at that point was whether it was the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the hundredth.
And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they've been using your chapstick on the cat's butt.

I must add that we've had a similar situation at the Van house. JD has a plastic tool box with a bunch of tools. He plays with this daily. The other morning I was rushing around trying to get him ready for MDO. He was in the kitchen with me while I was making his lunch. He had his plastic electric screwdriver in his hands and I kept hearing it sound and then Max's toenails scratching the floor. Max is one of our American Eskimos and AE's have these bushy tails that curl up and over like cats. It was a few seconds later when I realized JD was trying to stick the screwdriver in Max's little butthole. It was the funniest and yet most disturbing thing I've seen him do. I do owe this poor dog something special for all he puts up with!!

Toys for Sale!!!

Something has been brought to my attention in the last few days. We no longer have a need for a room full of toddler toys. How can this be? I have a 2 year old son that lives to play - why would we possibly be considering giving away all his toys?? Maybe because he never touches them!!! Why would he possibly want to play with an AquaDoodle or a Weeble Wooble Farm when he's got a million other things that he's not suppose to play with.

Play with the Little people school or dump out momm'y face lotion?

Play with connectors or jump on mom's bed?

Read 1 of a 100 books or fill up the top of mom's pillar candles with toilet water?

Color in my Cars coloring book or write all over daddy's 52" big screen with permanent marker?

Play in my tool box or take all of mommy's bras and panties out of her drawer?

Make a lego castle or dump out a bag of pretzels and then step on them?

Play on my Sit-N-Spin or sprinkle dog food all over the house?

Figure out my puzzles or cover Max in diaper ointment?

I could go on and on, but you get the picture. And the worst part is, when I fuss at him or put him in time-out for one of the above, he looks at me and says, "That's funny". I'll show you funny....

Of course, he's also really good and being sweet too. When I'm upset with him or fussing at him, he looks at me and in the sweetest, softest voice he says, "But mommy, I wuv you." And yes, at this point it's all over...

It's Summer Time, and the Living's Easy

This past weekend summer began for the Van Fam. According to the calendar hanging above my computer there are still 51 days before the actual first day of summer - but to this family - IT HAS BEGUN!!!

What brings summer to this family so early? Why, the boat of course. This was the first of many weekends we will spend out on Lake Somerville. The weather was beautiful and the water...well...it'll warm up.

We are a water-lovin' family. Over the course of the next 5 months, there will most likely be many posts about water-related activities. We would spend every waking moment outside in the water if possible. JD wouldn't object that's for sure. The Lord has blessed us with a son who share's his parents passion, maybe even more so. He not only loves to be outside, but would sit on the top step of the pool all day if we'd let him. Though - the wrinkly fingers do still freak him out a bit.

This summer on the lake will be a bit different though. You know - being pregnant and all. Let's see...there will be a little more bathing suit coverage going on. I'm not one of those blessed with the beautiful pregnant belly because my belly button turns into a third eye and threatens to attack anyone who gets close. This means more bathing suit lines as well. Of course, there will also be more suntan lotion used this summer - and not just because I'm expanding. My skin seems a bit more sensitive this go around. Ahh yes, and one of my personal favorites - there will be a bit more on top, if if you know what I mean. I've been blessed with many things, but cleavage is not one of them. I'd like to take a minute to personally thank Victoria's Secret for all they've done for this girl and her lack-of boobs - the Very Sexy Infinity Edge is really something. Ok, enough of the boob-talk, this is a family blog. BUT most of all, the NUMBER REASON this summer will be different - it's gonna be a little less eXtReMe!!

A less extreme summer awaits me. It's something I'm coming to terms with and I am dealing with it the best way I know how. I pout a little and make everyone else feel bad for getting to do all the eXtReMe stuff I can't. It will stop soon guys - I promise. This means no crazy tubing, no wild skiing, and most of all - NO wakeboarding *tear*. I'm force to sit on the sidelines while Aylie, Jimmy, and Nick attempt all the fun tricks I'd hope to master this summer. So guys...good luck. I wish you all the best. And I hope you all wake up every Monday morning hating life because you can't move your arms and your back feels like an elephant sat on it!!! Hee Hee!!

Oh yeah, and the kids had fun too. Here are some great pictures!!

JD and Nicky (JD's cousin who's 6 months older)


Uncle Jimmy and Nicky driving the boat


My Sweet Boy


JD in the water


My precious neice, Alexis, tubing


My VERY sexy Hubby wakeboarding


Being as eXtReMe as I can be!!

(the plus side to a less-extreme summer is you get to wear your hat while tubing, therefore hiding your uncombed lake-hair)

Feeling Very Well Rested...

Well, I didn't have a chance to post yesterday because I SLEPT all day. Heck, if I could just have surgery every couple of months I'd probably be in a better mood because I could catch up on my sleep!

I want to start by thanking EVERY single person that prayed for me and my precious bun. I think yesterday morning was the most anxious/scared I've been in a long while. This was the fourth surgery I've had on my cervix, so by no means am I new at this, but this time was so different. I knew going into it that it was high risk and I was so scared of losing the baby. I could tell my doctor was a bit anxious as she was once again going over the risks and chance of miscarriage. I was on the verge of tears all morning. This was also the first procedure I've had done where my mom was not sitting next to me. She wasn't happy about this either, but we needed someone to watch JD. He's not really hospital-friendly as he has not discovered his inside voice. So Jimmy had the job of calming me down and keeping me occupied, and let's face it, husbands do not compare to mother's in situations like these. Poor guy...

Anyways, the procedure went well and things are going great. Jimmy said that when Dr. S came out after the procedure she was extremely happy with how things went. There was very little bleeding and the baby's heart beat sounded great afterwards. I was home by 10:30 and slept all day.

I can also say that things (so far) are going MUCH better than last time. As I've mentioned previously, I had a similar procedure with JD. When I was pregnant with him, my doctor at the time did the McDonald's Cerclage (I know...strange name) as well, but inserted two stitches instead of one. This time Dr. S only put in one stitch. My cervix reacted very poorly to the two stitches before and I had a difficult time the entire pregnancy. So far things are looking up. I've cramped very little and have had no bleeding. With JD I cramped for days and bled A LOT. So I'm praying that this is the start of a much better post-cerclage pregnancy!

So thanks again...the prayers were heard and I'm feeling great. I'm so thankful things went as well as they did and I can now move on with the remaining 6 months!!