A Photo Session

So...I've been putting off getting JD's pictures done for a while now. He's a boy and he's busy - he has NO time for picture taking. Until yesterday. I tortured him and made him sit through a photo session. Oh...and worth it? It was. It's not everyday you get good pictures of your little one, I mean, not good fully-dressed and cleaned up pictures of your little one!

Here are the pictures I walked away with after our little session:


What a grin...


Casual...


A Sweet Little Pose


As the photographer said, "I think he knows he's pretty cool..."


A total "JD" face


playing around


Mommy and Me


I'm so excited...I get to play after this!


Just the two of us for a bit longer...

One more...on B

B is going in for another surgery...please keep the prayers coming

B will have his surgery at Texas Children's Hospital on Tuesday July 17th. He will remain in the hospital for about 4 days. The doctor told me today that the surgery will take about 2 hours. I almost fell to the floor when he told me this. This is B's 3rd surgery since Oct. of last year and none of them came close to taking this long. I mean what am I going to do for 2 hours besides cry my eyeballs out. I am so sorry to be venting like this but I have so many emotions going on right now.

Any way the surgery is 2 hrs b/c the surgeon said its best to do all three procedures so that B won't have to go back for surgery. He will have the G button (tube placed in his stomach), his gall stone removed and the fundoplacation (wrapping the top part of his stomach around his esophagus) since he is having allergic reactions to the medication and to stop his coughing and vomiting long enough for his esophagus to heal so that he will feel more comfortable eating. I am praying so hard that this will give B the break he needs. By the time he gets out of the hospital we will be moving into our new house. I wish the timing was better but this is how my life has played out. It feels like its going to be forever b/4 I can see you all again.

Quick Update

I sooooo should be working, but an update is needed. Life has been busier than usual and I've had to take some time off. I have a feeling this time-off will continue until I get more done around here.

This post will mostly be dedicated to JD. We have almost hit the 2-1/2 mark, and right now we are at a very good place. Both JD and I. This goes out to all of my friends with two year olds, especially 2 year old boys. There are hard days ahead. Notice I said "hard" not bad. The 25 to 29 month stretch with JD has been the hardest so far. I have no doubt it will get harder in a few more months. That being said, we've hit a smooth patch. And it's nice - no, it's more than that, it's LOVELY!

I think the change is partly due to his ability to communicate and understand. It's funny, now that he can express himself a little better and also understand me - things are a lot easier!!

Some of my favorite things at the moment:

- The random "I love yous". He'll be walking through the house and just out of no where, "I wuv you mommy!" Yes...my heart melts.

- He's so sweet in the morning. I love going into his room and seeing that big smile. The first thing he says is, "Mommy, daddy at work?" We then talk a second before I take him out of bed. About halfway through his diaper change he says, "Good morning mommy!" I LOVE it!!!

- He strokes my hair and says, "I wike your hair"3

- He has an obsession with the phrase, "Touch it!" Now anytime he sees anything he likes (spiders, dirt, worms, babies) he tells me to "touch it" which is kinda awkward when he's referring to a lady holding a baby!

- He's very into wiping off your kisses so we've made a joke about this. Now when he kisses us we make a big spectacle about wiping them off. He laughs hysterically. It's not as funny when he kisses someone else and they don't react the same way because he then says, "Spit!" Meaning - spit out the kiss.

- He always asks, "Mommy, you cold?" If I say yes he gets me a blanket, if I say no he says, "I not cold either". It's so funny.

- He talks. He talks all the time. Sometimes he talks too much.

- He loves Fruit Loops - pronounced Fwoot Woops

- He loves his baby sister so much already! Some of the cute things he does are:
* randomly kisses my belly
* out of no where asks, "Where's Kenzie (short for MacKenzie)?"
* the other day he brought me a balloon and colored a face on it, he smiled and said, "It's Kenzie" and then hugged and kissed it.
* I put his hand on my belly while she was kicking and he said, "Poke it mommy"


Well, that's about it for now. I REALLY need to get some work done so I can go to bed at a decent hour. I'm taking JD in for pictures tomorrow. Promise to post those soon...

Mama Said There Would Be Days Like This...

What a 48 hours! If any of you have read this blog for more than a day, you know I have a very adventurous 2 year old on my hands. There are days that this is a wonderful thing and days it's a very exhausting ordeal. It's amazing at times, because he is soooo curious. He loves to see how things work and has no problem entertaining himself.

A lot of days, this leaves a lot of cleaning up to be done. Today was one of those days.

Before I continue, in my defense, I do watch my child. Jimmy and I both do for that matter. The below messes all happened within the last 48 hours and in a matter of SECONDS!!!

Mess #1 - Last night while I was trying to get some work, JD stripped off his pajama bottoms and diaper and ran around naked. This in itself is nothing unusual, unfortunately what followed left mama in tears. JD peed ALL OVER my brand new (purchased on Sunday) red comforter! there was so much pee it puddled. I was in tears and did not take a picture! JD also went straight to be so that I didn't loose it too much with him!

Mess #2 - This morning while I was trying to finalize some weekend camping info with my mom, JD attempted to make breakfast. On the living room end table. I had already gotten out the eggs and left them on the counter. JD took them from there and started cooking in the living room.



The dogs enjoyed as well.



I caught him with the windex trying to "clean up"

Mess #3 - Once again I have no picture because you can't quite capture CK Euphoria on camera. He emptied half of my perfume bottle on himself. Oh, and he definitely goes over the 3-squirt limit!

Mess #4 - JD decided he needed to spice up his look and attempted to put mascara on himself. He only managed to get one eye done before being caught!





Mess #5 - He had so much fun attempting scrambled eggs at breakfast that he decided to play some more. He has learned to open the fridge - and oh what fun it is!!!




As you can imagine...8:30 couldn't come soon enough! I am off to enjoy some tv with hubs, messy-child-free!

oh...and to follow up on the new profile...

It seems that foreign language on the side of my page yesterday was "latin dummy text" according to Amanda over at Baby Bangs. Hmmm....not sure if I'm feeling any better about that. Seeing how, I couldn't figure out the dummy text was just that - dummy text! Surely if it was in English I would have gotten it. Surely....right....

From the Mouth of Babes...

You know it's been a long day when you tell the dogs, "If you don't stop barking, you're going to time out!" Aww....yes, it's been a long one. We've had a good day for sure, but I'm tired and Jimmy's gone to play darts, so it's just me and the kid.

I have more to go with the dogs in time out, but first I have to explain my dogs barks to y'all. They are awful. The sound drives me up the wall! Not only are their barks loud and annoying, but They. Bark. At. Everything. It's the most aggravating thing!! I'm on the verge of a shock-collar. A loud car drives by - they bark. A squirrel runs by - they bark. A leaf falls from the tree - they bark. I want to scream!!!

So, after the time out threat, Max barks again. He's worse than a kid! So now that I'm at my wit's end I scream, "SHUT UP!" Well, JD who's sitting in the living room (I'm in the office) says (in the most precious voice), "Mommy, don't say that!" Just to make sure I heard him right, I go ask him what? He says, "Mommy, that's a bad word. Don't say that. Say 'awww man.'" I about died, he was right and it was precious!

How does JD know this is a bad word. Well...some kids first words are Dada, some are Mama, some are even No. JD's first real word was "Shut Up!" And on Easter Sunday nonetheless. We were at my mom's and the dogs next door were barking. He leaned over, pointed his finger, and said "Shut Up!" Funny? Yes. Appropriate? No.

And because I'm unveiling all my secrets...why aww man? Well, Daddy's favorite word when something went wrong use to be the s- word. This is until JD said, "Oh S---!" loud and clear. And since sh** is so close to shoot, we taught him aww man!

So the lesson learned here is...when telling your dogs to shut up, make sure little ears are out of hearing distance!

Keem em coming....

Here's the lastest on B-

Yes, there is news. The good news is B’s iron level is better. It’s still low but better than last month. Since there is an increase I expect for his numbers to continue to increase. His protein level is a different story, it actually decreased. Hopefully there will be improvement next month.

As far as B’s surgery is concerned he does need another surgery in addition to the gastrostomy button (feeding tube in the belly). His biopsy reveled that he has reflux which causes him pain & nausea. The surgery for this sounds painful & I am not sure if B can handle both surgeries at one time. The 2nd surgery called fundoplication requires the top portion of B’s stomach to be wrapped around his esophagus and then stitched together to prevent the stomach acid from backing up to his throat causing him pain.

This is what I found on the internet: What happens during fundoplication?

During the fundoplication procedure, the part of the stomach that is closest to the entry of the esophagus (the fundus of the stomach) is gathered, wrapped, and sutured (sewn) around the lower end of the esophagus and the lower esophageal sphincter. (The gathering and suturing of one tissue to another is called plication.) This procedure increases the pressure at the lower end of the esophagus and thereby reduces acid reflux.Just the sound of this freaks me out!!!!

Our other option is to give him medication (2 diff ones) morning and night everyday and do the reflux surgery later. We are leaning toward this one until we get more info. I don’t see how Byson can be comfortable having the tube in his stomach next to his belly button and his stomach wrapped around his esophagus at the same time. This is way too much!! Please please give me your advice!!! I am so stressed about this.

and I too will be posting an update on the Van Fam later today. We are all doing very well. JD is driving me crazy one minute and making me laugh so hard the next!!! This baby is a movin'! She's a lot less crazy than JD right now, which is great, but she's already practicing her flip-flops I can tell!! Jimmy and I are trying to get things done around here now that we are offically staying in this house! Anyways...more to come later...we have a playdate I need to get ready for!

before you say anything...

I know there is some foreign language on my sidebar. I just can't seem to get rid of it. I can do myspace, I can do Facebook, I can do ezboards....but blogger is beyond me! Any suggestions are welcomed! I will be ficing shortly (I hope)!

A Balloon Affair

I've posted about this before. The complete strangeness of my child and his desire to play with anything not found in his toy box or in his toy tubs drives me crazy. He has a room full of toys ranging from little play people to blocks and cars. Yet...he'd rather play with your odd ins and outs.

Today his biggest thrill was a balloon. Not even a helium balloon y'all, a regular makes-your-head-spin blowing it up balloon. We actually went through 3 balloons today. The first one was yellow and he played with for so long that it popped. I tied a ribbon to the end of the balloon at the belly button and he'd sit on it and I'd rip it out from under him. He'd then laugh uncontrollably; therefore, making daddy and I laugh so hard we had to rewind So You Think You Can Dance? to see the judges reactions!!!

Balloon two was orange. We lost this balloon at Home Depot (coincidence? yes!). He just had to take it out of the car and the wind caught it in the parking lot. Jimmy chased it a few rows over but the wind was picking up and well...he wasn't running!

Balloon Three is still going strong, and red for those who are keeping track. I'd like to say it's happily resting on the couch, but NO. It went to sleep with JD tonight. AND YES!! I know it's a choking hazard and that I'm crazy, but not to worry, I can still hear him in there playing with it, so as soon as he quiets down I'll sneak in there and take it away.

Prayers Please

I've spoken of my good friend D before and her precious son. They have been doing good for quite some time now, but once again B is going back in for more procedure.

The last month B has had a feeding tube in place (through) his nose to help nourish him back to a healthy two-year old. The problem is, the tube keeps coming out. So tomorrow B goes back in for more procedures, more one that...

As you all know B needs another surgery. After his appointment today his Dr. decided that she wants to do more test before his surgery to place the feeding tube in his stomach via his belly instead of his nose. She wants to make sure he does not need another surgical procedure before having surgery so he want have to go back a second time.

B has to be at Texas Children's Hospital @ 8am. He is having three procedures done and will receive anesthesia. The actual test start at 9:30 but we have to be there early so he gets the antibiotics for his heart and for the anesthesia. He will have a biopsy of his esophagus, stomach, & intestines. He will also have a scope test done. Once this is completed he will have a tube inserted through his nose to his stomach (kind of like his feeding tube) for 24 hours to test the amount of acid he has in his stomach. We will return to the hospital on Friday to have the tube removed.

Based on the results his doctor gets on Friday and Monday we will know if B needs one or two surgical procedures. The plan is for B to have surgery next week to place the feeding tube in his stomach through his belly next to his belly button. The good thing is his face will be free and I want have to worry about his tube being pulled out while he is playing or simply moving around.

I am hoping that between his biopsies and surgery he will recover quickly and life will start to be easier for him. I am so nervous about this but I know this is the best thing for B, its just that he had surgery in April and B tends to take longer to recover than the doctors expect. Please keep us in your prayers and we will see you as soon as he is recovered.

Please help me in lifting this precious family up in prayer. They are such incredible people and it breaks my heart every time I hear bad news about B. If you could just see what a normal 2-year old he wants to be!

an exhausted return

No...I did not fall off the face of blogger. I don't really have a word that can quite capture what my last week and a half has been because busy doesn't even come close.

Friday was our VanMor Open House. This is the company I work for and we recently moved offices, so Friday we invited all of our board members and vendors to a very well thrown open house. Jimmy and I went with our monkey and he actually did fairly well.

Once I left the open house I went straight home and changed into something comfy and met with Nicole to decorate for Kate's Baby Shower. The Baby Shower is what pretty much consumed every minute and ounce of energy I had for the last two weeks. We decorated the BEAUTIFUL club house in Nicole's neighborhood until midnight and then I took my tired and very drained booty home!

Saturday I went NON-STOP, but it all paid off. Kate's shower was just beautiful. Kate is a dear friend of mine that I've known since junior high. She's expecting her first little one - a boy - in August. She's that girl you just can't quite picture doing the mom-things but know she'll be great at it! The shower was a huge success and she got some really great gifts!

Here are a few pictures of our mommy-to-be!

This is Me, Nicole, Kate, and Judy (the 3 of us threw Kate's shower)


Kate and I comparing our belly's - she does have a few months on me!!


Sunday was Father's Day. I tired to postpone it because I was exhausted and it rained all day making it the PERFECT lay-on-the-couch and watch The Astros kind of day. But...no luck. We cleaned all morning b/c my husband loves to invite people over without checking with me first. I typically have NO problem with this, but my house had been neglected 7-days straight while I scurried around town for the shower! Thanks love...

We had a wonderful evening after the cleaning was done. We had all the family over and we cooked out and the guys swam with the kiddos once the rain stop. I think Jimmy had a pretty good Father's Day. As much as that man can drive me CrAzY - he does deserve a wonderful Father's Day! He's an incredible husband and a wonderful father! I am sooo incredibly lucky!!

Which reminds me, I am just overjoyed with how excited he is about this sweet girl in my belly. Originally Jimmy didn't really care what we were having. He always thought it would be neat to have all boys, but he also wanted me to "get my girl" as he put it. So, I didn't expect him to be as excited as I was in finding out she's a she. Boy was I wrong! He is SOOO excited. It's the sweetest and sexiest thing ever! He was very excited about JD, I took pregnancy test after pregnancy test because he wanted to be sure and wanted to see the '+' sign appear again. This time...he is but maybe even more, or maybe it's just a different excitement . There's such a sweetness to it. It's indescribable! He is all about going to look at nursery stuff and just LOVES everything I pick out. First of all, that never happens. Second of all, I'm picking out some GIRLY stuff. We're talking pink everything, lace all over the place, toile accents everywhere and he LOVES it!! He's ready to decorate today! I'm having to make him wait so that I don't go crazy having a nursery with no baby for 4 more months!!! Haha...but I am blessed. It's so wonderful to be excited with someone who's just as excited as you! Thank you Lord. I'm not only getting my girl, I'm getting to watch a macho-man fall head over heels in love with his daughter!!!

And we are having a....

I'm sure all of you are just on the edge of your seats, dying to know what this baby is. Of course, that is if you didn't receive one of the thousand text messages Jimmy sent out Friday or if you didn't receive the mass email I sent out!! Don't be sad if you didn't get one my bloggy friends - this post is just for you!

It's a GIRL!!!!!!!

I'm going to have a sweet little baby girl. I can hardly believe it. I think it's finally hitting us all, 2 days later!!! Today I bagged up all of JD's newborn clothes and placed them in neat piles for all my preggo friends having boys!! I was so excited to get rid of them, knowing I'd get to shop for pink stuff this go around! I of course saved my FAVS from JD's baby days!!!

So, my doctor appointment went well Friday. We obviously found out the sex (a girl if you didn't catch the pink type above), and we now know that my official due date (after all the measuring) is November 7th. We got some really cute pictures that I'd love to share as well!!!

Here are *her* adorable feet


and her precious (or skelator-like) face


and a sweet profile shot


And here's one proud momma showing off her bump!!



We also found out some less than thrilling news on Friday. I've been diagnosed with partial placenta previa. Which, in short means my placenta is partially covering my cervix. At the present time, it doesn't seem to be causing any major problems, but the third trimester will be the riskiest. It's pretty common to start bleeding at the start of your third trimester, and as long as they can stop the bleeding I'll be fine. If the bleeding can't be stopped, then the baby will be delivered, regardless of gestational age. We are obviously praying this doesn't happen, at least not until the 35th or 36th week!!! At 37 weeks, if I haven't had the baby, I will be scheduled for a c-section. Fun stuff, I know! Needless to say, we are in high spirits. I fully trust that God would not have brought us this far and gone through what we've already gone through - unless we were gonna have a healthy baby girl!! That being said, please keep me and this precious baby girl in your prayers!!!

So...that's about it for now!! I'm gonna enjoy the next few months with my sweet little man. I'm unsure as to whether I'll be put on bedrest at 28 weeks, so until then JD and I are gonna take it easy while still having fun!!!

Fun on the Ranch

Today JD and I visited quite possibly one of the neatest (and cheapest) kid-approved places in Houston (maybe even Texas)! Along with our playgroups (we are in 2); JD, Matt, Logan (Matt's BFFE) and I went to the Oil Ranch in the good town of Hockley, Texas.

I vaguely remember visiting this ranch years ago, but don't remember it being near this fun. Part of the fun was watching my sweet one love every minute of it. I had great company (I l-o-v-e the women in my playgroup) and JD was in his element!!! The child had a BLAST!!

For $12.00 for the both us ($8.00/person if not with a group of 10+), we played for 5 hours straight!!! After a good shower and a coat of Aloe Vera (I'm VERY burned), I will sleep like a baby tonight!!!

Today JD did it all...


...he played on the slide with Logan


...he milked a cow


...he fed a cow


...he petted a donkey


...he rode a horse


...he even took a picture with mommy


...he rode again (five times to be exact)


...he relaxed in his wagon


...he ate some "strawberry ice"


...he spent some time with friends (today's group)


...he hung with his buds (Carder, Camryn, JD, and Chase)


...he rode in Chase's wagon


...he rode a train with Alex, Chase, and Cam


...he walked the tracks


...he swam

And as you can tell...had loads of fun!!!

Home At Last!

So we are home at last. It's funny how exhausting a weekend of relaxing can make you!! I need a vacation after my vacation!!

Vegas was a lot of fun. It was so wonderful just spending time with my man. We did a lot of stuff together, but I had plenty of free time as well! The pool at the Golden Nugget was beautiful and I laid out a bit on Thursday and Friday.

We also did some major shopping, and let me just tell you...my man can shop! I've never been able to say this before. We don't usually shop together unless we are just in need of a good quarrel. He can never find what he likes and I can never find what I can afford. Friday was different though! We went to the Premium Outlet in Vegas and tore it up! Both of us walked away with some great finds, the best being my new COACH purses. Yes...I did say purses, as in - more than one! The best part of it all? Jimmy HELPED me pick out these purses. He showed me the cute ones he saw, watched me try them on, gave me his opinion, and even encouraged (yes - like supported) me purchasing more than one!!! I know...I can barely believe it now as I write it!!! I think I fell in love with that man all over again!

We also did A LOT of eating! That's pretty much what I remember most about the trip besides the shopping - the eating!!!

Poor Jimmy had a rough time though. Friday night (remember - the WSOP was on Saturday) he came down with the stomach flu again and spent the entire night puking and...well you know. He then woke up on Saturday (still sick) and dropped a (one) contact down the sink while trying to put them in. He already broke his glasses the first day we were there, so he spent the entire rest of the trip pirate-eyeing everyone behind his sunglasses! This means I also got to walk through the hotel and airport with that guy wearing the sunglasses!!!

I do have to tell you all...I am so glad to be home. And more importantly, I was SO glad to see my JD. I missed that little man. It's so odd going places without him. The first couple of hours Jimmy and I both kept looking to our side to "check on JD"! It was funny because we kept catching each other doing it! I will say it seems we missed JD more than he missed us. He was excited when he first saw us, but he wasn't really ready to leave KK's house. In the car I asked him if I could hold him when we got home, and he said, "No...KK hold you" Which means in JD talk - I want KK to hold me. I love you too JD!

So here we go...back to the daily grind! I'm hoping this week will go by quickly because Friday is the big day! We'll finally know what this precious baby I've grown so attached to is!! I'm still *hoping* it's a girl, but have made peace with the possibility of it being a boy, which means I probably won't cry, just tear up a little!!!

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!"