"I'm Alright. Alright!"

That is Holden's new favorite phrase. Anytime that he takes a fall, gets a boo-boo, etc., he immediately says, "I'm Alright." Then, he adds one more "Alright". I'm not sure if he's reassuring me or himself! I don't even need to ask him or come look. He just gets up and keeps going. It is too cute! ;-)

Entertaining on a Budget

Well, entertaining a preschooler and a toddler on a budget . . .

1 empty cardboard box + 2 active, sweaty, "love the outdoors" boys = 30 minutes of free fun on a hot summer morning









Can you tell by their sweaty heads and red cheeks that it was HOT?!? ;-)

Swim Lessons

Quinn had swim lessons last week. He did a great job! His teacher, Ms. Allie, said that he was "quite the daredevil" and that he was ready to advance to Level 3. He has 2 more weeks of lessons (one in July and one in August). He is thrilled and ready to go back!









Holden was there, of course, to cheer on big brother. He wasn't really cheering . . . more like tolerating the lesson so that he could go back to swimming in the baby pool!



With his "Completion of Level 2" certificate . . .

The Unstoppable Duo . . .

of Spiderman and Buzz Lightyear! Who knew that these two superheros work together to fight crime and (as Quinn likes to say) "save the city from the bad guys"? ;-)









Then, it was time to for these crime fighting heros to hop on their wheels and hit the road . . .







*An update on the big boy bed for Holden . . . he is doing great. After the first night, he has stayed in bed all night and slept in each morning! 4 good nights in a row! Yay!

A Human Pincushion

That's how I feel these days!



I thought that I would journal just a little about the drama of this pregnancy for the following 2 reasons:
a. In a couple of years, I may have the crazy thought to do all of this again. Brant can tell me to go back and read my "pincushion" blog entry and come to my senses!
b. In the future when baby boy #3 is driving me crazy/being an ungrateful teenager/thinking that his poor mom knows nothing and doesn't care about him and his feelings (not that these things WILL EVER happen with my little angel), I can have him read this entry and see all that I went through to try to give him a good, healthy start at life.


I am, of course, very grateful for baby boy #3 and the fantastic medical care that we are getting. I feel really confident that we are doing all in our collective power to get me to full-term. My doctors are very proactive and open to my suggestions and opinions. They are very willing to break protocol and "standard care" and do a lot of things "just because" or "just in case". They are also very patient with my tendency to be a bit of a hypochondriac this time around. I usually have a list of questions/issues/concerns each week!

I also know that we are simply human; God is in charge. He knows exactly when this baby will be born and that I can trust that all will be taken care of in His time and with His grace. Thanks to this faith and trust, I have not felt an enormous amount of worry and anxiety. He really does bring about peace. We're simply taking things week by week (and day by day).

The Drama -
Okay, my pregnancy care up until this point has included, but is not limited to:
*2 extra "planning" appointments in the beginning to make our pregnancy plan
*1 extra early ultrasound (in addition to the usual 2)
*starting at 16 weeks, I have been going to the doctor once a week for 17P injections. The first few were no big deal. What people don't tell you is that after 7 or 8, your body can build up a reaction to the medication and you can get lovely swelling, burning, etc. (won't go into too much detail . . . believe me, it's not pretty and it lasts for days!)
*frequent monitoring for infection. People also don't tell you that some infections are asymptomatic and can cause early labor/PROM. But, because there are no symptoms, you have no idea. So, we are checking frequently and treating if necessary.
*last week, I was able to combine my usual weekly injection appointment with my glucose test and bloodwork. Thankfully, I passed!
*next week (28 weeks), I will be getting 2 injections on Tuesday (17P and Beta steroids) and will be going back on Wednesday for round 2 of Beta steroids. I requested the Beta steroids as a "just in case" measure to help speed up lung development. The doctors approved it b/c of my history of delivering early.

Well, that's about all that I can think of right now. I'm sure that I'm leaving something out. Yes, I know that this will be all worth it in the future. I pray daily for a full-term healthy baby boy. I specifically pray for 37 weeks, but I would gladly take 35+ (heck, I would even consider 34 to be a success!). I am certainly doing all that I can to make it until then. But, again, I know that it is all in His hands and His plans.

Movin' on Up: Part 2

Once Quinn was set up with his twin bed, we were ready to move Holden's crib to the nursery and give him the toddler bed. He was beyond thrilled about his "b-ball bed". The first night was a little rough. He had trouble staying in bed. After getting out 3 times, we decided to move him to the pack-n-play and try again another night. *I simply did not have the energy or the patience for much more than that.

I am pleased to report that last night went much better. He did not get out of bed at all and slept until 8am! I tried to make a HUGE deal of his accomplishment this morning, with the hopes of a repeat performance tonight! We'll see!







Quinn sharing in the excitement . . .



The first night in his big boy bed (you know, that night that he made it all of 10 minutes!) . . .

Movin' on Up: Part 1

As we prepare for baby boy #3, I feel as though the projects going on at our house are endless! A major project has been/is referred to as "musical beds". We have needed to move Quinn's toddler bed to Holden's room, move Holden's crib to the nursery, and buy a twin bed for Quinn. Well, I am happy to report that Quinn's twin bed has been purchased, painted, assembled, moved, decorated, and SLEPT IN! *We are still missing 2 Spiderman knobs (for his bed's "secret compartment") that should be arriving today in the mail. I am thrilled to get one item marked off of my "to do" list!

Quinn's former toddler bed:



His new twin "BIG boy" bed:



Can you tell that he is thrilled?



Holden, of course, had to join in the excitement . . .



First naptime in sleeping in his new big boy bed . . .

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my dad (Joey) and Brant's dad (Tom)!


And, a very Happy Father's Day to my hubby, Brant. The boys and I love you very much!

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

Ever wonder how super classy folks cool down on a hot summer day? Well, wonder no longer! I am certain that this is the preferred method of the rich and the famous . . .



Please note the aspects that make the above picture so very classy (just in case you want to recreate this scene at your home):
*Buy a bag of popsicles (wrap with paper towels to keep little fingers from freezing).
*If raining, take the children to the garage.
*Drag out all of your old camp chairs.
*Make sure that at least one child is shirtless (to keep him from staining his shirt, of course).
*Plug in a box fan ($10 at Walmart) to help maximize coolness.
*ENJOY AND REPEAT! We have been this classy the past 3 days in a row. Jealous, yet? ;-)







*Have any ideas as to what we'll be doing again today after naptime? ;-)

My "Workmen"

Even "workmen" (as Quinn likes to call them) have to take a break and refuel . . .

Cable TV

I may have mentioned before, but we are not very technologically advanced at our house. My cell phone does not have caller ID, voice mail, the ability to take pictures, or the internet. It just makes and receives calls! We do not have DVR, a Wii, or even real cable TV. Our cable is broadcast cable, and we only got that when the government made us get rid of our rabbit ears last year!!! ;-)

I'm not really sure why we are so "behind the times". Maybe it's to save money . . . maybe it's so that we aren't tempted to spend too much time in front of the TV . . . maybe it's because we are too lazy to change things . . . or, maybe it's a combination of all of those reasons!!!

So for us, one of the joys of going on vacation is to indulge in good 'ole cable TV. You know, the kind that has more than 15 stations. I try to get my fill of HGTV, Lifetime, and Soap Net (for the OC and 90210!). Brant enjoys the History Channel and A&E. And, the boys are always fascinated to see the Disney Channel and Nick Jr.

In fact, they discovered 3 new (to them) shows on vacation . . .

Wonder Pets

*Very cute show!
**However, has anyone else ever wondered why they had to give the chick a speech impediment?


Backyardigans

*Again, very cute show!


Yo Gabba Gabba

*Quite possibly the most annoying show I have ever seen!!! I honestly do not see the appeal. But, for some wacky reason, the boys LOVED it!
*B/c of this one show, I may never upgrade our cable TV! ;-)


Not only did the boys discover new shows, I did too. I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I discovered (and spent way TOO much time watching) these ladies . . .

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Oh, my! It was too much fun watching the antics of these drama-filled crazy women! *I also discovered the Housewives of OC and New York . . . but NJ was my favorite!!!

The Aquarium

While at the beach, we took the boys to the aquarium. Quinn especially LOVES animals and was thrilled to see sharks, alligators, and snakes!






















Quinn's favorite part? The shark tank and scuba divers! Both boys sat and waited for the show for 20 minutes, and then sat through the 30 minute presentation. Can you say . . . miracle? ;-)






Feeling crabby . . .








Don't you love Holden's expression?