Fun at the Park

I just smile thinking about how much these two love each other all ready and all of the crazy journey's they are going to go on as brothers.

Potty Training

I have been in no rush to potty train Vander. I have had numerous friends and both of my sister in laws say that boys are usually later than girls and the biggest thing is to do it when they are ready. We bought a potty chair a few months ago, but he was not interested in using it, besides as a stool to stand on when the lid was closed. The other morning I was in the bathroom getting ready for work and he walked in and asked for one of his suckers that my mom had gotten him from disneyland. I didn't even realize they were on the counter. My response was " oh van those are for when you start going poop in the potty" That was the end of it. He didn't put up a fight, I kept getting ready, he went about playing. 10 minutes later I heard some commotion coming from his room. I went to tell him to play in the living room because Hudson was asleep right next door. I walked to his room and he wasn't there? He was in the bathroom standing above his potty and there was a HUGE poop in the soccerball shaped potty. He looks at me with a smile on his face and says " can i have that sucker now?" WOW I love that kid and his determination. Dan worked with him the rest of the day and he was done with diapers. The next day we were leaving to go watch the APU scrimmage and I was getting him dressed, about to put his diaper on because we were going to be gone for a few hours. He said oh no mom I wear undies. So we put on his buzz lightyear tighty whities and we were off. He went twice at the gym and my parents took him after to shop for pumpkins for carving and he went at their house. While he was with my parents yesterday they bought him a guitar that he had been really wanting but told him he can have it when he goes poop again in the big potty. He woke up this morning and after eating breakfast he said " I have to go mom" we ran to the bathroom and he went on the big toilet with a little seat I had bought. He sat down, pushed.... nothing. We sat there for a few and then I asked if he wanted to go play for a bit and then come back. He said no he wanted to stay there. Sure enough 2 minutes later he said"gotta go" hoped up on the big potty and did a nasty poop that I was so thankful I could flush instead of clean out of the little potty. We called Grandma and Bumpa and he asked if he could have the guitar now. Bumpa brought it over before church and he was SO excited to get it. I am so proud of my little man!!

I'm back!!

From the looks of my blog I have one boy who is about 9 months old! I am updating my blog to show both of the boys and have aspirations to write more on here. There are so many things the kids do and say that I want to remember and cherish and can't trust my overloaded brain to remember without a place I write it all down. So here goes a long catch up session and a goal of updating at least once a week! My sister is a big fan of highs and lows. So in honor of having a huge high being her being home I will reflect on the last year with a little high/ low game!!

High- Vander LOVES being a big brother. He has adjusted fabulously and has nothing but a sweet heart for his "bro" He is the one who wants to run to his room and greet him in his crib when he wakes up. They talk for a few minutes and then Vander yells, OK mom you can come in.

Low- One of the first days home from the hospital Dan was gone at practice, my mom left my side for 2 hours to get her hair done and I had my first trial run of doing two kids on my own. Vander had a dirty diaper so I changed him and before I could change his clothes Hudson was screaming like crazy so I told Van to play out back for a few while I quickly feed Hud. My plan was working until I am in the middle of feeding and notice an unusual silence from the backyard. With my hooter hider on, still feeding Hudson I jump up to check on Vander... gate to front is open and he is gone. I dash out front, greasy hair, dirty sweats, feeding a baby, and see Vander a few houses down, in a diaper only, on his bike. I call to him in a sweet voice," Vander hunny come home" and he replies with " Mom bet you can't catch me" I have lots of neighbors who I know are watching this situation out their windows. What I want to yell and say is "Get your booty back here right this second" What I say instead is " Van hun I have Hudson and can't come run after you please come home" He goes further..... My neighbor comes out and walks down to get Van for me and we have a nice talking to in the house after... I was a little worried about having two at this point.

High- Heard noises from Vander's room one morning so I went in he was awake in his bed. He says to me" mom I am praying can you come back in a few minutes?" I ask who he is praying for and he says" you mommy I will pray for daddy next"

Low- Dan lost his job

High- My real estate business is great! We moved to a bigger office in downtown fullerton and I love what I do. We changed names to COR homes after my grandpa Cor who was a great developer back in the day. I have the best agents around!!

Low- Hudson didn't want to take a bottle

High- Dan surprised his whole family and showed up at the lake in Minnesota by himself with the boys! Mind you Hudson has NEVER taken a bottle and my amazing hubby loads both boys up for a week to spend time with his extended fam at the lake and teach Huddy boy to take a bottle. It worked!!

Low- At a swim party Vander running and doing a cannon ball into the pool, not knowing how to swim without his life jacket:/ I have never run so fast. I yelled to a guy in the pool who was looking the other way " HE CAN"T SWIM" he lifted him out for me, I wrapped him in a towel and my sweet boy says, that nice man saved me, I should thank him"

High- Hudson smiles with his eyes. His smile is so contagious, no matter what is going on you look at that kid and can't help but smile.

Low- Being so busy Hudson was 10 months before I started his baby book. Trying to remember what he was doing at 2 months, not so easy. Don't have as many pics of him:(

High- Bought an awesome camera and am teaching myself to take pictures. Since I bought it I have already taken so many more pictures and am excited for them to have these snapshots to remember back.

Low- Hudson didn't sleep through the night until 9 months... I thought Van was the norm sleeping 12 hours from 6 weeks on... I was in for a rude awakening... I learned to kiss those chubby cheeks and enjoy my 3 am parties with my boy because I am sure their will be a time when I am the last person he will want to hang with at 3 am :)

High- FAMILY... I feel so blessed that our families are in our daily lives. My kids get to grow up knowing all their cousins on Dan's side of the family. 7 boys 3 and under might be a bit hectic at times, but we are building a serious football team. On my side of the family my sister is home from Africa, Trav and emma live down the street from us, Trent is dating Teri, who we LOVE, and Vander and Hudson are the only kids so there are lots of hands to help!!!

Low- Working full time, watching the boys while dan is at basketball practice, life is busy, haven't had a lot of free time for friends.

High- My running partner is home!!! We ran in the disneyland half marathon and had a blast!! Erin and I are dying after the race and Katie says "we should do a full"

Low- I am white... After reading all the stuff on skin cancer and tanning beds I have given up my love for being tan.

High- Playing in a basketball league. Katie is on the team too and I have never really played with her. She has so much energy that I get tired watching her, but she is probably the funnest person ever to play with.

Low- my baby bangs are much worse after this pregnancy. That is so something people don't tell you about having kids and it is awful because it is a delayed reaction. 6 months after the baby, your getting into the groove, losing the weight, have a nice routine going and then it looks as if you cut some really short short bangs?? Not cool

High- Vander's sensitivity. He has a heart of gold. He is the one who cries when someone is sad, if little bill on tv is having a bad day i can look over and most likely van's eyes will be welding up. He is so happy, I can't stand it. I love it!! he got in trouble one time and Dan was sternly talking to him and he says " daddy, be happy"

low- Everyone has such high expectations for hudson. Vander is in such a great phase of communicating and just being like a little man that just the other day my brother and sister said to me " does Hudson walk or talk yet?" I had to remind them he is not even a year yet!! Vander being the first we oohhed and ahhhed about all his little baby things like oh he got a tooth, oh he is crawling, oh he said ma ma" now that Vander is calling officer trenty and asking if he got any bad guys today they are anxious for Hud to get to that level of communication.

High- Vander and Dan were praying in Vander's bunk bed and Dan was telling him how Jesus is up there watching us and he pointed up to heaven. Vander with a confused look on his face says " Dad, that's not heaven. That's my top bunk"

Low- Vander loved his crib so much we were terrified to take it away from him when it was time for Hudson to move to the crib. Daddy was amazing by making a crib in his big boy bed with bumpers and made a smooth transition.

High- The only time Vander got out of his big boy bed was to get his bible out of the closet and read in bed. How can I get mad at that?

I love my three boys and feel so blessed by our life. God has been so faithful to us and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. It has been a crazy ride for us this year and I am looking forward to what HE has in store for us!! Oh that reminds me of one last low.. started an amazing beth moore bible study of Daniel with some of my favorite people and after Hudson came and then the holidays came and then all of our lives got busy and now we never got around to finishing :(